Peeking through half-slit eyes, Si Shao secretly watched the man’s back. In truth, he had already woken up the moment the other person picked him up, but realizing that Si Qin was carrying him in a princess carry had caught him entirely off guard. By the time he recovered his wits, he felt too embarrassed to move, so he simply chose to keep pretending to sleep.
Just as Si Shao was wondering when the man would finally leave, he felt the mattress dip slightly. Si Qin sat down on the edge of the bed.
A large hand gently rested on his forehead, brushing away a stray lock of hair with utmost care. The touch was so tender that Si Shao’s heart skipped a beat, and he nearly fluttered his eyelashes open on the spot.
“Rest well,” Si Qin murmured softly, his voice low and rich, carrying a warmth that the youth had rarely heard in past years.
Hearing those two words, a sudden sting hit the back of Si Shao’s nose, and a hot tear leaked from the corner of his eye, dampening the pillow beneath him. In his previous life, he had always thought his older brother loathed him, that he was nothing more than an eyesore and a burden in Si Qin’s eyes. Never had he imagined that the cold, aloof president could harbor such deep, unexpressed gentleness toward him.
Idiot, Si Shao scolded himself inwardly. I really was an utter fool in my past life.
Seemingly noticing the slight dampness on the pillow or sensing the subtle tremor in the youth’s breathing, Si Qin paused, frowning slightly as he asked in a low voice, “Awake?”
Realizing he had been caught, Si Shao saw no point in continuing the charade. Slowly opening his eyes, he blinked away the moisture and looked up at the man, his voice sounding slightly nasally and aggrieved as he muttered, “Brother…”
Seeing the tear tracks glistening on the youth’s face, Si Qin felt a sharp pang in his heart. The sternness on his face completely melted away, replaced by genuine distress. He reached out with a thumb to gently wipe away the remaining moisture from the corner of the boy’s eye, his tone softening further. “What is it? Did you have a nightmare?”
“Mm…” Si Shao subconsciously rubbed his cheek against the back of the man’s hand, acting spoiled just like he used to when he was very young, before all the distance and estrangement had built up between them. “I dreamed that… that you didn’t want me anymore.”
Hearing this, Si Qin’s hand froze for a second. Looking at the youth’s vulnerable, puppy-like expression, all the exhaustion from a long day of work vanished into thin air. He felt an unprecedented warmth fill his chest.
“Silently foolish,” Si Qin scolded softly, though there wasn’t a shred of reprimand in his tone—only boundless indulgence. He gently pinched the tip of the youth’s nose and said, “You’re my younger brother. Where else would I go?”
“Really?” Si Shao’s eyes lit up instantly, a brilliant, radiant smile breaking across his pale face, chasing away all the lingering gloom.
“Really,” Si Qin replied, a rare, gentle smile touching the corners of his lips.
Looking at his brother’s rare smile, Si Shao felt his heart thump wildly against his ribs. Damn it, he thought with a mixture of amusement and helplessness, my brother really is too much of a heartthrob when he smiles like that. If I’m not careful, I might actually fall for him—wait, no, stop that! He’s my biological brother!
Coughing lightly to mask his stray thoughts, Si Shao quickly reined in his imagination and put on an obedient, well-behaved facade. “Brother, I’m hungry. I want to eat the fish soup that Auntie Chen makes.”
“Alright, I’ll have the kitchen prepare it right away,” Si Qin agreed without a moment’s hesitation, standing up. “You rest a bit longer. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”
“Okay!” Si Shao nodded happily, watching as the tall figure of his older brother turned and walked out of the room.
Lying back against the soft pillows, Si Shao pulled the blanket up to his chin, a deep sense of security washing over him. This time, he was truly back. Back to the turning point of his life, back to where everything could still be fixed.
Su Shuer, just you wait, a cold glint flashed across the youth’s eyes beneath the blanket. The debts you owed me in our past life, I will collect them all, interest included.
And as for his brother… this time, he would use his whole life to protect him and the family, becoming a younger brother whom Si Qin could truly be proud of.