Chapter 50 When Brother Cries, It Really Gets Even More…

Chapter 50: When Big Brother Cries, It Really Is More...

His phone wouldn't stop buzzing—New Year's greetings from friends and students.

Li Wangyue replied to each one, one by one. Ting Huayi said he'd pick him up later to go eat at Grandpa's place.

He'd skipped last night's New Year's Eve dinner. He could tell Ting Huayi was annoyed, but he still came up with excuses to get out of it.

Li Ping sent him a red envelope with 888 yuan. His mom said it wasn't much, just for good luck. Li Wangyue felt helpless—no matter how old he got or how many years he'd worked, in Li Ping's eyes, he was still a kid.

He stood by the railing on the open mezzanine, looking down over the whole living room. His eyes swept over the sofa, the wrinkles in the carpet left from when he'd gotten up yesterday—nothing had changed.

He couldn't help thinking about last night's dream.

He wondered if Ting Zhenxi had actually come back, but it didn't feel that way. He looked around, searching for any sign.

But he didn't know if he wanted to prove he had come back or that he hadn't.

Ting Huayi called again, saying Grandpa was pushing him to get a move on—the car would be there soon.

As he headed downstairs, Li Wangyue asked about Ting Zhenxi.

Ting Huayi said Ting Zhenxi was with him, then brought up Li Wangyue's passive resistance earlier, clearly annoyed, and griped about it.

That confirmed Ting Zhenxi couldn't have come back.

The car Ting Huayi arranged took Li Wangyue back to the old family house. The New Year vibe was strong. Grandpa believed in feng shui and would do his prayers during these special times.

Li Wangyue came in through the side door, just letting the steward know he'd arrived. He didn't go find Grandpa on his own; he went straight to his room.

The side hall was lively—the women were gathered inside, drinking tea and chatting, while the kids played on the lawn under the trees.

The window of Li Wangyue's bedroom looked out onto the back gate of the garden. When he opened it, he could faintly hear the women talking.

They brought up Li Ping.

Li Wangyue's hand, tying the curtain cord, froze.

Someone had mentioned Li Ping, but not in detail—just a quick note that last time a private doctor did a refresher course and needed to do a temp check-up, Li Ping set it up, and she did a good job.

There was also talk that she only got her director position thanks to Ting Huayi—getting her into the family hospital wasn't hard.

"You can't say that. As long as she does her best, that's enough. We're all family now."

"But working in a hospital, you're bound to pick up some sickness. That's bad luck..."

"No wonder her son looks so creepy. I heard her first husband killed himself by taking poison. The kid stayed with the body for three days—that's bound to mess with his personality."

"And Second Brother, falling for a woman like that. She's decent enough, I guess, but I'm afraid her fate is bad—she'll bring bad luck to her husband and kids..."

The conversation cut off abruptly. Someone must've come into the side hall. The voices went back to normal, chatting about other stuff.

Li Wangyue smoothed the tassels on the curtain tie and shut the window.

He called Li Ping. She was resting and had a late shift later.

She specifically told him to be careful with fireworks—she'd treated several people hurt by fireworks last night, one of whom lost an eye.

Li Wangyue nodded, saying he would.

At the dinner table, the atmosphere was pleasant as usual. Grandpa occasionally asked him stuff, and he answered politely, but never said more than he had to.

He was actually zoning out, only looking up to answer when he caught the old man's eyes on him.

The conversation also touched on Ting Zhenxi, with some people unhappy that Ting Huayi was too hard on him, making him run around during the New Year.

The man sitting nearby joked that the old man only spoiled his grandson, and that this was a kind of training—words with hidden praise and digs.

He was Ting Huayi's brother, Ting Zhenxi's uncle, probably not the favorite. When he talked to Grandpa, Grandpa was still asking about Li Wangyue.

After the meal, Li Wangyue went to visit the professor, wishing him a happy New Year and picking up the materials from the Island Design Institute.

The professor was thrilled that Li Wangyue had finally agreed to take this opportunity. Li Wangyue said on the surface that he still wanted to move up, but deep down, he wasn't happy.

For him, this wasn't an opportunity—it was an escape.

The afternoon weather was beautiful, the sun warm—not like winter, more like late spring.

Li Wangyue went to a snack place that Meng Chi always recommended. On his way back, he somehow ended up at that skybridge.

The skybridge that connected two commercial buildings.

He'd first seen Ting Zhenxi here. Walking by the skybridge, he happened to see reporters interviewing Ting Huayi, who'd just finished a meeting.

He recognized Ting Huayi first, then saw Jiang Suwan beside him, and Ting Zhenxi in front of them.

The spotlight was on him, but he stayed calm, his gaze never wavering.

Jiang Suwan wasn't feeling well, and Ting Huayi was still smoking. Ting Zhenxi snatched the cigarette, crushed it out with his hand, stuffed it back into his dad's high-end custom suit pocket, and casually wiped his hand.

His movements were sharp, his expression cold.

Li Wangyue watched from a distance and couldn't help snapping a photo.

Just then, Ting Zhenxi looked up. Li Wangyue's heart pounded like crazy, and he ducked into the crowd.

...

Years later, standing in that same spot again.

He could still feel his heart acting up, like an instinct.

He reached out and touched his chest, trying to calm it down.

But when he looked up, he seemed to see Ting Zhenxi's shadow again—sharp, cold, unpredictable—a piercing stare cutting through the crowd, stabbing straight into his eyes, drilling into his brain.

He instinctively wanted to hide, but then realized it was just an illusion.

It was empty. No one was there.

Li Wangyue stood on the skybridge for a bit, then turned and followed the crowd down.

He got home pretty late. He'd had some wine at the family lunch and couldn't drive, and he also turned down the driver who'd been sent to take him back.

He hated that feeling. Sitting in a Ting family car made him feel like he was on pins and needles; he couldn't relax.

That tense feeling was different from sitting in Ting Zhenxi's car.

Not as comfortable.

Riding in the Ting family car, he at least felt a mental ease, because no one really cared about him—he just had to make sure he didn't break any etiquette rules.

But being in Ting Zhenxi's car, he couldn't relax in body or mind—it was like being tortured.

As he came through the gate, he saw a familiar figure in the distance, doing something in the garden, seemingly painting at an easel.

Li Wangyue slowed down.

He hadn't seen him in days, and he didn't know how to face Ting Zhenxi.

And of all places, Ting Zhenxi was blocking the only way home.

With a sigh, he walked forward and saw what was in front of Ting Zhenxi—not an easel, but a crossword puzzle board.

Black and white squares crisscrossed in a grid pattern, with Ting Zhenxi holding a clue sheet in his left hand and a whiteboard marker in his right hand.

On a small side table were two cups of tea, already cold, as if he'd had a guest.

He was so absorbed in the crossword that he didn't notice the person behind him.

Li Wangyue looked at his back, then at the door.

Since he hadn't been spotted, he figured he could skip the awkward greeting. He tiptoed toward the door.

Just as he set foot on the stairs.

"Why not watch a bit longer?"

Li Wangyue's foot paused mid-step, then he pulled it back and turned around.

Ting Zhenxi didn't look back, continuing to fill in the next row on the board.

"Watch what?" Li Wangyue asked.

"Me." Ting Zhenxi finally turned sideways. "Weren't you just sneaking a look at me?"

Li Wangyue wanted to argue, but seeing his half-smiling, mocking expression, he knew it was pointless.

No matter what he said, it would be twisted around.

Better to just stay quiet.

"Why aren't you talking? Guilty 'cause I hit the nail on the head? Or mad at me? Or just caught off guard and don't know what to say?"

Ting Zhenxi was very perceptive.

He could see through every single thought in Li Wangyue's mind.

Li Wangyue said, "Since you already know, why bother asking me?"

"I like hearing you say it out loud," Ting Zhenxi replied. "And I like it even more when you're forced to say it."

Li Wangyue muttered "boring," and when Ting Zhenxi pushed him, he looked away, claiming he hadn't said a thing.

Ting Zhenxi turned back to his crossword.

Li Wangyue glanced at it, then got caught up and stared intently.

He thought the crossword looked familiar.

But he couldn't remember where he'd seen it. Seeing that Ting Zhenxi wasn't going to acknowledge him, he didn't stick around, pushed the door open, and went to his room.

The room felt stuffy. He opened the window to get some air, only to notice the two cups of cold tea from earlier were now steaming.

Someone came out of a side door, holding a pot of fresh tea.

Li Ping sat down in the rattan chair and picked up a cup.

Li Wangyue was startled, then on guard. Just as he was about to call out to her, Ting Zhenxi casually looked up, glanced his way, and smirked mockingly.

A smile mocking his cowardice, his incompetence, his slow realization.

Ting Zhenxi walked over to Li Ping on purpose, turned sideways to block Li Wangyue's view, lifted the steaming kettle, and shook it gently in front of her.

With his view blocked, Li Wangyue couldn't see how close the kettle was to Li Ping. He knew Ting Zhenxi was warning him—or punishing him. He didn't dare call out, so he rushed downstairs, only to find the shortcut to the garden was locked.

Li Ping's cup was half empty, and Ting Zhenxi refilled it.

"Continue with row seven," Ting Zhenxi said, smoothing out the paper in his hand and reading the clue aloud, then he laughed. "This one's way too simple."

Li Ping took a sip of her tea. Her throat was bothering her, and when the wind picked up, she started coughing, so she'd gone to brew a pot of hot tea.

She'd taken emergency sick leave and come home, and Ting Huayi had told her to rest here first, waiting for him to finish work and pick her up.

She didn't know Ting Zhenxi was home, either.

She wanted to get Li Wangyue's birthday gift ready early, so she set up the crossword board to make a puzzle. Just as she finished writing, Ting Zhenxi got interested and offered to solve it.

Ting Zhenxi solved it quickly and mercilessly, even bluntly saying the puzzles were too easy.

Just as Li Ping was about to say something, he cut in: "But that's fine—if they're simple, Li Wangyue can actually solve them."

Li Ping just held her hot tea, smiling without a word.

"Don't you find it boring?"

Li Ping looked up. "What?"

But Ting Zhenxi didn't answer.

He wrote down the last word, then scanned the board from top to bottom, drawing a long line with the black marker through the grid. On the left, the hidden letters spelled out "happy," and on the right, "birthday." Every word was filled with happiness, positivity, and uplifting meanings.

It was clear how much Li Ping loved her son.

Ting Zhenxi stared at the board. "So touching, but can he solve it?"

Li Ping stroked the puzzle paper with her palm. "Whether he can solve it or not doesn't change my blessing for him."

Ting Zhenxi put down the marker and turned to face her. "Will you suffer?"

Li Ping frowned. "What?"

Ting Zhenxi spoke as if recounting a story: "Your husband has no appreciation for this kind of beautiful art, and your son has the heart but lacks the ability."

A flicker of barely noticeable sorrow passed through Li Ping's eyes, then she took a sip of tea. "He has his own preferences—there's no need to dwell on it."

"Li Wangyue can't see your pain. He's so incompetent, so slow. He lets all this happen." Ting Zhenxi waved the paper in his hand. "Do you hate him?"

Li Ping stood up, her tone sharpening, but her voice trembled. "Xiao Xi, don't talk like that. Don't say things you don't understand..."

"Mom."

Li Wangyue strode over, stepping in front of Ting Zhenxi, and reached out to take Li Ping's hand.

A gust of wind blew, and Li Ping coughed again.

Ting Zhenxi poured a cup of tea. "Your mom's not feeling well. Help her inside to rest."

Once Li Wangyue had settled Li Ping, Ting Zhenxi tucked the drawing board under his arm and slowly climbed the stairs.

"Stay away from my mom." Li Wangyue stood at the foot of the stairs, his eyes downcast. "Don't do anything to her."

"When have I ever been close to your mom?" Ting Zhenxi feigned ignorance. "What, am I supposed to kick her out if she comes to stay?"

"You know exactly what I mean." Li Wangyue's voice was hoarse. "Are you finding this fun again? Or is this another way to torment me because I'm not behaving..."

Ting Zhenxi stared at him blankly, then set down the board and clapped in mock admiration. "Wow, big brother's gotten so good at this, he can even guess what I'm thinking."

"Stop messing around!" Li Wangyue's voice cracked with barely suppressed tears as he suddenly grabbed Ting Zhenxi's shoulder. "If you hate me, take it out on me, don't use such low-down tricks to threaten me!"

Ting Zhenxi's back slammed against the wall. He frowned instinctively, then broke into a pitying smile. "Low-down tricks? Then what does that make you, getting hard for scum like me?"

Li Wangyue finally understood the source of Ting Zhenxi's malice toward him.

"I get it now. You've always been disgusted by me. You found out I... like you, so you want revenge, don't you? You think it's disgusting to be liked by me, right... You don't want me dead, you just want me to suffer..."

"You feel sorry for yourself?" Ting Zhenxi countered.

Li Wangyue clutched his collar, eyes bloodshot. "Ting Zhenxi, have I ever done anything to wrong you? Liking you is my business—curse me, drive me away, but why humiliate me like this? Tell me honestly, have I ever done you wrong?"

Ting Zhenxi raised a hand to his own chest. "Feel it. Beating nice and fast."

Li Wangyue was crushed with disappointment. It took all his strength to let go of his collar, but the moment he did, his hand was grabbed again and pinned to the wall.

"You think you're so noble? The things you've done are noble? You really think you're the victim here?" Ting Zhenxi's eyes gleamed, his eyes locked on the pulse in his neck, his breath quickening like a bloodthirsty predator, curling his lips into a smile. "What noble thing did you pull with your student today? Go on, tell me."

"How do you know?" Li Wangyue's face went pale.

His trip to that shop Meng Chi recommended today wasn't a coincidence—it was a former student who had invited him to dinner.

He thought it was just a casual meal. Halfway through, the boy suddenly asked if he was really quitting. Li Wangyue said maybe, that he might go work on Heshima Island.

The boy's face slowly reddened as he put down his chopsticks. "So now that you're not my teacher anymore... right, Brother Wangyue?"

"I... I've had some things I couldn't say to you before, but my friend encouraged me to be brave and try..."

Dense as Li Wangyue was, he still got it. He calmly talked the boy down, politely turning him down.

But this all went down less than two hours ago. How did Ting Zhenxi know?

"I know more than that." Ting Zhenxi smiled faintly. "You know when he started crushing on you? You know who he talked to before he confessed, and who encouraged him to do it? You know what he looks like when he cries, or what he's like drunk, mumbling 'I love Teacher Li'?"

Li Wangyue's eyes trembled.

"I know." Ting Zhenxi's smile grew more delighted, his gaze nostalgic. "We met at a fast-food joint near the university. I bought him a bunch of meals to get friendly with him. Don't you owe me for that?"

Suddenly he pulled out his phone. "Oh, by the way, the way he cries is hilarious. I got it on video. Want to see?"

"You're insane!" Li Wangyue knocked the phone out of his hand. "You stomp all over people's trust, invade their privacy—you're so heartless..."

Ting Zhenxi cupped his face, like he was soothing a clueless kid. "Silly big brother, you don't have any privacy. In front of me, you're already laid bare."

Li Wangyue tried to shake off his hand, but his chin was grabbed and pinned against the wall.

"Don't be jealous." Ting Zhenxi leaned in and bit his lip, whispering in his ear with a low laugh. "I didn't just film him. I have a video of you crying too... And when big brother cries, he always gets tighter."