Why Are Your Lips So Red?

A storm was brewing inside Jiang Yi, but with He Zhiwen beside him, he forced himself to suppress the turmoil within. His hand was just about to wake Su Ran when He Zhiwen stopped him, looking displeased. “What are you doing?”

Jiang Yi gritted his teeth, “I’m waking him up to send him back to sleep.”

“He’s already asleep, just let him be,” He Zhiwen said.

This time, Jiang Yi didn’t back down. “No, I’m not comfortable with this.”

He Zhiwen furrowed his brows, but after a moment of thought, he seemed to understand. It did seem inappropriate for Su Ran, a single young man, to share a bed with him in the eyes of others. Jiang Yi’s concern was understandable, especially since, although he wouldn’t do anything to Su Ran, it didn’t mean his mind was entirely free of stray thoughts.

Thinking this, he no longer obstructed. “Alright, but just carry him back then. He’s been working hard at the dessert shop all day; he’s tired.”

Just as Jiang Yi was about to speak, Su Ran slowly woke up on his own. He heard voices above his head and thought he recognized Jiang Yi’s voice. As he opened his eyes and saw the people around him, he instantly snapped awake.

“Jiang Yi?” Su Ran sat up, rubbing his eyes, still somewhat groggy.

Jiang Yi’s face was stern, “You really can sleep anywhere. Hurry up and come back with me.”

Su Ran was still a bit dazed. He Zhiwen, on the other hand, did not appreciate Jiang Yi’s scolding tone. And what did Jiang Yi think he was?

“He’s fine sleeping here. There are kids around, what could possibly go wrong?” He Zhiwen said.

Jiang Yi’s cheeks twitched with anger, but he swallowed it down, especially since he shouldn’t have said such things in front of He Zhiwen.

“Sorry, I misspoke just now,” Jiang Yi admitted, swallowing his anger forcefully.

He Zhiwen’s expression softened slightly. “Su Ran just fell asleep by accident while soothing Zhao Mingzhe. It’s nothing serious, just human nature.”

He knew both Jiang Yi and Su Ran came from the same town and he had been entrusted by family to look after Su Ran. It was normal for Jiang Yi to be worried seeing Su Ran wasn’t at home this late, but Su Ran wasn’t a child, and he certainly wasn’t some damsel in distress to get so upset about.

At this point, Su Ran was fully awake and didn’t understand why the two were arguing, especially since it seemed to be about him.

Su Ran got out of bed and followed Jiang Yi out the door, bidding He Zhiwen goodnight before closing his door. A few steps later, he reached his own home.

As soon as he entered, he saw Ye Qiao sitting on the sofa, who relaxed upon seeing him return but then chided, “Brother Ran Ran, next time let me know where you’re going. I was so worried when I couldn’t find you.”

“It wasn’t on purpose. I just fell asleep while soothing the child, and I didn’t even know you were coming back today,” Su Ran explained.

Just then, Jiang Yi suddenly burst out, “What? If we hadn’t come back today, would you have stayed there overnight?”

Su Ran jumped at his sudden loud voice. He hadn’t meant it like that, “No, that’s not what I…”

“Su Ran, do you even have a sense of propriety? I found you lying in someone else’s bed! With your little brain, you wouldn’t even realize if someone took advantage of you!” Jiang Yi exclaimed heatedly.

Su Ran looked at him, his eyes welling up, “Why would he take advantage of me? What do I have that’s worth taking advantage of?”

System 555 suddenly chimed in, “Ran Ran, indeed men can take advantage of you.”

Su Ran almost lost his composure, but managed to squeeze out more tears before replying to 555, “Crap, I’ve never thought about men taking advantage of each other. But since that’s the case, why can’t it be me taking advantage of them? And don’t worry, I won’t break character.”

According to the housewife logic Su Ran harbored, having lived with Jiang Yi so long without any advances, he had come to consider himself charmless, and no longer saw himself as a ‘housewife’, just an ordinary man, because Jiang Yi seemed indifferent no matter what he did. But he had no idea what got into Jiang Yi this time.

Unable to reason with Su Ran, Jiang Yi grew more irate, “Su Ran, drop your naive act. Are you doing this on purpose? Trying to flaunt your ass to seduce He Zhiwen? Don’t kid yourself, he wouldn’t go for you. Go dream on!”

Stunned, Su Ran stood frozen as Ye Qiao stepped up during Jiang Yi’s heated moment to try and calm him, but couldn’t stop his barrage of words.

After Jiang Yi had finished, the room fell silent. Su Ran looked at him, his eyes hollow, tears streaming down continuously, unable to retort or speak. He had been asked to babysit, and now he was being accused of seducing someone.

Ye Qiao immediately came to Su Ran’s side, holding him gently and comforting, “Brother Ran Ran, don’t listen to my brother. He was just too angry today. You didn’t do anything wrong. You’ve been helping a lot with the kids, and you’ve done well. That was just insulting.”

Seeing Ye Qiao siding with him, Su Ran felt slightly better. It was good that Ye Qiao didn’t try to defend Jiang Yi, or he would have been really upset.

Still, he sighed sadly, “But he must think that way about me. He was the one who asked me to help with the kids, and yet he said that.”

The more Su Ran talked, the more aggrieved he felt, and complained, “He was the one who asked me to go!”

“Exactly,” Ye Qiao hugged him, “It’s not your fault at all, it’s all my brother’s fault. He’s really harsh. If it were me, I’d be heartbroken, not blaming you like that.”

Su Ran’s tears fell even harder, his voice choked up, pitifully saying, “Jiang Yi doesn’t like me at all, and I don’t want to like him anymore…”

Ye Qiao held him even tighter, softly saying, “Alright, alright, don’t like him anymore.”

After calming Su Ran down enough to stop crying, Ye Qiao stood up, bending over to look at him, “Let me get you a glass of water, okay? You’ve shed so many tears, you should rehydrate.”

Su Ran broke into a smile at that, nodding obediently, “Okay.”

Ye Qiao then left the room, and soon encountered Jiang Yi. He quickly approached Ye Qiao, asking anxiously, “How is he? Still crying?”

Ye Qiao’s lips curled into a cold smile, looking at Su Ran, “Weren’t you the one who made him cry? Why care if he’s still crying?”

Caught off guard by Ye Qiao’s remark, Jiang Yi followed him into the kitchen, “I lost control earlier. I didn’t mean any of those things.”

“Oh…” Ye Qiao didn’t look at him, a flicker of coldness in his eyes, “It’s fine. Brother Ran Ran will understand. You don’t need to worry too much. You’ve argued before, right? It’s usually him who gives in. Just wait for him to apologize this time.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yi frowned, feeling even worse. Indeed, as Ye Qiao said, but looking at it this way, he really was dreadful.

“Help me convince him not to be angry,” Jiang Yi said, his expression guilty, adding, “And tell him I’m sorry.”

After saying those hurtful things, he had immediately regretted them. Su Ran wasn’t like that; it was just a moment of anger. Now, thinking back, he truly felt guilty, the first time he had ever felt this way towards Su Ran, but perhaps he should have felt guilty long ago.

Ye Qiao, holding a cup of water with a smile, said, “Alright, I’ll talk to him. Brother, don’t think too much, go to sleep early.”

As Ye Qiao turned and left the kitchen, the corners of his mouth curled up even more. Upon reaching Su Ran’s bedroom, he saw Su Ran still sitting where he had been before.

His heart couldn’t help but soften at the sight of such a treasure. How could anyone speak so cruelly to him? About him seducing others—he doesn’t know anything, after all, it’s those men who try every trick in the book to seduce him, to catch his attention, shamelessly at that, himself included.

Ye Qiao handed the water over, “Drink.”

Su Ran took it with both hands, the water temperature just right. He tilted his head back, sipping slowly, his lips looking particularly red against the glass.

Ye Qiao slightly bent down, kissing his hair tips. If Jiang Yi knew he was comforting his little sister-in-law this way, he wondered what his reaction would be.

After finishing the water, Ye Qiao set the glass aside, urging Su Ran to lie down on the bed and covering him with a blanket. He lay down beside him, patting him gently through the blanket.

“Brother Ran Ran, how about I take you away from here?” Ye Qiao murmured softly, “Away from the people who make you sad. I’ll make sure you have a happy life, never letting you shed tears again.”

Upon hearing this, Su Ran immediately opened his eyes, glad he was facing away from Ye Qiao, or he might have been caught. Was Ye Qiao finally making his move?

Pretending to be nearly asleep, he mumbled, “Going to sleep, no more talking…”

Ye Qiao propped himself up to look at him, and after a while, lay back down, then held him even tighter, thinking, I will treat you well, better than anyone else.

•

The next morning, Su Ran came out of his room, rubbing his eyes groggily, only to hear Jiang Yi’s voice, “Morning, come and eat.”

Su Ran paused, looking towards the kitchen where the sunlight was abundant, seeing Jiang Yi setting up breakfast.

Thinking back on last night’s events, this seemed like an attempt to show weakness, but he wouldn’t forgive him easily. He had already been upset about Zhou Luo’s matter, and last night’s events had clarified some things for him: Jiang Yi truly looked down on him.

Su Ran shifted his gaze away, then silently headed towards the bathroom. Jiang Yi watched him, his movements halting for a moment. This was the first time Su Ran had ignored him like this, and it was an uncomfortable feeling.

It seemed last night had really hurt him.

After Su Ran had freshened up, Ye Qiao also came out, and they sat down to eat together. Jiang Yi was all smiles, eagerly serving Su Ran, “Isn’t this your favorite? Eat more.”

Su Ran’s eyes were downcast, stirring the porridge in his bowl, never responding. Jiang Yi wasn’t discouraged.

As they were finishing up, Jiang Yi looked at Su Ran seriously, “Su Ran.”

Su Ran looked over, seeing a sincere Jiang Yi staring back at him, then he said, “I’m sorry about last night. I was impulsive. Please don’t take it to heart; none of that was heartfelt.”

Su Ran was taken aback; this was the first time Jiang Yi had apologized so earnestly. He didn’t want to forgive, but didn’t know how to respond, so he just hummed softly in acknowledgment.

Jiang Yi asked earnestly, “Will you forgive me?”

Seeing his earnest look, Su Ran lowered his head, tired of the cycle of being hit then offered a sweet date, always falling for it, but this time he didn’t want to be fooled.

However, Su Ran didn’t want to continue living under the same roof in such an awkward atmosphere, so he said, “Fine.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yi smiled, while Ye Qiao, who had been listening the entire time, slowly furrowed his brows. He watched Su Ran’s expression closely, noting that although he was looking down, his lips were pursed downwards, indicating he wasn’t truly willing.

So that was it… Thinking this, Ye Qiao took a sip of water, thinking to himself that his little sister-in-law and his brother were probably on the brink of a breakup.

Just then, Su Ran’s phone on the table buzzed. He picked it up and saw a message from Lu Jin. After reading it, Su Ran looked across the table at Jiang Yi.

“Lu Jin wants to come over for a meal, is it convenient?” Su Ran asked.

“Is he coming?” Jiang Yi was a bit surprised. He was very welcoming of Lu Jin’s visit, but if Lu Jin was coming, why hadn’t he contacted him directly?

If he was coming, he probably wanted to discuss a project, and contacting Su Ran was… maybe he wanted to eat pastries?

“Sure, let him come. Prepare some pastries, but don’t make them yourself; it’s too hard. Just have the staff deliver them,” Jiang Yi said.

Su Ran nodded. If Lu Jin was coming, it would certainly add to the plot and drama.

Ye Qiao watched Jiang Yi, his gaze cold yet pitying. What, does he have some special preference, always welcoming those who have designs on Su Ran, and treating each one warmly?

•

In the afternoon, the ingredients had been bought back. Su Ran and Ye Qiao were in the kitchen, while Jiang Yi was setting up the tea, taking out the best tea leaves, thinking only of having a good discussion with Lu Jin when he arrived.

But Lu Jin arrived much earlier than expected, just as they had started washing the vegetables.

Jiang Yi welcomed Lu Jin inside, “Welcome, welcome. Didn’t expect you to arrive so early; we haven’t even started cooking yet.”

Lu Jin changed his shoes and casually responded, “I was in the area for work, so I came straight here.”

Jiang Yi paused, his smile faltering. It seemed Lu Jin had said something similar last time?

It appeared to be a time-saving method.

Jiang Yi led him inside, just about to point towards the coffee table when he saw Lu Jin head straight for the kitchen, saying, “I arrived early, might as well help out.”

Jiang Yi, “?”

Shouldn’t they talk about the project first? Was his tea setup for nothing?

But Lu Jin had already integrated himself into the kitchen. The three men stood side by side, and it felt a bit crowded at first glance.

“Su Ran, how do you do this?” Lu Jin stood next to Su Ran, his arm occasionally brushing against him.

“Pinch off the root,” Su Ran said.

“Brother Ran Ran, how should I cut this meat?” Ye Qiao muttered.

After Su Ran finished explaining, he heard Lu Jin ask, “And this, does this look right?”

Su Ran suddenly felt overwhelmed by the noise; he had asked for help, but now it seemed like these two were competing for his attention.

“Ye Qiao, you do it yourself. You’ve been in the kitchen enough times, you can handle it,” Su Ran said. He found cooking or baking most annoying when others buzzed around him.

Lu Jin was a guest, so he couldn’t say much, just patiently answered, letting it be.

Just then, Jiang Yi, who had been idling in the living room, came over, “Need any help?”

Su Ran’s chopping intensified, and he said bluntly, “No need.”

Jiang Yi paused, then sheepishly left the kitchen. This fierce demeanor was rare.

At that moment, Ye Qiao also fell silent, only Lu Jin’s face carried a smile. He turned around, presenting his sleeves to Su Ran, “I’m going to start washing the vegetables, help me with my sleeves.”

Su Ran immediately put down the knife, wiped his hands on the apron, and meticulously rolled up Lu Jin’s sleeves.

Lu Jin’s smile grew wider, his eyes gleaming with pride and triumph as he looked at Ye Qiao’s sullen face.

Ye Qiao watched him with a dark look, then suddenly curved into a smile, and the next second he sharply inhaled.

Su Ran turned around at the sound, then rushed over, gripping Ye Qiao’s bleeding finger, “Oh no, how did this happen?”

Ye Qiao’s voice was slightly plaintive, “It was the peeler, I accidentally cut myself…”

Su Ran immediately took his hand under the tap to rinse it, then turned swiftly out of the kitchen, “Wait here, I’ll get some gauze and iodine.”

Ye Qiao’s smile grew even more triumphant as he watched Lu Jin, enjoying his ashen face.

Lu Jin glanced at Su Ran’s bedroom door, then walked past Ye Qiao directly into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Su Ran was crouching to get the iodine and gauze from the first aid box, just taking out the items, when he stood up and saw Lu Jin. He was startled, then said, “What are you…”

Before he could finish, Lu Jin leaned down and kissed him, eager and turbulent, pushing Su Ran back several steps until he was pinned against the wall.

He sucked fervently at those soft lips, stirring the tongue inside, his breathing messy. Between breaths, Lu Jin said, “I’ve missed you so much.”

Su Ran was dazed by his kisses, gradually giving in. How did Lu Jin’s kissing skills get so good? His tongue felt so deliciously numb, kissed into a blissful haze.

But it had only been a day since they’d seen each other, and he missed him? Probably just missed his flavor.

After they separated, Lu Jin looked at Su Ran’s shiny lips, licking his own, “I’ve really missed seeing you.”

Su Ran’s eyes were glossy with desire, yet he thought to himself, it sounded like sweet nothings, but he was just greedy for his flavor. Smelling it wasn’t enough; he had to taste it too.

But he thought, even if Lu Jin’s intentions were like this, if others saw, they certainly wouldn’t accept it. However, he didn’t feel too guilty about it, considering how terribly Jiang Yi had treated him.

Thinking this, Su Ran suddenly snapped back to reality. This was still his home! Thankfully, he had locked the door when he went to get the medicine, or they might have been caught!

“Why did you close the door?” Su Ran muttered, then immediately opened it, even if their intentions were pure, being discovered would be disastrous.

The moment the door opened, Ye Qiao stood at the doorway. Su Ran wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw Ye Qiao’s expression twist momentarily.

His finger was still bleeding, blood dripping onto the floor, as if he had been standing there since Lu Jin had come in.

Su Ran was momentarily flustered, immediately saying, “Mr. Lu was helping me look for the medicine…”

Ye Qiao didn’t respond to his words, instead curving into a cold, mocking smile, “Brother Ran Ran, why are your lips suddenly so red?”