Chapter 5 A-05

Chapter 5 A-05

Yun Qian kept his head down, avoiding eye contact, and spoke quickly, "I came to apologize."

"What did you say? Speak up!"

Yun Xiu wasn’t deliberately being difficult; he genuinely hadn’t heard clearly.

The flush on Yun Qian’s face spread down to his neck, truly embodying the phrase "red-faced and neck-bulging."

He pursed his lips and straightened up, finally letting his gaze fall on Yun Xiu. Not looking was fine, but once he did, his face turned even redder, and he even began to stammer.

"I—I said, I came to ap-apologize!"

Fresh out of the bath, the boy’s snow-white skin was tinged with a faint blush. Unlike Yun Qian’s flushed face, his was a delicate, peach-blossom pink. With exquisite features, an elegant, straight nose, and full, luscious lips that looked as if pressing them would release sweet syrup, he was utterly captivating.

Yun Qian was spellbound.

However, the boy seemed completely unaware of his mesmerizing appearance and rather inelegantly picked at his ear. "No need to shout. My hearing is fine."

Fortunately, their parents' bedroom wasn’t on this floor, and their eldest brother was on the other side of the same level. Otherwise, Yun Qian’s shout alone might have drawn them in. If that happened, anyone who didn’t know better would think he was bullying his second brother—he'd never be able to clear his name.

Yun Qian blushed and lowered his eyes, stammering, "This afternoon, I spoke without thinking. I’m sorry."

Yun Xiu wasn’t planning to dwell on it. Even if they didn’t clash now, they would eventually. An apology was truly unnecessary. Mostly, he was in a hurry to get back to his game—as the jungler, he couldn’t afford to be distracted. So he dismissed it: "It’s fine."

Logically, having received his younger brother’s forgiveness, Yun Qian’s guilt should have lessened somewhat. But he still felt it wasn’t enough.

Remembering that Yun Xiu hadn’t eaten much at dinner, he asked concernedly, "How about I make you something to eat? Fried rice, maybe?"

He didn’t know how to make much, but fried rice was the one thing he could manage decently.

Yun Xiu was fully focused on his game and didn’t pay attention to what he was saying, continuing dismissively, "Uh-huh, uh-huh."

Yun Qian didn’t mind his brother’s dismissiveness and immediately went downstairs to make the fried rice.

That afternoon, he had reflected carefully. If Yun Xiu had been living carefree and happy in the Yun household, his resentment would have been justified. But Yun Xiu had been through so much since arriving—suffering in his place. How could he possibly hold a grudge?

Moreover, Yun Xiu had called him "second brother" the first time they met—without flattery or ingratiation. His open, accepting attitude toward fate made a very good impression on Yun Qian.

This made Yun Qian unable to help but think: Yun He was truly something else. Yun Xiu is so adorable now—he must have been even more so as a child. How could he fail to protect his younger brother properly? If it were him…

If it were him—

No need to wonder. He was Yun Xiu’s second brother now!

This adorable younger brother—he would protect him himself!!

…

By the time Yun Qian finished cooking the fried rice, Yun Xiu’s game was still going.

Yun Xiu said, "Just leave it on the table. I’ll eat after I finish playing."

Yun Qian naturally obliged.

While Yun Xiu focused on his game, Yun Qian stood by watching. Having just completed his first-ever apology, he quietly exhaled in relief.

He occasionally played games too and understood that gamers don’t like people talking beside them. So, tactfully, he returned to his room first.

At midnight.

Someone knocked on the door again, the sound particularly jarring in the silence.

This time, however, it wasn’t Yun Xiu’s door being knocked on—it was Yun He’s.

The man had been working on documents until eleven and had been asleep for less than an hour. His temple throbbed. Looking grim, he pulled open the door. Seeing who it was, his eyes sharpened. "What is it…"

Before he could finish, a warm, soft body collapsed into his arms.

"What’s wrong?"

Yun He’s anger subsided slightly as he sensed something was wrong. He lowered his head, trying to see Yun Xiu’s condition more clearly. But with no lights on in the hallway or his room, and only faint light from the room across the way, he couldn’t make out what was happening.

The young man clutched at Yun He's shirt with one hand while pressing the other against his abdomen, shaking his head and refusing to speak.

Upstairs, Father Yun was a light sleeper. Hearing the commotion, he opened his door and came downstairs to investigate. When he reached the third floor, he turned on the lights. Only then did Yun He see that the boy’s face was deathly pale and covered in sweat.

It wasn’t that he refused to speak—he was in too much pain to form words!

After stepping down from the company, Father Yun had devoted considerable effort to caring for Yun Xiu. Assessing the situation and connecting it with the nearly imperceptible scent of food lingering in the air, he stated with certainty, "The little one is having an allergic reaction. Carry him back to his room. I’ll call the doctor."

Yun Xiu often had allergic reactions, and the family doctor had previously explained emergency procedures to Father Yun and Mother Yun.

Yun He had seen Yun Xiu break out in red spots from allergies before—usually resolved with some medication and rest. This was the first time he’d witnessed such a severe reaction. Following Father Yun’s instructions, he retrieved an epinephrine pen from the room’s drawer and prepared to administer it to Yun Xiu.

Every member of the Yun household, including the servants, had been instructed on how to use the epinephrine pen. They knew it needed to be injected into the outer mid-thigh.

Yun He didn’t struggle with the injection steps—the difficulty came during the actual administration.

Having gone to bed, the boy was wearing short pajamas that revealed a pair of straight, slender thighs. As if by instinct, the moment the needle touched his thigh—even before any pressure was applied—Yun Xiu, in his blurred state of consciousness, struggled and tried to pull away.

Yun He had no choice but to hold him still manually.

His large hand gripped the soft, snow-white hollow behind the knee. Those legs appeared lean, but upon touch, it was clear the frame was small—the flesh was springy, soft, and plump. With slight pressure, faint red marks appeared on the fair skin, flushed with underlying pink.

After administering the epinephrine, Yun He paused at the sight of his "rough handling," then meticulously followed the steps to massage the injection site.

The epinephrine pen was highly effective for severe allergic reactions—no less than a lifesaver. It was evident that after the injection, Yun Xiu’s breathing eased considerably, and his lips were less cyanotic.

The family doctor lived in a house not far away. His high salary required him to be on call 24/7—even at midnight, he had to grab his medical kit and go to work.

By the time he arrived, Yun He had already finished massaging the area and was closely monitoring Yun Xiu’s condition, ready to consider a second injection if things took a turn for the worse.

The family doctor was well-practiced in treating Yun Xiu’s allergies. Within two minutes, he had prescribed medication and started an IV.

However, when he glanced at the meal tray on the table, he wondered aloud, "Didn’t I say the young master can’t eat salmon or snow peas? Why are both in this fried rice?"

Father Yun finally noticed the leftover rice. "Where did this come from? I remember the little one already ate two meals tonight. How is there a third?"

This was truly leftover rice—a layer of congealed oil had formed around the edge of the plate. It must have been sitting out for a while, looking quite unappetizing.

At this hour, aside from Mother Yun, who was deep in her beauty sleep, Yun Qian—being young—hadn’t gone to bed so early.

He had noticed the commotion downstairs when Father Yun came down, but since he had just returned, he thought it best not to involve himself in Yun family affairs and simply stayed upstairs.

After the family doctor arrived, the whole building was lit up, so he decided to go downstairs to see what was happening.

Hearing that Yun Xiu was having an allergic reaction, Yun Qian’s heart sank.

He had no idea whether Yun Xiu could cook or not. The Yun family’s housekeeper always made sure to ask about dietary restrictions before preparing meals, so the only questionable food Yun Xiu had eaten that night was the fried rice Yun Qian had made.

For a moment, Yun Qian didn’t consider the possibility of intentional harm—after all, the Yun family he had known before wasn't into scheming—and simply assumed he had unintentionally harmed his younger brother.

When he reached the doorway of the room and saw the boy passed out weakly on the bed, Yun Qian’s guilt reached its peak.

As soon as their father asked, he stepped forward and admitted it was his doing.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know Xiao Zai was allergic.”

Their father was surprised. “You made the fried rice for him?”

Yun Qian nodded.

Their father frowned, opening his mouth to say something, but the fact was Yun Qian hadn’t known about Yun Xiu’s allergies. Ignorance is no sin, so he couldn’t be blamed.

Yun He glanced at the plate of fried rice but said nothing.

Sometimes silent disapproval is more guilt-inducing than loud scolding.

Just as Yun Qian was about to suggest ways to make it up to him, a weak voice came from the room: “It’s not Second Brother’s fault. I was too focused on gaming and didn’t pay attention, so I gulped it down.”

Inside, Yun Xiu’s inner self was crying buckets. He had gotten so absorbed in the game that he completely forgot about the original host’s weak body, still thinking he was the invincible second male lead from before, and ended up taking a big mouthful of fried rice without thinking.

It wasn’t until he swallowed it that he realized his mistake, but by then it was too late—he couldn’t exactly make himself puke.

He thought a single bite of the allergen wouldn’t kill him, but it nearly did.

He did this to himself—he deserved it. QAQ

Yun He raised his right hand, smoothing the wrinkles on his left sleeve, and said calmly, “I figured as much. Don’t be so foolish next time.”

Yun Xiu slumped dejectedly.

He was terrified of pain, and the stomach pain from the allergic reaction was enough of an experience. He really wouldn’t dare to eat whatever again.

Their father hadn’t expected it to go like this and said, relieved, “As long as you’re okay. Everyone, go back and rest. I’m free tomorrow, so I’ll stay here to take care of Xiao Zai.”

Yun He still had to work the next day. After confirming Yun Xiu was fine, he returned to his room to sleep.

Yun Qian, however, refused to leave, insisting it was his fault and arguing with their dad over who would care for his younger brother. “Let me do it. If I hadn’t been so pushy, Xiao Zai wouldn’t have had an allergic reaction.”

“Xiao Zai would want me to stay, right?”

Not only were his reasons solid, but he also laid on the guilt trip with Yun Xiu.

Yun Qian had inherited the Yun family’s strong features—a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, sharp eyebrows, and thin lips. But unlike his older brother’s sharp phoenix eyes, he had puppy-dog eyes and single eyelids, which kept him from looking overly innocent, giving him the appearance of an aloof yet considerate German Shepherd.

Yun Xiu, being a total sucker for looks, had never been able to harden his heart against attractive people. He couldn’t bear the sight of Yun Qian giving him those puppy-dog eyes and immediately agreed.

With both children saying so, their father didn't push it further. After offering a few words of advice, he returned to his room.

Once their father left, Yun Xiu immediately changed his expression, turning his head and snapped, “Don’t call me Xiao Zai!”

Yun Qian thought “Xiao Zai” was an affectionate term, but since he had caused the illness, it didn’t feel right to argue. He gave in, “Then what should I call you? Xiu Xiu? Younger Brother?”

“Neither!”

Yun Xiu blushed at the name and continued to refuse.

He had no idea what Yun Qian had been fed growing up. Despite being the same age, Yun Qian was a good half-head taller, with a deep, smooth voice—clearly more developed.

Sensing his displeasure, Yun Qian sat on a chair to meet him at eye level and pushed back, “I think Xiao Zai is quite nice. I’ve heard Big Brother call you that in front of Mom and Dad.”

Yun Xiu set his jaw, stubbornly refusing to budge. “No, absolutely not.”

Mainly, it was fine when family used the nickname, but he wasn’t that familiar with Yun Qian yet. Being called that felt somewhat embarrassing.

“Alright,” Yun Qian relented, no longer insisting on “Xiao Zai.” He compromised, “Then I’ll call you Xiu Xiu.”

Yun Xiu was speechless. He stared at him for two seconds, then lay down, pulled up the covers, and turned his back to Yun Qian.

Second Brother doesn't get it.

He wouldn’t waste words on someone so stubborn.