To Treat Each Other Like Brothers - Chapter 21

A gust of cold wind lifted a few stray strands of hair from the top of Xie Shiyao’s head.

At the same time, he heard the sound of his own heart being struck violently by that overly dazzling earring.

Xie Shiyao tried his best to hide the smile at the corner of his mouth, took a step with his long legs, opened the car door, and sat into the passenger seat, which felt entirely too novel for him.

“You went to take your driving test today, why did you not tell me?” Xie Shiyao asked, turning his head.

Lin Zhuyi said, “I wanted to give you a surprise.”

Xie Shiyao uttered an “Oh” and looked around casually. The car was very clean, filled with the scent of a new vehicle. “Is this the car your mother left you?”

Lin Zhuyi pressed his hand against Xie Shiyao’s, rubbing along the space between his thumb and index finger before moving his hand back to the steering wheel. “Do not ask. You do not like my mother anyway.”

Xie Shiyao nodded. “I do not like you either.”

Lin Zhuyi stepped on the accelerator. “What a coincidence, I do not like you very much either.”

“Brother, where are we going? Are we going home, or going out to eat together?”

The bite mark on Lin Zhuyi’s neck, which had already begun to fade, caught Xie Shiyao’s eye. For some unknown reason, a sudden bout of irritation flared up in his heart, and he said, “I do not want to go to either.”

“Then where do you want to go?”

“What,” Xie Shiyao asked, “is there no more interesting suggestion?”

“How interesting do you want it to be, Brother?”

Lin Zhuyi looked at him fixedly. “You also know that my mother left me quite a few properties. If you do not want to return to the old mansion, why do you not pick a house you like, and we can go live there for a while? Just for a change of scenery?”

Xie Shiyao frowned. “Are you flaunting how many houses you have to me?”

Lin Zhuyi let out two laughs. “How would I dare flaunt in front of Brother. How about we go to the supermarket to buy some groceries, and I will cook a meal at home to celebrate me getting my driving license?”

The supermarket. That was another novel word.

Except for the period when he first went to New York, Xie Shiyao had rarely been to a supermarket. Later, once he started earning his own money, he hired a full-time maid at home, and tasks like grocery shopping were all left to her.

When he returned to the country, it was also at his own high-end shopping mall, where he would occasionally visit the supermarket inside just to check on the business operations.

Yet, he also possessed fond memories regarding the supermarket.

There was this one time, when Xie Shiyao was still very young, right before the Lunar New Year. His father and mother held his hands, and for the very first time, they went to the supermarket together to buy New Year goods.

The hands of both his father and mother were incredibly warm. At that time, he thought to himself that he truly wanted to go to the supermarket with them every day, and that the supermarket was the most beautiful place in the world.

However, early the next morning, his parents had a severe argument, practically tearing the house apart. His mother left home because of it, and she would not even pick up a single phone call from him.

Xie Shiyao suppressed the disappointment in his eyes, adjusted the car seat backward, and crossed his legs. “Let us go to the supermarket then.”

Lin Zhuyi then drove in silence.

Xie Shiyao observed for a while. Lin Zhuyi’s driving style was different from his own; the brat drove quite steadily.

Since they had just mentioned Lin Zhuyi’s mother, Xie Shiyao cleared his throat, deliberately bringing up a topic.

“There is something I have always found quite strange. For all these years, why did your mother refuse to marry my father? My father brought up marriage with her, this much I know. That is why I understand even less her decision to just live together with my father as partners.”

“Does Brother want to know?”

“It is alright. I do not particularly want to know.”

Ahead was a long stretch of road without traffic lights, and Lin Zhuyi gradually accelerated the car. “I actually have some recollection of it.”

“When my mother came to the old mansion, it was already her fourth marriage.”

Xie Shiyao raised his eyes in surprise, observing Lin Zhuyi’s expression in the rearview mirror.

Lin Zhuyi continued, “When my father went to prison, she was quite poor. Later, she found a wealthy husband, and her life began to improve. However, she might have been fated to bring misfortune to her husbands, as that man died not long after, and she received a substantial inheritance.”

“Unwilling to be lonely, she found a few more husbands to keep her company. Unfortunately, every single one she found died.” Lin Zhuyi smiled, as if he genuinely found it quite amusing. “Her refusal to marry your father could be considered one of her few displays of maternal love.”

Xie Shiyao did not quite understand. “How so?”

Lin Zhuyi said, “If she did not cause your father’s death, what if they divorced? They would have to divide the property. Although she was certainly not as wealthy as your father, to her, all her wealth was obtained in exchange for the lives of her husbands. She wanted to leave it all to me, and she definitely did not want to cause your father’s death.”

“It is just that even she did not expect that this time, she would cause her own death as well.”

Xie Shiyao mulled over these words carefully. His expression was initially one of disbelief, before gradually turning serious. “So you remember everything.”

Lin Zhuyi said effortlessly, “Brother spent so much effort to find the best psychologist for me, so I must work hard to remember bit by bit. However, I have not remembered everything just yet.”

Xie Shiyao glanced at Lin Zhuyi threateningly. “If you are lying to me, you will have to suffer the consequences.”

Lin Zhuyi, instead, used his other free hand to tightly hold Xie Shiyao’s cold hand. “Everyone in our family is dead. I only have you now, Brother.”

Xie Shiyao sneered. “I have never seen you care that much about your mother or my father either.”

Lin Zhuyi was completely at ease. “Because you are much more fun.”

Xie Shiyao immediately slapped Lin Zhuyi’s hand away. “Fun?”

“Yes, you are more fun than anything I have ever seen, and you are more durable. If you leave me, I will be very sad, Brother.”

Xie Shiyao was almost angered into laughter by this blunt honesty. “Fine, let us not discuss whether you are faking amnesia or not. Have you ever considered that perhaps it is not your mother who brings misfortune to her husbands, but it is you who brings misfortune to everyone?”

Lin Zhuyi thought for a moment, and after a brief deliberation, answered, “If you are also brought to ruin by me, I truly will have no remaining meaning to live.”

“Therefore, do you want to die together with me?” After throwing out this earth-shattering question, Lin Zhuyi seemed to be suppressing a laugh.

“Oh wait, you are even more willing than I am. After all, you almost dragged me to die together with you. It seems the two of us are destined to live together.”

Xie Shiyao rubbed his temples helplessly. “You are out of your mind. I was driven mad by your provocation back then.”

The long road came to an end, and the Bentley stopped before a red light.

Lin Zhuyi released the steering wheel.

He leaned forward, tilted his head, and used those fleshy lips to touch Xie Shiyao’s cheek in a near-pure, clumsy manner.

“I am sorry for making you angry. But if you make me angry again, I will dare to do it next time too.”

Xie Shiyao quickly wiped his face. Unlucky, truly unlucky.

However, the sunset was so stunning, it genuinely made one feel in a very good mood.

Perhaps it was not entirely because of the sunset.

Perhaps.

After driving for a short while longer, Lin Zhuyi drove the car into the parking lot of the Yaoshi Shopping Mall.

Turning and reversing were both quite proficient. When getting out of the car, Lin Zhuyi even opened the car door for Xie Shiyao triumphantly, carrying a somewhat boastful demeanor.

Xie Shiyao rolled his eyes at Lin Zhuyi. Out of a desire not to be recognized, he pulled out a mask to put on, and the two of them stepped onto the escalator together to enter the supermarket.

The supermarket here had more expensive grocery prices than regular supermarkets. Almost everything sold inside was imported, and even the vegetables were entirely organic.

The two wandered in front of the fresh food section. Lin Zhuyi pushed the shopping cart, picked up a small bag of sliced raw ham worth several hundred units, and tossed it into the cart without even looking at the price.

“Brother has not said what he wants to eat tonight.”

Xie Shiyao thrust his hands into his pockets. “Whatever. Whatever is difficult to make, whatever takes the most effort, that is what I want to eat.”

Lin Zhuyi was thoughtful. “Oh. You want to eat Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.”

Xie Shiyao turned his head impatiently. In reality, compared to those fancy meals, he preferred to eat home-cooked dishes filled with everyday warmth.

But then again, compared to home-cooked dishes, he preferred to make things difficult for Lin Zhuyi.

Xie Shiyao then said, “Do you know how to cook fish?”

He did not know how to cook, nor did he need to cook. In his understanding, fish was absolutely an extremely complicated dish.

Lin Zhuyi, however, replied with an agreement.

He went to select a fresh grouper. While waiting for the merchant to process the fish, Lin Zhuyi took Xie Shiyao along and tossed a bunch of seasonings and vegetables that Xie Shiyao had never seen before into the shopping cart.

Xie Shiyao was currently picking up a bottle of something called sea urchin soy sauce, examining it with confusion.

Lin Zhuyi suddenly drew close, smiling gently. “I feel that the two of us are becoming more and more like a real family now.”

Within that smile, which was indistinguishable from sincerity or pretense, Xie Shiyao lost his focus for a moment.

When Lin Zhuyi smiled genuinely, his eerie demeanor was hardly visible, making him look like a genuine youth. Because it was truly rare, Xie Shiyao’s gaze could not help but linger on that smile a moment longer.

If it was acting, then it was entirely too exquisite.

Once his consciousness returned, Xie Shiyao set down the soy sauce and whispered against the hearing aid through his mask.

“Family? Who would kiss a family member’s face?”

Lin Zhuyi wrapped his arm around Xie Shiyao’s shoulder without reservation, lowering his head to say, “We would.”

Terrified of being seen by others, Xie Shiyao pushed Lin Zhuyi away with disdain, harshly cursing him to get lost.

At the same time, Xie Shiyao thought to himself that given the unconventional, bizarre relationship between him and Lin Zhuyi, they would definitely go to hell after death. They certainly would.

Before long, the shopping cart was piled into a small mountain by Lin Zhuyi. Because the Lunar New Year was approaching, there were more people in the supermarket than usual.

When paying the bill, Xie Shiyao instinctively reached for his black card. His WeChat Pay had reached its limit back in January, so he could only swipe his card.

Lin Zhuyi, however, pushed his hand away. Not only did he pay the money himself, but he also carried the bags of items that looked very heavy, walking out effortlessly.

Right at this moment, a few girls noticed them. Their eyes kept darting toward Xie Shiyao, and they even pulled out their phones, attempting to take photos.

“Wow, the color of his eyes is so light. Is he a mixed race?”

“Strange, why do I find him a bit familiar?”

This was clearly directed at himself. Xie Shiyao clicked his tongue under his mask. Indeed, choosing to come to the supermarket with Lin Zhuyi was a foolish mistake.

To his surprise, while Xie Shiyao was feeling annoyed, a jacket carrying body heat was draped over his head, blocking out all gazes.

The jacket was thoroughly permeated with the scent of Lin Zhuyi.

Beneath the jacket, within that confined space, Lin Zhuyi suddenly pressed his nose against Xie Shiyao’s. Smiling, he whispered secretly.

“Listen, you are too good-looking. Even wearing a mask, you are noticed by people. I truly want to hide you away.”

“What should we do?”

“Brother, let us run.”

Without giving Xie Shiyao a chance to push him away, Lin Zhuyi freed up one hand, firmly taking hold of Xie Shiyao. In the supermarket filled with New Year goods, the two of them threaded through the crowd, moving outward at a near-jogging pace.

Fortunately, there were many people here, and the bustling sound of footsteps drowned out the rushing noise of blood in Xie Shiyao’s eardrums.

Once they ran all the way to the parking lot, Xie Shiyao pulled the jacket off his head in one motion. His face was flushed from holding his breath, and he leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

Lin Zhuyi seemed to find Xie Shiyao’s appearance extremely amusing. He admired it for a while before tossing the various shopping bags into the trunk and pulling open the car door for Xie Shiyao.

“Brother, get in the car.”

Youth truly made a difference; his complexion had not changed at all. Unwilling to admit defeat, Xie Shiyao reached out and gave Lin Zhuyi’s head a playful shove, only then regaining some balance in his heart before sitting into the passenger seat.

Lin Zhuyi turned on the passenger seat heating. “Brother, the supermarket is so much fun. I want to come with you again in the future.”

Xie Shiyao was too lazy to speak. “Shut up, look at the road, drive your car.”

Lin Zhuyi pursed his lips and smiled secretly, expertly driving the car out.

The seat beneath him soon grew warm.

The faint scent surrounding Lin Zhuyi, mixed with the warm air from the air conditioner, allowed Xie Shiyao to experience a long-awaited relaxation, and his eyelids grew increasingly heavy.

Xie Shiyao turned his head toward the window, found a comfortable position, and said, “I want to sleep for a while. You are not allowed to speak to me.”

Lin Zhuyi did not answer immediately, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

It was not until the car drove out of the parking lot and passed two traffic lights that Lin Zhuyi’s voice echoed faintly.

“Brother can fall asleep now without sleeping pills? Then can I hold your hand while you sleep?”

There was no response.

Lin Zhuyi looked over through the rearview mirror with confusion.

He saw that Xie Shiyao’s head was tilted against the car window; he had actually already fallen asleep. His long eyelashes drooped, casting a semi-transparent shadow beneath his eyes. His mask hung loosely on one ear, exposing a small portion of his face.

Outside the car window, the sky had already turned dark. Red, purple, and golden-pink neon lights poured onto Xie Shiyao’s face like a flowing river before drifting away.

That previous arrogant, prickly demeanor was completely retracted at this moment, leaving behind only a quiet, even somewhat delicate sleeping posture.

Lin Zhuyi gazed, unable to extricate himself. Driven by a sudden impulse, he reached out a hand to clasp Xie Shiyao’s gradually warming palm, intertwining their fingers.

“Ah, what should I do,” Lin Zhuyi said, “you being like this truly makes me want to destroy you.”

The Bentley slowed its pace in the night, as if reluctant to drive out of this darkness.

Xie Shiyao slept very deeply during this nap.

He did not even dream.

When he woke up, he found himself still inside the car, with Lin Zhuyi’s jacket draped over his body.

The car was currently parked in their own garage.

Xie Shiyao turned his head and found Lin Zhuyi sitting in the driver’s seat, his arms crossed over his chest, sleeping with his head lowered.

He checked the time; it was already past ten o’clock. He had actually slept for four hours, and Lin Zhuyi had not woken him up.

Xie Shiyao could not describe the feeling in his heart. Unaccustomed, he was truly unaccustomed to it. He leaned over, wanting to immediately wake Lin Zhuyi up with a scolding.

Yet, when he was truly about to speak, he curiously extended his index finger to touch Lin Zhuyi’s face.

When this person was quiet, he genuinely looked quite human.

Perhaps because Xie Shiyao’s breath was too warm, Lin Zhuyi frowned slightly and opened his eyes at the right moment.

They locked eyes within the dark car.

Because the distance was too close, Lin Zhuyi could not help but freeze for a moment. Then, he quickly reacted, grabbing Xie Shiyao’s index finger, and spoke in a slightly dazed voice.

“You did not wake me up even after you woke up.”

Xie Shiyao pulled his hand back as if shaking off something dirty. He said nothing, opened the door, stepped out of the car, and went to the trunk to retrieve the shopping bags.

After taking just two steps forward, the shopping bags in his hands were all snatched away by Lin Zhuyi.

That man carried a triumphant aura around him, deliberately walking ahead of Xie Shiyao the entire time, opening the door to the house a step before him.

Having slept well, he naturally felt hungry. Fortunately, without needing Xie Shiyao to say anything, Lin Zhuyi sensibly entered the kitchen and began to cook.

To be honest, Xie Shiyao was not quite used to this mode of interaction between them. However, the feeling of being taken care of occasionally was not bad.

Xie Shiyao then lay on the sofa, crossed his long legs, and handled the messages he did not have time to reply to while sleeping.

Lin Zhuyi cooked quite quickly. In less than an hour, four dishes and a soup appeared on the table, with an entire steamed grouper placed at the center.

How did he truly know how to cook fish.

Failing to successfully make things difficult for the little brat made Xie Shiyao feel dissatisfied. He took a bite, and the taste of the fish was alright, with no flaws to be picked.

“Brother, how does it taste?” Lin Zhuyi looked at him with a smile.

“It is barely edible.” Xie Shiyao picked up a piece of fish meat with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.

“Would you like some wine to go with it?” Lin Zhuyi asked.

“No, I have to wake up early tomorrow.”

They did not seem to have any topics to continue chatting about, and this dinner ended in such an awkward atmosphere.

After finishing, Xie Shiyao set down his chopsticks. “Do not cook in the future.”

Lin Zhuyi asked in confusion, “Is this not delicious?”

It was not a matter of whether it was delicious or not.

It was just that I do not want to become addicted too early.

Addicted to this illusion called “home.”

In the city center, half an hour away from the old mansion, Bai Ye wore a colorful faux mink coat. At his own clubhouse, he welcomed the arriving distinguished guests like a social butterfly.

Gu Jinsheng came again, accompanied by a man with a dignified appearance who looked exactly like a chief executive officer. In addition to him, several celebrities followed along.

Bai Ye’s gaze swept around rapidly, and soon, his eyes lit up.

Sitting inside was a man who looked very obedient, carrying a somewhat pure appearance. He looked timid, yet he had no issues when communicating with others.

He would definitely taste quite distinct.

Bai Ye sat over and greeted the man. “Hi, what is your name?”

The man said, “Oh, just call me Xiao Guai. Everyone calls me Xiao Guai.”

“Xiao Guai,” Bai Ye muttered the name repeatedly, toasting with Xiao Guai. As they drank, his hand habitually became restless.

Xiao Guai’s face turned a bit red, and he said in a low voice, “Do not be like this, I am a bottom.”

Bai Ye’s expression instantly froze on his face.

However, this kind of thing was not something he was experiencing for the first time. Bai Ye quickly adjusted his mood. “Then it is over, our roles clash. However, I find you quite interesting. You can come find me to hang out whenever you are free.”

Xiao Guai displayed a dejected expression. “Sure, I actually want to drown my sorrows in alcohol.”

Bai Ye’s gossiping desire was immediately ignited. “Wow, what is it, were you deceived by a man!”

Xiao Guai hurriedly covered Bai Ye’s mouth. “No, something happened to me. He gave me a massive amount of public relations fees, and he even found a public relations firm for me. It is just that I could not keep him.”

Bai Ye was thoughtful. “I understand. That person has a high status and excellent conditions; the two of you belong to different worlds.”

Having his inner thoughts accurately guessed, Xiao Guai sighed and nodded.

Bai Ye thought seriously for a moment, clearly very interested in this topic. “I am quite similar to you. I also encountered such a person. Heavens, he truly was a rare handsome guy. Not only was he super rich, but he was also extremely generous. It is a pity he does not date, which makes me so sad.”

Innocent empathy appeared in Xiao Guai’s eyes. “It seems the two of us share the same plight.”

Bai Ye gave Xiao Guai a friendly embrace. “Then how much money did you get out of him? Can I ask?”

Xiao Guai disclosed honestly, “Over one hundred and eighty.”

Bai Ye was surprised. “Only that much? From what I hear, I feel you could have gotten more out of this person. Why do I not teach you?”

Xiao Guai shook his head. “That is in ten thousands! Is that not a lot?”

“Not a lot, not a lot.” Bai Ye pointed to the private room they were currently in. “My benefactor, if it were not for the money he gave over these years, I might not even be able to afford to open this clubhouse.”

As he spoke, Bai Ye turned his finger, pointing at Gu Jinsheng, who had clearly entered a flirting state. “Me, Old Gu, my Gold Daddy; the three of us were university classmates in New York.”

Xiao Guai did not particularly want to listen to Bai Ye’s gossip. “You seem like a very good person. If we do not drink, can we also go shopping together? Seriously, I think the two of us look quite alike, which means we share a special connection.”

Bai Ye examined Xiao Guai’s face carefully. “It truly is so!”

“Since we share such a connection, Xiao Guai, it just so happens that my partner went out of town, and I have to be alone on Lunar New Year’s Eve. How about you accompany me for the New Year? After eating the New Year’s Eve dinner, we can drive together to Yaoshi Plaza to watch the fireworks show performance?”

Xiao Guai, who was entirely on his own, hesitated before agreeing.

“Sure.”

“It truly has been a long time since I last watched fireworks.”

For better privacy, there were no windows inside the private room of the clubhouse, so they could not see the cold moon hanging outside.

Meanwhile, Xie Shiyao, who could not sleep, was lying inside a blanket so soft it could bury a person, falling into a lost gaze toward that waning moon outside the window.

He did not understand. Clearly, he fell asleep easily while inside the car, yet now, even after taking sleeping pills, he still found it difficult to fall asleep.

After experiencing an internal conflict, Xie Shiyao helplessly picked up the jacket he wore during the day from the floor and placed it beside his pillow.

The scent of Lin Zhuyi still remained on the clothing.

It was quite strange; smelling that scent, he actually felt inexplicably at ease.

Xie Shiyao turned onto his side, feeling somewhat tired.

Why not.

When it is the Lunar New Year, after eating dinner, I will take Lin Zhuyi to Yaoshi Plaza to watch the fireworks.

Like a real family, let us try that out first.

As he thought about it, he fell asleep just like that.

At the same time, within the silent old mansion, the sound of footsteps coming downstairs echoed.

Fair fingers brushed past the metal railing of the stairs. Lin Zhuyi walked downstairs with an indifferent expression, entering a basement room that almost no one ever entered.

There was a secret door inside the basement. As long as a specific book on the bookshelf was pushed, that secret door would slide open automatically.

The figure of Lin Zhuyi disappeared behind the secret door.

After confirming that the secret door was closed, Lin Zhuyi turned on the light in the small room with a click.

The walls were completely covered with dense photographs, leaving nearly not a single gap.

Inside the photographs was entirely the same handsome face.

Photographs of Xie Shiyao going out to have fun in New York, photographs of him entering and leaving bars while wrapping his arm around different young lovers, photographs of him shopping, photographs of him talking and laughing with Gu Jinsheng at school.

Lin Zhuyi sat before the desk, looking at that wall full of photographs, an inscrutable smile appearing on his face.

He opened the drawer beneath the desk, which was entirely filled with diaries. He pulled out the latest one, flipped it open, wrote down the date of the day first, and then wrote down a passage.

The last two sentences in the diary were written by Lin Zhuyi as follows.

“He has become soft, which is very good. The day I become the only one is drawing closer and closer.”

“I am truly looking forward to it.”

After recording his thoughts of the day, Lin Zhuyi opened the computer on the desk, clicked into the surveillance software, deleted the segment of him coming downstairs just now, and substituted a pre-recorded content into the record of coming downstairs. This way, no one would discover that he had gone downstairs.

Then, Lin Zhuyi clicked open Xie Shiyao’s room, observing Xie Shiyao’s sleeping face on the screen.

He instinctively touched the screen, speaking in a soft voice.

“Such a restless person could actually stay obedient for this long. Are you acting with me, or have you truly grown a sincere heart?”

“Well. Even if you do not have one, after I completely tame you in bed, you should be able to have some sincerity, right?”

“I truly want to possess you.”

Lin Zhuyi giggled twice, his finger drawing a heart on the screen.

Brother, I will continue to endure.

Until the day you step into this place yourself.