The Younger Brother Has Arrived

When Su Ran woke up in the morning, he immediately headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Cooking had become part of his daily routine. In the past, he was a typical homebody who ordered takeout every day, but now he spent long hours in the kitchen and didn’t mind it. Maybe it was the influence of the “good wife” factor?

As he was washing the rice in the pot, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to look and saw Jiang Yi coming out of his room. His hair was messy, and he was rubbing his temples as if he was suffering from a hangover.

Su Ran served a bowl of the hangover soup that had been warmed up. Yesterday, Lu Jin was the first to drink it, and he said it tasted pretty good.

Jiang Yi stopped in front of the island counter. Su Ran handed him the soup, “You drank a bit too much last night, you must have a headache now. This will make your stomach feel better.”

Jiang Yi gave it a glance but didn’t take it. Instead, he went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. The water was still steaming, but his face was cold as usual. He was always like this in front of Su Ran, showing no need for pretenses. As a submissive and weak “wife,” Su Ran could only lower his eyes and say nothing, already used to this behavior.

“How did I get back last night?” Jiang Yi asked, taking a sip of water. He couldn’t remember much from last night.

“Lu Jin drove us back. If it weren’t for him, we probably wouldn’t have made it home,” Su Ran replied.

When Jiang Yi heard Lu Jin’s name, he paused in surprise, stopping his drinking. “Lu Jin came to the house?”

Su Ran nodded. Jiang Yi thought for a moment before responding, “I see.”

“Oh, by the way, don’t go anywhere today. Ye Qiao is back from abroad. He injured his arm and might stay here for a few days. Make sure to prepare a good dinner for him.” Jiang Yi said seriously.

Su Ran could tell he was treating it with importance. “Okay, I got it.”

Jiang Yi opened his mouth as if to say something more but then stopped, sensing Su Ran’s obedient and submissive demeanor. He lost his desire to speak and turned to leave.

Once Jiang Yi had gone, Su Ran turned back to continue cooking. He called out to System 555, “The main character’s ‘shou’ has arrived. The emotional plotline should start now, right?”

555 seemed very excited. As a rookie system on its first mission, it had high hopes for Su Ran. It was eagerly anticipating the chance to make a big splash, even fantasizing about standing on the podium at the end of the year to receive the Best System award.

“Take it slow, take it slow,” 555 said. “From the moment he steps into the house, his storyline will begin. But in the early stages, you only need to play the role of a tool, a supporting character. The real mission probably won’t start for a few more days. For now, just act as the dutiful wife.”

Su Ran nodded, beginning to understand how the progression worked. This was a world based on a feel-good, butter-smooth romance, where emotional connections and happiness went hand in hand.

Jiang Yi needed his love life to reach perfection while his career reached its peak. This meant the emotional arc between Ye Qiao and Jiang Yi needed to be completed. Lu Jin, as Jiang Yi’s benefactor, would help his career and wealth. There was another important character, but their storyline hadn’t been unlocked yet.

At the moment, the only clear direction was the emotional arc between Ye Qiao and Jiang Yi. Lu Jin’s storyline had started last night, but only a small part of it was unlocked. All that was known was that he played the role of a benefactor in Jiang Yi’s life, helping his career. As Su Ran, his role was to support Jiang Yi in maintaining this relationship.

To put it simply, Su Ran was a tool in the plot—someone who advanced the storyline and smoothed relationships between the characters, playing a part in various interactions.

•

Su Ran was also managing a dessert shop. Jiang Yi provided the capital, and Su Ran managed the business. He received a salary as the shop manager, with a 10% bonus at the end of the year.

He was content with this. Making desserts was something he enjoyed. Having moved from a small town to the city, he was already very satisfied with his current life.

Su Ran went to the shop, grabbed some pastries, and then went to the supermarket to buy ingredients for dinner. By the time he returned home, he was carrying two large bags of groceries.

When he got home, Jiang Yi was already gone. Su Ran brought the ingredients into the kitchen and started preparing them skillfully.

He was absorbed in cooking when the sunlight outside turned orange. The pork bone soup on the stove bubbled away, and several dishes were already prepared on the counter. Just then, the door opened.

Jiang Yi pushed the door open with a smile and welcomed Ye Qiao inside. Ye Qiao was dressed casually, carrying a drawing board, but his arm was in a sling. Though it looked a little funny, it didn’t take away from his fresh, artistic vibe.

Ye Qiao paused at the entrance, looking inside. He smelled the delicious food, which led him to glance toward the kitchen. There, he saw a slender figure, the light creating a clean, almost golden outline of Su Ran’s shape.

Su Ran immediately put down what he was doing and turned around. Seeing Ye Qiao for the first time, he realized the main character ‘shou’ wasn’t what he expected. Although he hadn’t watched many BL stories or interacted with LGBTQ people in real life, he imagined the “shou” would be smaller. But Ye Qiao was tall, handsome, and had a slightly mixed-race look.

He looked completely different from what Su Ran had imagined, but Su Ran didn’t dwell on it. He immediately went over to greet him. “It must have been a tiring journey. Come in and rest.”

Ye Qiao couldn’t help but look at Su Ran a few more times. He had met many handsome men and women, but he had never encountered someone like Su Ran—so gentle, radiating an aura of warmth and comfort just by standing there.

Ye Qiao smiled. “Should I call you… sister-in-law?”

Su Ran was stunned at the word, but before he could react, Jiang Yi, as if shocked, immediately froze for a moment. “No need. Just call him Su Ran.”

Ye Qiao raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting between the two, quickly concluding that their relationship didn’t seem as close as that of a typical married couple.

This suspicion was confirmed when Ye Qiao toured the house. It was a three-bedroom apartment, and he was given a room with good lighting. However, he noticed that the couple didn’t sleep in the same room. Su Ran’s bedroom seemed cramped, barely fitting a bed and a small wardrobe.

Jiang Yi had been abroad when they got married, and when he found out, the couple had already tied the knot. At the time, Ye Qiao had found it strange how rushed it seemed. Looking at it now, it indeed felt odd.

“You two sleep in separate rooms?” Ye Qiao asked, not wanting to interfere but curious.

Su Ran, who had been blind to these dynamics, felt the need to explain, even if it was just to save face. “Yes, because your brother has many social engagements and his sleep is light. We didn’t want to disturb each other, so we decided to sleep separately.”

Ye Qiao, who was taller than Su Ran by quite a bit, glanced down at him. His eyes softened slightly as he noticed a hint of grievance in Su Ran’s voice. “Oh, I see.”

They were still standing by the door to Su Ran’s room, not having entered. Ye Qiao seemed to catch a faint scent in the air, one that resembled Su Ran’s own fragrance. He didn’t quite understand why Jiang Yi had been so distant with him.

During dinner, Su Ran remembered Jiang Yi’s request to take good care of Ye Qiao. He kept using serving chopsticks to offer food to Ye Qiao, marveling that he was lucky Ye Qiao’s right hand was injured, or else he wouldn’t even know how to eat.

Ye Qiao looked at the mountain of food on his plate and helplessly glanced at Su Ran. “Ran Ran, your cooking is excellent, but you really overestimated my appetite.”

“Oh,” Su Ran responded, slightly embarrassed. “Then you can eat at your own pace.”

He lowered his gaze, focusing on his own food, his eyelashes casting a soft curve.

Ye Qiao occasionally glanced at him, finding the “little sister-in-law” identity quite novel.

“Are you staying here until the new year? Didn’t your parents say they would come back?” Jiang Yi asked.

“Yeah, I’m not planning to go back. My family is focusing on their business here now. The old house should be renovated soon, and when it’s ready, they’ll come back,” Ye Qiao replied.

“That’s great. You can stay here with us for now. If you want to go anywhere, just let us know. We’ll take you,” Jiang Yi said, affectionately patting Ye Qiao’s shoulder.

Just then, Jiang Yi’s phone rang. He picked it up, and his expression grew serious. “Should I go pick him up now?”

He furrowed his brows, his voice emotionless, “Okay, I got it.”

After hanging up, Jiang Yi stood up, looking a bit upset. “You two keep eating. The new leader’s here. I need to pick him up.”

Su Ran understood. Jiang Yi had already become the Vice President of the company. He should have been promoted to President this year, but now, with a new leader arriving, Jiang Yi seemed to have accepted the situation, even though he had been bothered by it for a while.

The evening light grew dimmer. Su Ran collected the dry clothes from the balcony. Some he hung in Jiang Yi’s closet, while the rest he brought to his own room, folding them neatly.

Ye Qiao’s room was right next door, and it had been very quiet. There was hardly any noise from his room.

Su Ran knocked on the door next door and, upon receiving permission, poked his head inside. “Qiao Qiao, are you going to take a bath now?”

Ye Qiao, who had been lying on the bed looking at his tablet, looked surprised when he heard the voice. There was a teasing tone in his reply. “Qiao Qiao?”

Su Ran, unsure what was funny, responded, “What’s wrong…?”

He had called him “Ran Ran” out of habit, thinking it made them sound closer. After all, he had never heard Jiang Yi address him by any particular name.

Ye Qiao smiled even more, his usual cool and noble demeanor now completely different. He had striking features with a slightly mixed look, giving off the impression of someone who didn’t smile much, but Su Ran was taken aback by how often Ye Qiao was smiling.

“Nothing, it’s just that this nickname is something from childhood memories. It’s the first time I’ve heard it since I grew up,” Ye Qiao explained. He looked at Su Ran, still leaning against the doorframe. “It feels really close. Ran Ran, from now on, just call me that.”

Su Ran’s voice was soft, and when he said Ye Qiao’s name, it almost sounded affectionate.

“Then, do you need to take a bath now?” Su Ran mumbled.

“Ran Ran, I’ll wait a little longer. You go ahead,” Ye Qiao replied.

Hearing this, Su Ran closed the door gently. As a guest, he naturally had to respect Ye Qiao’s wishes. Besides, Jiang Yi had repeatedly reminded him to take good care of Ye Qiao, especially since he had an injury. It seemed like he had become the family’s “panda.”

Su Ran entered the bathroom, the sound of water rushing against his skin as he checked the progress of the plot. Surprisingly, Ye Qiao’s storyline was progressing nicely. He hadn’t done anything yet, just been maintaining his character.

555’s voice echoed in his mind, “Great job, Ran Ran! The main character ‘shou’ just arrived, and your progress has already increased a lot!”

Though it was just a small increase, Su Ran was puzzled. “I haven’t done anything yet, and it’s still going up?”

“You’ve maintained your character and are getting closer to the main character ‘shou’,” 555 explained, excited. “The more you’re good to him, the more suffering you’ll experience when he cheats on you, and that will make the plot even more exciting! That increased excitement will help boost your progress!”

Su Ran felt speechless. “This is such a bad character setup.”

A moment later, 555 suddenly said, “Wait, a new icon just lit up!”

Su Ran looked at the icon. It was a simple drawing of a house, and he was confused about what it meant. After a moment, 555 finally figured it out. “Someone in the big group chat said this icon is unique to the Honest Person System. It lights up randomly. It means that when both the transmigrator and a plot-related character appear in the same space, the plot will advance more quickly. If the main character is involved, the effect is even stronger.”

Su Ran began to understand. No wonder his progress was so good despite doing nothing today—it had to do with the specific space.

“The big shot in the group calls it the ‘exciting space,’ hahahaha!” 555 laughed.

Su Ran thought for a moment. Something felt off…

“Does this work for Lu Jin too?” Su Ran asked, confused.

“It seems like it,” 555 responded.

“But Lu Jin can’t increase the plot’s excitement, right?” Su Ran said.

“Probably not, but his presence will increase the closeness between Jiang Yi and him, helping with the career line,” 555 explained. However, it wasn’t certain yet because Lu Jin’s storyline hadn’t fully unfolded.

Su Ran decided not to overthink it and just take things step by step. Meanwhile, he’d been in the bathroom long enough that his skin was reddened by the water.

He quickly dried off and put on his sleepwear, then stepped out of the bathroom. The white mist followed him, and the smell of body wash lingered in the air.

Ye Qiao was sitting on the sofa, looking at Su Ran, who had just come out of the bathroom, his skin still glowing with warmth.

Su Ran, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, “You’re about to take a bath, right?”

Ye Qiao nodded. “I was worried about you. I was thinking of checking if you passed out.”

Su Ran’s temperature hadn’t lowered yet, and as he walked closer to Ye Qiao, a fresh scent followed him. “It took me a little longer. You go ahead; there’s still hot water.” He gestured to Ye Qiao’s arm in a sling. “Use the bathtub, the shower might be a bit inconvenient.”

“Alright,” Ye Qiao said, standing up and walking towards the bathroom.

Su Ran tossed his dirty clothes into the washing machine on the balcony and, while returning, suddenly thought about how inconvenient Ye Qiao’s situation must be.

His mind tightened at the memory of Jiang Yi’s instructions: “Take good care of him.”

He knocked on the bathroom door, “Do you need help?”

The next second, the bathroom door opened, and Ye Qiao had just finished preparing the bath. His clothes were still on.

Su Ran, not accustomed to helping injured people, immediately realized how difficult it must be for Ye Qiao to move. “Your hand is injured, should I help you take off your shirt?”

Ye Qiao, wearing a short-sleeve shirt, seemed to hesitate. Su Ran thought the upper body would be harder to remove, but the pants should be fine.

After a brief pause, Ye Qiao, seeing Su Ran’s serious expression, agreed. “Alright, you can help me.”

Su Ran, used to being straightforward, was only doing this out of kindness.

As he lifted Ye Qiao’s shirt, he noticed the sweet fragrance—similar to the one in Su Ran’s own room. As his hands got closer, Ye Qiao could smell it too. His gaze inadvertently drifted from Su Ran’s face to his wet hair, which stuck to his skin. Water droplets slid down his neck, one by one…

The sight was so captivating.

Su Ran’s voice interrupted, “Lower your head.”

As he struggled to lift the shirt over Ye Qiao’s head, Ye Qiao’s eyes were shielded by the fabric.

When he finally got the shirt off, Su Ran sighed in relief. If Ye Qiao had done this alone, it would have been much more troublesome. He was probably used to having servants do things like this when he was abroad.

“Thanks, Ran Ran.” Ye Qiao’s gaze fell on Su Ran’s blushing face.

“No problem,” Su Ran said, feeling good about maintaining a good relationship. It would only help the plot.

But when his eyes wandered over Ye Qiao’s body, his mood changed. Ye Qiao’s physique was amazing. When dressed, it wasn’t obvious, but now, his chest and abs were perfectly sculpted, making Su Ran feel a bit envious.

“You’re Jiang Yi’s younger brother, so it’s only right I take care of you. I’ll head out now, but if you need anything else, just call me.” Su Ran said.

Ye Qiao’s gaze followed him, and once the door closed behind him, he scoffed softly. “Su Ran… Su Ran…”

Interesting.

As he sank into the bathtub, the rising steam made his face flush slightly, and he closed his eyes to relax.

However, as soon as his eyes shut, an uncontrollable image surfaced in his mind—the droplets of water sliding down the smooth, fair skin.

The skin was so delicate and white, it seemed perfect for painting on.