Chapter 6 A-06

Chapter 6 A-06

Yun Xiu finally understood—his second brother, despite appearing clever, was actually quite naive. He clung to his own beliefs and wouldn't be swayed by others' words.

So, why waste breath arguing?

Might as well get some sleep.

A short while later, Yun Xiu felt a rustling beside him and the bed dip.

The mattress was too soft, and with them so close, Yun Xiu inadvertently tilted backward.

The boy’s cat-like eyes widened, and he snapped, "What are you doing?!"

Yun Qian, already mostly on the bed, feigned innocence. "Sleeping, of course. I can't just sit up all night, can I? If you feel unwell, just nudge me awake."

Yun Xiu regretted agreeing to let him stay. At this rate, a call button by the bed would have been more practical!

Sharing a bed was acceptable, but he refused to share his duvet. He told Yun Qian to get another one from the wardrobe.

Yun Qian didn't fuss. He spread out the duvet, turned off the light, and settled in comfortably.

The room fell silent, illuminated only by the warm, amber glow of the nightlight in the corner.

Yun Xiu felt the person behind him suddenly lean closer and sniff his neck. He instinctively recoiled.

"You smell so good. Can I switch to the same toiletries as you?"

Drowsy and annoyed, Yun Xiu mumbled, "Fine, but if you make another sound, I'm kicking you out!"

He meant he didn't want to be disturbed while sleeping; if Yun Qian kept making noise, he wouldn't let him stay as a caretaker.

Though their time together was brief, Yun Qian had a good sense of his younger brother's soft-hearted nature and didn't misinterpret his words.

Looking at the back of the boy's head, Yun Qian thought that having a younger brother might not be so bad after all.

…

The next day.

Yun Qian woke at seven, quietly returned to his room to change into workout clothes, intending to exercise in the second-floor gym.

On the day he arrived, his parents had given him a tour of the main house, explaining the function of each room, including the fully equipped gym.

Just as he reached for the doorknob, the door opened from within. A man, still radiating warmth from his workout, stepped out. Seeing Yun Qian, he merely nodded with a hint of surprise and moved aside to let him enter.

It was Yun He.

After his ill-considered remark the day before, Yun Qian had reflected and adjusted his perspective on his place in the Yun family, resolving not to dwell on self-pity or overthink things.

The twenty years of separation had created a distance between the brothers, but blood was a strange bond. Today, they felt much more at ease with each other than yesterday.

Yun Qian called out to Yun He, "Brother, should we wake Xiu Xiu up to exercise? He's still asleep."

"You slept together last night?"

Yun He's tone was subtly charged.

Yun Qian, missing the implication, nodded. "Father originally wanted to stay with Xiu Xiu, but I felt it was partly my responsibility, so I took over."

In his straightforward mind, it was perfectly normal for an older brother to look after a younger one, and to sleep together if tired while keeping watch. He didn't catch the hidden meaning in Yun He's words, assuming his elder brother was worried he might bully Xiu Xiu, so he quickly added an explanation.

Yun He glanced at Yun Qian, whose thoughts were plainly visible on his face, and for once, his tone held a rare hint of sympathy: "No need to wake him. He doesn't like exercise. Don't spoil him usually—he's full of tricks."

Yun Qian didn't understand but took it as a gesture of goodwill from his biological brother. He said gratefully, "Big brother, don't worry. I'll take good care of Xiu Xiu. Blood-related or not, he'll always be my brother!"

With such a heartfelt declaration, any further fuss would be excessive.

Yun He: "…"

This family is beyond help.

…

Yun Xiu was woken by Yun He.

The man wore a sharp navy blue suit that accentuated his long, straight legs. A dark blue tie and sapphire cufflinks were the only splashes of color in his ensemble.

Yun He stood by the bed, the half-drawn curtains behind him. Silhouetted against the light, he looked down and said, "Get up. We're going to the hospital for a check-up."

Yun Xiu's gaze was fixed on those long legs. He couldn't help but murmur, "So long…"

Yun He: "Hmm?"

Yun Xiu sat up, shaking the inappropriate thoughts from his head. "I said, Brother, your hands are very pretty."

Commenting on his legs so soon after meeting felt a bit too forward.

Yun He ignored his chatter, checked his watch, and stated sternly, "It's 8:13 now. I'll wait for you downstairs. We leave at 8:30."

With that, he turned and left without waiting for Yun Xiu's reaction.

Yun Xiu sat on the bed, still a little dazed: "Huh?"

Belatedly remembering Yun He's mention of a hospital visit, he immediately jumped out of bed to change.

He would have loved to stay in bed, claim he was fine, and avoid the hospital. But he needed to maintain his image as an obedient, well-behaved person in front of Yun He—especially since his initial impression hadn't been ideal. He had to work even harder to change Yun He's perception of him, leaving no room for error.

After a hurried wash-up, as he was about to head downstairs, he took a deep breath, then descended gracefully and calmly.

He cast a quick glance at the wall clock.

8:25—good, still on time.

Seeing him come down, Yun He put away his documents, stood up, and walked out first.

Yun Xiu hurried after him, tugging at his sleeve. "Brother, I haven't had breakfast yet. Can you give me five minutes? We won't be late for 8:30."

Yun He didn't stop walking but turned back, his gaze silently conveying "Are you stupid?" Sensing Yun Xiu's defiance, he sighed helplessly. "You'll need a blood test later, which requires fasting. Just bear with it."

An allergy check alone wouldn't require fasting, but Yun Xiu hadn't had a full check-up in a while.

After Yun's mother woke up and learned about his allergy episode the previous night, she figured since school hadn't started yet, it was a good chance to run other tests. Moreover, she deliberately found excuses to take Yun's father and Yun Qian away, leaving the "young couple" alone to bond—hence Yun He waking Yun Xiu up.

Understanding the reason, Yun Xiu gave up resisting and slumped into the car.

His lack of energy was purely from hunger.

Yun Xiu had eaten only half a bowl of rice and one extra bite last night, along with four portions of fried brown sugar glutinous rice cakes. The housekeeper had misjudged Yun Qian's appetite—he alone ate two portions.

Of the other two portions, one was given to Father Yun and Mother Yun as a dessert, and the other was completely finished by Yun He, not a single piece left. Yun Xiu felt he was just too unlucky—accompanying Yun He for a meal and not getting even a single bite!

Yun Xiu was prone to carsickness and couldn't stand the smell inside the car when the windows and doors were closed. Whenever he rode in the family car, the driver would open both front and rear windows halfway for ventilation.

The wind whistled in through the windows, and Yun Xiu, like a kitten enjoying the ride, narrowed his eyes contentedly. Still feeling it wasn’t cool enough, he leaned closer to the window. His fluffy, soft black hair blew in all directions, instantly transforming him from a kitten into a sea urchin.

The driver didn’t dare open the window on Yun He’s side, but the wind still reached him. However, Yun He’s hair was fixed with gel; only a few strands at his forehead were stirred by the wind, making him appear as steady as a mountain.

The red light came on, and the car stopped.

The driver glanced in the rearview mirror at the starkly contrasting styles of the two in the back seat. He wanted to laugh but didn’t dare. Thinking of the recently returned second young master Yun Qian, he quietly marvelled at how uniquely different the three young masters of the Yun family were, each exceptional in their own way.

Looking at his phone in the car made Yun Xiu carsick, so he kept gazing outside. Before even spotting the cake shop at the intersection, his nose caught the sweet scent of butter first.

The young man’s eyes instantly lit up. "Brother, I want to eat chestnut cake. Can we buy it? I’ll eat it after the check-up!"

Yun He remained unmoved. "No time. After accompanying you for the check-up, I still have to go to work."

Yun Xiu pouted inwardly, accustomed to the other’s indifference. He thought he’d come back to buy it later and conceded, "Alright."

The hospital was never short of people. Yun Xiu, so hungry he was getting weak, nearly lost sight of Yun He in the crowd.

Fortunately, their family had financial clout—this was their private hospital. Crossing the lobby, staff immediately greeted and escorted them to a building dedicated to Yun Xiu's care.

Yes, a building dedicated solely to serving Yun Xiu.

After discovering their youngest son was allergic to many foods, Father Yun opened this private hospital. To avoid seeming overly dramatic, the hospital operated like any other, reserving only one building specifically for whenever Yun Xiu fell ill.

Even Yun Xiu was pretty amazed when he heard this. He had been the second male lead in multiple worlds, some with wealthy families, but never had he received such treatment.

Not that it couldn’t be done, but it was unnecessary.

Hiring staff, maintaining medical equipment, procuring and replacing medicines—every step required money. Since he wasn’t sick every day, the cost of arranging all this was hard to estimate.

Wow, the Yun family is so good.

I hope my next life has such a great family too!

The service they got for all that money was excellent. The results of the first item, the blood test, came out shortly after Yun Xiu finished the last check-up.

No major issues—just slightly anemic, which could be corrected by eating more.

Yun Xiu wondered if they'd make him take the subway back again, which would allow him to stop by the cake shop.

Just as he was thinking this, a chestnut cake in a transparent box was handed to him. The pale yellow cream looked exceptionally beautiful, with two bright red cherries coated in what seemed to be a sugar glaze.

Yun Xiu looked at the cake, then at Yun He, uncertain. "This is for me?"

Yun He: "Otherwise, should I throw it in the trash?"

Yun Xiu quickly took it, his eyes crinkling into smiles. "That would be such a waste of food. Better let me handle it!"

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the cake box, Yun He pulled it back.

Yun Xiu was puzzled: "?"

Yun He casually offered a bag in his other hand. "If you want the cake, finish your breakfast first."

Yun Xiu had thought Yun He wasn’t going to give it to him and was just teasing. Hearing this, he chastised himself for misjudging him—Big Brother was still the kind-hearted, handsome Big Brother.

Perhaps Mother Yun had instructed him, or perhaps he felt sorry for Yun Xiu after the blood draw, but Yun He wasn’t in a hurry to return to the company this time. He saw Yun Xiu safely home before heading to work.

Yun Xiu didn’t pay much attention to the details. With no good-looking guys around but delicious food in hand, his heart and eyes were now full of the cake.

How pathetic—in his last world, he was the second male lead in an apocalyptic setting, where all the good food went to the protagonist. He had to survive on sweet potato and potato cakes until he was sick of them—

He decided that, to repay his kind and good-hearted big brother and second brother, he would let them have all future sweet potato and potato products.

After all, most handsome men with great figures are disciplined—they probably don’t like high-oil, high-sugar foods. So, he’d help his brothers out by taking this one!