Chapter 6: Aftermath (Part 3)

Chapter 6: Aftermath (Part 2)

Li Shuo's cheek still had red finger marks. Li Su's heart softened, and he just wanted to hug Li Shuo.

Li Su scooted over, making room for Li Shuo.

They used to sleep together often, but after that incident, their mother forbade Li Shuo from entering Li Su's room, fearing he would disturb his recovery.

Li Shuo carefully climbed onto the bed.

Li Su couldn't help wondering why their mother treated her two sons so differently.

He could accept her favoritism without guilt, because as the elder brother, he deserved a little more of her love.

But instead of merely tilting the scales, their mother had completely tipped over Li Shuo's bowl.

This made it impossible for Li Su to feel happy about her favoritism. Instead, he was consumed by guilt toward Li Shuo.

So he could only try to compensate for the love their parents had withheld from Li Shuo.

Snacks and toys were split equally, with Li Shuo choosing first.

He also used his own allowance to buy things Li Shuo wanted, like egg pancakes with two extra eggs.

In his memory, his younger brother had always been gloomy and unhappy, but gradually a smile appeared on his face, and warmth returned to his eyes.

But...

their mother just grew to dislike Li Shuo even more.

Li Shuo lay still for a while, then suddenly turned over and burrowed into Li Su's arms.

Li Su instinctively hugged Li Shuo like a pillow.

He had just woken up from a nightmare and was still shaken, not in the mood for a late-night chat. He simply patted Li Shuo's back, as gently as if lulling him to sleep.

Li Shuo, however, seemed to have a lot to get off his chest and kept glancing up at Li Su.

"What's wrong? Just say it."

Li Shuo grabbed Li Su's hand from his waist and placed it on his own chest.

"Brother, are you happy at school?"

The moment Li Shuo said that, Li Su almost burst into tears.

No, he wasn't.

He had no friends left.

He had gone from being the class heartthrob to a pariah.

School had always been like prison, but now it was a living hell, testing his will every second.

Li Su said nothing, closing his eyes and pretending to sleep.

Then he heard Li Shuo's childish voice, but it was even raspier than his own.

"Brother, I can't keep fighting anymore."

Li Su opened his eyes, confused by what Li Shuo meant.

Li Shuo continued, "They're all cursing you. When I hear it, a fire burns in my heart. I wish they would disappear from the world. I can't control myself. Whenever someone mentions your name, I go berserk and attack them."

Li Su felt a flicker of warmth.

Li Shuo was like his protector, never allowing anyone to offend him.

"It's okay. No one dares to provoke me. Let them talk."

Li Su had been branded with labels like "murderer," "accomplice," "corpse," and "lividity." His classmates insulted him but also feared him.

Other than the loneliness... it was bearable.

But Li Su was naturally someone who liked excitement and being around people.

Li Shuo, on the other hand, had always tried to be a good child to win their parents' favor—diligent in his studies and cautious in behavior. Now he had become a habitual brawler, getting called to the principal's office every few days.

Li Su felt he was already a lost cause, but Li Shuo couldn't end up the same way.

"Huole, stop fighting. You still have friends, you know. If you keep this up, even they will drift away."

"I don't care."

Li Su grew a little annoyed. "You're just a bookworm. I've always known it. School is for hanging out with friends. If you don't even care about friends, then why go to school at all?"

Li Shuo muttered, "Friends can be replaced. If I skip class for three days, they'll find someone else to hang out with. But my brother is different. My brother is unique. No one can take him away. He's completely mine. I only care about my brother. Everyone else... they don't matter."

"What about Mom and Dad? If you don't study hard, they'll abandon you!" Li Su said, a little panicked.

Li Shuo suddenly rolled over and pinned Li Su down, staring into his eyes stubbornly. "They never liked me anyway. I don't need their affection. I work hard at school just so I can be with you. My world has you, and that's more than enough!"

Li Shuo wanted to monopolize Li Su, but Li Su's life was always crowded with people.

Even though he hated the people gossiping about Li Su, he didn't see anything wrong with that.

Gradually, the trash that had surrounded Li Su began to clear away: no more love letters from girls, no more fair-weather friends taking him out until late at night.

In his loneliness, Li Su only had him by his side, thinking of him every moment.

.

Today, their mother had slapped him more than a dozen times in front of all the teachers in the office.

It was because he'd bought a craft knife from the school store during lunch break.

That foul-mouthed bastard had been cut on the philtrum with the craft knife. Blood dripped from his lip to his jaw. When he tasted the metallic tang of his own blood, he fainted from fear.

The incident was serious. The teacher told the students not to talk about it, so news spread slowly—so slowly that Li Su still didn't know about it when he came home from school.

Li Shuo stood in the office. The homeroom teacher was debating whether to call the police.

When their mother arrived, she didn't say a word. She grabbed him by the hair and slapped him over and over until blood dripped from the corner of his mouth—only then did she stop.

The homeroom teacher and the other student's parent were stunned.

The school nurse had treated the bastard's wound; it wasn't deep, it just left a scar.

But that bastard no longer dared to speak. He just tugged at his parents' sleeve, insisting on leaving.

Their mother didn't apologize to the other party. Instead, she interrogated him about the nasty rumors he had been spreading about Li Su.

Their mom loves Li Su a lot. Li Shuo isn’t jealous—instead, it gets on his nerves.

He's the only one who needs to love Li Su, protect him, and have his back.

That's enough.

Enough.

Mom got into a fight with that kid for Li Su's sake. After the homeroom teacher stepped in, Mom agreed to pay that kid a thousand yuan in compensation.

Li Shuo followed his mom out of school.

That bitch gave him a timid, cowardly stare.

Li Shuo smiled at him, and he looked like a haunted man—he couldn't stay on his feet and plopped down on the curb. His dad kicked him and called him a good-for-nothing.

Li Shuo suddenly burst out laughing, his whole body shaking.

Li Su was even more confused.

"What's so funny? I'm serious. I'm your big brother, so you gotta listen to me. I said no fighting, so no fighting."

Li Shuo suddenly burrowed back into Li Su's arms, craving Li Su's body warmth.

"Of course, I'll do whatever you say, big brother."

"But brother, you're my one and only. Am I your one and only too?"

Li Su stroked Li Shuo's hair.

They were each other's one and only—that was only natural. They were brothers, real blood brothers; what ran in their veins was a uniqueness that set them apart from everyone else.

"Of course," Li Su replied, mimicking Li Shuo's tone.

Li Su's voice was hoarser and gruffer than Li Shuo's, but Li Shuo found it incredibly soothing.

In class, they learned a new term: "relying on each other to survive."

Relying on each other to get by—neither one can live without the other.

"You can use it for orphans and widows, the elderly and kids, or partners who've been through tough times together. Their bond is super tight—they only have each other to get by. All right, read this passage one more time."

Li Shuo closed his eyes, curled up against Li Su, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

He savored this mutual dependence.