Jiang Ci grabbed the bedsheet in one swift motion and nervously rolled it into a ball. Thankfully, his brother had already gone to work, so he could get rid of the evidence before anyone noticed.
“Wait, no. If I throw it out, one of the servants might see it and definitely ask me about it. I’d better just put it in the washing machine…”
Muttering to himself, Jiang Ci climbed out of bed and hurried outside in his slippers.
He lifted the lid of the washing machine on the balcony and forcefully stuffed the bedsheet inside. Just as he bent down to reach for the laundry detergent, a hand beat him to it and picked up the bottle.
“Here. Thank you.”
Jiang Ci instinctively thanked the person but the moment the words left his mouth, his entire body stiffened. He abruptly hugged the bottle of laundry detergent to his chest and looked up, only to find himself staring straight into his brother’s calm, composed eyes.
“Ahhh!”
Jiang Ci shrieked in fright and stumbled backward, nearly falling flat on his back.
Lu Shiying reacted quickly, wrapping an arm around his waist and steadying him before he could fall.
“What are you doing? Why are you always so careless?”
Jiang Ci hurriedly turned sideways, attempting to block the opening of the washing machine with his body. However, the faint, slightly musky scent characteristic of a boy’s bodily secretions had already begun drifting imperceptibly through the air.
He wasn’t particularly sensitive to the smell himself but Lu Shiying had clearly grown accustomed to recognizing it long ago.
“I.. I’m washing the bedsheets… I just felt like it had been a really long time since they were changed?”
Jiang Ci forced an awkward grin, then frantically poured a large amount of laundry detergent into the machine. He followed that by unscrewing the cap of the disinfectant and pouring in a generous amount as well. Finally, he snapped the washing machine lid shut with a loud click, as though he could somehow crush that strange smell to death along with the lid.
“That can’t be right. Auntie Chen changes your bedsheets twice a week. Why are you suddenly being so diligent?” Lu Shiying stepped closer, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. “Did you wet the bed again?”
“I’m already thirteen years old! How could I possibly still wet the bed?” Jiang Ci shouted, his face flushing bright red.
Lu Shiying let out a soft chuckle.
Jiang Ci immediately realized what his brother was implying. When he saw the mischievous smile spreading across Lu Shiying’s face, his cheeks suddenly felt as though they had caught fire. He charged forward and began kicking and hitting his brother.
“You saw it! You clearly saw it! How can you be so mean?”
Lu Shiying placed a hand on top of his head, holding him in place as he spoke in an unhurried, matter of fact tone.
“I sleep right beside you. How could I not smell it? It’s not a big deal. Every boy goes through this during puberty, so there’s no need to feel embarrassed.”
He pulled the flustered, bristling Jiang Ci into the living room and pressed him down onto the sofa. Then, with an entirely serious expression, he began explaining what he needed to know.
“It might happen again in the future, so make sure you change into clean underwear every morning. Wash your hands regularly and pay attention to keeping your private areas clean as well, so you can prevent bacteria from multiplying. This is a sign that your body is developing and maturing. Since it’s already happening, you need to take proper care of yourself. If you notice anything uncomfortable or feel that something isn’t right, tell me. I’ll take you to the hospital for an examination.”
Jiang Ci was completely stunned after listening to him. He sat there in a daze for a full two minutes before suddenly letting out several loud screams. Then, he sprang to his feet and bolted straight downstairs.
“This kid… His skin is really that thin?”
Standing beside the second floor railing, Lu Shiying watched as the little boy dashed out of the villa in a flash. He couldn’t help letting out a quiet, amused snort.
Come to think of it…
Jiang Ci had already grown this much yet he was still sleeping in the same bed as him. Was that really appropriate anymore?
The boy would eventually have a girlfriend and get married. If other people found out that he was already this old and still clung to his older brother at bedtime, what would they think?
Lu Shiying thought about it for a long while. Then, he remembered the pitiful look on Jiang Ci’s face the previous night, how he had been unable to fall asleep without him, tossing and turning restlessly in bed.
He let out a sigh.
Forget it. He would leave things as they were for now. Once Jiang Ci wanted to leave on his own, he would naturally stop clinging to him and go.
Once Jiang Ci turned eighteen and reached adulthood, inherited all the assets of the Jiang Group and officially became the heir, Lu Shiying’s mission would be considered complete.
By then, whether the boy would still be living here or not was impossible to say.
As the years passed, Jiang Ci’s adolescence began to erupt in full force. There were times when he would deliberately avoid Lu Shiying and his rebellious phase put his older brother through a full three years of turmoil.
Fortunately, Lu Shiying didn’t have a heart condition or high blood pressure.
Sometimes, when Jiang Ci’s temper flared, he would lift his chin and talk back to his brother with all the defiance he could muster but after losing his temper, he would turn into a fluffy little kitten, slowly padding back over and curling up in Lu Shiying’s arms, quietly apologizing in a soft voice.
When Jiang Ci was seventeen, he was in his final year of high school.
Because of his family background and Lu Shiying’s intimidating reputation, very few people at school dared to confess their feelings to him.
But this time, he received the first love letter of his life. It was only then that he realized he had genuinely grown up. There were actually girls who liked him.
The girl stood in front of him, clutching the envelope tightly in her hands. Her cheeks were flushed and her voice was filled with nervous shyness.
“Jiang, we’re about to graduate from high school. I hope you’ll give it some consideration…”
Jiang Ci returned the love letter to her, holding his textbooks against his chest as he offered a polite, slight bow.
“I’m sorry, Chi Yan. You’re a good girl but I hope you can focus your attention on the college entrance examination. I’m seriously behind in mathematics and I don’t have the time to date. Besides, I’ve never really considered getting into a relationship. My health is poor and I don’t even know when I might die. I’m genuinely not suitable for a good girl like you. I hope you get into a good university and once you enter society, you’ll meet someone even better.”
The girl held the love letter he had returned to her, momentarily unsure of what to do.
Perhaps it was because Jiang Ci had been too polite. Every sentence had been spoken in such a clear and orderly manner that she couldn’t find a way to continue.
“Okay… I hope I can get into the same university as you. Jiang Ci, you’re a really, really good person. You don’t need to worry so much about your illness. I’m sure we’ll meet again at a prestigious university.”
Hearing those words, Jiang Ci felt a wave of unease wash over him.
It would be better if we didn’t meet again.
He thought it would be incredibly awkward. At the same time, he was afraid of hurting her feelings. He had already made it perfectly clear that he didn’t want to date.
After the girl had walked some distance away, his deskmate leaned over and began teasing him.
“Do you even know who she is? She’s the daughter of the owner of a jewelry business in Jiangcheng! She’s rich and her family is practically a perfect match for yours. She’s beautiful and gentle, too. Why didn’t you accept her?”
“If you don’t like someone, you should reject them clearly. Regardless of her background, I genuinely think we shouldn’t be dating at this age. We should be focusing all our attention on preparing for the college entrance examination,” Jiang Ci replied.
His deskmate laughed.
“Hey, the way you talk sounds a little like your brother.”
Jiang Ci thought of Lu Shiying’s dark, stern face.
If I started dating this early, I’d probably end up getting punished again.
Since Lu Shiying couldn’t bring himself to hit him, he was afraid he might genuinely injure him, he always punished Jiang Ci by making him copy mathematics problems.
By now, the family had accumulated an entire cabinet full of mathematics exercises. Jiang Ci’s scores had gradually climbed from the thirties to the forties, then to the fifties. Now, during his final year of high school, he could even manage to score around seventy marks on his monthly examinations, steadily pushing his way upward past the passing threshold.
“Come on, let’s go. We have PE next period. The PE teacher has finally stopped getting sick today.”
Jiang Ci had barely attended a proper physical education class throughout his entire life. Most of the time, he simply sat to the side and watched the other students play.
His health was poor. Even a slight increase in physical activity could cause his joints to ache. Redness, swelling, accumulated bruising, or even a simple fall could all be dangerous for him. At most, he could play a little table tennis.
During the free activity period of PE class, Jiang Ci glanced at the two bodyguards standing not far away. His eyes shifted as an idea suddenly occurred to him and he abruptly ran over.
The bodyguard lowered his head in greeting.
“Young Master, is there something you need?”
Jiang Ci glanced at the electronic communication bracelets on their wrists, then moved closer and lowered his voice as he asked, “A girl just confessed to me. You guys haven’t told my brother about it, have you?”
The bodyguards exchanged troubled looks. One of them lowered his head slightly.
“Young Master… we aren’t permitted to disclose the details of our work to you.”
Lu Shiying’s possessiveness was terrifying. Every little development at the school had to be reported to him, no matter how insignificant it seemed. Even missing a single report could put their jobs at risk.
“Oh, come on! You went and tattled again! I already told you last month that you didn’t need to tell my brother about these kinds of personal matters!”
Furious, Jiang Ci punched one of the bodyguards.
The man’s heavily muscled body didn’t move an inch. His fist felt as though it had struck an iron plate and the impact only left his own hand aching.
Jiang Ci turned around, already thinking that he probably wouldn’t be able to go home now. Lu Shiying would definitely interrogate him about whether he had started dating and there was a good chance he’d end up having to copy mathematics problems all over again.
He ran toward a corner of the school grounds and the two bodyguards followed him.
When he slipped into the bathroom, they remained nearby, watching him from a short distance away.
Twelve years.
In all that time, nobody had ever kidnapped him or hurt him. Was it really necessary for them to follow him so closely?
Jiang Ci looked around cautiously. Then, stepping onto the edge of one of the bathroom stalls, he began climbing upward. He pushed open the window and struggled for quite a while before finally managing to pull himself up and climb through. After a great deal of effort, he made it over the window ledge and jumped down onto the ground outside.
He lowered his head and looked himself over.
Was he really that fragile?
He couldn’t be bumped, couldn’t be knocked around and couldn’t participate in any kind of strenuous exercise. They were protecting him a little too tightly, weren’t they?
Jiang Ci headed straight for the school’s back gate and sent a message to his good friend, Shi Wu.
【I’m going to the dojo today. I want to watch them compete.】
Shi Wu replied almost immediately.
【School hasn’t even finished yet, has it? Did No. 1 High School dismiss classes early?】
Jiang Ci typed back.
【No. I escaped. I’ll go over there and wait for you first. The match has probably already started.】
Jiang Ci really liked taekwondo. Lu Shiying had practiced it in the past and Jiang Ci had always thought it looked incredibly cool. Unfortunately, because of his poor health, he couldn’t go to a dojo and learn it himself. All he could do was watch other people compete.
He took the familiar route out through the back gate. First, he climbed up a tree, then used the thick branches that had recently grown out to pull himself farther upward. After that, he carefully climbed onto the top of the school wall and straddled it.
Throughout his three years of high school, he had only skipped PE class twice. Neither time had he been injured. As long as he was careful, everything would be fine.
Jiang Ci lay flat on top of the wall. Just as he was about to turn his head and look for a clear spot to jump down, he suddenly found himself staring into a pair of eyes that were more familiar than anything in the world.
His brother!
Lu Shiying’s face was dark, his brows drawn tightly together.
The moment he saw the boy tumble off the wall, he rushed forward in long strides. He planted his feet firmly, shifting his weight to steady himself and caught the thin, lightweight Jiang Ci securely in his arms.
The force of the impact drove him backward by two steps. His back struck the tree trunk with a loud thud but he held Jiang Ci tightly against his chest, making sure the boy didn’t fall.
Jiang Ci trembled from head to toe.
“This has to be a dream, right? My brother is supposed to be at work. How could he possibly be here…?”
Lu Shiying stared at him without expression.
Twenty minutes earlier, he had received a message from the bodyguards informing him that a girl had confessed her feelings to Jiang Ci. He had immediately left the company and headed straight for the school.
After all, a company owner’s schedule was flexible. He wasn’t like Lu Mingyu, that father of his who cared about nothing except money and work.
“Hahaha…”
Jiang Ci struggled out of his brother’s arms and hurriedly brushed the leaves off his clothes.
“Why haven’t I woken up from this dream yet…? Well, anyway, I’m leaving now. You should go home early, too.”
Jiang Ci took advantage of the opportunity to make his escape but Lu Shiying reached out and grabbed him by the back of his collar before he could get far. He dragged him toward the car parked nearby and promptly shoved him into the front passenger seat.
The moment he was inside, Jiang Ci instinctively covered his butt with both hands. He was genuinely grown up now and he absolutely did not want to get spanked anymore.
Lu Shiying, however, merely stared at him with a cold, penetrating gaze.
“She confessed to you. Did you accept?”
Jiang Ci froze for a moment before immediately understanding what he meant. He hurriedly shook his head.
“No, I rejected her! I rejected her! I’m still an underage kid, so I can’t get into a relationship this early. I need to concentrate on my studies and prepare for the college entrance examination. I have to get my mathematics score up as quickly as possible.”
The sharp, piercing look in Lu Shiying’s eyes made it seem as though he wanted to see straight through Jiang Ci, examining every thought and hidden intention inside him.
“Let me see the love letter.”
Jiang Ci immediately waved both hands.
“I gave it back to her… I really did reject her, so please believe me. Lord Lu, I beg you to pass a fair judgment.”
Lu Shiying was amused by his ridiculous way of speaking and couldn’t help laughing. However, he quickly realized that he had let his expression slip and straightened his face again.
He glanced at the plane tree outside, then took out his phone and sent a message to the school principal, instructing them to have the branches trimmed and increase the height of the surrounding wall by another half a meter.
He actually dared to climb over from somewhere that high. This kid’s getting far too bold.
Jiang Ci suddenly lifted his foot and kicked him lightly in the calf.
Lu Shiying turned his head and glared at him.
“What are you doing now?”
Jiang Ci let out a cold snort.
“You’re being unreasonable. You’ve been like this ever since I was little! You never give me any freedom and you won’t let me exercise. The private doctor can get here within ten minutes with one phone call and even the school doctor is someone you arranged. Even if I really get hurt or bump into something, I can receive treatment immediately. So why? Why are you so unwilling to give me even a little time to have fun?”
Lu Shiying’s gaze darkened slightly.
This kid really knows how to hold a grudge.
“That makes this the fourth time you’ve hit me. A few years ago, when you threw that peach at me for the first time, you promised you wouldn’t hit me again.”
Jiang Ci immediately felt guilty. He withdrew both hands, tucked them closer to himself and shifted farther into the passenger seat.
“Who told you to be so fierce every time? You never reason with me and you start shouting at me over the smallest things. I can’t always control myself when you act like that…”
Lu Shiying could understand that children going through adolescence became rebellious and loved talking back to their elders but Jiang Ci was already this old and he still refused to listen to him.
A dull, aching pain tightened around his heart.
It seemed that no matter what he did, everything he did was wrong in Jiang Ci’s eyes.
“Fine. It’s your brother’s fault.”
He softened his voice as he continued.
“You’ll be an adult next year. You’ll be able to inherit the Jiang Group’s assets and after you graduate, you can go back and start working. You’ll have a life of your own, an independent life. When that time comes, I’ll send you back to stay with Grandpa.”
Jiang Ci abruptly raised his head.
Send him away?
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
(´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ a little coffee would be lovely
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Even He, an outsider, couldn’t stand itChapter 2 · DaddyChapter 3 · Thank you for the gift!Chapter 4 · Do You want to sleep with your brother?Chapter 5 · Smart BabyChapter 6 · Life in a Wealthy FamilyChapter 7 · Genius BrotherChapter 8 · Brother’s giftChapter 9 · Xiao Ci was injured.Chapter 10 · ThoughtfulChapter 11 · Treat as treasureChapter 12 · Only recognized oneChapter 13 · Lu family coupleChapter 14 · A closed heartChapter 15 · Understanding my brotherChapter 16 · Reluctant to hitChapter 17 · UneasyChapter 18 · PossessiveChapter 19 · Teenage RebelChapter 20 Part 1 · The car accidentChapter 20 Part 2 · The car accidentChapter 20 Part 3 · The car accidentChapter 21 · My heart is racingChapter 22 · Physiological Knowledge