To Treat Each Other Like Brothers - Chapter 8

The man must have the nose of a dog.

Xie Shiyao suppressed the urge to hit him and frowned. “Are you questioning me?”

Lin Zhuyi met Xie Shiyao’s gaze calmly. Holding the clothes, he walked into the kitchen, pulled out a pair of scissors, and began to cut the garment.

Xie Shiyao leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, watching the jacket being shredded into pieces. “That jacket cost eighty eight thousand. Once you have had your fun, remember to pay me back. I will have Uncle Li send you my account number later.”

Lin Zhuyi did not reply. He stood in the dark kitchen cutting the jacket. After confirming it could never be worn again, Lin Zhuyi tossed the scissors onto the floor.

The metal hit the floor with a loud clang.

Lin Zhuyi turned back to look at Xie Shiyao. “I will transfer one hundred thousand to you. Give the remaining balance to your date. Tell him your brother wishes you both a long life together and many children.”

The corners of Xie Shiyao’s mouth quirked upward because he was irritated. “So rich, are you? It is no wonder you can make friends and go browsing bookstores so happily with them. If it were not for the money, who would ever want to get close to you?”

At the mention of friends, Lin Zhuyi smiled as well. “You really do care.”

Lin Zhuyi kicked the scissors aside and stepped up to Xie Shiyao until their noses almost touched. He spoke provocatively. “If you care about me this much, why do you keep pushing me away repeatedly? Why will you not just let me move back in? What exactly is my brother being so awkward about?”

For a moment, only the sound of their breathing filled the kitchen.

Xie Shiyao fell silent for a while. He realized then that Lin Zhuyi’s quiet behavior over the past month was only temporary. The boy had never intended to give up. He had to find a way to end this once and for all. He needed a method to make Lin Zhuyi abandon the idea of moving back into the old mansion.

Xie Shiyao reached out and pinned Lin Zhuyi’s jaw with the web of his hand. “How interesting.”

“Then have it your way.”

“Lin Zhuyi, if you want to stay at home, you can. However, that means you are personally admitting that your memory and your brain are indeed compromised.”

At this point, Xie Shiyao leaned forward slightly. “A patient who cannot even recognize people properly does not deserve to talk about school, the college entrance exam, or a future.”

“Staying in the old mansion means you are voluntarily being kept here like a pet. You will not need school anymore. You will not need to go out. Most importantly, you will not need friends. Until you are completely recovered, all your intelligence and every life blueprint you have planned will become utterly meaningless.”

“Are you going to use your bright future to bet on a stubborn prank? Can you afford that wager?”

Lin Zhuyi certainly could not afford it.

Lin Zhuyi had been brilliant and excelled in everything since childhood. It was impossible for him to stake his entire life on a momentary impulse.

Yet, Lin Zhuyi grabbed Xie Shiyao’s wrist and leaned in even closer. There were only a few millimeters between them, and their noses nearly touched. Warmth and coolness almost merged in the dark kitchen.

Lin Zhuyi stared into Xie Shiyao’s eyes, tilted his head, and said slowly, “Alright, Brother. I am certainly willing.”

Xie Shiyao froze.

While Xie Shiyao was stunned, Lin Zhuyi smiled and stepped back. He patted the back of Xie Shiyao’s hand. “You should have just said so sooner. Why make me endure for so long? Dealing with you truly requires more patience than a normal person possesses.”

“Where am I sleeping tonight? Should I go to my old room? If you cannot sleep, I can go to your room to keep you company.”

Xie Shiyao’s mouth hung open in disbelief. Only after realizing this was not a drunken hallucination but a real conversation did he fall into a brooding silence.

Lin Zhuyi had gone mad. He was crazier now than he had been as a child. Xie Shiyao even began to regret his decision. He wondered why he had shot himself in the foot.

However, since the words had been spoken, there was no taking them back. If he acted as if nothing had happened now, it would look like he had been outmaneuvered by the boy.

Xie Shiyao said, “Fine, that is what you said. Tomorrow, Uncle Li will go to handle the paperwork for your school withdrawal. You will go with him.”

He turned and took two steps before looking back. He pointed at Lin Zhuyi and used the boy’s own logic against him. “I am a man of my word. The mansion has many rooms. One more person does not matter. However, Lin Zhuyi, you must remember to be good.”

That night, Xie Shiyao took more sleeping pills than usual. The sleep brought on by the pills was restless. Xie Shiyao even had a dream for the first time in a long while.

In the dream, he was still in the bed in his bedroom. The sheer curtains blocked most of the moonlight. However, there was someone beside him. He could not see the person’s face, but he could feel their warm breath. In a blur, the person seemed to open their mouth and use a warm tongue to wrap around his earlobe. It was the earlobe with the piercing.

His body felt as if it were on fire. Fingertips traced along his skin. Everywhere they passed, a shiver followed. It was a long lost sensation. It was a thrill that none of his usual companions could ever provide. He hooked his arm around the person’s neck. He was desperate to hold onto that pleasure, but everything stopped instantly.

Xie Shiyao felt lost. He clearly wanted more, but no one was there to help him continue.

Xie Shiyao’s brow furrowed in desperation. At the peak of his craving, soft lips pressed against his mouth. It was an extremely gentle kiss. Every second of it seemed to be filled with care and restraint.

The person’s mouth was very soft. Xie Shiyao subconsciously responded to the kiss. At that exact moment, the person in the dream bit down hard on his lower lip. The person bit him while holding him. Their strength was immense. It felt as though they could break his ribs at any moment if they wished.

Xie Shiyao had not expected that he would not mind such a rough embrace. Perhaps it was because the person’s embrace was so warm. They also smelled very good.

Vaguely, someone whispered in his ear. “Why can you never behave? I really want to possess you.”

Perhaps the sleeping pills were taking full effect, or perhaps the scent was too soothing. Xie Shiyao’s consciousness sank completely to the bottom of the dream world. When his consciousness finally struggled back to the surface, Xie Shiyao snapped his eyes open.

The room was empty and the sun had not yet risen. There was no one there. He was alone. Xie Shiyao stared at the ceiling in annoyance. He called Uncle Li and checked with all the maids in the house. After confirming that no one had entered his room last night, Xie Shiyao belatedly touched his fingers to his lips. His gaze turned dazed.

The next day, on his way to the Yaoshi Building, Xie Shiyao sent a message to Uncle Li with two tasks. First, he was to take Lin Zhuyi to handle the school withdrawal. He was also to look into whether Lin Zhuyi could still take the college entrance exam normally if he did not attend school. Second, he was to take Lin Zhuyi to the best hospitals to check his brain. He said they could go out of town or abroad.

He wanted to see if Lin Zhuyi’s acting was superb or if the hospital reports were authoritative. However, plans rarely go as expected.

That same morning, while Xie Shiyao was away, Lin Zhuyi missed a step on the third floor stairs of the mansion and fell. When Uncle Li called Xie Shiyao, he sounded panicked. Reportedly, Lin Zhuyi’s head was covered in blood. He only woke up after being put on an IV at the hospital. The doctor said the fall had caused a mild concussion.

Xie Shiyao nodded thoughtfully. He realized there was a counter move for every policy. It seemed Lin Zhuyi had guessed his line of thinking long ago. That was likely why he managed to get a concussion the moment he moved back into the mansion. Even if he was faking amnesia, he could now use the concussion to blur any test results regarding his memory loss.

Lin Zhuyi was absolutely capable of doing such a thing. Xie Shiyao told Uncle Li that the testing should proceed as planned. He said Lin Zhuyi was tough, so there was no need to feel sorry for him. He thought for a moment and then told Uncle Li to arrange for hidden cameras to be installed in every corner of the house. He even wanted them in his own room. Especially in Lin Zhuyi’s room, several had to be installed.

“I told you that you have to be good,” Xie Shiyao whispered softly in the back of the Rolls Royce. He locked his phone and rested his fingers on his knees.

The surveillance was installed while Lin Zhuyi was at the hospital. Xie Shiyao specifically instructed everyone in the mansion that no one was allowed to tell Lin Zhuyi about the cameras. The camera lenses were tiny, and Lin Zhuyi’s room looked exactly as it did before. Xie Shiyao was certain Lin Zhuyi would not find them.

Lin Zhuyi returned at dinner time. Aside from a square gauze patch on his head, he appeared no different than usual. “Brother, if you wanted me to take an amnesia test, you could have just said so. There was no need to use a physical check up as an excuse.”

After dinner, Lin Zhuyi tossed a folder in front of Xie Shiyao. Inside were the reports regarding his memory loss from the two hospitals they had visited that day. Xie Shiyao met Lin Zhuyi’s gaze calmly. He leaned back against his chair and opened the folder.

The report stated that Lin Zhuyi’s current memory impairment was the result of overlapping factors. It mentioned organic brain damage and psychogenic factors brought on by bereavement. In short, he had amnesia, but the cause was uncertain. It could be the grief of losing his mother, or the concussion from the fall might have hindered the recovery process.

Xie Shiyao was not surprised by the result. If Lin Zhuyi wanted to act, he would certainly commit to the role. However, the kid was truly ruthless to himself. To blur the results, he did not hesitate to throw himself down the stairs. With that kind of resolve, he would succeed at anything he did.

Lin Zhuyi sat next to Xie Shiyao and rested his chin on his hand. He smiled. “If Brother is not satisfied, I can go to a few more hospitals. It does not matter. Since I do not have to go to school now, I have plenty of time.”

Xie Shiyao gave Lin Zhuyi a cold look. He tore the report in half and took a Cartier lighter from his pocket. He flicked the flame. The report began to burn. Xie Shiyao tilted his head and used the flame from the report to light the tobacco between his lips. He then lazily exhaled a cloud of smoke into Lin Zhuyi’s face. “If you want to do more tests that badly, suit yourself.”

After leaving the dining table, Xie Shiyao went to the study and called Uncle Li in to get an update on the day. Since Lin Zhuyi had been in the hospital, Xie Shiyao had sent Uncle Li to handle the school withdrawal alone. Uncle Li reported that the withdrawal was finalized, but the school was very reluctant to let Lin Zhuyi go. They hoped he would return at any time.

“Reluctant?” Xie Shiyao looked up in surprise.

“Yes. You were out of the country before, so you did not know. When Young Master Lin first started high school, two prestigious universities were fighting over him. They offered him admission without having to take the exams. When the school found out, they wanted to print his face on posters to attract new students.”

Xie Shiyao wondered why the boy was still in high school then. He tapped his fingers on the desk. “It seems the universities that wanted him did a background check and found out he did too many bad things.”

Uncle Li shook his head. “Young Master Lin refused them himself. Everyone tried to persuade him back then, but he is a very headstrong person. He would not listen at all. As for the reason he turned down the invitations, he never mentioned it.”

Xie Shiyao’s gaze went blank for a moment. He forgot what else he said to Uncle Li before dismissing him. If he could go back to last night, he definitely would not have played that gamble with Lin Zhuyi. Now, the withdrawal was done and the person had moved in. It was a major headache.

He rubbed his temples. He decided that what was done was done. Thinking about how Lin Zhuyi would lose the friend he laughed with at the school gate because of this gamble made Xie Shiyao feel slightly better.

He opened the surveillance app on his phone to see what the boy was doing. In the black and white camera feed, Lin Zhuyi was heading upstairs toward his room. Reaching the door, Lin Zhuyi placed his hand on the handle. At that instant, Lin Zhuyi paused. His expression flickered with a hint of surprise before turning into a half smile.

Lin Zhuyi pushed the door open and walked in. He went into the bathroom and turned on the bathtub faucet. He disappeared from the camera’s view. Seeing nothing worth noting, Xie Shiyao was about to lock his phone.

Suddenly, Lin Zhuyi reappeared in the frame. Facing the camera directly, Lin Zhuyi nonchalantly unzipped his clothes. All of Lin Zhuyi’s clothes fell to his feet in a heap. The screen was instantly filled with a body featuring a prominent V line and defined abs. The naked man sat down on the lounge chair by the bed. He spread his legs and aimed his torso straight at the camera. He unhurriedly began playing with his phone.

Suddenly, Xie Shiyao’s phone chimed. He received two text messages from an unknown number.

“Hi, Brother.”

“Is my body good to look at?”