Chapter 89

Chapter 89

As Ji Mian's figure was about to disappear from view, Luo Ye suddenly realized: he was being ignored.

He hesitated briefly before slowly descending the stairs.

The bedrooms on the second floor all had private bathrooms, so his annoying brother definitely wasn’t out to use the bathroom.

Heading downstairs this late, he must be either thirsty or grabbing a late-night snack...

Luo Ye thought the former was more likely.

So he trailed a few steps behind Ji Mian, keeping quiet.

Ji Mian walked straight to the living room, turned on the light, and went to the water dispenser in the corner opposite the sofa. He grabbed a disposable paper cup from the cabinet underneath, filled it with water, and drank it.

After drinking, he crumpled the cup and tossed it into the nearby trash can, then turned to leave.

Throughout it all, he neither acknowledged Luo Ye nor glanced his way.

However, Ji Mian didn’t turn off the light when he left. Luo Ye thought, it seems the annoying brother didn’t completely treat him as invisible.

He quickly grabbed his cup and headed to the water dispenser, filled it halfway, drank it, then filled it to the top and screwed the lid on.

When Luo Ye came down, he remembered where the living room and stairway light switches were, so he turned them off one by one as he went upstairs.

By the time he reached the top, Ji Mian was already back in his bedroom.

Luo Ye glanced at the neighboring room’s closed door, then quickly pushed his own door open and went in.

*

Ji Mian would start his first year of high school in September, and Luo Ye was currently on summer vacation. He would start at a nearby elementary school in September.

In the days after Luo Zhishu and Luo Ye moved in, Ji Mian mostly stayed holed up in his bedroom or art studio, rarely leaving his room except for meal times.

Xiang Yanming felt both annoyed and heartbroken.

Though he hadn’t spent much time with Ji Mian before, he was still his son, and naturally, he cared deeply.

On the fifth day, Ji Mian finally left his bedroom outside of mealtimes.

As he headed downstairs, he spotted a small figure by the refrigerator.

Luo Ye was on his tiptoes, reaching for a bottle of fresh milk in the refrigerator, which Xiang Yanming had started ordering for the two growing boys the day before.

Luo Ye managed to get the bottle out, but after struggling with the cap for a while, he couldn’t get it open.

The glass bottle’s cap couldn’t be twisted off; it had to be torn open from the seal at the bottom.

The system reminded Ji Mian that this was a perfect chance to mock him. First, he could belittle him for being unsophisticated, saying something like "country bumpkins will always be country bumpkins," then escalate to the antagonist's mother, "just like your mother," a one-two punch that would likely crush Luo Ye’s self-esteem.

After listening to the system's advice, Ji Mian remained silent for a long time.

Luo Ye was still struggling with the bottle cap.

Ji Mian then stepped forward, "Can't even open a milk bottle? So dumb..."

He took the glass bottle from Luo Ye, hooked his thumb under the cap, and with his index finger, pulled at the bottom of the cap, which then popped open with a "snap."

Luo Ye looked at him, and although reluctant, he still politely said, "Thank you, brother."

Ji Mian's fingertips, pressed against the cool surface of the bottle, paused for a moment, almost softened by the words "Thank you, brother."

The system in his mind acted as a supervisor: "Stick to your character, do as I say: 'A hick is a hick, just like your mom.'"

Luo Ye reached out to take the bottle, but saw the boy lower his eyes and stare at him for two seconds, seeming to hesitate over his words.

"?"

Just as Luo Ye was puzzled, Ji Mian suddenly turned his face away, gripped the bottle of milk, and took a big gulp himself.

Luo Ye: "..."

The system: "..." Isn't this way of putting down the antagonist a bit immature?

After finishing, Ji Mian held the bottle, didn't return it to Luo Ye, shot him a challenging look, and turned to go upstairs.

But as soon as he turned around, Xiang Yanming, with a dark face, loomed over him like a wall with his towering height.

"How did you just bully your brother?"

Ji Mian: ...

*

Ji Mian was caught by Xiang Yanming and taken to the second-floor bedroom for a harsh lecture.

Xiang Yanming understood the balance between being firm and kind. After scolding Ji Mian, he began to talk to him calmly: "I know that Aunt Luo and Xiao Ye have just moved in, and it's hard for you to accept it right now..."

Ji Mian leaned against the wall, his face unreadable.

Xiang Yanming sat in the chair, looking at his unfilial son's defiant expression, his anger boiling inside.

"Tomorrow, Aunt Luo and I have something to do and won't be back. Take your brother out for some fun," Xiang Yanming said.

It might be difficult for Ji Mian to accept Luo Zhishu in a short time, but he and Luo Ye are of the same generation, so he shouldn't reject it too much.

Xiang Yanming intended to let the two brothers spend time alone to bond.

"I won't, who wants to hang out with a hick?"

Xiang Yanming looked at him for several seconds, then slowly stood up, dug through the closet, and pulled out a belt.

Ji Mian immediately changed his tone: "Where to go out?"

Xiang Yanming glanced at him, "You know where."

Ji Mian curled his lips, "Alright, got it."

...

The next day, Xiang Yanming indeed went out with Luo Zhishu.

As for what he had instructed, Ji Mian completely ignored it. Not only did he not take Luo Ye out to play, but he even called up a few friends and spent the entire morning messing around outside.

It wasn't until the temperature rose at noon that the four boys, sweltering, suggested finding some shade.

Ji Mian's home was the closest, and coincidentally, the Xiang parents were not at home today, so they chose to stay at the Xiang house for the noon.

As he led his friends back, Ji Mian suddenly stopped before opening the door, considering how his friends might act.

His closest buddy was a bit of a chubby kid named Wang Yang, who had been the original host's childhood pal. When Ji Mian transmigrated a few years ago, he went through a lot to pick this relatively decent guy from the original host's shady circle of friends as his buddy.

As for the other two boys, they were Ji Mian's classmates from junior high.

These guys were alright, but boys of this age tend to have quite a few little quirks.

Thinking about the ten-year-old at home, who was at the most impressionable age, Ji Mian hesitated for a moment before turning the key.

"What’s the hold-up, Xiang Ge?" One of the boys fanned himself with his hand, eager to get inside and enjoy the air conditioning.

Ji Mian stopped and turned around, saying, "Once we’re in, keep it clean."

"Why?"

Ji Mian: "There’s a little one at home."

"A kid?" Wang Yang was puzzled. "Didn’t Xiang Chen go with your mom?"

Xiang Chen was the younger brother of the original host, Xiang Nian. After Xiang Yanming divorced his ex-wife, Xiang Nian's mother took Xiang Chen with her. However, after the separation, they occasionally visited each other so the brothers could meet.

Ji Mian pursed his lips and replied reluctantly, "Not Xiang Chen. Another one."

The guys were taken aback but quickly realized it must be the child brought by Xiang Nian's stepmother.

They nodded in understanding.

It wasn't the first time "Xiang Nian" had given them such instructions.

When Xiang Chen was still living in this house, every time they came over to hang out, "Xiang Nian" would give them a long list of reminders, not even allowing a single swear word in front of Xiang Chen. He was a full-blown overprotective brother.

"Wang Yang, especially you," Ji Mian glared at the chubby boy in front of him, "keep it PG in front of my brother."

Wang Yang twitched his mouth, "...Do I look like I would?"

Only then did Ji Mian open the door.

Feeling the cool AC breeze, Wang Yang did a little happy spin in place. They sat down in the living room.

"Xiang Ge, wanna play a game?" Someone pulled out their phone.

Ji Mian frowned, "Nah, take it outside if you wanna play." At nine or ten years old, kids can get hooked on games real quick.

Ji Mian was the one who calls the shots, and since he said no, the others actually put their phones away.

Wang Yang pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket, "How about some cards?"

"Seriously? Nah, let’s just watch TV."

"...TV’s such a snooze."

Ji Mian turned on the TV and shut it down, "If watching TV is boring, then what's interesting?"

Wang Yang stuffed the cards back into his pocket.

Fine, as long as there's air conditioning.

Ji Mian flipped to a random channel, a foreign movie, and placed the remote control aside, letting the others take the remote if they wanted.

But the movie was actually pretty good, and no one touched the remote.

An hour later, the movie was wrapping up, the heroes pulled through their toughest times, and the plot reached its climax.

At this moment, a small figure shuffling in slippers turned from the right staircase into the living room.

Just as the male and female leads on TV were about to kiss, the boys on the sofa perked up, eagerly waiting for the moment.

As they were looking forward to it, the screen suddenly cut to two monstrous creatures with gaping jaws.

The boys were speechless.

Seeing the people sitting in the living room, Luo Ye nonchalantly walked past them with a water cup, heading to the water dispenser to fill it.

Ji Mian, holding the remote, had planned to switch the inappropriate scene since Luo Ye was present. However, he ended up swapping one inappropriate scene for another and immediately pressed the channel button again.

This time, the gaping jaws disappeared, and the screen switched to a news channel.

The remaining three boys stared at the host on the screen, who wore a serene smile, their eyes blankly staring.

Only Wang Yang glanced at the young boy by the water dispenser, rolled his eyes, and thought to himself: Seriously? Is this really necessary?

Luo Ye filled his cup halfway, drank his fill, then filled it completely and took it away.

It’s a good habit for a kid to drink water. Ji Mian thought as he watched Luo Ye's back.

The system: "..."

After filling his water, Luo Ye glanced back at the people on the sofa, then looked at the social hot topic being broadcast on TV. His dark eyes, framed by long lashes, held a hint of confusion.

Ji Mian met his gaze, frowned, and snapped, "What are you looking at?"

Those around him were taken aback by his icy tone, wondering if the person who’d been so insistent at the door was the same one now.

Luo Ye, however, was used to it. He quickly covered his cup, turned around, and went upstairs.

Wang Yang: ...

Is my brother just naturally a pain?