Chapter 157 Brother, Brother

Chapter 157: Brother, Brother!

He wanted to say something, but held back, his ears turning even redder than before.

Hearing Shen Qingci's question, Lu Lin raised his head triumphantly, his face full of that "praise me" pride written all over his face:

"Of course I know!"

His tone was proud and self-assured:

"I had Feng Yuetian look into it too! Never thought my brother and I were thinking the same thing!"

"I figured, with this kind of thing, it wouldn't be appropriate for my brother to take the initiative, so I'd just be the one to step up."

Shen Qingci looked at him, silent for a few seconds, then rolled over, turning his back to Lu Lin.

His voice came faintly from under the covers, giving away nothing:

"Go to sleep."

Lu Lin blinked.

He looked at the figure with its back to him, then at his own still-damp hair.

He leaned down, leaning close to Shen Qingci's ear, and whispered softly:

"Brother, my hair isn't dry yet..."

"Blow it dry then."

"But..."

"Shut up and sleep."

Lu Lin obediently shut his mouth.

He picked up the hairdryer, walked to a corner, and silently began drying his hair.

The hairdryer's whir filled the room.

Shen Qingci closed his eyes, his lips curving into a barely visible smile.

---

The next day.

Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains. Shen Qingci opened his eyes, his eyelashes fluttering slightly, his cold eyes gradually regaining focus.

He shifted his body slightly, no longer feeling any soreness down there.

He moved a little, confirming his body had almost fully recovered, then propped himself up and slowly sat up.

The blanket slid off his shoulders as he lowered his head, letting his gaze fall over his body.

His pale skin was densely covered with bruises and marks of all shades—on his collarbone, chest, waist, thighs, and ankles. Wherever his eyes landed, there were hickeys and bite marks.

Inside and out, he had been branded with the imprints of another person.

Those marks were especially clear in the morning light, like silent declarations.

His eyes lingered on his chest for a moment.

Images from yesterday flooded back uncontrollably: Lu Lin leaning over him, eyes red, tears falling drop by drop onto his chest.

Hot, scalding.

That handsome face was full of lust and suppressed desire, crying as he moved wildly... muttering over and over, "Brother, I love you," "Brother, I like you so much."

He looked both pitiful and adorable, like a puppy whining and begging for food.

Shen Qingci lowered his eyes. His face remained cool, but his earlobes flushed without him realizing.

He pushed off the blanket, grabbed his cane, and slowly got out of bed.

After dressing and tidying up, he stood before the mirror, raising a hand to loosely tie back his unbound black hair.

A few strands fell by his cheeks, making his already cool, jade-like face appear even more refined, with a hint of lazy softness in his expression.

He glanced at himself in the mirror; the marks on his neck were still clearly visible.

He raised his hand and gently touched one of them, and again thought of Lu Lin crying while moving.

He pulled his hand back, turned, and opened the door to leave the room.

He had just gone down one flight of stairs.

---

"Brother!"

A figure came rushing over.

Lu Lin circled around him like an excited puppy, his eyes fixed on him, checking him out from head to toe.

His handsome face filled with concern and tension, his brows slightly furrowed, his lips pressed into a line.

"Brother, are you okay? Do you feel any discomfort?"

"Want to rest a bit more? I can take the day off and stay home with you!"

"Are you tired? Should I give you a massage?"

His hands were already reaching out, ready to start.

"Brother..."

Shen Qingci gave him a faint glance, like he was looking at a hyperactive puppy, a warning in his eyes, as if silently telling him: Don't start.

Lu Lin's voice stopped abruptly.

He obediently shut his mouth, stood still, and looked up at Shen Qingci with bright, sparkling eyes.

He looked just like a large dog that immediately quieted down after being scolded by its owner, except his tail was still wagging softly behind him.

Shen Qingci withdrew his gaze, grabbed his cane, and continued downstairs.

His steps were steady, his back ramrod straight, giving off a "stay away" vibe.

Lu Lin followed closely, matching his steps.

He watched the light fall on Shen Qingci's back, watched that slender, straight-backed figure, watched his black hair sway gently.

He thought:

The ointment that Feng Yuetian developed is really effective; Big Brother was able to get out of bed so quickly.

But he couldn't help questioning his own technique. Otherwise, why would Big Brother recover so fast?

He frowned, lost in thought.

Shen Qingci, unaware of the messy thoughts in his head, walked to the dining table and sat down slowly.

His movements were elegant and unhurried, exuding an inherent nobility. He placed his cane aside, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat.

Lu Lin sat down beside him, resting his chin on his hand, watching him without blinking.

His eyes were astonishingly bright, filled with sated contentment and deep affection.

He looked at Shen Qingci's lowered eyelashes, at his slightly moving jaw, and thought: Big Brother is so beautiful, so elegant, and he's all mine!

Shen Qingci ate very slowly.

Sunlight fell on his face, outlining his cool profile, his eyelashes cast a small shadow beneath his eyes, making his face look even more delicate and ethereal.

After eating, he picked up a napkin, gently wiped the corners of his mouth, then stood up using his cane and walked to the door.

Lu Lin immediately followed, step by step, like a little tail.

---

They got into the car.

The car door closed, and the black Maybach slowly pulled away from the villa.

Shen Qingci leaned back against the seat, tilted his head slightly, and looked out the window at the rapidly receding cityscape.

Sunlight streamed through the car window onto his cool profile, flickering with shifting light and shadow, making it hard to read his expression.

Today Shen Qingci wore a silver-gray suit, perfectly tailored, which made him appear cool and jade-like, noble and otherworldly.

His slightly long black hair was tied back, falling over one shoulder, gently swaying with the movement of the car.

On his neck, those tell-tale marks were faintly visible.

His gaze fell outside the window, and through the glass he saw Lu Lin looking at him. The scenes from yesterday came flooding back.

It was clearly him who was being… yet Lu Lin had sobbed uncontrollably.

He kept murmuring "Big Brother, Big Brother," his voice low and hoarse, choked with tears, yet sickly sweet.

Shen Qingci tapped the top of his cane lightly with his finger.

He lowered his eyes, hiding his emotions.

Lu Lin sat beside him and saw that he was distracted. He was about to tell the driver to go to Qingye, but just as he opened his mouth, he was interrupted.

"To the Lu Group."

Shen Qingci's voice came through, cool and flat, without any emotional fluctuation.

Lu Lin was startled, then responded, "Okay."