Sitting on the sofa, Ji An squinted for a long time but couldn’t fall asleep. Sleeping while sitting was just too uncomfortable.
Especially in the latter half of the night, You Fu somehow ended up hugging him, wrapping his arms around Ji An’s waist and squeezing him into the small space. Ji An awkwardly sat sideways, leaning against the armrest, resisting the urge to kick him off the sofa.
In the end, he couldn’t hold back any longer. Why should he make himself uncomfortable for You Fu?
Just as Ji An was about to tell him to go sleep in the room, You Fu murmured in his sleep, “Brother…”
The tone was filled with struggle and pain, leaving Ji An stunned. For reasons he couldn’t quite understand, he raised his hand and gently touched the face he both loathed and hated.
He wanted to say something harsh, but what came out instead was—
“You’re so annoying.”
He added, “Brother’s here.”
Clumsily, he patted You Fu’s back, letting him hold on, and they both drifted into a long dream.
The next day, Ji An woke up in You Fu’s arms. He was a light sleeper, easily awakened by any movement.
You Fu’s face was above him, and it seemed like they were moving. Squinting, Ji An realized You Fu was carrying him, cradling him in his arms as he walked toward the bedroom.
Ji An had never been carried like this before, and reflexively, he slapped him.
Perhaps because of an existing injury, You Fu’s expression froze for a moment as he looked down at Ji An in his arms.
Ji An said, “Put me down.”
“Oh.” You Fu took a couple more steps and placed him on the bed.
Ji An found the whole situation strange and glared at him, “Did I ask you to carry me?”
“Sorry.” You Fu bent down to take off his shoes, pulled the blanket over him, and said, “You can sleep for another two hours.”
Ji An wasn’t someone who could be won over with a little kindness. Just as he was about to scold him further, his gaze fixed on You Fu’s eyes.
The dark circles under You Fu’s eyes had faded significantly, and he looked much more energetic than he had in recent days.
Ji An asked, “You slept through the night without waking up?”
You Fu thought for a moment and nodded, “I didn’t wake up.”
Ji An remarked, “That’s rare. You can’t sleep in bed, but you sleep soundly on the sofa.”
But his mind couldn’t help but wander. He remembered that on the night of the heavy snowstorm, You Fu hadn’t slept well in the first half of the night. He only slept soundly later because Ji An was by his side. Yesterday, too, You Fu slept well because Ji An was there. In the middle of the night, he even mumbled “Brother.” Could it be that he could only sleep well when Ji An was around?
Ji An shook his head. What nonsense.
Why did this feel like a clichéd plot where the male lead can only relax around the female lead?
Realizing he had thought of this, he considered himself quite the genius.
“I’m off to school,” You Fu said as he left the room.
Ji An’s scattered thoughts were interrupted by a wave of drowsiness.
…
You Fu arrived at the classroom in the morning with a bruised face, causing quite a stir among his classmates. Their gazes stuck to him like glue.
You Fu acted as if he hadn’t noticed anything, settling into his seat to start his morning study session.
Not far away, Xiao Jiaruan saw this and clenched the hem of her clothes, wanting to approach but ultimately holding back.
After the evening study session, Xiao Jiaruan insisted on walking home with You Fu.
You Fu said, “I didn’t tell him you were coming over today.”
Xiao Jiaruan bit her lip, “I’ll apologize to him.”
You Fu didn’t say anything else, tacitly agreeing to let her accompany him home.
…
Ji An always felt that Xiao Jiaruan looked at him strangely, as if she was wary of him. Especially when Ji An asked You Fu to do something, the girl’s eyes seemed ready to devour him.
She didn’t know how to hide it at all.
Still so young.
Ji An couldn’t help but find it amusing. Could she be suspecting that he was punishing You Fu because of his injuries?
Well, she guessed right. He did punish You Fu.
But what could she do about it?
Ji An deliberately decided to tease her.
During dinner, he intentionally dropped some food on the table, then, under Xiao Jiaruan’s murderous gaze, picked it up and fed it to You Fu.
When You Fu naturally opened his mouth to eat the food Ji An fed him, Xiao Jiaruan’s eyes widened, and her chopsticks made a small clinking sound as they hit the table.
Ji An suppressed a smile, holding back laughter as he grabbed You Fu’s leg under the table.
Xiao Jiaruan was just the kind of kid her age should be, with such adorable reactions.
Much cuter than the wooden You Fu.
You Fu peeled a shrimp for him, and not wanting to ignore the guest, Ji An peeled one for Xiao Jiaruan. Then he extended his hand to You Fu, intending for him to wipe his hand, but to his surprise, You Fu opened his mouth, his tongue brushing against Ji An’s middle finger, licking away the oil.
His fingertips were enveloped in warmth, and Ji An’s hand flinched. Xiao Jiaruan was so shocked that the shrimp on her chopsticks fell onto the table.
Seeing the person she liked act in a way she had never seen before, Xiao Jiaruan stammered, “You Fu, you… how…”
“What are you doing?!” Ji An’s back prickled with goosebumps. If it weren’t for the presence of others, he might have slapped You Fu.
You Fu glanced at the fallen shrimp, then casually took a napkin to wipe Ji An’s hand, “Isn’t this how it’s done? Sorry, I got it wrong.”
Got it wrong? Ji An gritted his teeth in frustration. Although he’d always treated You Fu like a dog, when had he ever let a dog lick his hand?
After dinner, You Fu dutifully went to wash the dishes.
Seeing him behave, Ji An temporarily set aside his displeasure from the dining table and went to the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe, “Doesn’t your arm hurt?”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Feeling the gaze from behind, Ji An’s eyes darted, and he stepped forward, grabbing You Fu’s arm, squeezing the bite mark under his sleeve.
You Fu’s movements noticeably paused.
Ji An said playfully, “Sorry, I bit too hard. I’ll be gentler next time.”
Behind him, he heard a sharp intake of breath. In the reflection of the window glass, Ji An saw Xiao Jiaruan spin around like a compass, her toes pivoting as she ran off.
He couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“Do you enjoy this kind of game?” You Fu asked as he carefully dried the washed dishes and put them in the cabinet.
Ji An replied, “I do. That little girl was probably scared out of her wits. Make sure to explain it to her properly later, so my reputation doesn’t get ruined. She seems to care about you, she’s nice, and her personality is cute, like a little bird, lively and easily startled. Seize the opportunity.”
“I don’t like her.”
“Well, you’re such a boring weirdo, how could you like anyone?”
You Fu glanced at him without replying, closed the cabinet, and went to his room to work on his assignments.
In You Fu’s room, Xiao Jiaruan listened to him explain the problems, but her gaze kept drifting to his right arm. What was on his arm?
Why did You Fu stop moving when Ji An just squeezed it?
After observing today, Xiao Jiaruan’s suspicions were almost confirmed. Ji An wasn’t good to You Fu, and he even seemed to be punishing him.
Xiao Jiaruan wanted to ask You Fu what was really happening, but just as she opened her mouth, “You Fu, is Ji An your brother…”
“Creak—”
The door opened.
Xiao Jiaruan’s pupils trembled, and the words she was about to say vanished.
The person behind her walked leisurely, stopping right next to her hand. He carried the same tea fragrance as You Fu, and he leaned down to place a can of beef jerky on the table, “Almost forgot, I bought some snacks for you two.”
Cold sweat broke out on Xiao Jiaruan’s back.
Ji An feigned surprise, “Oh dear, what’s wrong with your hand? Why is it shaking? Are you cold? Should I turn on the air conditioning?”
Xiao Jiaruan swallowed hard, “N-no need…”
Ji An reached over her body to pat You Fu’s shoulder, “Take good care of your classmate. If she needs anything, she can come straight to me, don’t keep it bottled up.”
You Fu replied, “Okay.”
Ji An yawned lazily, “I’m tired, going to rest now. You two carry on.”
Xiao Jiaruan forced herself to say “Good night.”
It wasn’t until the door closed that she let out a breath.
…
In Xiao Jiaruan’s eyes, the villainous Ji An leaned on the balcony, watching You Fu and Xiao Jiaruan talk below.
Under the streetlight, he could only see their small figures. Ji An regretted that the floor was too high to hear their conversation.
Downstairs.
You Fu’s eyes reflected Xiao Jiaruan’s tear-filled almond eyes, “What do you really want to say to me?”
Xiao Jiaruan bit her lip, her voice trembling with a sob, “From the moment I first came to your house, I noticed. Your brother often orders you around, doesn’t treat you well, and is always harsh. Is he bullying you?”
You Fu slowly replied, “No.”
“No?” Xiao Jiaruan repeated, a bit angry, grabbing You Fu’s wrist and pulling up his sleeve.
Seeing the horrifying wound on You Fu’s arm, she was almost scared enough to scream.
The bite mark looked as if it was meant to tear the flesh from You Fu’s arm, vicious and bruised, with a thin scab covering it.
She took several deep breaths to save herself from drowning in her own panic, asking with difficulty, “Was this from him biting you?”
You Fu answered honestly, “Yes.”
Xiao Jiaruan was so frightened she wanted to tremble, unable to imagine how terrifying the scene of Ji An biting him must have been, “Why don’t you report it to the police? I’ll go with you to the station, or we can tell Mr. Li. He won’t ignore it.”
But You Fu’s words sent a chill down her spine, “My pain is insignificant compared to his wishes. I am willing.”
“What… are you saying?” Xiao Jiaruan murmured.
You Fu withdrew his hand, letting the sleeve fall back down, “I know you mean well, but you probably don’t understand what ‘willing’ truly means to me.”
“Ah… I…” Xiao Jiaruan stammered.
You Fu lowered his head, looking directly into her trembling eyes, “Willing means my body, soul, and heart are all willing. If he wants to bite again, as long as he wants, I’ll offer my arm for him to bite. I won’t struggle, nor will I resist, even if he wants to kill me.”
For the first time, Xiao Jiaruan found his eyes so terrifying, chills sweeping through her entire body, her soul inside her shell screaming in fear.
It was also the first time she realized that when classmates said You Fu was a scary person, they were right.
She thought she knew his preferences, his family situation, and the brand of pen he preferred when writing, thinking she understood him well. But now, she realized everything she knew was just the tip of the iceberg.
More was buried beneath the surface, the chilling You Fu she had never encountered.
She even forgot to breathe.
You Fu curved his eyebrows slightly, trying to soften his expression, “Our way of getting along might be different from most brothers. You might not understand, but that’s okay. You just need to know that I enjoy this way of interacting, and he likes it too. Thank you for your concern, my friend.”
You Fu pointed to a car in the distance, “Your mom has been waiting for you for quite a while, you should go.”
Xiao Jiaruan stiffly turned around, walking away awkwardly, her movements out of sync. Halfway down the road, You Fu called out to her.
“Xiao Jiaruan.”
She turned back.
Under the streetlight, the boy’s eyes were obscured by the shadow of his bangs, a clouded look hiding his gaze. He raised a long finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture, “Shh.”
Xiao Jiaruan nodded hurriedly, indicating she wouldn’t spread what she had learned.
You Fu lowered his hand, “See you tomorrow.”
The car’s red taillights merged into the traffic.
You Fu looked up at the balcony, but no one was there anymore.
Author’s Note:
Don’t be fooled by You Fu’s aloof demeanor, he’s actually quite intense.
In a dream I had a couple of days ago, the two of them returned to their hometown. Their grandmother took out a long red string, saying that with the festival approaching, it was customary to tie a red string for protection.
Ji An cut a piece and asked You Fu to tie it around his wrist, leaving the rest for You Fu.
Then, on the day of the festival, Ji An noticed that You Fu didn’t have a red string on his hand and asked why.
He said, “Cutting the string would be wasteful, so I just used it as is.” (Actually, it was because the string was left by his brother, and he couldn’t bear to cut it.)
Ji An asked where he had tied it, as he couldn’t see it.
You Fu lifted his shirt, revealing a red string wrapped around his waist, “Here.”
Ji An: …
While half-awake, I kept thinking about writing this dream into the main story. Upon waking and reflecting, it seemed a bit far-fetched, not suitable for the main text. However, the dream does fit their personalities well. Tying the red string around his waist is something You Fu would do, so I included it in the author’s note as a little side story.