Chapter 8
After lunch, Liang Xuping asked Uncle Lin to come pick Liang Jinyi up. Only after Liang Jinyi received Jiang Mi’s promise that he would come see him once he had time off did he leave, full of reluctance.
A classmate teased, “Hey, Liang Xuping, isn’t that your little brother?”
Liang Xuping had a camera in his hand. Seeing Liang Jinyi’s small hands pressed against the car window as he looked at Jiang Mi with endless attachment, Liang Xuping patted Jiang Mi on the shoulder and said, “I gave him to my Brother Jiang.”
Jiang Mi waved at Liang Jinyi. Only after the Liang family’s Bentley drove away did he casually sling the schoolbag in his hand over his right shoulder and laugh with an “Mm.”
“He’s my real little brother now.”
After saying that, Jiang Mi smiled. “Let’s go. Didn’t we say we were going to the internet café to play games?”
“Right, right, right. I haven’t played Zhu Xian in ages. Let’s hurry. If we’re late, there won’t be any computers left,” one boy urged anxiously.
And so, under the warm afternoon sun, a group of sixteen- and seventeen-year-old boys laughed and horsed around as they rushed toward the internet café not far away.
They played until five in the afternoon, then the group returned to school.
The students who could get into Yunde High School all had excellent grades. Those who could enter Class One were even top students among top students. Although everyone had gotten quite excited over the weekend, once they returned to school and attended one evening self-study session, they all went back to their diligent, nose-to-the-grindstone routines.
Jiang Mi was naturally no exception.
Life at school was dull and tasteless, but it was also fulfilling enough. Occasionally, after evening self-study ended, he would receive calls from Liang Jinyi. They didn’t talk for long—ten minutes at most.
In the blink of an eye, it was Thursday again.
Jiang Mi usually washed up and went to sleep a little after eleven at night. Today, he ran into two rather interesting math problems and got delayed until eleven-thirty. He closed his exercise book and got up to wash at the balcony. After washing up, he was about to sleep when the phone on his desk rang.
There were still classmates in Jiang Mi’s dorm writing furiously. Jiang Mi didn’t want to disturb them, so he picked up his phone, walked lightly outside, and only answered softly after closing the balcony’s glass door.
The number belonged to Uncle Lin, but Liang Jinyi didn’t have a phone. When he called Jiang Mi, he usually used Uncle Lin’s.
However, Liang Jinyi usually called when Jiang Mi finished evening self-study. It was already eleven-thirty now, so Jiang Mi found it a little strange. Why was he calling so late today?
Jiang Mi had just called out “Jinyi” when Liang Jinyi’s slightly weak, milky little voice sounded from the other end of the phone.
“Brother, I’m sick. Come… see me, okay?”
After saying that, he coughed heavily several times.
Sick?
“What sickness?” Jiang Mi’s tone became slightly urgent.
There was some rustling from the other end of the phone, mixed with Uncle Lin’s lowered voice. Half a minute later, Jiang Mi heard Uncle Lin’s voice.
“Young Master Jiang, the Young Master caught a chill last night. He has a bit of a fever today, but it’s not serious.”
Jiang Mi let out a slight breath of relief.
Just then, Liang Jinyi’s weak little voice came from the other end of the phone again, faint and soft.
“Brother, come… see me, okay?”
Before Jiang Mi could answer, Uncle Lin’s voice sounded first. “Jinyi, it’s already eleven-thirty. Brother has class tomorrow. Didn’t we agree that just calling Brother would be enough?”
“Brother.” Liang Jinyi wouldn’t listen to Uncle Lin. He acted spoiled weakly on the phone.
Jiang Mi lowered his head and looked at the time on his phone. It was already eleven-forty. He still had to wake up at six-thirty tomorrow morning.
Jiang Mi softened his voice. “Jinyi, Brother will have time off tomorrow. Once I’m off, I’ll come see you.”
“Brother,” Liang Jinyi called from the other end of the phone, unwilling to give up.
“You should also be good and go to sleep now,” Jiang Mi said again.
Only then did Liang Jinyi completely give up on asking Jiang Mi to come see him. His small body lay properly on the bed, and he pulled the blanket up to his chin himself. His tone was a little muffled, but still obedient.
“I’m… sleeping now.”
“So good.”
Jiang Mi spoke gently with Liang Jinyi for a while longer before hanging up.
After the call ended, Jiang Mi opened the dorm’s glass door and went inside. He took off his slippers and climbed into bed. But after lying there and closing his eyes for a while, his mind automatically conjured the image of Liang Jinyi as a tiny little bundle lying in bed, his face pale as he said, “Brother, come see me.”
Jiang Mi hesitated for a while, then suddenly opened his eyes.
There were four people in Jiang Mi’s dorm. Liang Xuping worked hard at his studies, but he also needed a lot of sleep. If he didn’t sleep well at night, his study efficiency would drop the next day, so he had gone to bed at eleven. Now, through the thin layer of bed curtain, Jiang Mi could still hear his even breathing.
The other two roommates were still burying their heads in their studies. Seeing Jiang Mi climb lightly down from the bed, put on his jacket, pants, and shoes, looking as though he was about to go out, one roommate stopped writing and turned to ask him, “Jiang Mi, you’re going out?”
“Mm. Something urgent.” Jiang Mi tied his shoelaces and reminded him, “Don’t tell the teacher. I’ll be back soon.”
His roommate made an OK gesture.
Yunde High School was a boarding school. After ten o’clock, students weren’t allowed to go out casually. But Jiang Mi didn’t plan to leave through the main gate either.
He went around to the shortest wall near the school’s back gate. Standing on tiptoe, he leaped upward. After his hands caught the top of the wall, Jiang Mi used his feet to push against the wall. For a sixteen-year-old boy with well-developed athletic ability, climbing up the wall was very easy. After jumping down outside, he patted the dust off his knees and hands.
Yunde High School’s location wasn’t particularly remote, and Bei City was a top-tier metropolis. Before long, Jiang Mi hailed a taxi.
A little less than half an hour later, Uncle Lin, who had been preparing to rest, received a call from Jiang Mi.
“Young Master Jiang, is something the matter?” Uncle Lin asked.
“Uncle Lin, I’m at the entrance of your villa district. Please notify security and let me in.”
—
Ten minutes later, Uncle Lin personally opened the majestic carved huanghuali doors of the Liang family villa’s main house and brought Jiang Mi up to the second floor. He gently pushed open Liang Jinyi’s bedroom door and spoke very quietly.
“The Young Master lay in bed for most of the day. He only fell asleep about ten minutes ago.”
“I’ll go look at him,” Jiang Mi said, also keeping his voice very low.
Uncle Lin gave an “Mm.”
Jiang Mi stepped inside.
In the corner of Liang Jinyi’s bedroom, two soft night-lights were glowing. By the hazy, misty light, Jiang Mi walked to Liang Jinyi’s bedside.
Liang Jinyi liked to sleep curled up. Most of the little flesh he had was on his face; there wasn’t much meat on his body. With his small body curled up, the already tiny child looked even smaller, only a little bundle.
Jiang Mi carefully examined Liang Jinyi’s complexion. Seeing that his face wasn’t too pale, he prepared to leave.
Just then, Liang Jinyi rolled over, and the blanket slipped down to his little bottom.
Jiang Mi bent down and gently pulled the blanket back up beneath the child’s neck. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, his index finger was suddenly tightly gripped by a small hand.
Jiang Mi lifted his eyes and looked at Liang Jinyi.
Liang Jinyi had opened his eyes slightly. Half-conscious, he called, “Brother.”
Jiang Mi softly answered.
With hazy eyes, Liang Jinyi tightened his grip on Jiang Mi’s finger, closed his eyes, and went back to sleep.
Liang Jinyi was actually a child with especially abundant energy. He slept little. The next day, before the sky had even brightened, he opened his eyes.
He lowered his head and looked at his small hand, which was holding a piece of blanket. Not very happy, he let go of it.
Uncle Lin turned the doorknob and entered. Seeing that Liang Jinyi had already sat up, he smiled and walked in, gently asking whether Liang Jinyi felt uncomfortable anywhere.
Liang Jinyi didn’t like paying attention to people, so he didn’t answer Uncle Lin.
However, Uncle Lin had found a way to deal with him.
“When your Jiang Mi-brother came to see you last night, he even said…”
Liang Jinyi’s round little head shot up, and he interrupted Uncle Lin impatiently.
“Brother came… to see me… last night?”
**
Because Liang Jinyi was sick this week, he didn’t come to school to pick Jiang Mi up after class. However, Jiang Mi still remembered what he had promised the child, so after school, he followed Liang Xuping to the Liang house.
The moment he got out of the car, Liang Jinyi couldn’t wait to rush over. His little face was flushed.
“Brother, you came… to see me… last night?” His speech still couldn’t compare to a normal child’s fluency.
Jiang Mi held his schoolbag in one hand and directly picked Liang Jinyi up with the other. “That’s right.”
“Then why… didn’t you… wake me up?” Liang Jinyi hugged Jiang Mi’s neck, sounding a little aggrieved.
It would be November in just two days. At dusk, the wind in Bei City was icy cold. Jiang Mi carried Liang Jinyi indoors. “You were sick. You needed to rest properly.”
After Jiang Mi carried Liang Jinyi into the living room, he wanted to put him down, but Liang Jinyi’s two legs were wrapped around him, and he refused to get down no matter what.
Helpless, Jiang Mi could only put down his schoolbag, hold Koala Liang Jinyi with one arm, and drink a glass of water.
Uncle Lin had estimated when they would return and had already prepared dinner. During dinner, Liang Jinyi naturally sat tightly against his pretty brother again.
After dinner, Uncle Lin brought over the medicine and reminded Liang Jinyi that it was time to take it.
The moment Liang Jinyi saw Uncle Lin bringing the medicine over, he immediately crawled up from where he had been standing pressed against Jiang Mi’s thigh and climbed onto Jiang Mi’s lap, burying his head against Jiang Mi’s neck.
Jiang Mi looked at his evasive movements with amusement and asked, “Jinyi doesn’t want to take medicine?”
Liang Jinyi wrapped his arms around Jiang Mi’s neck, his eyes filling with a few traces of grievance and pitifulness. “It’s bitter.”
Jiang Mi motioned for Uncle Lin to place the pills and warm water on the coffee table, then coaxed him softly. “But Jinyi has to take the medicine to get better faster.”
Liang Jinyi buried his head against Jiang Mi’s neck again and rubbed his fluffy head against him several times.
Jiang Mi’s tone was very gentle, but his attitude was firm. “Little Jinyi, you should take your medicine.”
Liang Jinyi pulled a little distance away from Jiang Mi and turned his head to glance at the pills Uncle Lin had placed on the coffee table. Then he looked miserably at Jiang Mi and acted spoiled.
“Then… Brother feed me.”
The corners of Jiang Mi’s lips curved slightly. “Okay. Brother will feed you.”
Jiang Mi’s parents had been very busy lately and were both staying at the factory. Even Yunduo had been sent to his grandmother’s house for her to look after. Naturally, Jiang Mi simply stayed at the Liang house again that night.
The next day, when Jiang Mi woke up, sure enough, he saw Liang Jinyi already awake and observing him.
The wind outside was strong. Jiang Mi pulled Liang Jinyi back under the blanket and lay there for another half hour before getting up.
After breakfast, it wasn’t long before Jiang Mi’s phone rang. It was his grandmother calling.
However, after the call connected, the voice that came through wasn’t his grandmother’s kind voice, but a crisp little girl’s voice.
“Brother.”
Liang Jinyi had just taken his medicine and was pulling Jiang Mi to sit in the living room and play with a puzzle. Hearing this somewhat familiar voice, both his little ears immediately perked up vigilantly, and he hurriedly shifted from Jiang Mi’s side to right beside him.
Jiang Mi answered.
Liu Peipei’s crisp, bright voice came through the speaker. She spoke very quickly, like a string of firecrackers.
“Brother, come help me with my craft homework. The one Mommy made is too ugly. I don’t want to miss out on getting a little red flower.”
Before Jiang Mi could respond, someone else took over on the other end of the phone. It was Jiang Mi’s grandmother.
His grandmother said, “Little Mi, your mother said you were playing at a friend’s house last night. She and your dad also have to stay at the factory tonight. Come to Grandma’s house later, all right? Peipei has been talking about you the whole time.”
“Okay. I was planning to come over this afternoon anyway. How’s Grandpa?” Jiang Mi’s grandfather had also caught a cold a few days ago.
“Much better, much better. He was even talking about making fried shrimp cakes for you tonight…”
“Brother, hurry over. I’m still waiting for you to help me with the craft homework Teacher Huang assigned. Chen Lingyu told me she made two big, beautiful dragonflies. My dragonfly has to be bigger and prettier than hers!”
Before Jiang Mi’s grandmother could finish speaking, impatient little Liu Peipei brought her mouth close to the phone and rapidly unleashed a whole string of words.
Jiang Mi’s grandmother could only smile and remind him, “Little Mi, come over early.”
Jiang Mi gave an “Okay,” then hung up.
The moment Jiang Mi hung up, Liang Jinyi pressed himself closer.
Jiang Mi was sitting cross-legged on the floor. Bei City had not yet started central heating, but because Liang Jinyi had caught a cold yesterday, Uncle Lin had asked the servants to turn on the floor heating in advance.
Outside, the air might have been around ten degrees, but inside the Liang family villa, it was warm and cozy.
Jiang Mi was only wearing his summer short-sleeved school uniform. The uniform was blue and white, soft and loose. As Jiang Mi lowered his head, a section of his collar slipped down. Liang Jinyi grabbed that bit of collar and climbed onto Jiang Mi’s lap, wrapping his arms around Jiang Mi’s neck as he asked, “Brother, are you… leaving?”
“Yeah. Brother has to go to Brother’s grandmother’s house this afternoon.” Jiang Mi rubbed Liang Jinyi’s soft hair.
Liang Jinyi lifted his head and looked at him for a moment. Then he suddenly said, “Brother, I also have… craft homework. Help me… with craft homework… this afternoon.”
Hearing Liang Jinyi say that, Jiang Mi burst out laughing without giving him any face. “Little Jinyi, you haven’t even gone to kindergarten. Where did this craft homework come from?”
Liang Jinyi: “…”
“Brother.” Unwilling to give up, he hugged Jiang Mi and acted spoiled.
Jiang Mi rubbed Liang Jinyi’s very pleasant-feeling little head, but he still didn’t say he would stay.
Liang Jinyi settled for the next best thing. His eyes shone as he looked at Jiang Mi.
“I’ll go… with Brother… to Grandma’s house.”
“No,” Jiang Mi rejected Liang Jinyi this time.
“Brother.” Liang Jinyi’s heart was about to shatter.
Jiang Mi sighed. “Because Brother’s grandpa is sick, and you’re sick too. If the two of you stay together, it’ll be easy for you to infect each other.”
Of course, there were other reasons too.
For example, although Jiang Mi did quite like little Liang, little Liang was far too clingy. Jiang Mi was, after all, a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy. Deep down, he still loved playing around and freedom a little. After spending a dull, monotonous week of high school life at school, Jiang Mi really didn’t want to spend the entire weekend looking after a child.
As for little Liu Peipei, she was also somewhat clingy, but her clinginess wasn’t even one-fifth of little Liang’s.
Little Liang truly wished he could turn into sticky rice cake and glue himself to Jiang Mi’s body.
After giving him the stick, Jiang Mi also offered a sweet date.
“Brother will come see you again next week.”
“Next week?”
Liang Jinyi already clearly understood that next week meant several days later. He felt as though his sky was about to collapse.
He buried his head against Jiang Mi’s shoulder and said gloomily, “Brother, I don’t want… you to go.”
Liang Xuping was sitting on Jiang Mi’s other side playing with blocks. Seeing that the rough shape of Ultraman Tiga had begun to emerge, he lifted his eyes and glanced at Liang Jinyi, who was hugging Jiang Mi and acting spoiled. He clicked his tongue twice.
“Enough already, Liang Jinyi. Your Jiang Mi-brother accompanying you for a whole day is already pretty good.”
Hearing that, Liang Jinyi turned his head and glared at Liang Xuping.
But no matter how reluctant Liang Jinyi was, when afternoon arrived, his Jiang Mi-brother still left his house.
Author’s Note
Today is heartbroken little Liang. Say good night to the sisteers.
