The Eldest Brother is Handsome but Sick. - Chapter 11

“That’s fine, but keep a close eye on them. Make sure they don’t try to pass off low-grade stock as premium.”

Inside Sansheng Hall, Yan Jin held a ledger in one hand while listening to Xia Qingyan. Outside, a steady stream of people bustled about, hurriedly hauling crates of medicinal herbs into the storage room.

It was currently the transition between spring and summer, a time when illness was more prevalent. A caravan of herb merchants had just arrived, and Yan Jin had taken the opportunity to make a bulk purchase.

“Senior Brother, do you really doubt my ability? Now that the name of ‘Third Master Lin’ is out there, who would dare to cheat me?” Lin Jiebai strolled in with a lazy smile.

Two years had passed in the blink of an eye.

Lin Jiebai had become increasingly uninhibited over the years. His thick, black curls were draped loosely over his shoulders, and his scarlet robes were worn in a slovenly fashion. His half-exposed neck and wrists were dotted with a few red marks and bite prints. He still wore a chaotic assortment of trinkets at his waist, which jingled and clattered with even the slightest movement.

Yan Jin handed the ledger to Xia Qingyan so she could verify the new shipment. He then knit his brows and scrutinized Lin Jiebai from head to toe. “Can you not wear your clothes properly? Learn a thing or two from your Junior Brother.”

“Why learn from him? Each has our own merits. People say our Sansheng Hall is a ‘scenic collection of beauties,'” Lin Jiebai replied, leaning his elbow on Yan Jin’s shoulder. “And you, Eldest Senior Brother, are the head of that collection.”

The pungent scent of perfume on him made Yan Jin’s nose sting. As he turned his head away, he caught a glimpse of a bright flash of red on Lin Jiebai’s earlobe. It was an earring, vibrant in color and translucent in quality. One look was enough to tell it was an exquisite treasure.

In that instant, Yan Jin fell silent.

He had seen that earring before. Two years ago, because of the incident with Qi Wang, Yan Jin had paid a formal visit to the County Magistrate.

At the time, the official had been in office for less than a year, a remarkably young and handsome man. He lived simply in all aspects, yet he had commissioned a pair of precious earrings; it was a detail that had left a deep impression on Yan Jin.

And now, one of those earrings was on Lin Jiebai’s ear!

Yan Jin’s brow jumped. He suddenly realized that the timing of Lin Jiebai’s return to Sansheng Hall and the new Magistrate’s appointment were separated by less than two months.

He stared at the earring, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled between the urge to gossip and the need for clarification. His internal battle was so fierce his face began to contort.

No wonder!

No wonder Lin Jiebai was always running off to the government office!

No wonder he was always covered in bite marks, I kept wondering which girl was that aggressive!

[System! Our village has produced a gay man!]

Yan Jin screamed internally. For a moment, he was dazed, but then he realized that such a development was actually quite normal for Sansheng Hall. After all, there wasn’t a single “normal” person in the entire clinic.

How tragic.

“Didn’t we agree that you’d wait in your room for me? Why have you come out here?”

Just then, a voice pulled Yan Jin back to reality. He looked up, and the moment that blue-and-white figure appeared, the room seemed to brighten.

Two years had passed, and Su Huai had shed his boyishness. He wasn’t yet fully mature, possessing a sharp-edged handsomeness that sat somewhere between youth and manhood.

His features were as defined as ink. When he looked at Yan Jin, his gaze was soft and clear, and a warm, gentle smile always graced his lips. He was tall and upright, the picture of elegant refinement in his white and blue robes.

Su Huai gave a slight nod to Lin Jiebai before stepping forward to take Yan Jin’s hand. “You said you had a headache this morning and promised to rest. I only turned my back for a moment before you vanished.”

The lecture Yan Jin had prepared for Lin Jiebai was instantly replaced by Su Huai’s face. Faced with his only “normal” and reliable Junior Brother, Yan Jin’s internal “tail” wagged with joy.

Even after all this time, he still felt a heartfelt sense of pride: A Su Huai who isn’t sulking is truly a little angel. I’m so good at picking people.

Yan Jin shoved Lin Jiebai off his shoulder. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Su Huai’s brow furrow in disapproval.

The man who had been smiling a moment ago suddenly wore a dark, dissatisfied look. “It may be late spring, but it’s still chilly. You’re wearing nothing but a thin inner robe, do you want your headache to get worse?”

“…………” Mhm. Reliable is one thing, but he’s increasingly becoming a bit of a naggy ‘mother hen.’

Under the bloodline suppression of his “Old Mother,” Yan Jin was forcibly escorted back to his room.

Yan Jin had a reclining chair positioned by the window, facing the courtyard. Outside, the sun was bright, and a few sparrows hopped and played on the ground. He leaned back into the chair. Soon, a pair of hands began to massage his temples. The fingertips were slightly cool, the pressure perfect, allowing him to relax until a wave of sleepiness washed over him.

After a long while, Su Huai brought in a bowl of medicinal soup.

Yan Jin opened his eyes. “I don’t need the medicine. The calming incense you made is enough, can you give me some more?”

Su Huai set the bowl on the table to cool. “The previous incense is no longer effective for you. I am still researching a new formula; for now, you’ll have to make do with the soup.”

His voice turned a bit colder. “I have told you many times: you need to rest properly. There is no need for you to oversee every little detail. You can leave those things to me, or at the very least, to Senior Sister or Senior Brother.”

Su Huai had indeed said these many times.

Yan Jin thought to himself that he was never one to listen to orders, but it wasn’t a good time to argue. He softened his voice and said coaxingly, “Don’t be mad, alright? I was wrong. I won’t do it again.”

He had used this trick many times before; Su Huai didn’t believe him. He let out a cold snort. “And what exactly were you ‘wrong’ about?”

He’s so hard to coax, Yan Jin sighed. “Everything! I was wrong about everything. Will the Great Physician Su show some mercy and forgive his Senior Brother?”

“Yan Jin, I am seventeen. I am not a child you need to ‘coax’ anymore.” The coldness on Su Huai’s face vanished, replaced by a touch of genuine annoyance.

Yan Jin chose to “play dead,” giving a muffled, non-committal hum before actually falling asleep on the chair.

Su Huai fell silent. He stepped softly to Yan Jin’s side and knelt, staring at him for a long moment, his eyes shifting through complex emotions.

Yan Jin had a small red mole between his brows. When he was still, he looked like a jade statue of Guanyin, yet the upward tilt of his eyes meant that when he was awake, he was half-soulful and half-alluring. He often enchanted people without even realizing it.

However, the man had no self-awareness in that regard. Or rather, he trusted his “good Junior Brother” so much that the thought of romance never entered his mind.

Even after discovering the truth about Lin Jiebai and the Magistrate today, he never thought to apply the same logic to his own situation. What kind of “Junior Brother” reaches out to hold his Senior Brother’s hand the moment he walks into a room?

Does he really trust me that much? Or does he simply view me as a junior, a child?

Su Huai’s eyes darkened, suppressing the thoughts that threatened to surface. He let out a sudden, self-mocking laugh. With practiced ease, he leaned down, scooped Yan Jin up, and laid him gently on the bed.

Yan Jin loved flowers and incense, though he never wore them heavily. Yet every time Su Huai held him, he found himself saturated with that faint floral scent, an aroma that seeped into every part of Su Huai and refused to dissipate for a long time.

Standing by the bed, Su Huai took a deep breath. This was Yan Jin’s room; there was no one here but the two of them. His physiological reaction made his cheeks burn, and even the tips of his ears felt painfully hot.

He didn’t dare look at Yan Jin again and hurriedly turned his face away.

[Bonus: The Aftermath of the Oranges] There were too many oranges and they were too sour, so they were left on the table with the intent to make them into pastries. However, the clinic became so busy after the New Year that the plan was forgotten.

A few days later, a finally-free Yan Jin went to tease Su Huai. Before he left, he grabbed two oranges from the table.

Yes, the “busy” Eldest Senior Brother had completely forgotten where the oranges came from. He peeled them and shoved a slice into Su Huai’s mouth and his own simultaneously.

As they say, the wheel of karma spares no one (Lin Jiebai claps in celebration).