Chapter 14 – Neighboring Big Sister (Part 4)

“How could he do that!”

Jiang Jiang looked heartbroken as she examined the skin on Wen Ye’s fingers—almost rubbed raw.

His fingers weren’t smooth. They were full of scars and calluses, all from housework and manual labor.

“Don’t look… Jie-jie, they’re ugly.”

He flinched and tried to tuck his hands back into his sleeves, but Jiang Jiang firmly held him in place. “Don’t move.”

She carefully disinfected the wounds. Seeing his fingers tremble, she thought it was from pain, so she leaned down and gently blew on them. “Still hurts?”

How could it hurt?

All Wen Ye felt was a tingling itch—an unbearable itch that made him want her to press even harder.

He lowered his eyes, watching the woman before him as she focused on treating his injuries. His heart felt like it was being squeezed tight by an invisible hand. Her breath brushed over his fingertips, so warm it made his eyes sting.

“…It doesn’t hurt.” His voice was hoarse, Adam’s apple bobbing. “No one’s… ever treated me like this.”

Jiang Jiang looked up, meeting his tear-filled eyes. His long lashes trembled, like butterflies on the verge of flight—fragile and beautiful.

She couldn’t help softening her tone. “If you ever get hurt again, you have to tell me, okay?”

Wen Ye nodded slightly, though inside he disagreed:

There won’t be a next time.
Those who hurt him—he’ll never let them touch him again.

“Thank you, Jie-jie.”

His voice was sweet and obedient, as if he were truly just a normal little neighbor brother. He bent slightly and wrapped his arms around Jiang Jiang’s shoulders, gently resting his head against her.

It was a hug easy to escape from.

Wen Ye waited anxiously for her reaction.

But then a pair of warm hands slowly circled his waist, even patting his back in comfort.

His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst from his chest, ears turning red in an instant.

He wasn’t some innocent kid who didn’t understand anything. Since he came of age, he had seen plenty of dirty transactions between men and women.

But Wen Ye had never been interested in any of it.

The physical entanglements of bodies only ever made him feel disgusted.

So why… was his body reacting now?

Almost instinctively, Wen Ye rubbed his face against her hair, completely immersed in her scent.

“You’re such a little clingy baby, huh?” Jiang Jiang teased with a smile.

Wen Ye buried his face even deeper in the curve of her neck, greedily breathing in the faint scent of gardenia on her skin.

So close, he could feel the beat of her pulse. It gave him a sick, twisted sense of satisfaction.

Clinginess is a privilege.
Only those who are loved are allowed to act spoiled.

After his younger brother was born, Wen Ye learned this lesson all too well: only his brother could earn their parents’ affection through tears and tantrums.

He only ever made them feel irritated.

But now, finally—someone would indulge him.

“…Will Jie-jie find me annoying?”

Wen Ye began to wonder how he had earned her sympathy.

Was it his miserable home life? His face? His submissive attitude?

Maybe it was all three.

He knew he was good-looking—even that disgusting Chu Keyong sometimes gave him looks that made his skin crawl.

His striking beauty had only ever brought trouble.

But now, for the first time, he wanted to protect his appearance. Because if his looks made Jiang Jiang like him…

He was smart. He knew how to use his strengths.

Wen Ye subtly adjusted his posture so that the moonlight outside spilled perfectly over the sharp lines of his side profile. He tilted his head just slightly, revealing the smooth curve of his neck. His Adam’s apple shifted subtly with each breath.

“Jie-jie…” His voice softened intentionally, lashes fluttering as he lowered his gaze, casting a small shadow beneath his eyes. “Am I… pushing my luck too far like this?”

Jiang Jiang: “……”

Jiang Jiang: “…No. I don’t find you annoying.”

She stood up, pulling him up along with her, and said seriously, “It’s late. Let’s get to bed.”

Wen Ye: “?”

10086: 【???】

10086: 【Did you just skip the whole vibe?!】

Jiang Jiang rolled her eyes: 【He’s already so pitiful!! And you’re still thinking about that stuff? Keep it up and I’ll report you and get you banned!】

10086: “……”
If this boy wasn’t faking, it would flip its name upside down right now.

---

Jiang Jiang had always kept a regular routine.

She got up at 7:30 and found breakfast already laid out on the table, with a little note beside it:

“I went to work early, Jie-jie. If the food gets cold, remember to microwave it~ ^⌯⌯^੭”

Jiang Jiang melted on the spot: 【So sweet! Such a thoughtful little brother!】

10086: “……” Ha. Ha.

It turned on its god’s-eye view and nearly went blind when it saw what her so-called “sweet little brother” was actually up to.

---

Wen Ye’s first time stepping foot in a Qin family property.

This made the management extremely attentive—after all, this was the last remaining golden heir of the Qin family.

But to their surprise, he asked for a private room and called in a few male hosts.

“……?”

That golden heir… couldn’t be that way, right?

The manager turned pale.

---

By the time Wen Ye got home, Jiang Jiang was still in her studio.

He walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, practicing the expressions those men had taught him—eyes flashing with quiet determination.

---

This was Jiang Jiang’s first time working in this profession.

Watching the painting slowly take shape under her brush, she let out a small “wow.”

I could write a whole thesis, she thought, on what it feels like when someone with zero art talent suddenly becomes gifted.

10086: 【So you just sat there painting all day? Makes me curious how bad you must’ve been before.】

Jiang Jiang: “……”

Reminded, she suddenly realized—she forgot to eat lunch.

“I’ll just grab some bread.”

She opened the door—only to find Wen Ye already simmering soup in the kitchen.

“You didn’t eat lunch?”

He looked at her, a hint of accusation in his eyes.

Jiang Jiang froze. “How did you know?”

Wen Ye pointed to the microwave and fridge. “I made it this morning. I figured if you saw it at lunchtime, you’d heat it up.”

Jiang Jiang coughed lightly. “I got absorbed in painting… Didn’t realize it was already noon.”

Wen Ye didn’t accept the excuse.

He had those classic puppy eyes—tailing slightly downward—and when he looked at her seriously like that, it made her feel like she had committed some kind of moral crime.

“…I spent a long time on it,” he added. “And skipping meals isn’t good for your health.”

Jiang Jiang instantly felt like a terrible person. She quickly helped bring the food to the table and solemnly swore, “Next time I’ll set an alarm. I’ll remember to eat.”

She then noticed the part of Wen Ye’s arm peeking out from his sleeve. He was still wearing her clothes—oversized, loose unisex ones—but his wrists were still exposed.

“You need to eat properly too. You’re too skinny.” Jiang Jiang pinched the fabric at his wrist. “Didn’t we buy new clothes? You don’t like them? The weather’s cold—if your wrists are bare, you’ll catch a chill.”

It’s not that I don’t like them.

Wen Ye smiled faintly.