To Treat Each Other Like Brothers - Chapter 13

Lin Zhuyi looked completely innocent, appearing dazed for a moment.

The realization that he had almost kissed Lin Zhuyi caused a mix of rage and shame to surge through Xie Shiyao, making his cheeks burn with heat. He did not give Lin Zhuyi a chance to speak. Taking the initiative, he raised his leg and, fueled by the alcohol and ten years of accumulated resentment, used all his strength to kick the man off the bed.

“Get out,” Xie Shiyao ordered, sitting up on the bed.

He thought Lin Zhuyi would not obey him so easily. Unexpectedly, Lin Zhuyi said nothing. He simply patted his leg, stood up, and left the room, even closing the door behind him.

He actually left that obediently.

The massive room felt too quiet, making the sound of Xie Shiyao’s heartbeat the loudest thing in the space. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to recall what had happened downstairs. He remembered taking off Lin Zhuyi’s hearing aid and saying something, but the exact words escaped him. Aside from that, the clearest memory remaining was the sensation of Lin Zhuyi’s hot breath against his skin when they were inches apart.

He tapped his forehead with his knuckles in frustration, feeling as though he were losing his mind. He got out of bed and walked barefoot to the bathroom, quickly turning on the faucet. As if he had touched something incredibly filthy, Xie Shiyao scrubbed his hands vigorously before washing his face and rinsing his mouth. After returning to bed, he turned over and felt a sense of relief before falling back into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Xie Shiyao woke up with a pounding headache. His body felt sticky, a sign that he had broken into a sweat while sleeping. He checked his phone and saw it was 5:00 AM. Fortunately, he would not be late for work.

It was then that he noticed something on his pillow shimmering in the morning light. The cufflink Lin Zhuyi had given him was lying there. Beside it was a note in Lin Zhuyi’s handwriting.

“You are so hypocritical it is annoying.”

The exquisite cufflink reflected in his light-colored eyes, and his expression froze. Hypocritical? Why would he say that? Since he could not remember the reason, he decided to drop it. It was no big deal.

He went to the bathroom and turned on the heater. As the warmth enveloped him, Xie Shiyao undressed. His shoulder blades expanded and his back muscles became prominent under the light, the lines narrowing down to a lean waist and two distinct V-lines. Water drenched his hair as he scrubbed his body repeatedly, wanting to wash away every trace of Lin Zhuyi’s scent.

When he finished dressing and went downstairs, Lin Zhuyi was already sitting at the dining table eating breakfast. Upon seeing Xie Shiyao, a faint, inscrutable smile appeared on Lin Zhuyi’s face.

Xie Shiyao tossed the cufflink and the note in front of Lin Zhuyi. “What is the meaning of this?”

Lin Zhuyi propped his chin on his hand playfully. “Does Brother not remember? You said yesterday that you threw away the gift I gave you. But clearly, you did not.”

Xie Shiyao truly had no recollection of saying that, but based on his own personality, it sounded like something he would say. However, he had no intention of letting Lin Zhuyi enjoy the moment. “Then I will throw it away again right in front of your face.”

As Xie Shiyao prepared to toss it, Lin Zhuyi suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Wait.”

Lin Zhuyi said teasingly, “Did you black out? Do you really remember nothing from yesterday?”

His dark, curved eyes were filled with Xie Shiyao’s reflection. Lin Zhuyi was clearly in an excellent mood. Seeing Lin Zhuyi so happy naturally made Xie Shiyao’s mood sour.

Xie Shiyao said crossly, “Did I say something offensive that made you toss and turn all night, wishing to hear me scold you again?”

Lin Zhuyi acted as if he were lost in thought. He used his thumb to graze Xie Shiyao’s wrist. “It seems Brother cannot remember. Let me help you recall.”

He let go, stood up, and leaned into Xie Shiyao’s ear, whispering softly, “You said that you cannot leave me.”

Total nonsense, Xie Shiyao thought, glaring at Lin Zhuyi.

Lin Zhuyi laughed out loud and gave Xie Shiyao a light pat on the back. “I am joking. You almost tried to strangle me last night. But I do not mind. To be honest, I was even a little happy.”

Leaving it at that, Lin Zhuyi stretched, put his hands in his pockets, and sauntered upstairs.

Xie Shiyao stood there with a grim expression. He felt as though he had been outmaneuvered. The most terrifying part was that, driven by alcohol, he had almost crossed the line last night. He hated that feeling. The desire to teach Lin Zhuyi a lesson, mixed with long-suppressed youthful rebellion and the sober warning to himself to stop this behavior, gave rise to a hidden idea.

Since returning to the country and meeting Lin Zhuyi again, the man was undoubtedly still the same “evil seed” from the past. However, Lin Zhuyi now had a new weakness.

Xie Shiyao took out his phone and called the manager of the Yaoshi Hotel in North City. “Open the largest presidential suite for me. Keep it for two months. I will be staying there alone.”

He watched the direction in which Lin Zhuyi had disappeared, his gaze turning dark.

Time passed quickly amidst his busy schedule. Xie Shiyao was in high spirits as he presided over a meeting regarding the Yuancheng Amusement Park project. Since the manager of the resort happened to be visiting, he spent some time in his office drinking tea and chatting.

When the workday ended, Xie Shiyao sat in his empty office, lit a cigarette, and leaned back in his chair, lazily blowing a smoke ring. He looked at his phone, removed Lin Zhuyi’s number from the blacklist, and pressed “Call.”

“What are you doing, Brother?” Xie Shiyao asked with a low laugh.

Lin Zhuyi’s voice sounded neutral. “Waiting for you to come home, of course.”

“Oh, that is quite a pity.” Xie Shiyao flicked his ash into the ashtray. “Do not bother waiting. I am not coming back.”

“What do you mean by that?” Lin Zhuyi’s speech was noticeably more hurried than before.

Xie Shiyao felt a sense of total satisfaction. He held the cigarette between his thumb and index finger and took a calm puff. “Do not doubt what you heard. You heard correctly. You do not go to school and stay at the mansion every day; that was the condition for me allowing you to live there. However, I never said I would stay there with you.”

The other end of the line fell into a dead silence for over ten seconds. During this silence, Xie Shiyao boredly blew a few more smoke rings. Since Lin Zhuyi remained silent, Xie Shiyao continued.

“If you want to leave, you can do so at any time. But Lin Zhuyi, remember this: if you leave, you do not need to come back. If you do not want to leave, that is fine too. You must be good. No causing trouble, no breaking things, and yes, no setting the house on fire. Until you decide to leave, I will have Uncle Li keep an eye on you.”

At this point, Xie Shiyao remembered Lin Zhuyi provoking him through the surveillance camera. He let out a light huff. “Uncle Li is getting old. Do not go around taking off your clothes in front of the cameras anymore. I am afraid Uncle Li’s heart would not be able to take it.”

Lin Zhuyi’s breathing became heavy. “Xie Shiyao, I will ask you one thing. Will you ever come back?”

Xie Shiyao propped his long legs up on the center of his desk, sinking into his chair. In a nearly tender tone, he said slowly, “Little kid, if you are good enough to satisfy me, I might consider it. If you are not good, it does not matter. Regardless, I, Xie Shiyao, am not short of brothers.”

He hung up the phone and, with a tap of his finger, moved Lin Zhuyi back to the blacklist. He stared at the bustling city outside the window for a moment. Then, he opened the surveillance app and clicked on Lin Zhuyi’s room.

The moment the image loaded, his finger jerked. A bit of cigarette ash fell from his hand. Lin Zhuyi’s face was staring directly into the camera with perfect accuracy. Then, in the moment Xie Shiyao almost held his breath, Lin Zhuyi’s tightly pressed, pale lips slowly curved upward into a smile.

Lin Zhuyi mouthed two words toward the camera.

“Alright. I will do as you say.”

Xie Shiyao’s heart raced. He could not tell if his erratic heartbeat was due to being startled by the sudden image or the surge of adrenaline from the thrill. He could not help but think back to the previous night when, caught in an alcoholic haze, he had almost kissed him before pulling back at the last second.

If it were not Lin Zhuyi, he really would have liked to try biting down like that. How stimulating that would be.

The presidential suite Xie Shiyao booked was on the top floor of the Yaoshi Hotel. It featured spotless floor-to-ceiling windows, the best night view in North City, and furniture purchased at a high cost. Xie Shiyao collapsed onto the cloud-like bed and covered his eyes with the back of his hand.

As night fell, he took a sleeping pill but still could not fall asleep. Tormented by insomnia, he called someone over at random to engage in his usual routine of flirtation. When it was over, the lights were off, and Xie Shiyao could not even tell who was holding him. Xiao Guai, Xiao Bai, or someone else; it made no difference.

He lowered his eyelashes. That face he should not be thinking about invaded his thoughts once again. Did he move to the hotel to see Lin Zhuyi suffer? Was it to test Lin Zhuyi’s determination to stay? Or was he afraid that he would become addicted to their constant psychological games? He truly could not tell.

Living away from the mansion and Lin Zhuyi, Xie Shiyao’s life became mechanical and disciplined. Meetings. Tea. Socializing. Insomnia. Over and over again. During this time, he flew to Yuancheng once to confirm the progress of the amusement park project. He tried to keep himself busy; if he was tired enough during the day and took a sleeping pill at night, he would pass out immediately.

To his surprise, Lin Zhuyi did not cause any trouble. He was very good, truly very good. Xie Shiyao told Uncle Li to take Lin Zhuyi to see a psychologist every few days. He did not believe Lin Zhuyi had amnesia, but the boy was certainly sick; letting him talk to a psychologist might make him act more like a normal person.

After returning to North City, Xie Shiyao personally visited the Bureau of Education to find out what materials were needed for Lin Zhuyi to take the college entrance exam next year. Once he had the information, he had Uncle Li prepare the materials and register him. It was a reward for Lin Zhuyi’s good behavior.

Mid-October. November. Early December. Mid-December.

Xie Shiyao spent two whole months in a whirlwind of activity. During the day, he numbed himself with work; at night, he caroused with Gu Jinsheng. Life was full, yet all he felt was boundless pain. Whenever he closed his eyes at night, faces would drift before him in rotation: his mother uttering vicious curses, the cold man standing beside her, and his father telling him to get lost to America and stop being an embarrassment.

“I am living well. Better than any of you said I would.”

The room was silent. He buried his head in the pillow. “So, can all of you see me now?”

One day in December, a heavy snow fell in flurries. Xie Shiyao stood by the office window, watching the snow while taking a call from Uncle Li.

“I feel like Lin Zhuyi has become a different person; he is very quiet every day,” Uncle Li said. “But I can also see that it is different from when you are here. He is not happy.”

Xie Shiyao replied, “I see. Anything else?”

Uncle Li hesitated. “He said he wants to see you.”

A snowflake fell into Xie Shiyao’s line of sight just then. He watched it drop toward the ground. “In what tone did he say it?”

Uncle Li sighed. “I know you two did not get along as children, and Lin Zhuyi did many terrible things to you. But, if you keep leaving him in the house like this, I am afraid there will be problems.”

Xie Shiyao scoffed dismissively. “I told him that if he is unsatisfied, he can leave at any time.”

Uncle Li spoke plainly. “Yes, and as you have seen, he refuses to leave even now. He hardly speaks at all. If this continues, I am afraid his mind will fall ill.”

Xie Shiyao looked down at the tips of his leather shoes, remaining silent.

Uncle Li continued, “I will not persuade you to reconcile; after all, that would be too unfair to you. I could not stand his behavior when he was a child either. It is just… it is snowing. Would it not be nice to come home and have a warm meal?”

He hung up the phone. His leather shoes left the window and strode toward the main door, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the hallway.

Xie Shiyao sat in the back seat of the Rolls-Royce as the door slid shut automatically. The driver, hands on the steering wheel, looked back and asked, “Chairman Xie, where to now?”

Xie Shiyao said indifferently, “To the Yaoshi Hotel.”

The driver obediently stepped on the gas and turned the steering wheel.

As the Rolls-Royce made its second right turn, Xie Shiyao gazed at the snow piling up along the road. As if he had suddenly understood something, he gave a smile of relief. Perhaps falling from a crumbling cliff only requires the weight of a single snowflake.

Xie Shiyao loosened his tie slightly. “Never mind.”

“I suddenly feel like going home.”

He paused, his smile widening with a sense of release. “The family called me back for dinner; I should go and see them.”

Twenty minutes later, the Rolls-Royce glided to a stop before the iron gates of the courtyard. The car door opened, and a polished, red-bottomed leather shoe stepped out from the back seat. Xie Shiyao held a black umbrella, crossing the courtyard of the old mansion alone.

Uncle Li, having guessed that Xie Shiyao would come, bowed in greeting.

Xie Shiyao lifted his umbrella and asked amidst the snow, “Has he been good today?”

“The kind of good that would satisfy you.”

“Hm, not bad. It would have been better if he had been this obedient from the start instead of taking such a long detour.”

The door was pushed open, and light mingled with the cold air as it flooded into the hall. Hearing the footsteps, Lin Zhuyi looked up. It was as if nothing had ever happened between them. It was as if Xie Shiyao had only just left that morning. It was as if he had calculated with certainty that Xie Shiyao would return.

Lin Zhuyi spoke quietly, “Brother, if you had stayed away any longer, the food I made would have gone cold.”

Xie Shiyao looked down at Lin Zhuyi for a moment before finally pulling out a chair and sitting down. “Let’s eat.”

Lin Zhuyi was very quiet. He asked no questions and began peeling shrimp for Xie Shiyao. He was indeed much more obedient.

“Pour me a bowl of soup,” Xie Shiyao tested, maintaining his high posture.

Lin Zhuyi did as he was told.

Xie Shiyao frowned. “It is too far; I cannot reach it. Bring it over here.”

Hearing this, Lin Zhuyi took the soup bowl and walked toward Xie Shiyao. Their hands brushed together. Feeling Lin Zhuyi’s icy fingertips, Xie Shiyao’s own fingers instantly began to heat up. Rising alongside that secret current of electricity was a wicked sense of playfulness.

He let out a short “Ah” and pulled his hand away, letting the soup bowl shatter on the floor.

“It is filthy. Clean it up.”

Lin Zhuyi obeyed once again, as if the two months of taming had completely stripped him of his temper.

Xie Shiyao looked down, observing the figure kneeling on the floor to clean up the mess. “Being this obedient really does not look like you.”

“Lin Zhuyi, would you rather live like this every day than admit you are faking amnesia?”

“Brother, I do not understand what you are talking about.”

As he said this, Lin Zhuyi’s hand was cut by a porcelain shard. He did not care at all. Instead, he put the finger in his mouth and licked the blood clean.

“After all, Brother, you are the only one I remember. You are the only one in my world.”

That face appeared innocent, yet it carried an annoying hint of danger.

Xie Shiyao was satisfied with Lin Zhuyi’s submission, yet he was also irritated by Lin Zhuyi’s lack of honesty regarding his amnesia. It made him feel sick; it made him want to seize that neck and make Lin Zhuyi stop breathing. But he did not. He simply chewed the shrimp Lin Zhuyi had peeled, looked at the hearing aid on Lin Zhuyi’s ear, and swallowed the unpleasant nausea.

Why keep lying and playing this game of being brothers?

Why would you rather be locked in this house just to be my younger brother?

He put down his chopsticks and wiped his hands with a napkin. He suddenly began to question his decision to come home. Looking at the table full of food, he had no appetite left.

Xie Shiyao let out a sigh and dropped the napkin. He did not want to face the blood on Lin Zhuyi’s hand; he only wanted to go upstairs, regretting being in Lin Zhuyi’s company.

The window was half-open, and wind constantly rushed into the mansion, making the gauze curtains rustle. Xie Shiyao was halfway up the stairs when that annoying yet pleasant fragrance that had haunted his mind for two months drifted into his nose.

He was about to turn his head in the breeze when Lin Zhuyi’s voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

“Brother, do not turn around.”

Xie Shiyao froze. He had no intention of being obedient, but as his head tilted just a fraction, Lin Zhuyi continued.

“Do not struggle. Do not speak. Do not move. Be good.”

“Because I am going to hold you.”

He gave Xie Shiyao no time to resist. As the tie fluttered in the air, Lin Zhuyi’s firm chest pressed against Xie Shiyao’s back. The man held him tightly from behind.