What Bad Intentions Could a Spoiled Little Brat Possibly have? - Chapter 34

“I can’t even spoil you enough.”

Cheng Huai snapped wide awake instantly. He lifted his head and stared unblinkingly at Fu Zheng.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Fu Zheng asked. He had already walked to the side of the car, but he didn’t put Cheng Huai inside; he simply held him while he spoke.

Cheng Huai’s gaze shifted from searching to scrutinizing, tinged with a hint of confusion. “Brother, why are you suddenly being so good to me?”

Fu Zheng frowned. “You call this being ‘good’?”

“Is it not?” Cheng Huai countered.

Fu Zheng had gone to his school specifically to back him up, didn’t lose his temper when Cheng Huai wore a dress, peeled shrimp for him, squeezed time out of a frantic schedule to take him out, and now even agreed they could sleep in the same bed.

If this didn’t count as being good, Cheng Huai truly didn’t know what did.

Fu Zheng placed him directly into the back seat of the car, settling Cheng Huai into his lap. “Weren’t things always like this before?”

Ever since their reunion, the exclusive privileges that once belonged only to Cheng Huai seemed to have returned overnight.

However, it felt different from before. Cheng Huai thought about it carefully but couldn’t quite put his finger on the change. Yet, people are born with a sixth sense, and his intuition for impending trouble was always particularly sharp.

Cheng Huai shook his head. “It’s different. The feeling you’re giving me now is exactly like how it felt four years ago right before you left me…”

Though Fu Zheng doted on him, he was not someone who pampered without limits; Cheng Huai knew this well.

Cheng Huai’s eyes gradually reddened. “What exactly are you trying to do?” His intuition told him that Fu Zheng was definitely hiding something from him.

Fu Zheng squeezed the back of his neck and sighed. “I’m not doing anything. I can’t even spoil you enough why would I be ‘doing’ anything?”

“Really?” Cheng Huai didn’t believe him. He grabbed Fu Zheng’s collar, looked him straight in the eye, and said fiercely, “If you dare lie to me again this time, I’ll… I’ll…”

Fu Zheng’s eyes flickered slightly. “You’ll what?”

Cheng Huai steeled his heart, his gaze turning ruthless. “I’ll break things off with you completely. You’ll never be my brother again, and I’ll never be your younger brother.”

“You can take your broad highway, and I’ll walk my single-plank bridge. From then on, there will be no connection between us whatsoever.”

“Whether I live or die will have nothing to do with you, and you won’t get to manage a single aspect of my life ever again.”

“I mean what I say.”

Cheng Huai gripped Fu Zheng’s collar, baring his teeth like a fierce cub. He pulled the man close until their noses were almost touching and emphasized once more, “Did you get that?”

Fu Zheng’s arm tightened around Cheng Huai’s waist. “I got it.”

Cheng Huai stared intently at Fu Zheng, not letting a single expression slip past him. Only then did he feel at ease. He let out a huff and leaned his head back into the crook of Fu Zheng’s neck. “That’s more like it.”

Cheng Huai let out a yawn and began bossing him around again. “Let’s go home. I’m sleepy.”

“Mm.” Fu Zheng stroked the top of Cheng Huai’s head. Out of Cheng Huai’s line of sight, his lips brushed ever so lightly against the boy’s forehead.

On the way back, Cheng Huai fell asleep. He didn’t wake up dizzily until Fu Zheng carried him out of the car. “Why didn’t you wake me when we arrived…”

“No need to wake up. Keep sleeping.”

Cheng Huai refused to comply. Just as he tried to lift his head, Fu Zheng’s hand on the back of his neck pressed him back against his shoulder.

Fu Zheng said in a deep voice, “I’m not leaving.”

Sure enough, Cheng Huai settled down. He slumped lifelessly against Fu Zheng and issued another command: “Then you have to help me wash my face and brush my teeth.”

Fu Zheng gave his backside a playful pinch. “Look how lazy you’ve become.”

But in the end, he still indulged him.

As soon as the elevator opened, Fu Zheng placed him on the cabinet in the entryway. Without turning on the lights, he began removing Cheng Huai’s shoes and socks in the darkness.

Once awakened, it was hard to fall back asleep. Cheng Huai leaned against Fu Zheng’s shoulder. His eyes couldn’t adjust to the darkness immediately, so he couldn’t see the man in front of him; he could only hear the sound of fabric rubbing together.

A fuzzy sensation came from his feet. Cheng Huai let out a confused “Hmm?” and wiggled his toes curiously.

Fu Zheng explained, “The weather is getting cold. Wear cotton slippers from now on. All your shoes are in this cabinet.”

“Can I just not wear them?” Cheng Huai asked. Since Fu Zheng could just carry him anyway, wearing shoes felt unnecessary.

“No, you’ll catch a cold,” Fu Zheng said firmly. Even so, he didn’t let Cheng Huai’s feet touch the ground and carried him back into the room.

Fu Zheng placed Cheng Huai on the sofa and knelt down to look him in the eye. He held Cheng Huai’s ankles, gently massaging them to soothe the exhaustion from walking so much. “Are you still hungry?”

Cheng Huai hadn’t noticed it before, but as soon as Fu Zheng asked, his stomach felt empty. He answered honestly, “A little.”

“What do you want to eat?”

“Osmanthus rice wine soup with small glutinous rice balls.”

“Alright.” Fu Zheng placed the pastries brought back from the office by his hand and pinched his cheek. “If you’re too hungry, eat some of these first.”

Cheng Huai nodded, nuzzled his face against Fu Zheng’s palm, and stared obsessively at the man before him.

Fu Zheng let out a helpless laugh and asked softly, “What is it?”

“Nothing. It’s just that being with Brother makes me feel so happy.”

Cheng Huai was a little afraid. Because the current scene was so blissful, it made him worry if it was all just a hallucination.

“I am very happy too.” Fu Zheng took off his newly changed watch, placed it in Cheng Huai’s hand, and rubbed his head. “Be good. I’m going to cook.”

Cheng Huai curled up on the sofa with a throw pillow. Watching the busy figure in the kitchen, he felt an involuntary urge to cry.

Every time he had a major falling out with Fu Zheng, he would cry, but most of those times were just for show. Now, surrounded by his brother’s love and warmth, he felt a surge of emotion so strong that his tears came more fiercely than ever before.

Though he was stuck with a pair of unreliable parents and had never felt paternal or maternal love growing up, the love his brother gave him was already overflowing.

With his brother by his side, he had never envied other children. Because his brother had already given him the most unique love in the world.

Midway through cooking, Fu Zheng looked at Cheng Huai curled on the sofa and suddenly looked up to call him: “Do you want to learn? I’ll teach you.”

Cheng Huai quietly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and grumbled, “What for? Planning to become a hands-off boss?” Despite his words, he stood up and walked over.

The handmade rice balls were already prepared; they only needed to be boiled in the pot.

Fu Zheng taught Cheng Huai step-by-step how to boil the water and cool the balls. Even with a task as simple as boiling rice balls, Cheng Huai nearly broke the porcelain bowls on the counter.

He was all thumbs, the clatter of pots and pans mixing together. Whenever he saw the bubbles rising in the boiling pot, he was scared to death of being burned. He pinched his own ears and pressed close to Fu Zheng’s side before he dared to lift the lid.

While Cheng Huai stumbled through the process, Fu Zheng watched him with concern, his brows gradually knitting together.

Fearing that Cheng Huai’s clumsiness would lead to an injury, Fu Zheng eventually chased him out of the kitchen and finished the rest of the work himself.

After eating and washing up, Fu Zheng didn’t let Cheng Huai go to sleep immediately, fearing he wouldn’t digest well.

Cheng Huai wasn’t sleepy anyway. He insisted on pestering Fu Zheng to change the bedsheets and duvet cover in the master bedroom.

Fu Zheng didn’t want him to help, but Cheng Huai wouldn’t listen, causing mischief on the side. Something Fu Zheng could have finished alone in five minutes ended up taking twenty because he had to mind Cheng Huai’s antics.

Cheng Huai then rummaged through the drawers and found a scented candle. It was the same scent as the aroma stone in the bedroom a light, refreshing bergamot.

Fu Zheng stood by Cheng Huai’s side, watching him light the candle with a mischievous air and even clasp his hands to mutter a few “Amens.” Helplessly, Fu Zheng pulled him away to change into pajamas and pulled him into bed.

Cheng Huai didn’t want to sleep. His eyes were bright and devoid of sleepiness as he sprawled by Fu Zheng’s ear, whispering non-stop.

Cheng Huai said, “Brother, you have no idea how hard my life was after you left.”

Fu Zheng lightly stroked the countless scars on Cheng Huai’s arm. His heart ached as he asked, “How hard was it?”

“I missed you so much I couldn’t eat or sleep. There was a time I thought I wouldn’t survive that summer.” Cheng Huai chuckled, continuing in his usual reckless manner, “But then I thought, I’m only fifteen. I haven’t even had sex yet. If I really died, wouldn’t I become the youngest virgin ghost? I didn’t want to be surrounded and mocked by other ghosts saying, ‘Look at that new ghost, lived a whole life and never tasted forbidden fruit.’ That would be too embarrassing.”

Fu Zheng turned over to lie flat on the bed and asked softly, “And now?”

“Now,” Cheng Huai moved closer, sprawling across Fu Zheng’s chest with glowing eyes, “Now that I’ve ‘tasted’ it, I want to add one more thing to what I said tonight.”

Cheng Huai’s gaze turned ominous. “Last time you left, I was caught off guard. I wasn’t fully prepared, and I didn’t tell you the consequences. Now, I’m telling you again: if you dare leave me again, I really will die for you to see. No lies.”

The more he blustered, the more it exposed his care and frantic insecurity. Fu Zheng looked at him with concern and gave a low “Mm.” Then, he closed his eyes, hiding the complex emotions within them, and said, “I’ll go with you.”

If his departure truly meant Cheng Huai would lose the will to live, then they would just die together.

“Cough, cough…” Cheng Huai choked and quickly covered Fu Zheng’s mouth. “Go with me for what? Bah, bah, bah!! If you really dared to follow me, I wouldn’t let you off even as a ghost. Don’t talk nonsense. Life is beautiful; we have to live well.”

Fu Zheng didn’t speak. He simply caressed the scars on Cheng Huai’s wrist and asked, “Did it hurt?”

He didn’t ask how the scars got there. He only asked if it hurt as if by knowing the extent of the pain, he could bear it on Cheng Huai’s behalf.

Cheng Huai hugged him. “It stopped hurting long ago. I’ve already forgotten.”

Cheng Huai touched Fu Zheng’s heart and said, “Brother, I’m fine. Look, aren’t I right here by your side now? About what happened back then… I know you must have had your own reasons. I understand. If you can’t come to find me, then I’ll just go to find you. No matter if you’re at the edge of the world, I’ll find you.”

Cheng Huai mumbled on and on. He stayed up all night as if he’d been injected with adrenaline, whispering in Fu Zheng’s ear until dawn began to break. Only then did he curl into the man’s arms and fall asleep.

Even in sleep, he was restless. His brows were tightly knit, and he gripped Fu Zheng’s pajamas tightly, terrified that the person beside him would vanish the moment he let go.

Fu Zheng’s heart was breaking. He understood.

Cheng Huai had said a great deal in one breath. Although not a single sentence mentioned “love,” every word was filled with it.

The meaning behind every sentence was: Please, do not leave me. Continue to love me. And if you cannot continue to love me, then let me love you.

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