Love Late Vol 1 Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen


Because I felt awful, I requested a leave of absence to take a trip and unwind.

To immediately request a two weeks leave for some trivial reason when I just had the cheek to return to work was a conduct that would obviously leave a bad impression.

But I won’t itch from too many lice nor worry from too much debt. I still walked grandly when I was overwrought with work left and right.

Once my vacation came to an end, I doubted I would be more diligent upon returning. I had no intention whatsoever to make amends. On the contrary, I became more careless and lazy—my movements slower than ever.

Ke Luo found me facing my paperwork for a long time, not turning a page, as I pressed my chest and rubbed my lower back—a d.a.m.n image of someone who had taken too many “days off.” Although he was accustomed to me slacking off, he couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the matter?”

“Ah, my back is sore.”

Ke Luo looked at me, and I gave him an ambiguous smile full of meaning.

An employee like this would likely have his salary deducted. But I knew Ke Luo wouldn’t do so now.

I’d heard that Shu Nian’s operation was a great success. If it didn’t recur within a month, it would indicate a full recovery.

So Ke Luo had been in a great mood lately. All day long, he kept smiling, never refusing a request. He couldn’t bother to bicker with me on such things.

Even though I behaved so badly, Ke Luo still resolutely asked me to join the celebration on the day of Shu Nian’s discharge.

f.u.c.k, I didn’t want to celebrate.

There were men and women who visited the ward. There were some I recognized and some I didn’t. It was quite a lively crowd. No need to even mention the Xie family there. Lin Jing, that guy who wasn’t on any side, came, of course. Zuo Wen Yang also came. Even Lu Feng and Cheng Yi Chen attended.

This man’s popularity truly was so much greater than mine.

They had probably bribed the doctor as, upon closing the door, everyone cheerfully shot party strings, blew out the candles, cut the cake, and freely poured champagne in the hospital.

Separated from the swarm of people circling around the man, I watched him from afar. He and I had similar faces, yet he was so far away.

I stood near the entrance and listlessly ate my cake. I was prepared to leave once I finished eating. I didn’t find any enjoyment in it at all. And besides, no one would notice if I was gone.

Someone entered, pus.h.i.+ng the door. He used too much force and nearly sandwiched me behind the door.

He murmured something into Ke Luo’s ear. Ke Luo, who had been smiling, gradually stopped. He had a strange expression. He finally smiled and said to Shu Nian, “Even though I wanted to invite the donor here, we couldn’t find him anywhere. He not only requested the doctor to keep his profile confidential, but even his registration data was false.”

Everyone was a little surprised.

“That’s strange.”

“Maybe he doesn’t want to be bothered?”

“But, with a need to express our sincere grat.i.tude, we’ll always feel indebted like this.”

“Some people just want to do good deeds.”

“Ah, a nameless hero.”

I didn’t know what these people were thinking. I almost vomited from listening to them. I rolled my eyes from the sideline.

The door opened again, and I was caught by it once more.

The man who entered seemed to be the surgeon in charge of the operation. He warmly smiled. “Please excuse me. I arrived late…”

Before I could recover, I was sandwiched yet again a third time. I was even struck in the head. “d.a.m.n it…”

“Sorry, sorry,” the man who arrived apologized again and again.

I only heard the doctor in front said with a smile, “This is the man who helped to collect the bone marrow, Dr. Zhu…”

—I froze, but the hand, which had covered my forehead, had already dropped.

The young doctor gave out an “ah.” Before I opened my mouth, he smiled and said, “You came too? We’ve all wondered why we couldn’t contact you at all. And here I thought you left a false address because you didn’t want to meet the patient.”

I stiffened. More than ten seconds pa.s.sed before I reacted. I chuckled and pointed out to him, “You’ve got the wrong person.”

The doctor was taken aback. Terribly awkward, he replied, “Ah, m-my apologies. My memory isn’t so great. Haha...”

Apart from him and me, no one else laughed. Everyone in the room looked at me.

It became more difficult for me to maintain my smile. I suddenly couldn’t stand it. “I have something to attend to. Excuse me for leaving first.”

I ran like the wind, playing deaf and mute the entire way.

But when I pulled open the cab door, another hand quickly landed against it.

“Uncle Lee.”

Ke Luo was slightly out of breath.

I smiled. “You need something?”

Ke Luo’s expression was somewhat complex. “…I chased you all the way out here.”

“Is that so? I didn’t realize.” My expression was sincere. I firmly said: “If you have something, save it for later. I’m in a rush.”

“Thank you for saving Shu Nian…”

“It really wasn’t me,” I abruptly interrupted. “The doctor was mistaken.”

“Uncle Lee.”

Here he goes again. He only knows how to call my name.

Despite how many times he called my name, I couldn’t always rely on these two words to guess his mind.

I repeatedly tapped my foot on the ground with irritation. “Young master, I still have matters to attend to. Don’t waste my time.”

He furrowed his eyebrows, like a small animal baring its teeth. “Why hide such a big matter as donating bone marrow from me?”

I helplessly spread my hands. “I didn’t do it, so what do I have to hide?”

“You’re lying.”

This stubborn little brat.

“Alright.” I brazenly laughed. “If you want it to be me, it’s fine. I’m not at a disadvantage anyway.”

Ke Luo slammed the car door shut.

The confrontation between the two men made the cab driver uneasy. The car started at once and sped off, leaving a streak of smoke.

It really had my style.

“Thank you, Uncle Lee.”

I’d known him for so long and had heard it all before. But this was the first time I heard the words “thank you” from him. I was so scared on the spot that I repeatedly waved my hands. “No, no, don’t thank me. Or better yet, write me a solid check.”

The mention of money during this sentimental moment undoubtedly killed the mood. Ke Luo was clearly shocked. He was a little distraught. “In any case, I truly am grateful to you this time…”

I coughed. I felt incredibly disgusted to be mistaken as a hero. Gooseb.u.mps rose on my back. There was a false feel from the top of my head to the soles of my feet, like a hypocrite.

I wasn’t a hypocrite. I was a true scoundrel.

“Like I’ve said, you might as well sign a check, otherwise don’t mention it.” I waved him off rather shamelessly. “Don’t write me some thank you letter. I don’t need useless things. There’s no room for them yet.”

Ke Luo stared at me for a long while, and then sighed. “You can ask for anything.”

How generous.

I didn’t feel any joy. The reward he promised was great, but I felt like I was only holding a cold bowl of porridge.

“Anything?” The leering smile on my face didn’t drop even a bit. I tilted his chin up with my fingers. “Including your body?”

Ke Luo’s face flushed. He parted his mouth, yet he was rendered speechless. Although he had grown up so tall and mature, he remained faintly naïve within his bones.

Another cab approached with a vacant sign lit. This time I wouldn’t let it slip through the net. I shot my hand out to stop it and made a hasty retreat after I had taken advantage of Ke Luo.

Not long after the car had started, we were stuck in traffic on the overpa.s.s.

The semi-old car closely followed the truck that carried live pigs. With each slow step, the foul air took the opportunity to pour in through the half-opened car window. I choked and groaned uncomfortably in the back seat.

Luckily the feel of his skin still remained on the tips of my two fingers. I could recall the lingering touch.

That young, smooth, tender sensation.

I knew being frivolous was very bad. But if I wasn’t frivolous, I wouldn’t have been able to fish out even this little touch. What else could I do?

Ke Luo sent me a text. It was still a “thank you.”

My teeth ached from looking at it.

There really was no need to thank me.

I wasn’t a hypocrite. To this day I still hadn’t the slightest good opinion toward the man. Apart from disgust and envy, there was nothing else.

Maybe someday, on impulse, I’ll throw a sack over him and brutally beat him up.

If only he had died. Natural disaster, man-made disaster, anything would have been fine.

Yet he’s still alive and well.

I didn’t know what I had been thinking when I had endured the needle. How idiotic.

Perhaps it was just a spur of the moment.

Or maybe I truly was too lonely.

Chapter Thirteen


It rained the next morning. The pitter-patter of the rain and the overcast sky made people sleepy.

When I opened my eyes, I realized I had overslept. Even if I bolted to work, I would still be late. In that case, I might as well sleep more.

I snuggled up in bed and dreamed. In the middle of my sleep, I constantly woke up from hunger, but soothed myself back to sleep once again, so I no longer felt hungry anymore. With my continued efforts, I tried to fall back into sleep.

My dreams circled around the sounds of fighting. Like the sound of bombers, it caused a buzzing in my ears. I held a baby in my hands. Amidst the noise, only the two of us sat quietly in the corner. He didn’t cry or cause trouble. He simply just gazed at me with his raven-black eyes. He was a good baby.

But he felt too light as I held him.

Someone banged on the door. I didn’t have the nerve to go open it. In my dream, I knew that they had come to collect debt.

His black eyes moved a little. He babbled, aimlessly repeating, yet he continued to look at me full of expectation. The first word a child should learn to say is “mama”, however, his was “hungry.”

Hungry, hungry.

I put my finger in his mouth. His drool dripped as he latched onto it and eagerly sucked it.

The banging on the door grew louder and increasingly clearer. Bang, bang, bang—as if someone was beating my chest.

Suddenly, I woke up. My heart was pounding wildly, nearly jumping out of my mouth. There really was someone knocking on the door. 

Was the person pressing me to death in broad daylight? 

I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, fumbled off the bed into my slippers, and went to open the door.

“Uncle Lee…” Outside the door, the young man’s hair was drenched, his eyes jet-black, and a cold chill covered his entire body. “Why did you double lock the door? You didn’t come to work today. And when I called you, your phone was off. Are you sick?”

I was still half-asleep, so my reaction was slow. Once I opened my mouth, I said, “Hungry…”

“Huh?” Ke Luo was stupefied. He then smiled and said, “Oh, I figured you hadn’t eaten yet, so I brought food to make you dinner.”

In the few seconds while I was dazed, he had entered the apartment, carrying a slight fresh scent of rain. I didn’t fully awake until the rush of the ice-cold air stirred me. “You specifically came to cook for me?”

“Uh-huh.”

I was immediately overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. It had truly been a long time since I’d seen this kind of gentleness. How great of an honor this was for me now.

Ke Luo put the sorted food into the fridge. He then turned around and handed me an envelope. “Oh, yeah, you also wanted this.”

There was a blank check inside.

The amount was left for me to fill? There was actually such a good thing.

Holding it in my hands, I looked at it and touched it. I considered the authenticity of it as I fiddled with it for a long while.

I finally confirmed that it was the real thing. I could write at the end however many zeros I’d like to write.

In his heart that man was priceless.

Ke Luo was already busy. While he soaked the sea cuc.u.mber and sliced the mushrooms and tripe to go with it, he put goji berries and angelica roots into the stewing pot.

“What are you making? Isn’t it better to eat out?”

I looked at the check over and over until my eyes were red and sore. I clicked my tongue. I was a wealthy man now. Of course I can be rich and overbearing, criticizing him left and right.

“It’s raining. Let’s go out when the weather is good.”

I threw my weight about and talked down to him, “Don’t even think about using common dishes to deal with me.”

He smiled. “I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

He actually sat down and took it.

All of a sudden, it seemed like I had everything I wanted before my eyes, and it turned out that just by having those bone marrow cells, an exchange could be made.

He was obviously just a small wolf cub. But for that man, he turned into the world’s most docile lamb—white and pure. No matter how you lash out at him, he would only shake his tail and lower his eyes, leaving two long rows of eyelashes.

Ke Luo walked back and forth, preparing dinner. Partly reclined on the sofa, I drank my afternoon tea and watched TV with my legs up in a manner of a great elder as I bossed him around. The fruits had to be peeled with toothpicks inserted and delivered before me. I complained that this was too sweet and that was too bland. The texture was too rough. The color was bad.

In fact, there wasn’t much point in acting this way. Even if he was Lu Feng’s own precious flesh and blood son, someone second to only one person, I sent him on errands just as I wished. Yet bullying him around couldn’t give me any real sense of pleasure.

I happily abused the right I received, acting as if I took pleasure in it. Even though that wasn’t what I wanted at all, that was everything he could give. He was already working so hard, and I didn’t want to force him anymore.

Dinner was almost done. The electric stew pot was placed in the living room, and the faint aroma drifted through the air. Ke Luo crouched down to check its temperature.

Outside the rain had stopped. To my surprise, the final bit of sunlight faintly peered through before the sky was dark. The young man’s crouching back was bathed in the sunset glow. The window curtains fluttered in the wind. It resembled a moist oil painting.

I was slightly startled.

My body followed my heart, and I unconsciously walked up behind him. Just as Ke Luo stood up, I reached out and embraced him. 

He was taken aback. He didn’t move, yet his ears turned all pink.

I was afraid he’d move. I didn’t have the face to restrain him if he struggled. For a moment, I was tense. My voice couldn’t help getting hoa.r.s.e. I cajoled him, “Keep your Uncle Lee company for a moment.”

He understood my meaning and obediently stood still. Both his hands were down as he waited for my next move.

Convinced that he wouldn’t resist, I gathered my nerve and carefully felt him from his forehead to his cheek, down to his chin, neck, chest, and then abs—inch by inch.

But it was only touching. He clearly took on a posture that displayed him at my mercy, yet I actually felt terrified.

He was full of life, and I was decrepit.

In the end, I didn’t do anything.

I intently examined him again with my fingers, and then said, “Let’s eat.”

It would be unbearable for me if I asked him to bed. I couldn’t put up an att.i.tude that begged for pleasure anymore. Although I could flush my face down the toilet anytime, I still had my pride.

I’d rather touch for a moment, just eat some tofu that’s neither salty nor bland to quench my thirst and hunger, but not damaging for the stomach either.

Living one’s life was also like this.

Ke Luo seemed to be stupefied. He then smiled and sheepishly whispered, “But Uncle Lee, you’re poking me.”

I was extremely embarra.s.sed.

f.u.c.k, this was one bad thing about being a man. You can’t fool anyone.

The tall young man in front of me timidly turned around. One hand wrapped around me and the other slid into my pants.

He seemed to be very shy while he moved with care. His palm was scalding hot. As soon as he gripped me, I threw my helmet away and discarded my armor as I panted. Men are just that hopeless. I couldn’t resist this kind of good thing delivered to my door, and there wasn’t a need to resist.

Ke Luo concentrated on moving his fingers. With his face lowered, only his long eyelashes were exceptionally visible. I couldn’t see his expression.

All the blood in my body rushed to my lower half. Without sufficient blood to my head, I couldn’t come to my senses.

Maybe I shouldn’t even bother. He wasn’t his usual self as he acceded to my every plea, considerate to my needs. Wasn’t this, which had been un.o.btainable, precisely what I had been waiting for all along?

When I almost shuddered from being held, my hands tightly gripped his shoulders. I dazedly thought: I’m so positive and broadminded, not bothered by the minor details.

I only cared for the action. I didn’t need to be attached to the motive.

It made no difference to me. I’d still be happy if he fell in love with me because of his sense of grat.i.tude.

Under a shudder, I eventually soaked his palm. My heart was still racing. I pulled myself together and lifted my eyes to his raven-black eyes. My throat constricted.

The two of us felt somewhat awkward. We both averted our eyes in silence. I adjusted my pants. Ke Luo pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the traces off his hand. 

“Uncle Lee.”

“Yeah, what?” After a man lets it out, his body would loosen and his voice would soften.

“Why did your bone marrow match?”

“Oh, that.” My mouth also relaxed. “It’s nothing strange. This kind of occasion could arise at any time. I just happened to run into it.”

Ke Luo, the small sheep, looked up at me. “Why did you take the test?”

“I had a sudden impulse to take it, so I took it.” I laughed. “Or do you wish that it was you who donated his bone marrow? Better have a hero save the beauty, yet in the end I took the credit. Are you jealous?”

“What I mean to say is that since you don’t like him, why did you think of taking a compatibility test for him? Could you have already known that you’d likely match?”

I blanked out for a moment, and then fastened my belt tight. “What a joke. I’m not an angel, so how would I know?”

Two horns seemed to have emerged from the top of the small sheep’s head. “Determining whether a bone marrow is compatible isn’t as simple as taking one’s temperature. No one would have so much spare time that he’d try it.”

I yawned. “I was just that bored.”

“Uncle Lee, why can’t you be honest?”

I smiled. “You can really nag on. Okay, what ‘truth’ do you want to hear to be satisfied? ” 

Ke Luo was taken aback. Apparently he wasn’t certain.

“Are you his relative?”

I hastily denied it, “No.”

Ke Luo stared at me. “You’re lying again.”

“If I say I’m not, then I’m not.”

“We’ll know once it’s checked.”

“What’s checked?”

He extended his closed fist. “s.e.m.e.n is enough to test the DNA.”

I was completely caught off-guard. My mind blanked out all at once.

f.u.c.k, it turned out that he came so he could collect s.e.m.e.n. No wonder he was stroking me like I’m some sort of milk cow.

I had thought that after honing myself for a long time and continuously making headway, my defense system would be impenetrable by now. Who knew that this brat would have the skill to bypa.s.s the firewall and give me a blow?

This time there wasn’t any civility left to be said. My eyes burned red, and I gritted my teeth. My attack system had fully switched on. Like a bull that saw red, I desperately tried to s.n.a.t.c.h the balled sheet from his hand.

Taking me as a monkey to play with, this little b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

I prevailed. His fingers were finally pried open one by one, yet the inside was empty.

It dawned on me that I really had taken the bait this time. My expression then must have been far from calm and probably had some panic. I had practically told him the answer.

He looked at me and pulled out his cell phone. “I’m telling Shu Nian to come.”

I choked on a breath. Flaring with anger, I frowned, thought about it, and nodded. I understood it now and suddenly felt a bit sad.

“That’s right; you came here precisely for Shu Nian.”

Sure enough, my eyesight was bad. I had to stare for a long while before seeing such an obvious thing.

As a matter of fact, I may have already known in my heart. To come here all of a sudden after not looking for me for so long—wasn’t it simply to ask me some things?

I just wished that he had, in spite of the rain, especially come over to really cook for me: the two of us eating together, and then watching TV. Maybe go to bed and lie down for a while side by side, exchanging some words, like how we used to when we had just met.

The phone connected around this time. Ke Luo gave out a “h.e.l.lo.” He looked at me, yet he still opened his mouth in the end and said, “Shu Nian…” Before he could finish speaking, I suddenly s.n.a.t.c.hed his phone and aggressively threw it to the ground, adding the crush of my foot. 

Ke Luo looked at me a little surprised.

The break was nowhere close to resolving my anger, but I let out a breath nevertheless slowly. I was able to regain my graceful poise once again and grinned at him. “I’m sorry, next time I’ll replace it with a new one.”

Ke Luo looked down at the severed device. “What are you running from?”

I laughed, making no comment, and went to pour myself a drink as if nothing had happened. I invited him, “Would you like a drink?”

Deluding myself and him, I thought that if I disregarded the topic that killed the atmosphere, we could return to the picturesque mood a moment ago.

Ke Luo stood at the same spot, staring at me, and I smiled at him as I lifted a bottle of wine.

His fine raven-black eyebrows, his beautiful straight nose—his face actually exuded a gentle melancholy.

“Shu Nian…he…”

“Don’t mention Shu Nian to me. There’s no point in talking about him. Let’s drink.”

Ke Luo stood still.

I smiled and poured two gla.s.ses. “If you speak another word of Shu Nian in my presence, we’ll break off relations. Who do you think your Uncle Lee is?”

The light in the room dimmed. As the sky darkened down, the dimness gradually turned gray. I could only make out his silhouette.

“Lee, you knew it all along. So why do you keep refusing to say it? Regardless of how much you hate Shu Nian, he’s still your younger brother, isn’t he?”

Forget it.

I finally put down the bottle that I had been holding. I felt into my pocket with a smile and found a cigarette to smoke.

“How does what’s between Shu Nian and me concern you? You have no right to interfere in my affairs, and even more so in his.”

My words. .h.i.t him right in the heart.

Ke Luo was taken aback for a moment before he could form a reply. “You can’t hide your entire life. There are some things you’ll have to face sooner or later.”

I laughed and said, “People will have to die sooner or later, so why don’t you just go die now?”

Ke Luo was shocked.

It wasn’t as if I couldn’t hurt him. It’s just that I couldn’t really bear to.

“Shu Nian simply won’t give you a thought. No matter how you please him, he won’t care, so why bother?”

I could finally cruelly mock him, “Look at how low you’ve stooped.”

Even though these words might be more suited to describe me.

Ke Luo’s face suddenly flushed and quickly paled. His fine, white teeth slightly bit his lips. And after a while, he said, “I’m leaving.”

“So soon?” I reached out and wrapped my arm around his shoulders as I frivolously said, “Let’s eat and just chitchat.”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

I suddenly grabbed him by his collar. Ke Luo was caught off guard and stumbled a little. He was pressed down on the floor by me.

I smiled at him. In his surprised eyes, I rode on his waist and lowered my head to bite his neck hard.

I think the reason why I was so obsessed with him was because I couldn’t get him. If he’d let me top him once, perhaps I’d be liberated from then on.

Ke Luo struggled up. His strength and skills were all considered excellent and absolutely brutal, but I gained the initiative by striking first. I quickly twisted his arms back, lacking tenderness, and firmly pushed his head down, pressing his cheek onto the somewhat dusty floor.

Ke Luo couldn’t exert any more strength in this kind of position. He was ruthlessly restrained by me. His face displayed a look of astonishment. He had probably never imagined I could gain the upper hand.

It wasn’t anything strange. I just couldn’t bear to hurt him before, that’s all.

Using the most frivolous and obscene action, I licked his earlobe. “You want me to acknowledge that man? It’s fine if you want to curry favor with him. Accompany me tonight, and then we’ll talk.”

Ke Luo struggled for a little while. He let out a strained voice, “Let go of me.” 

He had obviously gone mad. It would be strange if he didn’t bite me to death the second I loosen my grip.

“This is what you owe me.” I patted his smooth cheeks. “Once we do it this time, our loans will be settled.”

“Uncle Lee…”

“What? Don’t tell me that you thought f.u.c.king me so many times was free of charge? ”

I started kissing his neck, not the least bit gentle, making him severely furrow his brows. According to him, I probably “used force” several times before.

In fact, can you consider those as something? He basically didn’t know what it’s like to really be forced.

During the struggling, breaths gradually became heavy. My hand probed into his pants and crudely pulled down his briefs. I carelessly tormented him for a while. After that, I groped his rear and tried to directly insert a finger.

This obviously hurt him, but he didn’t utter a word. His complexion just drained of color.

I chuckled. “Excuse me, your Uncle Lee forgot to trim his nails.”

Ke Luo bit his lips.

Of course I was clear on what he was thinking. Lu Feng and he were so similar in some ways.

Surely after this, my days would be difficult. But I’d already come to this. If I stopped at this, he might not let me off. I’ll die anyway, so I might as well have some fun first.

I only inserted half my finger, and he exposed an agonizing expression. His blue veins stood out from under his thin skin. Like a small wounded beast, he gasped between clenched teeth.

I suppose all his life he had never had anyone treat him like this. If I became the first person to treat him so, thus remembered by him, that wouldn’t be so bad.

Loving that man to death, and then hating me to death.

Deadlocked in this position for a while, his entire body was tense, growing hotter. It was full of acc.u.mulated strength under the humiliation. As for my body, there was that parched heat until everything actually seemed to have been released, gradually leaving only a hollow chill.

What kind of pleasure would humiliating him give me?

I withdrew my finger and kissed his damp forehead.

He was so young. I kissed him again.

“Ke Luo.”

Suddenly the doorbell rang.

I was startled. Both our movements were sluggish.

Ke Luo took advantage of the moment I slightly relaxed my hands to wrench his arm free. He fiercely gave me an elbow and quickly rolled over, using his back to crush me underneath. He didn’t neglect to give a severe blow to my stomach as well.

I had thought that his wrists had long been numbed. I didn’t think his movement would be so quick and well-executed, comparable to that of animals. My fixation on him wasn’t without reason.

Even though I was struck back to the point that I was in cold sweat and my eyes blurred, I don’t topple over even when dead, so I grabbed his collar and pulled him down again.

We were still entangled as we fought each other when we heard the door open. Then click. The lights lit up.

I knew it was Lin Jing. I had just given the key to that kid.

That’s fine. It’s not a big deal to let him see a real fight scene.

Ke Luo, on the other hand, loosened his hold as if shocked and scrambled up from on top of me. He appeared somewhat at a loss.

I had just blinked as I adjusted to the light, when I saw that, besides Lin Jing with his mouth wide open, there was also a tidy, lean man.

“Ah…”

It was obvious that the man was extremely surprised. He looked at me, and then looked at Ke Luo, blanking out.

Lin Jing still maintained the look as if he swallowed an egg. He stammered, “Ha-have I disrupted something?”

Ke Luo was speechless. He seemed to be trembling with rage. The flush on his face still hadn’t completely faded away. He glared at me and pushed through the two men out the door.

Lying on the floor, I hissed in a breath. I wanted to welcome the visitors in a casual manner, but I was helpless, unable to get up. I could only bite my teeth and force a smile. “Lin Jing, give me a hand.”

My abs was throbbing with pain, having suffered twice from Ke Luo. The last surgical wound was probably torn open.

I had tried to steal a chicken, and instead I ended up losing the rice I had used to lure it.
 

I was taken to the hospital, and my stomach was st.i.tched up once more. When I woke up, Lin Jing came to visit me, bringing some food—yet he ate more than half of it. He even laughed at how ugly the gauze around my stomach was, and then cheerfully left

Lin Jing was sensible. He would never say some bitter nonsense to comfort me.

And there really was nothing I needed comfort on. I had suffered a beating after an unsuccessful attempt to rape—would I be proud to say that? If one more person looked at me with pity in his eyes, I would really die of shame. 

After Lin Jing had left, it didn’t remain quiet for long. There was activity at the doorway once more. I opened one eye. As soon as I saw the man who arrived, I quickly closed my eye again, pretending to sleep soundly.

I heard the man come in. After that, he seemed to have carefully pulled out a chair to sit down.

He was really very patient. He just sat and waited in silence. After a long time had pa.s.sed, with probably nothing to do, he started to peel a fruit.

It was much more agonizing for me. And it’s a hard job, pretending to sleep, especially when your nose feels itchy. I just hoped he’d hurry up and leave.

I didn’t want him to know the relations.h.i.+p between us.

If he finds out, what will happen?

Will we have a great big happy ending?

Don’t be foolish.

He wasn’t even ready to accept an older brother who suddenly popped up out of nowhere. It’s meaningless to force it upon him.

The minute sound of peeling an apple continued on. Hearing it got on my nerves.

I knew he was watching me, waiting for me to wake up, wanting to say something to me. But I had no idea what he actually wanted to say to me, never knowing what kind of response he’d give to me.

I apprehensively waited for the unknown.

I hated that prolonged uneasiness of waiting to be picked.

I didn’t want to confront it—the so-called fear of getting close. 

That tiny sc.r.a.ping sound carried on for a long while. I didn’t know how many he had peeled by now, waiting for me to “wake” up. I was afraid I’d be full to the point of bursting from all those apples, which were lined up and waiting.

I finally couldn’t tolerate it any longer. I sneezed and opened my eyes.

The man seemed startled. He looked at me and gave a nervous smile. “You’re awake?”

My face stiffened, and I yawned. “No kidding.”

With nothing to say for a while, the man sneaked a glance at me as he continued to peel the apple in his hand.

f.u.c.k, what’s the use of peeling that much? I couldn’t eat it anyway! 

The fruit in his hand had already turned to the barest core before he put down the knife, slightly embarra.s.sed. He hesitated for a long while, and then tentatively said, “Uh, about the past, I don’t really remember.”

No one expected you to remember.

“But I feel like I should have an older brother.”

“…”

“Because I wasn’t quite certain and I was too small at that time, I didn’t think about it anymore.”

“…”

“It must be you.”

I firmly said, “It’s not.”

He turned a deaf ear and continued to talk on his own, “I’m sorry. I’ve actually forgotten about you.”

“It has nothing to do with me.”

“I know it’s you.”

“I said it’s not.” My temper shot up.

“Okay, okay.” He fl.u.s.tered a little and good-naturedly said, “If it’s not, it’s not.”

He thought for a moment, and then asked me, “What was my name before?”

“How would I know?!”

He was kind of driving me mad. I threw whatever I could grab. “You’re so annoying. Get out.”

The man frantically dodged out of the way. “D-don’t get agitated. I won’t trouble you.” After that, he pushed the thermos cup on the table over. “Here, sip some soup?”

Sip, my a.s.s. I glared at him.

His face had thinned. Having gone through surgery not too long ago, his complexion was a little pale. He seemed accustomed to taking things as they come with his docile sheep-like eyes.

I thought of his limp.

He didn’t seem to have really lived his days well.

Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.

“Your name was so awful.” I heard my own voice crack—although it was ridiculous. “And you were horrible!”

Shu Nian was a little shocked. “W-why?”

“You ate too much.”

“Huh?” The man was baffled as he had no idea of the reason for the details. “Ah, that’s right. You seem to have always given me something to eat…”

When you were little, you would compete with me over food, and now you compete with me over people. I hated him.

“Don’t-don’t cry.”

“f.u.c.k, who’s crying!” I cursed out loud.

I didn’t know why I was having this hard of a time.

The man carefully placed a hand on my shoulder. He came closer and awkwardly embraced me.