To Treat Each Other Like Brothers - Chapter 18

Gu Jinsheng had “I don’t believe you” written all over his face.

Xie Shiyao thought to himself, Forget it. Believe it or not.

Xie Shiyao ate this meal in a gloomy mood. When they were almost finished, he wiped his mouth with a tissue and said, “There is something I need your help with.”

Gu Jinsheng was utterly astonished. The great Young Master Xie actually had a favor to ask of him?

Xie Shiyao continued on his own, “The people you interact with every day are different from those I do. Relative to mine, the people around you are quite young.”

Gu Jinsheng asked in confusion, “You want to play around with someone younger now?”

Xie Shiyao felt helpless. “I want you to keep an eye out for me. See if there are any smart girls around you with a decent family background. Yes, the girl must be smart, and ideally, a bit bold as well.”

Fearing that Gu Jinsheng might misunderstand, Xie Shiyao added, “My younger brother is about to start university. I want to find him a companion so he can learn more about the normal life of people out there.”

He smiled bitterly. If this had been back in September, he would have thrown Lin Zhuyi out long ago to fending for himself. Now, he was actually assuming the role of an older brother, fussing over that guy’s life plans.

He was truly regressing the older he got.

Gu Jinsheng thought for a moment. “That boy at your house does not look like he is interested in the opposite sex.”

Gu Jinsheng then added, “Why not let him try it out with me?”

Xie Shiyao clenched his hand, wishing he could murder Gu Jinsheng with his eyes. “With that pitiful, single-celled brain of yours, my brother could play you three hundred times over without repeating a single trick.”

Ending this rather unpleasant dinner, Xie Shiyao returned to the home where Lin Zhuyi was, his heart beating faster than usual.

Lin Zhuyi was lying on the sofa sleeping. Seeing Xie Shiyao arrive, he opened his eyes. “Ah, you are back.”

Xie Shiyao’s eyes instinctively dodged for a split second. Then, he walked over, sat down next to Lin Zhuyi, and rested one hand on the back of the sofa. “Yeah. I have something to ask you.”

“Is there any university you want to go to? Do you want to go back and continue high school?”

Lin Zhuyi said, “Except for wherever Brother is, I do not want to go anywhere.”

“Lin Zhuyi, I am serious.”

“But I am serious too.”

Xie Shiyao leaned in a bit closer impatiently. “I have already brought forth all my sincerity and stopped playing this game of house with you. If you can manage to speak properly, answer me again.”

Lin Zhuyi did not move. “I cannot do that.”

That damn beautiful face was inches away. Xie Shiyao was incredibly frustrated, so much so that he wanted to clutch his own hair, but he held back.

The next afternoon, as soon as Lin Zhuyi arrived home, he discovered a few tailored suits and overcoats added to his wardrobe.

These suits featured silk fabrics and mother-of-pearl double-breasted buttons, which were low-profile yet flashy, instantly recognizable as Xie Shiyao’s taste.

Looking at these clothes, Lin Zhuyi finally remembered that ever since Xie Shiyao took over the family business, he would only wear clothes befitting his identity as “Director Xie Junior.” He had never dressed flashily like these suits again.

The peacock he used to be was actually quite nostalgic.

That evening, when Xie Shiyao came home, he explained the reason behind the appearance of these clothes.

“Those hoodies and sneakers of yours, wear them less once you come of age. They are too childish. I would find it embarrassing to take you out.”

“Just consider the money for these clothes as what you owe me. In the future, pay me back with the money you earn yourself.”

Lin Zhuyi was completely speechless. To call him childish, Brother was actually the most childish one. Even if the sky fell, that stubborn mouth of his would hold it up.

Still, Lin Zhuyi asked, “You are taking me out?”

At this moment, Xie Shiyao was leaning against the balcony railing, smoking a slim cigarette with a golden filter. “Is your birthday not coming up soon? Your eighteenth birthday.”

Lin Zhuyi watched quietly from behind.

Xie Shiyao was not wearing his jacket, exposing the white shirt and black suit vest underneath. The sleeves of the white shirt were rolled up to his forearms; above were his shoulders, below were his hips, and in between was his waist.

Lin Zhuyi walked over, maintaining a slight distance. He enclosed Xie Shiyao within his own posture, his hand lightly brushing past the man’s waistline to rest on the railing beside him.

In the cool night breeze, Lin Zhuyi turned his head, gazing at Xie Shiyao’s profile. “Are you going to celebrate my birthday for me?”

Xie Shiyao flicked the cigarette ash along with the wind. “Why ask so much? It is enough that you are alive and breathing fresh air.”

Lin Zhuyi smiled and did not press further. Instead, he drew closer. “You smoke so much every day. Let me have a puff too, Brother.”

Xie Shiyao responded casually, “You are not of age yet. What is a little brat doing smoking?”

As those words fell, the look in Lin Zhuyi’s eyes turned dangerous.

“What if I wait until I come of age?”

The fingers Xie Shiyao used to hold the cigarette paused.

After deep thought, he smiled, tossed the cigarette butt away, and slowly lifted Lin Zhuyi’s chin with his index finger. “Even then, it would not be your turn to smoke my cigarette.”

Lin Zhuyi did not budge, the light in his eyes growing deeper and deeper. “Aside from me, who else is worthy of smoking it?”

The secretion of adrenaline accelerated his blood flow, producing a sound in his ears that addicted Xie Shiyao.

Xie Shiyao suddenly felt a playful urge to match wits. Keeping his hand against the other’s chin, he whispered in Lin Zhuyi’s ear, “That is not for you to decide.”

“Whether you have the qualification to smoke my cigarette is up to me to say, little brother.”

Lin Zhuyi smiled faintly, using his other broad palm to wrap around the finger pressing against his chin. “Brother’s hand is so cold. Let us go back inside together.”

Xie Shiyao gently pulled his finger away. “Ah, not together. Just me.”

Smiling, he stepped backward. Separated by the transparent balcony door, Xie Shiyao stood inside the room and leisurely locked the balcony door. Standing behind the glass, he looked at Lin Zhuyi.

“Climb back through the window yourself. Goodnight, kiddo. Go to sleep early.”

Lin Zhuyi calmly raised his arm, propping his elbow against the glass. Through the thin door, he stared back at the person inside with lingering desire.

“Alright. I really hope you dream of me.”

Xie Shiyao mouthed the word “Beat it” and flashed a smiling “bye-bye” hand gesture.

When that leisurely, tall silhouette completely vanished from his sight, Lin Zhuyi licked his lips in deep satisfaction.

This was the very first time Xie Shiyao had said goodnight to him.

Lin Zhuyi walked along the balcony to the window of the adjacent room. Familiarly opening the window, an ambiguous smile hovered on his face.

During breakfast the next day, Xie Shiyao pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, cleared his throat, and awkwardly instructed Lin Zhuyi, “From now on, you do not have to stay only in the old mansion every day. I hope you can have a social life of your own.”

Lin Zhuyi’s face darkened. “You were the one who told me not to go out, and you are the one telling me to go out and socialize now. Are you tired of playing and want to push me away?”

Xie Shiyao said unpleasantly, “I give you freedom, and you do not even want it? Do not test my patience repeatedly. I am making plans for your own good.”

The corner of Lin Zhuyi’s mouth twitched. He rubbed his thumb across his lips and tilted his head to look at him. “For my own good? Then I would like to make a request.”

Xie Shiyao’s patience was wearing thin, but the guilt from almost dragging Lin Zhuyi to a mutual destruction when he lost his mind previously allowed him to let Lin Zhuyi speak. “Go ahead.”

Lin Zhuyi said, “I think you lack a personal secretary.”

Xie Shiyao was drinking coffee, and upon hearing this sentence, he nearly spat it out. “Are you looking for an opportunity to set the Yaoshi Building on fire? Are you that anxious to destroy me?”

Lin Zhuyi sighed. “You can rest assured. That time, I was truly just joking.”

As if he had heard a joke, a mocking expression surfaced on Xie Shiyao’s face.

Lin Zhuyi added, “That day you wanted to die together with me. That let me see a different side of you.”

“You are hollow inside, Brother. In everyone’s eyes, you are arrogant, radiant, and perfectly at ease. But within your heart, you must have been lonely to the point of dying long ago.”

The smile on Xie Shiyao’s face faded bit by bit.

Lin Zhuyi refilled Xie Shiyao’s cup with coffee and said calmly, “Taking a big trouble like me to and from work every day, do not you think it adds a different kind of challenge to your meaningless life?”

He met Xie Shiyao’s gaze composedly, speaking in a near-beguiling tone, “Nurturing a tiger only to court disaster, matching wits with a tiger, knowing there is danger yet still wanting to draw close. You simply love this kind of thing, do not you?”

Lin Zhuyi’s words were like an electric current, sizzling into Xie Shiyao’s heart and striking a heavy echo within his hollow inner chamber.

Xie Shiyao even had to manage his facial expression just so the struggle of being read so accurately would not show on his face.

He knew Lin Zhuyi was right.

He liked watching Lin Zhuyi go crazy for him, and he liked watching Lin Zhuyi use different tricks to match wits with him. This was probably the kind of liking Lin Zhuyi spoke of.

Xie Shiyao was not sure if everyone was like this, relying on stimulation to confirm they were still alive. If he absolutely had to raise a tiger, he hoped that tiger would never be tamed. It would be best if it could keep matching wits with him forever.

By the time his consciousness snapped back, Xie Shiyao had already stood up and walked behind Lin Zhuyi.

A shadow cast down over Lin Zhuyi’s head. Xie Shiyao used his knuckles to lingeringly brush against Lin Zhuyi’s cheek.

“Do not speak as if you understand me so well. You are just a puppy I keep at home, foolish little brother.”

Leaving these words behind, Xie Shiyao released his hand and walked away gracefully. When opening the door, he murmured softly in a voice only he could hear.

“What a pity.”

A week later, it was Lin Zhuyi’s birthday. Xie Shiyao had also prepared a grand gift for Lin Zhuyi in his own way.

He first dressed himself up meticulously. After hesitating repeatedly, he still put on the cufflinks Lin Zhuyi had gifted him.

They were actually quite good-looking. Indeed, they suited his taste.

Xie Shiyao took two phone calls in the main hall before Lin Zhuyi finally came downstairs.

When Xie Shiyao raised his head, for a second or two, he almost failed to recognize Lin Zhuyi immediately.

The suit fit perfectly. The smart, crisp suit tightly wrapped around that young physique, shaping the purity of Lin Zhuyi’s youth into a somewhat different flavor.

With a distance of about ten meters between them, a layer of pride first washed over Xie Shiyao’s heart. Yet beneath this pride, an inexplicable, groundless trace of unhappiness pointlessly seeped through.

On the lit-up phone screen was a message sent by Gu Jinsheng, stating that the girl had already set off.

Xie Shiyao pocketed his phone and snapped back to reality. “Let us go. Time to eat.”

He led Lin Zhuyi into the Maybach. Along the way, Xie Shiyao occasionally used his peripheral vision to size up Lin Zhuyi in the rearview mirror.

To have actually cultivated such a beautiful enemy for himself, thinking about it, he really was lonely enough.

“Brother, you look like you do not have much energy.” Lin Zhuyi lowered the car window, reaching out to catch the air outside.

Xie Shiyao said coldly, “Why do you care so much?”

“Oh.” Lin Zhuyi flashed a smile at Xie Shiyao. “Not only do you lack energy, but your mood is not very good either.”

He pulled his hand back inside and leaned close to Xie Shiyao’s ear to catch his scent. “This is the first time you have ever celebrated my birthday. I am very happy.”

Xie Shiyao merely uttered a dismissive “Mm,” absent-minded and offering nothing more. He did not even scold Lin Zhuyi for this transgressive behavior.

The Maybach drove into the parking lot of the Yaoshi Hotel.

One after the other, they entered the Chinese restaurant inside the hotel, which required reservations a month in advance.

Before pushing open the private room door, Xie Shiyao stood at the entrance and asked, “Lin Zhuyi, you said it before. For twenty-four hours, you would listen to me, and listen to me alone.”

Lin Zhuyi seemed to anticipate something, and his expression grew solemn.

A smile that was by no means relaxed appeared on Xie Shiyao’s face. “You promised me. So today, be obedient.”

As the words fell, the private room door was pushed open.

At the center of the round table, besides Gu Jinsheng, sat a girl.

The girl dressed elegantly, clearly coming from a wealthy family, and her looks could rival a celebrity’s.

Seeing Xie Shiyao and Lin Zhuyi, the girl froze for a moment before standing up politely. “Hello, Brother Xie. Hello, Little Brother.”

Lin Zhuyi looked at Xie Shiyao in disbelief.

Gu Jinsheng intentionally pulled out a chair for Lin Zhuyi right next to the girl. “This is Xiao Ye. She is an undergraduate at Tsinghua University and currently single. Your brother said you come of age today, so it is perfect. Let us all have some wine together, and the two of you can make friends.”

Xie Shiyao nodded at Lin Zhuyi. Using every ounce of his strength to act as if nothing was amiss, he sat down and said to Xiao Ye, “My brother is quite alright, would you not say?”

Xiao Ye’s mouth fell open, her eyes practically glued to the two of them.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhuyi just stared fixedly at Xie Shiyao, as if desperately wanting to find an answer on Xie Shiyao’s face.

Gu Jinsheng, never one to pass up a chance to stir up drama, added, “He fusses over you so much. He treats you so well that I wish I had a brother too. With your brother around, you should just count your blessings secretly.”

Lin Zhuyi glanced at Gu Jinsheng, and then, as if suddenly figuring something out, he let out two laughs.

Passing behind Xie Shiyao, he sat down beside Xiao Ye without reservation. The gaze he directed at Xie Shiyao gradually took on a hint of hostility.

“Sure thing. Let us drink then.”

Xie Shiyao had no expression on his face. The waiter in the private room took the decanter from the table and began pouring red wine for everyone.

Xiao Ye was a naturally poised and outgoing person. During this time, she greeted Lin Zhuyi while eating. “Have you really just turned eighteen? You’re so tall. It is a pity you and your brother are not celebrities.”

Lin Zhuyi answered while keeping his eyes entirely on Xie Shiyao. “How could I compare to my brother? He is far more amazing than I am.”

As he spoke, he picked up the red wine glass in front of him, swirled it, and toasted with Xiao Ye. “To drink the wine of my coming-of-age ceremony with you, I am very happy.”

Gu Jinsheng chimed in loudly from the side, “How come you ignore us the moment you see a girl? You should drink with us first. Your brother booked this private room a month in advance.”

“Ah, that is right. I completely forgot about Brother.” Lin Zhuyi smiled knowingly. “I really must thank Brother for putting in so much thought to give me this birthday surprise.”

Xie Shiyao instinctively clenched his palm, yet he still took a sip of his wine nonchalantly. “Gu Jinsheng, quiet down. You are not the one having a birthday.”

Gu Jinsheng faintly sensed that Xie Shiyao’s expression was off. But was finding a companion for Lin Zhuyi not Xie Shiyao’s own decision? He truly could not understand this pair of brothers.

Deciding to ignore Xie Shiyao altogether, he joked with Lin Zhuyi, “Little brother, your brother and I have a great relationship. He values you, so I will treat you like a brother too.”

Lin Zhuyi smiled with disdain. “Alright, I have gained another brother.”

Looking at the table full of food, Xie Shiyao did not have a shred of appetite left. He had no choice but to pull out his lighter and light a cigarette. That cufflink reflected in Lin Zhuyi’s eyes, looking incredibly piercing.

Lin Zhuyi said, “Xie Shiyao, do I get a birthday present?”

Xie Shiyao exhaled a plume of smoke, meeting Lin Zhuyi’s gaze across the table. “It is in the car. I will give it to you when we go home.”

Lin Zhuyi drained the wine in his glass. “There really is a present. But what if I do not want to go home?”

Xie Shiyao’s fingertip trembled, but he merely replied effortlessly, “That is fine too. Your mother left you so many properties; whichever house you return to is home.”

Lin Zhuyi paused, then said with a smile to Xiao Ye beside him, “You see, the moment I come of age, my brother is anxious to push me away. It is so heartbreaking.”

Xiao Ye could not catch the underlying meaning. “How could that be? Did your brother not buy you a present?”

Lin Zhuyi said, “Yes, it truly is a grand gift.”

He and Xiao Ye began chatting casually about this and that, appearing to hit it off quite well.

Unwilling to be left out, Gu Jinsheng kept coaxing everyone to drink together, and even brought out the birthday gifts he and Xiao Ye had prepared for Lin Zhuyi. He gifted a tie, while Xiao Ye brought a bottle of wine.

Xie Shiyao originally had a decent tolerance for alcohol, but today, for some strange reason, a faint flush crept onto his face as the drinking went on.

He did not want it to be like this, but it was difficult to move his eyes away from Lin Zhuyi. Especially when watching Lin Zhuyi talk and laugh naturally with the girl, he could not help but want to drink even more.

At this moment, Lin Zhuyi stood up. Holding the decanter, he walked over to Xie Shiyao’s side and poured wine into Xie Shiyao’s glass, filling it until it was almost brimming over.

“Brother, we have lived together for so long, yet this is the very first time we have drunk together. Should we not have a drink just the two of us?”

Looking at Lin Zhuyi’s equally full wine glass, Xie Shiyao narrowed his eyes. “Why fill it so full? Do not drink too much.”

“Is Brother worrying about me?”

Xie Shiyao remained silent.

Lin Zhuyi clinked his glass against Xie Shiyao’s, leaning close to his ear to lower his voice. “Your concern is truly worthless.”

At that instant, Xie Shiyao’s expression turned incredibly rigid.

Xie Shiyao slowly raised his head. As if competing, he tilted his head back and downed all the red wine in his glass, leaving nearly not a single drop.

Then, Xie Shiyao raised his hand, wiped the corner of his mouth with a tissue, and replied softly, “Beat it.”

Lin Zhuyi comfortably drained his wine in one gulp.

Because he drank that glass of wine too quickly and had not eaten much throughout the evening, Xie Shiyao’s stomach soon began to burn.

Clutching his stomach, he endured it for a while, but eventually could not hold it in any longer and went to the restroom to throw up.

The restroom was not very soundproof, allowing him to clearly hear the chatting voices outside.

It was good. Lin Zhuyi did not seem to dislike that girl. What he did was right; it had to be right.

Lin Zhuyi ought to have a life of his own, rather than living under the shadow he cast. This was supposed to be their destination.

But why did his heart feel so uncomfortable?

Standing before the mirror, Xie Shiyao washed his face. Unable to distinguish whether his stomach was acting up or if it was due to something else, he threw up once more.

A layer of cold sweat broke out over his body, causing his shirt to stick to him, and his breathing grew rapid.

Right at this moment, the sound of the door opening came from behind. Xie Shiyao was startled, nearly failing to stand firm.

The person who walked in was Lin Zhuyi.

None of the composure from moments ago could be seen on Lin Zhuyi’s face. Throwing away all disguises, his face was filled entirely with the fury of being betrayed.

He reached out, grabbing Xie Shiyao by the neck, and slammed him against the wall, saying viciously, “Did I not say that since your life is meaningless, then let me be your meaning?”

“Then why are you handing your meaning over to someone else? You really are noble, my brother.”

Lin Zhuyi’s strength was immense. Xie Shiyao did not bother to break free, simply tilting his head away. “What right do you have to be my meaning?”

Lin Zhuyi could not help but apply a bit more force. “Yes. I am not worthy. I truly cannot understand just how much you hate me.”

“Anyone else is fine. So many cats and dogs are fine, but only I will not do, right, Xie Shiyao?”