Chapter 23
Suddenly suspended in midair, with a strong, powerful arm beneath his back and another beneath his knees, Jiang Mi subconsciously grabbed Liang Jinyi’s sleeve and lifted his head.
But at that moment, another burst of burning pain surged up, and Jiang Mi had no time to care about the fact that he had been picked up by Little Brother.
A minute later, Liang Jinyi placed Jiang Mi on the bed in the guest room, his face pitch-black. “What medicine do you need?”
Jiang Mi endured the nausea rising from his stomach and, with a pale face, said the names of two medicines.
A dozen minutes later, Liang Jinyi carried a bag of medicine and hurriedly jumped off his motorcycle. He ran into the living room, but after darting a few steps toward the stairs, he quickly retreated, ran to the tea room, and poured a cup of warm water at a suitable temperature.
Another minute later, he went up to the second floor with the medicine and hot water.
Liang Jinyi placed the hot water on the bedside table, took out several medicines from the plastic bag, glanced at the instructions, then popped out three atropine tablets and two omeprazole enteric-coated capsules and handed them to Jiang Mi.
Jiang Mi leaned against the headboard, his face deathly pale. He took the medicine from Liang Jinyi and swallowed it with the warm water.
After more than ten minutes like this, the medicine gradually took effect. Jiang Mi felt the burning pain and nausea in his stomach weaken. He turned his head and gave Liang Jinyi, who was sitting at the bedside, a weak smile.
“Little Brother, thank you.”
Liang Jinyi gave a cold hmph, stood up, and was about to leave.
Jiang Mi hurriedly grabbed his wrist.
Liang Jinyi turned his head and stared at him unhappily.
Jiang Mi asked helplessly, “Little Brother, I know I broke my promises again and again. It was my fault. What do I have to do for you to forgive me?”
Liang Jinyi ignored Jiang Mi’s words, pulled his wrist out, and strode toward the door.
Seeing that Liang Jinyi was about to leave, Jiang Mi quickly called him again. Liang Jinyi turned around and stared at the man on the bed, whose bangs had fallen down and made him look several years younger.
“What is it?”
Jiang Mi asked, “Did you ride your motorcycle to buy the medicine just now?”
He had been in the room earlier and heard the roar of a motorcycle.
Liang Jinyi said, “So?”
Jiang Mi took safety quite seriously. Enduring the lingering cramping pain in his abdomen, he said gently, “Jinyi, you’re not an adult yet. According to the national motor vehicle driving regulations, only adult males can…”
Before he could finish speaking, Liang Jinyi suddenly took two steps to Jiang Mi’s bedside. He stared at the man inches away from him, tilted his head in confusion, and asked, “Jiang Mi-brother, you don’t think you still have the right to discipline me, do you?”
**
After Liang Jinyi left, Jiang Mi’s stomach didn’t hurt much anymore. He lay on the bed, let out a long, long sigh, then closed his eyes and went to sleep.
In order to adjust to the time difference as soon as possible, when the alarm rang at eight in the morning, Jiang Mi opened his eyes, washed up, changed clothes, and went downstairs.
Liang Xuping and Liang Jinyi were already eating breakfast in the dining room.
When Liang Xuping saw Jiang Mi, he was badly startled. “Jiang Mi, why does your complexion look so terrible?”
Jiang Mi pulled out the chair he had sat in last night, sat down, and said irritably, “You still have the nerve to ask? I almost died in your house last night.”
“Don’t scare me.” Liang Xuping couldn’t even eat the xiaolongbao in his hand anymore.
The auntie asked Jiang Mi what he wanted to eat. Jiang Mi indicated for her to serve him a bowl of plain congee, then answered Liang Xuping, “My stomach illness flared up. I called you, but you didn’t answer. I knocked on your door, but there was no response either.”
“I slept too deeply last night.” Liang Xuping asked with concern, “Then in the end, last night?”
Jiang Mi glanced at Little Brother, who was sitting across from him eating steamed dumplings. “Little Brother bought the medicine.”
Only then did Liang Xuping let out a breath of relief. He said apologetically, “If I’d known your stomach illness flared up so easily, I wouldn’t have kept urging you to drink last night.”
The moment his voice fell, Liang Xuping sensed a cold, sharp gaze sweep toward him from beside him. He turned his head in confusion and happened to meet Liang Jinyi’s dark, gloomy eyes.
“Hey, hey, hey, Liang Jinyi, why are you looking at me with such ill intentions again?” Liang Xuping said.
Liang Jinyi withdrew his gaze with a dark face.
Jiang Mi drank a few mouthfuls of plain congee, and his stomach felt a little more comfortable. He said to Liang Xuping, “It has nothing to do with you. Actually, my stomach was already faintly uncomfortable the night before last.”
Liang Xuping was shocked. “Then you still dared to drink that much last night?”
“Wasn’t it because it didn’t feel uncomfortable all day yesterday? I thought it was fine,” Jiang Mi said.
Before Liang Xuping could reply, a cold sneer came from beside him.
“Useless.”
Liang Xuping felt there was something wrong with his ears. He frowned and asked Liang Jinyi, “What did you just say?”
Liang Jinyi wasn’t guilty at all. His pitch-black pupils looked straight at the young man sitting across from him, and he said sarcastically, “I said some men are almost thirty, yet they don’t have the slightest bit of common sense about life.”
After saying that, without looking at Jiang Mi’s reaction, he picked up his plate and stood. One basket of buns and one plate of steamed dumplings weren’t enough for him. He needed another plate of steamed dumplings.
After Liang Jinyi went to the kitchen, Liang Xuping and Jiang Mi exchanged two looks. Liang Xuping leaned his head closer to Jiang Mi and said with a smile, “Looks like he probably can still be coaxed back.”
Jiang Mi nodded in agreement.
At that moment, Liang Jinyi came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of pork-and-corn steamed dumplings, so the two of them pulled apart.
After pulling away, Jiang Mi drank a few mouthfuls of congee. His phone on the dining table rang.
After seeing the caller ID, Jiang Mi answered the call.
As soon as the call connected, Jiang Feng’s wailing voice came through. “Ge, my real ge, can you help me with something?”
Jiang Mi had always been friendly toward his younger brothers and sisters. He asked, “What help?”
Jiang Feng immediately started hemming and hawing on the phone. Jiang Mi could only ask again, “What help?”
Jiang Feng said in a small voice, “That, it’s just, it’s just that I’m at the police station. Can you come help sign for me? The police said there are minors among us, and a guardian has to come sign before they can release us.”
Police station?
“Jiang Feng, what did you go do?” Jiang Mi’s expression instantly darkened.
“Nothing, nothing. It’s just, wasn’t yesterday a holiday? I went out to play with two roommates, and then one of them ran into a hoodlum he often encountered when he was in high school, so they started fighting. But it wasn’t serious. No one was really hurt. The police said if a guardian comes and signs, we can leave. Ge, Ge, come help us, okay? Those two roommates of mine are both from other places and don’t have relatives in Bei City.”
Jiang Mi suppressed the breath in his chest and said, “Wait there.”
Jiang Feng said in an even smaller voice, “Also, also, can you not tell my youngest uncle and auntie about this? And don’t tell my dad and mom either. Let it be something only heaven, earth, you, and I know.”
Jiang Feng was the child of Jiang Mi’s father’s second older brother. He had always studied in their southwestern hometown. This summer, he had tested into a university in Bei City, so he had come to Bei City in August for university.
“All right. I can not say anything this time, but there can’t be a next time,” Jiang Mi said.
“Thank you, Ge. I promise there won’t be a next time!” Jiang Feng said.
Liang Xuping had heard words like police station just now. After Jiang Mi hung up, he asked, “What happened?”
“Do you remember Jiang Feng? My cousin, my second uncle’s child,” Jiang Mi asked.
Liang Xuping thought about it and remembered. He had once sent Liang Jinyi to Jiang Mi’s southwestern hometown. Since they were already there, he had also stayed and played in Jiang Mi’s hometown for a week, so he remembered that cousin of his.
“Didn’t he come to Bei City this year for his freshman year of university? Last night, a few young boys got into a conflict with someone, and the police asked a guardian to come sign,” Jiang Mi said.
“No wonder he was begging you on the phone not to tell your parents,” Liang Xuping said with a laugh.
“Then are you going to the police station after eating?”
Jiang Mi gave an “Mm.”
Looking at Jiang Mi’s still somewhat pale face, Liang Xuping frowned. “Not going to the hospital? Since that kid is afraid his family will find out, how about this? I’ll find someone to go to the police station for you.”
“Forget it.” Jiang Mi had a strong sense of responsibility. “I’ll still go personally. They’re a few big boys, and it’s their first time in a police station. If they see a stranger, they’ll probably be a little scared. Besides, I don’t feel uncomfortable. I’ll take some medicine later, and I’ll be fine.”
Liang Xuping was convinced by Jiang Mi. He lowered his head and ate a xiaolongbao, then his peripheral vision suddenly swept over to Student Liang Jinyi beside him. Liang Xuping’s eyes turned. He called Liang Jinyi’s name.
Liang Jinyi glanced at him without much emotion.
“Liang Jinyi, why don’t you accompany your Jiang Mi-brother? In case he gets uncomfortable on the road, you can look after him. Besides, you can also go see the good friend who rolled around with you in the mud pit when you were little.”
Liang Jinyi finished the last steamed dumpling on his plate and said coldly, “I’m not going.”
After saying that, he pulled out a tissue, wiped his mouth, then pulled out his chair and stood to go upstairs.
“Hey, you really aren’t going? Aren’t you afraid your Jiang Mi-brother’s stomach illness will flare up again on the road?” Liang Xuping shouted at his back.
Liang Jinyi’s movement up the stairs froze for an instant.
**
Twenty minutes later, Jiang Mi started the engine and drove away from the Liang house, setting the navigation to the police station Jiang Feng had mentioned.
Liang Jinyi sat in the front passenger seat, looking out the window with a stinking expression.
The corners of Jiang Mi’s lips curved upward slightly.
As the car headed toward the police station, Liang Jinyi’s phone rang. Liang Jinyi took the phone out of the pocket of his black hoodie and answered the call.
“Brother Liang, it’s already nine. Are you almost here? We’re only waiting for you,” Zhu Yurui asked on the phone.
Liang Jinyi was silent for two seconds. Remembering what he had agreed to with Zhu Yurui yesterday afternoon, he said, “I have something to do. I can’t come.”
Hearing this, Jiang Mi tilted his head and looked at Liang Jinyi.
“Fuck, Brother Liang, you can’t come?” Zhu Yurui shrieked. “The four of us are all waiting for you in the private room, and now you’re saying you can’t come. What are we supposed to do?”
“Find someone else to play with you,” Liang Jinyi said.
“Who?” Zhu Yurui asked.
Liang Jinyi took down his phone, opened the grade group chat, and sent a message in it. A minute later, he replied to Zhu Yurui, “Look at the big group. Several people want to go. Pick whoever looks pleasing to you.”
Zhu Yurui was silent for a few seconds, then roared, “Aren’t you making me offend people? Who am I supposed to pick?”
Liang Jinyi placed the phone on his knee. After operating it for a minute, he picked it up and said to Zhu Yurui, “I picked for you. Gu Qiang is closest to you. He said he’ll arrive in twenty minutes.”
Zhu Yurui gave an okay, then asked, “Hey, Brother Liang, what are you doing today?”
“Bye.” Liang Jinyi hung up.
Seeing that Liang Jinyi had hung up, Jiang Mi smiled and asked, “Little Brother, did you make plans to go out and play with friends today?”
Liang Jinyi stuffed his phone into his pocket, pulled the hoodie’s attached hood over his face, crossed his arms, and leaned against the seat with his eyes closed.
Jiang Mi knew Liang Jinyi had abundant energy and generally didn’t need naps. In a good mood, he found another topic. “Little Brother, when I said last night not to ride a motorcycle, I wasn’t trying to discipline you. It was for your safety…”
“Can you shut up? You’re so annoying.” Liang Jinyi said irritably.
“All right, all right. I’ll shut up.” Jiang Mi still knew that Little Brother had to be stroked along the fur.
After driving for another half an hour, Jiang Mi arrived at the police station where Jiang Feng was. After parking the car, Jiang Mi told Liang Jinyi to wait in the car. He would go inside to sign and pick the people up.
Liang Jinyi didn’t even look at him. He opened the car door, got out, stuffed both hands into his pockets, and expressionlessly walked into the police station.
Jiang Mi smiled helplessly. After locking the car, he went into the police station to collect the people.
The process was very quick. Mainly, one of Jiang Feng’s roommates was on the younger side according to his ID card and still had more than half a year before turning eighteen, so the police station required them to notify a family member.
After leading the three big boys out, Jiang Mi roughly looked them over. None of them had serious injuries. At most, they had scraped a bit of skin. They were all young big boys, so they weren’t incapable of enduring such minor suffering. Jiang Mi told them to get in the car and that he would send them back to school.
Jiang Feng responded, then brought his two roommates out of the police station and followed Jiang Mi to the parking lot.
After Jiang Mi unlocked the car, Jiang Feng subconsciously walked over to open the front passenger door. But a boy opened the front passenger door one step before him and got in first.
“Hey, this is…”
He had also noticed this pretty cool guy just now, but the guy had been walking behind them from a distance, so he thought he was just a passerby.
Jiang Mi sat in the driver’s seat and started the engine. He was just about to speak when a stabbing pain came from his abdomen. He slowed for a moment, then turned his head and asked Jiang Feng, “You don’t recognize him?”
“Who is he? Have I met him?” Jiang Feng sat behind the driver’s seat with his roommates. Hearing his cousin ask this, Jiang Feng began recalling his relatives in Bei City, but aside from his youngest uncle’s family, there really weren’t any other relatives.
Jiang Mi backed out of the parking space. Seeing Jiang Feng stretch his head between the driver’s seat and front passenger seat, staring at Jinyi for a long time yet still looking blank, he could only remind him, “It’s Jinyi. You met when you were little.”
“Jinyi? Liang Jinyi!”
Jiang Feng had met Liang Jinyi more than once. Liang Jinyi had come to play with his cousin during the summer after his cousin graduated high school and the summer after his freshman year of university. When his cousin was a junior, Jiang Feng had come to Bei City with his grandparents and had also seen Liang Jinyi.
“No wonder I thought you looked so familiar just now!” Jiang Feng patted Liang Jinyi’s shoulder, his expression excited. “Brother, do you still remember me?”
Counting it up, they hadn’t seen each other in six or seven years.
Liang Jinyi looked at the street view outside the windshield and said coldly, “I don’t remember.”
“It’s me, Jiang Feng.” Jiang Feng was also an especially enthusiastic person. He reminisced for a moment. “You came to my house with my cousin back then. It was a small town in Yuncheng. I still remember that one day at dinner, my cousin gave me a chicken drumstick first, and you questioned him, asking if Jiang Feng was more important than you in his heart. My cousin said more than a dozen times that you were important, that you were the most important, before you were willing to keep eating dinner.”
Jiang Feng had a very deep impression of Liang Jinyi because the way he watched his cousin was just like the way his grandfather watched the rice in the fields, afraid that if he didn’t pay attention, someone would pluck away two ears of grain.
“Do you remember now?” Jiang Feng asked expectantly.
“No,” Liang Jinyi said.
Jiang Feng said cheerfully, “It’s okay, it’s okay. From now on, we’ll all be in Bei City. We can get together more. I’ll tell you more about the old days, and maybe you’ll remember me.”
After Jiang Mi drove for a while, his abdomen faintly began hurting again. Listening to Jiang Feng’s dense stream of words made his head hurt too. He stopped him. “All right, all right. Didn’t you enter the police station at dawn? Look, your two friends are sleepy. You should be quiet for a while too.”
Although Jiang Feng hadn’t slept all night, he wasn’t sleepy. Hearing this, he turned his head and looked at his two roommates. Seeing that they couldn’t help dozing off, he withdrew the hand resting on the front passenger seatback. “All right, all right, Ge. I’ll keep quiet. I’ll keep quiet.”
Jiang Feng’s school couldn’t compare to Jiang Mi’s Jing University, but it was still a good first-tier university. Twenty minutes later, Jiang Mi arrived at the school gate.
When he stepped on the brake, Jiang Mi silently let out a breath.
Jiang Feng and his two roommates got out. The two roommates politely thanked Jiang Mi. Jiang Mi endured the cramping pain coming from his abdomen and said there was no need to thank him. Then, as if nothing were wrong, he instructed Jiang Feng, “I won’t tell my parents about what happened today, and I won’t tell your parents either. But there can’t be a next time. Luckily, you all…”
He paused before completing the next sentence. “You had only just started fighting when you ran into patrolling police officers. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been just a few minor scrapes. I’m afraid I’d have to go to the hospital to fish you out.”
“I know, I know. In the future, if I run into those hoodlums, I’ll walk around them,” Jiang Feng promised.
“All right, all right. Go back,” Jiang Mi said.
Jiang Feng agreed, then walked toward the school gate with his two friends. After Jiang Feng and his friends left, Jiang Mi couldn’t hold back anymore. He hissed, took both hands off the steering wheel, and pressed them against his lower abdomen.
Liang Jinyi had been playing a game with his head lowered the whole time. He wasn’t in the mood to watch their deep brotherly affection. Only when a man’s suppressed low cry came from the driver’s seat did he suddenly turn his head.
Sensing Liang Jinyi looking over, Jiang Mi lifted his head. His face had turned pale again. Enduring the pain, he smiled as if nothing were wrong. “Little Brother, looks like I’ll have to… hiss… trouble you to call me a designated driver.”
Liang Jinyi stared at Jiang Mi’s deathly pale face and, through gritted teeth, cursed.
“Jiang Mi, you really fucking can endure.”
Author’s Note
Brother isn’t just especially able to endure at this time. During that thing, he’s also very able to endure.
