Chapter 44: Dreaming (Part 1 + Part 2)

Chapter 44: Dreaming (First Update + Second Update)

Ten years.

Jiang Hang thought musingly, so it's been ten years already.

A decade is long enough to completely forget someone.

And long enough for another person to take his former place, caring for Yuan Shiyuan as he grew up.

"Why are they just standing there?"

Not far away, Yuan Shiyuan waved busily, his light pink hair swaying slightly. "Come over here, I found seats!"

Although it was mealtime, the hospital cafeteria offered delivery service, so most family members pre-ordered meals to be sent directly to their rooms, saving them the trip downstairs.

The cafeteria wasn’t very crowded at the moment, but they were public figures after all. Yuan Shiyuan had found a particularly secluded corner where a large potted plant conveniently blocked the view from nearby.

As long as no one deliberately came close to look, they definitely wouldn’t be recognized.

"Then it’s up to you," Jiang Hang said flatly, turning and walking toward Yuan Shiyuan.

As soon as Jiang Hang sat down, he saw Yuan Shize, with the attentiveness of a loyal attendant, efficiently pull out a tissue to wipe the table.

"Eat this," Jiang Hang said, placing the rice cakes and ribs in front of Yuan Shiyuan.

"Brother doesn’t like this anymore," Yuan Shize said to Jiang Hang, lowering his head to unwrap a pair of disposable chopsticks.

Jiang Hang froze. "You don’t like it?" he asked. "Last time we filmed the variety show, you ate it."

"It’s not that I don’t like it," Yuan Shiyuan said truthfully. "I’ve just had too much of it lately."

Yuan Shiyuan had loved rice cakes and ribs since childhood—it was the most delicious dish at the orphanage. Though there wasn’t much meat on the ribs, he still enjoyed it immensely.

After being adopted, his parents, knowing his preferences, would make it for him often.

Even a favorite dish can become tiresome if eaten too frequently.

Even on the cruise ship before, Yuan Shiyuan hadn’t eaten much of it.

Jiang Hang stared at him for a few seconds before saying, "Right. People’s tastes change."

He moved the ribs and rice cakes away and placed a bowl of silkie chicken soup in front of Yuan Shiyuan.

"This silkie chicken soup is good," Jiang Hang said, serving Yuan Shiyuan a bowl. "You’re not feeling well, so drink more to nourish yourself."

Jiang Hang had his blood drawn too, hadn’t he? If anyone needed nourishment, shouldn’t it be both of them?

Yuan Shiyuan didn’t refuse his friend’s offer and also served Jiang Hang a bowl of soup.

Yuan Shize suddenly tightened his grip on his chopsticks, his eyes fixed on the bowl held between those slender, pale fingers, filled with disapproval.

At home, his brother was treated like a little prince, cherished by the whole family. Now he was serving soup to another Alpha?

As Jiang Hang took the bowl, his fingertips brushed faintly against the back of Yuan Shiyuan’s hand. The unusually soft skin made his wrist tremble slightly, causing some of the soup to spill onto the table.

Fortunately, Yuan Shiyuan didn’t notice.

The silkie chicken soup at this hospital was famously delicious. He’d had it before, and it truly tasted great.

Yuan Shiyuan eagerly lowered his head to take a sip but was scalded instantly, letting out a sharp hiss.

Yuan Shize quickly cupped his face, leaning down to blow on it.

"Did it blister? Let me see…" Yuan Shize’s gaze suddenly froze.

A small, wet, red tongue peeked out from between his teeth, instantly capturing the attention of both Alphas.

Yuan Shiyuan’s face was small, and with the lower half of it held firmly, the distinct bones of Yuan Shize’s fingers pressed into his soft cheeks. Forced to tilt his head up, his moist lips parted slightly, revealing the scalded, red tip of his tongue.

He mumbled indistinctly, "No, it’s just a little hot."

Yuan Shize stared for a moment, his Adam’s apple bobbing before he averted his gaze. "As long as you’re okay."

Yuan Shiyuan had been scalded, but the moment passed quickly, and he was fine.

Thinking Jiang Hang hadn’t noticed, he stealthily—or so he thought—tossed the food he didn’t like or found mediocre after one bite into Yuan Shize’s bowl.

Jiang Hang lowered his eyes.

The gesture was all too familiar, painfully so.

The dining spot was secluded enough, but the only downside was its distance from the air conditioning vent. As they ate, it was getting hot.

"Brother, I brought a hair clip."

Yuan Shize produced a colorful, thin-edged hair clip from his pocket, turned sideways, and gently pinched Yuan Shiyuan’s chin, turning his face toward him.

He leaned down, brushing aside the pink bangs with a practiced ease that suggested he’d done this countless times. "Let me clip it for you."

"It’ll be cooler with your hair pulled back."

Yuan Shiyuan cooperatively tilted his face up, even leaning his shoulders forward slightly to make it easier for his brother.

With his bangs clipped to the side, his smooth, faintly pink forehead was exposed, making his face seem as small as a palm.

"Done," Yuan Shize said, letting go and casting a fleeting glance at Jiang Hang out of the corner of his eye.

Yuan Shiyuan, completely unaware, was about to bury himself in his meal when he suddenly looked up at the person across from him.

Jiang Hang had been staring at him.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Yuan Shiyuan set down his chopsticks, his amber eyes blinking in confusion. "Should I order something else?"

"No need."

Jiang Hang reached out to stop Yuan Shiyuan, pausing for a moment before slightly avoiding his gaze. "There’s enough food here, and it’s all stuff I like."

But Jiang Hang had barely touched his food?

Yuan Shiyuan stared at his flushed earlobes and asked, "Is it too hot? I’ll go buy some cold drinks—"

"I’ll go," Yuan Shize immediately stood up. "I’ll go to the nearby milk tea shop and send you a picture of the menu. Brother Jiang, just let my brother know what you’d like."

"Brother, what about you?" He bent down and asked, "What would you like to drink? The usual?"

Yuan Shiyuan said, "Not sure if they have any new items. Just send me the menu first."

After Yuan Shize left, the atmosphere became noticeably quieter.

Yuan Shiyuan sat quietly, eating delicately, with the hair clip pinned in his light pink hair like interwoven colorful musical notes. Some of the dishes were spicy, making his lips slightly swollen and flushed with an alluring, moist red.

Jiang Hang recalled the challenging gaze Yuan Shize had given him before leaving.

He understood better than anyone what that look meant.

Even though they had exchanged few words, from the moment they first met, both had formed a general impression of each other. They didn’t even need verbal communication to sense the mutual hostility.

Earlier, Yuan Shize’s seemingly casual actions had hidden intentions. Grabbing food first, initiating conversations, deliberately showing off, and subtly displaying intimate habits—it was like preening in front of a mate, trying to capture Yuan Shiyuan’s attention.

Every time Yuan Shize succeeded, he would deliberately glance at Jiang Hang.

Yuan Shize was showing off, boasting about having the chance to take care of Yuan Shiyuan, while Jiang Hang could only watch from the sidelines.

Even though Jiang Hang saw through his tricks, he still felt anger flare up within him. Yet he knew he wasn’t in a position to be angry.

His absence in the past meant he could only observe from afar now.

But Yuan Shiyuan seemed completely unaware, oblivious to his younger brother’s unusual behavior.

Jiang Hang discreetly observed Yuan Shiyuan, and when Yuan Shiyuan turned to sip his soup, his brows suddenly furrowed.

The next moment, he walked behind Yuan Shiyuan, gently hooking the back of his collar and pulling it aside.

“Hmm?” Yuan Shiyuan turned his head, his mouth still full of unchewed food, cheeks slightly puffed as he looked up in confusion at Jiang Hang, who was tugging at his collar.

A few red marks of varying shades dotted his snow-white neck, starkly visible to Jiang Hang.

Jiang Hang’s eyes darkened. “There are marks on your neck.”

Yuan Shiyuan tried to look but couldn’t see without a mirror. He shrugged it off. “Probably mosquito bites.”

Jiang Hang seemed lost in thought but was interrupted when his phone suddenly vibrated. Seeing the caller ID, his expression turned cold.

“Do you have something to do? If so, go ahead,” Yuan Shiyuan said considerately.

“There’s something I need to handle for now,” Jiang Hang replied. “Thank you for the meal.”

Jiang Hang gathered his dishes, taking them to the collection point. Turning around, his expression icy, he answered the call.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop calling me?” he interrupted impatiently. “My surname is Jiang. I have nothing to do with your Su family.”

“When you kicked my mother and me out of the old house back then, why didn’t you say my surname was Su?”

...

That evening, Yuan Shiyuan and his younger brother took a taxi home.

Yuan Shiyuan, having just returned from outside, felt sweaty and sticky. The first thing he did upon arriving home was take a shower.

Yuan Shize habitually picked up Yuan Shiyuan’s crossbody bag, organizing its contents as usual and casually adding new items.

He counted the number of disposable underwear.

Calculating the time since they last parted and the days Yuan Shiyuan had been filming the variety show... the numbers barely matched up.

But why were there a few extra items that looked like inhibitors? However, there were no labels on them. Could they be special inhibitors prescribed by a hospital?

“I’m done showering.”

As the door opened, steam and the scent of shower gel wafted out.

Yuan Shiyuan was still wet, wearing a loose, light-colored T-shirt that barely covered his thighs. His legs, flushed pink from the hot water, extended from beneath the hem, water trickling down and pooling on the floor.

Above were his slender collarbones and his flushed, moist face.

Yuan Shize felt a rush of blood, followed immediately by a wave of shame, and he stood up awkwardly.

Yuan Shiyuan casually pinned his pink bangs to the side and walked over to the sofa. He nestled into the cushions, his wet toes nudged his brother’s knee, causing the T-shirt hem to ride up a few more inches.

“Water.”

Yuan Shize unscrewed the cap of a water bottle, cupping Yuan Shiyuan’s chin with one hand while tilting the bottle to his soft lower lip, casting a small shadow.

He tilted the bottle, helping Yuan Shiyuan drink a sip of water.

“Okay, you go shower now,” Yuan Shiyuan said after a couple of sips, turning his head away and pursing his lips in refusal.

After putting the water aside, Yuan Shize’s gaze remained distracted. “Bro, why are you... wearing my clothes?”

The T-shirt was clearly not Yuan Shiyuan’s size.

It was too loose, hanging on him like a dress, making pants unnecessary. As he lay sprawled on the sofa, casually resting his legs on his brother’s lap, if he bent his knees even slightly, from his brother’s perspective, everything would be visible.

“What’s wrong?” Yuan Shiyuan tugged at the hem, adjusting to a more comfortable position. “Can’t I wear it?”

“I couldn’t find my pajamas.”

The brothers shared a wardrobe and often wore each other’s clothes. Yuan Shiyuan had been away for a while, and the wardrobe had been completely rearranged—none of his clothes were left!

In a hurry to shower, he couldn’t be bothered to search and just grabbed one randomly.

Yuan Shize unconsciously touched his nose. “I tidied up a couple of days ago...”

“So you took all my clothes? Not a single one left!” Yuan Shiyuan pressed his foot against his brother’s hand in frustration. “Are my clothes not clothes?”

Yuan Shize’s breathing quickened. He didn’t dare explain why.

When he first presented as an Alpha, his nesting instinct was overwhelmingly strong. He uncontrollably took out all of Yuan Shiyuan’s clothes, piling them up like a small mountain, and burrowed into them.

By the time he regained clarity, all of Yuan Shiyuan’s clothes were stained.

The T-shirt Yuan Shiyuan was wearing now—Yuan Shize had worn it just last night, saturated with his scent...

Afraid Yuan Shiyuan would notice, Yuan Shize had gotten rid of the evidence beforehand. The clothes had been washed and were now stored in another wardrobe.

“I’ll bring your clothes back in a couple of days.”

Yuan Shize’s gaze drifted downward, from Yuan Shiyuan’s toes to his pink knees, the faintly visible upper thighs, and finally settling on his lazy, casual face. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he called out, “Bro.”

Yuan Shiyuan touched his face curiously. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m going to shower.”

Yuan Shize almost fled panickedly, but the bathroom was filled with the scent of his brother’s recent shower. He closed the door and took a deep breath.

It smells just like my brother...

The TV in the living room was playing an edited version of the variety show *Struggle for Survival*.

Yuan Shiyuan watched intently, finding it novel. He used to watch TV with his family, but watching a show featuring himself felt like a completely new experience.

Just as the segment about his part-time job at a maid café came on, he abruptly sat up straight and hurriedly grabbed the remote to turn off the TV.

In the next second, he was pinned onto the sofa.

Yuan Shize had just finished his shower, his body still steamy from the shower, his face and neck flushed an intense red. Like a giant dog, he knelt between Yuan Shiyuan’s legs and buried his face against Yuan Shiyuan’s abdomen.

The hem of his shirt rode up as he pressed his face into Yuan Shiyuan’s stomach, taking a slow, deep breath.

Yuan Shiyuan’s stomach twitched, and he grabbed his brother’s head, pulling it back. "What are you doing?"

"Stop moving, it’s so ticklish." The fuzzy hair tickling his stomach was anything but comfortable.

Interrupted, Yuan Shize looked a bit pitiful but didn’t try to bury his face again. He slowly shifted up, turning to rest his head on his brother’s chest instead.

He turned his head to glance at the TV screen and complained, "Brother, you wore a skirt."

"I’ve never seen it before..."

"You haven’t seen it?" Yuan Shiyuan lay back lazily. "Back in middle school, didn’t I wear a skirt for a performance?"

"That’s different!" Yuan Shize insisted. "That was a uniform skort. What you wore on the show was..."

"What’s the difference?" Yuan Shiyuan saw no distinction. "Since when do you talk back to me? Are you getting rebellious now that you’re almost an adult?"

Yuan Shize immediately held back his reply but couldn’t help correcting him: "I’m already an adult."

According to his ID card, Yuan Shize was indeed of age, but their family was used to following the lunar calendar. Yuan Shiyuan didn’t bother to correct him and instead asked, "What kind of gift do you want?"

Yuan Shiyuan now had a sizable nest egg and plenty of money—whatever his brother wanted, he could afford it.

Yuan Shize: "Anything?"

"Anything."

"What if I want you?"

"Sure, sure, you can have me." Yuan Shiyuan agreed readily. "Whatever you want to do, I’ll go along with it."

What's the big deal?

Yuan Shize was probably just thinking of going somewhere for a couple of days, taking him along to keep him company and do things together.

He wasn’t so stingy that he'd refuse such a small request.

"Really?"

"Why would I lie?"

After saying this, Yuan Shiyuan lazily yawned. Seeing this, Yuan Shize pressed up against him like a big dog.

"Brother, it’s been so long since we last slept in the same bed." Yuan Shize stared intently at Yuan Shiyuan’s face. "Can we sleep together tonight?"

"Sure." Yuan Shiyuan agreed without hesitation, then felt something was off.

Yuan Shiyuan often forgot that he had undergone a secondary gender differentiation, and he still retained many Alpha habits. But changing those habits wasn't easy to change quickly.

After all, he had lived for years as an Alpha, and suddenly adjusting his social boundaries wasn’t an easy task.

Still, just sleeping with his brother wasn’t a big deal.

Yuan Shiyuan didn't give it much thought.

Perhaps because of his recent differentiation, Yuan Shiyuan grew tired early. After watching the show with his brother for a while, he yawned and went to bed, ready to sleep.

Soon, a warm body snuggled against his side. Yuan Shize nuzzled his neck like a dog, sniffing him. Too lazy to resist or stop him, Yuan Shiyuan let him be and fell asleep first.

That night, Yuan Shize had a dream.

Yuan Shize pushed open the door to his home as usual, but the house was eerily quiet.

When he reached his bedroom, his eyes went wide.

Yuan Shiyuan was lying on his bed, knees naturally parted, wearing a see-through gauzy top that accentuated his waistline.

His pink hair spilled over his temples, and seeing Yuan Shize frozen in place, he frowned slightly. A pink fingertip parted red lips, and as he lifted his hand, a shimmering strand of saliva trailed after it.

Yuan Shiyuan looked at him with eyes glistening with moisture, then beckoned to him as if calling a dog.

Without hesitation, Yuan Shize stepped forward, but a soft hand pressed him down to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Xiao Ze, you’ve worked hard. Are you hungry?" he heard his brother say gently. "Let me feed you something, okay?"

"What is it?"

Yuan Shize soon found out.

His brother, feeling sorry for him working hard outside, had prepared a special treat for his return. But his brother, accustomed to being waited on, wasn’t sure how to feed him.

After hesitating for a long time, Yuan Shiyuan turned his back to his brother and slowly backed up, stopping only when he was almost pressed against him.

Yuan Shize watched as his brother retreated step by step toward him.

This also meant that when he looked up, he could see the damp, vivid color—the gauzy fabric, soaked and clinging, clearly revealing flushed skin.

He watched as the other drew closer, nearer and nearer…

A single glistening drop hung suspended, trembling in the air.

As it happened, Yuan Shize was thirsty. Without a second thought, he tilted his head up to catch it, and a sweet, rich flavor flooded his senses.

The next second, his face was pressed firmly against his brother, being fed directly.

The sudden move left Yuan Shize momentarily stunned.

His brother had personally made this treat, yet he wasn't sure how to enjoy it properly. But he knew he shouldn’t waste his brother’s kindness or disappoint him. Adhering to the principle of not wasting food, he leaned in and sucked eagerly, afraid to let even a morsel of his brother’s home-made treat go to waste.

At first, Yuan Shize managed to control himself, but he had truly never tasted anything so delicious.

As he went on, he ate with increasing hunger, forgetting even his usual manners, and wet, slurping sounds accompanied his feasting.

Yuan Shiyuan rarely cooked at home—he’d hardly ever set foot in the kitchen. Asking him to hand-feed his younger brother was indeed a challenge.

Soon, he began to lose his balance. Sensing his brother’s unusually intense behavior, he suddenly tried to move away but stumbled.

Even as his younger brother grabbed his leg to steady him, he couldn't control his backward fall, causing his full weight to plummet down.

"Whimper...!"

Yuan Shize couldn't see his brother's expression clearly but knew he was startled. He quickly grabbed his brother's leg, helping him stabilize as he braced against him.

The sudden movement caught Yuan Shiyuan off guard; he hadn't expected to nearly tumble over. Still shaken, he tightly covered his mouth with his hand, letting out a muffled groan from the shock, his eyes fluttering shut.

Yuan Shize's high nose bridge completely disappeared from view, choking him like a drowning victim.

When he finally gasped heavily for air, his face regained its freedom. It felt as if he had just washed his face but hadn't dried it with a towel—his entire face was dripping wet.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shiyuan had slumped and curled up at the foot of the bed, looking dazed and disoriented. A faint, flushed pink spread across his body, while tears mixed with saliva trickled down the corner of his lips, wetting his chin and collarbone.

After a long while, he tremblingly reached out to his brother, cupping his face. His fingertips gently stroked Yuan Shize's jaw, his expression content and gentle. "Xiao Ze, you're amazing..."

"Thank you, Xiao Ze."

"..."

Yuan Shiyuan usually slept deeply, unbothered by usual sounds, but tonight he was unusually restless.

It felt as if a big dog were holding him in its embrace, licking him repeatedly, or as if he were soaking in a bathtub...

He unconsciously furrowed his brows and shoved out weakly, a vague murmur escaping his throat.

It was similar to the sensation of being pinned in sleep, yet not quite the same.

Yuan Shiyuan kept pushing and struggling but couldn't shake off the dreamlike trapped sensation of being in a hot spring, so he eventually gave up resisting.

By morning, the strange sensation grew even stronger. Yuan Shiyuan suddenly opened his eyes, and through a sliver of sunlight filtering through the curtains, he saw his T-shirt bizarrely strained and puffing up.

Beneath the hem of his shirt, Yuan Shize's arm was tightly wrapped around his waist. Clinging to Yuan Shiyuan like a dog, his high nose bridge nuzzling and rubbing constantly.

The warm breath exhaled by Yuan Shize landed entirely on his skin, creating a dampness that made him itch.

"Mmm... Xiao Ze, cut it out."

Yuan Shiyuan was extremely ticklish. He let out a soft gasp, then wore a conflicted look.

He had always known that his younger brother had a habit of needing to suck on him to fall asleep—as a child, Yuan Shize would only sleep if he held his brother's finger in his mouth.

But it had never been like this. His lips pressed against and sucked, while his teeth lightly gnawed.

What was this? A child who hadn't been weaned?

Yuan Shiyuan was annoyed. He reached out and grabbed the hair at the back of his brother's head, trying to yank him back.

Despite trying his best to ignore it, after being bitten, he couldn't help but tremble and let out a startled cry, "Hah...!"

Yuan Shize was still deep in sleep, seemingly recalling his childhood instinct of sucking on his brother's finger to fall asleep. Like a vampire, he clung to Yuan Shiyuan, his restless tongue licking the surface before sucking intently, as if trying to draw blood for a satisfying meal.

"Wake up! I'm your brother!" Yuan Shiyuan had had enough and forcefully pulled Yuan Shize's head away.

A distinct "smack" sound echoed in the quiet bedroom.

Their separated lips left a string of spit that soon broke apart, silently splattering onto the surrounding skin.

The skin, now slick with wetness, met the slightly cool air, making the sensation feel more intense.

Yuan Shiyuan hurriedly lifted his shirt to check.

As if heated and softened, the originally light pink tip on the left side was twisted out of shape by the nose bridge, its color turning into a ripe, wet red. The edges had blurred, bleeding into the skin.

What in the world was going on?

Was he being used as a pacifier? Or something else?

Yuan Shiyuan was totally lost.

Had Yuan Shize's mental state worsened to this extent?

Or was the pressure from studies and work so overwhelming that it led to such weird fixations?

God, how did it come to this?

This is just so messed up.

What puzzled Yuan Shiyuan even more was that despite his loud protests and movements, Yuan Shize was still sleeping like a log. Was he really that tired?

Yuan Shize slept soundly. If one ignored the moisture on his lips, he still looked innocent and compliant.

Yuan Shiyuan's fist hung in the air.

He couldn't bring himself to wake Yuan Shize up. After all, his pro career kept him busy, and today was a rare day off.

Perhaps it was because Yuan Shize had just presented his secondary gender, his hormones were unstable, awakening some mommy issues, leading him to lash out in such a bizarre way.

Ah, forget it.

If his brother had turned out like this, it was partly his responsibility as the older brother.

If he wanted to suck, so be it. It wasn't like he was getting anything out of it anyway.

Yuan Shiyuan lowered his head and dabbed at the spit with a tissue, growing more and more exasperated as he did. Returning to the bedside, he abruptly raised his hand and landed a sharp slap on Yuan Shize.

The crisp sound brought him some satisfaction. He continued to wipe the area several times with a wet wipe before changing his clothes.

Then, leaving a small note behind, he left without a backward glance.

The moment the door softly closed, Yuan Shize, who had been sound asleep, suddenly opened his eyes.