ALCSRB Chapter 55

Jiang Mingyi climbed straight into the passenger seat. When Shen Xingyan glanced over, he flashed a big smile.

Shen Xingyan looked a little surprised. “Weren’t you avoiding me these past few days? Not hiding anymore?”

Considering how over-the-line he’d been that morning a few days ago, it was understandable for the kid to keep his distance.

Shen Xingyan had figured it was best to give him space for a couple of days. But now, here he was, all smiles like nothing ever happened.

“I wasn’t avoiding you,” Jiang Mingyi firmly denied his past behavior. “If I really was, why would I be sitting in your car right now?”

“See? I’m already being really proactive.”

Jiang Mingyi looked back at Shen Xingyan with blazing eyes. His peach blossom eyes sparkled, filled with tenderness and affection.

Shen Xingyan was momentarily dazed by that smile, thinking the kid seemed bolder than ever.

Had something happened over the past couple of days?

A slight vibration from his phone pulled Shen Xingyan back to reality.

He glanced at the message, suppressed his curiosity for now, and gestured for Jiang Mingyi to buckle his seatbelt.

The car started up quickly.

Seeing him focused on driving, Jiang Mingyi fiddled with the seatbelt across his chest, hesitated a moment, then asked, “Ge, why are you in such a rush? Who are we picking up?”

Shen Xingyan turned to glance at him, then quickly looked away.

“A friend,” he replied, voice calm and unreadable.

“A friend?” Jiang Mingyi pouted. “What kind of friend? Do I know them?”

The car went quiet for about thirty seconds. At an intersection, they hit a red light.

Shen Xingyan stepped on the brakes. His deep black eyes reflected Jiang Mingyi’s curious expression. The intense gaze made Jiang Mingyi swallow nervously.

Then Shen Xingyan replied slowly, “You don’t know them.”

“Huh, that’s an interesting friend—choosing this time to fly in and even making you come pick them up.”

Jiang Mingyi really wanted to say: That friend’s got some nerve, making you skip dinner just to pick them up at the airport.

His heart was tinged with sour jealousy. His fingers scratched at the seatbelt.

Shen Xingyan’s gaze briefly and subtly swept over that fidgeting finger. The light turned green, and the car moved forward again.

“He changed his flight last minute. I just found out. Once we get to the airport, I’ll introduce you two.”

Last-minute flight change? Is he trying to surprise Shen Xingyan?

Jiang Mingyi knew it. These sudden flight changes were always about giving “someone unforgettable” a surprise visit.

And then what?

Jiang Mingyi couldn’t help but mentally slap a manipulative bitch label on the person.

The car took the elevated expressway straight to the airport. Over half an hour later, they arrived.

Jiang Mingyi stuck close behind Shen Xingyan as they went inside. A flight had just landed at this hour, and the terminal was bustling with people wheeling their luggage around.

A few little kids suddenly darted past, momentarily blocking Jiang Mingyi’s path.

By the time the kids ran off, giggling and shouting, Jiang Mingyi took a deep breath and looked up—

Only to find that Shen Xingyan was gone.

“……What the hell.”

This guy didn’t seriously ditch him just to rush off and meet that scheming little vixen, did he?!

Jiang Mingyi, fuming, reached into his pocket to grab his phone and call Shen Xingyan for answers—only to freeze.

He… he had left his phone at home!!!

In this huge airport, with no phone—what the hell was he supposed to do now?

People bustled all around him, unfamiliar faces everywhere. Some travelers glanced curiously at him, standing dazed in the middle of the walkway.

“What do I do now?”

At this point, Jiang Mingyi didn’t care about any scheming vixen. All he wanted was to find Shen Xingyan ASAP.

And that idiot—why was he walking so fast? Couldn’t he wait for him?

He knew the airport would be crowded. Couldn’t he at least have held his hand while walking?

Now look—he’s lost. How the hell was he supposed to find him again?

---

Meanwhile…

Shen Xingyan was on a call and hadn’t noticed anything behind him. When he hung up and turned around, Jiang Mingyi had vanished.

His head instantly throbbed.

How does someone go missing when they were literally right behind you? This kid was so much trouble.

He sighed and pulled out his phone, dialing Jiang Mingyi’s number.

It rang for a few seconds, then someone picked up.

He walked toward a quieter corner of the terminal, his voice anxious and a little helpless. “Xiao Yi, where are you?”

But a female voice came through instead—Su Wanxin.

“A-Yan, Xiao Yi left his phone at home.”

“What?” Shen Xingyan’s brows immediately furrowed.

“Aren’t you two out together? What happened?”

He briefly explained the situation to her.

Su Wanxin’s voice sharpened with worry and frustration. “What kind of big brother are you? How do you lose your own brother? He doesn’t even have a phone! How’s he supposed to find you now? Even if he wants to take a cab home, do you know if he has any money on him?”

Shen Xingyan, flustered and guilty, let her scold him a bit without arguing.

“I’ll find him,” he promised, then hung up.

---

Jiang Mingyi had wandered around aimlessly for a while before realizing that doing so would only make him miss Shen Xingyan even more easily. So he stopped.

He looked around. Most of the people were rushing about, clearly in a hurry. He didn’t feel comfortable stopping any of them.

Suddenly, not far away, he spotted a gorgeous woman lounging on a bench, playing on her phone.

After hesitating for a second, he walked over.

As he took in her stunning figure, Jiang Mingyi blushed a little. “Excuse me, beautiful jie-jie, could I borrow your phone for a sec?”

The woman looked up, smiling teasingly. “Little brother, are you trying to flirt with me?”

“No, no, I just rushed out and forgot my phone,” he hurriedly explained. Seeing her face up close—bright, bold, and breathtaking—Jiang Mingyi was honestly a little stunned, but quickly got back on track. “I got separated from my brother, and I can’t reach him without a phone.”

“Little brother, your excuse is really amusing.”

She spun her phone playfully between her fingers, then stretched her hand toward him.

Jiang Mingyi was just about to thank her when—flip—the phone twirled back into her own hand.

“But my older brother always says, never talk to strangers when you’re out. Otherwise, someday someone will scam you, and you’ll still be smiling and thanking them like an idiot.”

Jiang Mingyi: “……”

“No, really, I’m telling the truth! I just need to borrow your phone to call my brother.”

“Oh? And where is your brother, hmm? Let me guess,” she tapped the air with her slender finger, “That guy in the floral shirt? Or the one in the black T-shirt? Don’t tell me it’s that greasy-looking one over there?”

Jiang Mingyi realized that the woman had mistaken him for one of those sleazy guys at the airport who randomly hit on people. His lips immediately pressed into a straight line.

“These days, there are still shameless older brothers who send their younger brothers to flirt with pretty girls? Absolutely disgraceful.”

Faced with the woman’s furious glare, Jiang Mingyi gave an awkward laugh. “Forget it, I’ll go find someone else.”

He turned to leave as he spoke, but a hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder.

The next moment, a tall figure blocked his path.

Only then did Jiang Mingyi realize that the woman, now standing, was actually taller than him—and he was instantly stunned.

“Find someone else?” The woman hooked a finger into his collar and pulled him into a nearby corner. “Can anyone else be as pretty as me? Can anyone else fulfill your brother’s wish to flirt with a beauty?”

“Or is it that you, little brother, are just being coy, and you actually wanted to hit on me yourself?”

Her slender fingers slid along his collar and gently traced his neck. Her stunning face was filled with flirtation and teasing, scaring Jiang Mingyi so much his face turned pale.

“I’m not! I didn’t! Don’t make stuff up!” Jiang Mingyi shook his head so hard he nearly gave himself whiplash.

“What’s got you so riled up?” The woman chuckled, her fingertip tapping his smooth, delicate cheek. “With such a pretty face, little brother, I couldn’t care less about your older brother. You suit my taste way more.”

“No, no, no—I don’t like women,” he shook his head furiously again.

Was she kidding? He was bent like a mosquito coil.

“Oh? So this little brother likes men? What a coincidence…”

Just as she was about to lean in closer, Jiang Mingyi froze in shock.

Right then, a cold and commanding voice rang out, “An Shi, let him go.”

An Shi pouted and clicked her tongue softly. “Tch, so fast.”

The moment she let go, Jiang Mingyi, like a frightened little animal finally escaping danger, bolted straight into Shen Xingyan’s arms without a second thought.

With his arms suddenly full, Shen Xingyan’s heart finally settled.

He held Jiang Mingyi’s slightly trembling body close, his voice gentle with comfort: “It’s okay now.”

He really wanted to scold the boy for getting himself lost, but when he saw those bright, surprised eyes filled with reliance and joy, Shen Xingyan couldn’t bring himself to be harsh.

“What took you so long?” Jiang Mingyi clutched Shen Xingyan’s shirt with both hands, burying his face into his chest. There was a hint of blame in his tone, but even more relief.

Thank goodness they’d only been separated for a short while—any longer and he really wouldn’t have known what to do.

Especially—

He suddenly remembered there was someone else watching, and the tips of his ears turned red. Reluctantly, he pulled away from Shen Xingyan’s embrace.

Looking up, he was met with a pair of eyes clearly saying, “Oh, so that’s the kind of relationship you two have.”

Jiang Mingyi nervously swallowed. Seeing the person across from him open their mouth to say something, he suddenly had the urge to cover it—only to hear the calm voice beside him say, “Let’s go.”

A hand hanging by his side was gently taken into another’s. Jiang Mingyi instantly forgot whatever he had been about to do.

He let Shen Xingyan lead him away in a daze, only snapping out of it once they’d made it back to the car.

Ah—Shen Xingyan was finally holding his hand while walking!

He felt a wave of excitement and giddiness. Just as he got into the car and was about to speak, an unfamiliar male voice spoke from behind.

“Shen Xingyan, you’re such a user. Burning the bridge once you’ve crossed it.”

Jiang Mingyi whipped around. “Why are you in our car?!”

Then he immediately caught on. “And why are you speaking with a man’s voice?!”

He slapped a hand over his gaping mouth, eyes wide with shock as he stared at the “beautiful woman” in the backseat like he was staring at a total weirdo.

An Shi gave him a friendly wave. “Little brother, big sis can also be a man. Isn’t that a wild coincidence?”

That dazzling smile could probably make half the world swoon, but to Jiang Mingyi, it was pure nightmare fuel.

Shen Xingyan reached over and turned Jiang Mingyi’s head back, his voice cold and indifferent. “Ignore him. That guy has a cross-dressing fetish.”

“You know him, ge?” Jiang Mingyi was shocked all over again.

An Shi raised a brow. “You came to the airport with your brother to pick someone up, and you don’t know who?”

“My brother only said it was a friend.”

An Shi immediately glared at Shen Xingyan. “Not only did you burn the bridge, now you’re ditching me for a pretty face too?”

“Stop talking nonsense,” Shen Xingyan rubbed his brow and shot An Shi a warning look.

But An Shi didn’t care at all. He wiggled his phone. “If I hadn’t sent you my location, would you have found your brother so fast? And now that you’ve found him, you give me the cold shoulder. You’re such a heartless jerk.”

He turned to the still-confused Jiang Mingyi. “Your brother was freaking out when he realized you were missing. He even told me to take a cab to the hotel myself. If I hadn’t been sharp-eyed and spotted you—this little beauty—in the crowd, he probably would’ve torn the whole airport apart today.”

Jiang Mingyi blinked. “Wh-What little beauty?”

Also… was Shen Xingyan really that worried?

He couldn’t help but glance at Shen Xingyan, only to lock eyes with him at the same moment.

Those dark eyes were deep and unreadable, like an unfathomable sea—silent and still.

An Shi’s gaze flicked between the two of them and continued, “This is the little brother A-Yi always talked about? No wonder we were all so curious. Seeing you today, you really are a little beauty.”

He curled his lips, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Big brother and little brother, huh? Now that’s a ship worth sailing.