Spoiled by a Paranoid Big Shot Since Childhood - Chapter 12

During his very first week at the Qin estate, Xi Bei became best friends and closer than blood with Qin Yian.

Although bidding farewell to his past was an agonizing process, Xi Bei anchored firmly by Qin Yian’s constant companionship remained exceptionally resilient. He successfully dragged himself out from the dark shadow of losing both parents.

The classmates who had thoughtlessly gossiped about him behind his back had long been transferred out of the school, ensuring that no one would ever intentionally poke at the raw wounds of his heart again. Qin Yian had single-handedly cultivated a pristine academic environment for him. Consequently, despite skipping a grade, Xi Bei quickly caught up to everyone’s academic progress with the dedicated assistance of private tutors.

Xi Bei was not only exceptionally bright in his studies, but he also possessed a rare, innate talent for crafting things with his hands. Perhaps it was due to the subtle influence of spending his early childhood watching his mother work, but as he grew, he developed a profound interest in arts and crafts.

Fascinated by handicrafts, this happened to be one of the very few domains where Qin Yian lacked natural aptitude. After all, the first time Qin Yian had ever attempted to help Xi Bei mend a torn piece of clothing, he had repeatedly pricked his own fingers until they bled.

Nevertheless, that piece of clothing crookedly and clumsily stitched together by Qin Yian was later meticulously folded away by Xi Bei. Kept safe inside a sealed bag, it became a highly treasured memento.

It wasn’t just Xi Bei who cherished everything given to him by Qin Yian; the sentiment was completely mutual.

The young master of the Qin family, notorious for his sharp tongue, frosty demeanor, and general disdain for the human race, reserved a singular exception for one person. Qin Yian would willingly consume Xi Bei’s left-over food, displaying absolutely no trace of his usual germaphobic aversion.

Moreover, so long as it was a gift from Xi Bei, it didn’t matter if it was a cheap carton of milk from second grade, a handcrafted flower from third grade, a miniature wood-carved bird from fourth grade, or a hand-drawn book from fifth grade every single item was fastidiously stored away like a priceless artifact. Qin Yian had even cleared out an entire room in the estate exclusively to house these treasures.

Eventually, both Qin Yueyuan and Butler Gu grew entirely numb to it.

The young master was perfectly willing to allocate an entire room to store Xi Bei’s trinkets, yet he adamantly refused to let Xi Bei sleep in a separate bedroom. He insisted that the two of them squeeze into the exact same room, sharing the exact same bed.

Initially, Qin Yian’s bed had been custom-built by a master craftsman. For the sake of visual aesthetics in the vast room, it had been designed as a standard 1.5-meter bed.

Back in the second grade, two young boys sleeping on it didn’t feel crowded at all. However, as their ages steadily climbed and their statures grew, it became inevitable that hands would brush against hands, and legs would tangle with legs. Xi Bei was quite a restless sleeper, frequently rolling around until an arm or a leg dangled off the edge of the mattress.

Because of this, Qin Yian eventually adapted. Since sleeping side-by-side had become somewhat cramped, the simplest solution was to ensure that Xi Bei slept directly curled up in his embrace.

By the time the boys reached the fifth and sixth grades, every single time Butler Gu opened the bedroom door to rouse them in the morning, he would be greeted by the exact same spectacle.

Xi Bei’s flushed, soft cheek would be buried deep within the crook of Qin Yian’s neck, his arms tightly wound around the older boy’s shoulders. The moment the faint sound of the door opening caused the younger boy to stir uneasily, Qin Yian would instinctively pat his back with a gentle rhythm, pressing a soft kiss against the crown of his head to coax him back to sleep.

The butler could only sigh helplessly.

The very first time he had relayed this morning routine to Qin Yueyuan, the patriarch had nearly toppled backward out of his executive leather chair. Over time, however, he too grew thoroughly desensitized. He would even occasionally ask with casual amusement: “Did Yian not act like a literal octopus today to prevent little Bei from climbing out of bed?”

It was truly a marvel.

Even at school, the two boys remained entirely wrapped up in their own world, virtually oblivious to outsiders. Anyone was welcome to invite Xi Bei out to play, but upon doing so, they had to be fully prepared for the fact that a towering Qin Yian would inevitably be shadowing right behind him.

Conversely, one could attempt to invite Qin Yian out alone, though the young master would almost certainly ignore the request entirely.

If a teacher assigned classroom chore duties to Xi Bei, one would inevitably witness Qin Yian furrowing his brow as he silently took over the broom to sweep on his behalf. One could also try assigning chore duties to Qin Yian… though it was honestly better to just assign them directly to Xie Ye. Xie Ye had become their fiercely loyal best friend, always unleashing a barrage of complaints while shifting his feet to help them out anyway.

The years of primary school blurred past like a white horse galloping through a cleft. Practically the entire student body was well aware of one golden rule: the young master of the Qin family harbored a treasured younger brother, Xi Bei, whom he held in the palm of his hand, utterly refusing to tolerate a single negative word against him.

…

June 20, 2011. Ten-thirty in the morning.

The sweltering peak of summer had arrived, accompanied by the grating, ceaseless drone of cicadas.

A young man standing at an impressive 1.77 meters with a remarkably straight, athletic build displayed a rare trace of restless irritation. Tossing his formal suit jacket over his arm, he stood just outside the grand auditorium, waiting a good long while for his temperament to settle.

The youth possessed an exceptionally pale complexion. His long, thick eyelashes cast soft shadows over his strikingly light, glass-like amber eyes. Beneath them, the bridge of his nose rose high and sharp, his thin lips pressed into a firm line. His aura was cold and imposing, making him look exactly like a detached prince who didn’t belong to the mortal realm.

That stateliness remained intact until he pulled an iPhone 4 from his pocket—an object sporting a cartoonish, plump little wood-carved charm that clashed spectacularly with his refined aesthetic and dialed his pinned contact.

Ring… ring…

The line chimed repeatedly, yet no one picked up. The moment the automated female operator began to drone, “The number you have dialed is currently unavailable, please try again later…” Qin Yian snapped the phone shut.

Right at that moment, a hand heavily clapped onto his shoulder.

The sudden surge of delight lasted for less than a fraction of a second before Qin Yian realized the texture was entirely wrong. The faint smile that hadn’t even fully formed on his lips instantly vanished as he whirled around to glare coldly at a grinning Xie Ye.

“My, my, what do we have here?” Xie Ye made a mocking face, looking thoroughly delighted by his friend’s misfortune. “What’s wrong? Someone is about to head on stage to deliver his presentation and play a piano solo, but Tuan Tuan still hasn’t shown up?”

Qin Yian smoothly countered the gesture, executing a swift joint lock that caused Xie Ye to let out a sharp roar of, “Ow, ow, pain!”

Only after watching Xie Ye beg for mercy did he coolly counter, “Who gave you permission to call him Tuan Tuan?”

“Hiss… it hurts! I was wrong, I was wrong! Only you get to call him Tuan Tuan, alright?” Xie Ye rubbed the throbbing ache in his arm, muttering under his breath, “With a possessive streak that intense, you’re a literal monomaniac. Just wait until Xi Bei gets a girlfriend in the future. When his girlfriend calls him Tuan Tuan, let’s see what you do then!”

“…”

Qin Yian silently redialed Xi Bei’s number. He was a possessive monomaniac, and he had absolutely no intention of denying it. Except… His brow furrowed imperceptibly. “A girlfriend?”

“Yeah, what if he gets a girlfriend? You’ve got a literal block of ice for a face, so no girls dare to approach you. But Xi Bei is entirely different.” Xie Ye casually splayed his legs, counting down on his fingers. “He has incredible grades, and whenever anyone asks him for help with a problem, he always offers a warm smile and gently explains how to do it. He’s great with his hands isn’t that phone charm you’re holding made by him? Plus, he’s incredibly good-looking. I overheard people saying that the title of school heartthrob this year is basically a toss-up between you and him.”

“Even though he still cracks those terrible dry jokes all the time, it’s actually pretty cute…”

The phone continued to ring without an answer.

Qin Yian’s prominent Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. Shoving the device back into his pocket, he crossed his arms calmly and arched an eyebrow at Xie Ye.

“Keep praising him.”

“…My point is,” Xie Ye shrugged, “everyone says he’s like a little sun, and plenty of girls are incredibly fond of him. Are you really so certain he won’t fall in love and date someone?”

“…”

Qin Yian suddenly spoke up: “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Xie Ye blinked, completely mystified. They were having a perfectly normal conversation about whether Xi Bei would start dating, so why was Qin Yian suddenly asking if he had found something? What on earth was he supposed to be looking for?

Utterly baffled, Xie Ye asked, “Find what?”

“Find a job, find something productive to do,” Qin Yian delivered a frosty, biting sarcasm. “Stop acting unhinged over here.”

“…”

After a brief, stunned silence, Xie Ye erupted into a tragic, indignant roar: “I knew it! I fucking knew you haven’t changed a single bit after all these years!!!”

Inside the Art Club’s graduation exhibition prep room.

The air conditioning unit rumbled loudly, though the thin stream of cool air it emitted dissipated almost instantly. In its place was the heavy, warm breath of the crowded occupants and the hot drafts kicked up by their frantic movements. Spilled paint ran across surfaces, wood shavings drifted through the air, and a chaotic assortment of materials lay strewn across the floor a testament to the absolute frenzy consuming everyone inside.

“Xi Bei! Do you know how to hollow out this section without accidentally puncturing through the exterior? I’ve been hacking away at it for ages and it’s still messed up! Can you teach me—”

“Ahhh! My paints bled together! Is this section still salvageable? Wuuwuu, can you help me look at it?”

“Save me! It looks like the exhibition display outside is short by one table! Can anyone help carry one out? We’re completely slammed here…”

“…”

“Alright, everyone please don’t panic. Let’s take it one step at a time.”

A clear, vibrant voice rang out like a refreshing mountain spring. It proved far more effective than the struggling air conditioner, instantly washing away the stifling, agitated heat gripping the room.

The handsome youth standing dead-center amidst the clamoring crowd was none other than Xi Bei. His soft black hair was slightly tousled, with a single, stubborn stray cowlick sticking up at the top. With exceptionally long, curled lashes, deep eyes that resembled glossy black grapes, and naturally flushed, soft cheeks, he looked precisely like a living, breathing porcelain doll.

“For your wood carving, you need to start carving from this angle, and your force can’t be too heavy… See?”

“Your color blending is actually excellent, so don’t sell yourself short. You can adjust this section like this there, all fixed.”

“I’ll go carry the table. Everyone else just keep focusing on your work.”

His movements were incredibly swift and efficient, quickly resolving a mountain of problems for the club members. The entire room treated Xi Bei as their core anchor, their faces involuntarily beaming with a mixture of intense admiration and delight and the male students were no exception.

Xi Bei blinked his clear eyes, offering a sweet, compliant smile.

However, a fraction of a second later, as if a sudden thought had struck him, a highly mysterious aura enveloped him as he spoke up: “I just suddenly thought of something…”

The club members instantly tightened their grips on their tools, chanting in perfect unison, “What is it?”

“Do you know why our air conditioner isn’t blowing cold air?”

The crowd looked entirely blank. Yet, due to their implicit trust in him, they assumed his words must carry some profound, hidden depth, prompting them to offer a flurry of earnest speculations:

“Is it because there are too many people crammed in here?”

“Right! There’s no way the school would skimp on the cooling system after we paid such exorbitant tuition fees.”

“It’s probably because the weather outside is just too hot, and we keep opening the windows for ventilation…”

Hearing their answers, Xi Bei shook his head, his eyes crinkling into a bright smile. “None of the above!”

The crowd was completely stumped now. They asked hesitantly, “Then what could it possibly be?”

“Because as the air conditioner kept running, it suddenly thought to itself, ‘Oh dear, it’s so cold, so cold!’ So, it decided to switch modes and turn on the heater. That way, it could finally feel nice and warm!”

As Xi Bei delivered the punchline, he seemed to find his own joke incredibly amusing. He sheepishly ruffled his soft hair, thought about it for another second, and couldn’t help but let out a soft pfft as he burst into a giggle.

“…”

The entire prep room plunged into a bizarre, suffocating silence.

After a long, agonizing pause, someone spoke up in a hollow whisper: “…I actually do feel a bit cold now.”

“Yeah, yeah… it’s freezing.”

“Let’s hurry up and finish this wood carving… Ah, haha…”

Seeing that the crowd was entirely incapable of laughing, Xi Bei didn’t get angry or feel embarrassed. He merely felt a touch perplexed.

Was it not funny? Oh well.

None of them possessed Qin Yian’s excellent sense of humor. After all, every single time he shared these jokes with An An, An An would always tilt the corners of his lips upward, calmly replying with an appreciative, “Very funny.”

Stepping out of the prep room, Xi Bei prepared to haul the table from the entrance over to the exhibition site. However, the piercing glare of the midday sun suddenly flashed against his eyes.

…Wait, wait a minute. What time was it?

A sudden wave of shock consumed him. Hurriedly setting the table down, he fumbled frantically to yank the phone out of his pocket. In an instant, his eyes locked onto a string of six or seven missed calls, stretching continuously from ten-thirty all the way until eleven o’clock—the exact time Qin Yian was scheduled to take the stage for his presentation!

Right beneath the final missed call notification lay two text messages.

【 An An: Tuan Tuan, I presume you wouldn’t dare be late over some trivial club matters, right? After all, I confidently vowed to Xie Ye that you would absolutely be sitting in the very front row watching my performance. 】

【 An An: … 🙂 】

With a sharp clatter, Xi Bei’s phone slipped through his fingers and smacked hard against the ground.