Chapter 85 Little Brothers Are for Playing With

Chapter 85: Little Brothers Are for Playing With

Kaelen held his hand and pressed kiss after kiss to it. Xie Fengshi's fingertips tingled from the kisses, and he tried to pull back, but Kaelen wouldn't let go.

"You said your future has to have me."

Xie Fengshi almost laughed at how careful he was being. "I said it. So what?"

Kaelen didn't answer. He buried his face into Xie Fengshi's shoulder, his golden hair brushing against Xie Fengshi's chin, his arms pulling him closer until there was no space between them. Xie Fengshi felt a warm touch against his neck—Kaelen's lips pressed against the skin, just a light press, nothing more.

Xie Fengshi reached up and ran his hand through the back of Kaelen's hair. "You're really weird today."

"Mm." A muffled hum came from the man.

"I said my future has you in it. Shouldn't that be obvious? Why are you..."

Kaelen lifted his head, and Xie Fengshi's words got stuck in his throat. The rims of his blue eyes were faintly red, emotions roiling to a peak, leaving faint traces in his eyes. But his expression was absolutely happy—though that happiness carried a seriousness Xie Fengshi couldn't quite describe.

"Feng Shi, what's obvious to you isn't obvious to me at all."

Xie Fengshi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing he thought of felt right.

Kaelen pulled him into his arms, leaning all his weight onto him. Xie Fengshi got pushed back and quickly reached out to brace himself on the armrest of the sofa, steadying the two of them.

Finally, Xie Fengshi figured it out.

Kaelen was used to controlling everything. But when he started to rely on someone else, he didn't know how to act.

"Kaelen, are you scared I'm gonna run away one day?"

The man in his arms didn't speak, but his arms squeezed tighter. That reaction said more than any words could. Xie Fengshi let out a helpless laugh and ruffled his hair. "You're so good to me—where would I run?"

"You were doing just fine without me."

Now Xie Fengshi got it. Kaelen wasn't worried that Xie Fengshi would leave—he was scared that Xie Fengshi didn't need him at all. Even more, he feared that his presence in Xie Fengshi's life was just the cherry on top.

Kaelen understood better than anyone the difference between "I need you, so you have to stay with me" and "Well, you're here, so I guess I'll be with you."

Xie Fengshi sighed and cupped Kaelen's face and lifted it off his shoulder. Kaelen's golden hair was a mess from rubbing against him, loose strands falling over his eyes, making him look pathetic. "My future plans have to include you. If I'm alone, I'm only just getting by—do you understand?"

The corners of Kaelen's mouth slowly curved up. "I got it."

"Good." Xie Fengshi released his face, but as he was about to pull back, Kaelen grabbed his hands.

"Then can you say that again?"

Xie Fengshi blinked. "Say what again?"

"That I'm part of your future."

"...I already said it."

"Say it again."

Xie Fengshi was both irritated and amused by Kaelen's smug act of pushing his luck. "You're in my future."

"Again."

"You're in my future."

"Ag—"

"Kaelen, knock it off."

"It's not enough. You said all that and I still haven't heard enough."

Xie Fengshi tried really hard to look like he wasn't about to hit him. "Are you a toddler? Need someone to baby you?"

"A three-year-old can't do what I can." As he said this, Kaelen's hand had already slipped to Xie Fengshi's lower back. "Can a three-year-old warm your bed? Do your dishes? Can he—"

"Enough—" Xie Fengshi clamped his hand over Kaelen's mouth.

Kaelen's lips pressed against Xie Fengshi's palm, the warmth tickling his fingertips, making them curl. Those beautiful blue eyes looked at him over the top of his hand, crinkling with a smile—no trace left of the pitiful look from before. It was obviously planned all along.

Xie Fengshi gritted his teeth. "You planned that on purpose."

Kaelen tilted his head and playing dumb, looking completely innocent.

"You did it on purpose! First you act all pitiful to make me go soft, get me to say all that, and now you're—" The lips beneath his palm curved into a smile; he could even feel Kaelen laughing. "And you're laughing!"

He pulled his hand away from the mouth and instead grabbed Kaelen's cheeks, squeezing his handsome face into a ridiculous shape. Kaelen's lips were forced into a pout, making him look like a fish with its mouth pinched shut.

Kaelen mumbled through the grip, "Gege, it hurts."

"Hurts? I'm not even using force." Xie Fengshi gritted out. "You're faking it—the whole thing, from start to finish. You were manipulating me just now, weren't you?"

"I'm not faking." Kaelen's voice sounded genuinely pitiful. "I really am scared. I'm afraid you think I'm the same to you whether I'm here or not."

Xie Fengshi let go. Two faint red marks remained on Kaelen's cheeks. Kaelen murmured, "I'm afraid you only think I should be in your future because I showed up in your life. If one day I'm not here, would you feel like it doesn't matter?"

Xie Fengshi held his face, gently rubbing his thumb over the red marks. "It's different, Kaelen. When you weren't around, it was because I didn't even know you existed. Back then, I thought being alone was just fine. But after you came into my life, I don't want to be by myself anymore."

Kaelen's eyes reddened again. Xie Fengshi's alarm bells rang. "Don't you cry."

"I'm not crying."

"Your nose is all red!"

"It's from the cold."

"The heating is on full blast—what cold?"

Kaelen pulled Xie Fengshi into his arms. "Then say it again."

Xie Fengshi felt like a plush toy, his face pressed directly into Kaelen's chest. "Say what?"

"Say I'm in your future."

"I already said it."

"Say it again. I didn't hear clearly."

"You definitely heard it!"

"I didn't."

"Kaelen!"

"Gege—"

Xie Fengshi jolted at the sound of "Gege," his ears instantly turned red hot. He poked his head out from Kaelen's arms and glared at him: "You think you've got me wrapped around your finger, don't you?"

Kaelen put on an innocent face: "I don't."

"You do!"

"I really don't, I swear."

"You do!"

Xie Fengshi angrily reached out to pinch his mouth, pinching his lips together from both sides, forcing Kaelen's mouth into a round O shape: "No more talking. If you say another word, you're sleeping alone tonight."

Kaelen's blue eyes instantly filled with protest. Xie Fengshi's face was expressionless: "No protest allowed."

Kaelen tried to speak but could only make "mmph" sounds with his mouth pinched.

"What did you say?"

"Mmph mmph—"

"Can't understand." Xie Fengshi ruthlessly dismissed the signal, but his fingers pinching Kaelen couldn't bear to use any force. The red marks had faded long ago, and his fingers barely touched him.

Kaelen opened his mouth and took his fingertips into his mouth, his warm tongue softly licking his fingertip. Xie Fengshi instantly pulled his hand back: "What are you doing!"

Kaelen's eyes crinkled: "Gege, I really know I messed up."

Day had fully broken. The sun rose in the east over the city, turning the opposite glass curtain wall into a golden mirror. The reflection fell in, cutting a strip of light across the carpet in the lounge area.

The sunlight was strong and direct, making Xie Fengshi squint: "It's morning."

"Yeah, it's nice weather today."

The winter sun was rarely so warm. The leaves of the plants on the windowsill were translucent, their veins like painted lines. The air still smelled of coffee. Xie Fengshi slipped off Kaelen's lap and squeezed in beside him, pulling his legs up and curling them on the sofa, then leaned his head on Kaelen's shoulder.

They sat quietly for a while. The city outside the window had been awake for a long time. Xie Fengshi said, "How many more days will you be busy?"

"Why ask all of a sudden?"

"Just asking. You haven't had a break since you got here—meetings, seeing people, even talking business over meals. I just want to know when you can take a break."

Kaelen said, "Once the contract is signed, I won't need to personally handle the rest."

"How much longer?"

"Almost there. The details are pretty much settled. What's left is legal matters. Once the teams are done, I just sign off."

"And before the signing?"

"Two more meetings: one this afternoon, one tomorrow morning. This afternoon's is both teams going over the final terms—nothing much to discuss, just a confirmation. Signing tomorrow morning."

"And then you're done?"

"Yeah." Kaelen lowered his head and kissed the top of his hair. "The next few days, I'm free. I'll just be with you."

The lounge was nicely designed, especially the row by the window—semi-open small spaces, private but not closed in.

Footsteps approached from far away, heavy on the thick carpet. They shouldn't have been so loud, but the steps were filled with impatience, each one deliberately heavy, as if meant to be heard.

Xie Fengshi followed the sound. Isaac stood at the entrance, hat pulled down, standing there like a telephone pole.

Xie Fengshi sat up from Kaelen's arms: "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you to have breakfast."

Xie Fengshi checked the time: "You've been waiting all this time?"

Isaac didn't speak, but his expression said it all.

Kaelen lounged lazily: "You haven't eaten?"

"I said I was waiting for you." Isaac's tone was petulant.

"You could have waited in your room."

"What's the difference?"

"If you'd waited in your room, you wouldn't have seen things you shouldn't."

Isaac's expression fell apart. Xie Fengshi reached over and pinched Kaelen's side as a warning. Kaelen looked like a shameless brat who didn't care if he was pinched.

"Are you two eating or not?"

"Eating." Xie Fengshi stood up and pulled Kaelen up with him. "Come on, didn't you say you were hungry?"

Isaac turned and walked away, his steps fast and long.

Xie Fengshi followed, but after two steps, he realized Kaelen wasn't following. He looked back to see Kaelen straightening his clothes. Xie Fengshi sighed helplessly: "Hurry up."

Kaelen quickened his pace: "Coming."

Isaac reached the elevator and pressed the button. While waiting, he caught a glimpse of the two walking hand in hand behind him from the corner of his eye. He quickly looked away to the crystal chandelier on the ceiling.

The chandelier was really pretty—shiny, sparkling.

The elevator doors opened. Isaac stepped in first, facing the elevator buttons, his back to the other two. Kaelen, holding Xie Fengshi's hand, followed and stood behind him. The small space was quiet. Isaac stared at the changing floor indicator, only to hear a soft kiss, a brief press and then separation.

Three or four seconds later, another one.

Isaac took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The moment the elevator doors opened, he practically sprang out. Xie Fengshi followed, touching his kissed earlobe, the heat still lingering on his face.

The restaurant was on the second floor. Isaac stopped at the entrance and turned to look at the two. Isaac revealed only his gray-blue eyes and reddened nose tip—whether from anger or the brisk walk, it was unclear.

Isaac said, "You two go ahead."

Xie Fengshi was confused: "You're not eating?"

"I am, but I don't want to sit with you right now."

Kaelen: "Why?"

Isaac shot his older brother a glare. This shameless jerk actually had the nerve to ask why.

Kaelen smirked. He didn't feel guilty at all, and even said, "Then sit at the next table. We'll call you when we finish."

Isaac stormed off.

Xie Fengshi tugged on Kaelen's sleeve: "Stop messing with him."

"I'm not messing with him."

Xie Fengshi didn't believe a single word. This guy had been mischievous since morning, either teasing him or Isaac.

Isaac said he "didn't want to sit at the same table as them," but once he sat down, he didn't budge. He devoured two baskets of soup dumplings, one steamer of shumai, and a plate of shrimp dumplings, not to mention all sorts of other odds and ends. Finally, he even helped himself to the soy milk from Xie Fengshi's table that they hadn't had time to drink and finished it.

Watching him eat so much, Xie Fengshi couldn't help asking, "Did you even eat last night?"

Isaac downed the last of the soy milk, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, "I did."

"Then why are you eating so much?"

"That was yesterday. I'm hungry now."

Kaelen, watching his younger brother clear most of the breakfast table, remarked, "You've got quite an appetite lately."

Isaac looked up warily—his instincts told him Kaelen was up to no good. Sure enough: "No offense, but I think you've gained some weight."

"Kaelen, will you ever stop!"

Xie Fengshi kicked Kaelen under the table, but Kaelen didn't flinch. He calmly took a sip of tea and even smiled at his brother.

Isaac's mouth twitched. This Kaelen guy was relentless!

He slapped his napkin on the table. "I'm full!"

Xie Fengshi looked up at him. "You're eating that little?"

"I'm done. I'm going upstairs to game. Take your time."

"Aren't you waiting for us?"

"No way." Isaac turned to leave, but after two steps, he stopped and looked back at Xie Fengshi. "Are we eating lunch together?"

"Yes. What do you want?"

"Anything's fine."

"I'll decide then."

Satisfied, Isaac strode out of the restaurant.

Once he was gone, Xie Fengshi turned to Kaelen, exasperated. "Why do you always have to tease your brother?"

"Can't I speak the truth?"

"Then don't say it out loud!"

Kaelen's blue eyes looked puzzled. "He knows it himself. Can't he see it when he looks in the mirror every day?"

Xie Fengshi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Aren't you afraid he'll get mad and run off again?"

Hearing this, Kaelen smirked. "He can't get away. I have his passport."

"...Still, you can't keep teasing him. He's your brother."

Kaelen took Xie Fengshi's hand in his. "Aren't little brothers meant to be teased?"