The beautiful and still graceful woman looked up as she heard movement. She saw the two people standing at the door, paused for a moment, and introduced them. “Xi Ye, come here. This is Earl Casey and his son, Cole.”
Xi Ye felt as if the blood in his body had frozen. His hands at his sides clenched slightly, but he felt a gentle, reassuring pat on his shoulder from the person behind him. The surging emotions in his heart calmed, and he walked inside.
“Good evening, Lord Earl,” Xi Ye said, lowering his gaze to hide his emotions.
Earl Casey laughed heartily and said in a booming voice, “It has been a long time. Xi Ye has grown so much. I still remember when you were a child” He stopped abruptly, his voice trailing off.
Cole shifted his gaze away from the man. To break the silence for the Earl, who usually looked majestic but now appeared at a loss, he suggested, “I imagine Father needs to have a proper chat with Lady Elsa and Brother Xi Ye. Why do I not step out with this gentleman first?”
He held no real prejudice against this mother and son; they were merely the products of his father’s dalliances before his political marriage. Even if this elder brother had become a favorite at the academy in his past life due to his magic, Cole had still crushed him under his feet in the end.
“That works. Take” Earl Casey paused, not knowing the name of Xi Ye’s friend.
“Zevis,” Song Yanxing said, stepping forward with a slight nod and offering his name for this world.
The name sounded vaguely familiar to Earl Casey, but he could not quite place it.
Cole walked up to Song Yanxing and said with a polite, gentlemanly smile, “After you.”
“I will head out first. Have a good talk, Brother,” Song Yanxing said, leaning close to Xi Ye and speaking in a low voice.
Xi Ye looked between the two of them and gave a quiet “Mmh.”
Though it was nearly 9:00 PM, some small shops remained open. Shouts and greetings from vendors rose and fell in the air. Several guards, disguised as commoners, followed at a distance behind the two leading the way.
Cole suppressed his internal excitement and turned to look at the incredibly handsome man beside him. “Mr. Zevis, how did you meet my brother?”
A faint smile appeared on Song Yanxing’s face as he told a half truth. “I fainted on the street and lost my memory. I met Brother when he was heading home from work. He saw that I was pitiable and took me in.”
“Why do you call him Brother?” Cole found the word grating. Even though he did not know why the god had manifested as a young adult or hidden His radiance, he felt a surge of dissatisfaction.
“Mr. Cole, I think you have misunderstood,” Song Yanxing said, stopping in his tracks. He turned to look at the protagonist, whose expression was twisted, and lowered his eyelashes. “I was the one who insisted on calling him that. I am sorry if it made you unhappy.”
Cole was confused, yet he heard the person he cherished offering a low, dejected apology.
“I understand that he is your blood brother. The word Brother should be exclusive to you. I am truly sorry,” Song Yanxing said, dejection bleeding from his eyes and his voice tinged with bitterness. “But to me, Brother is also a very special existence.”
Cole remained silent. Who would harbor feelings for a half brother and be so obsessed with the title?
Being labeled as jealous, Cole rubbed his forehead and explained, “That is not what I meant.”
Hearing this, Song Yanxing’s gaze shifted. He stared intently at Cole and asked in a manipulative, innocent tone, “Then can I continue to call him Brother? You will not mind, will you, Lord Viscount?”
“I do not mind,” Cole said with a forced smile.
“I knew the Lord Viscount was broad minded and unconstrained. Thank you,” Song Yanxing said, piling on the praise.
Cole changed the frustrating subject. “After my brother returns home, he will likely study at the Imperial Academy. If you are interested, I can recommend you.”
“I will listen to whatever Brother says. I will not trouble you, Lord Viscount,” Song Yanxing replied with a smile.
Faced with this god who had clearly become obsessed with his Brother, Cole clenched his fingers. “Yes, I suppose so.”
A guard approached to inform them that the conversation in the shop had concluded, and they returned to the flower shop. When they arrived, Earl Casey was already standing at the door saying goodbye to the mother and son.
“I will come to pick you both up the day after tomorrow. You will go to the Imperial Academy to study with Cole. I will have someone look after your mother’s flower shop. Do not worry, child,” Earl Casey said, entrusting Xi Ye with these words.
At his mother’s signal, Xi Ye replied, “I understand. Thank you for your trouble.” He then watched them depart.
Elsa shook off the image of the receding car and took her stubborn son’s hand. “Earl Casey is your father,” she said slowly. “Even if you do not like him, that is an undeniable fact. I hope you two can get along.”
Xi Ye looked at his mother, who was nearing forty but still retained the grace of her youth, and said nothing. Elsa came from a commoner family and had met Earl Casey during a festival. It was love at first sight. Later, Casey was told he had to enter an arranged marriage and broke up with her. She discovered she was pregnant just a few days later. Facing the interrogations of her parents and the judgment of her neighbors, she resolutely took her savings and moved to the Lower District in the East. From pregnancy to birth, she had endured it all alone. For a beautiful young woman in the chaotic Lower District, the dangers she faced were countless.
“I understand, Mother,” Xi Ye replied.
Elsa smiled and turned to look at Song Yanxing, who was standing quietly nearby. “This is your roommate? He is truly handsome.” Seeing that her guarded son finally had a companion, she laughed. “It is late. You and Zevis should head back early.”
“Yes. Goodnight, Mother.” Xi Ye turned and lightly pinched Song’s sleeve, leading him toward the tram.
After showering, Xi Ye paced in front of Song’s door. His finger hovered in the air, hesitating whether to knock. With a click, the door opened from the inside.
Song Yanxing rubbed his eyes and asked with feigned confusion, “Brother, were you looking for me?”
“Yes.” Xi Ye withdrew his hand and hid it behind his back. He looked up at the man standing under the light, who was waiting obediently for him to speak. He asked casually, as if he did not care, “Do you want to go to the Main City with me? Of course, if you do not want to, you can stay here.”
Song Yanxing was stunned for a moment, then gave a low laugh. “Of course I want to, Brother.”
Standing at the boundary of light and shadow, his non human beauty made him look unattainable, yet his brilliant gold eyes were filled with light. Seeing this, Xi Ye’s heart skipped a beat.
“I thought Brother did not want me anymore,” Song said, lowering his head and appearing sorrowful.
Xi Ye forced himself to look away and reassured him, “I will not leave you behind.”
“I do not believe you. You will not even look me in the eye when you say that,” Song Yanxing said with a frown, sounding dejected. “You must be just humoring me.”
Late at night, the world seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep. The faint, occasional chirping of cicadas outside made the room so quiet that one could almost hear a heartbeat.
“I am not humoring you.”
Song Yanxing looked down at the crimson blush on the youth’s ears. He coaxed him. “Then Brother should look at me and say it again.” He reached out and gently pinched Xi Ye’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze.
Xi Ye looked up and crashed into a pair of deep, wandering gold eyes filled with an expression he could not decipher. Without thinking, he raised his hand to touch those eyes and said slowly, “We will always be together.”