The Eldest Brother is Handsome but Sick. - Chapter 6

Because of Su Huai’s sharp remark, Yan Jin didn’t sleep a wink, and the System suffered right along with him. “Master Yan, I’m begging you if you can’t sleep, can you at least stop reciting the multiplication tables in your head?” the System complained, sporting two massive dark circles under its digital eyes. “You’ve been transmigrated for twenty-one years. How have you not forgotten that yet?”

“This stuff is etched into my DNA,” Yan Jin replied weakly. He lay on the bed with a look of profound guilt, as if he were single-handedly responsible for the corruption of the youth.

He had worked himself to the bone to raise his junior siblings, yet they had all grown up to be troublesome thorns. Su Huai had been the last “straight sprout” of hope, but now even he seemed to be leaning toward the dark side.

Heavens, give me back my cute, innocent, polite, and helpful Junior Brother!

When he really thought about it, Sansheng Hall wasn’t exactly a nurturing environment. His master, who scoured the land for fine wine, was currently missing in action; his third junior brother, a social butterfly and a profligate, was a walking bad example; and the relatively stable Xia Qingyan was actually a woman of fierce, hidden passions.

As for himself. He rolled over, his face shifting to an expression of utter despair.

After a moment of silence, just as the System thought he had given up, Yan Jin bolted upright. “I’ve got it.”

In the face of major crises, Yan Jin could be a pillar of strength. But in smaller matters especially those involving Su Huai, his common sense tended to fail him, leading to some truly terrible ideas.

For instance, his current plan: he disguised himself, believing his camouflage was flawless, and began tailing Su Huai.

Suddenly, Su Huai stopped at a street vendor’s stall. The boy, who usually wore a face that looked like Yan Jin owed him eight hundred taels, was actually chatting cheerfully with a stranger.

Yan Jin bought a “God of Wealth” mask to hide his face and crept forward, hoping to eavesdrop. However, before he could get within earshot, Su Huai moved on.

Yan Jin hunched his shoulders and continued the pursuit.

“Where are you off to, Physician Yan?”

He was so focused on Su Huai that a sudden pat on the shoulder made him jump three feet in the air. He whirled around and covered the man’s mouth. “Shh! Don’t blow my cover!”

The vendor muffled a few protests and raised his hands in surrender. Once released, he looked Yan Jin up and down and chuckled. “Master Yan, this is quite the interesting getup. Though, with your elegant bearing, you’d stand out no matter what you wore.”

“If you have something to say, say it quick. I’m busy,” Yan Jin urged, glancing at the receding figure of Su Huai. He tried to run, but the vendor pulled him back and shoved an object into his hands.

He looked down, stunned. “A hand warmer?”

“That’s right. It’s freezing out here; don’t go catching a cold.” With that, the vendor strolled away, leaving a bewildered Yan Jin behind.

For the rest of the day, on that single street, Yan Jin experienced an unprecedented level of concern from his neighbors.

Before he had even covered half a mile, he was carrying a hand warmer in his left hand, a stick of candied haws in his right, and had three lucky sachets and a bag of peanut brittle hanging from his belt. Someone had even plopped a high-quality rabbit-fur hat onto his head. Whenever the wind blew, the white fur puffed up, making him look like a giant, cozy rabbit a sight that was both heartwarming and hilarious.

Even a fool would realize by now that he had been spotted the moment, he started following Su Huai. “This stalking mission has zero immersion,” he muttered. Utterly defeated, Master Yan prepared to head home, but then a delicious aroma caught his attention.

Nearby was a popular little restaurant known for its excellent reputation. Yan Jin had been there many times; the owner was a good man and the food was fresh.

But!

Owner, do you remember that you sell stir-fry and noodles? Why are you standing at the door waving at me with a plate of pastries?!

“Physician Su said that you’ve been walking for a long time and must be tired. He’s asked that you sit here a while to watch the snow and drink some tea. This plate of milk cakes is for you to pass the time.”

In a private room on the second floor, Yan Jin sat by the window while the restaurant owner personally brewed him a fresh pot of tea.

Yan Jin took a bite of a milk cake and sighed to the System, “I feel like a kept man, a pretty-boy living off someone else.”

The System scribbled away: [Have some confidence. Delete the ‘feel like.’]

Fine. A pretty-boy it was. It was still better than facing Su Huai’s grumpy face.

He chewed through his worries along with the pastries, decided to enjoy the snow, and waited for Su Huai to finish his business so they could go home together.

Since the failure of his stalking mission, Yan Jin had become obsessed with keeping tabs on Su Huai, yet every time he thought he was being stealthy, Su Huai would inevitably sniff him out.

Lately, Su Huai had become strangely busy. He stayed up late reading and spent his days either seeing patients or locked in the kitchen. He had even taken a part-time job at a local eatery just to learn professional cooking techniques.

“Crouching here makes you look mentally ill,” the System critiqued. “If you want to know what he’s doing so badly, just go in and ask.”

Today, Su Huai had been in the kitchen for hours. Unable to suppress his ballooning curiosity, and finding the kitchen doors locked and the roof inaccessible, Yan Jin stacked two piles of bricks under the window. He balanced on them, peeking through the glass.

“You don’t understand,” Yan Jin whispered. “This is the joy of discovery.”

“Just wait,” the System sneered. “You’re going to get caught.”

“No, I—”

Before he could finish, a small bowl appeared on the windowsill right in front of his face. Inside were three or four small tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). The white dumplings, filled with osmanthus honey, bobbed gently in the syrup.

Yan Jin’s brain didn’t react, but his mouth did; he swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He stealthily reached for a spoon and took a bite, his eyes narrowing in instant satisfaction.

They were soft, chewy, and perfectly sweetened exactly how he liked them. More importantly, the soup was warm but not scalding, as if it had been set out to cool to the perfect temperature before being served to him.

Wait.

Yan Jin fell silent.

Mission failed. Again.

Finally recognizing the vast gap in skill between him and Su Huai, he chose to let it go.

He didn’t have much time to stay idle, as Su Huai was gone for several more days. He only caught a glimpse of the boy once in front of a roast goose shop.

Yan Jin figured the kid was just tired of their bland diet and had gone to get some roast goose for himself, so he didn’t ask questions.

That is, until one day after a nap. He opened his door to find a giant goose charging past his room with its neck extended. It flapped its wings like a low-altitude bomber, chasing a screaming Little White Plum. The dog and the goose fought their way from the trees to the flowerbeds, leaving a trail of absolute wreckage.

Yan Jin was so startled he dropped his hand warmer. Where did this feathered martial arts master come from?!

Just then, Su Huai entered the courtyard. Seeing a familiar face, the goose launched itself at him like a guided missile.

“Watch out!” Yan Jin shouted. He lunged forward, pulled Su Huai behind him, and let out a thunderous roar at the goose: “HALT!”

The shout was full of vigor, echoing through the yard and freezing the man, the dog, and the goose in their tracks.

A dead silence followed.

System: [What was that?]

Yan Jin’s legs were shaking and he wanted to cry. He carefully shielded Su Huai as they moved. “That was the ‘Intimidation Tactic.’ A giant goose at the peak of its combat power can take down several men. You have to strike first to have any hope of winning.”

He stared down the goose, looking for all the world like a general preparing for a world-ending war.

After a standoff that lasted as long as a stick of incense, Su Huai finally couldn’t take it anymore. “This goose is for us to keep,” he explained helplessly. “Once it lays eggs and I raise them, I can sell them back to the roast goose shop owner to make some money…”

“Aaaaaah! I’m terrified of geese!”

Su Huai hadn’t even finished the word “money” when he was cut off by Yan Jin’s scream. The goose, sensing weakness, lunged at Yan Jin. Little White Plum, forgetting its previous trauma, thought Yan Jin was playing and joined the chase. Xia Qingyan and Lin Jiebai heard the commotion and ran out, only to be caught in the fray themselves.

And so, a miraculous scene unfolded: a goose and a dog formed an unholy alliance to chase three adults around the courtyard.

Su Huai: “…” Before his business venture had even started, it had collapsed. For the first time in his life, he felt truly exhausted.

The battle ended only when Su Huai intervened. The three adults and the dog collapsed by the table, panting, while Yan Jin issued a formal decree: the goose had to go.

“Actually, Junior Brother meant well,” Xia Qingyan whispered, her voice even softer than usual in front of Yan Jin.

“Exactly,” Lin Jiebai added, plucking a goose feather from his hair. “He did it for you. He saw how hard you work for Sansheng Hall and wanted to earn some silver to help you out.”

“Don’t say it.” Yan Jin buried his face in his arms. Recalling the sight of Su Huai’s dejected back as he hauled the goose away, a wave of guilt washed over him.

“I think you should go coax him. He’s likely quite upset,” Lin Jiebai suggested, his eyes glinting. He smiled suddenly. “Why don’t you cook him something yourself?”

“Huh?” Yan Jin looked up, stunned. “Me?” Do you not remember what my cooking is like?

“It’s the thought that counts! If you ‘wash your hands to make the soup’ for him, he’ll be thrilled.” Lin Jiebai dragged Yan Jin toward the kitchen. “Hurry, or we’ll miss dinner!”

Yan Jin stepped into the kitchen with a healthy amount of skepticism.

BOOM!

A pillar of fire roared toward the rafters. The door was kicked open, and someone snatched the pot lid from Yan Jin’s hand, slammed it down, and smothered the flames before they could spread.

Su Huai stood there, still holding the freshly plucked goose he had intended to stew for Yan Jin’s health since he couldn’t keep it alive. Seeing the chaos, the veins on his forehead throbbed. He shoved Yan Jin out of the kitchen and snapped, “Go back to your room and rest!”

Then, the door slammed in Yan Jin’s face.

I blew it.

Yan Jin trudged back to his room in low spirits. How am I going to fix this? Our relationship was just starting to get better.

He opened his door with tears in his eyes, but then he froze. His tears vanished instantly.

The room was different. There was a new scent in the air the medicinal herbs Xia Qingyan used for calming incense, but with a few additions that made the aroma softer and distinctly floral.

He sniffed carefully. The floral scent was identical to the one he usually wore. It wasn’t hard to guess who had lit it.

The clouds in Yan Jin’s heart cleared instantly. He went to his desk, grabbed paper and brush, and with the focused expression of a doctor writing a life-saving prescription, he drew two little figures.

One figure looked exactly like a dignified Su Huai sitting in a chair, while the other was Yan Jin himself, kneeling before him in worship.

Next to the drawings, he wrote: Great Master Su Huai, you are a man of immense magnanimity. Please forgive me this once.

He crept back to the window where he had stacked the bricks and slid the note under the frame.

A moment later, the note was pulled inside.

From within the kitchen, a faint, cold huff drifted out: “Go back to your room and wait for your dinner.”