Chapter 42

Chapter 42

From a selection of over a dozen apartments, Shang Xueyan casually chose a spacious flat in the city center. Its prime location offered a dazzling view of Jing City's river through its massive floor-to-ceiling windows.

A week later, Shang Xueyan officially moved in. On moving day, Shang Xianwang drove him there. As the Maybach idled in the underground garage, Shang Xianwang turned to him.

Shang Xueyan lowered his head, fumbling with the seatbelt buckle. It took several attempts before it finally released.

He pressed his lips together, then turned, his voice light. "I'm getting out now."

"Mhm."

Shang Xueyan pushed the car door open. Just then, Shang Xianwang called his name. Shang Xueyan settled back into the passenger seat, turning his head.

Earlier, during the drive, Shang Xueyan had cracked the window slightly, and the cold wind had tousled a few strands of hair on his forehead. Shang Xianwang reached out a hand, then abruptly pulled it back. "Your hair's a bit messy."

Shang Xueyan casually reached up and smoothed it down, unconcerned.

"If anything about the place feels uncomfortable, just message me," Shang Xianwang instructed, his tone that of an older brother caring for his younger sibling. He added casually, "A Yan, I'll always be your brother."

If I message you when it's uncomfortable, does that mean I shouldn't message you when it's perfectly fine?

Shang Xueyan inhaled the stale, gloomy air of the underground garage. His eyelids fluttered rapidly. He bit his lower lip, then looked up, meeting Shang Xianwang's gaze in the confined space of the car. When Shang Xianwang looked at him, there was no distance or coldness in his eyes—they were like warm winter springs, gentle and comforting, never making Shang Xueyan feel the slightest unease.

Shang Xueyan held his gaze for a long moment.

"Da-ge."

"A Yan."

Their voices rang out simultaneously.

The clear, crisp voice of the youth and the deep, slightly magnetic voice of the young man resonated together, so perfectly in sync. It was as if their souls had sensed each other in the same instant, their frequencies vibrating in unison, prompting them to call out each other's names.

A tender green shoot seemed to brush against Shang Xueyan's heartstrings.

"I'm getting out now," Shang Xueyan said softly.

"Okay."

The new apartment was on the thirty-second floor. With no particularly tall buildings nearby, the entire glass wall offered a view of the emerald, flowing river. Shang Xueyan walked through the apartment, then closed the curtains. He thought to himself, *I still prefer living on the top three floors of a building.*

When would he be able to move back? Could they still be brothers like before?

For three whole days, Shang Xianwang didn't call him once. Messages on WeChat were brief. Shang Xueyan's mind was a jumble. His fingers hovered over the text input field for a moment, then he locked his screen.

If Shang Xianwang was using time to prune the unwanted branches of their relationship, perhaps he, too, should reduce contact?

On the fourth day, after receiving no message from Shang Xianwang all day, Shang Xueyan made a phone call.

"Yan'er, what's wrong with you?" In a private room at the club, Shang Xueyan picked up a brightly colored cocktail, tilted his head back, and downed it in one gulp. Without a word, he reached for a second glass. Just as he was about to grab a third, Wang Xiantao quickly intervened. "Do you even know your alcohol tolerance? Any more and you'll be plastered!"

After stopping him, he noticed Shen Mengkun beside him also picking up another drink. He quickly snatched the glass away. "Damn it, Kun'er, do you think your alcohol tolerance is much better than Yan'er's?"

He narrowed his eyes, studying his two dejected friends. "What's going on with you two? The Lunar New Year isn't even over yet—shouldn't you be celebrating?"

Shang Xueyan bent over, stretching his arm to reach for another cocktail on the coffee table.

Wang Xiantao once again took the full glass from Shang Xueyan's hand. "What's wrong? Did something bother you? Let your bro give you some advice."

Shang Xueyan's lips parted slightly.

Wang Xiantao's eyes widened, looking at him earnestly.

Shang Xueyan lowered his eyelashes and pressed his lips together firmly. "I... someone likes me."

Wang Xiantao was surprised. "You're upset about that? Haven't you been liked before? Yan'er, you need to be confident in your looks—"

His voice cut off abruptly. Shang Xueyan was dressed entirely in black today—a black hoodie with a skull print, matching sweatpants, and the down jacket tossed beside the sofa was also a cool black.

Handsome, yes, but his mood was clearly heavy. Since they'd met, he hadn't smiled once. A handsome guy like him never lacked admirers, but for it to bother his friend this much... Wang Xiantao's heart pounded twice. A guess suddenly surfaced in his mind. He asked softly, "It's not... big brother, is it?"

Shang Xueyan looked at him.

"Holy shit, did Big Brother make it clear?"

Shang Xueyan stared back expressionlessly.

Wang Xiantao sighed. "Forget it, it doesn't matter anyway. You're straight."

He reached over and grabbed a cocktail that was far from Shang Xueyan, handing it to him. "Here, have one more."

Shang Xueyan raised his hand and chugged it.

"Hey, Kun'er, what's wrong with you now? Why are you crying?" Wang Xiantao hurriedly went to comfort him. "What happened?"

Shen Mengkun sniffled. With his fair skin and puppy-dog eyes, he looked quite pitiful. He choked out, "Shi... Shiyu has a boyfriend now."

"Zhang Shiyu?" Wang Xiantao pulled the name from his memory.

"Damn, you still like her?"

"I just regret it a bit. Actually, last year I shouldn't have overthought it. I liked her, she liked me—shouldn't we have gotten together? Maybe we would've had a good ending? What was the point of thinking so much?" Shen Mengkun burst into loud sobs.

"Alright, alright." Wang Xiantao hugged him, handed him a tissue, and reluctantly helped wipe his nose. "It just means she wasn't the one for you. Stop crying."

Shang Xueyan mused blankly, "If I like him, and he likes me, should we be together?"

Wang Xiantao threw the tissue he'd used to wipe Shen Mengkun's nose into the trash, then turned back. "People always idealize the path they didn't choose. If they had gotten together back then, he might be crying now about how they shouldn't have been together."

Shang Xueyan had never found life so complicated before. Some things couldn't be solved just by wanting to; some matters couldn't be handled well just by wishing them to be.

He suddenly stood up.

"What are you doing, Yan'er?"

"Playing ball. Let's go exercise."

There was a sports facility above the club—bowling, billiards, basketball, tennis, you name it.

Shang Xueyan didn't go for his favorite basketball and headed straight to the bowling area.

"Have you played before?"

"After today, I will have."

Shang Xueyan picked up a bowling ball. Seeing this, Shen Mengkun brightened up a bit. Feeling miserable was useless—besides, he had his younger sister to take care of. He followed Shang Xueyan to pick up a bowling ball himself. As he straightened up, he suddenly heard a somewhat familiar voice from near the billiards area not far away. "CEO Cheng, you're amazing."

Shen Mengkun's slightly swollen eyes widened. He turned to look, then quickly said, "Yan'er, Tao'er, look—isn't that Jiang Lan over there?"

At the familiar name, Shang Xueyan looked in the direction Shen Mengkun pointed. By a nearby billiard table stood a tall, slender young man with large eyes, wearing a white shirt with lotus leaf sleeves, leaning against a tall, stout, and unattractive man. The man wore an extravagant Rolex on his wrist, his short, thick fingers gripping a cue stick.

From where he stood, Shang Xueyan couldn't hear what Jiang Lan was saying, but he could see Jiang Lan speaking to the stout man with a soft, flattering look.

The stout man said something, and the men surrounding him all turned to look at Jiang Lan with lecherous eyes.

Then, right in front of everyone, the stout man reached his hand directly into Jiang Lan's waistband and grabbed his buttocks.

"It really is Jiang Lan," Wang Xiantao said. "How's he come to this? But he really isn't picky, is he? That scumbag Lu Han might have been all show and no go, but at least his face was decent. This guy is just ugly and greasy."

Wang Xiantao also knew Jiang Lan. Back when Yan'er hadn't been recognized by his eldest brother and brought into the wealthy family, Jiang Lan was heavily promoted by Lu Han and acted so arrogantly. He even complained about an actress being too ugly during an intimate scene and refused to kiss her.

Now, he's willing to smooch up to a pig?

Jiang Lan seemed to notice their gaze. He turned his head and, upon seeing the three of them staring at him from a distance, instantly turned pale.

Shang Xueyan had no habit of kicking someone when they were down. He averted his gaze and said to Shen Mengkun and Wang Xiantao, "Wanna play?"

"Then you're gonna lose for sure, Yan'er. I'm pretty good at bowling," Wang Xiantao immediately said.

The three of them played a few rounds. Shang Xueyan lost every time. Wang Xiantao deliberately went easy on him, but Shang Xueyan was just that bad—he couldn't even knock down a single white pin. Sensing that Shang Xueyan's mind wasn't on the game, Shen Mengkun, though he had cried bitterly earlier, had his cry and moved on. His feelings for Zhang Shiyu were simpler, but Shang Xianwang and Yan'er—not only were they both men, they were also brothers.

Shang Xueyan bent down, stared at the pins at the end, and threw the bowling ball forward. It steadily hit the white pins, and they all fell.

"Amazing! I knew our Yan'er was a martial arts champion in disguise. You knocked them all down!" Wang Xiantao cheered.

Shang Xueyan tugged at the corner of his lips. "I'm going to the restroom."

After using the restroom, Shang Xueyan turned on the faucet to wash his hands when footsteps sounded behind him. "Shang Xueyan, are you looking down on me? Do you think I've sunk so low?"

Rubbing his hands together to make sure they were clean, Shang Xueyan didn't look at Jiang Lan, who'd followed him for some reason. He turned off the faucet, pulled out a tissue, lowered his head, and wiped the water droplets from his fingers, the back of his hands, and his palms.

He turned sideways, and the used tissue landed steadily in the trash can. As Shang Xueyan stepped away, Jiang Lan, infuriated by his dismissive attitude, snapped, "Shang Xianwang doesn't have a real younger brother! His grandfather didn't suddenly gain another grandson. You're actually his lover, aren't you? The brother act is just your cover!"

Jiang Lan's eyes were venomous. "What right do you have to look down on me? You're just riding high now. Do you think Shang Xianwang is some kind of good person? Do you know how he treats his business partners? When someone competed with him for the market, he drove their family to ruin and sent his own younger brother to prison. I heard his grandfather doesn't even want to acknowledge him anymore. Oh, and he jinxed his own parents—sooner or later, someone will—"

Damn!

Shang Xueyan abruptly turned around and grabbed Jiang Lan by the throat, his eyes sharp as ice. "If I hear you curse Shang Xianwang again, you'd better believe I'll make sure you can't even live the life you have now."

Jiang Lan gripped Shang Xueyan's wrist tightly, letting out a hoarse, unpleasant laugh. "Aren't you straight? What? Did Shang Xianwang fuck you senseless in bed?"

Disgusted, Shang Xueyan pushed Jiang Lan away. Jiang Lan leaned against the cold wall, slowly sliding down. Shang Xueyan felt like he was insane for even engaging with Jiang Lan, who had gone completely nuts.

As Shang Xueyan turned to leave, Jiang Lan revealed a sinister smile. He touched the pinhole camera hidden in his collar and laughed maniacally.

"Yan'er, why did you take so long?" Wang Xiantao was about to go look for him.

"I ran into Jiang Lan."

"Did he do anything?" Shen Mengkun asked worriedly.

"What could he do? He just said some nasty things."

Wang Xiantao said, "Yan'er, I asked around about Jiang Lan. After all, Tianli is a big company. There's no way Jiang Lan should have fallen this far."

"But he's got it coming." Wang Xiantao glanced around and lowered his voice. "After Lu Han's downfall, Tianli got a decent leader. If Jiang Lan had kept his head down, he could have landed some supporting roles, honed his acting skills, and maybe made a comeback. But he became the other man for some investor, and the wife caught him. It caused a huge scandal. I heard the wife even got video evidence."

"With that kind of leverage, no one in the industry wants to work with him anymore. Tianli terminated his contract outright. Now he's just playing the role of a kept lover. Tsk, we should stay away from him from now on." Wang Xiantao added, "You used to consider him a friend, and he repaid you with betrayal. Now we're doing well, and he's in that state—who knows how much resentment he holds against us."

"Alright, I get it," Shang Xueyan said. "I don't feel like playing anymore. I'm gonna head out."

The black car was parked in the underground garage. Shang Xueyan took the elevator to the thirty-second floor. When the elevator doors opened, he entered his fingerprint to unlock the door. As the door opened, the entrance hall light automatically turned on. Shang Xueyan said, "Turn on all lights."

The lights throughout the house gradually brightened in his vision. Shang Xueyan changed his shoes and walked in, suddenly feeling the 1,000-square-foot apartment was so vast it left him feeling empty inside. He sat on the sofa, leaned back, and closed his eyes.

Abruptly, his eyes flew open, and he called out to the mechanical dog crouching in the corner by the TV, "Dajin."

Dajin remained motionless in its original position.

Shang Xueyan frowned, walked over quickly, and restarted Dajin. But even after rebooting, Dajin showed no reaction.

Shang Xueyan checked Dajin's battery—it was fully charged. He reselected the program, but Dajin still didn't move, its expression dull, as if it had lost its soul and reverted to its lifeless metal form.

Shang Xueyan pressed every button he could find, but Dajin still gave no response.

Shang Xueyan took a deep breath, his fingers trembling as he pulled out his phone. The moment the call connected, his voice sounded slightly hoarse. "Brother, Dajin isn't responding."

"Dajin isn't responding?" Shang Xianwang immediately stood up from his office chair and hurried out. After two steps, he turned back to grab his coat. "What happened?"

"It's just lying there, not moving. I restarted the program, but it didn't respond. The battery is full too. I don't know why it won't move."

Hearing the urgency in his voice, Shang Xianwang quickly pressed the elevator button but calmly reassured him, "Don't worry. I'll be right there."

Half an hour later, Shang Xianwang arrived at Shang Xueyan's current residence. As soon as he entered, his heart felt as if pierced by an ice blade. Shang Xueyan's nose was red, and he was crouching in the corner, looking helpless and lost as he glanced over. Beside him was the motionless Dajin.

Shang Xianwang strode over, instinctively reaching out to embrace him, but he abruptly withdrew his arms the next moment. "It's alright, A Yan."

He began examining Dajin. "When did it stop working?"

Shang Xueyan sniffled. "It was fine when I left this afternoon. It even saw me off at the door. But when I came back tonight, it wasn't responding."

The control interface indeed couldn't get Dajin to respond. Shang Xianwang entered the code page, where dense lines of English and numbers appeared. Shang Xueyan couldn't understand a single word. He asked softly, "Can it be fixed?"

"Of course," Shang Xianwang said firmly. "If I can't do it, there are professional engineers. A Yan, don't worry."

As soon as he finished speaking, Dajin, which had been playing dead, suddenly let out two vigorous barks and wagged its silver mechanical tail excitedly at Shang Xianwang. Its intelligence was high, and since both Shang Xueyan and Shang Xianwang were programmed as its owners, it was overjoyed to see Shang Xianwang after several days.

Shang Xueyan blinked a few times and turned to look at Shang Xianwang.

Shang Xianwang exited the developer page and explained to Shang Xueyan, "There was a program error in the background. It's already—"

Mid-sentence, Shang Xianwang looked up and saw Shang Xueyan's bright eyes and slightly reddened corners. He suddenly realized how close he was to Shang Xueyan—just a hand's width apart, far exceeding normal social distance. Even in the simpler days of their relationship, they had rarely been this close.

Dajin leaped onto Shang Xueyan's lap. Its metal paws were heavier than a real dog's, and it barked excitedly at Shang Xueyan, "Woof, woof woof!" Then it turned to look at Shang Xianwang.

"Big brother, Dajin is so happy..." Shang Xueyan smiled as he turned his head. Shang Xianwang's gaze was focused, deep, and serene. Shang Xueyan's grip on Dajin's mechanical leg tightened abruptly.

His eyelids fluttered as he suddenly remembered—they were no longer purely family.

They were very close, the fabric of the suit pants faintly brushing against the same-colored sweatpants. Shang Xianwang stood up, and the sweatpants swayed slightly with the movement of the suit pants before settling back as the other stepped away and stood. The faint trace of movement on the fabric vanished without a trace.

Shang Xueyan stared at the vanished trace on the pant leg, hugged the now-functioning Dajin, and stood up.

Dajin's joyful barks echoed between them.

"I..." Shang Xianwang began to speak.

"The showerhead in my bathroom is broken," Shang Xueyan suddenly said.

"The showerhead in the bathroom is broken?"

"Yeah, last night when I was showering, the water pressure kept fluctuating between strong and weak."

"Let me take a look."

This apartment was personally decorated by Shang Xianwang, and the furnishings and decor were also chosen by him. Without needing Shang Xueyan to lead the way, he walked confidently into the master bedroom, not glancing around casually, and headed straight into the master bathroom.

He took down the silver-gray showerhead, turned on the water first, and a thin stream, about the width of a thumb, came out. Then suddenly, a large gush of water sprayed out. Shang Xianwang, caught off guard, had half his shirt soaked.

"A Yan, go turn off the water valve first."

"Okay."

Shang Xueyan turned off the water valve and returned to the master bathroom. Shang Xianwang had already taken out the toolbox. His soaked sleeves were rolled up twice, revealing his forearms, and he was using a screwdriver to unscrew the showerhead to check the issue.

Shang Xueyan stood at the bathroom door, observing Shang Xianwang.

From the effort, the muscles on his arms tightened slightly. Though not overly bulging or exaggerated, they formed a graceful curve. His fingers were long and well-proportioned, originally elegant and refined hands, but now, due to the force, veins stood out, and the area where his fingers met his palms showed a noticeable pink hue.

Shang Xueyan's gaze drifted upward, settling on his defined jawline. A thought surfaced vividly in his mind for the first time:

His older brother was a full-fledged adult. In a few months, he would be twenty-nine. At that age, in the Da'an Dynasty, he would have long been a husband and father. Even in modern times, where late marriage and childbirth are encouraged, most people his age would likely have a partner.

The reason his older brother didn't have a partner was because he was in love with him. It wasn't that he lacked desire or passion; it was just that this desire was directed at him.

As this thought crossed his mind, Shang Xueyan felt a rush of heat from his toes to his cheeks. His older brother liked him—not in a brotherly way, sharing trivial matters, bearing each other's joys and sorrows, offering support and reliance—but also including the kisses of lovers, intimate whispers, exclusivity, and possessiveness.

"A Yan, the valve core was loose," Shang Xianwang identified the cause of the fluctuating water flow. "I tightened it. Go turn the water valve back on."

"Oh," Shang Xueyan replied stiffly. He turned and left, walking awkwardly for a few steps before shaking his head to shake off the distracting thoughts. He turned on the main water valve and returned to the bathroom door.

Shang Xianwang turned on the showerhead again. This time, it sprayed a steady, appropriately sized stream of water. He switched to other water flow modes, all without any issues. "It's fixed."

Shang Xueyan said, "Your clothes are wet. Let me find you some dry ones."

Shang Xueyan was only three or four centimeters shorter than Shang Xianwang, so many of their clothes could be shared. However, his wardrobe didn't have many shirts, so he handed Shang Xianwang an off-white sweatshirt.

As Shang Xianwang took the clothes, their fingertips accidentally brushed. In that instant, a faint electric current shot through Shang Xueyan's fingertips, traveled up his arm, and reached his nerve endings, bringing a strong, tingling sensation that made his body tremble slightly.

He looked at Shang Xianwang, who lowered his gaze, staring at his fingertips, gently rubbing them.

He looked up, and their eyes met. Both pairs of eyes held a flicker of suppressed, restrained, yet unmistakable emotion. Shang Xianwang's Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably as he clenched the sweatshirt, veins faintly visible on the back of his hand.

"You... you change your clothes," Shang Xueyan said, his heart pounding loudly in his ears as he averted his gaze.

He left the space to Shang Xianwang. Dajin glanced at the departing Shang Xueyan, then at Shang Xianwang beside him, and stayed by Shang Xianwang's side.

Two minutes later, Shang Xianwang walked out, changed. "A Yan, I..."

He paused, then said, "I'm a bit thirsty."

Shang Xueyan's tense emotions relaxed slightly. He asked Shang Xianwang what he wanted to drink, and Shang Xianwang said water. Shang Xueyan handed him a bottle of water.

Before handing it over, he instinctively loosened the cap.

He suddenly realized that both he and his older brother shared this habit—when handing each other bottled water or drinks, they would unconsciously loosen the cap first.

Was this a small habit picked up from family?

Shang Xueyan reached out, and Shang Xianwang also extended his hand. Shang Xianwang's fingers were long, with unobtrusive knuckles. In comparison, Shang Xueyan's fingers were well-proportioned, his knuckles slightly more prominent, and his joints tinged with a healthy, natural light pink.

Shang Xueyan let go.

Shang Xianwang gripped the bottle, his fingers sliding down to where Shang Xueyan had just held it, and tightened his grasp.

Shang Xueyan's heart thumped violently.

Shang Xianwang tilted his head back and took a few sips of water. Clutching the bottle tightly, he said softly, "A Yan, I'm heading back."

"Then I'll walk you downstairs."

"Okay."

Although the elevator had to descend thirty-two floors, it moved quickly. The two stood in the enclosed space for no more than twenty seconds before a ding sounded, and the elevator doors slid open from the center to both sides. They stepped out one after the other.

Shang Xianwang found where his Maybach was parked and turned around. Shang Xueyan stood with his hands tucked into the pockets of his thin down jacket. A gentle breeze stirred a strand of hair on his forehead. The corners of his eyes were still slightly red, and his dark eyes weren't as bright as usual, seeming to carry a hint of reluctance.

Was it reluctance?

Shang Xianwang's body stiffened slightly, his jawline tightening. He opened the car door and smoothly settled into the driver's seat. "A Yan, head back upstairs."

"Mm," Shang Xueyan smiled at him.

Their gazes met in the dimly lit underground parking lot, like two subterranean currents—damp and turbulent—unable to flow aboveground, converging in a narrow, confined passage. After a brief encounter, they could only flow toward their predetermined opposite directions.

Shang Xianwang started the engine and drove off first.

After the cold, black body of the Maybach disappeared from sight, Shang Xueyan turned and left.

Shang Xueyan returned to his room. Now alone, he didn't feel the apartment was too empty. Standing in the living room, his mind replayed the image of Shang Xianwang crouching in the corner, repairing Dajin—his focused eyes, his attentive movements.

His gaze shifted toward the kitchen, and he recalled the way Shang Xianwang fetched water, his dark, thick eyelashes lowered, extending a dry, elegant hand.

Back in his room, Shang Xueyan saw the white shirt Shang Xianwang had tossed into the laundry basket. His mind conjured the image of Shang Xianwang's chest, dampened by the water, the fabric slightly translucent, outlining a smooth, elegant contour.

Would his older brother's chest muscles be particularly noticeable when exerting himself in bed?

A thunderous thought exploded in Shang Xueyan's mind, and his face flushed bright red.

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Author's Note: Reached 100,000 words. So tired. Two more chapters of romance. Mwah, thanks for the support.