“Did you call me Ge? Did you really call me Ge?” Yu Sen had a pure, innocent expression, with bloodstains at the corners of his mouth, his face pale, with misty eyes and slightly reddish corners. His tone was cautious and clingy, making him look like a victim who had been severely mistreated.

But who in this room would dare to bully or mistreat him?

Seeing that he didn’t get an answer, Yu Sen lowered his pitch-black lashes and looked pitiful: “You must be calling Si Nan, not me, right? I knew I was so pained that I lost my mind and got confused. Oh, what a wasted hope.”

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and, under the strange gaze of the three pairs of eyes, tried to hide the bloodstains in his sleeve, leaving only his fingertips exposed, looking as delicate as jade.

Si Nan: Under the light, in the focus of attention, who are you hiding this from? The absent Ruan Xin?

Si Nan thought such an obvious performance—if Si Xuanyang believed it or couldn’t see through the pretense—then all the years of intelligence training and elite education would have been for nothing! 

Si Nan looked at his best friend with disdain, shaking his head in a mix of complex emotions—These were just the tricks used by others on Si Xuanyang; Yu Sen’s methods were still too immature and lacked originality.

Before Yu Sen could continue with his self-pitying act, Si Xuanyang’s helpless voice rang out.

—“I’ve never called Si Nan ‘Ge.’”

And added, “I haven’t since I can remember.”

What does this mean?

Si Nan was stunned, staring blankly at Yu Sen’s innocent smile and those affectionate, watery eyes, suddenly feeling like a tool in the situation!

A tool and an outsider.

“So your feelings must be built on hurting me?” Si Nan gritted his teeth.

Si Xuanyang thought about the deceiving actions from the first day he knew Yu Sen and the misleading ‘in-law,’ frowned, and remained silent.

Si Nan: “???”

Was this an admission? His question was obviously exaggerated with some complaints and a touch of coquettishness! And it was directly admitted so indifferently!?

Just like when, as a child, he cried and threw a tantrum with snot bubbles saying to his mom, “I must be a child you picked up! You don’t love me!” He expected immediate denial, but then his mom suddenly took out a photo of a little boy sleeping next to a trash bin and described in detail the time and place, calmly and rationally telling him, “You really are a picked-up child.” Wasn’t this the same thing!?

Although his mom’s part was something he imagined, Si Xuanyang’s twisted way of establishing emotional connections was real!

He couldn’t stand this grievance!!

“Just wait! When we get back… I’m definitely going to tell mum and dad about you! I won’t let you have an easy time!”

Yu Sen glanced at Si Nan, immediately clutching his stomach and frowning as he slumped beside him, letting out a soft moan.

Si Xuanyang’s face showed a moment of panic, tightly holding him, and then, after a pause, scolded Si Nan, “Stop targeting him all the time.”

Si Nan: “???”

Are you kidding me? Which of my eyes saw me targeting him?

Isn’t it the other way around?

After hesitating, Si Xuanyang turned his head and asked Yu Sen softly, “Has the time been long enough? We need to go back. Can you walk? Does it still hurt? Will walking make your muscles hurt?”

Yu Sen, greedily snuggling against Si Xuanyang’s warm neck, discreetly raised an eyebrow at Si Nan, and weakly said, “It started hurting again; I don’t want to walk.”

“…… Then, I’ll carry you. Hold on tight.”

Si Xuanyang bent down, and in the astonished eyes of Si Nan and Luo Yu, he wrapped one arm around Yu Sen’s shoulders and reached behind Yu Sen’s knees with the other, pulling him up securely.

A princess carry.

Yu Sen: “Wow!”

Si Nan: “…What the hell.”

Yu Sen winked at him and, proudly wrapping his arms around Si Xuanyang’s neck, blew a cool breath into his already flushed ear, saying, “Let’s go, my precious little brother.”

Si Nan: “……”

He wanted to kill someone.

Was killing here subject to legal punishment?

Si Xuanyang’s mouth twitched unnaturally, his face almost covered in a blush from the cool breath, but he didn’t avoid it at all. With an impatient look, he raised his chin toward Si Nan, then carried Yu Sen and walked away with steady steps.

Si Nan took a deep breath, “Luo Yu, if I wanted to kill someone, would you pass me the knife?”

Luo Yu smiled sympathetically, “Give up. You can’t beat your brother.”

Si Nan was heartbroken, “…… Stop it. He’s no longer my brother. He’s someone else’s brother!”

……

Back in the room, he kicked the door shut and looked down at the person buried in his neck. His eyes flickered uncomfortably, but his tone was calm, “Are you done with the performance, Little White Lotus? You almost made Si Nan lose his mind.”

“It’s clearly you who’s making him mad, isn’t it?” Yu Sen lifted his face, tilted his head, put a hand on Si Xuanyang’s chest, and looked at him with a mocking smile, “And… aren’t you acting too? You look so calm, but your heart must be racing. Revealing your true self, huh, Yang Yang?”

“……”

“Is this your first time carrying someone?” Yu Sen stared at his ears turning red, finding it amusing. He didn’t let go, teasing him, “Or is this your first time calling me Ge? Call me Ge again… hold me tighter, or I might fall.”

He squeezed Si Xuanyang’s soft earlobes, enjoying the playful teasing, and thought about how entertaining it was to tease someone.

But he was wrong. Si Xuanyang was not the kind of person who would run away with a handkerchief covering his face when teased.

Si Xuanyang just kept his eyes lowered, his gaze hidden in the darkness like smoldering sparks. His tightly pressed lips parted slightly, his voice like a deep blue current merging with the orange-red sparks on his body, making Yu Sen’s whole body feel soft and hot, as if it were about to turn into light, drifting ash.

He spoke each word slowly, “I won’t let you fall. Does your stomach still hurt?…… Hmm? Ge?”

Yu Sen was lifted a bit closer, and as Si Xuanyang spoke, he kept his head down, brushing his lips against Yu Sen’s ear with each word, getting so close that his teeth lightly grazed Yu Sen’s ear, warm and wet.

Yu Sen felt his whole body tremble several times, his fingers spasming as they gripped Si Xuanyang’s neck, his arms almost failing to hold on. If not for being carried, he probably wouldn’t be able to stand.

He felt like crying without tears: why is this guy so good at teasing back!? He couldn’t take it anymore.

“…… Aren’t your arms tired? Put me on the bed.”

Ugh, this was meant to be a serious request, but it sounded a bit off when spoken out loud.

Yu Sen carefully glanced at Si Xuanyang’s expression, praying that he didn’t take it the wrong way, fearing he might challenge him back in a teasing contest. If that happened, he wouldn’t be able to handle it. He had just coughed up blood! Physically disadvantaged!

Fortunately, Si Xuanyang probably wasn’t willing to torment him further. He placed Yu Sen back in the blanket, looking at his pale face, placing his hand on his stomach, and asked softly, “Does it still hurt badly? Are you feeling dizzy?”

Yu Sen was indeed a bit tired. After a commotion, lying back in bed, his fatigue overcame the pain. He immediately lost energy, feeling dazed, murmuring, “Dizzy, want to sleep…”

“Sleep then.” Si Xuanyang bent down to wipe away the remaining blood from his lips, gently kissing and sucking, and only released him after a long time.

Yu Sen’s pale, cracked lips regained some color, like a pale pink rose, fragile and delicate, prompting Si Xuanyang to lean in and give another light kiss. Finally, lingering at his eyelashes, he kissed his closed eyelids gently, then slowly withdrew, lying down beside him and falling asleep together.

---

Last night, Si Nan’s screams clearly frightened many people. By morning, everyone’s dark circles were so noticeable you could see them from afar.

Though Yu Sen slept relatively well last night, he appeared more listless and weak than others because of his upset stomach and the few mouthfuls of blood he vomited. His face was as pale as snow, drooping weakly on Si Xuanyang’s shoulder as he was led forward.

Si Nan, however, seemed to be back to his usual self after midnight, chattering away next to him.

Si Xuanyang stopped in his tracks, looked around, and said to Si Nan, “Later, explain what happened last night to the others and also tell them about our speculation. Based on last night’s situation, the mirror seems to be a very important tool. Ruan Xin ran away when the mirror reflected her. Perhaps the mirror can weaken her abilities. Since our mirror is broken, we’ll need to use someone else’s. It’s good for them to know more clues.”

Si Nan nodded in agreement.

Breakfast was a bit more edible. Yu Sen ate half an ear of corn and some mildly warm fruit. Si Xuanyang remarked that his portion looked like he was feeding a cat, but Yu Sen felt full, and Si Xuanyang didn’t dare to persuade him to eat more, fearing that his delicate stomach might not handle it and cause more trouble.

Soon, Yu Sen slowly drank half a cup of warm water and noticed a pair of white shoes appearing at the dining area’s door. Looking up, he saw Ruan Xin’s face, which was as plain and unremarkable as ever.

^[1]Author’s note:

Yu Ge is so softened by flirting, but only one place can stay hard (Yes, I’m making you firm in your belief: no matter how soft or ill, he is still the top!).