Chapter 20 Bro, I’m Not Wearing Underwear

Chapter 20: Bro, I’m Not Wearing Underwear

It seemed that the book Shi Zai had recorded, *Rainbow Buttons in the Twilight*, had both its upsides and downsides. The good part was that it made his boy even more adorable; the bad part was… Shu Yangkuo felt a bit confused. By modern standards, weren’t they already together? So why…

The little pup even said he wanted his “love and lust,” yet he himself understood nothing.

He somewhat regretted telling Shi Zai the entire story. Some extra details might have been unnecessary for them.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to ask him to stay longer; he was just afraid it would seem undignified.

Once home, Shi Zai initially regretted not staying a bit longer, but when he checked the time, it was already very late. Yang Yun’s stomach was growling loudly. They quickly ate the still-warm vegetarian meal, which tasted quite good.

Shi Zai made a mental note of the ingredients for one of the dishes, *Eight-Treasure Cosmic Pouch*. Though labeled as a “vegetarian dish,” its preparation was intricate: a transparent crystal skin wrapped around diced bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and seven other vegetarian fillings, twisted into little lucky pouch shapes—both beautiful and delicious, suitable for regular meals too.

However, Shi Zai was certain the old-fashioned guy wouldn’t stay conservative for much longer—in every way, hehe.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

After bathing, Shi Zai went to Yang Yun’s room, as they had agreed to sleep together that night. To his surprise, as soon as he pushed the door open, he saw Yang Yun bowing his head and wiping away tears. The pink dumpling sat cross-legged on the bed, tears dripping down one by one, looking utterly pitiful.

Shi Zai immediately rushed over to hold him, his heart aching:

“What’s wrong, Yun Bao?”

“Boo hoo… I’m fine.”

“Are you missing your second uncle? Let’s call him, okay…”

“No! I hate him! I never want to talk to him again, boo hoo…”

As he spoke, Yang Yun even shoved the phone on the bedside into the blankets, preventing him from calling. Shi Zai understood—Yang Yun must have already called, but why did it turn unpleasant? Before, Yang Yun had said that if Shu Yangkuo made him unhappy, he would cry and ignore him, but Yang Yun had never been like this since he arrived. What happened today?

But no matter how Shi Zai pressed, Yang Yun refused to explain and even told him to go back to his own room, saying he needed some quiet time alone.

Shi Zai was already feeling down. After getting used to having someone hold him, he couldn’t bear being alone, which was why he had come to Yang Yun’s room to sleep together. He never expected Yang Yun to be so heartbroken—not telling him the reason and even sending him away.

Maybe… he really had messed up, making the little bird feel like he had stolen his second uncle away.

But.

Shi Zai wiped his eyes, stifled a sob, and held back his tears:

“Yun Bao, don’t be sad. I won’t be like that with your second uncle anymore. He’s still yours. Both of you are very important to me. I don’t want you to be upset because of me and your second uncle. From now on, the three of us will just be brothers. I was too greedy and didn’t handle it well. I’m sorry, Yun Bao. I’m sorry. I don’t want you to be unhappy. I’m sorry.”

After rambling incoherently, Shi Zai could no longer hold back. He hugged his knees, buried his face, and truly felt miserable.

Sometimes he saw Shu Yangkuo as his younger self, sometimes Yang Yun… and even the former Jiang Ziqing, or Tan Xun after they had finally talked things out. He was terrified that when they looked at him, he would be like his parents—failing to see them.

Especially with the brother and younger brother he had decided to spend his life with, particularly Yang Yun. After he and Shu Yangkuo confessed their special kind of “like” to each other, he felt increasingly guilty toward Yang Yun, afraid he would be unhappy. Yang Yun had long said it wouldn’t bother him, but still…

When Yang Yun heard Shi Zai say “from now on, we’ll just be brothers,” he was stunned, too dazed to even cry. By the time he processed everything, he panicked—oh heavens, if Second Uncle found out about this, he would definitely scold him for real.

He quickly hugged Shi Zai, cupped his face, and their red-rimmed eyes met:

“Don’t cry, Xiao Zai. Don’t overthink it. It’s really nothing. Second Uncle wouldn’t let me sleep with you, so I got angry.”

“…Huh?”

“He wouldn’t let me sleep with you! Second Uncle scolded me! What do we do, Xiao Zai?”

Before Shi Zai could ask “why,” his own phone rang. He fished it out of his pajama pocket—it could only be Shu Yangkuo. Shi Zai wiped his eyes, no longer tearful, took a deep breath, and decided to confront Shu Yangkuo about his “scolding.”

As soon as he answered, Shi Zai went on the offensive:

“Bro, why did you scold Yun Bao again?! Why wouldn’t you let him sleep with me?!”

“…I didn’t scold him.”

“Hmph, you always say you didn’t scold him. Then why is Yun Bao sometimes afraid of you? He cried today, cried so pitifully. Didn’t you even think to call and comfort him? Don’t deny it—you *are* harsh. You’re always so harsh in bed, it scares me. How could Yun Bao not be afraid?!”

“…”

“Say something!”

“…Let Yang Yun answer the phone.”

One accusation after another—Shu Yangkuo was truly at a loss for words. The little pup was too good at talking nonsense.

Shi Zai put the phone on speaker and handed it to Yang Yun. Noticing the little bird secretly smiling, Shi Zai suddenly realized he might have misspoken—the “harshness” in bed probably wasn’t the same as the “harshness” toward Yang Yun?

He cleared his throat and said into the phone, “Yun Bao is listening. Go ahead, Bro.”

What else could Shu Yangkuo do? First, he had to pacify the troublemaker:

“Did I scold you?”

“…You wouldn’t let me sleep with Little Bro. You kept saying ‘no,’ and your tone was a bit stern.”

“…Couldn’t you say ‘not okay’ or ‘don’t do that’ in a softer tone?”

Before Shu Yangkuo could respond, a clear burst of laughter came from the other end—followed by the troublemaker.

Sometimes this bird was really annoying. Its beak was either chattering nonstop or acting all coy and spoiled.

After laughing, Yang Yun still wouldn’t let it go. He felt genuinely upset:

“Second Uncle, you don’t need to guard against me. I’m only sixteen! Even if it were about ‘the nephew inheriting the uncle’s legacy’ or ‘the brother succeeding the brother’…”

“Yang Yun!”

Shi Zai, who had been listening with his chin propped in his hands, immediately cut in:

“Bro, you scolded him!”

“…He started talking nonsense first.”

“What nonsense? What does ‘the nephew inheriting the uncle’s legacy’ or ‘the brother succeeding the brother’ mean?”

“…Nothing. Don’t listen to his nonsense, Xiao Zai.”

Yang Yun let out a “hmph” and started sobbing again:

“Second Uncle *is* guarding against me. Xiao Zai can’t live without you. What’s wrong with me helping you comfort him to sleep for one night?!”

“…”

“Say something! Why exactly is it not okay?!”

“…He tends to grope in his sleep.”

This time, Shi Zai was completely bewildered, followed by unusually flustered and irritated—what did he mean by groping?!

Grabbing the phone, Shi Zai yelled into it:

“Old fossil, do I just grope anyone I see?! I’m not some pervert!”

“…Bro was just making a comment.”

Yang Yun wasn’t happy either, leaning in:

“What do you mean ‘just saying that’? So you’re still suspicious of me?!”

“…”

Shu Yangkuo drew a quiet breath, really wishing he could go home. Both younger ones were being difficult—they were actually missing him, which was why they were causing trouble together.

But it was true that the little puppy (Shi Zai) would nuzzle and grope randomly.

Shu Yangkuo relented:

“You’ll each use separate blankets.”

“Why?”

“Why?!”

“Otherwise, return to your own rooms.”

“Wah—did you hear that, little brother? Second Uncle’s being stern again.”

“…”

Late into the night, Shu Yangkuo tapped the wooden fish in his room, deciding to let them be. He knew Shi Zai knew his limits—if it weren’t him beside him, he wouldn’t nuzzle or grope randomly. Though he hadn’t tried it, he was sure he wouldn’t. Saying this was just teasing them playfully.

Besides, it was good that the little puppy could be as free to mess around as Yang Yun.

After hanging up, Shi Zai immediately tackled Yang Yun onto the bed, buried his head and nuzzled wildly before looking up:

“Hahaha, hugging your little frame is too bony to be comfortable. Bro’s embrace is much cozier.”

“I’m going to be as tall as Second Uncle someday!”

“Hehe, then Yun Bao should keep growing.”

The pink dumpling was a whole head shorter than him but had big ambitions—though that was good too.

Shi Zai chuckled, got up from bed:

“I’m going to wear Bro’s pajamas, so I won’t start groping if I can’t smell him. What if I accidentally touch our Yun Bao’s little birdie…”

“You’re annoying! Yours is tiny!”

“Hahaha, mine’s still bigger than yours!”

“Someday I’ll be bigger than you, little brother!”

“Hahaha…”

Back in the bedroom, Shi Zai called Shu Yangkuo again. He was worried the man might feel uneasy:

“Bro, I put on your pajamas. They’re so big and long, they reach past my thighs.”

“…Be good, go to sleep early.”

“Then I’m really going to sleep with Yun Bao?”

“…I’ll hold you in my dreams.”

Hearing this, Shi Zai smiled. Sure enough… He scratched at the receiver with his finger and whispered:

“Bro, I’m not wearing pants.”

“…Put them on.”

“Not wearing underwear either. My little birdie is rubbing against your clothes.”

After saying this, Shi Zai buried his head under the pillow, overcome with shyness—it was the first time he’d talked like this over the phone.

After a long silence, hearing no sound, not even breathing, Shi Zai slowly lifted his head and spoke into the phone:

“Bro?”

“…Mm, put them on.”

“Tch, you’re so serious, Bro. I was teasing—I’m wearing them. Don’t let your thoughts wander tonight, hahaha! Maintain your purity!”

After saying this, he heard a deep, raspy “Mm” from the other end. Shi Zai laughed heartily—he knew the man was having increasing trouble resisting him and was increasingly understanding that “liking” was connected to “desire.”

But he didn’t dare say anything more—his little birdie was really getting hard.

Shi Zai still didn’t want to hang up. Glancing at the catalpa tree outside the window under the moonlight, he spread out on the bed:

“Bro, it’s not that I didn’t want to spend more time with you tonight—I was playing hard to get. Did you guess? That’s what it said in *Rainbow Buttons in the Twilight*—I want Bro to crave me!”

“…”

A thought grew stronger in his heart: he should let the little puppy learn some proper culture. Shu Yangkuo chuckled:

“Silly.”

“I’m not silly! This is called a clever tactic. Bro will miss me more and more, won’t be able to live without me. Shu Yangkuo—”

“Mm?”

“This is the only night we’ll ever be apart. Never again. I really can’t live without you.”

“Bro will always be here. You don’t need to use strategies like that from now on. Besides…”

The stinky man had learned to leave sentences hanging from him. Shi Zai’s curiosity was immediately aroused:

“Besides what?”

After a pause, Shu Yangkuo forced himself to speak, fighting embarrassment:

“…We’ve kissed already.”

“Huh?”

“Xiao Zai’s seen it all too.”

“Hahaha, I know! Don’t worry, Bro, I’ve got you covered! Hehe, this is what we call dating—you’re my man!”

Shu Yangkuo inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled along:

“Then—”

“The ‘playing hard to get’ I mentioned isn’t about that, it’s… hmph, you know exactly what I mean. After fourteen days, I’ll be watching how you perform. If you’re still like this, I’ll really cry.”

“…Yeah.”

“Oh yeah yeah, time to taste the sacred flesh! Hahaha!”

As soon as the words were out, a soft sigh came through the receiver on the other end. Shi Zai laughed so hard he rolled around. After all the teasing, he reluctantly hung up, quickly grabbed his little blanket, and went to find Yang Yun. Little Bird had already obediently burrowed into bed, only his head peeking out, eyes looking at him sleepily.

No more fooling around. Each in their own blanket, they drifted into a deep sleep.

No incidents of Shi Zai groping or nuzzling occurred. Except, come morning, Shi Zai glanced down and almost jumped out of his skin.