Translator: Xena
Chen Xiangsui felt the universe in his mind spinning faster. The kiss and the sound of his heartbeat seemed like a special language of the world, capable of expressing all the surging or silent affection.
Cheng Yinian was still sweating profusely. Chen Xiangsui patiently wiped him clean bit by bit. When Cheng Yinian seemed to be in stable condition and was lying quietly on the bed, he stared blankly at his sleeping face, as if it were in a fragile tranquility.
……
Cheng Yinian slept very soundly, so soundly that he even had the illusion of falling into another dimension, in which his mother wasn’t busy with her business, and instead accompanied him to build little houses and play games. If he did well, she would kiss his cheek and praise him for being good boy.
I haven’t seen my mom in a long time, and I hope winter vacation will come soon. Cheng Yinian thought about, but then, he wouldn’t get to see Chen Xiangsui all the time once he returned home. He turned over in bed, feeling conflicted. Only then did Chen Xiangsui notice that he was awake. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine, I should be able to go back to school tomorrow.” Cheng Yinian casually straightened the blanket covering him. “Have you been here the whole time?”
“How could I possibly leave when you’re so sick?”
Cheng Yinian thanked him. He was wearing a thin long-sleeved shirt, and he felt a little uncomfortable because he had sweated too much. So, he grabbed the pajamas that were on the bedside table to change into them.
His gaze fell on Chen Xiangsui beside the bed. “I’m going to the restroom to change my clothes.” After saying that, he was about to get off the bed, but the person opposite him reached out and stopped him. “You’ve just recovered.”
Cheng Yinian truly couldn’t fathom how fragile a glass object he must appear to Chen Xiangsui. He couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s just a few steps.”
“You can change here.” Chen Xiangsui asked, somewhat puzzled, “Is there anything that even the closest brothers can’t see?”
Cheng Yinian was taken aback. It was perfectly reasonable for Chen Xiangsui, a straight man, to say such a thing. After thinking it over, he couldn’t find any excuse. “…Okay.”
He deliberately turned his back to avoid looking at Chen Xiangsui, and silently took a few deep breaths before taking off his long-sleeved shirt. Before he could even put on his pajamas, Chen Xiangsui suddenly grabbed his waist and gently squeezed it twice, startling Cheng Yinian so much that he instinctively tried to pull away. However, Chen Xiangsui’s earlier words, ‘Is it not okay if it’s me?’ lingered in his mind.
“Still too thin.” Chen Xiangsui stretched out his other arm, then carefully wrapped both hands around Cheng Yinian’s waist. His warm palms pressed against th other’s bare, snow-white skin. “Feels like it will break if I use too much force.”
“…I need to put on some clothes, or I’ll catch a cold.”
“No, I’ll hold you, I’m very warm.” After Chen Xiangsui finished speaking, he gently turned Cheng Yinian’s body so that he was facing him. Cheng Yinian’s hands were on his blushing face. “…Mn, I’m not lying to you.”
Cheng Yinian was pulled into Chen Xiangsui’s arms. He was indeed like a piece of natural coal, very warm. He couldn’t tell whether the burning heat stemmed from the warmth Chen Xiangsui was transferring to him or from his shyness, as the other’s fingertips traced his spine without any obstruction.
“…Yinian.”
“What’s wrong?” Chen Xiangsui’s hand on his back was still restless, as if it wanted to touch every inch of his skin.
“I really need to get dressed.”
After saying this, Cheng Yinian quickly broke free from Chen Xiangsui’s embrace. He feared that if the other man continued touching him like this, he might lose control and react inappropriately.
After the boy on the bed changed into his pajamas, Chen Xiangsui went into the kitchen and served him a bowl of white porridge, making sure to taste it himself first to check the temperature. Just as he was about to bring the spoon to Cheng Yinian’s lips, the boy hid his face, looking as though he dared not be seen.
“Come here.” Chen Xiangsui asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”
Cheng Yinian dared not let Chen Xiangsui see his flushed face. “Wait me a moment.”
Chen Xiangsui seemed to think he had upset the other person, so he quickly said apologetically, “I’m sorry, I won’t touch you anymore, please don’t ignore me.”
“…I’m not angry.”
“But you still won’t look at me.” Chen Xiangsui moved the bowl of porridge closer to Cheng Yinian, saying, “It’ll get cold if you don’t eat it soon.”
After a moment’s hesitation, he called out again, “…Niannian.”
Cheng Yinian snapped his head up at the sudden address. “Why are you suddenly calling me that?”
“Don’t you like it?” Chen Xiangsui, like a little animal that had accidentally fallen into the wrong nest, asked, “If you won’t let me call you Yiniannian, and you don’t like Niannian either, then how should I call you?”
“It would be fine to call me Yinian like before.”
“But Lu Yan and the others also call you Yinian. I’m different from them. I’m your most loyal brother, aren’t I?” After Chen Xiangsui finished speaking, he scooped a mouthful of white porridge and brought it to Cheng Yinian’s lips, saying, “Only I would cook this for you.”
He continued, “Or, should I call you ‘wife’ like Age does?”
“…” Cheng Yinian felt speechless. “Even as Age, I’ve told you not to call me that.”
Before Chen Xiangsui could say anything more, Cheng Yinian snatched the bowl of porridge from his hand. “I’ll eat it myself.”
“I was wrong, Yinian, I won’t call you that anymore.” Chen Xiangsui hurriedly took the bowl back and fed Cheng Yinian the porridge spoonful by spoonful. The latter let out only an almost imperceptible sigh, accepting the feeding like a small pet until the bowl was empty.
……
Although Chen Xiangsui was always worried that Cheng Yinian hadn’t fully recovered and repeatedly told him to lie down a little longer, the latter still got out of bed and took out a packet of wide rice noodles from the cabinet. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”
“I’ve already had some porridge.” Chen Xiangsui got up from the bedside and walked to Cheng Yinian, taking the things from the other’s hand. “I can cook myself, or go downstairs to buy some. You should rest.”
Cheng Yinian shook his head. “You’ve helped me so much today, so I’ll return the favor.”
“If I’m going to ask for something in return, I want more than just this.” As if afraid of touching a nerve, Chen Xiangsui cautiously asked, “Is it okay?”
“Then what do you want?” Cheng Yinian asked the question subconsciously, and Chen Xiangsui hesitated for a moment before silently tucking the bag of wide rice noodles behind his back. “I haven’t decided yet. I also want to eat something Yinian made, but you’re a patient today, so just let me take care of you.”
“…Mn.” Cheng Yinian couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, so he obediently sat down on the sofa next to the standing Chen Xiangsui, then looked up and asked, “It’s so late, aren’t you going back to school?”
“I’ll stay and watch over you.” Chen Xiangsui suddenly raised his hand to smooth the hair on Cheng Yinian’s head, saying that he would drive back to the dormitory to get some clothes later, but Cheng Yinian stopped him. “No need to trouble yourself. I have some pajamas that I bought before that are too big. You can wear them if you don’t mind. I also have some new underwear.”
Chen Xiangsui did not refuse Cheng Yinian’s kindness. He took the clothes that Cheng Yinian handed him and went into the bathroom. Cheng Yinian was checking the notifications in the chat group when he suddenly heard Chen Xiangsui call his name. He quickly went to the bathroom door and asked, “What happened?”
“The underwear is too small.”
Although he knew that Chen Xiangsui had no intention of showing off that he was older than him, he still couldn’t help feeling a little indignant. “Wait for me, I’ll go buy you a new one.”
It wasn’t too late yet so the supermarket downstairs was still open. He frequented this supermarket, so he could quickly find the shelves where the items he needed were located. He asked about the size, then casually grabbed the corresponding underwear and went to the front counter to pay.
“You dropped something.” A male customer next to him kindly reminded Cheng Yinian. He looked down and realized that his house key had indeed fallen to the ground. After picking it up, he thanked the man and then glanced at the two or three identical small bags at the front desk. He checked the bag closest to him and made sure it contained the underwear he had just taken from the shelf. He then picked it up and left.
Upon returning to the rental apartment, he worried that Chen Xiangsui had been waiting too long, so he pulled a pair of underwear straight from the bag and slipped it through the crack in the bathroom door. “I’m sorry, I promised you wouldn’t have to run around.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Cheng Yinian couldn’t help but smile slightly, her dimples peeking out. “You don’t think I’m a fragile glass doll anymore, right? I’m almost fully recovered, so please stop holding me back.”
“Hm.” After answering this question, Chen Xiangsui pushed open the door and walked out of the bathroom. His hair was wet and stuck to the side of his face, and water droplets rolled down his neck and soaked into his clothes. He smelled of the shower gel that Cheng Yinian usually used. Cheng Yinian silently looked away. “…Can I make you dinner now?”
“I still can’t bear to let you do it today.” Chen Xiangsui helped Cheng Yinian sit down on the sofa, and then started tidying up the clutter on the table, first the medicine Cheng Yinian had taken that day, and then the plastic bags he had just brought from the supermarket.
Seemingly noticing the weight in the bag, Chen Xiangsui asked, “Did you buy anything else?”
Cheng Yinian was completely baffled by the question. He grabbed the underwear and left immediately, not having time to buy anything else.
The next second he saw Chen Xiangsui take out several small boxes from the plastic bag, which almost made Cheng Yinian’s eyes pop out.
Isn’t that the thing you put on your thing?
His mind went blank for a moment. He tried to recall the scene in the supermarket. After picking up the keys and looking up, he couldn’t quite tell which bag contained his purchases, but he was sure there were underwear inside.
Although the chances were small, it couldn’t be ruled out that other customer had bought the same items as him, and he just happened to take the wrong one.
“…Why did you buy this?” Chen Xiangsui’s expression was clearly not good, with an air of an impending storm, as if his emotions were about to burst forth uncontrollably at any moment.
“I didn’t buy this.” Cheng Yinian quickly explained, “Maybe I took the wrong one?”
“If you took the wrong thing, then why is the underwear the right one?” Chen Xiangsui’s gloomy face gradually faded, replaced by an unspeakable grievance, like a wounded bird, which made Cheng Yinian feel very uncomfortable.
After hesitating for a long time, Chen Xiangsui finally spoke to Cheng Yinian, “Is there anything you can’t tell a brother?”
