"Mr. Ji, is You Fu’s injury alright?" A woman’s concerned voice came through the receiver.
Ji An didn’t spare a glance at the young man kneeling on the hard floor in front of him. He lounged lazily on the sofa, his gaze drifting to the ticking hands of the watch on his wrist, and replied softly, "Boys are tough. He just took a couple of hits, nothing to worry about. Rest assured."
"I’m really grateful for You Fu’s help today. I never expected that bastard would follow my daughter to…" The woman choked up for a moment before continuing, "If it weren’t for You Fu, I can’t imagine what might have happened to my daughter. I’m truly thankful for your child."
Ji An silently counted the rotations of the watch hands. Five full circles. The person on the other end had wasted five whole minutes of his time. For these useless expressions of gratitude, he replied with a tone of satisfaction, "I’ve always taught him since he was young to be a good child who respects the elderly and helps others. Now that he’s grown into what I hoped for, it wasn’t in vain to leave my clients and abandon big deals to smile at teachers at school."
The person on the other end didn’t catch his deliberate emphasis on "clients" and "big deals" and wanted to visit You Fu to thank him in person.
Annoyed, Ji An pinched the bridge of his nose. "No need for that. We’re usually very busy and don’t have time to entertain guests. I’ll reward the child well on your behalf."
After hanging up, the smile on Ji An’s lips slowly faded.
The one who deserved a reward was kneeling on the ground, head bowed, looking submissive and repentant.
With his shoe, Ji An lifted the boy’s chin, seeing the cold face marked with bruises. He remarked playfully, "That brute left you with so many marks, I’m almost feeling sorry for you. Does it hurt?"
Despite the injuries, the boy’s face remained indifferent, mismatched with his age, long since worn down. His eyes, half-hidden by black hair, were lifeless, and his loose blue and white school uniform was dusty.
You Fu spoke blandly, "I don’t think I have the right to tell you it hurts."
"That’s right." Ji An lowered his leg, leaned forward, and ruffled his hair like a dog, his words as cold as ice in December. "Know your place. You’re too worthless to compensate for the deal I lost. If anything like this happens again at school, handle it yourself. If you can’t, don’t come back."
You Fu buried his head again, severing their eye contact, his voice small and light, "I’m sorry, I understand."
Ji An’s hand traveled from his head to his face, pressing hard on a bruise as a warning. "Stand up when you truly understand."
Feeling the skin twitch in pain under his fingers, Ji An chuckled and headed to the bathroom.
You Fu remained kneeling, his fists slowly clenching out of Ji An’s sight…
Ji An despised You Fu, especially his face.
His mother had left him and his father for a man with a similar face, returning three years later with a thirteen-year-old You Fu.
Even though You Fu had no blood relation to him, his terminally ill mother insisted he take care of You Fu, her current husband’s son, before she died.
Initially, Ji An didn’t want to take care of You Fu. He resented his mother’s lifelong indifference toward him and her love for another’s child over her own. What did this boy’s life or death have to do with him? Even if he became a ragged beggar on the street, Ji An wouldn’t spare him a coin.
But his mother left a will stating he would only receive the ten million inheritance if he raised You Fu to adulthood.
Ten million was a figure Ji An couldn’t even dream of.
Of course, this money was given to his mother by You Fu’s father.
As for You Fu’s father, he was reportedly in prison for several years.
Standing by her deathbed, Ji An stared at his mother, clinging to life, and asked hoarsely, "Why?"
Why did he have to take care of someone unrelated to him right after graduating college? Why could his mother so easily abandon her own son, yet worry about her lover’s child after her death?
His mother weakly raised her hand to say something, but it fell as the heart monitor flatlined.
He received no answers, only a burden.
On the day he brought this reclusive, quiet boy home, he couldn’t stop the nausea churning in his stomach.
Thirteen-year-old You Fu had a slightly chubby, pale face, hiding behind the nanny and staring at him with the same predatory gaze as before, as if he were prey.
Ji An didn’t greet him warmly. He silently picked up You Fu’s suitcase and carried it upstairs, his expression full of undisguised disgust.
To his surprise, when he turned to call the boy upstairs after moving the luggage, he found You Fu following right behind him.
Ji An thought it saved him the trouble and pointed to a narrow, dark room. "That’s our bedroom. The conditions are poor. Even if you don’t want to stay with me, you have no choice."
He still remembered what You Fu said then. It wasn’t "okay" or "got it," but—
"Brother."
Ji An didn’t understand what was wrong with this kid, calling him family as soon as he arrived. "I’m not your brother, don’t call me that."
You Fu calmly corrected himself, "Uncle."
Ji An: "…" He just added a generation.
He thought about it. The kid had to call him something. He couldn’t just call him "Ji An, Ji An," right? What would that look like?
Gritting his teeth, he said, "Just call me Brother."
Their relationship was essentially that of strangers living under the same roof. Ji An only provided a fixed amount of living expenses, ignoring everything else. Even if You Fu stayed out all night, as long as he didn’t die outside, Ji An wouldn’t care.
It had been almost five years. Ji An had supported him for so long, and in less than three months, You Fu would be an adult. Then he could claim the inheritance and get rid of the annoying fly.
Their rare interactions consisted mainly of Ji An’s cold sarcasm and dealing with any trouble You Fu caused outside.
Like today, apparently You Fu’s deskmate, Xiao Jiaruan, a pretty girl, was harassed by a school bully. When You Fu stumbled upon the scene after school, he got into a fight with the bully.
It ended with the teacher calling in the parents. Ji An punished him because he caused trouble, making him lose a deal.
Childish, Ji An thought as he turned on the shower, a hint of mockery on his lips. Kids were just trouble.
He hated trouble, especially when it involved You Fu.
When he emerged from the bathroom, his hair still damp, he found You Fu in the same kneeling position in front of the sofa, seemingly accustomed to it all.
Ji An walked over casually, droplets from his hair falling. When You Fu sensed his approach and looked up, a droplet landed at the corner of his eye, adding a touch of emotion to his otherwise indifferent gaze.
Ji An’s eyes fixed on the droplet. He wiped it away, as if even the water touched by Ji An’s warmth was something You Fu didn’t deserve, then turned off the lights and went into the bedroom.
Having lost the deal, Ji An was in a foul mood, unable to sleep. He leaned against the headboard, reading a magazine by the warm glow of the lamp. In the quiet night, even the slightest sound was magnified.
The sound of pages turning, the rustling of the wind against the curtains outside, and the distant, relentless noise of traffic.
The only silence was in the living room.
He sighed, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. The hour hand pointed to "11." If he didn’t intervene, You Fu would kneel all night.
He got out of bed and went to the living room. If it weren’t for the shadow in front of the sofa straightening slightly at the sound behind him, Ji An might have thought he was a statue.
"Get up and go to sleep."
You Fu looked up at him, silently got up, and went to the bedroom, his legs numb from kneeling, causing his steps to drag.
Such a kind-hearted child, he deserved it, Ji An thought to himself.
…
It was winter now, and in the north, heating began in November. The outside temperature wasn’t particularly low, but the floor heating was uncomfortably warm. Ji An woke up thirsty at just past six.
He opened the door to get some water and happened to run into You Fu, who was heading to class. The swelling on his face from yesterday showed no signs of subsiding, the bruises stark and shocking.
You Fu paused as he passed by, waiting to see if Ji An had anything to say.
Ji An leaned against the bedroom door, arms crossed, his loose pajamas hanging off his shoulder, revealing a broad expanse of bare chest. He glanced at the cabinet. "There’s medicine over there. Bandage the wounds before going to school."
You Fu opened the cabinet, finding mostly expired medicine. He took out some gauze and medical tape, simply covering the visible wounds outside his uniform.
He knew Ji An’s intention. Telling him to bandage the wounds wasn’t out of concern but to avoid others seeing them and gossiping about Ji An treating him poorly.
Because of this, Ji An usually punished him by making him kneel, rarely hitting him, as kneeling left no marks.
Ji An cared a lot about his reputation.
As You Fu finished and was about to leave, Ji An called out to him.
"Wait."
You Fu approached him expressionlessly, like a dog summoned and dismissed at will.
"Rip—"
The medical tape on You Fu’s face was ruthlessly torn off, the pain from the wound tightening his facial muscles. He endured it without making a sound.
Ji An looked up at the boy, half a head taller than himself, and adjusted the tape before sticking it back on. "If you’re going to cover the wound, cover it completely. Leaving a bit exposed, are you trying to gain sympathy? Who are you putting on a show for?"
"No one will pity me."
"That’s good." Ji An nodded toward the door. "You can leave now."
You Fu’s gaze shifted to his face, suddenly asking, "How many days left?"
Ji An pulled up the collar of his uniform, covering a small scrape on his neck, his eyes cold. "Younger brother, the countdown is eighty-one days, and you’ll be free."
You Fu nodded, picked up his backpack, and left the house.
…
You Fu was currently in his senior year at City No. 1 High School. Yesterday’s incident wasn’t particularly secretive. As soon as he entered the classroom, a few scattered classmates glanced at him, and the slightly noisy room fell silent. No one dared approach the usually solitary figure to ask about yesterday.
The only one brave enough to speak was the other person involved, his deskmate, Xiao Jiaruan.
"Does your injury still hurt?" the girl asked cautiously.
Her relationship with You Fu was average, just someone to exchange greetings with. If she encountered a problem she couldn’t solve, You Fu would help explain it.
However, You Fu’s cold demeanor seemed to create an invisible barrier, automatically distancing him from others.
Yang Jiacai from the neighboring class had been harassing her for nearly half a month. Even though she clearly stated they were impossible, he shamelessly persisted.
Yesterday, when she was followed and cornered in an alley, surrounded by darkness and only Yang Jiacai’s face, she was engulfed in despair. Her cries for help went unanswered, and just as Yang Jiacai pinned her against the wall to kiss her,
You Fu appeared behind Yang Jiacai, grabbing his hair and forcibly separating them.
She slid down the wall, trembling, only seeing the silhouette of a boy against the dim light, pushing Yang Jiacai hard against the wall. Then, a school uniform with a faint tea scent covered her head, cutting off her view of the outside world.
She didn’t see the scuffle between You Fu and Yang Jiacai, only hearing Yang Jiacai’s curses and the sound of bodies colliding, along with the frantic beating of her heart, sending warm blood coursing through her body.
Yang Jiacai was beaten badly. He had caused trouble before and was already on probation, yet for some reason, this time, the fight with You Fu only resulted in a few days’ suspension.
She wasn’t sure if Yang Jiacai would continue to harass her when he returned to school.
"It doesn’t hurt." You Fu sat at his desk, pushing the bread and sweet milk on it toward Xiao Jiaruan. "I don’t like sweets."
"Sorry, I didn’t know." Xiao Jiaruan felt a bit awkward, retrieving the breakfast she brought for You Fu. After a moment, she found an excuse to talk, "I heard the cafeteria opened a new bun stall. Do you like buns?"
"They’re okay." You Fu adjusted the test papers he had stayed up all night to finish, correcting a problem he’d thought about for a long time on the way. After completing it, he noticed Xiao Jiaruan sitting tensely, seemingly wanting to say something.
"Are you trying to express your gratitude?"
Xiao Jiaruan scratched her face. "You helped me. I have to do something. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be right. You got hurt and had to call your guardian."
You Fu paused, pressing the pen into the paper, leaving a small dent. "It’s nothing. I didn’t do it to help you."
"Huh?"
You Fu touched the bandaged wound on his face, the warmth from Ji An long gone.
He squinted his eyes.
Author’s Note:
Undoubtedly a double first love.
Warnings:
The author’s preference is a bit unconventional.
Both of them are abnormal, with extreme and obsessive thoughts, and their relationship is strange. Try not to view them with the mindset of a normal person.
Read with caution.