When Si Qin walked in, he saw the youth wearing a blue-and-white hospital gown, sitting on the bed and absentmindedly gnawing on an apple. Beside him, the housekeeper was sitting down, earnestly trying to persuade the youth of something, yet the usually rebellious boy did not show a single trace of impatience.
“Brother, Brother,” Si Shao called out in a panic when he saw who had arrived. Though he didn’t know why he was panicking, the fact was that he was indeed panicking right now—not only panicking, but his heart was hammering like a drum. Staring blankly at the man’s stern features, a surge of complex emotions welled up in his heart: longing, guilt, fear, apprehension, and regret. These mixed feelings were so complicated that Si Shao, who usually had a simple mind, found himself unable to sort out what to do for a moment.
Observing the multitude of emotions in the other’s eyes, Si Qin—though unaware of why the boy was looking at him that way—suddenly realized that he did not understand this younger brother nearly as well as he had thought.
Gazing at the white gauze wrapped around the youth’s forehead, Si Qin felt a nameless sensation overflow in his chest—a mix of heartache, guilt, and exasperation at his failure to live up to expectations.
After a moment, looking at the youth’s forehead, Si Qin asked, “Does your head still hurt?”
Hearing his older brother care for him, Si Shao felt as though he had suddenly struck incredible luck or was still dreaming. After being stunned for a moment, Si Shao hurriedly replied, “No, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Then he added, “Thank you, Brother!”
Si Shao thought nothing of saying thank you, but to Si Qin, those words sent a sudden, piercing pang through his heart. Looking at the pale-faced youth thanking him, he found the words glaringly harsh. He was his, Si Qin’s, younger brother; why should he say thank you?
“You don’t need to say thank you.” Yes, there was no need, because they were brothers; caring for him was only natural. So why say thank you? For the first time, Si Qin found the two words “thank you” grating to his ears.
Hearing Si Qin’s words and understanding their meaning, Si Shao’s lingering disappointment from not having his brother come to visit him since waking up was instantly swept away.
The youth raised his head, his profile illuminated by the golden sunlight as he broke into a brilliant and dazzling smile. Looking at that carefree, innocent smile, Si Qin felt as though his heart had suddenly been struck by something.
Si Qin walked over to the side of the bed, and the housekeeper hurriedly stood up, saying, “Eldest Young Master, I’ll go fetch some drinking water for the Second Young Master. Please keep him company and talk with him.”
Si Qin gave a soft acknowledgment, stepping aside to let the housekeeper pass, then sat down in the seat the housekeeper had just vacated. Looking at the youth—who was gazing at him eagerly like a cute little beast—any reprimands or scoldings that Si Qin originally meant to deliver vanished completely. Reaching out, he ruffled the tuft of hair sticking up on the youth’s head, and seeing the boy’s stunned expression, a trace of a smile appeared in his eyes.
“Brother, Big Brother,” Si Shao called out to the man apprehensively, saying with a hint of grievance, “I thought you weren’t coming to see me.”
“You are my younger brother.” Though he had indeed nearly forgotten to visit the youth in the hospital, he certainly couldn’t say that to him.
Standing outside, the assistant looked at the harmonious atmosphere between the two brothers inside the ward, then stepped out and closed the door. He sincerely hoped that the Second Young Master would learn a lesson from this setback and finally show some sense from now on, getting along well with the president and avoiding any further trouble. After all, constantly cleaning up after someone would exhaust even the best of patience.