Chapter 69

Chapter 69

“Little Ting, what exactly happened between you and Li Yichao?” Yuan Xiao managed to keep up with Cheng Nanyi’s bike, even giving it a playful kick.

“He just said I was ugly,” Yuan Ting kicked back, “Am I ugly? I’m so handsome. Tell me, besides my brother, who’s more handsome than me?”

Yuan Xiao: “...”

He left the matter there; his brother would probably end up flattering himself to no end.

“Li Yichao said he won’t give up. What does that mean?”

Cheng Nanyi frowned slightly upon hearing this.

Yuan Ting, feigning ignorance, exaggeratedly played the fool: “What, he wants to keep calling me ugly? Does he have a problem with his aesthetics? From now on, every time I see him, I’ll hit him. Seriously, his eyes must be faulty to call me ugly.”

“Magic mirror, magic mirror, tell Yuan Xiao who’s the handsomest of them all?”

Silence followed.

Yuan Xiao was stunned. His brother was fifteen and still believed in the existence of a magic mirror?

“Why isn’t the magic mirror speaking?” Yuan Ting slapped Cheng Nanyi's waist.

Cheng Nanyi scoffed, “Even a magic mirror has some dignity. Not everyone’s like you.”

“Are you insinuating something?” Yuan Ting chuckled, “For attending this class reunion with you today, my companion fee is a hundred.”

“I resolved your trouble, so my appearance fee is one hundred and fifty,” Cheng Nanyi bargained expertly.

“Fine, I won’t take the companion fee then. How could I take my brother’s money?” Yuan Ting quickly changed his tune, without skipping a beat.

“Sorry, but you’re not my brother, so the appearance fee still stands.”

“...” Yuan Ting leaned back against Cheng Nanyi’s waist and then deliberately bumped his head against Cheng Nanyi’s back, as if to annoy him.

Cheng Nanyi remained silent, not even altering his posture.

Yuan Xiao: “...” He felt numb to it all.

His brother was constantly reshaping his world view, moment by moment.

After dropping Yuan Ting off at the alley, Cheng Nanyi cycled away.

Yuan Ting got off and tried to hop onto the electric scooter, but Yuan Xiao sped off.

“What are you doing?” Yuan Ting called after him.

Yuan Xiao, ignoring him, couldn’t understand why Cheng Nanyi had to make a trip when he could have just taken his brother home.

……

Due to the incident between Yuan Ting and Li Yichao, the class reunion ended quickly.

Li Yichao, rubbing his swollen face, walked home.

Just as he reached the entrance to his housing complex, he saw Cheng Nanyi waiting on his bike.

Li Yichao paused, then slowly approached.

“Are you waiting for me?” Li Yichao asked, looking at Cheng Nanyi.

He used to secretly follow Cheng Nanyi, hoping he’d turn back and glance at him, but alas, that never happened.

This was the first time Cheng Nanyi had waited for him.

“Yes,” Cheng Nanyi looked at him directly, “What did you say to my brother?”

“Your brother? Isn’t he Yuan Xiao’s brother?”

Cheng Nanyi frowned, “Whose brother he is doesn’t matter. What matters is what you said to him.”

Li Yichao looked at him, “Didn’t he tell you what I said?”

Cheng Nanyi narrowed his eyes, speaking flatly, “Don’t beat around the bush with me.”

Li Yichao, licking his still sore lips, thought of Cheng Nanyi's immediate defense of Yuan Ting and let out a self-mocking laugh: “I told him I like you. I wanted to confirm whether you two were in a relationship.”

Cheng Nanyi’s expression darkened instantly: “You said that to him?”

Li Yichao, lighting a cigarette from his pocket, speculated, “Cheng Nanyi, if I'm not wrong, you also like guys, don't you?” Although Cheng Nanyi never showed a preference for either gender, his behavior towards other males was different from that of ordinary boys. A careful observer could spot the difference.

Seeing Cheng Nanyi remain silent, Li Yichao laughed again, “I've seen you with that kid numerous times. You treat him differently. You like him, don’t you?”

“I like you too, and I’m just fighting for myself, not wanting to leave regrets in my youth.”

Cheng Nanyi, expressionless, glanced at the sky, then parked his bike and walked up to Li Yichao.

Towering over Li Yichao, Cheng Nanyi’s look down conveyed a strong sense of cold aloofness and oppression.

Li Yichao’s heart uncontrollably started to race.

The closest he had ever been to Cheng Nanyi was when he asked for help with schoolwork.

But only for the first few times did Cheng Nanyi help him; after that, he never explained anything again.

That’s when Li Yichao was certain: Cheng Nanyi must like guys.

He realized Cheng Nanyi had seen through his ulterior motives.

Cheng Nanyi placed a hand on Li Yichao’s shoulder, then suddenly punched him in the stomach: “Li Yichao, you really are asking for it.”

Li Yichao let out a muffled groan, stepping back, looking at Cheng Nanyi in disbelief.

Cheng Nanyi looked at him coldly: “Do you know how old my brother is? He’s only fifteen, still a child. His values aren’t fully formed yet, and there’s so much he doesn’t understand. And yet, you talk to him about such things.”

Li Yichao, clutching his stomach, looked at him in disarray: “What, can’t face up to your actions? Do you dare say you don’t like him?”

Cheng Nanyi laughed in disbelief: “I’m not as despicable as you.”

Turning to leave, Cheng Nanyi paused midway, looked back and warned: “Don’t bother my brother again, or next time it won’t be this simple.”

……

Yuan Ting was lying on a lounge chair in the yard, chewing a lollipop and chatting with Yuan Xiao: “Bro, aren’t you planning to go on a trip during the summer break?”

“No,” Yuan Xiao, sitting in the yard sorting cardboard boxes, replied, “I’m helping our uncle. The scrap collection business is booming. I think we can expand. What do you think, little Ting?”

“You should still go traveling, broaden your horizons.”

“No need. There are golden houses in books, and beauties as well.”

Yuan Ting: “...”

If you like working, then work. An employee like you is a company’s dream, working yourself to death.

His phone beeped. Picking it up, Yuan Ting saw a message from Cheng Nanyi on WeChat.

Cheng ‘Skinflint’: I give you two minutes to show up at the alleyway.

Yuan Ting: “...”

What’s wrong with him, leaving and then coming back?

As if he would be that obedient.

Yuan Ting leaped up, cursing internally. Two minutes, and every second late would cost him ten yuan.

Panting, Yuan Ting reached the alleyway and saw Cheng Nanyi standing beside his bike.

“What’s up?”

“My hands are dirty. Help me wash them.”

“...” Yuan Ting’s expression cracked, incredulous. Has he gone mad?

Cheng Nanyi, have you finally started losing it?

There was a public restroom at the entrance of the alley with a sink, though the environment was quite dirty.

Cheng Nanyi stood there, frowning, letting Yuan Ting wash his hands under the tap.

Cheng Nanyi gazed down at the kid in front of him.

Yuan Ting had grown quite a bit in the past two years, now not much shorter than him.

But growing so fast had left him somewhat thin, his hair still those little blonde curls. To downplay his curly hair, Yuan Ting kept it cut short, accentuating his facial features.

Cheng Nanyi’s impression of him had always remained that of the pretty, scrappy kid he first saw. No matter how much time passed, that filter persisted.

This was the first time in years he was really looking at the kid, no, the young man in front of him.

The child he raised seemed to have truly grown up, rumors even spreading about the two of them.

The young man spoke: “Brother…”

Hearing Yuan Ting's voice, Cheng Nanyi suddenly realized the kid was going through voice change. No wonder his voice sounded so unpleasant.

He hadn't taken it seriously when Mo Yikai mocked Yuan Ting for having a voice like a drake's.

Once something is broken, looking at it again reveals how everything has changed.

“Did you just go somewhere to dig through shit, and that’s why you’re disgusted to wash your hands?”

Yuan Ting glanced at him, flirting with danger, “Should I go buy some soap? I’m worried the shit won’t come off clean.” Otherwise, he couldn’t fathom why Cheng Nanyi would come back specifically to have him wash his hands.

Cheng Nanyi looked at him expressionlessly, the same old formula.

Shaking off Yuan Ting’s hand, Cheng Nanyi walked away without looking back.

Yuan Ting called after his retreating figure, “Brother, there might be some under your fingernails too, better not suck on them.” Hahaha, that’ll annoy him.

Watching Cheng Nanyi’s unfeeling departure, Yuan Ting swaggered home, smugly shaking his head.

Three minutes later, he received a message from Cheng ‘Skinflint’: You disgusted me, deducting three hundred.

Yuan Ting gritted his teeth and texted back: Brother, I was wrong.

Pfft.

— Brother, please spare me.

Cheng Nanyi, damn you.

— Brother brother brother brother brother...

This maniac, at this rate, when would he ever pay off that 500,000?

— Brother~~~

Damn it, why isn’t there voice messaging on WeChat yet.

My sincere tone needs to be conveyed through a voice message...

Author’s note:

Yes, you’re not mistaken, this is an additional update!

Thanks to the little angels who supported me with overlord votes or nutrient solutions from 2023-09-11 18:05:18 to 2023-09-11 23:10:23~

Thanks to the angels who threw landmines: Colorful Forest, Sunflower 1 each;

Thanks to the angels nourishing with nutrient solutions: Mint Milk Green Tea 13 bottles; Sunken Ship Side, 67132556, 404 Big Ghost Heads, Ping Xuan, Don't Bother Me I'm Sleeping 1 bottle each;

Thank you all for your support, I will keep working hard!