He simply finished his breakfast in a few bites. He went upstairs to retrieve the socks and shoes. Then, kneeling on one knee, he coaxed Yun Zhixue to shift slightly. Yun Zhixue looked down in confusion at the socks in his brother’s hands, realizing his brother’s intention.
Normally, Yun Zhixue might have gone along with Yun Zhixiu’s intent and scooted his bottom to make it easier. But today, Xu Chi was there too. Yun Zhixue bit his lip in embarrassment, lashes fluttering as he cast a secret glance at Xu Chi, then whispered:
“Brother, after I finish eating, I can do it myself.”
Yun Zhixiu was already gripping Yun Zhixue’s foot, about to pull the sock on. At these words, his movements paused, his hand still gripping the ankle. Yun Zhixiu spoke in a hollow, dejected voice: “Little Xue, do you not like your brother anymore? You were willing yesterday. Did I do something wrong?”
Yun Zhixiu’s voice was low, and the eyes he lifted to look at Yun Zhixue held dejection and what seemed to be mingled injury.
Yun Zhixue was stunned by these words and the look in his brother’s eyes. He waved his hands hurriedly: “No, no, I do not dislike you!” He explained hurriedly: “It is just… Xu Chi is here…”
His voice grew lower and lower, a flush spreading across his face, and his toes curled subconsciously, pressing against Yun Zhixiu’s palm.
That slight touch made Yun Zhixiu’s eyes darken. His fingertips gripping the ankle tightened subconsciously, then he hurriedly relaxed, afraid of pinching Yun Zhixue. However, the sourness in his heart did not ease because of Yun Zhixue’s words; instead, it grew wildly like vines, wrapping around him until he could not breathe.
It was only because Xu Chi was here. Because an outsider, Xu Chi, was here. That was why Yun Zhixue rejected his intimate care.
This realization almost choked him.
Yun Zhixiu’s Aversion +10.
Xu Chi saw it clearly from the side. He wished he could snatch the sock and put it on Yun Zhixue himself, preferably getting to touch the little feet more. Then followed that strange feeling again.
Can brothers be this intimate? Perhaps when they were young, but now?
Hearing Yun Zhixue’s words, he was initially triumphant. “Look, Yun Zhixue cares so much about me! After all, I am his quasi-boyfriend, his husband.” But with a man’s keen perception in this regard, he instantly saw the strange look in Yun Zhixiu’s eyes.
An incredible thought flashed through his brain like lightning, gone in an instant.
“This… that cannot be, right?”
But Xu Chi was not the kind of cowardly man who flees when encountering a problem. Adhering to the attitude of better to believe it is true than to be caught off guard, he added Yun Zhixiu to his list of precautions.
From that moment on, his respect for his brother-in-law evaporated.
Yun Zhixue was baffled when he heard the System’s notification; he really could not fathom why the aversion score had gone up. Was it because he did not let his brother put his socks on? Or did his brother really enjoy taking care of people? He had not thought of the result yet.
Yun Zhixue felt his waist ache from the slightly tilted posture of this body. Afterward, he could not help but draw his legs in, and this movement pulled Yun Zhixiu’s thoughts back.
Yun Zhixiu looked at the fair, delicate feet in his palm; there was not a single part that was not exquisite. Little Xue was the brother he held in the palm of his hand; he was willing to spend his whole life accompanying him. From small things like dressing to big things like marriage, he had to participate, standing by his side to accompany him. But now, just because of the presence of an outsider, his brother actually…
Yun Zhixiu fixed the sole of the foot in his palm, his voice very light, carrying a stubbornness that only he knew.
“Be good, Little Xue. It is just putting on socks; there is nothing that cannot be seen.”
Xu Chi also hurriedly smiled and snatched a sock, squatting on the other side. “Brother, at this time, you should be going to work, too. Do not bother yourself with this little thing. I will do it, I will do it; consider it practice.”
Then he smiled at Yun Zhixue: “Baby, you eat. I will help you.”
Yun Zhixue was dizzy. The other foot was grabbed by Xu Chi. Xu Chi’s palm was larger and rougher than Yun Zhixiu’s, and the temperature in his palm was more scorching.
Yun Zhixue’s hair swayed, and he lowered his eyes, finding Xu Chi’s face full of smiles. Initially, he had been afraid that Xu Chi would mock him for needing his brother to put on his socks at such a big age. Seeing that Xu Chi had no such thought, he felt relieved.
He was no longer afraid of his brother putting on his socks, and his brother seemed to really like taking care of people. Plus, with that look his brother had earlier, he was still a bit stunned. He felt like he had hurt his brother, so he hurriedly scooted his bottom, discovering the solution by intuition: “Then you two can put on one each.”
After saying it, he felt he was simply too witty!
Both men were stunned. Yun Zhixiu raised his head and met Xu Chi’s gaze. For a moment, lightning flashed and sparks flew. The air was filled with silent contention.
Almost simultaneously, the two lowered their heads and devoutly picked up one foot, carefully pulling the sock on, fearing they might hurt Yun Zhixue.
Yun Zhixiu’s movements were gentle and meticulous, his fingertips brushing over the delicate skin of Yun Zhixue’s foot, carefully smoothing out every wrinkle in the sock.
Xu Chi’s movements were similarly meticulous, just much more efficient and decisive. At the same time, there were more small movements; his thumb pads brushed against the sole of the foot without leaving a trace, feeling the slight flinching, a smile still on his face.
Yun Zhixue was drinking milk, being waited on by two people; he moved his feet unnaturally. This feeling was so strange.
After the socks were on, Yun Zhixiu picked up the pink German trainer sneakers from the side. Xu Chi grabbed the other one with lightning speed. “Brother, let us do one shoe each, too.”
Yun Zhixiu did not speak, did not even look at Xu Chi, but proceeded to put the shoe on, then tied a beautiful butterfly knot. Xu Chi followed suit, though his movements were a bit clumsy; it took him several tries to get a reasonably satisfying bow.
“Done,” Yun Zhixiu said.
“Done,” echoed Xu Chi, whose movements were a beat slower.
The System watched this strange development, its code running with errors. It looked uncertainly at the host’s identity: villain, or a small fry cannon fodder among villains. How did things turn out like the protagonist?
Furthermore, the System really understood now: this aversion score really was not against the host. Is it a bug? it thought silently. But looking at the host… If it is a bug, so be it. Whatever. As long as the mission is completed.
Yun Zhixue tried tapping his feet on the ground; the shoes were soft and fit well. He looked up and gave them both a smile, sugary sweet.
“Thank you, Brother; thank you, Xu Chi.”
That smile was clean and dependent, instantly smoothing out the sourness churning in Yun Zhixiu’s heart. He wanted to stroke Yun Zhixue’s head, but remembering his brother’s germophobia, he could only say: “Little Xue, no need for thanks. I am your brother; these are things I should do.”
Xu Chi was very smart; whatever Yun Zhixiu did, he followed, so he restrained his restless hands and hurriedly said: “Baby, I do not need thanks either. After all, after today…”
He did not finish his sentence, but everyone present knew what it meant. Yun Zhixiu gave Xu Chi a cold, faint look.
Splash. Yun Zhixiu washed his hands clean. He had calmed down. So what if Little Xue has a boyfriend? No one can cross me. I will be the one who accompanies Little Xue forever. Thinking this, he revealed a smile.
He faced Xu Chi’s hostile gaze with ease.
Yun Zhixiu told his brother to return before eight o’clock. Before Yun Zhixue could speak, Xu Chi agreed completely. Then the two held hands and walked out the door.
Yun Zhixiu watched Xu Chi protecting his brother, watching them get into the car—specifically, watching his brother. As for who the other person was, he acted as if he had not seen them at all. He stood there for a moment, tidied things up, grabbed his car keys, and went to work.
The consultation ended. Qi Qian remained sitting on the black leather sofa, his eyes very calm, gazing vaguely ahead. Dr. Mu did not disturb her patient as he performed self-adjustment, or perhaps it was because the patient was just too generous, allowing her to tolerate these trivial matters.
In Qi Qian’s mind, Dr. Mu’s insightful words were still echoing: “Mr. Qi, the abnormal physiological reactions you described—accelerated heartbeat, rushing blood, attention uncontrollably focused on a specific target—sound more like typical physiological manifestations of intense attraction or infatuation rather than pathological disorders. Of course, aversion and attraction sometimes accompany each other, even serving as two sides of the same coin. What you need to distinguish is whether you are rejecting this person himself, or the intense emotions you have for him that exceed your control.”
Rejecting… emotions?
Qi Qian’s brain seemed to have stopped running. He paused for a long time, understanding the words one by one, yet he uncontrollably remembered Yun Zhixue’s confused, innocent eyes. He kept telling himself that it was all just a facade. And this was his emotion?
How could it be? He hated, he rejected…
The cat cafe was located in the quieter suburbs, with quiet, fresh air, which was relatively friendly for the physical and mental health of pets.
As soon as Yun Zhixue entered the door, a group of cats surrounded him. They were purring softly and sweetly while rubbing their fluffy tails against his calves, the soft touch passing through the thin fabric. It tickled, making Yun Zhixue crouch down and extend his hands to touch their little heads. The cats scrambled to stretch their heads out, only to be smashed aside by a large black ball, which landed on Yun Zhixue’s hand.
The violent collision even sent Yun Zhixue sitting on the ground on his bottom. Xu Chi immediately helped Yun Zhixue up, nervously checking if he was hurt. “Baby, are you okay? These cats have a lot of strength.”
The big black ball was circling Yun Zhixue in a panic, meowing.
Yun Zhixue shook his head, ignoring his own state, and crouched down again, carefully opening his arms. The black ball rushed into Yun Zhixue’s arms, though this time the force was much smaller.
Yun Zhixue hugged the big cat, looking up at Xu Chi with bright eyes, his voice filled with excitement.
“It likes me!”
Xu Chi watched the two together—one little white cat and one big, fat black cat. Yun Zhixue’s face was slightly flushed with excitement, the corners of his mouth upturned, like a tree full of flowers suddenly blooming in spring, so radiant that one could not look away.
Xu Chi felt a heat in his heart and crouched down too, reaching out to pinch Yun Zhixue’s face, only to be swiped away by the black cat’s tail. “Hey, you little thing, you are quite possessive.” He was left speechless.
“It is not a little thing,” Yun Zhixue corrected him seriously, burying his face in the black cat’s fluffy fur to rub against it. “It is a big one, and its fur is so soft and warm.”
The surrounding cats, seeing their leader being favored, meowed even more coyly. Several bolder ones jumped directly onto Yun Zhixue’s back and legs, trying to get a share of the affection. Yun Zhixue was bumped back and forth, and it was Xu Chi who finally rescued him. Xu Chi could not help but chuckle and tease: “Baby, are you a cat demon? Otherwise, why would you be so attractive to cats?”
Yun Zhixue tilted his head, thinking seriously before answering: “If I were, I would like to have a beautiful coat of fur, too.” Then he buried his face in the big cat’s fluffy belly and took a breath.
“Just like it, looking robust and healthy.”
The black cat, as if understanding, proudly raised its big tail, lifting its chin and rubbing it against Yun Zhixue’s face. The fluffy fur tickled his chin.
Xu Chi nodded in complete agreement, though what he was thinking was that if the baby turned into a cat, he would be a tiny one with long fur, pink paws, and a delicate meow. Just like they said on the forums: the school beauty, if turned into a cat, would be the most beautiful calico cat.
The two played in the cat cafe for a long time. Yun Zhixue was completely intoxicated among the cats, while Xu Chi was taking photos, wanting to take this one and that one. He regretted not hiring a photographer to record his and his baby’s first date.
After thinking about it, he threw that unreliable idea away—hiring a third wheel for a date? What kind of foolish behavior was that? After lunch, it was off to the water park, which Xu Chi was second-most looking forward to.
For the water park, Xu Chi flushed a bit. The baby’s clothes will get wet; that counts as a wet-look seduction, right?