Chapter 57 Bro Just Kissed You

Chapter 57: Brother Just Kissed You

Shi Zai's plans were the last to be finalized, so he couldn’t ask his older or younger brother to accompany him. But it was fine; Shi Zai was no longer the person who found his brother’s ten-day absence or his younger brother’s five-day absence unbearable. Ultimately, it was because back then, none of them felt secure. Now, things were different. When they were apart, there was only longing and anticipation for an early return, free from fear or the sorrow of potentially never seeing each other again. The wounds and voids hidden in their hearts for years had long since been filled by one another. If Shi Zai were to feel sad or worried about going out now, it would mean there were still insecurities and unresolved issues in his heart. The fact that he could leave happily now proved that Shi Zai was already filled with overflowing love.

Moreover, he had added two extra days to this trip to surprise the expectant father at home.

The baby in his belly was almost six months along. Shu Yangkuo was still busy, but due to his tall, sturdy build, his baby bump hadn’t risen as high or as early as it typically would for expectant parents. Aside from wanting to cling to Shi Zai for hugs, he didn’t experience many other pregnancy side effects. From behind, he still looked commanding and formidable, like a towering mountain that made people hesitant to approach, his gait exuding authority.

Only from the front could the baby bump be seen. Shi Zai had bought him several traditional-style cross-collar robes. As the weather grew hotter, Shu Yangkuo, who already ran hot, felt even more so while carrying the baby. The cross-collar robes were much lighter; when going out, he only needed to tie a sash above his waist. At home, he didn’t even need to tie it—just loosely tying the collar near his waist left it open and breezy. The city’s spring and summer were even hotter, and because of the pregnancy, they couldn’t use air conditioning. Shi Zai did everything he could to make Shu Yangkuo more comfortable. Besides the clothes, he placed a basin of ice water in the bedroom every night and switched the bedding to a cool bamboo mat that reduced sweating. With all the windows open, creating a cross-breeze, Shu Yangkuo would lie on his side with his robe half-open, feeling quite content. According to Shi Zai, it would be even better if he wore nothing at all in the bedroom, but Shu Yangkuo insisted on wearing something.

Shi Zai didn’t mind—sometimes half-dressed was more enticing than fully undressed. Hehe, Shi Zai often took advantage of the man resting with his eyes closed to sneak a hand inside, teasing and stirring up trouble with a flick of his fingers, only to end up being pinned down and thoroughly dealt with.

From May to the end of August, these three months were the hottest of the year. Zhen'an, with its dense population and towering buildings, made summers without air conditioning or fans unbearable. Especially since Shu Yangkuo was entering the third trimester during this time, the heat was almost too much to handle.

So Shi Zai planned a big surprise for him—one that would help his man get through the remaining three months of pregnancy comfortably. Moreover, Yan Wei and Zheng Yuan had warned him that tall men often experience various discomforts in the later stages of pregnancy, so Shi Zai was mentally prepared. Of course, he understood. Since mid-April, he and Yang Yun had been coaxing and indulging Shu Yangkuo in every way possible, even when the man was deliberately being unreasonable.

Before leaving, Shu Yangkuo had been upset because Shi Zai had glanced a few too many times at a man painted on a vase he was repairing. He had stayed cold-faced for half a day, even pushing Shi Zai away when he tried to hug him or nap together. Shi Zai had tried everything—barking like a dog, even puckering up for kisses in front of others—but nothing had softened the man’s expression. It wasn’t until Shi Zai promised never to repair vases with human figures again that Shu Yangkuo finally relented.

What could he do? Putting himself in the other’s shoes, he had to coax him first. Hehe.

Before leaving, to ensure Shu Yangkuo wouldn’t feel wronged during his absence, Shi Zai volunteered several promises: he wouldn’t remember the names of anyone outside, wouldn’t speak more than necessary to anyone beyond work, and so on. Only then did the man smile and kiss him goodbye when sending him off. It was quite amusing, really. Shi Zai enjoyed coaxing him like this, increasingly feeling that this usually expressionless "lion" was like a big cat around him, tamed easily with just a few words. Hehe.

That day, at the pottery DIY studio.

Yang Yun was terrified, clutching Shu Yangkuo’s arm and whimpering softly, "Big brother, don’t do this, I’m scared."

The shop was in disarray. The tall man stood imposingly in the center, radiating authority, while seven or eight rustic-looking young and middle-aged men worked in hurried silence, picking up overturned chairs and tables, along with a dozen broken small porcelain vases and pottery tools scattered across the floor. On closer inspection, two of them could only use one arm, the other hanging limp, their faces contorted in pain but without a single cry of pain, sweat beading on their foreheads from the effort to endure. Soon, after cleaning up, the leader of the group meekly placed the compensation money on the table.

Shu Yangkuo didn’t move, his gaze cold as if looking at inanimate objects. Yang Yun didn’t dare move either. His little brother wasn’t scared seeing their big brother like this, but Yang Yun had seen it before—big brother holding a stick, his eyes dark and red. If not for the laws of this world, those troublemakers wouldn’t have escaped with only two broken arms. But even breaking two more arms wouldn’t be excessive! The police had come earlier, and if Yang Yun hadn’t begged big brother to accept their apology, these people would have all been arrested—for provoking trouble and vandalism!

Crash!

A wooden chair was kicked against a stone table by the wall, splitting in two mid-air. The men trembled in fear. Shu Yangkuo exuded menace, asking only, "Will you come back again?" They all shook their heads frantically. Shu Yangkuo closed his eyes briefly, then flung the stick away, as if a rage ignited within him again. He kicked another chair apart. The anger and hatred from when he had dealt with Shi Haoyang’s family resurfaced. Those people treated their children like enemies—why even have them? Those who saw children as mere cash cows, giving little in upbringing but demanding a thousandfold in return—why even bring them into the world?

Shi Zai had encountered the former, Qin Xihan the latter.

Fortunately, Big Brother Yang Yun had arrived, dealt with the troublemakers, called the police, and now things had finally calmed down.

Seeing that Big Brother was still seething, his expression filled with unvented fury, Yang Yun started crying again in fear:

"Big brother, wuwuwu... if you get too angry, how am I supposed to explain it to... to little brother?"

"...Don’t be afraid."

"Wuwuwu... little brother is calling! What do I do? I don’t dare answer..."

Hearing this, the tall man’s expression instantly softened, his eyes turning gentle. He took a deep breath, answered the call, and said, "Wife." The person on the other end immediately started chattering, asking, "Did you miss me? How about Yun Bao? And Wang Wang?" Shu Yangkuo leaned back in his chair, glanced down at his abdomen, and gently stroked it. Not only was Yang Yun scared, but Wang Wang was also kicking up a storm inside. Shu Yangkuo smiled. "Missed you all."

Wang Wang was kicking quite vigorously. Shu Yangkuo closed his eyes, pressed his temples, and exhaled slowly. Feeling a bit better, he softly told his dearly missed treasure how many times Wang Wang had moved in the past two days and how mischievous he was. The person on the other end soon burst into laughter.

Seeing this, Yang Yun finally relaxed, signaling with his eyes for the troublemakers to leave quickly. They had signed a guarantee promising never to return. Earlier, Yang Yun had been locked outside and didn’t know what method Big Brother had used to make these people tremble and swear, "We’ll never come back; if we do, may we die without descendants," just like with Shi Haoyang back then. There was no other way with such people—if you weren’t harsh, they’d cling to you for life, sapping you of the happiness and good fortune you deserved.

Leaning nearby to listen to Big Brother on the phone—having a little brother was really great. Big Brother had instantly transformed. Earlier, holding a stick with a fierce expression, Yang Yun had almost forgotten this man was pregnant. But now, looking at him, hehe, Big Brother was so gentle. Like a battle-weary lion lazily reclining, one hand occasionally rubbing his belly to calm Wang Wang, the other holding the phone to coax his little lover hundreds of miles away.

After hanging up, Shu Yangkuo glanced over—the two youngsters at the door were whispering about something.

He tapped the table with his finger, and immediately, both looked over. Qin Xihan’s eyes were red, filled with guilt. He walked over and bowed deeply to the now expressionless man.

"Big brother, thank you, I..."

"Thank Yang Yun."

"I will, but I also want to thank you..."

"Not necessary."

"I..."

Seeing this, Yang Yun hurried over, grabbed Big Brother’s hand, and shook it.

"Big brother, don’t scare him. This isn’t Qin Xihan’s fault."

"...Did I blame him?"

"Then can’t you just say ‘don’t mention it’?! Why the attitude?!"

Sighing softly, Shu Yangkuo straightened slightly and looked at Qin Xihan. Only two years older than Yang Yun, he was usually much more mature and steady. Today, however, he was trembling with fear. Shu Yangkuo softened his voice as much as possible.

"Don’t mention it. What are your plans from now on?"

Hearing this, Qin Xihan felt slightly reassured. He glanced at Yang Yun and said, "I’ll act as if nothing happened. Since I was sixteen, I’ve been on my own, and I’ll continue to be. I’ll keep running the shop, make it better and bigger. And also—"

"Hmm?"

"I won’t let my issues bother Yang Yun again. I’ll remember what happened today. Whenever Yang Yun needs anything from me in the future, I’ll help immediately. Even if he doesn’t need it, I’ll keep an eye out. Thank you both again."

"You’ve helped him a lot already."

Hearing this, Qin Xihan’s ears turned slightly red. After a moment, he muttered, "We help each other." Yang Yun, seeing that Big Brother seemed to be scrutinizing Qin Xihan again—and looking a bit fierce—quickly laughed it off. "Yeah, we help each other. Okay, big brother, that’s enough."

Shu Yangkuo hadn’t planned to say much anyway and had just been making conversation. Hearing Yang Yun, he fell silent.

But Yang Yun, this silly boy...

He was taller than Shi Zai now, even a bit taller than Qin Xihan—six feet tall—but around Qin Xihan, he was still purely a silly boy.

The day after the incident, the night before Shi Zai’s return, the silly boy told him he wanted Qin Xihan to stay at their house for half a month. Before wrecking the pottery studio, the troublemakers had trashed Qin Xihan’s rented place, and the landlord wouldn’t renew the lease. Qin Xihan had been sleeping in the shop for the past couple of days, still looking for a place, considering whether to rent again or buy a small, cheap apartment.

Shu Yangkuo’s eyelid twitched. He looked Yang Yun over—still much like when he was a child, and increasingly embodying Shi Zai’s bubbly and sunny disposition. Yang Yun, squirming under the scrutiny, scratched his ear and said, "Big brother, is it inconvenient? But we have two empty bedrooms."

"...It’s not inconvenient. Ask your little brother."

"Little brother will definitely agree!"

With that, Yang Yun went to make the call.

After the chatter in the living room died down, Shu Yangkuo exited his phone’s photo album, a faint smile gracing his lips. His phone rang. Answering, he had just said, "Wife," when the other end cheerfully called out "Brother!" repeatedly. The heat and irritability suddenly faded, replaced by a cool serenity.

Listening to the noises on the other end, Shu Yangkuo’s fingers, which had been stroking a garment, stilled.

"Good boy, what did you eat for dinner?"

"A hamburger. It wasn’t good! I want the noodles you make. Make them for me tomorrow night, okay? Pile it high with lots of tomatoes and eggs, and a plate of cold shredded cucumber with plenty of cilantro! Ah, I’m so craving it!"

His eyebrows and eyes had already lifted, and Shu Yangkuo chuckled softly, blowing a light kiss toward the phone:

"Okay, I’ll make it for you."

"There are so many mosquitoes, my back's super itchy. I didn't even let Ji Qianxi scratch it for me. You scratch it for me tomorrow night!"

"Go put some toothpaste on it first, be good."

Hearing rustling sounds on the other end of the line, like he was rolling around, probably the pup rubbing against something to scratch, Shu Yangkuo coaxed him again to go apply toothpaste.

Shi Zai rubbed against something but still couldn't ease the itch, grumbling:

"I can't reach it! How do I apply it? You put it on me, put it on me, put it on me..."

"..."

"You're still laughing! Still laughing! Still laughing!"

"...Be good, I just gave you a kiss."

After saying this, Shu Yangkuo’s ears turned slightly red. Sure enough, the little pup started teasing him once he got his way:

"Wow, ge, you’re getting bolder now! What else did you do?"

"..."

"Hurry up and tell me! Otherwise, I’ll stay itchy, so itchy I'll go find Ji Qianxi to scratch it!"

"...No fooling around. I’m holding your clothes."

Shi Zai was wearing Shu Yangkuo’s clothes. Hearing this, he burrowed his head into the collar and said in a muffled voice:

"Why are you holding my clothes? What else did you do?"

"Missing my wife. Just holding them."

"Hehe, ge, you can use my clothes..."

The last few words, Shi Zai whispered from inside Shu Yangkuo’s clothes, deliberately teasing, and sure enough, he heard the man’s breathing hitch twice.

Shu Yangkuo rubbed the furry little head on the puppy pajamas. The voice on the phone continued teasing him while stifling laughter. Shu Yangkuo sighed helplessly:

"Stop fooling around."

"I’m not fooling around. The rooster’s about to crow, and I’m still holding back."

"..."

"No laughing! Ge—I want ge to hug me—"

His heart melted completely. Shu Yangkuo’s fingers unconsciously stroked the pajamas in his arms. Then he heard, "I’m not just craving the tomato and egg noodles you make, I’m craving what’s below too, want it want it want it..." Shu Yangkuo’s ears flushed slightly red. This time, he gave a loud kiss into the phone, and soon laughter erupted on the other end. Even without looking, he could picture the scene—a little green pompom with eyes crinkling into bright, joyful curves.

He missed his wife so much, terribly so.

But he had to be good. His wife had been very busy lately, and he couldn't selfishly fly over to disturb him.

The tall man lay on his side on the bed, another pillow tucked under his prominent baby bump, a pair of puppy shorts draped over him, and a set of puppy pajamas clutched in his hand. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath to suppress his emotions, and when he opened them again, they were tinged with a faint, barely noticeable redness.

Every night since Shi Zai left, he would call Shu Yangkuo punctually—sometimes for an hour, sometimes an hour and a half. They didn’t always have important matters to discuss; mostly, they chatted about trivial, everyday things. Yet, the more mundane the conversation, the stronger the longing; the finer the details, the deeper the affection. It easily brought to mind the image of his beloved chattering away in his arms, day and night.

Only after showering his ge with affection did Shi Zai bring up other matters. Sensing that the man must be missing him terribly, he sweet-talked as much as he could. To his surprise, the usually reserved man had kissed him like that. Just thinking about it made Shi Zai blush and his eyes grow warm.

He missed his ge so much too.

He’d be back tomorrow, and after that... hehe, he could already picture the tall man, red-eyed and emotional, hugging him tightly.

After letting out a playful "woof" to make the man laugh again, Shi Zai finally moved on to other topics:

"Ge, how many more days do you have to work?"

"About a week."

"Hehe, good. Then you’ll hold me a lot every day."

A heavily emotional "Mhm" was all he heard, and Shi Zai almost felt like crying. They were both so hopeless, probably due to pregnancy hormones making them miss each other like crazy. Just as he was about to speak, the other added, "In a little while, I won’t be as busy. I’ll accompany you to and from work every day, cook for you both. Wife, if possible, try not to work overtime. Keep me company for walks in the evenings." It was the first time he’d heard the man express his needs so openly. Shi Zai felt as if his heart were being cradled and kissed—so warm and happy.

He nodded repeatedly, promising, "Okay," and said he’d definitely spend plenty of time with his ge then.

"Ge and Yun Bao these past couple of days?"

"...Yeah."

"Then why didn’t you say anything? Trying to fall back into old habits, huh?!"

"...I thought Xiao Yun already told you."

"But I want to hear you say it too!"

A brief silence followed on the other end. Just as Shi Zai was wondering, he heard the man’s low voice: "I want my wife to pamper me a little more." Shi Zai’s heart instantly softened. No more scolding—he could easily imagine the man now, eyes downcast, looking utterly pitiful.

After coaxing him a bit longer, the conversation turned to Yang Yun wanting Qin Xihan to stay over for a while.

When Shi Zai heard that Yang Yun had asked him, he agreed immediately and praised pink dumpling extensively—it was great that he’d take the initiative to invite a friend in temporary difficulty to stay. As for Qin Xihan’s hidden feelings, Shi Zai had observed him for months since he arrived in Zhen'an. On the surface, the boy was calm, reserved, gentle, and caring, but emotionally, he was remarkably restrained. Though he often failed to hide it well, making his feelings obvious to outsiders, he never uttered a single ambiguous word toward Yang Yun. In crowds, Qin Xihan would watch Yang Yun quietly, looking away if caught. But when alone with Yang Yun, he acted openly, like a buddy—every gesture of help or concern stayed within normal bounds, never crossing the line.

A people-pleaser, self-sacrificing personality.

Shi Zai felt that if Yang Yun never noticed or never reciprocated, Qin Xihan would silently remain a friend for life.

As for Yang Yun, he’d grown more optimistic and outgoing. After passing through a brief phase of confusion, he stopped worrying about being introverted or extroverted and became much more at ease in how he handled people and situations. This showed he was focusing more on himself. Originally not a particularly restrained boy, anyone undergoing such a major change would have withdrawn for a while. That Yang Yun had quickly opened up back then was already impressive—facing the outside world and growing independently naturally took time to adjust to. But now, gradually, he’d warmed up considerably toward people and friends.

From initially ignoring Qin Xihan and resenting his excessive concern (due to a teacher’s remark) to now becoming good friends who helped each other, Shi Zai knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. He was happy for Yang Yun—his little world was filling up, which would help him mature and understand himself and the world more deeply. Shu Yangkuo was right: they needed to help him develop an independent personality and mature thinking, not treat him like a child forever. Overprotectiveness would stunt his growth.

Shi Zai had long since come to terms with this and no longer tried to heighten Yang Yun’s emotional dependence on him.

However, regarding Yang Yun and Qin Xihan—Shi Zai didn’t want pink dumpling to grow up too fast. After all, he wasn’t even eighteen yet; it’d be better if he gradually figured things out over the next year or two. But now pink dumpling wanted Qin Xihan to stay for half a month. Though Shi Zai agreed, he immediately felt a twinge of regret—what if this became a catalyst for the two? Still, he wouldn’t go back on his word. How could he dampen his brother’s kindness and enthusiasm? He had to agree.

Shu Yangkuo felt similarly, though his concerns lay elsewhere.

Shi Zai was puzzled and exclaimed into the phone:

"Ge, why are you taking sides?! Between the two of them, it’s obviously Yun Bao who’s the clueless one!"

"...He’s clueless?"

"Of course he is! What if Qin Xihan takes advantage of him? Where will you cry then?!"

"...He won’t."

"What do you mean 'can't'? Think of something quick, what should we do?!"

Hearing this, Shu Yangkuo smirked, chose his words carefully, and then said:

"Think back to the beginning, my dear."

"What about the beginning? He was still naive back then..."

Before he could finish, Shi Zai suddenly paused, hearing a light laugh on the other end of the line: "Who's really the clueless one here?" Shi Zai remembered everything—that little rascal was anything but clueless. All those things about romantic relationships and risqué material, the ones he claimed his Big Brother never looked at, were secretly taken and examined by him. Sometimes he'd even ask about Shi Zai’s progress with Shu Yangkuo. Fine, he knew a lot. If it weren’t for that little rascal, Shi Zai probably wouldn’t have gotten together with him so quickly.

But he wasn't clueless either! He just had a vague sense of liking and then... hehe.

Shu Yangkuo spoke again on the other end:

"Who does Yang Yun take after more?"

"...Oh, this!"

"Once he figures things out?"

"But it still feels like he only comes up to my shoulders."

"He’s almost six feet tall now."

Sighing, Shi Zai scratched his head—he really had grown up, even taller than Qin Xihan now:

"Well then—"

"Talk to Xiao Qin, dear, and tell him to protect himself."

"...Hahahahahaha!"

Shi Zai couldn’t stop laughing. Oh my god! Their Pink Dumpling had not only grown up but was also going to be the dominant one in the future!

Right, he really needed to have a chat with Qin Xihan, that quietly devoted guy. If Yang Yun was still clueless, things might move faster than they had for him. On his end, Shu Yangkuo was extremely conservative, while Qin Xihan would probably make the first move willingly... Stop right there! No more imagining!

As for Yang Yun, Shi Zai was still worried, but Shu Yangkuo said he had already given him a warning—before entering the bedroom that evening, Shu Yangkuo had a brief chat with Yang Yun on the theme of "haste makes waste." Yang Yun asked what it meant and why he suddenly brought it up. Shu Yangkuo replied, "No matter what, don’t act impulsively." But Yang Yun pouted and muttered, "Good thing Little Brother is an impulsive person." Shu Yangkuo pretended not to hear.

That was all he could say. If Yang Yun ended up getting hurt, he shouldn’t come crying.

Even if his lover was within easy reach, he had to make sure it was for a lifetime before anything else.

After hearing the quick summary, Shi Zai first complained that Shu Yangkuo wasn’t good at heart-to-heart talks, but gradually he realized that Yang Yun’s situation was different from his. If Yang Yun wasn’t yet sure of his feelings and things went wrong, it would betray Qin Xihan’s quiet dedication.

Alright, he’d talk to Qin Xihan. Being two years older and already clear about his feelings, Qin Xihan would surely protect the relationship—at least until Yang Yun turned eighteen. Yang Yun was also different from Shu Yangkuo; after all, he was younger. What if, in a couple of years, he realized Qin Xihan wasn’t the one he wanted to spend his life with?

At this point, Shi Zai chuckled:

"Yun Bao is quite something, isn’t he? Not even seventeen yet, and Big Brother was twenty-seven before he... Hahaha!"

"..."

"Ah, ah, Big Brother is amazing, waiting until twenty-seven for me. If it weren’t for me, would Big Brother have been alone forever?"

"...You know the answer, why ask?"

Tsk, such an arrogant attitude. Shi Zai burst out laughing again.

From their fragmented memories, Shi Zai knew this man had grown up in a very oppressive environment, and he was an extremely self-restrained, conservative, rigid, and closed-off person. Even without his half-year of personal discipline, he lived like a monk.

He really had hit the jackpot. Someone like this had changed so much because of him—it gave him such a sense of accomplishment.

After coaxing him a bit more, it was time to hang up and sleep. Shi Zai sent a kiss over the phone:

"Big Brother, wait for me tomorrow! I have a big surprise for you!"

"...Flowers?"

Shi Zai paused for a second, then burst into laughter and agreed right away.