Spoiled by a Paranoid Big Shot Since Childhood - Chapter 19

Silence was the Cam of the night. Speechlessness was the Qin Yian of the night.

After an unsettlingly quiet pause, Qin Yian broke the silence. He spoke abruptly: “Do you see that door?”

Qin Siyu followed his gaze.

Qin Yian said coldly: “Get out.”

“…No, I don’t want to! I don’t want to!” Qin Siyu refused resolutely. He realized that his cousin was a man of harsh words but a soft heart, and he was determined to be a pest. He wailed, “Cousin… Brother Bei! I beg you both…”

Xi Bei couldn’t help but laugh. If this had been anything else, he would have likely agreed. But this matter he didn’t know why, but it felt off; he was hesitant. Sleeping with Qin Yian was a normal, intimate part of their life, but the idea of Qin Siyu sleeping with them made him feel uncomfortable and strange. It was an intimate act, a time that belonged exclusively to the two of them, and he didn’t want anyone else intruding.

Qin Yian felt the matter was not up for discussion. He coldly reached out to grab Qin Siyu by the scruff of his neck to toss him out, but Qin Siyu flailed in the air, wailing.

“Cousin!! I’m your cousin! It’s my first day here and I have nowhere to stay, just let me stay!!”

“Brother Bei! I beg you!!”

“Wuwuwu! Aoaoao!”

“…”

“…Shut up.”

Unable to stand the assault of noise, Qin Yian finally let go. Qin Siyu hugged the doorframe tightly, his legs almost doing the splits, hanging there and gazing at them with hopeful eyes.

“When you arrived this morning, didn’t you say,” Qin Yian crossed his arms and mocked coldly, “‘I hate you guys, how old are you, why are you still sleeping together…’ Who said that? A dog?”

“Woof woof woof!”

Qin Siyu was thick-skinned. He ignored the jab and just hung on the doorframe, refusing to budge. “That was me being ignorant this morning. I’m enlightened now. I know how lucky I am to be able to sleep here.”

“Oh, really?” Qin Yian gave a faint, mocking smile. “You really want to sleep here that badly?”

Qin Siyu sensed a turning point and nodded excitedly. “Yes, yes, yes!”

“Swear that if you sleep here, you won’t make any more noise.”

“I swear!” Qin Siyu added, “But, I must sleep on this bed. Don’t make me sleep on the floor; I can’t do that.”

“I didn’t say you had to sleep on the floor,” Qin Yian confirmed. “You want to sleep on the bed we slept on this morning, right?”

“Yes! I promise! If I sleep here, I definitely won’t make noise, otherwise, punish me by not letting me eat tomorrow.” It was a ruthless vow that proved Qin Siyu’s sincerity.

Qin Yian gave a hum, reached out, grabbed Qin Siyu, and brought him to the side of the bed.

“Yay!!” Qin Siyu cheered. “I get to sleep with you guys!!”

Standing to the side, Xi Bei was uncharacteristically hesitant. But he was always good-natured, so even if he felt a bit dejected, he quickly reasoned with himself. Qin Siyu was Qin Yian’s cousin, after all. If Qin Yian didn’t mind, why should he? It was normal; didn’t he want Qin Yian to have other friends? But his thoughts felt terrible how could he be so petty as to not want Qin Siyu here? Was he afraid someone would replace his place by Qin Yian’s side?

Xi Bei shifted uncomfortably, tapping his toes on the floor.

Qin Yian had already sat Qin Siyu on the bed. “Alright. Sit there and don’t move.”

Qin Siyu nodded. “Okay!! By the way, why aren’t you guys coming up? What about Brother Bei?”

Hearing his name, Xi Bei snapped out of his daze. “Ah, I’m here, coming—”

His voice shifted pitch because Qin Yian had swept him up in his arms, hoisting him over his shoulder like a little piglet and giving his soft bottom a pat.

Xi Bei: “!”

The next moment, he was placed on a smaller bed on the other side. This was the same small bed the housekeeper had brought up from downstairs five or six years ago when Xi Bei first arrived it was only about 1.3 meters wide. The sheets were fresh and clean because Qin Yian had never let anyone remove it.

Xi Bei lay down, looking at Qin Yian, confused. “…An’an?”

Qin Yian didn’t speak. He lay down on the small bed next to Xi Bei, pulling the folded quilt over both of them.

“???”

Qin Siyu cried out in frustration: “Wait, no? I came over, why are you two running off?!”

Qin Yian replied coolly: “Who said we were sleeping with you?”

“But you promised me just now, ahhhh!” Qin Siyu howled. “I said I wanted to sleep on this bed…”

“You said you wanted to sleep on this bed,” Qin Yian retorted. “Didn’t I let you sleep on it?”

“…Aaaaah!!!”

Qin Yian’s lips curled up. Amidst Qin Siyu’s howling, he pulled the quilt over his and Xi Bei’s heads. The bed was so small that they had to press closely together foreheads touching, chests against chests, arms wrapped around each other’s waists, legs intertwined.

Xi Bei’s eyes widened, his heart racing. It was stuffy under the quilt, and he was so hot his ears were bright red.

“An’an…”

“Shh,” Qin Yian’s breath misted against Xi Bei’s cheek. He smiled: “I only want to be with you. You silly goose.”

Even though he was “scolded,” Xi Bei felt nothing but happiness. While Qin Siyu lay on the other bed, nursing his wounded soul in silence, Xi Bei whispered to Qin Yian with a blushing face.

“I thought,” he said, “that you were going to… make us sleep with him.”

“I was a little sad, because I thought, we always sleep together, don’t we… how could we add someone else?”

“I don’t hate Qin Siyu, and since he’s your cousin, I’m quite fond of him, but…” Xi Bei rambled, “Am I being too childish?”

Qin Yian’s lips curved upward. “Not childish.”

“I won’t let you find a ‘new mommy’ for An’an, and I won’t let you go find anyone else,” he said. “And you wouldn’t want Qin Siyu to be the third father for An’an, would you?”

“Isn’t it just right now?” Qin Yian suddenly remembered something. “Do you understand now why I asked you earlier if you’d care if he thought the tiramisu was good or not?”

Xi Bei pursed his lips, eyes crinkling. “I understand.”

Because they cared about each other so much.

Qin Siyu eventually stopped making noise; tired out, he fell fast asleep by 8:00 PM, sprawled out on the bed. Xi Bei climbed out of bed, reached out to gently tuck the quilt around Qin Siyu, and then felt his soft hair being ruffled.

“What is it?” Qin Yian asked softly.

Xi Bei paused, then whispered: “I feel very happy for him.”

It had been a huge misunderstanding. The parents weren’t actually in a bad marriage; they were romantic and modern, and their son, despite his initial rebelliousness, was just a glutton who was actually easy to get along with. His parents loved him, and they were still there for him.

“It’s really great,” Xi Bei said softly.

Qin Yian was silent. He wasn’t happy for someone else’s happiness like Xi Bei was; he just thought… Xi Bei. How could he be this good? This obedient? This heartbreaking? Even after losing so much more than others, he didn’t feel jealousy or bitterness, only a gentle, beaming “It’s really great.”

“Tuantuan, come.”

Qin Yian spoke softly. Under Xi Bei’s bewildered gaze, he took his hand and led him out of the room. In the moonlit corridor, the two looked like runaways. They ran all the way to the rooftop terrace on the fourth floor.

They rarely came here. Uncle Gu had filled it with flowers jasmine, eustoma, Chinese roses, hydrangeas layers upon layers of fragrance. Amidst these flowers sat something special and abrupt.

Under the gentle moonlight sat the little snack cart that had weathered five years, now slowly rusting and aging. A few cotton pads were spread under the cart, kept clean and tidy by Uncle Gu. As he sat down, it felt like a lifetime ago.

Xi Bei’s eyes grew red. “An’an…”

Qin Yian nudged the little iron door, which gave a creaking hum. He sat down and whispered: “I’m here.”

“…I’m fine,” Xi Bei rubbed his eyes, whispering, “I just missed Mom and Dad a little bit.”

“I know,” Qin Yian said gently.

“I’m very happy for him, but besides being happy… I’m a little envious.”

“You are a good person. It’s normal.”

“But only a little bit.”

“I know.”

Xi Bei rubbed his eyes and smiled. He had grown tall now, and sitting under the snack cart, he could no longer dangle his legs like he did as a child. The two boys leaned tightly against each other.

“Tuantuan,” Qin Yian said suddenly, “reach out your hand.”

In the hazy moonlight, Xi Bei reached out his hand to Qin Yian, confused.

“Envy is fine, as long as it’s just a little bit,” Qin Yian said. “I swear that in the future, I will make everyone envy you.”

Xi Bei’s hand trembled, and he blossomed into a silly smile: “I believe in you, An’an.”

Qin Yian smiled. He reached out his arm, touching Xi Bei’s hand. He gently folded back a few of Xi Bei’s fingers, leaving only the pinky finger, and then carefully hooked it with his own.

“Pinky swear,” he said, “it won’t change for a hundred years.”

“It won’t change for a hundred years.”