Chapter 33: Thank You, Brother

Thinking that You Chong didn’t believe him, Lin Hexi quickly followed and stopped by the bedroom door, explaining with a cheerful smile, “It really accidentally fell to the ground.”

The person inside the bedroom didn’t respond, but the sound of the wardrobe door opening could be heard.

Lin Hexi smiled contentedly and stood obediently outside the door, waiting for him to take out the clothes.

Soon, there were footsteps inside the room. Lin Hexi leaned his head slightly to peek inside, but before his eyes could catch sight of You Chong, his face was suddenly covered by a piece of clothing thrown at him.

At the same time, You Chong’s voice, still laced with lingering annoyance, reached his ears: “Put the clothes on first.”

Lin Hexi pulled the clothes off his head and put them on properly. After waiting for a short moment, You Chong finally walked out of the bedroom.

His eyes were lowered, and his gaze uncontrollably swept over Lin Hexi’s two bare legs exposed beneath the clothes, causing him to become annoyed once again. “Why aren’t you wearing pants?”

Puzzled, Lin Hexi looked down and only then realized that the clothes he was wearing were a bit too large, covering the shorts he had on underneath.

At the same time, he also realized that You Chong wasn’t angry because he suspected him of lying, but rather because of a completely normal reaction from a straight guy.

At least, that’s what Lin Hexi thought.

He didn’t have many friends, so he wasn’t very familiar with the lives of ordinary guys. On the contrary, because of his good-looking face, Lin Hexi was never short of girls who took the initiative to get close to him.

Compared to the straightforward behavior of boys, he found it easier to understand the more delicate thoughts of girls.

Feeling mischievous, he deliberately spoke slowly, “It’s not like you haven’t seen it by the pool before.”

You Chong replied, “That’s different.”

Lin Hexi asked, “How is it different?”

You Chong frowned without saying a word, fixing his gaze straight ahead, refusing to let it shift downward even a little.

When no answer came from You Chong, Lin Hexi suddenly had a look of realization. He stepped closer to You Chong and asked, “Is it because by the pool I was still wearing swim trunks, but now I’m not wearing anything at all?”

You Chong’s expression darkened slightly as his gaze swept over Lin Hexi’s animated face. “You’re not wearing any underwear?”

Lin Hexi smiled faintly, “That’s right. Do you want to take a look?”

You Chong replied with a stern face, “I don’t want to look.”

Lin Hexi still didn’t give up, “Haven’t you ever compared size with Zhou Xuan?” His tone was full of implication. “Why don’t we compare as well?”

You Chong almost laughed when he heard that. “Do you think we still need to compare?” He looked down directly at Lin Hexi’s two well-proportioned legs. “What’s the difference between your legs and a woman’s? And you want to compare another part with me?”

Naturally, there is a difference—women’s leg bones are smaller, making their legs appear slimmer. But comparing his legs to You Chong’s, the muscles on You Chong’s legs would be more pronounced. Lin Hexi found it amusing, realizing that You Chong clearly hadn’t paid much attention to a woman’s legs before.

He didn’t offer any argument, simply lowered his hands and grabbed the edges of his clothing. “Comparing won’t cost you anything.”

After saying this, he actually began to lift the clothes that covered his thighs.

You Chong instinctively bent down to grab his hands, but he only managed to catch his right hand, letting his left hand slip free.

Lin Hexi gave a sly smile and used his remaining left hand to lift the edge of his clothes.

In a panic, You Chong was about to let go and step back when his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the fabric under Lin Hexi’s clothes—it was just a pair of cotton home shorts.

Gritting his teeth slightly, You Chong uttered slowly and deliberately, “Lin Hexi.”

Lin Hexi, who had been observing You Chong’s reaction the entire time, finally couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking lightly.

You Chong, still fuming, warned, “If you want to sleep in the hallway tonight, just keep laughing.”

After gradually stifling his laughter, Lin Hexi relaxed his shoulders and replied with a grin, “But you were the one who picked out the clothes.”

It was true that he had chosen the clothes, but You Chong, with a cold expression, responded, “Tuck your shirt into your pants.”

Lin Hexi retorted, “No, that would look too ugly.”

Upon hearing this, You Chong raised his eyebrows, “You’re not going to tuck it in, huh? I’ll do it for you.”

Before Lin Hexi could react, You Chong had already reached out, hooked open the waistband of his pants, and started tucking the edge of the shirt into them. The way he did it looked very much like someone who was used to tidying up a child’s clothes.

Lin Hexi cooperated fully, raising his hands and allowing You Chong to work around his waist. After You Chong finished with the front, Lin Hexi calmly reminded him, “Don’t forget the back.”

You Chong, already a bit impatient, instinctively lifted his hand and gave a light slap to Lin Hexi’s side. “Turn around yourself.”

As his palm landed on Lin Hexi’s waist, both of them paused for a moment, and their expressions slightly dazed.

You Chong was the first to recover, and quickly masking the unusual emotion in his eyes. Without waiting to see if Lin Hexi turned around, he used his height and long arms to reach behind him, tucking in the rest of the shirt himself.

To make it easier for You Chong to work, their faces were turned away from each other, but their bodies were very close.

The subtle feeling that crept over Lin Hexi the night he hid in You Chong’s arms during the camping trip resurfaced. He shook his head slightly to clear his mind, suppressing the memories that kept replaying before his eyes, and calmly initiated a new topic: “Do you often help dress the kids in your family?”

You Chong’s arm, which occasionally brushed against Lin Hexi’s lower back, noticeably paused. He replied with a slightly surprised tone, “How did you know? It’s the kids from a relative’s family.”

Lin Hexi thought for a moment, then asked with a smile in his voice, “So, after you help them with their clothes, how do they usually thank you?”

You Chong frowned as he considered this.

The amusement in Lin Hexi’s voice became more evident. “Do they say, ‘Thank you, big brother’?”

Not noticing the change in Lin Hexi’s tone, You Chong answered absentmindedly, “Something like that.”

He tucked the back of Lin Hexi’s shirt completely into his waistband and was about to straighten up and step back.

But Lin Hexi suddenly lifted his hands and wrapped them around You Chong’s back.

Perhaps because the hug was loose and Lin Hexi’s hands didn’t linger for long, You Chong didn’t feel any discomfort or displeasure.

Lin Hexi’s action indeed had no other intent.

He simply reached out and hugged You Chong, then, imitating a child’s voice, he spoke playfully into his ear, “Thank you, big brother.”

You Chong was momentarily stunned, and by the time he came to his senses, Lin Hexi had already released him and was heading straight for the Alaskan Malamute on the sofa.

The clock on the wall had already passed midnight, yet neither Lin Hexi nor the big dog showed any intention of going to sleep. You Chong opened the refrigerator, glanced inside, and took out some ingredients and dried noodles.

Sitting on the sofa with the Alaskan Malamute in his arms, Lin Hexi asked, “Are you making a late-night snack?”

You Chong raised the dried noodles in his hand and replied nonchalantly, “Do you want some?”

Lin Hexi nodded with a cheerful smile, “Yes, thank you.”

After agreeing, he was momentarily surprised that You Chong would cook for himself. However, recalling how skillfully You Chong handled the live fish during their last camping barbecue, he quickly suppressed his surprise.

Lin Hexi then turned his attention to the ordinary-looking apartment. If it weren’t for the way You Chong dressed and the car he drove, no one would have guessed that this man came from a wealthy and influential family.

He retracted his gaze and casually let it fall on the coffee table in front of the sofa, then paused in surprise.

The drawing that You Chong had brought back from the arboretum last time was casually pressed under the coffee table. Lin Hexi bent down to pull out the sheet of paper and stared at the drawing for a long while, slowly curling his lips into a smile.

He had regretted not being able to add color at the time, so why not color it now as a return gift for the late-night snack? He leaned down and searched around under the coffee table, eventually finding a multicolored ballpoint pen in a corner.

When You Chong came in to call him for noodles, he saw Lin Hexi leaning back against the sofa, his legs raised to rest against the edge of the coffee table, holding the multicolored pen in his hand, drawing on the paper resting on his legs.

The still-energetic Alaskan Malamute stood beside Lin Hexi, curiously peering at the spot where his pen was touching the paper.

Recognizing the paper as the drawing someone had given him, You Chong raised his eyebrow and warned, “If you ruin the drawing that was gifted to me, you’ll have to compensate for it.”

Lin Hexi quickly finished the last stroke and looked up with a smile, and asked, “Now that it’s even better, shouldn’t there be a reward?”

You Chong’s expression showed clear skepticism.

The smile on Lin Hexi’s face deepened as he turned the drawing over and held it up facing You Chong, and looking at him with an expectant expression.

After glancing briefly at the now-colored drawing, You Chong’s eyes revealed a hint of surprise. He stepped forward, took the drawing, and examined it more closely.

After a moment, he finally lifted his gaze and chuckled, “Looks like you managed to get lucky by sheer coincidence.”

Lin Hexi smiled without saying anything, casually asking, “So, where’s my reward?”

You Chong’s gaze slowly settled on Lin Hexi’s face, but he didn’t say anything.

Not really expecting a reward, Lin Hexi got up without concern and walked past him toward the kitchen, saying, “If we don’t go eat soon, the noodles will probably get soggy.”

You Chong turned around but didn’t respond to his comment. Instead, he called out his name, “Lin Hexi.”

Lin Hexi looked back with puzzled eyes.

You Chong asked inexplicably, “Are you going out next week during the National Day holiday?”

Lin Hexi joked in return, “What? Are you asking me out?”

You Chong replied, “Keep dreaming.”

“Alright then,” Lin Hexi pretended to be disappointed, his face falling slightly. “I’m not going out, and I don’t plan to go back to the Lin family. What’s up?”

“You like Fantuan, right?” You Chong’s lips curved slightly. “I’m going home for the National Day holiday. How about you take care of my dog for a few days?”

Lin Hexi’s long, beautiful eyes widened slightly, “No problem!”