Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Jiang Songen recognized the clothes Yi Jiahe was wearing—they were You Nan’s pajamas.

The pajamas had clearly been worn by You Nan many times; the collar and cuffs were faded white, almost losing their original color.

Jiang Songen felt a pang of bitterness as he stared intently at Yi Jiahe. He reached out to shield You Ruan, who had run behind him, to keep Yi Jiahe from venting his anger on You Nan’s only younger brother.

Seeing Jiang Songen arrive, Yi Jiahe’s eyelids drooped, and his expression darkened.

"What does it have to do with you? Why are you at You Nan’s house in the middle of the night instead of being at home?"

Jiang Songen gently nudged You Ruan’s back, signaling the child to go back to the room and stay with You Nan, avoiding any conflict between them.

You Ruan was familiar with Jiang Songen and immediately understood his gesture.

The child moved swiftly, slipping away like greased lightning into the small room he shared with his brother, locking the door with a soft "click" from the inside.

Only Jiang Songen and Yi Jiahe remained in the living room.

The gentle expression Jiang Songen had shown the kid vanished without a trace.

He cracked his knuckles and said coldly, "I came to take care of You Nan. You hurt him today—how can you still have the nerve to be here? If you don’t leave now, don’t blame me if I get rough!"

Yi Jiahe chuckled softly. Seeing the unfamiliar emotion on Jiang Songen’s face, he felt a pang of sorrow—for his past self, who had once liked Jiang Songen.

So this was what Jiang Songen looked like when he liked someone.

He probably never would have imagined that the kind of person Jiang Songen liked was like this.

And coincidentally, he liked this type too.

Yi Jiahe stood up. The two boys locked eyes, and the air seemed to crackle with tension.

Yi Jiahe took off the slightly tight pajamas belonging to You Nan and, right in front of Jiang Songen, changed into his own clothes.

Jiang Songen turned his face away.

Seriously? No shame at all.

Couldn’t he have changed behind the curtains? Jiang Songen felt his eyes were polluted, like he’d get an eye infection. He even felt nauseous.

The contours of Yi Jiahe’s muscles were smooth and defined. His skin, usually hidden under clothes, was pale and almost dazzling under the light.

Though he rarely seemed athletic in the eyes of others, known more for his academic skills, the firm muscles on his body at this moment were unexpectedly well-developed, indicating raw power and energy.

The boy slowly buttoned his shirt from the bottom up.

Leaving the last two buttons undone, he suddenly clenched his fist, shifted his stance, and lunged toward Jiang Songen, throwing a punch aimed at his good-looking face.

Jiang Songen hadn’t expected the sudden attack. Though he reacted quickly, just barely dodging the punch, the knuckles still grazed his cheek.

A sharp, burning pain spread across his skin—the capillaries under the skin had ruptured.

With Yi Jiahe having crossed the line, Jiang Songen saw no need to hold back. The moment their eyes met again, the two started throwing punches in the living room.

Punch after punch, each blow landing hard.

Jiang Songen was on the defensive at first. Later, as he thought about how Yi Jiahe had hurt You Nan, his anger surged.

Yi Jiahe, seething with jealousy toward Jiang Songen, let his guard down for a moment and took a hard punch to the stomach. Doubled over in pain, he was no match for Jiang Songen after that.

Yi Jiahe was at a disadvantage, pinned to the floor by Jiang Songen.

Since Yi Jiahe had aimed for his face from the start, Jiang Songen—even if he wasn’t vain—remembered that this was You Nan’s home. You Nan would see him first when he woke up. Jiang Songen didn’t want You Nan to see him injured.

Besides, if his face was hurt, it would surely look awful.

Enraged, Jiang Songen put more weight into his punches, holding nothing back.

He went for Yi Jiahe’s face as well.

The sounds of their scuffle in the living room were audible even to the child curled up beside his brother.

He was scared.

Clutching the kitten tightly, he still stubbornly positioned his small body on the outer side of the bed, determined to protect his brother.

Meanwhile, the 007 in the child’s arms was internally screaming "What the hell!"

Who would have thought the male lead and the love interest would fight over a minor character like this!

If it weren’t for the fact that this minor character was the one it was tasked with, and it had witnessed the scene firsthand, 007 wouldn’t have believed such a thing could happen!

007 suddenly recalled the previous world, where Yao Xianqing had also beaten up Qi Yuwen over You Nan. It then felt that the male lead and love interest fighting wasn’t that unusual after all.

But weren’t these love interests pretty weak? They couldn’t even defeat the male lead.

Straight-up disqualify them as "tops"!

The dull thuds in the living room ceased after about ten minutes. Footsteps approached the small room’s door, and the child stared alertly, fighting sleep.

"Xiao Ruan, it’s me."

Jiang Songen’s voice came from outside the door.

Recognizing his voice, You Ruan immediately scrambled off the bed. "Brother Jiang Songen!"

The child asked through the door, "Is he gone?"

Jiang Songen said no. "I’ve already called his family. Someone will come to pick him up soon."

The child opened the door, and Jiang Songen stepped inside, seeing You Nan lying on the bed, his eyes slightly red and brows faintly furrowed.

Jiang Songen’s breath hitched, his heart tightening as if squeezed hard, making it hard to breathe.

"How is your brother?" Jiang Songen walked to the bedside, crouching down to meet You Nan’s eye level. He reached out as if to touch You Nan’s face but hesitated, his hand hovering in the air before withdrawing.

The child whispered nearby, "He hasn’t woken up yet. I don’t know what’s wrong."

Jiang Songen didn’t respond. He told the child to stay home and get some rest while he took You Nan to see a doctor.

The kid wanted to tag along.

Jiang Songen gently pried loose the small hand gripping the hem of his clothes. "Can you stay home and hold down the fort? Wait for us to come back. Don’t open the door for any strangers."

The child bit his lip. He knew he was small and couldn’t do anything useful.

He'd never felt this determined before.

He wanted to grow up. He wanted to grow up quicker.

He didn’t want to be a burden to his brother anymore.

"Help support You Nan."

The child obediently did as he was told, while Jiang Songen helped You Nan into his clothes.

Even though there weren’t many clothes to put on, Jiang Songen's forehead was sweaty; he looked hot and exhausted.

Only after he finished dressing You Nan did he finally exhaled.

With a slight effort, the guy hoisted You Nan by the legs, draping him over his shoulder.

In the living room, Yi Jiahe was still lying on the sofa. His stomach was covered in purple bruises, and his face didn’t look much better.

Jiang Songen hadn't pulled any punches.

Yi Jiahe stared at Jiang Songen, his eyes holding an emotion Jiang Songen couldn’t decipher.

Jiang Songen was irritated just seeing him. He kicked at Yi Jiahe with his long legs. "Get up, put your clothes on, and go downstairs."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yi Jiahe’s phone rang—his family’s driver had arrived downstairs.

Yi Jiahe got up, fighting through the pain, but his face showed no expression.

His suffering could only be seen in the stiff way he moved.

Jiang Songen had Yi Jiahe walk in front of him. Once they left, the kid slammed the front door.

With Jiang Songen looking after his brother, Xiao Youruan’s heart finally eased up a bit.

The child had complete faith in Jiang Songen.

He firmly believed that as long as Jiang Songen was there, any difficulty would be resolved.

"Jiang Songen."

Yi Jiahe held up his phone, using the flashlight to light up the dark stairwell. "Why did you come back tonight?"

Yi Jiahe wasn't stupid. He had guessed that the child, after hearing the landline ring and running out, had slipped away from him and contacted Jiang Songen.

"You Nan is just a regular friend to you. And you know You Nan and I have a decent relationship at school. A normal person’s reaction would be to call me to confirm. But you didn’t."

Yi Jiahe’s voice was calm, though his steps slowed due to the pain. "You came directly."

"You didn’t trust me." Yi Jiahe cut to the heart of it. "And you are too focused on You Nan."

It went beyond the level of attention a good friend should have.

Yi Jiahe had a hunch.

Even if it had been Li Qiutian who'd gotten hurt tonight, Jiang Songen wouldn’t have come over without asking questions first.

Jiang Songen held You Nan in his arms. You Nan’s breath fanned across his neck, like soft feathers, leaving an itchy, restless feeling.

"You Nan is my close bro. If a close bro is in trouble and asks for my help, I’d come even if it was raining knives." Jiang Songen refuted Yi Jiahe’s words. "Cut the crap."

"Last time, I warned Zhang Chun to back off from You Nan. I didn’t warn you, so you don’t get it, do you?"

"You Nan even wanted to thank you for helping him with his studies, thought you were a friend. Is this how you treat him? Have you got no heart?"

Jiang Songen snapped harshly.

But his heart was beating a little too fast.

Not just because he was holding You Nan, their bodies were too close.

But also because of Yi Jiahe’s earlier comment about "too much attention."

It made him feel a weird guilty feeling.

Yi Jiahe gave a bitter laugh but winced as it pulled at the corner of his mouth, his mocking expression fading.

He hoped Jiang Songen would keep thinking this way later on.

Yi Jiahe reached the roadside and got into the car that had rushed back to get him.

The driver took one look at his young master’s face and gasped, his back breaking into a cold sweat.

"Young master, wh-what the hell happened?"

The driver was afraid the young master had been in a fight and that it would affect his job.

Yi Jiahe sat by the car door without moving, watching as Jiang Songen carried You Nan into a car and drove off to the hospital.

He lowered his eyes. Though he had been beaten tonight, he had also got in some good hits on Jiang Songen.

They were just underneath his clothes, not easily visible on the surface.

Weirdly, Yi Jiahe felt almost pleased.

"Just got into a fight with the Jiang family’s young master." Yi Jiahe noticed the driver’s nervousness and tried to reassure him, despite the pain in his lips. "Don’t worry, this won’t be blamed on you."

"Let’s go home."

After speaking, his expression darkened again.

Jiang Songen was right—You Nan used to think of him as a friend.

But that was in the past.

Yi Jiahe closed his eyes, couldn't bear to think about what he had made You Nan do after that.

He had trashed You Nan’s feelings, forced him to smile, and put a price tag on their relationship.

Yi Jiahe opened his lips slightly, every breath hurt.

He couldn’t bear to think about how You Nan must have felt.

Through the rearview mirror, the driver saw the expression on Yi Jiahe’s face—regret and fear all mixed up, unfamiliar and devoid of his usual ease and indifference.

The driver's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly drove the car away.

.

You Nan's pain was a punishment from forces beyond this world.

The doctors Yi Jiahe consulted couldn't figure it out, and neither could the doctors Jiang Songen found.

"Sorry," Jiang Songen's second aunt sighed.

She had just observed the child's reactions during the examination. His back was indeed in pain, but the results showed no physical issues.

It was very strange.

After some thought, she suggested a possibility, "His condition might be related to psychological suggestion."

The attending doctor on duty proposed a hypothesis, "It's like throwing cold water on someone but telling them it's hot water."

"Psychological suggestions can manifest physically. Even if it's cold water, when it touches the skin, it can cause redness, swelling, and blistering, like a burn."

Jiang Songen understood.

He looked up at his weary aunt. Jiang Songen pursed his lips and thanked her, "I understand, thanks, Auntie."

His aunt smiled, "It's what I should do."

She sat down on a nearby chair and observed You Nan sleeping on the bed.

Not only was his back in pain, but his consciousness had also entered a deep, protective state, making it impossible to wake him.

"I don't recognize this child."

She had also never seen her nephew so worried and anxious.

When Jiang Songen rushed in carrying him, he was panicked and shaking.

The child on the bed must be extremely important in her nephew's heart.

Jiang Songen replied and said, "This is a friend I met at school, You Nan. He's a good person. We get along well."

"He wasn't feeling well tonight, which scared his younger brother, and then they called me."

Jiang Songen summarized the situation briefly, conveniently omitting Yi Jiahe's involvement.

Just thinking about Yi Jiahe made him clench his teeth and fists.

He wished he could fight Yi Jiahe again to get revenge for You Nan.

Jiang Songen's second aunt couldn't stay long. She was on duty that night and had other tasks to attend to.

After chatting with her nephew for a while, she left, leaving the private room to the unconscious You Nan and Jiang Songen, who stayed by his side.

When Jiang Songen snapped out of it, he found himself leaning over You Nan's bed, his eyes fixed on the face resting on the pillow.

Jiang Songen swallowed nervously and reached out to touch You Nan's face. But then, the long, dark eyelashes fluttered twice, and a pair of shiny, dark eyes slowly opened and looked over.

Jiang Songen's hand froze, and he held his breath instinctively.

He quickly withdrew his hand, averting his gaze uncomfortably. "You're awake," Jiang Songen said, smiling.

You Nan blinked, as he woke up fully. He recognized the person beside him. "Jiang Songen?"

Jiang Songen was here, but where was Yi Jiahe?

Jiang Songen grabbed You Nan's hand, which had slipped out of the covers.

You Nan's hand was small, easily covered by his own hand.

"What's wrong? Did Yi Jiahe hurt you, or did he say something to upset you? Tell me, and I'll settle the score with him."

Jiang Songen's voice was gentle, trying not to startle You Nan.

You Nan shook his head. How could he tell Jiang Songen everything he had been through?

He looked down, his eyes falling on Jiang Songen's hand gripping his. "I'm just not feeling well."

Jiang Songen didn't believe a word of it.

But looking at You Nan's pale face and pale lips, he couldn't bring himself to say anything. His heart ached like it was being squeezed.

He pinned it all on Yi Jiahe.

When Jiang Songen noticed You Nan's gaze, his heart raced, but he quickly forced a calm expression.

He kept holding You Nan's hand casually.

His demeanor was natural, and You Nan didn't notice anything strange about him.

After talking for a while, You Nan started feeling sleepy again. He drifted back to sleep.

He only knew the source of his physical pain but was unaware that his current exhaustion and low energy were due to the void from having his memories and emotions extracted.

His body needed replenishment, and sleep was the quickest recovery method.

After her shift, Jiang Songen's second aunt finally found time to see how her nephew and his friend were doing.

When she opened the door, she noticed that the two hospital beds had been pushed together by Jiang Songen at some point, and moved the nightstand aside.

You Nan was still sleeping on his side in the same position, while her nephew was also lying on his side, facing You Nan.

The distance between them was less than five centimeters.

His aunt frowned slightly, thinking it was strange, but she was too tired to think much of it. She simply assumed it was because they were such close friends.

The next day, Jiang Songen and You Nan left the hospital. When You Ruan opened the door and saw his older brother, his eyes filled with tears, and he hugged his brother's waist, sobbing uncontrollably.

You Nan bent down and gently patted the child's back to comfort him.

After a night of recovery, the burning pain in You Nan's back was gone.

If it weren't for the memory of the previous night, it would have felt like a dream.

Jiang Songen closed the door and stayed by You Nan's side.

He watched as You Nan comforted You Ruan, his eyes full of tenderness, concern, and care.

007 crouched on the coffee table, observing him.

Jiang Songen's current behavior was both within and beyond its expectations.

Well, here's another guy who has fallen in love without realizing it.

007 had made peace with it.

At the same time, it had gained a deeper understanding of its host's charm.

Attracting one protagonist was an accident, but two is unusual, and three or four swarming around like bees—that definitely points to a problem with You Nan.

But 007 won’t interfere with the protagonists' activities.

It’s just a cheat code system assisting You Nan in completing tasks, just a little cat.

What ability could it possibly have?

.

After this episode, Jiang Songen became a regular at You Nan’s home. He even took the initiative to take You Nan and You Ruan to his own house for meals.

Mrs. Jiang finally met the person her son was always going on about all day.

She had already seen photos of You Nan, and she knew about his past experiences.

You Nan was a resilient child and good-looking. Quite suitable for her son.

Their family was well-to-do and could live comfortably. They weren’t too hung up on social status. With only one child, she and her husband hoped their son could find someone he loved—someone who would care for him warmly.

You Nan held You Ruan’s hand. It was the first time the brothers had visited the Jiang family, and they felt a little uncomfortable by the luxurious decor.

Jiang Songen, whose attention was always on You Nan, noticed it immediately.

He stayed by You Nan’s side, making conversation with him to ease his nervousness.

When the Jiang family’s housekeeper passed by, she curiously observed You Nan and You Ruan.

This was the first time their "young master" had brought someone home to visit.

You Nan found Jiang Songen’s mother very easygoing—gentle, soft-spoken, and unhurried in her speech.

She even used communal chopsticks to put food on You Nan and You Ruan’s plates, encouraging them to eat more.

You Nan kept eating until he was full, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse, so he ate a little more. It was Jiang Songen who cared about him and stepped in to stop his mother from loading up his plate.

The young man spoke bluntly in front of his mother, filter-free, "Mom, you’re being too enthusiastic. You Nan can serve himself whatever he wants."

Mrs. Jiang smiled and agreed on the surface, but inwardly she was frustrated with her son.

If she, as the mother, didn’t show warmth, her son’s romantic prospects would be doomed, didn’t he know?

These days, people considering marriage also care about how easy the future mother-in-law is to get along with!

Unfortunately, her son couldn’t appreciate her good intentions.

After the meal, Jiang Songen went to the guest room prepared for You Nan at home.

You Nan sat on the edge of the bed, holding his slightly bulging stomach. He stared at it, looking dazed, zoning out.

As You Nan was zoning out, a hand suddenly rested on his stomach. Startled, he swatted it away. "What are you doing?"

Jiang Songen looked innocent. "I just wanted to rub your stomach. You ate a lot today—your stomach must be uncomfortable. I even brought you antacid tablets."

You Nan felt it was inappropriate and avoided the touch, only taking the tablets. "Don’t get so close."

He pushed Jiang Songen away a little, finally able to breathe more easily.

His face and neck flushed red. He stood up, bypassed Jiang Songen to get some water and take the tablets, and that was the end of it.

Jiang Songen’s sulky, puppy-dog eyes—You Nan pretended not to see them.

With Jiang Songen constantly seeking out You Nan, the relationship between the two grew closer.

Even You Ruan became fonder of Brother Jiang.

Although the child didn’t fully understand adult romantic feelings, he was very sensitive to changes in the emotions of those around him.

He noticed that every time Brother Jiang Songen saw his older brother, his face would light up.

He immediately sensed that Brother Jiang was acting kinda suspicious.

Though You Ruan didn’t have a phone to play with, the wealthy children in his class all had phones. They were exposed to the internet early and were more mature in their thoughts and personalities. Through prolonged contact with them, You Ruan had picked up bits and pieces.

He had a suspicion: Brother Jiang Songen definitely liked his older brother!

You Ruan was doing his homework, and the thought made him press his lips together to keep from smiling.

Mrs. Jiang sat beside him, sitting with him. She held the child’s textbook and checked his homework.

Mrs. Jiang liked the You Nan and You Ruan brothers—polite and mature. She didn’t have much to do at home, and her son neither kept her company nor went out to have fun.

All he wanted was to study with You Nan, using studying as an excuse.

But in reality, everyone could see right through him.

Only at night when it was time to sleep would You Nan shove him off, refusing to let Jiang Songen cling to him. Jiang Songen’s unwillingness and sulking got him nowhere.

Thinking about this, Mrs. Jiang felt a little guilty toward You Nan. She hadn’t known her son could be such a pest.

You Nan was a good kid, just having it rough.

Such a wonderful child, stuck dealing with her troublesome son, couldn’t even keep her company.

In this house, only You Ruan was willing to set up his desk and homework and sit beside her.

Mrs. Jiang noticed the child smiling while writing and couldn’t help but ask curiously, "What's so funny? Thinking of something happy?"

You Ruan grinned, his eyes crinkling. He shook his head and made an excuse, "Nothing, just remembered a funny part from a cartoon."

Mrs. Jiang didn’t doubt him.

She tapped his nose lightly. "You little rascal! You can watch it after finishing your homework."

You Ruan nodded enthusiastically.

He even covered his mouth with his hand, afraid that if he kept thinking about Brother Jiang Songen’s awkward attempts around his older brother, he might burst out laughing.