Chapter 45
After hurriedly retreating to his room, Jiang Mi closed the door behind him. He washed up absentmindedly, then sat at the head of the bed and opened the copy of Adolescent Psychology, which only had a dozen or so pages left, continuing to study the problems that might arise during adolescence and how to resolve them.
Many problems could be solved with methods found in books.
Unfortunately, even after finishing this one, Jiang Mi was still at a complete loss.
In the blink of an eye, another new day arrived.
Work was extremely busy that morning. Jiang Mi barely even had time to use the bathroom. Before he realized it was already lunchtime, Liang Jinyi knocked on his office door and lifted the luxurious sky-blue lunchbox in his hand.
“Brother, it’s time for lunch.”
Jiang Mi fell silent for a moment, stopped working, and cleared a small space on his slightly cluttered desk for the lunch Liang Jinyi had brought.
There was a sofa in Jiang Mi’s office, but no spare office chair. As usual, Liang Jinyi dragged one in from the open office area, intending to place it across from Jiang Mi’s desk and sit there watching Brother eat.
But just as he set the chair down, Liang Jinyi noticed a very distinctive flash of blue peeking out from a thick stack of documents to the left of Jiang Mi’s computer.
Curious, he reached out.
“Brother, this is…”
Jiang Mi tried to stop him, but it was already too late.
Liang Jinyi pulled out the copy of A Handbook for Solving Key Adolescent Issues hidden among the files.
Lowering his head, Liang Jinyi read the title and could not help laughing.
“Does Brother think there’s something wrong with me?”
Before Jiang Mi could answer, Liang Jinyi continued, “If liking Brother means there’s something wrong with me, then yes, there is.”
At this point, Liang Jinyi looked directly at Jiang Mi. The smile disappeared from his voice, and his expression turned serious.
“And it’s an incurable problem.”
Jiang Mi abruptly looked up. “You…”
Liang Jinyi smiled again, dispersing the serious atmosphere from a moment ago. He casually tossed the book aside, sat down across from Jiang Mi, and gently reminded him, “Brother, eat first. Food already doesn’t taste as good after being packed into an insulated lunchbox. It’ll taste even worse if it gets cold.”
Jiang Mi had no appetite at all.
“Jinyi, right now you—”
“Brother.”
Liang Jinyi interrupted him again, his tone almost commanding.
“Eat first.”
Then his voice turned innocent and pitiful.
“Brother, your stomach isn’t very good, so can you eat first? We can talk after you finish.”
Sometimes Jiang Mi genuinely found his younger brother a little annoying.
But now, listening to Liang Jinyi’s concerned words and seeing how completely his attention was focused on him, Jiang Mi could not help feeling warm inside.
His parents had always loved him, of course, but Jiang Mi had never been a child who needed others to worry about him. This kind of constant, all-encompassing concern was something he had only ever experienced from Liang Jinyi.
He reminded himself that his younger brother was still young.
Making a few mistakes in youth was nothing worth making a huge fuss over. As long as Jiang Mi guided him properly, things would be fine.
Twenty minutes later, Jiang Mi finished lunch.
Liang Jinyi packed the containers away and put them back into the lunch bag.
After washing his hands in the restroom, Jiang Mi returned to the office and closed the door behind him.
Clearing his throat, he sat across from Liang Jinyi and began to talk to him.
“Jinyi, you’re still young. Your emotional world hasn’t fully developed yet. You’ve always depended on me, so it’s normal for you to temporarily misunderstand what you feel for me. Once your hormones return to normal after a while…”
“Brother, I really like you.”
Liang Jinyi rested both arms on Jiang Mi’s desk and leaned forward, gazing at him intently.
Jiang Mi’s eyelid twitched.
Remaining unmoved, he continued, “Once your hormones return to normal, you’ll realize that what you feel for me is actually the same as before…”
“Brother, when can we start dating?”
Liang Jinyi’s eyes curved, revealing the dimple in his cheek.
“…and there really isn’t any difference from before. When you think back on what happened during this period, you might even find it funny…”
“Brother, how long after we start dating can we have sex?” Liang Jinyi asked politely.
Jiang Mi’s breath caught.
Unable to control his emotions any longer, he called out darkly, “Liang Jinyi.”
Liang Jinyi looked aggrieved.
“Wanting to sleep with the person you like is perfectly normal, isn’t it, Brother?”
“Jinyi, go home. I need to take my lunch break.”
Perhaps Jinyi’s hormones were currently at their peak, making this a bad time to try reasoning with him.
“Brother, I’ll stay with you while you rest. I’ll go home after you start work this afternoon,” Liang Jinyi said with a bright smile.
Jiang Mi fell silent for a moment before saying, “Do whatever you want.”
He pulled open the drawer beneath his desk, took out the black sleep mask he usually used, reclined his office chair, put on the mask, and closed his eyes to rest.
An hour later, Jiang Mi’s lunch break ended.
He glanced at Liang Jinyi, who had been sitting across from him the entire time, staring at him without moving.
Liang Jinyi obediently stood, returned the office chair to its original place, came back into Jiang Mi’s office to pick up the lunchbox, and told Jiang Mi that he was leaving.
Lunch and the midday break together lasted an hour and a half. Jiang Mi had only rested with his eyes closed for half an hour before sitting back down at his computer to review documents.
When Liang Jinyi said he was leaving, Jiang Mi merely hummed without looking up.
Liang Jinyi added, “Brother, I’ll miss you when I get home.”
Jiang Mi’s hand on the mouse trembled.
“I’m leaving, Brother.”
Liang Jinyi strode out of Jiang Mi’s office.
Only after he left did the tension that had held Jiang Mi’s body rigid for more than an hour finally ease.
He pushed his chair backward, raised his head, and stared at the ceiling for a long time.
In the end, all he could do was sigh, his thoughts in complete turmoil.
Before long, it was time to leave work.
The employees at Zhuosi Law Firm packed up their things and left amid laughter and conversation.
The office quickly fell silent.
As Jiang Mi picked up his car keys and stood, he made a phone call.
He had not even picked up his laptop bag when Liang Jinyi answered, sweetly calling, “Brother.”
Jiang Mi picked up his laptop bag and walked out of the office.
“Jinyi, I’m not coming home for dinner tonight.”
“Why? Does Brother have a last-minute business dinner?” Liang Jinyi asked.
Jiang Mi said, “I’m going home tonight. To Hongfeng Road.”
Hongfeng Road was where Jiang Mi’s parents lived.
“There are only five days left until New Year’s. There are fewer people in Bei City these days, so from now on, I plan to go back to my parents’ place after work every day and spend more time with them.”
After a pause, Jiang Mi added, “You should go back to the Liang house too. Spend more time with your father while you’re on winter break. You don’t need to bring me lunch anymore either.”
Liang Jinyi fell silent for a moment after hearing this.
Then he suddenly laughed.
“Brother, are you avoiding me?”
Jiang Mi’s footsteps paused.
“No,” he said lightly.
Liang Jinyi laughed again, his tone languid.
“Brother, I can give you some time to accept this. Stay with Uncle and Auntie for the next few days.”
Having said what he needed to say, Jiang Mi replied, “I’m hanging up…”
“Wait.”
Liang Jinyi stopped him.
“Brother, does that mean we won’t see each other again in 2019?”
By the Gregorian calendar, 2019 had of course already ended.
But for people in Hua Country, until the lunar year ended, 2019 was not truly over.
And there were only five days left until the New Year.
Five days later, 2019 would exist only in memory.
“And I remember Brother saying you have a big family gathering on the first day of the New Year, and on the second day, you’re going to Yun City with Uncle and Auntie.”
Jiang Mi would naturally spend New Year’s Eve with his parents.
But he also had a large extended family. His maternal grandparents had many siblings, and this year, Jiang Mi’s grandfather’s eldest brother had organized a major family reunion.
Naturally, Jiang Mi had to attend.
As for the second day of the New Year, Father Jiang planned to return to his hometown in the southwest. Jiang Mi had not visited his paternal grandparents in more than two years. He already missed the two elderly people dearly, so there was no way he would refuse to go.
Jiang Mi planned to return to Bei City on the fifth day of the New Year.
“Just thinking about not seeing Brother for ten days makes me feel a little miserable.” Liang Jinyi really did sound somewhat upset.
Jiang Mi said, “All right, I’m hanging up.”
With that, he decisively ended the call.
Yet the moment the call disconnected, his footsteps as he left the office also slowed.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month. After work today, Zhuosi Law Firm would officially begin its New Year holiday.
And in another blink, it was the final day of 2019.
The sky was clear that morning, but by dusk, large, feathery snowflakes had begun drifting down outside the window.
Jiang Mi celebrated the New Year with his parents, maternal grandparents, and his uncle’s family.
The Jiang family’s small villa was the largest, so the whole family had gathered at the house on Hongfeng Road.
As always, Jiang Mi’s grandfather was in charge of the New Year’s Eve dinner, with Father Jiang and Uncle Jiang helping him.
After the lavish meal, the family gathered in the living room. Grandfather Jiang, Grandmother Jiang, Mother Jiang, and Aunt Jiang played mahjong, while Father Jiang and Uncle Jiang watched the Spring Festival Gala. Whenever an interesting performance came on, they would tell the mahjong players to pause so the whole family could watch together.
Jiang Mi’s phone screen lit up repeatedly.
He had always had many friends, even back in school, and plenty of people sent him New Year greetings. Wearing a soft gray sweater, Jiang Mi sat in the living room decorated with festive paper cuttings, replying to old friends one by one. He also sent greetings to clients he had met through work, maintaining those relationships.
A message flashed across the top of his screen.
Liang Xuping: [Bro, Happy New Year.]
Jiang Mi had barely replied with a Happy New Year of his own when Liang Xuping sent him a video.
Jiang Mi tapped it open and discovered that the sixteen-year-old-at-heart Liang Xuping was in the garden playing with sparklers.
Just as Jiang Mi was about to tease his old friend for still having such a childlike spirit, Liang Xuping sent another video.
Jiang Mi opened it.
In the dimly lit garden of the Liang residence, a tall, slender young man stood holding a thin sparkler. Tiny bursts of snow-white light exploded before his eyes.
As though sensing that someone was filming him, the young man turned his head.
Liang Jinyi already had an exceptionally striking face, with deep-set features and a high nose bridge. Yet even such a casual turn of his head fully revealed the breathtaking impact of his beautiful features.
Liang Xuping: [Doesn’t little brother look a lot like me when I was young?]
Liang Xuping had returned to the Liang residence for the New Year.
Father Liang was still unhappy that his nearly thirty-year-old son had changed his entire life plan, but when Liang Xuping shamelessly came home that morning, Father Liang had not driven him away. The father and his two sons had still eaten New Year’s Eve dinner together.
Self-awareness is a wonderful thing.
Jiang Mi tapped out those words.
But just before hitting send, he deleted them and replied instead:
[He does.]
His younger brother’s shamelessness over the past few days really did resemble that of his biological older brother.
Liang Xuping burst into laughter.
[As expected of my good brother.]
They chatted for a while before another new message appeared at the top of Jiang Mi’s screen.
Jinyi: [Brother, Happy New Year. I hope your career flourishes in the new year and that you stay healthy and free from worry.]
There was nothing excessive in the message.
It was New Year’s, and Jiang Mi also wished for his younger brother to receive good blessings.
Brother: [I hope you achieve great success in your studies in the new year and that everything goes as you wish.]
Jiang Mi paused after typing that.
His fingers moved, deleting the words everything goes as you wish and replacing them with stay safe and healthy.
After sending the message, Jiang Mi also sent him a red envelope.
According to local custom, older siblings who were already working gave red envelopes to younger siblings who had not yet entered the workforce.
Jiang Mi had already sent one to Liu Peipei.
A few seconds later, Liang Jinyi accepted the red envelope and sent a message thanking Brother.
After that, Liang Jinyi sent nothing else.
Jiang Mi had returned to his parents’ home five days ago and had barely been in contact with Liang Jinyi since. Looking at the same few dry lines they had exchanged today, Jiang Mi pursed his lips, stopped paying attention to his phone, and turned his focus back to the Spring Festival Gala.
More than an hour later, the phone he had casually tossed onto the coffee table began vibrating.
Jiang Mi picked it up and saw a very familiar phone number.
Glancing around at the noisy, bustling people in the living room, Jiang Mi went upstairs, returned to his room, and answered Liang Jinyi’s call.
“Brother, Happy New Year.” Liang Jinyi’s voice carried a smile.
Jiang Mi was silent for a moment before replying, “Jinyi, Happy New Year.”
Hearing this, Liang Jinyi said nothing else.
He merely listened to the soft sound of Jiang Mi’s breathing through the phone.
Jiang Mi broke the silence.
“What are you doing right now?”
“My dad just went upstairs. My biological brother and I were setting off fireworks in the yard. He should be in his room now. As for me…” Liang Jinyi paused. “I’m thinking about Brother.”
The moment he finished speaking, Jiang Mi heard an unfamiliar yet not entirely strange male voice beside Liang Jinyi.
Jiang Mi’s brows tightened.
“Liang Jinyi, where are you right now?”
Wearing a black outdoor jacket, Liang Jinyi stood at the entrance to Jiang Mi’s residential complex.
He waved at the security guard who had just asked why he was standing outside in a daze on New Year’s Eve, indicating that he did not need help.
Hearing Jiang Mi’s question, Liang Jinyi smiled.
“Brother already figured it out, didn’t you? I’m outside your residential complex.”
Then Liang Jinyi stated his request directly.
“Brother, I want to see you.”
Jiang Mi strode to the floor-to-ceiling window.
The snow outside was no longer as heavy as it had been at dusk, but flakes were still drifting steadily down. Everything within sight was covered in a thin layer of white.
Jiang Mi opened and closed his lips several times.
Thinking of the young man standing outside the gates, he could not bring himself to say the words of refusal.
“Brother, I only want to say Happy New Year to you face-to-face. You’ll grant me this simple New Year’s wish, won’t you?” Liang Jinyi said from the other end of the line.
Jiang Mi closed his eyes.
“Wait there.”
After hanging up, Jiang Mi picked up his brown wool coat, put it on, and headed downstairs.
Everyone in the living room was occupied with their own activities, but Father Jiang noticed Jiang Mi putting on his coat and heading toward the door.
“Little Mi, where are you going?”
“I’m stepping out for a bit. I’ll be right back.”
A few minutes later, Jiang Mi reached the entrance to the residential complex and saw the young man standing in the snow.
The moment Liang Jinyi saw him, he ran over in a few large strides.
“Brother.”
Then his eyes curved as he said, “Happy New Year, Brother.”
The hood of Liang Jinyi’s black outdoor jacket was pulled over his head, so at least he was well protected against the cold.
Jiang Mi relaxed slightly, then said coldly, “I know. Can you go home now?”
Liang Jinyi stared at Jiang Mi for a moment.
“Sure. I’ll go home now, Brother.”
Seeing Liang Jinyi agree so readily, Jiang Mi let out a slight breath of relief.
He looked around.
“How are you getting back?”
Liang Jinyi pointed toward a fat-tire bicycle parked in the snow outside the residential complex.
“I’ll ride back.”
“Ride?”
Jiang Mi’s eyelid twitched.
Looking at the black-and-white snow bike, he suddenly asked, “How did you get here?”
“I rode here.”
Liang Jinyi sighed.
“I originally wanted to ride my motorcycle. It’s fast—I could’ve gotten here in twenty minutes. But didn’t Brother say I’m not allowed to ride until I turn eighteen? The family drivers are all on holiday, so I had no choice but to ride my bicycle.”
The Liang residence was some distance from Jiang Mi’s home, roughly fifteen kilometers away.
By bicycle, it would take around an hour.
Jiang Mi looked up at the sky.
The fine snow, like grains of salt, seemed to be growing heavier. Thumb-sized flakes landed on the young man’s broad shoulders and quickly melted, dampening the fabric.
“Brother, I’m leaving.”
After saying that, Liang Jinyi walked over to the snow bike, grabbed the brake, and prepared to get on.
Jiang Mi took a deep breath.
“Wait.”
The snow was falling harder now.
Standing in it, Liang Jinyi turned and looked back at Jiang Mi.
Expressionless, Jiang Mi said, “I’ll drive you home.”
The dimple in Liang Jinyi’s cheek appeared.
His voice carried a trace of sweetness.
“Thank you, Brother.”
A few minutes later, Jiang Mi drove the car to the entrance of the residential complex.
After putting the bicycle into the trunk, Liang Jinyi familiarly climbed into the passenger seat.
Jiang Mi turned on the heater and drove forward in silence.
The streets were deserted on New Year’s Eve, and there was no traffic at all. Jiang Mi pressed the accelerator a little harder.
A little over twenty minutes later, the Audi reached the entrance to the Liang family’s villa community.
Jiang Mi had Liang Jinyi use facial recognition at the gate, then drove all the way to the Liang residence.
“We’re here. Get out.”
Sitting in the passenger seat, Liang Jinyi stared at Jiang Mi for a while before saying, “Brother, I’ll see you next year.”
Jiang Mi gave a vague response.
Liang Jinyi continued staring at him without blinking.
Jiang Mi looked at the snowflakes beyond the windshield.
Snow should have made a person feel cold, yet at that moment, he felt the side of his face burning hot.
Finally, Liang Jinyi reluctantly said, “Brother, then I’m going home.”
Jiang Mi quietly let out a breath.
“Go on.”
Liang Jinyi opened the door and got out.
Through the rearview mirror, Jiang Mi watched as the young man took the bicycle from the trunk and slowly pushed it through the gates of the Liang residence.
Only then did Jiang Mi finally relax.
He leaned back against the seat and slowly exhaled.
It was not until he turned his head again and Liang Jinyi had completely disappeared from sight that Jiang Mi drove away.
By the time he returned home, there were only five minutes left until midnight.
Mother Jiang and the others had stopped playing mahjong. Everyone was sitting on the sofa chatting and waiting for the arrival of the new year.
Seeing Jiang Mi return, Mother Jiang hurriedly asked, “Little Mi, where did you go? Why did you even drive?”
Jiang Mi untied his scarf.
“I helped a friend with something. It was nothing important.”
Jiang Mi was nearly thirty, and he had always been dependable since childhood, so no one questioned him further.
Bei City had banned the private setting off of fireworks and firecrackers years ago.
Yet as the Spring Festival Gala rang out with cries of “Happy New Year,” the sound of fireworks and firecrackers still echoed across Bei City.
Those were the official displays set off by the government at designated locations to welcome the new year.
Liu Peipei hurried over to the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room and looked at the fireworks in the distance.
The new year had truly arrived.
Jiang Mi was busy again all day on the first day of the New Year.
As the most accomplished member of the third generation, Jiang Mi had always been the focus of many elders at family gatherings.
On the second day of the New Year, Jiang Mi traveled with his parents to a small town in the southwest.
He had originally planned to return to Bei City on the fifth day, but his grandparents’ health was far worse than before. So Jiang Mi changed his plans and stayed until the holiday ended, returning to Bei City with his parents on the evening of the sixth day.
After arriving home, Jiang Mi had just finished washing up when he received a call from Liang Jinyi.
“Brother, are you home?” Liang Jinyi asked.
“I am,” Jiang Mi said.
“Then I’ll come over tomorrow. Brother, I’ll still bring you lunch at noon. Over the past ten days or so, I learned quite a few new dishes from Uncle Chen.”
Uncle Chen was the Liang family’s chef.
Jiang Mi paused in the middle of drinking water.
He set the glass down on the coffee table.
“Jinyi, I still plan to stay at my parents’ place for a while. You don’t need to bring me lunch either.”
“You’re still planning to stay at your parents’ place?”
Liang Jinyi repeated the sentence, then suddenly asked, “Brother, how long do you plan to stay there?”
“I’m not sure yet. At least a month or two.”
“Brother doesn’t mind the inconvenience of commuting anymore?” Liang Jinyi asked.
Jiang Mi’s parents’ home was quite far from his office.
More importantly, the route was heavily congested. Under normal circumstances, his commute would take around an hour and a half each way.
“It’s fine. I can spend more time with my parents this way,” Jiang Mi said.
Liang Jinyi laughed.
“Brother, are you still trying to hide from me?”
Before Jiang Mi could answer, Liang Jinyi continued, “Brother, I’ll give you three days. Three days from now, I want to see you back at Shimao Tingfang.”
“I’m hanging up.”
Hearing the change in Liang Jinyi’s tone, Jiang Mi spoke coldly.
“Wait,” Liang Jinyi said.
“What is it?”
Liang Jinyi laughed again.
“Brother, I really miss you.”
Jiang Mi was silent for two seconds before ending the call.
Of course, Jiang Mi did not take Liang Jinyi’s demand that he return to Shimao Tingfang within three days seriously.
If he lived at Shimao Tingfang by himself, Liang Jinyi could come over and live with him without any restraint.
But at his parents’ home, Liang Jinyi would have reservations. Surely he could not come over every single day.
Jiang Mi had rejected many pursuers in the past.
Most of them had sensibly kept their distance after being rejected.
But a small number had refused to give up and continued pestering him.
The best approach was to give them the cold shoulder.
Besides, his younger brother’s feelings were most likely just a result of adolescence—a confusion between affection for an older brother and romantic love.
If Jiang Mi kept his distance for a while, Jinyi might return to normal.
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Mi had already been back at work for four days.
At seven-thirty one evening, he returned home from work.
The moment he opened the door and walked into the living room, he heard a familiar voice.
Jiang Mi looked up and saw a young man in a blue hoodie sitting on his family’s sofa.
The other person seemed to notice his gaze and looked toward the door.
Their eyes met.
Liang Jinyi curved his lips at him.
Jiang Mi’s eyelid twitched, but he maintained a calm expression.
“Jinyi, why are you here?”
Before Liang Jinyi could answer, Mother Jiang enthusiastically said, “What kind of question is that? Doesn’t Jinyi come to our house all the time?”
Liang Jinyi said politely, “I came to visit Uncle and Auntie.”
After saying that, he saw Jiang Mi take off his coat and head upstairs.
Liang Jinyi stood.
“Auntie Liu, I have something to say to Brother. I’ll go upstairs with him.”
Mother Jiang had always liked Liang Jinyi.
She had watched him grow up. He was handsome, well-behaved, and had a good personality.
Smiling, she nodded.
“Go, go.”
With that, Liang Jinyi followed Jiang Mi upstairs.
Jiang Mi pushed open his bedroom door and turned to look at Liang Jinyi.
Liang Jinyi curved his eyes at him.
Jiang Mi had no choice but to let him in.
The moment they entered and Jiang Mi closed the door, he had not even had time to remove his suit jacket when Liang Jinyi hugged him from behind.
Liang Jinyi buried his face against Jiang Mi’s shoulder and rubbed against him aggrievedly.
“Brother, I missed you so much.”
Jiang Mi was silent for a second.
He thrust his elbow backward, trying to break free of Liang Jinyi’s hold.
But Liang Jinyi’s arms remained tightly wrapped around him.
Clingily, he asked, “Brother, did you miss me?”
As he spoke, Liang Jinyi raised his head and looked at the side of Jiang Mi’s face.
Suddenly, his Adam’s apple bobbed forcefully.
Jiang Mi’s heartbeat quickened.
“Let go,” he ordered coldly.
“Brother,” Liang Jinyi said aggrievedly.
At the same time, Mother Jiang’s footsteps sounded in the corridor outside.
“Little Mi, that pair of scissors for trimming the potted plants…”
Jiang Mi’s heart began beating even faster.
No ordinary younger brother would hold his older brother like this and stare at him with such a sticky, lingering gaze.
Jiang Mi lowered his voice.
“Liang Jinyi, let go of me!”
The instant the words left his mouth, Liang Jinyi suddenly lowered his head.
Immediately afterward, Jiang Mi felt something ticklish and damp against his neck.
His entire body abruptly went weak.
But at that moment, Mother Jiang’s footsteps reached the doorway, accompanied by the sound of the door handle turning.
“Let go of me,” Jiang Mi said anxiously.
Mother Jiang opened the door.
Seeing Jiang Mi and Liang Jinyi standing inside, she repeated her question, asking where Jiang Mi had put the scissors for trimming the potted plants.
Jiang Mi’s suit was slightly rumpled.
Feigning calm, he thought for a moment.
“Mom, they should be in the leftmost drawer of the coffee table.”
Mother Jiang acknowledged him and prepared to go downstairs.
Then she suddenly frowned.
“Little Mi, what’s that little red mark on your neck?”
Jiang Mi’s heart jolted.
Without changing expression, he said, “Maybe some bug bit me.”
Although it was winter, most houses had heating and were warm inside, so it was not impossible for insects or mosquitoes to appear.
“Be careful,” Mother Jiang reminded him.
“Okay, Mom.”
Once Mother Jiang left, Jiang Mi locked the bedroom door and turned to Liang Jinyi with a livid expression.
“Liang Jinyi, do you realize that if you had stopped even half a second later, my mother would have seen you? Do you realize that no younger brother who’s nearly one-point-nine meters tall bites his older brother on the neck? My mom may be in her fifties, but she knows homosexuality exists.”
Jiang Mi spoke while suppressing his anger.
Liang Jinyi merely smiled, unconcerned.
“So when is Brother moving back to Shimao Tingfang?”
Jiang Mi said coldly, “I already told you. I’m not moving back for now.”
Liang Jinyi sighed.
“Then in that case, I’ll just have to come to Uncle and Auntie’s house every day from now on.”
“I’ll still come after school starts in a few days.”
“Liang Jinyi.”
Jiang Mi raised his voice, his expression complicated.
Facing Jiang Mi, Liang Jinyi took two steps backward and sat down on the edge of Jiang Mi’s bed.
There was even a smile in his voice.
“Brother, you know I’m young and easily excited. When the person I like is right in front of me every day, I can’t help wanting to touch him and hug him.”
Curiosity even entered Liang Jinyi’s tone.
“Brother, when do you think Auntie and Uncle will notice our new relationship?”
Jiang Mi took a deep breath.
“Jinyi, even though my parents like you very much, if they find out that you actually like me that way, they most likely won’t let you come over anymore.”
Father Jiang and Mother Jiang certainly liked Liang Jinyi.
But that affection was the kind one felt for an ordinary younger relative.
It could never compare to how much they valued their own son.
Besides, Father Jiang and Mother Jiang were most likely traditional people who would not be able to accept homosexuality.
Liang Jinyi narrowed his eyes slightly. “Brother, you’re really afraid Uncle and Auntie will find out that I like you, aren’t you?”
Jiang Mi paused, then said flatly, “I’m not afraid.”
“Jinyi, the one who should be afraid is you. Go ahead and keep coming to my house every day. Judging by the way you behave, it won’t even take half a month before my parents throw you out,” Jiang Mi said coldly.
“Would Brother really have the heart to let that happen?” Liang Jinyi stood and stared at him.
“You know my father has always been lukewarm toward me. My biological brother is about to leave again. My aunt treats me well, but I barely see her twice a year. The only elders I regularly spend time with are Uncle, Auntie, Grandpa, and Grandma. Could Brother really bear to let everyone find out that I like you and then avoid me from that day onward?”
Jiang Mi kept his face cold. “Of course I could.”
Liang Jinyi stared at him for a moment, then suddenly said, “All right, then. Since Brother can bear it, I’ll go downstairs right now and tell Auntie that I like you and want to be your boyfriend.”
With that, Liang Jinyi turned and headed toward the door.
The door had not been locked earlier, and his mother’s footsteps had been getting closer and closer, yet Liang Jinyi had still dared to bite his neck so brazenly.
Even now, whenever Jiang Mi thought back on it, he felt lingering fear. If Liang Jinyi had moved even half a second slower, Mother Jiang would have walked in on a scene that absolutely should never have existed between an older brother and a younger brother.
Jiang Mi had finally realized that Jinyi was genuinely a little crazy.
He really would do certain things without any concern for the consequences.
At that thought, Jiang Mi’s face turned livid as he stopped Liang Jinyi.
The corner of Liang Jinyi’s lips lifted.
He turned around and looked at Jiang Mi, his tone certain.
“Brother, you can’t bear to.”
Then, right in front of Jiang Mi, he bent his knees slightly and looked up at him from below, pitifully acting spoiled.
“Brother, will you move back to Shimao Tingfang?”
After a pause, he added, “I won’t push you too hard. From now on, I’ll only go to your place two or three times a week.”
“Brother, living here means you spend three hours commuting every day. It’s too exhausting. My heart aches for you.”
“Brother, okay?”
“Brother, I’m begging you.”
