After Losing My Memory, I Became My Adoptive Brother’s Caged Bird - Chapter 5

Chen Jiaojiao’s low tolerance for alcohol was something Meng Jin already knew, but he had not expected that a single glass of red wine would leave the man with a vacant gaze, slumped limply in his arms.

Meng Jin sighed and wrapped his arm around that thin waist. He used his other hand to take the wine glass from the drunkard’s grip. For his part, Jiaojiao was very obedient and let go without a struggle.

Just as Meng Jin set the glass on the table and prepared to scoop him up to take him to his room, Chen Jiaojiao suddenly grabbed Meng Jin’s arm. His misty eyes sparkled brilliantly under the lights, making him seem like a completely different person from his usual calm and collected self.

He held onto Meng Jin’s arm, looking up and staring at him unblinkingly. After a long silence, he spoke in a voice thick with alcohol. “Meng Jin, how is it that you know how to do everything?”

The voice was tiny, but Meng Jin keenly captured the hint of admiration in his tone. It was a long-lost admiration that left Meng Jin momentarily dazed. He had not heard that tone in so long that he had almost forgotten the feeling.

Perhaps because Meng Jin did not respond, Chen Jiaojiao let go of his arm and began to count seriously on his fingers. “You are fluent in four languages and help me with German. You are a boss and support me. You even let me raise Nian Gao.”

He listed them one by one. Finally, he tilted his face up and squinted, leaning in as if trying to discern something from Meng Jin’s features. He spoke with the bluntness of the intoxicated. “Are you really my boyfriend?”

The question was like a stone tossed into a pond, sending massive ripples through Meng Jin’s heart. He suppressed the urge to let his smile widen and steadied his voice. “The real deal.”

He was grateful for the alcohol; it allowed him a glimpse into a corner of Jiaojiao’s heart. Fortunately, in Jiaojiao’s eyes, he still possessed many merits.

Hearing the affirmation, Chen Jiaojiao’s brow furrowed in confusion before smoothing out. His expressions shifted rapidly. Finally, with a bit of drunken pride, he gave a small huff. “No matter how amazing you are, you are still my boyfriend.”

Meng Jin was overjoyed. Inside him was a pond connected to a river named Chen Jiaojiao. The pond, once cracked and parched under a merciless sun, had finally found its source of water.

Chen Jiaojiao, acting as if he had just completed a major proclamation, started heading upstairs on unsteady feet. “I am drunk,” he muttered. “I want to sleep.”

Meng Jin quickly caught him, pinning him between his chest and the staircase railing. Their breaths intertwined. His gaze was burning and persuasive. “Good Jiaojiao,” he whispered. “Say it one more time. Call me ‘boyfriend,’ okay?”

At this moment, Chen Jiaojiao’s mind was a chaotic mess. He only wanted to break free and return to his soft bed. He tugged at Meng Jin’s arm, but he could not push aside the obstacle blocking his path. His lips thinned into a pout of displeasure.

He was no match for a persistent suitor. Under Meng Jin’s relentless, low-voiced coaxing, he finally spoke with clear annoyance. “Boyfriend! Boyfriend! Are you satisfied now?”

He was quite satisfied.

Meng Jin chuckled, pretending not to notice the anger or the intentionality. Having secured the title he wanted, he contentedly sent the man to his room and fed him some sobering soup.

Because he had only had one glass of wine, Chen Jiaojiao did not sleep for long. When he woke up, his logic had returned. He checked the clock on the wall and rubbed his temples. Didn’t I have class this afternoon? Why am I in bed?

As he stepped out of bed and into his slippers, Meng Jin entered with a glass of brownish liquid. His deep voice rumbled. “Drink some herbal tea. It will stop the headache.”

Chen Jiaojiao took the glass. He only remembered drinking the red wine; everything after that was a blank. He felt as though he had blacked out. He asked tentatively, “I was well-behaved after I drank, right?”

“Very well-behaved. You even took the initiative,” Meng Jin nodded. At the last part, he paused. His gaze swept over Chen Jiaojiao’s face, but he did not see the reaction he hoped for, only confusion. He did not remember.

Meng Jin felt a dull frustration, but he could not lose his temper. He lowered his voice. “You also took the initiative to praise me, saying I was very impressive and that you were glad we were together.”

“Cough, cough, cough!” Chen Jiaojiao began to cough violently. He was certain Meng Jin had made that up. “I would never say something like that.”

“Like what?” Meng Jin looked at him with mock patience. “Praising me for being impressive, or agreeing that I am your boyfriend?”

Chen Jiaojiao looked away and took two deep breaths. He wiped his lips with a tissue and refused to give Meng Jin another glance, turning to leave the room.

He had only taken a step when Meng Jin grabbed his arm and pulled him back. His back pressed against Meng Jin’s chest, where he could feel the man’s strong, steady heartbeat.

Meng Jin draped an arm over his shoulder, his tone sounding somewhat resentful. “Next time, I am going to record it!”

Chen Jiaojiao remained silent.

After that little episode, the awkwardness between them dissipated significantly and they became much more harmonious. Even if Chen Jiaojiao woke up to find himself nestled in Meng Jin’s arms, he could now push him away and get up to change clothes without his heart skipping a beat or his face turning red.

At one point, Meng Jin had actually begun to doubt his own appearance. He was only six years older than Jiaojiao; had he already lost his charm?

Consequently, Chen Jiaojiao witnessed a shocking sight at home: Meng Jin was actually wearing a face mask! And that was only the beginning. He became much more attentive to his physique and even his body hair grooming.

Chen Jiaojiao began to question reality, but he did not have much time to dwell on it because he received another sigh from his art teacher.

“Chen, your painting has perfect technique, but it has no soul.”

When he heard his tutor’s evaluation, it would be a lie to say he did not feel defeated. He had been taking classes for a month now. He was a natural at language and could even converse with the servants in German, but art alone remained unsatisfactory.

He stared at the canvas with a furrowed brow, wondering if he was truly suited for art. He pursed his lips, crumpled the disappointing work into a ball, and threw it into the trash. After a minute or two, he resigned himself to fate, leaned over, and fished the painting out. He patiently smoothed it out and pressed it under his textbook.

This low mood and self-doubt stayed with him until Meng Jin returned from work.

Due to a special situation at the company, Meng Jin did not get home until after 8:30 PM. He scanned the living room but did not find the person he wanted to see. His lips thinned as he handed his coat to a servant. He listened to the butler’s report on Chen Jiaojiao’s day. Upon hearing that Jiaojiao had not stepped out of the study all afternoon, his brow furrowed, and he dismissed the butler with a wave of his hand.

He carried a glass of freshly squeezed juice upstairs. The entire floor was covered in carpet; if one was careful, footsteps in slippers were almost silent.

When Meng Jin knocked on the door, the drowsy Chen Jiaojiao snapped awake. He rubbed his temples and regained his usual composure, his voice raspy from sleep. “Enter.”

Meng Jin placed the juice on the table, his gaze roaming over Chen Jiaojiao. The boy, having just woken up, was like a kitten that was cute without realizing it. His eyes were clearly still foggy, yet his face had already shifted into a cold, indifferent mask. With a few tufts of stray hair standing up on his head, he was a perfect cold-faced kitten.

“I heard you didn’t leave the room all afternoon.” The smile in Meng Jin’s eyes grew more obvious before being replaced by concern. He softened his voice. “In a bad mood?”

Chen Jiaojiao pressed down on his textbook, his arm hiding the drawing paper beneath it. For some reason, he did not want Meng Jin to see his work, especially after being politely criticized by the tutor. He shook his head. “No, I am just a bit tired.”

Meng Jin’s gaze lingered for a moment on the defensive movement of his arm, but he did not pry further. Instead, he made a gentle suggestion. “Shall we go for a walk? The scenery outside is very beautiful.”

Chen Jiaojiao agreed quickly. He followed Meng Jin out but soon realized something was wrong. “Are we going out?”

Seeing Meng Jin nod, he realized he had misunderstood. He thought a walk meant staying on the property; he had not expected to leave the grounds, and he had not even changed his clothes!

To be honest, this was his first time truly going out. Meng Jin did not actually restrict his freedom and had even given him an unlimited credit card, but Chen Jiaojiao had not left. Firstly, he was in an unfamiliar place and did not want to go out alone. Secondly, even though Meng Jin was his boyfriend, he did not want to spend too much of his money or owe him too much.

As a result, the number of times he had been out could be counted on one hand.

The evening breeze was cool, brushing away some of his irritation. The view was entirely different from the daytime; the sunset painted the lake in a golden shell. As the wind blew, the water shimmered beautifully.

The two walked side by side along the lake. They walked very slowly, mostly in silence. The only sounds were the wind, small animals, the water, and their own breaths, beating in the same rhythm, close at hand.

The whole world felt warm and soft, and Chen Jiaojiao felt a sense of healing.

When they reached a bench by the lake, they sat on the side closer to the water, letting the swans approach them. Meng Jin produced bread and beer from somewhere. The bread was for the animals, while the beer was for the humans.

Chen Jiaojiao took the bread with a look of surprise, breaking it into small pieces to toss to the swans. Soon, a small circle of them gathered around, chirping and creating a lively scene. When the last piece of bread was thrown in, the animals drifted away, and the area returned to tranquility.

With a popping sound, Meng Jin opened two cans of beer. He took a sip and handed one to Chen Jiaojiao. Along with the beer, Meng Jin handed over his coat. The familiar scent wrapped around Jiaojiao, sealing out the evening chill.

Chen Jiaojiao draped the coat over his shoulders and leaned back slightly against the bench with one hand, enjoying the scenery and the drink with a carefree air.

One is not drunk on the wine, but on the atmosphere itself.

At that moment, an English word suddenly popped into Chen Jiaojiao’s head: Crush. A brief infatuation.

Thinking of that word, his gaze instinctively sought out Meng Jin. He turned his head and saw Meng Jin resting his chin on one hand, looking at him tenderly. He had no idea how long the man had been watching him.

He thought that perhaps he really did have a low tolerance for alcohol, because he was feeling a bit lightheaded. He had a crush on Lake Zurich at this moment, and he had a crush on Meng Jin at this moment, too.

Meng Jin was always so capable and so gentle. With him around, there was nothing that could not be resolved.