chapter 82

Chapter 82: Fondness

Shen He was consumed with anxiety.

He didn't understand why he felt exceptionally flustered, his heartbeat seemingly quickening.

Unconsciously, he gripped the back of his hand with increasing force.

He wasn't sure if Qi Zhuoyun would appreciate such a birthday gift.

In this anxious state, he awaited Qi Zhuoyun's reaction until the very last page.

Shen He hesitantly inquired, "Brother, do you...” like this gift?

Before Shen He could finish his sentence, Qi Zhuoyun closed the illustrated book and pulled Shen He into an embrace.

The suddenness of this gesture startled Shen He, making his heart skip a beat.

The arm around his waist was firm and powerful. The young man's warm breath grazed his ear, making it feel hotter.

Shen He held his breath, not daring to speak.

Yet, within this embrace that felt as if it could squeeze one's very soul, his anxiety evaporated and gave way to relief.

It appeared that his choice of gift was a good one.

A smile naturally formed on Shen He's lips, his eyes twinkling. He raised his hands to hug Qi Zhuoyun back, patting him gently on the back in a comforting manner.

It took tremendous restraint on Qi Zhuoyun's part to keep the gesture to just an embrace.

Holding the back of the young man's head, hiding his own face, his voice raspy and dry, he asked, "Hehe... what made you think of giving such a gift?"

As the young man rested on his shoulder, gently patting his back, it sounded like a soft, barely audible chuckle emanated from near his ear.

Hesitating and with a touch of shyness, the boy whispered so softly, "I just... um, suddenly thought of it, just suddenly..."

The latter half of his sentence was so faint, Qi Zhuoyun almost missed it: "I wanted to craft a story for you, where many love you."

In his heart, Shen He added the unsaid words.

To let you become the true protagonist in this uplifting tale, having everything you desire.

In the story, he relived his life from the age of one to twenty-five, bidding farewell to all the pain and loneliness, living a life of happiness and contentment.

Shen He clearly heard his own heartbeat.

He murmured these words in his heart, unknown to Qi Zhuoyun, known only to himself.

His heartbeat intensified, each thump more fervent than the last as these words echoed in his mind.

His heart thudded loudly against his ribs, the sound resonating in his ears, so clear that it overshadowed all other sounds.

It was as if something long buried underwater, concealed for ages, could no longer be contained and emerged to reveal itself clearly to him.

Suddenly, Shen He was gripped by fear.

An indescribable fear.

As if he had done something terribly wrong.

Like when he was a child and accidentally set his grandfather's old woodshed on fire. The moment he saw the flames leap, the overwhelming panic and helplessness flooded him, suffocating him, leaving only his frenzied heart screaming in his chest.

What wrong had he committed?

Shen He didn't know. He feigned ignorance, pretending that the flames of the woodshed had nothing to do with him, that he was merely an innocent victim of the fire, evading all reprimands and questions.

Even if he fully understood that those questions were borne out of concern and worry for him.

He didn’t want it.

His body tense, the hand patting the young man's back slowed, becoming stiff on his shoulders, as he tried to pull himself away.

Being so close, his intense heartbeat could easily be heard by the other.

For a moment, Shen He couldn’t make out what Qi Zhuoyun was saying.

He only noticed the young man's deep, husky voice caressing his ear, probably praising the birthday gift, complimenting his drawings, and expressing that Shen He was the most cherished and important person to him.

Shen He bit his lip, burying his face in Qi Zhuoyun's shoulder, feeling wronged.

No wonder.

Resentment simmered in Shen He's heart.

"It's because I'm the younger brother, offering you unconditional support, that you see me as the closest and most important," he thought.

In a guardian's eyes, a child is always adorable and obedient, and that's all that's expected.

Shen He was probably the epitome of a perfect child: kind-hearted, obedient yet not rigid, lively like a self-propelled sunbeam, always ready to share his warmth with anyone in need.

But if he weren't a child, if he were an adult?

If Qi Zhuoyun knew what he was like as an adult, he probably wouldn't speak of him in this way.

Shen He bit his lip, the soft pink of it turning pale under the pressure, leaving a deep indentation.

In reality, his calm was overbearing, bordering on abnormal.

Fortunately, Qi Zhuoyun was equally lost in his emotions at the moment, failing to notice Shen He's odd demeanor.

This meant Shen He didn't have to forcibly adjust his feelings out of resentment, just to avoid ruining Qi Zhuoyun's birthday, and making the birthday boy comfort him instead.

When Qi Zhuoyun let go, the absence was palpable and filled Shen He with a sense of loss.

If he could, he would hold onto the young man forever.

Take him everywhere with him.

Qi Zhuoyun thought there was no one in the world more captivating than his Hehe, no one more irresistible, more satisfying.

There was no one better than Shen He.

But now, he revised that sentiment.

There was no one better in the world than Hehe.

Except perhaps tomorrow's Hehe.

His desire was stoked, fuelled by an insatiable kind of kindling that roasted him unbearably with relentless flames.

It took immense effort for him to endure this torment.

Painful, yet exhilaratingly pleasurable.

Qi Zhuoyun's demeanor was positively radiant.

His joy was evident to everyone present in the main hall.

Indeed, when the crown prince was with the young master in the past, he would always wear a gentle, accommodating smile, presenting a different face than when interacting with others.

Yet, today, the crown prince's emotions seemed particularly unrestrained.

It was unlike the usually strategic and dignified crown prince. He resembled more a carefree young nobleman, wearing his happiness openly.

His expression seemed to announce to everyone: "I am in an exceptionally good mood today, better than ever before."

Qi Zhuoyun and Shen He shared a birthday feast.

Accompanying Shen He to the side hall, he noticed Shen He sneaking glances at him and said with an upturned lip, "What are you looking at? Can't I smile a bit more on my birthday, Lord He?"

His playful emphasis on "Lord He" lifted the tone of his voice, teasingly catching Shen He's ear.

Shen He averted his gaze, wearing an unjustly accused expression, muttering, "I did nothing! I merely looked a couple of times. Of course, one should smile during a birthday feast. I didn't comment on it."

After speaking, he finally asked the question he had been holding in, "Did big brother really like it?"

The young man lowered his lashes. With high brows and deep-set eyes, the darkness within seemed profound. When he lowered his lashes, the soft feathery touch added tenderness to his gaze, making him appear as if he were gazing at a lover.

He smiled, "I love it. Absolutely love it."

Loved the gift.

Loved the person even more.