The Eldest Brother is Handsome but Sick. - Chapter 19

The Hidden Change

To be honest, Yan Jin had been very angry upon learning that Su Huai and Lin Jiebai had run away from home.

This anger had kept him pondering the entire journey on how to punish the two of them. However, when he truly saw Su Huai, the words he had prepared stuck in his throat; no matter how much he thought, he couldn’t decide how to speak.

The reason was simple: Su Huai’s reaction was diametrically opposed to what he had imagined. There was no anger, no disappointment even his manner of speaking and acting was vastly different from when they were at the Hall of Three Lives. If one were to say there was a change…

Yan Jin accepted a grape handed to him from the side and let out a soft sigh. Having not seen him for several months, the boy had truly grown up; he had learned to keep his joys and sorrows from showing on his face.

“Eldest Senior Brother, are the grapes delicious?”

At the other end of the table, Lin Jiebai had peeled another small plate of grapes and placed them respectfully by Yan Jin’s hand, saying pleasingly, “Would you like some more?”

Yan Jin finally came to his senses and gave him an annoyed glance. “Save your tricks…” Before he could finish, he looked up and saw the chicken feathers Lin Jiebai had stuck back on his head. Finding the sight eye-searing, he supported his forehead and looked down, deciding that what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over. “You just left like that? What about your promise to help Qingyan watch over the Hall of Three Lives? Did you feed that promise to a dog’s belly?”

Lin Jiebai, knowing he was in the wrong, didn’t dare respond immediately. He fidgeted and stammered beside him, twisting himself into a jingling, clattering pretzel of nerves.

Yan Jin tapped the table. “Speak properly.”

“The matter with the medicinal herbs is already settled. I’ve never been any help with consultations anyway. Besides, Master is back now, so he has even less use for me.” Lin Jiebai noted Yan Jin’s expression and quickened his pace: “And that business with Junior Brother isn’t entirely my fault…”

He lowered his voice further, muttering, “You raise Junior Brother like a son, but he doesn’t see it that way. It’s because you’re like this that Junior Brother wanted to leave.”

Yan Jin shot him a murderous look. Lin Jiebai immediately surrendered and backed toward the door, saying as he retreated, “I’ll go check on Junior Brother. I just saw him go to the innkeeper to ask for a stove to brew your medicine. It’s been so long and he hasn’t come up yet; I hope he didn’t fall asleep.”

As soon as the words fell, he opened the door and vanished without a trace.

Afterward, no one came to the room for a long while.

Perhaps because he hadn’t slept well during his travels, Yan Jin had felt a faint headache since yesterday. He rubbed his temples, intending to rest on the small couch by the window.

“If you ask me, you still need to look after your own body more,” the System said. “You’re already half-dead as it is. Without me, you would have been bedridden long ago.”

“Wait until I’ve finished this busy stretch.”

The light shining through the window was somewhat piercing. Yan Jin rolled over to face the door. Just then, there was a knock.

Yan Jin said dizzily, “Come in.”

Su Huai pushed the door open and entered, carrying a bowl of medicine. “It’s me.”

Yan Jin gave a soft “mm” and continued his light nap with his eyes closed. Since he didn’t speak, the room instantly fell silent, save for the sound of shallow breathing.

Su Huai saw the grapes on the table at a glance. He frowned, placed the medicine on the side table, and sat beside Yan Jin to feel his pulse.

The Awakening Tension

When his wrist was grasped, Yan Jin suddenly became much more alert. Recalling that Su Huai had arrived, he tilted his head to look.

Su Huai sat against the light, which flooded in from behind him, casting a blurred halo around his frame. His features were not clearly visible only a lean, elegant silhouette that carried a quiet, gentle sense of aloofness.

His light blue sleeves hung down, and his slender, well-defined fingers rested on Yan Jin’s wrist. After a long while, he withdrew his hand. As he did, his fingertips inadvertently brushed against the inside of Yan Jin’s wrist. Instantly, an itchy sensation spread, traveling all the way to the pit of Yan Jin’s heart.

This unfamiliar feeling caused an instinctive sense of oddity to rise in his mind. He hurriedly sat up, shaking his sleeves down to cover his wrist, and smiled as if nothing had happened. “Why take my pulse while I’m asleep? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kick you away?”

“You can’t kick me away.” Su Huai noticed the dark circles under Yan Jin’s eyes and called for the waiter to bring an incense burner, lighting some soothing incense for him.

“So, what did your pulse-reading reveal?” Yan Jin picked up the medicine and drank it in one gulp. Watching Su Huai’s busy back, he felt a bit of joy. As expected, even if I don’t know what to say, I have to speak first; once words are spoken, the ice can break.

On the other side, Su Huai’s back was to Yan Jin. He tried several times to place the incense tablet into the burner but failed. He rubbed the incense tablet hard with his thumb, yet the sensation of his fingertips resting on Yan Jin’s wrist refused to dissipate.

This was the first time he had touched Yan Jin in all these days.

Back at the Hall of Three Lives, they would touch once or twice every day. Back then, it felt like a habit, but now it was like drinking a pot of scalding, strong liquor in winter burning his entire body with heat, making him addicted to this maddening warmth.

Su Huai took a deep breath to calm himself. Soon, the sweet, clear scent of the soothing incense filled the room.

Yan Jin leaned against the soft pillow and caught the scent, his eyes crinkling into a smile. “Your soothing incense is still the best. I forgot to bring some when I left; I truly missed it.”

Yan Jin meant he missed the scent of the incense, but Su Huai’s heart began to throb wildly fast and heavy, vibrating so hard he could barely breathe.

He walked closer, looking down to meet Yan Jin’s eyes.

Yan Jin was confused. “What is it?”

Su Huai didn’t answer but moved even closer.

What beautiful eyes.

The incense seemed to have grown too thick; Su Huai felt himself growing dazed. As if possessed, he actually reached out and stroked the corner of Yan Jin’s eye. He didn’t care if the action was out of line; his fingertips followed the line of Yan Jin’s eye, his brow, all the way to the red mole between his eyebrows. His sleeve brushed against Yan Jin’s cheek, hanging loosely near his lips as his hand moved.

His lips felt itchy from the touch of the sleeve. Yan Jin subconsciously pursed them, only realizing he had taken a tiny bit of Su Huai’s sleeve between his lips when he felt the fabric.

What am I doing!

Things having developed to this point, even someone as obtuse as him realized something was wrong. This wasn’t Su Huai keeping his emotions hidden; the boy had likely been driven to the brink of madness by Yan Jin’s actions.

Yan Jin wanted to retreat, but since he was lying on the couch, there was nowhere to go. To leave, he would have to push Su Huai away.

Push Su Huai away…

Yan Jin shuddered. For some unknown reason, his intuition told him he must not do that, otherwise things would reach a point beyond remedy.

To prevent further provoking the boy, he moved gently to lift the sleeve covering his face. He grasped Su Huai’s hand and called out softly, “Su Huai? That medicine just now was very bitter. I want to eat the ‘gra-‘”

He caught himself just in time before finishing the word “grapes.” Inspired by a sudden flash of insight, he changed his tune. “I want to eat the grapes you peel for me, okay?”

Seeing Su Huai didn’t respond, Yan Jin tried again tentatively: “Su Huai?”

Su Huai finally replied, “You shouldn’t eat too many grapes; they cause bloating.”

“Then will you go buy some candied fruits for me? The street vendors downstairs have them,” Yan Jin said.

Su Huai pondered for a moment. Meeting Yan Jin’s pleading gaze, he nodded and turned to head downstairs.

Unexpectedly, the moment he turned, a needle was pricked into his head. His body swayed, his vision blurred, and he collapsed.

Yan Jin hurried to catch him and laid him on the small couch. He quickly applied several more needles until he had turned the boy into a vivid-looking hedgehog.

The Aggrieved Junior Brother

As if he knew he had been pricked, Su Huai’s mouth twitched downward, showing a rare, aggrieved expression.

“You’re the one who’s aggrieved? I was nearly scared to death, alright!” Yan Jin sat on the floor, leaning his head against the edge of the couch and muttering, “Heaven help me, how long has this breath been bottled up in his heart? Once released, he nearly fell into a demonic possession.”

He caught his breath, staring at the ceiling beams, feeling even more worried than when he started.

The boy’s personality was likely a bit obsessive, yet his character was excellent; he would never take his temper out on others, so he could only suppress those unsolvable matters in his heart. Over time, this would surely damage his health.

“He used to fuss over small things, but he was never this kind of personality,” Yan Jin said. “In these few months of travel, he hasn’t learned anything good, only things that harm his health. He can’t go traveling anymore; I still have to make him come with me.”

As if you’re any less obsessive. Who raises a junior brother like they’re guarding a little chick?

Yan Jin was truly angry, so the System didn’t dare speak, only venting its thoughts internally.

Time passed until Yan Jin was about to fall asleep leaning against the couch when a slight sound came from the bed.

Su Huai had woken up at some point. He propped himself up, and recalling what had just happened, he didn’t dare face Yan Jin. He closed his eyes and turned toward the window.

His voice was hoarse: “Yan Jin, let me leave.”