To Treat Each Other Like Brothers - Chapter 12

On that day, someone recorded Xie Shiyao’s bilingual speech at the Yaoshi Hotel anniversary celebration. Within just a few hours, it had gone viral across the internet.

Xie Shiyao was the last to find out.

While he was in a car heading to a dinner meeting, several of his lovers from New York frantically sent him the link.

His phone screen flickered in the dim back seat. He clicked it nonchalantly. In the video, he was bathed in intense stage lights, looking strangely dazzling even to himself.

He wore a perfectly tailored dark suit paired with a silk scarf. He was captured nodding as he listened to the applause; the shadow cast by his long lashes veiled his exhaustion, adding a touch of world-weary elegance to his appearance.

No one cared what he actually said on stage. Most of the ten thousand comments praised him for being young, successful, and exceptionally handsome. People commented on his broad shoulders and narrow waist, with many clamoring for him to appear on a variety show.

Even Xiao Guai, whom he had not contacted in a while, used his official singer account to leave a like on the video.

Xie Shiyao tossed the phone aside. If the people in the comment section knew his true sexual orientation, this video probably would not have caused such a stir.

Outside the window, the streetscape receded. Xie Shiyao removed the cufflinks Lin Zhuyi had given him and rolled them between his fingers, inspecting them.

The boy was not very old, yet he had already learned how to spend money. It was a bad habit.

A flash of amusement crossed his eyes. Holding the cufflinks, Xie Shiyao could not help but feel curious about the contents of Lin Zhuyi’s self-reflection essay. He thought it might be nice to end the dinner early, go home, and play with him for a bit.

Unfortunately, the officials present that day were even more insistent on drinking than he had imagined.

No matter how glorious he appeared to the public, in front of these men, he was merely a junior who had just turned twenty. In the private room, toasts were exchanged continuously. Xie Shiyao maintained an impeccable smile, draining glass after glass of Moutai as he was toasted.

Xie Shiyao’s tolerance was not poor, but because he had not fully recovered from his illness, the alcohol mixed with fatigue. His temples began to throb.

The leaders were very satisfied with the hospitality. As things wrapped up, they patted Xie Shiyao on the shoulder, offering platitudes like “the youth are to be feared” and “the future of Yaoshi is promising.” Xie Shiyao navigated the social cues gracefully, showing no sign that the world before his eyes was already spinning.

The dinner ended much later than expected.

As the night wind blew, the intoxication surged. When Xie Shiyao returned to the old estate, his frame swayed almost imperceptibly at the entrance.

Returning home this late, Lin Zhuyi would likely act crazy again. It would be better to take the initiative.

Xie Shiyao straightened his back, pretending to be perfectly sober as he entered the house.

As expected, the house felt eerie.

The lights in the hall were off. Lin Zhuyi sat at the dining table like a ghost, facing a spread of cold dishes and staring out the floor-to-ceiling window.

Their gazes collided.

Xie Shiyao gave an arrogant smile, and they spoke at the same time:

“Brother, why are you… just getting back?”

“Where is the reflection essay?”

Lin Zhuyi was the first to react. Instead of taking out the written essay, he walked toward Xie Shiyao. He placed his hands on Xie Shiyao’s shoulders to help him remove his suit jacket, then leaned in close to the fabric and sniffed it.

“Mm. Smoke and alcohol,” Lin Zhuyi said without emotion. “No scent of perfume this time.”

Lin Zhuyi looked at Xie Shiyao’s cuffs and frowned. “Brother, where is the gift I gave you?”

“Threw it away,” Xie Shiyao said, snatching the jacket back. “Why are you so fussy and neurotic every day? Do you not understand what it means to behave yourself?”

Lin Zhuyi leaned in dangerously close. “You really threw it away?”

“Brother, you truly disappoint me. It is very hard for me to behave when you act like this.”

Xie Shiyao narrowed his eyes, struggling to focus his vision. “How hard could it be?”

Lin Zhuyi suddenly grabbed the jacket in Xie Shiyao’s hand. They were very close; hot breath fanned across Xie Shiyao’s lips.

“Brother, let us not talk about that for now. I want to ask you something. If I listen to you every day, can you come home more often to spend time with me?”

A surge of irritation rose in Xie Shiyao’s heart, but at the same time, perhaps due to the alcohol, he felt the thrill of meeting a worthy opponent.

Xie Shiyao leaned forward. To keep from swaying, he propped one arm against the wall. From a certain angle, it looked as if he was putting his arm around Lin Zhuyi’s shoulder.

“What right do you have to negotiate with me, little brother?”

Lin Zhuyi locked eyes with Xie Shiyao. “I clearly have only you, and I only remember you. Why can you not love me like a real brother would?”

Xie Shiyao tilted his head. Their faces grew closer until their breathing nearly merged. “Do you even deserve to be loved?”

Lin Zhuyi leaned in even further. His scent enveloped Xie Shiyao, and their lips were only millimeters apart. “Only if you are willing to give.”

“But I cannot give it. What can you do then?”

“I will teach you how to give.”

Xie Shiyao tilted his head slightly, his voice softening as if he were interested. “And how do you plan to teach me, little one?”

Their noses almost brushed. Lin Zhuyi’s breath poured into Xie Shiyao’s mouth. “Since we live together, I think I will have many opportunities to teach you.”

Xie Shiyao lowered his lashes and laughed uncontrollably. He shook his head and let go of the jacket, allowing Lin Zhuyi to hold it.

Xie Shiyao turned casually and walked toward the hall. He collapsed onto the sofa, draping his long legs over the armrest and resting the back of his hand lazily against his forehead. “Read the reflection essay to me.”

Lin Zhuyi did not move. “Brother, you went viral on the internet today. Did you know? I wanted to tell you immediately, but unfortunately, you blocked me. I was very sad.”

Xie Shiyao closed his eyes, shutting out the spinning world. He commanded, “It has only been one day. Have you already learned to ignore my words, Lin Zhuyi?”

An excited light flashed in Lin Zhuyi’s eyes. He took out his phone and opened his notes, preparing to speak obediently.

With his eyes still closed, Xie Shiyao pointed his finger at the floor beside him. “Read it here.”

In the darkness, Xie Shiyao heard the sound of Lin Zhuyi approaching. The man seemed to sit down, or perhaps he did not; soon, Lin Zhuyi’s voice rang out.

“Brother asked me to write a reflection. I did not know where to start, but because it was Brother’s request, I am willing. I promised Brother I would be good and obedient.”

“I must have done many things to make Brother hate me in the past, which is why Brother dislikes me so much. However, I still want to say sorry to Brother.”

“I want to start over with Brother. Since Brother does not like the old me, I will make sure you do not hate the current me.”

“As long as Brother is willing to give me a chance.”

At this point, Lin Zhuyi’s voice stopped.

Xie Shiyao waited for a moment to confirm he had finished. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled, reaching out to ruffle Lin Zhuyi’s hair.

Suddenly, he gripped the hair in his hand and pulled the boy closer. He spoke slowly, “It is entirely nonsense, brother.”

Lin Zhuyi gazed at Xie Shiyao, whose eyes were more dazed than usual. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “It is enough if Brother likes my nonsense.”

Like? Of course he liked it.

The enemy he could not hit or drive away since childhood had now become a different person, kneeling on the floor to read a reflection to him. Nothing was more exhilarating than this.

A haze clouded Xie Shiyao’s eyes. He pulled Lin Zhuyi closer. “There is something I have wanted to ask you for a long time.”

“Lin Zhuyi, why did you lie to my father when we were little?”

Lin Zhuyi tilted his head as if trying to recall which specific time he meant. After a brief pause, he put on a perfect smile. “I do not understand what you are talking about.”

Xie Shiyao said, “Years ago, you provoked me, and I went to your room to settle the score. Perhaps I got too close to you. What did you do? You sent the surveillance footage from the room to my father and my school. You said that I had improper intentions toward you.”

At this point, Xie Shiyao let go of the hair and moved his hand down to Lin Zhuyi’s neck, looking as if he might choke him at any moment.

“Only you would be capable of installing surveillance in your own room. What were you after? Because of that incident, I had to transfer schools and was so misunderstood by my father, until I was eventually driven away to America. I truly cannot understand what goes on in your head.”

“Furthermore, the things you have done go far beyond just that.”

Lin Zhuyi did not struggle.

Instead, he placed his hands over the back of Xie Shiyao’s hand, applying pressure to help Xie Shiyao choke him. “I said I do not remember. If you care that much, then choke me. As long as it makes you feel better.”

Lin Zhuyi spoke with increasing force. Xie Shiyao’s hand began to ache from the grip.

The intoxication mixed with his past hatred for Lin Zhuyi, distorting the figure before him. He truly wanted to choke him.

Xie Shiyao’s fingertips instinctively pressed harder as Lin Zhuyi’s palms tightened. But finally, he said solemnly, “Lin Zhuyi, let go of my hand.”

Lin Zhuyi did not stop. He spoke with a raspy voice through the suffocation, “If Brother lets go now, will it settle the score?”

“Lin Zhuyi, I am counting to three. If you do not let go—”

Realizing Xie Shiyao was serious, Lin Zhuyi smiled as if he had won. He then obediently spread his hands. “Fine, if that is what you want.”

Seeing that relaxed face, Xie Shiyao really wanted to slap him. But he did not.

Xie Shiyao sat up from the sofa and hooked Lin Zhuyi’s collar. Ensuring Lin Zhuyi was close enough, he placed his hand on the boy’s right ear and removed the hearing aid.

Xie Shiyao leaned down and whispered into the ear that could hear almost nothing, word by word:

“To be honest. Just a moment ago, I almost felt a stir of emotion.”

“However, choking you to death would be too easy for you. Let me torture you for a while longer. That way, when I finally abandon you, I will feel that the score is… sufficiently settled.”

Xie Shiyao pulled away, stuffed the hearing aid back into Lin Zhuyi’s ear, and patted his right cheek. These half-true, half-false words made him smile with satisfaction.

He pulled the silk scarf from his neck, exposing the scar to both their gazes.

Xie Shiyao pinched a corner of the scarf and waved it at Lin Zhuyi with an expression that said, You know why I wear this. He spoke, “I am thirsty. Go pour me a glass of water.”

Lin Zhuyi’s gaze was glued to the scarf. He said nothing, simply stood up, and did as he was told.

The kitchen light turned on. Honey was scooped into a spoon and mixed with hot water in a glass. Lin Zhuyi stirred it.

When Lin Zhuyi emerged from the kitchen with the honey water, Xie Shiyao had already slumped over on the sofa, fast asleep.

Lin Zhuyi stopped in front of Xie Shiyao and knelt down. He reached out and brushed away the damp strands of hair from Xie Shiyao’s forehead.

He placed the water on the floor and lay there in front of Xie Shiyao, watching him sleep and feeling his alcohol-laden breath. He stayed there quietly for a long time.

He stayed until he was a bit sleepy himself, and until he was certain Xie Shiyao was too drunk to wake up.

Lin Zhuyi cautiously poked Xie Shiyao’s face. Seeing no reaction, he used his thumb to press down firmly on Xie Shiyao’s lips.

The regular puffs of hot air from his brother’s mouth and the lack of any reaction or frown made Lin Zhuyi click his tongue in annoyance.

“Your mouth is harder than you are.”

Lin Zhuyi helplessly helped the sleeping Xie Shiyao up, positioning him face-to-face so that Xie Shiyao leaned against him.

Their chests were pressed together. Lin Zhuyi used his arm to support Xie Shiyao’s thighs, embracing the sleeping man and letting him hang off his body.

Lin Zhuyi stood up and allowed Xie Shiyao’s head to droop into the crook of his neck, carrying him all the way from downstairs back to the bedroom.

Numbed by alcohol and his unhealed body, Xie Shiyao was completely unaware that he had been placed on the bed and tucked in by the person he once hated most.

Xie Shiyao was even less aware that, the moment he collapsed onto the bed, a shiny cufflink fell out of his suit trousers pocket.

The very cufflink he most hoped Lin Zhuyi would not discover.

Lin Zhuyi picked up the cufflink from the sheet and held it before his eyes to examine it closely.

“Ah… Brother.”

Lin Zhuyi looked at Xie Shiyao with a complex gaze.

Just then, a hand reached out.

Looking as if he were in discomfort, Xie Shiyao pressed down on Lin Zhuyi’s head and forcibly pulled him into an embrace.

Lin Zhuyi’s eyes widened. He seemed afraid of waking the other man and did not dare move.

Xie Shiyao unconsciously rubbed Lin Zhuyi’s neck. He seemed to indulge in the scent on Lin Zhuyi, letting out a nasal murmur as if he were enjoying it.

His finger slid over Lin Zhuyi’s ear, slowly tracing circles along the auricle. Something called instinct drove him to open his mouth, wanting to taste those lips that surely must be soft.

At that exact moment, the scent of Lin Zhuyi flooded his brain like a wave crashing against the shore.

Their lips almost touched. Xie Shiyao’s entire body jolted.

He had felt the hearing aid.

Xie Shiyao woke up with a start, his eyes snapping open in surprise. Lin Zhuyi’s silhouette was reflected clearly in his eyes.

“Why are you here?” Xie Shiyao asked, suppressing the palpitations in his heart and feigning composure.