Chapter 21
“Then my dad refused, and now Liang Jinyi is going crazy at home again,” Liang Xuping said.
Jiang Mi picked up the jacket he had tossed on the chair. “I’ll come over now.”
“No, no, don’t,” Liang Xuping said. “You’d better come tomorrow morning. Let Liang Jinyi calm down a little. Anyway, he’s just smashing things. Our family isn’t short of those few things. If you come over and soothe him now, maybe his desire to go abroad to study will get even stronger.”
Liang Xuping also didn’t agree with Liang Jinyi going to California to study. He was too young. Besides, Jiang Mi was only going abroad for graduate school. He would still come back in two or three years. When the time came, would Liang Jinyi come back with him too?
“All right, okay.”
Liang Jinyi’s emotions had stabilized a lot over the years, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t go crazy. For example, the year Jiang Mi graduated high school and went to his grandparents’ home thousands of miles away, Liang Jinyi waited at home for Jiang Mi for twenty days and still didn’t see him return. So he started going mad and smashing things around the house. Liang Xuping had no way to deal with him, so he could only take a red-eye flight overnight and send him to Jiang Mi’s southwestern hometown.
**
The next day, after Jiang Mi finished breakfast, he drove to the Liang house.
After learning from Liang Xuping that Liang Jinyi hadn’t come downstairs for breakfast today, Jiang Mi went to the kitchen and took a portion of breakfast. When he reached the second floor, he knocked on Liang Jinyi’s door.
No one answered.
Jiang Mi could only speak. “Jinyi, it’s me.”
Three or four seconds later, the door was pulled open from the inside. Liang Jinyi looked at Jiang Mi with bright eyes and called, “Brother.”
“Brother brought some breakfast up. Eat a little,” Jiang Mi said.
Liang Jinyi didn’t want to eat breakfast. His stomach was still full of displeasure. However, he rarely refused Jiang Mi’s requests, so he allowed Brother to bring breakfast into his room and sat beside the coffee table, obediently drinking congee.
Although Liang Jinyi didn’t grow much taller, his appetite had always been quite good. After he drank one bowl of congee, ate one egg, and one beef bun, he told Jiang Mi he was full. Jiang Mi felt that he probably wasn’t full, but Liang Jinyi was in a bad mood now, so he didn’t ask him to continue eating.
He handed Liang Jinyi a tissue and gestured for him to wipe his mouth.
Liang Jinyi took the tissue and obediently wiped his mouth.
Jiang Mi said, “Jinyi, I heard you lost your temper at home again last night.”
Hearing this, Liang Jinyi threw himself beside Jiang Mi and acted spoiled softly. “I want to go abroad… to study with Brother.”
Jiang Mi’s emotions had always been stable. He didn’t criticize Liang Jinyi, only guided him patiently. “Then does Jinyi know that near Brother’s school, there aren’t any elementary schools suitable for you? The elementary school suitable for you is still a three-hour drive from Brother’s university.”
“That’s still closer than me studying in Bei City,” Liang Jinyi said.
“Then do you know that the graduate program at the university Brother is going to usually takes two to three years to complete? Brother wants to finish the program within two years, so Brother is bound to be very busy. Even if you go to California, Brother won’t have much time to play with you on weekends.”
“Brother,” Liang Jinyi murmured.
Jiang Mi asked again, “Jinyi, after Brother returns to China in two years, will you come back?”
Liang Jinyi answered without thinking, “Of course.”
“But Jinyi, the teaching content in China and abroad isn’t the same. If you miss some classes for two years, it’ll be very hard to catch up with the other students when you come back. Do you want to come last in exams?”
Liang Jinyi asked back, “Didn’t Brother say I’m very smart? If I study hard, I’ll catch up.”
Liang Jinyi was indeed a smart child, with his own set of logic. It was very difficult to persuade him.
Jiang Mi pinched his chubby little cheek. “Jinyi is of course smart. But the most important thing is, even if you go to California, Brother won’t have time to play with you. Brother has to complete three years’ worth of coursework in two years, participate in many extracurricular competitions, and get familiar with new professors and classmates.”
“Brother.” Liang Jinyi’s voice softened, and he pouted.
Jiang Mi said again, “Jinyi, even if Brother studies abroad, I’ll still have winter and summer breaks every year. Brother will come back to China during winter and summer break. When the time comes, I’ll play with Jinyi, okay?”
“And if you feel that isn’t enough time, you’ll have National Day and short holidays in China too. Jinyi can come find Brother then. If you count it this way, whether Jinyi stays in China or goes to California with Brother, the number of times we meet won’t be that different.”
Liang Jinyi stared at Jiang Mi with his pitch-black eyes. “Does Brother not want me to go to California?”
Jiang Mi said, “Brother just thinks it would be better for you to go to school in Bei City. You have your biological brother, Uncle Lin, and Jinyi’s good friends here.”
“But if our Jinyi goes to California, you’ll have nothing there.”
After thinking about it, Jiang Mi added the most crucial sentence. “And Brother will also be very hard to see.”
Liang Jinyi bit his lip. He lifted his little head and asked, “Brother will really come back in two years?”
Jiang Mi said gently, “Not two years. Four months. One semester only lasts four months, so Brother will come back in four months.”
“Brother.”
Liang Jinyi suddenly reached out and hugged Jiang Mi tightly. With tears shimmering in his eyes, he looked at Jiang Mi and said, “I’ll miss you. I’ll miss you so much. I’ll miss you every day.”
Watching from the doorway, Liang Xuping felt his teeth ache. More and more, he felt that his little brother was like one of Jiang Mi’s dogs—a dog with separation anxiety at that.
“Liang Jinyi, that’s enough. You’re acting like your brother is going abroad tomorrow. Your brother isn’t leaving now. He won’t go abroad until half a year later.”
H University’s graduate program started in August. It was only January now.
Liang Jinyi didn’t care how long it was until Brother left. He hugged Jiang Mi with all his strength, as if Jiang Mi were about to leave immediately.
Jiang Mi felt that although Liang Jinyi hadn’t grown much taller, his strength really wasn’t small. He was clearly only eleven, yet he was almost hurting Jiang Mi’s waist from hugging him.
After quite a while, Liang Jinyi sniffled and only then loosened his hold on Jiang Mi a little. He lifted his head and asked pitifully, “Will Brother keep me company often from now on? Before you go abroad.”
When Liang Jinyi was little, Jiang Mi already couldn’t bear it when he acted pitiful and spoiled. Although the current Liang Jinyi was no longer as cute as he had been in his cub period, he was still beautiful, as beautiful as if he had been drawn.
Moreover, after six years together, Jiang Mi regarded Liang Jinyi as his own biological little brother.
Naturally, he was even more reluctant to refuse.
He pinched Liang Jinyi’s cheek and said, “Of course. Before Brother goes abroad, I’ll definitely spend more time with Jinyi.”
Jiang Mi didn’t go back on his word. For the next half year, he often accompanied Liang Jinyi. During this half year, he devoted his energy and time to legal aid work. He didn’t need to clock in or out, so his time was relatively free. Half the week, Jiang Mi would pick Liang Jinyi up after school. On weekends, he would often take him out to play. In winter, they went skiing, swimming, played tennis, or Jiang Mi accompanied him to taekwondo practice.
When the weather grew hot, they went on spring outings, to agritainment farms, or to nearby scenic spots.
Liang Jinyi had an extremely happy half year.
But it was only half a year.
In August 2014, Jiang Mi flew from Bei City to Country U and began his life as an international student.
Jiang Mi had been a smart child since childhood. From the time he memorized Tang poems and Han lyrics faster than ordinary people, his parents had felt their child would be more outstanding than other people’s children. And Jiang Mi had never disappointed his parents. Certificates and awards he received until his hands went soft, a modest and polite personality, and a handsome face—since childhood, Jiang Mi had always been someone else’s child.
He was used to receiving praise from others, and also used to having to earn that praise.
Jiang Mi’s graduate life was not easy. The more intelligent people gathered in one place, the more effort one had to put in to become more outstanding than others, especially since he was Chinese.
And by the time Jiang Mi was about to graduate from his master’s program, his efforts over the past two years had not failed him. He received offers from several top law firms and famous large companies.
After considering everything comprehensively, Jiang Mi chose to join the law firm most suitable for him.
By then, it was already May 2016. Middle school student Liang Jinyi was very much looking forward to Brother returning to China. He had even bought in advance the clothes he would wear on the day he went to pick him up at the airport. Then he received Brother’s apologetic call, saying that this work opportunity was very good and very beneficial for improving his work ability, and that he didn’t want to give it up.
“Then when is Brother coming back?” Liang Jinyi asked, suppressing the anger in his heart.
“Next year. Brother will come back next year.”
When the next year arrived, Jiang Mi had initially planned to return to China. But on the very day he finished writing his resignation letter, he received an unexpected, excellent project. He worked in capital markets, finance, mergers, and acquisitions. Recently, a long-established company in Country U had decided to go public. This company was not only a household name in Country U, but also famous in China. Jiang Mi was unwilling to give up this opportunity.
“Brother, are good work opportunities really that important? Are you short of money? I can give you all my money.” Liang Jinyi stared at Jiang Mi on the computer screen and said unhappily.
“Jinyi, money is only one aspect. More importantly, if this case is handled well, it will be more convenient for Brother to return to China for work later.”
“Then when are you coming back?” Liang Jinyi pressed him about the question he cared about most.
“Half a year, I think. This case should take about half a year.”
“Then… okay.” Liang Jinyi said this full of grievance.
However, Jiang Mi broke his promise again. Because just as this IPO project was about to be completed, he encountered two more complex and challenging cases. Once successful, they would be enough to make his résumé look down on all others his age.
So after half a year, Jiang Mi still didn’t return to China.
And the day Jiang Mi truly returned to China was already the autumn of 2019.
Five years had passed since the year he went abroad.
Compared to the return date he had promised little Liang Jinyi, it was three years and three months late.
“Xuedi, you’ve gotten off the plane, right?”
A handsome man in a white shirt stood beside a taxi. The taxi driver got out and helped him put his suitcase into the trunk. The young man stretched out his distinct, slender fingers and pulled open the backseat door. At the same time, the corners of his lips formed a perfectly measured smile.
“Xuezhang, I haven’t taken a vacation in two years. Can’t you call me a few days later?”
“There’s just too much going on, isn’t there? The capable must do more,” the man on the phone said.
The driver turned his head and glanced at the young man sitting behind the driver’s seat. After Jiang Mi gave him the destination, he continued replying to his senior, “Xuezhang, half a month of vacation.”
“Xuedi, that mouth of yours really is ruthless. You open your mouth and ask for half a month off.”
“The capable must do more,” Jiang Mi replied.
“One week, Xuedi. The law firm is short-staffed these days. I’m one person doing the work of several people. There are also interviews for new lawyers. We can’t just be a few commanders without troops, right? And there are several CEOs I also have to contact. Otherwise, where will the cases come from? Please have some mercy. Your senior really doesn’t have three heads and three pairs of legs.”
The temperature in California recently had been colder than in Jing City. Jiang Mi unbuttoned the top button of his white shirt and said helplessly, “Xuezhang, I haven’t been home in two years. Ten days.”
“Fine, then ten days,” his senior decided firmly.
After hanging up with his senior, Jiang Mi looked out the window. The last time he returned had been two years ago. Two years didn’t seem long, but the road from the airport to his home had changed quite a bit.
The dusk sky was like a child’s palette, with red, orange, and purple all mixed together chaotically.
Jiang Mi admired Bei City’s twilight and scenery.
Only when the taxi driver stopped the car at the entrance of Qiuxin Garden villa district did he look away.
The driver pointed at the QR codes hanging behind the driver’s seat. Jiang Mi stared at the WeChat and Alipay payment codes for two seconds, silently opened his wallet, and handed him a red bill.
After Jiang Mi got out, the driver enthusiastically helped him take out his suitcase. Jiang Mi thanked him, then slowly walked into Qiuxin Garden.
A few minutes later, he arrived at the familiar iron gate. Just as he was about to knock, the door suddenly opened from inside.
Liu Qin stood in the entryway changing shoes. At the same time, she turned her head and said to the people in the living room, “Dad, Mom, after we pick up Little Mi, then we’ll stir-fry the dishes. Those quick-fried dishes won’t taste good if they sit too long.”
“All right, all right. How could I not know? My eldest grandson likes food fresh out of the wok…”
“Little Mi!”
Liu Qin and Jiang Aiyu had just finished changing their shoes when they heard Grandpa Jiang’s powerful shout and abruptly looked toward the door.
Liu Qin glanced at the time shown on her phone. Afraid the time on her own phone was wrong, she took Jiang’s father’s phone and looked at it too. It was still five o’clock. Shocked, she said, “Son, didn’t you say your plane arrived at six-forty this afternoon?”
Jiang Aiyu said, “Your mother and I were just about to go to the airport to pick you up.”
“The plane arrived early,” Jiang Mi said with a smile.
“What early? I’ve only ever heard of planes being delayed, never of planes arriving early. And arriving two or three hours early at that.” Liu Qin hurriedly told Jiang Aiyu to get out of the way and stop blocking her precious son’s path inside.
And looking at Ms. Liu Qin’s rosy complexion and vigorous voice, Jiang Mi finally completely relaxed.
He hadn’t planned to stay abroad for the rest of his life, but his development abroad had been very good these past two years. He had originally planned to accumulate more work experience before returning to China. However, during a phone call with his grandmother last month, he learned that three months earlier, his mother had developed a uterine tumor and undergone a hysterectomy. Because he was busy with work abroad, they hadn’t told him.
After learning this, Jiang Mi sat in his New York apartment and thought for several hours before deciding to return to China as soon as possible.
As he thought this, Jiang Mi changed into slippers. Grandma Jiang and Grandpa Jiang also couldn’t wait to come over to greet him.
Grandma Jiang and Grandpa Jiang only had one son and one daughter, and these two children had only given them two precious grandchildren. Compared to Liu Peipei’s mischievous troublemaking, which had given them endless headaches, Jiang Mi had been smart and sensible since childhood, delicate and considerate.
And since Jiang Mi hadn’t returned to China in two years, the two elderly people naturally missed him. Unlike Jiang’s father and mother, who had still gone to Country U during the New Year to visit Jiang Mi, they were already over seventy and were not suitable for long flights. So they hadn’t seen their precious eldest grandson face to face in two years.
Grandpa Jiang even sighed, “You’ve lost weight, you’ve lost weight.”
“Then hurry up and go stir-fry the dishes. Feed my good grandson properly,” Grandma Jiang urged.
Grandpa Jiang had originally been a chef. Of course, it was impossible for Grandpa Jiang to handle this whole table of food alone. Jiang’s aunt, Jiang’s uncle, and Jiang’s father all went to help.
After dinner, the family began worrying about Jiang Mi’s future work.
Today, it wasn’t only Jiang Mi’s immediate family at the Jiang house. The Jiang family was a large family. In particular, Grandpa Jiang and Grandma Jiang both had many siblings. Today, Jiang Mi had two other grandfathers and two other grandmothers come over, as well as a few older cousins and uncles who had nothing to do at home.
Although everyone didn’t know the specifics of Jiang Mi’s work, they had heard Grandma Jiang say that it was related to the very popular news from last year. Country A and Country D had nearly gone to war because of a trade dispute and ended up taking it to an international arbitration court. One of the lawyers involved had been Little Mi.
Jiang Mi answered, “A senior is preparing to start his own firm. I’ll work with him.”
“What senior? Is he reliable?”
Jiang Mi answered that he was reliable. His senior was three years older than him. Although they hadn’t gone to the same undergraduate university, they had both done their graduate studies at H University and had become familiar because they were at the same law firm.
Only then did everyone relax.
This family gathering continued until ten at night. Grandma Jiang felt that her grandson had spent the whole day on a plane and should rest, so everyone finally left one after another.
Only then could Jiang Mi finally go upstairs and return to his room. He took a shower, came out, picked up his phone, and saw the message Liang Xuping had sent him two hours earlier.
Liang Xuping: [I can finally get off work. Are you home?]
Over the past few years, Jiang Mi and Liang Xuping had contacted each other less. First, there was a seven- or eight-hour time difference, and then both of them were very busy. Jiang Mi was busy opening up territory abroad, while Liang Xuping was busy inheriting the family business in China.
But after more than ten years of friendship, their relationship hadn’t grown distant because of that.
Two months ago, Liang Xuping had gone to California on a business trip, and the two of them had still managed to carve out time amid their busy schedules to meet once.
Jiang Mi: [I’m back. Just finished dinner.]
Liang Xuping: [Good. Are you free tomorrow night? Your brother will set up a gathering for you. Everyone hasn’t seen each other in ages.]
Since Liang Xuping was setting up the gathering, it would definitely be their mutual high school friends. To be honest, when he had still been studying in China, he could see everyone at the annual class reunions. But in the years he had been abroad, there were indeed some people he truly hadn’t seen.
Jiang Mi: [Sure.]
After years of being fiercely tempered at Liang Group, Liang Xuping had become decisive and reliable in his work. A little over half an hour later, he sent Jiang Mi the location and time for tomorrow’s meeting.
The next day, six in the evening.
Jiang Mi changed clothes and drove to the place Liang Xuping had booked.
Liang Xuping had always loved liveliness. The place he booked was a high-end club.
More than half an hour later, Jiang Mi arrived at the destination. The private room was on the third floor. After entering the elevator, Jiang Mi pressed three.
About ten seconds later, the elevator stopped on the third floor, and Jiang Mi stepped out.
After walking about two or three steps, a voice behind him called, “Handsome guy.”
Jiang Mi turned around and saw the two young girls who had entered the elevator with him just now. They weren’t old, probably around twenty. Jiang Mi looked at the two girls in confusion.
The girl with long hair licked her lips. She stepped forward and said without the slightest coyness, “Handsome guy, can I add you on WeChat?”
WeChat wasn’t popular abroad, but Jiang Mi had long been very familiar with this kind of situation. He smiled politely. “Sorry, my partner doesn’t allow me to casually give out my contact information.”
After saying that, Jiang Mi nodded politely and walked toward the private room Liang Xuping had reserved in advance.
The long-haired girl stood there in shock.
The short-haired girl stepped forward to comfort her. “It’s okay, it’s okay. You’ll definitely meet someone even more to your liking.”
The long-haired girl said in pain, “But in twenty years, this is the only one I’ve met who’s this handsome, and handsome with such a temperament too.”
The short-haired girl also had to admit that the man just now was top-tier. Although he looked a few years older than them, let alone a few years older, even if he had been a dozen years older, with that face and temperament, he would still have been worth going for.
Unfortunately, he had a partner. She could only continue comforting the long-haired girl.
Two minutes later, Jiang Mi arrived at the private room Liang Xuping had booked.
After knocking twice, he directly pushed the door open. As a result, everyone in the private room looked over.
Jiang Mi strode in and smiled. “What, don’t recognize me?”
Zhang Rui called for someone to turn off the music first, then turned on the brightest overhead light in the private room. After he saw Jiang Mi clearly, even he, who had matured quite a bit, couldn’t help cursing, “Fuck, School Grass Jiang, how the hell are you still like this? Put on a high school uniform and you’d be a high school student.”
Jiang Mi stared at him for a couple of seconds and hesitated. “Zhang Rui?”
“You fucking don’t even recognize me?” Zhang Rui exclaimed.
Liang Xuping laughed twice. “I almost didn’t recognize you after not seeing you for two months. Jiang Mi hasn’t fucking seen you for almost two years.”
“I just gained fifty jin, all right? Which one of you hasn’t gained weight? You’re all people heading for thirty now. Do you still think you’re sixteen- or seventeen-year-old high school students?” Zhang Rui had a nimble tongue and rebuked several people in one breath. After finishing, he pulled Jiang Mi over. “Come, come, Jiang Mi, let me show you my daughter.”
Jiang Mi hadn’t returned to China these past few years to meet old friends, but they had always stayed in contact. He had started school early and was generally one or two years younger than his classmates. He was already twenty-seven this year, and the students of Yunde High School’s 2006 cohort were basically twenty-eight or twenty-nine. Getting married at this age couldn’t be considered late, but it also wasn’t early.
Zhang Rui had gotten married the year before last, and Jiang Mi had even sent a large red envelope.
Jiang Mi sat beside Zhang Rui and watched him open his phone album. The album was filled with photos of a little girl around one year old, with thick brows and big eyes.
“She looks like sister-in-law.” Zhang Rui’s wife also wasn’t the girl he had gone to pick up on his birthday back then. She was his university classmate.
“Hehe, it’s good she looks like my wife. She looks obedient,” Zhang Rui said cheerfully.
After showing off his daughter, Zhang Rui showed concern for his old friend. “So, still single?”
Jiang Mi leaned back against the sofa and said lazily, “Busy. No time.”
Everyone in the private room immediately clicked their tongues. However, among the seven people present, only one or two were married with families, so they didn’t say much. Everyone talked about work and life. Sun Tianwang asked, “Jiang Mi, you’re born in the Year of the Monkey, right?” Sun Tianwang had been in the same high school dorm as Jiang Mi, and they had gotten along quite well back then.
“Mm, I’m a Monkey,” Jiang Mi said.
“Perfect. I’m getting married next month. Be my groomsman,” Sun Tianwang said.
Liang Xuping said unhappily, “Just because your surname is Sun, you have to find someone born in the Year of the Monkey to be your groomsman?”
Zhang Rui fanned the flames. “He’s saying you guys aren’t handsome enough.”
Lu Chenghe said, “Engineer Sun, do you know that you can’t find someone too handsome to be your groomsman? He’ll easily steal the groom’s spotlight.”
Sun Tianwang explained, “Aren’t all of you born in the Year of the Rooster or Dog? My mom asked a master to calculate it. A groomsman born in the Year of the Monkey is better.”
Everyone knew Sun Tianwang’s mother was rather superstitious. Back when they were studying, Sun Tianwang had all kinds of talismans stuffed in his pockets and under his pillow.
“Sure. But I’ve never been a groomsman before, so I don’t have much experience,” Jiang Mi said.
“You don’t need much experience. Just come with me to pick up the bride when the time comes,” Sun Tianwang said.
Jiang Mi said okay.
The friendships of student days couldn’t be compared to anything after entering work. Everyone took off the masks they wore at work and freely chatted about the past and present.
After chatting for a while, Lu Chenghe suddenly mentioned someone. “Hey, Liang Xuping, I haven’t seen little brother in years. How’s little brother doing?”
In the early nineties, family planning was still in effect and the second-child policy hadn’t been relaxed. Everyone was basically an only child, so the “little brother” they mentioned referred to only one person.
Liang Xuping said, “Studying.”
Zhang Rui thought about it. “He should be in high school now, right?”
Liang Xuping said, “Second year of high school.”
Sun Tianwang said, “Is little brother still short? I remember during our junior-year class reunion, little brother came too, and my younger sister also came along. In the end, little brother wasn’t even as tall as my sister, even though my sister is two years younger than him.”
“Short my ass.” Liang Xuping no longer had the maturity and steadiness he usually had to maintain at the company. “I think he can grow to one meter ninety.”
“Did he get growth hormone injections?” Zhang Rui asked.
“No. Grew on his own. Just these two years, he shot up like crazy. He’s already taller than me,” Liang Xuping said.
Lu Chenghe said, “I suddenly remembered something.”
“What?” Zhang Rui asked.
Lu Chenghe looked at Jiang Mi and laughed loudly. “The first time we met little brother, I asked him if he wanted a wife. He said he wanted Jiang Mi to be his wife.”
Zhang Rui said, “Was there really something like that?”
Everyone looked at Jiang Mi. Jiang Mi said he couldn’t really remember either. The first time Lu Chenghe met Liang Jinyi should have been in their second year of high school. That was more than ten years ago. Jiang Mi had a good memory, but he couldn’t possibly remember every trivial matter in his life.
Zhou Hai said, “I also forgot whether that happened, but I remember little brother was very clingy with Jiang Mi. He was clearly Liang Xuping’s biological little brother, but every time, he followed his Jiang Mi-brother to our gatherings.”
Everyone did have a deep impression of little brother clinging to Jiang Mi. After all, when they went out to play several times in high school, little brother had come along. During their university gatherings, little brother had also come, but he had always followed Jiang Mi closely, as if Jiang Mi were his biological older brother.
“So, is little brother still clingy with you now?” Lu Chenghe asked with a smile.
Jiang Mi put down the green plum wine in his hand and smiled helplessly. “Little brother blocked me.”
Everyone: “?”
Jiang Mi said, “WeChat, QQ, Alipay, phone number—all contact methods have been blocked.”
Zhang Rui was shocked. “Jiang Mi, what utterly inhumane thing did you do to little brother?”
Hearing this, Jiang Mi’s expression became a little complicated.
Liang Xuping showed no mercy. “He deserves it.”
Lu Chenghe said, “President Liang, President Liang, hurry and tell us. How did these biological brothers turn against each other?”
Liang Xuping said, “He told little brother he would only go abroad for two years. Count for yourselves how long he stayed abroad.”
Zhang Rui cursed. “Jiang Mi, even if you’re more handsome at twenty-seven than you were at seventeen, I still have to tell you—little brother was right to block you.”
“Great lawyer, although your behavior didn’t violate the law, it did trample on the moral bottom line, right? Now you’ve tasted the consequences of deceiving an elementary school student, haven’t you?”
Jiang Mi raised his wine glass. Everyone had work tomorrow, so the drinks were all clear liquor and weren’t intoxicating. He drank the green plum wine in his glass in one gulp and begged for mercy. “I have tasted it. Viciously tasted it.”
Little brother only occupied a very, very small part of their past experiences. After chatting about him for a few sentences, the topic passed, and everyone talked about other things.
Tomorrow was a workday, and everyone had to work. A little past ten at night, everyone said goodbye one after another and agreed to have a proper lively gathering when Sun Tianwang got married.
Liang Xuping had come with a driver tonight. After the driver sent him over, he told the driver to drive back. Tonight, he would ride in Jiang Mi’s car. Jiang Mi had drunk alcohol, so the two could only find a designated driver.
After the designated driver arrived, the two sat in the back seat. Jiang Mi saw that Liang Xuping’s face was a little red and frowned. “Didn’t you say you have a cross-border meeting at one in the morning? Why did you drink so much?”
“I…” Liang Xuping tugged at his tie. Away from the noisy crowd, he seemed a little irritable.
Jiang Mi noticed. “Something bothering you?”
“As expected of a good brother.” Liang Xuping sprawled in his seat and rolled down the window. He opened his mouth, but in the end, nothing came out. He sighed. “In a few days. When we can find a quiet time.”
“Okay,” Jiang Mi answered.
Liang Xuping glanced at him and asked, “Do you still want little brother?”
At the mention of little brother, the somewhat gloomy atmosphere just now dispersed like smoke and clouds. Jiang Mi rolled down the window on his side too. The slightly cool night wind fell across his ink-dark brows and eyes. He smiled.
“Of course I do. How could I not? He’s my biological little brother.”
Liang Xuping clicked his tongue twice.
Jiang Mi turned his head slightly. “Still very angry?”
Liang Xuping laughed. “Last month, didn’t you decide to return to China? I mentioned it in front of little brother. As soon as little brother heard your name, he stopped eating, went black-faced, and shot straight upstairs.”
Jiang Mi couldn’t help hissing softly and confirmed, “Very hard to coax?”
Liang Xuping said, “According to my estimate as the biological brother who isn’t the biological brother, super hard to coax.”
“And also, little brother’s temper has become much more irritable over the past two years.”
Liang Jinyi’s temper had always been quite irritable. For example, when he was little, if things didn’t go his way, going crazy and smashing things around the house was routine. It was only later, after he had Jiang Mi, that it was as if a rope had been tied to him. He had someone who restrained him, so his hostility lessened, and he became much more obedient. But these two years, with Jiang Mi absent and Liang Jinyi also entering adolescence, his temper had clearly risen.
Jiang Mi rubbed his temple, feeling that this was somewhat difficult.
Liang Xuping asked, “Backing down?”
Jiang Mi rested his elbow against the car window and laughed softly. “How could I? Didn’t I already say he’s my biological little brother?”
He asked Liang Xuping again, “Experimental High School, Class Six, second year?”
Liang Xuping answered, “Experimental High School, Class Six, second year.”
**
Today was Wednesday.
Class Six and Class Four of the second year had arranged a basketball game.
In September, Bei City’s temperature had clearly turned cold. Workplace elites had all added jackets over their thin summer shirts, and sixteen- and seventeen-year-old youths also couldn’t withstand this chill. They all wore long school uniform jackets over their short-sleeved uniform shirts.
But playing basketball at noon, after a short while of exercising, the boys on the court heated up rapidly and naturally took off their jackets.
When the fairest-skinned one among them took off his jacket, revealing, when he shot the ball, a glimpse of clearly defined abdominal muscles, the girls near the basketball court let out suppressed cries of surprise.
And when that fairest, prettiest boy scored, the screams on the basketball court reached their peak.
Half an hour later, the casual basketball game between Bei City Experimental High School’s second-year Class Six and Class Five came to an end. The boys and girls who had been watching chattered nonstop and reluctantly left the basketball court.
Seeing that the game was over, unlike the students leaving the basketball court, Zhu Yurui smiled and rushed onto the court. He gave his Brother Liang a thumbs-up. “Fuck, my Brother Liang really is worthy of being a man who studies sanda and practices Muay Thai.”
He lifted Liang Jinyi’s sleeve and pinched his biceps, which weren’t obvious when relaxed. “Look at these solid muscles.”
Then he looked toward the backboard and said, “And look at that intimidating jumping ability when you shot earlier. That astonishing explosive power.”
“To sum it up, two words.”
“Awesome!”
“Fucking awesome.”
“Zhu Yurui.” Liang Jinyi took the bottle of mineral water Huo Ran handed him and called his name.
Zhu Yurui widened his peach-blossom eyes and gave an “Mm.”
Liang Jinyi looked at those eyes, those peach-blossom eyes that were already not quite the same as when he had first met him in seventh grade. He took two large gulps of the still-icy mineral water, grabbed the school uniform jacket hanging on the railing, and strode quickly toward the classroom.
“Hey, hey, hey, wait for me, Brother Liang.” Zhu Yurui hurried to chase after him.
An arm reached over from behind and hooked around his shoulders.
Zhu Yurui turned his head. “Brother Huo.”
“You only praise your Brother Liang, not me?”
“How could that be?” Zhu Yurui’s sweet words and flattery poured out one after another. “You have no idea how fast my heart was beating when I saw you running and jumping on the basketball court. So fast my asthma was about to act up in the next second. So fast I felt that if I died right now…”
“All right, all right, shut up.” Huo Ran raised a hand and covered Zhu Yurui’s mouth. His arm pressed on Zhu Yurui’s body, making Zhu Yurui carry him upstairs.
Experimental High School didn’t require students to live on campus. Eighty percent of students were day students. After day students finished the four afternoon classes, they could go home.
Zhu Yurui had a good relationship with Liang Jinyi and Huo Ran. After school, the three of them left the classroom together. Huo Ran took the bus home, and the bus he needed to take was closer to the school’s back gate. After they went downstairs, he parted ways with Zhu Yurui and Liang Jinyi.
Zhu Yurui and Liang Jinyi both had drivers coming to pick them up.
The Zhu family driver had gotten a good parking spot today. After leaving the school gate and walking only a few steps, Zhu Yurui saw his family’s driver and waved at Liang Jinyi as a farewell.
Liang Jinyi also lazily waved his hand in response.
After school, Experimental High School’s more than three thousand students rushed toward the school gate all at once, crowding the place until it was packed tight. So Liang Jinyi usually went downstairs a few minutes later. By going downstairs a few minutes late, half the people at the school gate would already have dispersed.
Liang Jinyi walked seven or eight hundred meters along the parking spaces by the roadside but still didn’t see where Uncle Li had parked. He picked up his phone, preparing to call Uncle Li.
The horn of an Audi behind him suddenly sounded.
Liang Jinyi held his phone and turned around irritably.
The next second, the Audi’s driver’s seat door was opened, and a young man he hadn’t seen in a very long time stepped out.
He wore a loose, soft, navy-blue thin fleece sweater and black casual trousers. He was very good-looking—refined, elegant, handsome, delicate—as if every beautiful word could be used on him. But the moment Liang Jinyi saw him, his expression visibly darkened and sank. He turned around and strode forward.
Jiang Mi watched Liang Jinyi’s movements and quickly caught up with him.
“Little Brother, Uncle Li is off today. I came to pick you up and take you home.”
Liang Jinyi’s steps stopped. He turned his head and looked at Jiang Mi.
Jiang Mi lifted his chin toward the Audi behind him. “Get in.”
Liang Jinyi looked at him without emotion, then turned and walked forward.
Seeing this, Jiang Mi sighed inwardly. Not only had little brother grown taller, it seemed this temper had also grown fiercely.
Since little brother was unwilling to get in, Jiang Mi could only drive at a turtle’s pace beside him. Fortunately, little brother hadn’t come out that early. Fortunately, because of the time they had delayed, the other cars on this road had all already driven away.
Jiang Mi lowered the car window and spoke to Liang Jinyi walking by the roadside. “Are you going to take a taxi? It’s rush hour right now. It won’t be easy to get one.”
Liang Jinyi didn’t make a sound. He carried his schoolbag in one hand and walked along the curb.
Jiang Mi said again, “I know I was wrong, Little Brother. Can you give me a chance to make amends?”
Student Liang Jinyi turned a deaf ear.
Jiang Mi sighed in his heart. It seemed Liang Xuping had indeed not been exaggerating last night. This temper of his little brother’s—how was it merely rising fiercely? It was practically rising lethally.
“Hey, Little Brother, it’s raining.” Seeing the windshield get wet, Jiang Mi looked toward Liang Jinyi by the roadside. “If you get rained on because you’re angry with me, wouldn’t that be even more of a loss?”
These words finally made Liang Jinyi’s steps stop.
Jiang Mi softened his voice and coaxed, “Get in the car first, okay?”
He added gently, “Getting in the car doesn’t mean we’ve reconciled, and it doesn’t mean you’ve forgiven me.”
Liang Jinyi stared at Jiang Mi without blinking for half a minute. Before the next raindrop could fall onto his lashes, he opened his mouth. His voice carried the brightness of a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy, along with a certain depth unique to him. He stared at Jiang Mi and said, “There is no reconciliation between us, and there’s no such thing as forgiveness or not forgiveness. We’re just strangers who met by chance, that’s all.”
Jiang Mi froze.
At that moment, Liang Jinyi opened the rear door of the car and bent down to sit inside. His expression was cold as he said, “Since you stole Uncle Li’s job, then take me home.”
Author’s Note
Hahaha, he’s finally grown up. I hope I didn’t disappoint you little cuties.
