Sorry for the sudden hiatus! My job kicked my ass lol
Lin Song: “?!!”
The President Lin Song, who had just spent more than ten hours on a plane flying thousands of miles just to see his younger brother, nearly immediately considered boarding the next ten-hour flight and escaping back home.
“FOUR! There are only four!” He broke into a cold sweat, gesturing wildly, even widening his eyes with his hands. “There aren’t sixteen! Xiao Zhu, look again! Look properly!”
Zhong Yao remained very calm. He separated the two of them and pulled Lin Zhu into his arms, rubbing his head. “The doctor already said there will be double vision for the next few days. It’s normal.”
Lin Song couldn’t believe it. “Even if there’s double vision, it shouldn’t turn things into—”
Lin Song had very strong math skills. After struggling to accept the situation, he quickly adapted and tried another angle to regain his brother’s trust.
“Fine—fine! Xiao Zhu, look carefully again. I bought eight more for you!”
After adjusting for a while, Lin Zhu’s mental image finally stabilized somewhat. He saw two “big brothers” carrying four brand-new pillows, kicking and shoving them into the wardrobe.
Lin Zhu looked up, even more heartbroken. “Dage… you actually lied to me…”
Lin Song: “……”
He prepared to run.
He had been worrying about how to hide the pillow incident, but he hadn’t expected to be exposed the moment they met. He didn’t dare stay any longer. After reminding Lin Zhu to rest in a quiet, open space, he seized the moment while Zhong Yao was asking whether his eyes hurt and slipped out of the bedroom at top speed.
His brother had seen him, and his eyes were fine. With Zhong Yao taking care of him, he was even more reassuring than being at home.
Lin Song’s mission was more than half complete. There really wasn’t anything left to worry about.
And at least he hadn’t immediately handed his brother over to someone else.
Feeling that the plan was quite feasible, Lin Song quietly packed his luggage downstairs, pulled out the handle, and was preparing to flee overnight when Zhong Yao, just coming downstairs, stopped him.
“You don’t understand how serious this is. Xiao Zhu’s pillows are treasures. If you break one, you have to compensate at least three.”
Still troubled, Lin Song explained the seriousness of his “crime.”
“Not to mention I did it on purpose. I punched each one like a hundred times, and some of them might already be close to falling apart…”
Thinking of those pillows that looked suspiciously like himself, Zhong Yao coughed lightly and carefully stepped back two paces using Lin Song as a reference point.
“With you here, I’m relieved. You’ve taken very good care of Xiao Zhu.”
Lin Song withdrew his thoughts, then after a moment rubbed his neck and smiled faintly. “Better than me.”
Zhong Yao placed a hand on his shoulder and gently pressed twice.
Lin Song took a breath and wiped his face hard. “He’s really happy now. I can tell.” He curled his lips slightly, “I should’ve realized that a long time ago.”
But those things were already in the past.
His younger brother had grown up properly. He could now argue with him energetically, act all tough and rebellious, and happily throw himself into life again.
Those old wounds had already slowly healed and closed, leaving only faint pale marks.
Lin Song looked up and smiled at Zhong Yao. “Thank you.”
Zhong Yao shook his head, taking the luggage from him. “Rest here for the night before leaving. There’s a guest room at home. Xiao Zhu already prepared it for you.”
“How could I let him prepare it?” Lin Song immediately panicked. “He can’t even see clearly!”
When Lin Zhu couldn’t see, his sense of direction was terrible. He would bump into everything in the room. Getting injured would already be considered lucky.
Worried, Lin Song rushed upstairs in two steps at a time. But after a few steps, he suddenly stopped.
He hesitated and turned back. “I—was I exposed?”
On the way back, they had just been talking about unpleasant memories. He had tried hard to distract himself with other thoughts, and in doing so, he even remembered the pillow-beating incident…
So he still couldn’t hide it after all.
Zhong Yao nodded and took out a piece of candy, handing it to him. “Xiao Zhu asked me to give this to you. He wanted to know if you still feel uncomfortable. If you do, he said he’ll come talk to you about the pillows again.”
Lin Song: “……”
He knew his brother too well. Afraid the candy might contain something like wasabi, chili, or garlic oil, he immediately stepped back and shook his head firmly.
“I’m not uncomfortable at all.”
Knowing that his brother could also read his reactions through Zhong Yao, Lin Song quickly regained his energy and said brightly, “Really, Dage is fine. Xiao Zhu, muah.”
……
Zhong Yao’s eyes hurt a little. He rubbed his forehead and smiled helplessly. “You’ve had a long trip. Go rest early.”
Lin Song carried his luggage to the guest room with impressive agility.
Zhong Yao stood on the stairs for a moment, looked at the unused candy in his hand, peeled it open, and ate it slowly himself.
Lin Zhu was far stronger than they had imagined.
Even after experiencing such terrible things… even after being abandoned by the people he trusted most… he still had the right to hate the world—
But he didn’t.
He crawled out of the mud with a body full of wounds, stumbled forward, and grew into someone completely different from his younger self.
Strong enough. Persistent enough. Optimistic and kind…
Zhong Yao wiped his eyes absentmindedly and calmly swallowed the wasabi-filled candy.
The main mistake was his own for eating the candy meant for someone else, not the agent’s fault. After drinking a few mouthfuls of water to wash away the spicy sting, he went upstairs.
The guest room was already clean and didn’t need much arranging. Lin Zhu had only gone in to hide his brother’s pillow in the wardrobe, put a toy snake in the blanket, and hung a white shirt outside the window, then returned to the bedroom to wait.
His eyes couldn’t be exposed to light for too long, so he had already put on an eye mask and was lying on the bed, boredly playing Candy Crush with Zhong Yao’s phone in blind mode.
Zhong Yao quickly walked over and gently took the phone away, stopping his agent’s meaningless consumption of energy boosters.
“Ge!”
Lin Zhu immediately recognized his presence and happily pounced on him. “Did Dage go to sleep?”
He had just come back from outside and hadn’t changed clothes yet. He clung tightly to Zhong Yao. The warmth of his body mixed with the lingering coolness of the night made Zhong Yao’s chest warm slightly.
Zhong Yao responded and tightened his arms. He finally felt completely at ease.
He removed Lin Zhu’s eye mask, gently rubbed his flattened hair, and lowered his head to kiss his closed eyes.
His movements were soft and careful, as if he were touching something extremely precious.
Lin Zhu shivered slightly.
Although his vision was blurred, he could still pick out the important parts. After seeing what his brother’s expression meant earlier, he could roughly guess what Zhong Yao was thinking now.
Instinctively, he grabbed Zhong Yao’s arm and tilted his head up. “Ge, I’m really fine. I don’t care about the past anymore. It’s already late. Let’s sleep…”
Zhong Yao didn’t move, still holding him.
Lin Zhu felt a little uneasy and tried to open his eyes, but Zhong Yao gently covered them with his hand. “No. You’ve been exposed to light too much today. It won’t recover well.”
Lin Zhu liked it when his eyes were covered. His face turned slightly red as he rubbed against Zhong Yao’s palm. “I won’t open them. But don’t worry too much, Ge. Worst case, I’ll just wear glasses. I’ve tried them before. They’re not that uncomfortable…”
Zhong Yao’s chest tightened. “No,” he said softly.
Lin Zhu froze slightly.
Zhong Yao gently placed him on the bed. “You’re mine now, so… no.”
He rarely spoke with such clear and domineering words. Lin Zhu’s heart suddenly started racing, his breath hitched. He tilted his head back slightly.
“All of your body must be in good condition. None can be damaged.”
Zhong Yao lowered his head and kissed his agent’s eyes, voice low and gentle. “Xiao Zhu, did I forget to tell you…? Your eyes are very beautiful.”
Lin Zhu’s hands trembled slightly. He turned his head away a little, voice hoarse, “It doesn’t look good…”
“They’re beautiful. I thought they were beautiful at first glance.”
Zhong Yao gently kissed him, her tender kisses falling like raindrops. “Even now, I still think so.”
God knows how much he wanted to fly back to Beijing right now, rush to Lin Zhu’s absurd parents, and formally take their son away in front of them when Lin Song told him about those things back then.
Lin Zhu leaned meekly against his arm, her chest rising and falling slightly.
Zhong Yao kissed his eyes gently, and was about to straighten up when Lin Zhu grabbed his arm.
Lin Zhu’s voice trembled slightly, softly revealing the same longing he had since ages ago, “One more… one more kiss, okay?”
Zhong Yao’s grip was too gentle.
His gentleness had almost completely washed away the shadows in the agent’s memory.
Memories were etched in places one cannot perceive. He has slowly emerged from this and is now able to become a strong adult, but every time he returns home at night, memories still seep out of their cage and quietly invade his dreams.
Especially recently.
The initial excruciating pain from the injury and the prolonged darkness in his vision almost stirred up those long-forgotten memories.
A kiss will make it stop hurting.
Zhong Yao lowered his head and gazed at him. “Mm.”
Zhong Yao gently placed him on the bed, leaned close, and put a tender kiss, leaving countless warm touches.
Lin Zhu’s eyebrows curved slightly, and a hint of moisture welling up in his eyes. Bit by bit, it disappeared, leaving only a gentle and joyful smile.
Zhong Yao moved his arm, trying to make Lin Zhu more comfortable, but Lin Zhu had already gripped for the actor’s arm. Tilting his head back, Lin Zhu went in for a kiss.
Zhong Yao’s heart suddenly softened.
Lin Zhu closed his eyes and kissed haphazardly, landing in completely off-target spots, yet he seemed to enjoy it immensely, the corners of his lips clearly curving upwards.
Zhong Yao gently ruffled his hair, letting his agent peck on his face like a little woodpecker. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his phone light up and glanced at it casually.
It was a text message from Lin Song.
Lin Song said there was a snake in the guest room, a ghost outside the guest room, and no pillow on the bed in the guest room.
…in conclusion, Lin Song really wanted to come up and sleep with his dear younger brother.
Zhong Yao frowned.
Although the location is near the suburbs, it’s in North America and it’s still winter, so unless a snake escapes from the zoo, it’s quite difficult to see one.
As for seeing a ghost? Not a chance.
Perhaps it was a hallucination caused by jet lag. Still, Zhong Yao reached for his phone and sent a text message asking his assistant to send a pillow to President Lin, while politely declining Lin Song’s suggestion to come up and sleep on the floor.
Lin Song was heartbroken as he stared at the shadows swaying outside the curtains. With nowhere else to turn, he texted his younger brother, asking him to leave the door open so he could sneak in at night.
Zhong Yao reacted quickly and silenced Lin Zhu’s phone before it vibrated.
Thinking about the possible scenarios that might occur if Lin Song sneaked in in the middle of the night, Zhong Yao decided to take precautions and kissed Lin Zhu’s cheek. “The door isn’t locked, I’ll go for a bit.”
Lin Zhu was enjoying the kiss when he suddenly heard the door being locked. His heart skipped a beat and he couldn’t help but feel his heart race.
The doors were now locked!
Although Zhong Yao had a good habit of checking the doors and windows every night, he deliberately went to lock the door at this particular time today…
Lin Zhu felt that this must be a hint!
Lin Zhu was a little excited.
He still remembered… where he put his pajamas.
Without opening his eyes, he groped his way to his pajamas and reluctantly hid under the covers.
Zhong Yao went over and locked the door. He exchanged a few text messages with Lin Song to confirm that it was just clothes outside the window and a toy snake in the blanket. He then instructed his assistant to put them away and put his phone down before returning to the bedside.
The guest room was briefly used as a meeting room for the film crew, probably because the on-set director had hung clothes to dry on the balcony. He was also sitting on the bed playing with toys.
Zhong Yao deduced a reasonable explanation, so he put the matter aside and picked up his agent who was lying properly like a good boy. Without much words, he began gently peeling off his shirt.
Zhong Yao reached back to touch his pajamas, but found nothing.
He raised an eyebrow, looked at his flushed-faced agent, and slowly withdrew his hand.
Lin Zhu sat stiffly on his lap, his eyes tightly closed, his resolve unwavering, as if facing death without fear.
The young man’s body was well-proportioned and strong. It has been well taken care of these past few days, and the weight loss has been made up. With a little tension, Zhong Yao could still see the smooth and beautiful muscle lines.
Zhong Yao raised his hand and gently covered Lin Zhu’s eyes, voice soft and low. “Xiao Zhu… are you still feeling unwell?”
Lin Zhu shook his head rapidly, then felt that was too perfunctory, and offered his wrist. “Ge, you check! It doesn’t hurt at all anymore, and my heart isn’t beating as fast as before!”
Zhong Yao grasped his agent’s still slender wrist and gently squeezed it between his palms.
When he was surrounded by that group of thugs, it was this hand that held him firmly, not giving an inch. Anyone who dared to come up would get a real, hard punch.
Even now, he often wonders how he could be so lucky.
Lin Zhu was incredibly obedient, letting him hold his hand quietly. His brows relaxed gently, showing no trace of the sharp edge he had displayed back then.
Zhong Yao lowered his head, took Lin Zhu’s hand, and placed it on his shirt collar.
During this time, in order to completely resolve Lin Zhu’s inner conflict, he tried many methods, the most effective of which was to try to integrate his story into Lin Zhu’s memory at a certain moment.
As long as Lin Zhu recalls that past event and remembers the things related to him, the so-called mental prison will crumble on its own.
The deepest knots in our hearts need to be untied in the most effective way.
Zhong Yao led Lin Zhu, unravelling his clothes one button at a time. He looked down at his agent’s trembling eyelashes, which were slightly quivering with nervousness.
The soft light from the bedside lamps cast a gentle glow, making them appear almost golden.
Zhong Yao couldn’t understand how anyone could bear to destroy such a pair of eyes.
Lin Zhu’s fingers fumbled as he carefully unbuttoned Zhong Yao’s shirt, helped him take it off, and then groped to undo his belt.
The implication of that gesture was far too strong. Zhong Yao couldn’t bear to let him do it, so he pulled him close and gave him a light kiss, then unfastened the clasp himself. “If you feel uncomfortable, tell me immediately…”
Lin Zhu’s chest heaved slightly, his throat tightening. “No…”
Zhong Yao carefully placed him down on the bed, “What?”
Lin Zhu shook his head. “You wouldn’t—”
Lin Zhu was so nervous that she couldn’t finish his sentence. He swallowed hard and said in a hoarse voice, “…make me uncomfortable.”
—You won’t make me uncomfortable.
Zhong Yao paused, his heart melting into a warm, soft mass.
His agent is very smart and talented; he can grasp everything instantly, but there’s one thing he just can’t seem to learn.
Lin Zhu will never learn to doubt him.
Zhong Yao was able to sense this sincere and pure trust, and he never dared to betray it in the slightest.
Lin Zhu closed his eyes, tilted his head back slightly, shoulders and neck tensing.
His old scars were so clearly visible.
For fear of upsetting Lin Zhu, Zhong Yao had never paid special attention to the injuries on his body, even when they were being intimate with each other, he would only glance at them. But this time, Zhong Yao suddenly wanted to take a closer look.
Lin Zhu waited for a while, feeling a little uneasy, and whispered, “Zho-Zhong Yao…”
The agent, who was taking the job for the first time, had his own stubbornness and always believed that when doing something serious, he should use a proper title.
However, he rarely called Zhong Yao by his full name. The two words lingered on his lips for a moment, but they carried an unusual tenderness and lingering charm.
Zhong Yao gently kissed his agent’s Adam’s apple. “I’m here.”
A hand encircled his wrist, and a cool, thin piece of fabric wrapped around it, tying Lin Zhu’s intertwined forearms together.
Lin Zhu: “!!”
His first time immediately became this kinky? Exciting!
Lin Zhu’s mind was racing, and he couldn’t help but excitedly turn over, wanting to find Zhong Yao another tie. Zhong Yao gently patted his on the back. “Don’t move, I’m afraid you’ll hurt your wrist. Didn’t it hurt the other day?”
Lin Zhu: “…”
Lin Zhu hadn’t thought of this before, and leaned against Zhong Yao in a daze, letting him help fix his arm.
With everything finally prepared, Zhong Yao breathed a sigh of relief and leaned down to kiss him. “If you’re scared, just hold me.”
Lin Zhu shook his head vigorously. “I’m not afraid!”
Zhong Yao’s heart softened, and he couldn’t help but smile, holding the agent’s person’s fingers together and gently pressing them down.
…
It’s late at night.
Terrified, President Lin finally managed to fall asleep in the cold guest room. His assistant and staff also went to bed. In the villa owner’s bedroom, a faint light shone through the crack in the door.
Zhong Yao held his darling agent. The agent was clinging tightly, eyes glistening with tears from coughing too much. The taller man wrapped him tight with a large blanket, then carried him to the bathroom in a hurry.
