Chapter 4 But Not as Big as Yours

Chapter 4: But Not as Big as You

Considering this, Shi Zai planned to set aside three or four days. Today and tomorrow, he would teach them how everything worked at home; the day after tomorrow—Monday—he would take them to the hospital. As for what came after that… he’d take it one step at a time.

After cleaning the bathroom, Shi Zai walked into the living room and saw both of them by the window. One pressed his face against the glass, idly doodling with his fingers; the other sat upright on a square stool nearby, spine perfectly straight. Both wore the new clothes he’d bought them—simple short-sleeved shirts and shorts. Yet on them, the outfits looked utterly different: one made the wearer appear lively and adorable, the other tall and strikingly handsome. Especially the sturdy man, who had suddenly swapped his monastic robes for ordinary clothing. His aloof, ascetic aura had faded considerably, replaced by a warmth that drew people in. Shi Zai couldn’t help muttering “ge” silently again.

Men were strange. Called “Taizi” (a respectful title—not literal royalty) by Yang Yun, yet dressed like an ascetic… To Shi Zai, he was practically an antique—and a genuine relic at that.

The drizzle had stopped without his noticing, dripping softly from the windowsill, quickening his pulse. The yulan magnolia petals—only a few days away from falling—looked even more delicate and vivid, making the person gazing at the flowering tree seem exceptionally beautiful.

Beyond those broad shoulders lay a solid, warm chest. Without even looking, Shi Zai knew it would feel comfortable to curl up against—but no, he mustn’t.

So, children who’ve never tasted candy—and have no means to keep eating it—shouldn’t ask for it. Otherwise, the aftermath is hard to manage. This taste would linger in Shi Zai’s mind for a long time, perhaps unforgettable for life.

Like breaking a precept.

As Shi Zai entered the kitchen, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the man sitting rigidly by the window shift slightly. He paused, then turned back toward the window with a smile. The faint redness at the corners of his eyes quickly faded, and by the time he reached them, he wore a broad grin:

“Monk, Little Bird—want to watch me cook?”

Yang Yun glanced at Shu Yangkuo and nodded:

“Okay—but how?”

“With your eyes! Hahaha, you’re so funny.”

“I mean… the kitchen’s too small. We can’t see.”

His voice softened, and Yang Yun instantly sensed he’d misspoken again, quickly lifting his head with a goofy smile.

Shi Zai was taken aback—but not awkward. Instead, he said:

“I meant *watch me*! Is the food better-looking than I am?!”

“…Hehe, Xiao Zai is the best-looking!”

Shi Zai chuckled at Yang Yun’s address, then turned to look at Shu Yangkuo. The man showed no reaction to being called “Little Bird,” as if he hadn’t heard. Shi Zai sighed inwardly—children were easier to coax. They’d call you whatever you asked.

He guided them one by one to the kitchen doorway, seated them in a row, and left the door wide open so the two “kids” could see all of him.

Cooking for the first time with such enthusiasm, he decided to prepare a feast for lunch! He planned tofu soup with wolfberry sprouts, turnip balls, steamed pagoda tree flowers, and a cucumber salad. There were still twenty-two leftover buns from the morning—more than enough.

As he chopped vegetables, Shi Zai glanced at them from time to time. Both watched him obediently—though when he met their gaze, “Little Bird” smiled with crinkled eyes, while the man averted his. How amusing.

He carved a little bird from crisp white radish and handed it to Yang Yun, teasing:

“Eat it. It’s crisp and sweet.”

“Thank you, Xiao Zai.”

“But—”

“What?”

“Is it as big as yours?”

It took Yang Yun several seconds to process the question before his face flushed crimson and he sputtered, “Ptooey! Ptooey!” Shi Zai was *disgusting*!!

Shi Zai burst into laughter, then quickly handed Yang Yun a tissue, telling him not to spit it out—it was just a joke. “Little Bird” pouted and glared at him several times. Hahaha—too fun.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shu Yangkuo sat motionless, seemingly lost in thought while staring at him. Feeling mischievous, Shi Zai pointed to the cutting board:

“Monk, this is a cucumber. It’s tasty. Want some?”

“…”

Seeing the man snap out of his daze, Shi Zai handed him the entire thick cucumber:

“But not as big as you.”

“…”

Shu Yangkuo’s hand, still holding the cucumber, didn’t withdraw. His ears burned bright red, and even his neck flushed faintly. He had no idea how to respond.

Seeing him like this, Shi Zai felt even more delighted than when he’d teased “Little Bird.” He laughed heartily for a while before taking the cucumber back from Shu Yangkuo’s hand, placing it on the cutting board, and loudly whacking it before chopping it into slices. Out of the corner of his eye, the elder’s slight frown as he watched the cucumber was too hilarious. Hahaha!

Shi Zai had never been like this before. He’d learned to act mature from a young age—to handle things responsibly—but today, he couldn’t resist teasing them. He wasn’t truly perverted, deliberately cracking jokes about their junk—it was simply that he knew this topic would provoke the strongest reaction. He liked seeing them affected by him, even just a little. More importantly, he wanted them to loosen up and relax.

He could tell they were both on edge in this unfamiliar environment. But Shi Zai wasn’t in a hurry—after all, they’d only been together for half a day.

After finishing the meal and cleaning up, Shi Zai had them sit on the sofa while he went to set up another folding bed.

The bed was a bit short, so he placed a small clutter table at its foot, draped a blanket over it, then covered it with a clean sheet—making the bed look sufficient. As for the quilt, one would do. By late March, it was already somewhat warm, so a light cover would suffice. Shi Zai switched to the largest thin quilt.

Just as he finished, his phone rang in the living room, blasting the upbeat tune of *Kaimen Hong* (“Open the Door to Prosperity”).

Humming along to *Kaimen Hong, red everywhere*, Shi Zai walked out of the bedroom—and froze. The man and “Little Bird” seemed startled, eyes wide as they searched for the source of the sound. If they were cats, their fur would be bristling.

Shi Zai hurried over, gave each a quick hug, and fished his phone out from between the sofa cushions:

“Monk, Little Bird—don’t be afraid. This is called a ‘phone.’ You can talk to people outside with it. I’ll teach you how to use it later.”

“…”

It was Tan Xun calling.

Tan Xun was the chief editor of a magazine and occasionally asked him to help take photos.

He answered the call—and sure enough, it was another “photo shoot” request—for the day after tomorrow. Shi Zai agreed immediately. It had only been half a month since his last shoot, and normally he would have refused. He wasn’t passionate about photography and had decent savings—enough to get by.

But now he had new motivation. He was ready to start working hard.

Especially since he’d spent half a month’s living expenses in just one morning. If he didn’t earn money, he wouldn’t be able to keep these two—and they seemed rather high-maintenance.

After hanging up, he met their curious gazes and began teaching them how to use the phone while pondering getting them phones later. If the man insisted on returning to the temple, at least they could stay in touch by phone. Ah.

After the lesson, Shi Zai dialed Tan Xun’s number again and put it on speaker:

“Ge, I’ll let… two friends talk to you. They’ve never used a phone before.”

“Oh? Our Xiao Zai has brought friends home? Who are they? I thought only I and Ziqing could go to your place?”

“…Hehe, how did you know I was home?”

“Tsk, I could tell from the sounds. When you’re outside, aren’t you always running around breathless?”

Hearing this, Shi Zai laughed:

"Hahaha, like my stamina's that bad?"

"Who knows if it is or not."

"...Come on, be serious! Why are you turning into Jiang Ziqing?!"

Laughter erupted from the other end of the phone, and Shi Zai chuckled too. He didn't have many friends—just Tan Xun and Jiang Ziqing. Tan Xun was thirty-two and usually quite steady, but he occasionally cracked jokes, who'd picked up some annoying habits from Jiang Ziqing.

After the banter, Shi Zai placed the phone in front of the man and Little Bird, for them to try speaking.

They waited for a long while, but no one made a sound. Both kept their eyes downcast, staring at the phone, lost in their thoughts.

On the other end, Tan Xun started calling "Little Zai" over and over. Just as Shi Zai was about to pick up the phone to respond, Shu Yangkuo’s hand suddenly moved and hung up. Stunned, Shi Zai watched as Tan Xun called back almost immediately. He quickly answered and offered a brief explanation before hanging up again. Smiling, he turned to Shu Yangkuo and said:

"Monk, you hit the wrong button just now. You can’t hang up during a call."

"..."

"It’s okay, you’ll get it next time."

"Sorry."

Hearing Shu Yangkuo apologize out of nowhere, Shi Zai was stunned, but his heart instantly softened. So what if he’d hung up by mistake? Why apologize? He quickly stepped forward to hug him, but unexpectedly, was shoved away kind of roughly. Shi Zai had hugged them several times already, but this was the first time he’d been pushed back with a hint of fierceness.

In the blink of an eye, the man pushed himself up using the armrest of the sofa, stood, and began heading toward the bedroom.

The little bird wasn’t lively either, pouting and tagging along unsteadily behind him.

Shi Zai immediately grabbed one with one arm and supported the other, guiding them back to the beds in the bedroom:

"Ready to sleep? Then rest, I’ll stay with you."

Both closed their eyes quickly. Shi Zai stood still, lowering his head to watch each of them for a while. With Yang Yun’s folding bed brought in, there was only enough foot space between the two beds. Shi Zai wasn’t in the habit of taking naps, so he simply sat right down on the edge of the larger bed and kept his eyes fixed on them as they slept.

He was terrified that they might disappear while sleeping.

He couldn’t figure out their sudden mood shift. Was it a little fit? But why? Embarrassed about not knowing how to use a phone? Unwilling to communicate with the outside world, afraid of talking to strangers? Maybe all of the above. Shi Zai couldn’t help but feel his heart ache for them again.

If they were going to stay long-term, Shi Zai planned to have them meet people from the outside world.

He kept watching, motionless, as the two seemed asleep. After some time, Shu Yangkuo’s brow furrowed tightly. Shi Zai’s heart raced with panic, afraid he might wander off somewhere else in his dreams. He immediately leaned in close and gently smoothed his eyebrows.

But they only furrowed more deeply, as if he were in great discomfort. His tall body shifted slightly, and his hand scratched at his chest with some force.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shi Zai noticed Yang Yun was also frowning, squirming more noticeably, and softly whimpering, muttering, "Itchy."

Suddenly, Shi Zai realized. He gently lifted Shu Yangkuo’s collar and was met with red patches! What was this?! He turned and lifted Yang Yun’s shirt—his stomach was already scratched red too?! Shi Zai realized immediately: they were having an allergic reaction!

But what were they allergic to? Shi Zai looked closely at Shu Yangkuo’s chest—the red patches were uneven, so it was hard to tell.

As he moved, both woke up instantly. The moment Shu Yangkuo opened his eyes, he saw the boy leaning close to his chest again. His eyelids twitched, and he immediately moved Shi Zai’s hand away... his heart filled with indescribable emotions.

Shi Zai didn’t pay it much mind. After a pause, an idea formed. He rushed out to grab his phone. Yang Yun was also awake, whimpering and scratching incessantly... Shi Zai ran back in, heart breaking:

"Don't scratch. I’ll take a photo to show at the clinic, then apply some medicine for you later."

"So itchy, so itchy, so itchy..."

"I know, I know!"

As he spoke, Shi Zai lifted Yang Yun’s short sleeve entirely—his chest and back were covered in red, with the worst on his back. He took a photo. Yang Yun then said his legs were itchy too. Shi Zai checked and, sure enough, found several red patches under his shorts. After taking another photo, he paused and asked:

"Is it itchy under your underwear?"

"...Let me check... no!"

Shi Zai said, "Okay," and proceeded to take photos of Shu Yangkuo. The old-school guy was uncooperative, clutching his waistband to prevent Shi Zai from looking. So Shi Zai lifted the pant leg and took a picture from below. Assuming his chest and back were similar to Yang Yun’s, he didn’t insist, sensing the man’s eyes were nearly flushed with embarrassment.

No time for teasing—Shi Zai grabbed his keys and lock and dashed out. Fortunately, the clinic was just a block away.

Breathing heavily, he ran over and showed the doctor the pictures first, planning to bring them in for an examination if the doctor couldn’t diagnose it from the photos.

Unexpectedly, the doctor diagnosed it at a glance. On his way home with the medicine, Shi Zai felt both heartache and amusement.

They really were two sensitive babies.

Author's Note: