In the living room, the corners of the tables were wrapped in thick protective padding, while the dining table and chairs were all fitted with soft covers. A long, fluffy carpet had been laid across the stairs and a Maine Coon was sprawled on it, leisurely sharpening its claws.
“Meow, ”
The moment the little cat spotted him, it came bounding over. Lu Shiying reacted quickly and caught it in one swift motion, afraid that the cat’s claws might accidentally brush against Jiang Ci.
Jiang Ci’s eyes widened in astonishment. Covering his mouth, he turned around and looked at all the plush, padded furnishings throughout the house, his voice carrying a hint of being overwhelmed by the care he had received. “Brother… how did the house become like this?”
Lu Shiying scooped him up and placed him on the sofa. He looked around carefully, making sure there were no sharp corners anywhere.
The only place that was still prone to slipping was the bathroom. They could simply put down an anti slip mat later. Even if Jiang Ci fell, at least it would not hurt too badly. He absolutely could not allow Jiang Ci to bump, bruise, or hurt himself here in the slightest.
“Your body is different from other people’s, so you need to be especially careful and protect yourself. Remember that, all right? From now on, walk a little slower. Even at school…”
School. The moment those two words left his mouth, Lu Shiying’s heart tightened.
There were so many children at school, constantly running around and playing, bumping into things without a care. The corners of desks, playground equipment, the dining hall and cafeteria, there were potential hazards everywhere.
Fortunately, the wound this time was shallow. If it had been any deeper, stopping the bleeding would have been much more troublesome. What would they have done then?
Perhaps it would be better if he simply stopped going to kindergarten and had a teacher come to the house to teach him instead.
But if he did that, how would Jiang Ci ever get to see the outside world? How would he learn to interact with children his own age?
Jiang Ci reached out and gently pinched his cheek. “Brother, you’re frowning. Are you unhappy?”
Lu Shiying let out a slow breath and said gently, “Xiao Ci, I’ll arrange for bodyguards and a doctor to wait at the entrance of the kindergarten until you finish school. When you’re at school, walk slowly. Don’t run or jump around. If you get hurt like you did today, you’ll have to get injections and take medicine again. How uncomfortable would that be?”
Jiang Ci nodded vigorously, like a little chick pecking at grains, looking impossibly obedient. “I know.”
Ever since the first time Jiang Ci had gotten hurt, everything in the household had changed.
Carpets had been laid across the entire villa and washing and replacing them had become a huge undertaking. Lu Shiying personally selected three servants, all around thirty years old. He spent two full months assessing them from beginning to end before he was finally willing to let them into the house.
Chen Auntie, on the other hand, had become much more relaxed and even the chef had less work to do, because Lu Shiying himself had begun learning how to cook.
He also had Old Zhang deliver Jiang Ci’s meals to the school every day, while taking the opportunity to see what the little fellow was doing. He was afraid that Jiang Ci might eat something from outside that was not clean.
The Lu family’s young master, who had once never so much as touched a cooking utensil, was now personally bathing the little boy, preparing his meals, dressing him, taking him to school and watching over him every night when he slept, as though he were afraid someone might snatch him away.
Every morning, after taking him to kindergarten, he would go to class himself. In the evening, he would appear at the school gates right on time.
The bodyguards said that since they were already stationed at the entrance, they could simply bring the child home with them but Lu Shiying still made the trip himself every single day without fail.
The Lu family was powerful and prominent and there were no shortage of people keeping an eye on them. Something unexpected could happen on the road at any moment. Only when Jiang Ci was beside him, right under his watchful eyes, could he truly feel at ease.
The days passed one after another. Autumn departed, winter arrived and before they knew it, half a year had already gone by.
The night before New Year’s Eve.
Lu Shiying was naturally gifted when it came to studying but it turned out that he had a talent for cooking as well. He learned all kinds of dishes quickly and managed to make each one look quite convincing.
With the New Year approaching, he had tried making quite a few fried shrimp balls and the new dish he had come up with was something the little boy absolutely loved.
Jiang Ci stood right beside the stove. Every time Lu Shiying took the shrimp balls out of the oil and left them to cool, he would secretly stretch out his little paw, pinch one and stuff it into his mouth, puffing out his cheeks as he ate.
“Brother, they’re delicious.”
Lu Shiying turned his head and glanced at the little one beside him. The child was wearing brown cat themed pajamas, with a fluffy hood and two pockets designed to look like little cat paws.
Whenever he wandered back and forth, the cat tail attached to the back of his pajamas swayed along with him, back and forth. He looked exactly like someone had raised a little cat that did not shed fur and could even stand upright and speak human language.
“Don’t eat too many. It’ll be time for dinner soon.”
Jiang Ci tilted his head and counted the plates laid out on the kitchen counter. “Brother, you’re making so many dishes today? There are more than a dozen already.”
Lu Shiying lowered his eyes. The tongs in his hand paused for a moment before he slowly said, his voice softening, “Mom and Dad are coming back today. Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve.”
“Mom and Dad?” Jiang Ci’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Are Xiao Ci’s Daddy and Mommy coming back?”
Lu Shiying’s hand remained suspended in midair for several seconds before he slowly placed another shrimp ball into the pot of hot oil. He did not say anything.
Had he still not understood?
Jiang Ci realized it himself a moment later and his voice immediately fell. “No… Brother told me before. They became stars. They won’t come back anymore. You mean Brother’s Daddy and Mommy…”
Lu Shiying put down the cooking utensils in his hands and crouched down so that they were at eye level. “Do you want to acknowledge them? The Lu family has already decided to raise you. From now on, they’ll be your parents. Although you won’t be registered under the same household, they can still be considered your parents.”
Jiang Ci shook his head frantically, his eyes turning red around the rims as he muttered softly, “Daddy and Mommy are one of a kind…”
The little fellow had learned quite a lot of characters in the senior class at kindergarten and under his guidance, he had even learned how to use idioms. He was exceptionally clever.
Lu Shiying reached out and rubbed his head. “Mm. Then call them Uncle and Auntie.”
Jiang Ci suddenly threw himself forward and hugged his leg. His little face buried itself against Lu Shiying’s leg, rubbing back and forth as he said, “I acknowledge you. You’re Daddy. You help me take baths, get dressed, take me to school and you even cook for me. If I’m supposed to have a Daddy, then I’ll call you… mm.”
Lu Shiying immediately covered his mouth with one hand.
If his parents heard him saying something like that, what would they think?
Was the child seriously going to call them Grandpa and Grandma?
Ridiculous. The two of them were only nine years apart.
But then again, there was something indescribable about being called “Daddy.” Somehow, it gave him a strange sense of control.
The person he had treasured in the palm of his hand had finally been enclosed within his own territory, where he could not run away.
“Don’t call me that randomly.”
Jiang Ci narrowed his eyes and gave him a mischievous grin, his cheeks puffing up adorably. He rubbed the tip of his nose against Lu Shiying’s chest and the cat tail behind his pajamas swayed along with him. He deliberately continued teasing him.
“Daddy.”
Lu Shiying froze. His heart suddenly gave two heavy thumps. “Who taught you that English?”
Jiang Ci grinned from ear to ear. “It was in the cartoon on TV. It means Daddy.”
Lu Shiying pinched his little cheek. “What exactly are you supposed to call me?”
“Brother.” Jiang Ci covered his face. “Ow, that hurts… Don’t pinch Xiao Ci.”
Lu Shiying immediately let go. He had hardly used any strength to begin with; he simply could not bear to hurt the little one. He picked Jiang Ci up and settled him on the dining table, then called for Auntie Chen to finish up the shrimp balls in the kitchen.
“Take a bath before you eat. Did you go to the amusement park again? The back of your neck is still damp.”
Jiang Ci was nestled comfortably in his arms, his two little legs dangling in the air and swinging back and forth. After his fluffy slippers had slipped off, he rubbed his bare little feet together before answering, “Mm. We went to the hot springs next to the amusement park and soaked for a while. It was really comfortable. Auntie Chen hadn’t had time to dry the ends of my hair yet, so I ran over here to eat the shrimp balls.”
Lu Shiying lightly flicked him on the forehead, then carried him into the bathroom. He turned on the warm air, stripped off the fluffy pajamas and filled the bathtub with a tubful of warm water.
The moment the child touched the water, he became like a fish that had suddenly been let loose, happily splashing around as he grabbed the dozens of rubber ducks and began arranging them into neat battle formations.
“Brother, come play with me.”
Lu Shiying sat beside the bathtub, applying body wash to the little naked fellow, scrubbing his back and washing his feet.
After being taken care of for half a year, the child had filled out considerably. He was fair and soft, with plump little feet that were chubby and tender as well. Lu Shiying began lecturing him again. “You’re about to start elementary school. You’re a grown man yet you still want to take a bath with your brother? Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“Hmph, I’m still a little kid.”
Jiang Ci lined up the little yellow ducks in a row, squeezing each one until it let out a series of squeaky sounds. Lu Shiying moved on to scrubbing his legs and the ticklish sensation made the child kick and squirm wildly until all four limbs were flailing in the air, splashing water all over Lu Shiying.
Lu Shiying smacked him lightly on the sole of his foot. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you? Every single time you take a bath, you end up splashing water all over me.”
Jiang Ci giggled uncontrollably, then reached out and wrapped his arms around Lu Shiying’s arm. “Let’s get all clean and smell nice together! Brother, will you stay and bathe with me?”
Lu Shiying’s clothes were already soaked from all the splashing and he was also worried that the little one might slip and fall if he stayed alone in the bathtub. In the end, he simply took off his clothes and stepped into the tub as well. Jiang Ci burrowed and wriggled happily in his arms, absolutely delighted.
“Brother, when you’re old and can’t move anymore, I’ll give you baths too.”
“Then I’ll have to remember that.”
“Brother, why are the muscles on your body so hard? Why am I so soft?” Jiang Ci patted the muscles on his chest, his little face filled with confusion.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lu Shiying rubbed his little hands and pointed at his own body as he explained, “This is called the chest muscle and this is the abdominal muscle. If you run regularly and exercise, you can develop them.”
Jiang Ci was utterly puzzled. He lowered his head and pinched his own soft, squishy belly again. So meat could actually be trained until it became hard? It looked pretty cool.
He began thinking again. If his flesh were really hard, then if he fell onto the ground, would he no longer get scratched? If he could train himself until his flesh was as solid as stone, firm and sturdy, then he would not get hurt when he fell.
“Brother, I want to build muscles too.”
“No.”
“Why?”
Lu Shiying sighed. “Your body is weak, so you can’t do strenuous exercise. Your skin is also thin and delicate and if you accidentally get injured, you could have trouble stopping the bleeding.”
“That’s exactly why! Xiao Ci wants to train until his flesh is as sturdy as a rock! Then if I fall onto the ground, I won’t get hurt.”
Jiang Ci said it with utmost seriousness.
Seeing him staring at him, Jiang Ci immediately wilted, his little head drooping as he mumbled, “All right, Xiao Ci can’t play with anything. That’s so sad.”
“It’s all right. Brother will always stay by your side and take care of you for the rest of your life.” Lu Shiying leaned over and gently rubbed his little head.
Jiang Ci tilted his face upward and suddenly blurted out, “Then will we get married? Daddy and Mommy used to say that people who are going to stay together for their whole lives have to get married, just like they did.”
“……!”
Lu Shiying was so caught off guard by those words that he nearly choked. Even his tone became flustered. “What nonsense are you talking about! I raised you myself. You can’t marry me. We’re both boys.”
Jiang Ci’s shoulders shrank when Lu Shiying raised his voice at him.
Seeing that he had frightened the child, Lu Shiying quickly pulled him into his arms and patted his back. “You little dummy. Getting married and starting a family is something that happens after you grow up. Don’t go thinking about such nonsense. I’m your brother.”
“All right…” Jiang Ci lowered his head dejectedly.
So he was supposed to marry some little girl he didn’t even know in the future? Why couldn’t he marry his brother instead? Could he perhaps turn into a girl?
The little boy’s mind was filled with all sorts of strange and peculiar thoughts and no matter how hard he tried, he simply could not figure it out.
While Lu Shiying rinsed the body wash from him, he began worrying again.
Would Jiang Ci’s future girlfriend notice his illness? Would she protect him? Would she understand what he should eat and what he should not eat? Most of the time, it was the boy who took care of the girl and Jiang Ci was so foolishly innocent. What if someone bullied him?
Forget it. He was still so tiny. Why was he worrying about all these unnecessary things already?
After the bath, Lu Shiying changed him into a fresh pair of pajamas. They were another fluffy set, this time decorated with a white kitten pattern.
He had bought more than a dozen sets of pajamas like these, each featuring kittens in different colors and patterns. Jiang Ci loved cats far too much, so Lu Shiying simply let him wear whatever he liked.
They had only just reached the living room when the sound of a car horn came from outside.
Curious, Jiang Ci hurried over to the entrance and peeked outside. It should be Brother’s parents coming back. He had been at the Lu residence for so long yet this would be the first time he was meeting them. Naturally, he was a little nervous.
By seven o’clock, the sky had already gone completely dark and the streetlights glowed dimly with a warm yellow light. Old Zhang parked the car at the entrance, got out and opened the rear passenger door.
✦ ✧ ✦
Fleurveil
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Breaking news: translator still enjoys coffee.
☕ 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