“Brother, have an apple.” Si Shao offered the apple—now shaved down to barely half its size—to Si Qin with a flattering expression. Watching the man who was busy working, he spoke with a hint of sweetness and endearment that he himself hadn’t even noticed.
Hearing this, Si Qin looked up to see the youth holding an apple that looked as though it had been gnawed on by a dog, gazing at him eagerly. Looking at him like that, Si Qin found himself completely unable to say no. Reaching out to take the apple, he bit into it and was pleasantly surprised to find that the taste was actually quite good.
And naturally, it tasted good; these apples were personally arranged by Housekeeper Lin with the finest orchards, harvested every dawn and delivered at top speed. When they arrived, they still had morning dew on them—how could they not be delicious?
Seeing the man eating with such relish, Si Shao felt his mouth water and a craving stir within him. “Is it good?” he asked.
Giving him a strange look, Si Qin replied, “It’s alright.”
“Oh!” Si Shao nodded, letting out an “oh,” before saying, “Let me have a bite.”
This time, Si Qin hesitated slightly, feeling a bit reluctant. He had no habit of sharing food with others; even when dining with family, Si Qin only ever ate from the dishes directly in front of him or the few closest to him. Consuming food that someone else had already touched or salivated on was something Si Qin found repulsive, even when it came to his closest family members.
Seeing the expectant look in the other’s eyes, Si Qin lowered the apple in his hand and his attitude cooled down somewhat. Indifferently, he said, “If you want to eat, peel another one yourself. I’ve already bitten into this one.” So, I can’t give it to you.
Hearing the man’s refusal, Si Shao wasn’t too disappointed; he simply sighed inwardly, realizing that his relationship with Si Qin still wasn’t close enough, and he still had work to do.
Si Shao silently clenched his fist, pumping himself up and cheering himself on—one day, he would become a proper good brother to Si Qin!
Only, who knew if he would end up wanting to cry the day he truly became Si Qin’s “good brother.” Thus, history and experience teach us that we shouldn’t recklessly set up flags for ourselves.
Failing to get a bite of Si Qin’s apple, and not wanting to peel a new one himself, Si Shao simply flopped down onto the soft sofa. His T-shirt rode up slightly, exposing a small section of his fair, soft belly, making him look just like a large cat.
He looked so cute that it made one want to reach out and stroke that little tummy just to see if it felt as good as it looked.
Pausing for a moment, Si Qin finished the rest of the apple in his hand. He went back to handling the documents before him, though his gaze kept drifting uncontrollably toward the fair, soft belly of the youth lying lazily sprawled out like a pancake.
The sunlight slanted across the room as time drifted by peacefully. Warm rays spilled inside, and as Si Shao’s mind relaxed, he drifted off to sleep before he even knew it.
The light, gentle breathing of the youth drifted over, brushing against Si Qin’s ear like a tiny makeup brush—tickling him and leaving his heart restless and itching with a nameless craving.
Si Qin forced himself to handle documents for a little longer, but soon lost all focus. He stood up from the sofa, stretched his somewhat stiff limbs, and looked down at the youth’s peaceful sleeping face. An impulse urged Si Qin to reach out and touch the boy’s flushed, sleeping cheek, but right before making contact, he abruptly swerved his hand away, ultimately letting his fingers land on the youth’s hair instead.
To Si Qin, stroking someone’s cheek was an extremely intimate gesture, and Si Shao wasn’t a child with whom he shared that kind of casual intimacy. After a brief internal deliberation, Si Qin abandoned the idea and settled for petting the boy’s hair instead.