To Treat Each Other Like Brothers - Chapter 11

Xie Shiyao used the tip of his leather shoe to lift Lin Zhuyi’s chin. “Continue,” he commanded.

Lin Zhuyi began to laugh. He did not struggle, allowing Xie Shiyao to pin him down. “It is no wonder that man at the hotel said you have a strong grip. Even when you are sick, Brother, you are still so powerful.”

“I asked you why you hugged me. Why are you changing the subject?” Xie Shiyao had no intention of beating around the bush.

“Fine, Brother, let us not change the subject,” Lin Zhuyi nodded. “Yes, I did hug you. But do not get the wrong idea. Before I hugged you, I also really wanted to strangle you to death.”

Yes. This is correct. This is the real Lin Zhuyi.

Compared to the submissive act Lin Zhuyi had been putting on, this attitude of wishing him dead felt much more familiar. It was the Lin Zhuyi he had known for ten years.

Xie Shiyao increased the pressure of his grip. “You had such a perfect opportunity. Why did you waste it? You really are useless.”

Lin Zhuyi pressed his cheek against the wall. “Perhaps it is because you smell so good. Just like right now, I could not bring myself to do it.”

Xie Shiyao pressed his forearm against Lin Zhuyi’s neck, pushing him down further. “Your mercy is truly cheap. Am I supposed to thank you for it?”

Lin Zhuyi coughed slightly from the pressure. “Yesterday, I was truly angry. As my brother, you cannot control yourself. You are always surrounded by all sorts of people who are not good enough for you, clinging to you and circling you. But then you had to get sick. I watched you lying on the bed without an ounce of strength. If I wanted to, I could have strangled you to death to vent my anger. But at that moment, I thought that instead of having you disappear, I would rather see you every single day. I regretted my anger, and then I felt a bit afraid. That is why I hugged you. Brother, are you satisfied with that answer?”

Xie Shiyao was rendered speechless.

Taking advantage of Xie Shiyao’s momentary hesitation, Lin Zhuyi suddenly exerted force through his core. His body, which had been pinned, twisted with the sudden movement. Lin Zhuyi instantly turned the tables, pinning both of Xie Shiyao’s wrists against the wall.

Maintaining a slight distance, Lin Zhuyi’s voice dropped low. “Do not give me the chance to go crazy again, Brother. No matter how much I endure, there will be a day when I lose control. You have no idea how much I care about you. Besides, Brother, I was just making up stories to tease you earlier. I could never bring myself to strangle you. You had finally fainted and you looked so cold. Of course I would want to hold you.”

Xie Shiyao snorted coldly. “I see. This is just another one of your lies. You are full of them.”

Lin Zhuyi shook his head and wedged his knee between Xie Shiyao’s legs, pinning him so he could not move. “Think whatever you like.”

Between the lingering illness and Lin Zhuyi’s surprising strength, Xie Shiyao’s breathing was much faster than usual. However, he did not want to show weakness in front of the boy. He maintained a cold expression and looked Lin Zhuyi in the eye. “Your sincerity is worthless to me. Now that you have moved in and played your childish games for a while, what is it that you actually want?”

Lin Zhuyi’s expression stiffened for a second. Then, slowly, he lowered his eyelashes. “I only want to be your brother.”

Lin Zhuyi pressed his bandaged palm against Xie Shiyao’s wrist. Although Xie Shiyao was forced to keep his hands raised, he remained defiant. “My father and your mother are both gone. We finally reached a point where we did not have to be related. What is wrong with you now?”

Lin Zhuyi’s nose nearly brushed against Xie Shiyao’s hair. “I truly want to be your brother. Give me a chance, Brother.”

Xie Shiyao laughed coldly. “What kind of brother treats his elder brother like this? Let go of my hands right now.”

Lin Zhuyi replied, “I will let you go if you truly treat me like your brother.”

“Lin Zhuyi, you dare to threaten me?”

“I do not dare to threaten you. I am pleading with you. Brother, if you accept me, I am willing to listen to everything you say. Truly. You could even tell me to go and die.”

Whether it was because of the fever, the position they were in, or the phrase “go and die,” Xie Shiyao felt his entire body flush with heat. Lin Zhuyi’s eyes made his throat feel dry, and the scent of the boy seemed to consume his mind.

Xie Shiyao gathered his emotions and tried to stay calm. “Your life is not worth a penny to me. I am giving you one last chance. Let me go, Lin Zhuyi.”

Lin Zhuyi stared at Xie Shiyao for a moment. “Then promise me that if I let you go, you will not kick me out.”

Xie Shiyao made a clicking sound with his tongue. “I thought you said you would listen to everything I say? Are you bargaining with me now? If you want to be my brother, you must be good. Otherwise, you will only end up being abandoned.”

At the word “abandoned,” Lin Zhuyi’s pupils dilated. However, as he processed the sentence, the light in his eyes brightened. He leaned into Xie Shiyao’s ear and whispered, “Fine. I will do whatever you say.”

With that, Lin Zhuyi stepped back and smilingly released Xie Shiyao’s hands.

The moment he was freed, a gust of wind brushed his cheek as Xie Shiyao delivered a sharp slap. “Kneel.”

Lin Zhuyi’s head tilted to the side, and his left cheek immediately turned red. The smile did not fade from his face, as if the slap did not hurt at all. He then knelt on both knees before Xie Shiyao. “Do you have any other requirements?”

Xie Shiyao looked down at him. “Apologize.”

“Where does Brother want me to start? Should I apologize for hugging you while you were weak, or for just now, making it so you could not move?”

Even though Lin Zhuyi was kneeling, the latter part of his sentence made Xie Shiyao feel very uncomfortable. He decided to speak plainly. “Do not play word games with me. I want an apology that satisfies me.”

Xie Shiyao walked to the bed and sat down with his legs crossed to watch Lin Zhuyi’s performance. Lin Zhuyi looked up and gazed at him, smiling briefly. “It was my fault for making Brother feel afraid.”

Xie Shiyao gently lifted his foot and used the tip of his leather shoe to tilt Lin Zhuyi’s chin up. “Continue.”

Lin Zhuyi spoke with almost religious devotion. “I should not be a dishonest brother.”

“Oh?”

“I should not have broken the vase, I should not have lost my temper with you, and I should not have pulled on your clothes so hard. Brother, I truly have no ill will. I only want to take good care of you.”

Xie Shiyao withdrew his red-soled shoe. This troublemaker, who had annoyed and provoked him countless times since they were children, was now actually obeying his every command. A sense of possessive pride rose in his heart.

He looked at Lin Zhuyi with interest. “And how do you plan to take care of me?”

Lin Zhuyi said, “By starting to listen to you.”

Xie Shiyao crossed his arms and adjusted his posture. “Will you listen to me twenty four hours a day?”

“Of course, Brother. I will only listen to you.”

If Xie Shiyao could go back to their childhood, he would never have imagined that the Lin Zhuyi who always opposed him could say such things. He decided that changing the way they played might be interesting. He stood up and stopped in front of Lin Zhuyi, his shadow completely covering the kneeling boy. He leaned down and ran his fingers through Lin Zhuyi’s cool hair. “You are being very good. But you must always be obedient, my dear brother.”

After saying this, he pulled his hand away and left the room without another look.

Lin Zhuyi watched Xie Shiyao disappear through the doorway. His expression looked happy at first, but a trace of sadness eventually emerged. “You actually had the strength to break my grip. Why did you not do it?”

You cannot leave me either, can you?

As soon as Xie Shiyao returned to his room, his steps faltered. He almost lost his balance. He took off his clothes and sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at his palm. He opened and closed his hand, feeling as though Lin Zhuyi’s scent still lingered on his fingertips.

He sighed and buried his face in his hands. After sitting like that for a while, he collapsed onto the bed. It was too cold. He pulled the blanket over himself. It felt much heavier now, likely because it had been replaced as Lin Zhuyi’s note suggested.

He felt both hot and cold. He could still feel the hot breath of Lin Zhuyi near his ear and the sensation of the boy pinning his wrists. His mind drifted back to the kiss in his dream and those bold, dangerous whispers.

Xie Shiyao’s hand moved under the covers as he rolled over and buried his face in the pillow. He bit down on the corner of the pillow, determined not to make a sound as he suppressed his heavy breathing. When it was finally over, he felt a wave of regret.

Was keeping Lin Zhuyi in the house the right choice for either of them? Was it out of a desire for revenge, or was it to satisfy a selfish urge that had twisted over the course of their long childhood?

While Xie Shiyao was lost in thought, his phone lit up. It was a message from Xiao Bai. It was a beautiful selfie accompanied by a message. “Xie, I cannot sleep. Can we pretend what happened yesterday did not happen? Can we meet again?”

Xie Shiyao needed a distraction, so he typed a reply with one hand. “Why did you suddenly say that yesterday?”

Xiao Bai did not hide anything and replied. “If it were possible, who would not want to be in a relationship with you? It is a pity you would never agree. If you ever want a relationship, you must tell me.”

Xie Shiyao stared at the phone for a while before letting go. It landed on his chest with a thud.

If they truly liked me, why did they not try to fight for it?

Every one of them was the same. They said beautiful things and were great actors, but there was no sincerity. Xie Shiyao thought back to the few boys he had been with when he first started exploring his sexuality. He had considered treating them with sincerity, but whenever he thought about taking responsibility, they would simply take what they could get and leave.

If everyone was going to leave anyway, it was better not to start. It was easier to just enjoy the physical pleasure. All he needed was someone to hold him and act as his sleeping pill.

In Xie Shiyao’s memory, the only care he had ever known was the kind wrapped in money. He did not understand true concern because he had never experienced it. It was not that he had never craved it. When his mother was still alive, he hoped she would care for him. Instead, he only received cold rejection and her dying curse.

He eventually realized that you do not have to fear losing something you never had. He sighed and remembered the worried expression on Lin Zhuyi’s face. Why did he see that unneeded concern on Lin Zhuyi’s face of all people? Was it sincere, or was it just part of his acting?

I treat you like this… so why do you not leave me?

Thanks to the IV drip, Xie Shiyao felt much better the next morning. His schedule for the day was very busy. It was the twentieth anniversary of the Yaoshi Hotel in the north city. He had to give a speech in both Chinese and English, followed by a dinner with several officials.

While he was thinking about his speech, he went downstairs and saw Lin Zhuyi cooking soup in the kitchen. Xie Shiyao looked away. “We have maids to cook. What are you doing? Are you busy trying to please me?”

Lin Zhuyi turned around and saw the elegantly dressed Xie Shiyao. He was stunned for a moment before regaining his composure. “Brother is sick. Should you not be resting at home?”

Xie Shiyao replied, “If I stayed home every time I felt sick, anyone could do my job.”

Lin Zhuyi seemed to understand. “I will work hard to become useful so that you do not have to work so hard.”

Xie Shiyao paused.

Lin Zhuyi turned down the heat and put the lid on the pot. “There must be something important today. You look even more handsome than usual. Wait a moment, I have something for you.”

Xie Shiyao did not know what kind of trouble the boy was planning. Seeing Lin Zhuyi head upstairs, he did not plan to wait. He took a sip of coffee, grabbed his car keys, and prepared to leave. At that moment, Lin Zhuyi called out to him.

Xie Shiyao turned around. Lin Zhuyi was holding a red Cartier bag. He opened the box inside to reveal a diamond studded cufflink. Lin Zhuyi took the cufflink out and helped Xie Shiyao put it on. “I noticed you use a Cartier lighter when you smoke, so I ordered these cufflinks for you. I bought them back when you were ignoring me for a month.”

The diamonds caught the sunlight and cast spots of light onto Xie Shiyao’s hand. Xie Shiyao found it hard to believe. He knew Lin Zhuyi had money, but he never expected the boy to buy him anything, especially something made of rose gold and diamonds. To him, this was like a fox giving a monk a robe. It felt suspicious.

Lin Zhuyi admired the cufflink and smiled at Xie Shiyao. “You look very handsome today. Can you please not see anyone else and just come home as soon as you are finished?”

Xie Shiyao was still confused. “Why are you giving me this?”

Lin Zhuyi answered, “Because you are my brother.”

Xie Shiyao did not understand. Before he became the chairman, he enjoyed dressing up and had plenty of accessories like these.

Lin Zhuyi continued, “Brother, do you know why I want to learn how to drive?”

“Tell me.”

Lin Zhuyi’s face brightened for a moment. “So that I can drive you to and from work. That way, no one else can get close to you. As soon as you finish work, I can take you straight home and keep an eye on you every day.”

Xie Shiyao felt helpless. Did this boy realize he was saying such crazy things with a face that looked so innocent? He used his finger to push Lin Zhuyi’s head away. “If you are having delusions, you should get treated. I will have Uncle Li take you to get your brain checked.”

Xie Shiyao took a few steps toward the door before stopping and looking back. “By the way, I am not letting you off for what happened over the last few days. While you are at home today, write a self reflection report for me. If I am not satisfied, you will have to keep writing one every day. You are so obedient, so I am sure that will not be a problem, right, Brother?”