To Treat Each Other Like Brothers - Chapter 22

As the Lunar New Year holiday approached, Xie Shiyao became much busier than usual. He had to attend meetings of all sizes and make final decisions on the festive planning for both the resort and the shopping mall.

The streets of Beicheng were already brightly lit and decorated.

The equipment for the amusement park had begun to ship to the construction site, and work could commence right after the holiday. This was the first project that Xie Shiyao was supervising from start to finish at Yaoshi, so it held significant meaning for him.

During this time, Bai Ye contacted him to ask if he was free for the holiday and if he wanted to spend it together with a group of friends.

Xie Shiyao politely declined.

His reason was that he had to spend it with his younger brother at home and could not get away.

Xie Shiyao did not quite understand it either. He had ordered so many tailored suits for Lin Zhuyi, yet this person stubbornly insisted on wearing those childish clothes every day.

Therefore, he contacted sales representatives from several boutiques to select some relatively casual high street clothes and had them delivered to the house.

Upon returning home, Xie Shiyao crossed his legs, rested his chin on his hand, and inspected the results of his purchases.

Lin Zhuyi was naturally a bit taller than him, and when he put on the clothes Xie Shiyao had ordered, he instantly became a sight to behold.

Xie Shiyao tapped his knee with his fingertip and said, “Come a bit closer.”

As if obeying a master’s command, Lin Zhuyi complied submissively. He knelt down in front of Xie Shiyao, rested his chin on Xie Shiyao’s knee, and stared up at him with watery eyes.

Xie Shiyao looked down at the person before him, ran his hand through his hair, and asked, “Is there any gift you want for the New Year?”

After saying that, he seemed amused by a sudden thought that crossed his mind and laughed. “Should I give the kid at home some lucky money?”

Lin Zhuyi rubbed his chin against Xie Shiyao’s knee and said, “I want to make the New Year’s Eve dinner for you. This year, it is just the two of us spending the holiday together.”

Xie Shiyao adopted a thoughtful expression and pondered for a moment. “We do not exactly have any pleasant memories of past holidays.”

Lin Zhuyi sighed and said, “I cannot remember.”

Xie Shiyao knew this statement was likely a lie, but he deliberately pointed to the dining table behind Lin Zhuyi anyway.

“One year, the two of us got into a fight right here. You tried to swing a knife at me and got beaten up by your mother.”

He then pointed upstairs. “Another year, you purposely left the red envelope you received in my room and ran to tell Father that I had stolen your money.”

Xie Shiyao pointed toward the sofa next. “And that year, your ear was injured, and I…”

He suddenly found himself unable to continue.

This was because Lin Zhuyi had taken his hand and pressed it silently against his own cheek. “It sounds like I was truly terrible.”

Xie Shiyao was left temporarily speechless.

Lin Zhuyi asked, “Can we start over this year?”

Xie Shiyao took the opportunity to rub his thumb back and forth against Lin Zhuyi’s face. “I cannot do that, younger brother.”

At this point, a look of complete desolation appeared in Xie Shiyao’s eyes. “If you want to plot against me in the future, there is no one left for you to complain to anymore.”

Lin Zhuyi lowered his eyelashes and said, “You look like you have become sad. May I give you a hug?”

Xie Shiyao said nothing.

Lin Zhuyi took that as permission, wrapped his arms tightly around Xie Shiyao, and buried his head against him.

Xie Shiyao absorbed this warmth despite knowing it was artificial, yet he did not push the person away. “Lin Zhuyi, sometimes even I cannot help but remark on just how clever you truly are.”

“I do not understand what brother is talking about.”

Xie Shiyao let out a cold snort with a superficial smile.

“Let us hope so.”

On the night of New Year’s Eve, Lin Zhuyi dove into the kitchen early in the morning, while Xie Shiyao enjoyed a rare opportunity to sleep in late.

When evening arrived, just like countless other families, they turned on the Spring Festival Gala. They sat at opposite ends of the long marble table, prepared to have their New Year’s Eve dinner.

Lin Zhuyi opened a bottle of whiskey from the wine cabinet, poured the amber liquid into a chilled glass, and handed it to Xie Shiyao. “Since it is a holiday, we should drink a little alcohol.”

Xie Shiyao accepted it and said, “Yes. This is acceptable. It tastes better than Chinese white liquor.”

He took a sip, remembering how he used to receive lucky money from his parents at this very same table when he was a child. He fished a thick red envelope out of his own pocket and tossed it across the table.

The red envelope traveled in a steady arc and landed squarely in Lin Zhuyi’s hand.

Xie Shiyao said with a smile, “I know you have money. Just take it as a small token of my appreciation, considering how well behaved you have been acting lately.”

Lin Zhuyi looked at the red envelope and caressed it gently with genuine appreciation.

By the time the sketch comedy segments of the Gala began, more than half of the dishes on the table had vanished.

The cheeks of both men had also developed a faint flush from drinking a significant amount of alcohol.

Lin Zhuyi added more alcohol to the glasses and said, “This is the very first time that it is just the two of us drinking together.”

Xie Shiyao replied, “Yes, it is truly unexpected that I can sit here and drink with you so peacefully. It is quite magical.”

Lin Zhuyi held his glass and looked up. “We are sitting so far apart. Can I sit next to you?”

Xie Shiyao gestured for Lin Zhuyi to come over.

Lin Zhuyi took his glass, sat down right beside Xie Shiyao, and clinked his glass against Xie Shiyao’s. “We will be drinking together often in the future.”

Xie Shiyao shook his head slightly with hazy eyes.

Both of them had a high alcohol tolerance, and perhaps they were also secretly competing with one another, because that entire bottle of Macallan quickly reached the bottom.

Xie Shiyao leaned back against his chair and loosened his collar. “Come on, let us go watch the fireworks.”

Lin Zhuyi nodded in agreement.

Xie Shiyao suddenly remembered something, reached out, and patted Lin Zhuyi’s back. “Stop wearing that sweatshirt of yours, alright? Dress a bit better.”

Lin Zhuyi looked at his slightly intoxicated older brother, a hint of helplessness appearing in his eyes. “Brother disdains me for being ugly and dressing poorly, thinking I embarrass you.”

Xie Shiyao laughed and said, “If you actually had an ugly face, I would have called the police to arrest you when we were kids.”

Following the previous incident at the supermarket, Xie Shiyao had grown wiser. In addition to wearing a face mask, he also pulled a hat down over his head.

Slightly tipsy, the two of them sat together in the back seat of the Maybach.

The moment the driver started the car, Xie Shiyao lowered the privacy partition.

The back seat became a space reserved exclusively for the two of them once again.

“Sit closer. Let me lean on you for a while,” Xie Shiyao murmured.

An expression of incomprehension surfaced on Lin Zhuyi’s face, as if he had not expected Xie Shiyao to initiate such a request. However, he quickly accepted this reward.

Xie Shiyao shifted his body, found a relatively comfortable angle, crossed his arms, and leaned his back against Lin Zhuyi.

Before long, Xie Shiyao smacked his lips in slight dissatisfaction. “Have you been working out? Why is your body so hard?”

Because he had been drinking, Lin Zhuyi instinctively retorted, “How could it be harder than your stubborn mouth?”

To Lin Zhuyi’s surprise, Xie Shiyao did not get angry at all; instead, he burst into a chuckle.

“Is my mouth very stubborn?”

“Yes.”

Xie Shiyao pursed his lips, licked them, and tilted his head backward to look into Lin Zhuyi’s eyes.

“It is clearly very soft. Do you not know that better than anyone?”

Those light colored eyes were misty, causing an itch of desire to stir within Lin Zhuyi’s heart.

Lin Zhuyi could not resist leaning his head closer. “Then let me test if it is soft again.”

Xie Shiahya did not move.

However, right at the moment their lips were about to touch, Xie Shiyao suddenly turned his head back, evading the kiss. “Behave yourself.”

Lin Zhuyi felt a restless longing. “Brother, do you usually tease other people like this too? It truly makes me jealous.”

Perhaps because today was a special holiday, or perhaps due to the alcohol, Xie Shiyao was much more candid than usual. “I never kiss anyone else.”

At that moment, Lin Zhuyi’s heart skipped a beat, and he could barely conceal the sheer ecstasy on his face. “So, I am special.”

“How could you not be special? I have wanted to kill you ever since we were children,” Xie Shiyao said crossly.

Lin Zhuyi pondered for a moment and replied, “Yes.”

So have I, brother.

On this New Year’s Eve, Yaoshi Plaza was already bustling with excitement.

The air was filled with the sweet, warm fragrance of roasted sweet potatoes and sugar fried chestnuts. People had gathered specifically to watch the fireworks show, and countless faces were illuminated by the neon lights of the commercial buildings surrounding the plaza. The white breath exhaled from the moving crowd formed clusters and wisps that rose into the air, dispersing shortly after ascending.

Lorem Ipsum and Bai Ye held hands affectionately, squeezing through the sea of people as they waited for the impending fireworks performance.

Bai Ye shouted excitedly toward the sky, then looked at Xiao Guai. “It is the New Year, are you not going to make a wish?”

Xiao Guai stated a simple and unadorned desire. “I want to make a lot of money.”

Bai Ye scoffed at the idea. “It is much easier for you to please that wealthy older brother of yours who spends money to clear your misfortunes than it is to earn money yourself.”

Xiao Guai scratched his head. “I have tried to call him lately, but he refuses to come out. He seems very busy.”

Bai Ye said, “Come on, open your WeChat. I will teach you what to send and how to reel him in.”

Xiao Guai was obedient and actually pulled out his phone, opening his chat log with Xie Shiyao.

Seeing how cooperative Xiao Guai was, and having had some alcohol at home, Bai Ye felt a wave of generosity. He figured that things were likely over between himself and Xie Shiyao anyway, so he thought he might as well introduce this wealthy benefactor, who spent money without blinking an eye, to Xiao Guai.

Therefore, Bai Ye also pulled out his phone, opened Xie Shiyao’s WeChat profile, and pulled up a photo.

“I am not playing around with you for nothing; I am introducing someone excellent to you. Look at him, what do you think? He is the number one top tier choice in Manhattan, universally acknowledged as an absolute catch. As long as you follow his rules, houses and cars will definitely come your way.”

At that exact moment, both of them caught sight of each other’s phone screens simultaneously.

They saw Xie Shiyao’s name.

Xiao Guai and Bai Ye opened their mouths wide at the exact same time. Their expressions twisted in sheer shock, and they let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Fortunately, the first streak of fireworks launched into the sky right on cue. At the moment of detonation, the massive roar completely drowned out their cries.

Waves of magnificent colors exploded in the sky and cascaded downward rapidly.

The countless streaks of light illuminated the face of everyone in the plaza.

Naturally, this included the faces of Xie Shiyao and Lin Zhuyi.

Because the crowd was simply too dense and Xie Shiyao’s footsteps were somewhat unsteady, Lin Zhuyi held onto Xie Shiyao’s hand the entire time.

Hearing the sound of the fireworks, Xie Shiyao looked up to admire them. His lonely eyes were instantly filled with the fleeting display.

A brief moment of yearning and emotion surfaced in his eyes.

“It is so beautiful.”

Hearing someone voice the exact sentiment inside his own heart, Xie Shiyao was stunned for a moment and turned to look at the owner of the voice.

There was a smile in Lin Zhuyi’s eyes. Whether he was taking advantage of the crowd on purpose or not, he wrapped his arm around Xie Shiyao and pulled him closer.

“This is the first time it is just the two of us spending the New Year. It is the first time we are watching fireworks together. Brother, I am very happy,” Lin Zhuyi whispered secretly into his ear.

Happy? Do people like us even deserve that?

If a person remained in a particular environment for too long, a genuine emotion known as self deception could occasionally grow out of artificial pretenses.

In a moment of passion, Xie Shiyao leaned in and planted a fleeting kiss on Lin Zhuyi’s neck through his face mask. “But the price for this is far too high.”

Losing a father without even getting the chance to see him one last time in exchange for a momentary happiness that was destined to be lost, how could that not be considered an excessively expensive price?

Lin Zhuyi clearly understood exactly what Xie Shiyao meant.

He took a deep breath, buried his head against Xie Shiyao’s shoulder amidst the surging crowd, and gave Xie Shiyao a pure, tight embrace.

An embrace just like family.

Right at that moment, as Lin Zhuyi looked up, he keenly noticed two familiar figures in the sea of people.

Ah.

His brother’s lovers.

By a striking coincidence, those two individuals were holding their phones, craning their necks in bewilderment as they stared intently at them.

Lin Zhuyi could not help but tighten his grip. His gaze became sharp and dangerous, and he let out a soft chuckle.

Look at you. I told you that you could not keep still.

Lin Zhuyi looked askance and spoke gently, “Brother, today is the New Year. If I make a New Year’s wish, can you help me fulfill it?”

Xie Shiyao replied very quickly, “Speak.”

Lin Zhuyi stared at the two individuals in the distance arrogantly, uttering each word deliberately. “I really want to kiss you. Right now, alright? Right now.”

Xie Shiyao’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

“Why are you not speaking? Brother, I will take your silence as consent then.”

In the span of a single second.

Lin Zhuyi pulled down Xie Shiyao’s face mask.

At the exact moment the second streak of fireworks ascended, within the blinking multicolored lights, and right under the watchful gaze of Xiao Guai and Bai Ye.

Lin Zhuyi cupped the side of Xie Shiyao’s face with his right hand, while his left hand found the small of Xie Shiyao’s back. Pressing his palm firmly against it, he forced Xie Shiyao heavily against himself.

Then, as a deliberate show of dominance, Lin Zhuyi tilted his head and pressed his lips onto his.

What do little cats and dogs even matter?

Look closely.

This is what you will never obtain, and what you will never understand.

The bond between us.