Qi Xiuyi stood up unsteadily, supporting himself on his knees. He staggered a couple of steps, but was held steady by Qi Wendong.

Qi Wendong half-embraced him, leading him towards the car. He walked slowly and steadily. Qi Xiuyi didn’t need to think to know that Qi Wendong was accommodating his pace.

The short walk from the alley to the car took less than half a minute.

In that half-minute, Qi Xiuyi watched as Qi Wendong calmly directed the others, telling them to clean up the scene, notify the relevant families to demand an explanation, and instruct the butler to inform the family doctor in advance… all sorts of things, in an orderly fashion, with no detail overlooked.

Qi Xiuyi was suddenly reminded of when he used to see his father assigning tasks to his subordinates at the company. He seemed to have the same demeanor.

His word was law, he was at ease, and with just a few words, he had everything under control.

Qi Wendong suddenly turned his head and met his gaze, which he hadn’t had time to retract.

Qi Wendong asked, “What are you looking at?”

Qi Xiuyi: “…”

Qi Xiuyi averted his gaze somewhat unnaturally. After a moment of silence, he said in a small voice, “There was another guy on lookout outside the alley… you didn’t let him get away, did you?”

Qi Wendong said, “We caught him before we even found you.”

Qi Xiuyi: “Oh. That’s good. You’re amazing.”

Qi Wendong looked at him strangely, not responding.

Just then, they arrived at the car. Qi Wendong helped him open the door and said to him briefly, “Get in.”

Right now, every part of Qi Xiuyi’s body was aching. Both his hands were covered in blood, the pain making his nerves throb.

This made the act of getting into the car a bit difficult for him.

But Qi Wendong was very patient tonight. He even reached out and put his hand between his head and the car frame, preventing him from hitting the car.

Qi Xiuyi managed to get into the car with difficulty.

Watching Qi Wendong sit down beside him, he said somewhat unnaturally, “…Thank you.”

Unfortunately, Qi Wendong didn’t seem to have heard his thanks.

It was very hot in the car. After getting in, Qi Wendong rolled up his own sleeves, then glanced at him, leaned forward, and directly unbuttoned his coat, pulled down the hood, took the coat off him, and tossed it to the side of the back seat.

As he was taking it off, Qi Wendong asked him, “Besides your two hands, where else are you seriously injured?”

Qi Xiuyi answered in a small voice, “…My waist.”

He turned to the side. “And my shoulder, here. He kicked me a lot.”

“And my back… a little higher up. Yes, right here. He hit me with a helmet…”

For every place Qi Xiuyi mentioned, Qi Wendong would respond patiently.

Then he would lift his clothes and check each spot he had mentioned.

Touching his waist, feeling his shoulder.

After a while, his brow would furrow, and he would turn to the butler sitting in the front passenger seat and tell him something to relay to the family doctor in advance.

Qi Xiuyi didn’t listen carefully.

His attention was mostly focused on the pair of hands that were constantly roaming and pressing on his body.

Soft, and for the most part, very delicate. When they moved across his skin, a tingling numbness would run down his spine.

But there were two places with thin calluses.

When the calloused parts touched him, it would tickle so much that he would subconsciously clench his abdominal muscles, which would then pull on the bruised areas, making him gently suck in a breath of cold air in pain.

But Qi Wendong didn’t know he was ticklish. He thought there was some internal injury in the area being examined and was about to turn and tell the butler again.

Qi Xiuyi quickly stopped him. “…No, no, that doesn’t hurt. It’s my hands that hurt.”

Qi Wendong blinked and comforted him, “We’re almost home. I’ll have the doctor get you some painkillers in a bit.”

Qi Xiuyi responded in a low voice.

He stared at his own hands in a daze, bloody and excruciatingly painful.

But this pain carried an unknown magic, extinguishing the anger, madness, and almost twisted hatred of the past three days into a void.

So much so that when he recalled it now, even just recalling what had happened that afternoon, it felt incredibly blurry and distant, as if a long time had passed.

Qi Wendong…

How could he have hated Qi Wendong so much before…?

Qi Xiuyi recalled in a daze.

It was already four in the morning, and the sky was beginning to lighten.

There were even fewer cars on the road than at three o’clock. On the entire drive home, they probably didn’t see more than three cars.

Therefore, the car drove very fast, and they were home in less than five minutes.

As soon as he got out of the car, the family doctor hurried over, surrounding him, and took him aside to stop the bleeding, bandage his wounds, and examine his body.

Qi Wendong sat beside him.

It wasn’t until the doctors concluded that all his injuries were superficial and that no bones were broken that he nodded and stood up.

Qi Xiuyi subconsciously followed his movement, lifted his head, and asked, “Where are you going?”

Qi Wendong said, “It’s four in the morning. Of course, I’m going back to my room to sleep.”

Qi Xiuyi immediately became anxious. “Wait! Don’t go! I’m so seriously injured, and you’re just going back to sleep like this?”

Qi Wendong: “?”

Qi Wendong was very strange. “I wasn’t the one who hit you, nor was I the one who kicked you out of the house. Why can’t I go to sleep?”

Qi Wendong had a point, but Qi Xiuyi was just overcome with anger.

He was so angry he shot up from his seat and kicked the table. The pain in his toes made him suck in a sharp breath of cold air, tears welling up in his eyes.

Perhaps because he had cried a lot today, once the tears started falling, he couldn’t stop them.

He sobbed and sniffled. “I don’t care! If it weren’t for you, why would I have gone out? Why would I have encountered something like this! …You, you have to stay and keep me company!”

Qi Wendong: “.”

Qi Wendong tilted his head. “Stay, and then what?”

“And then…”

Qi Xiuyi’s mind went blank. After holding it in for a long time, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: “After I’m bandaged up, let’s talk!”

Qi Wendong stared at him for a long time, making the back of his neck tingle.

He sighed and said, “Alright.”

Then he turned and left.

…Turned?

Left??

Qi Xiuyi’s eyes widened in disbelief. He cried out in extreme anger, “Qi Wendong, come back! You… shouldn’t you be a little responsible for me! …Qi Wendong!!”

Qi Wendong completely ignored him.

His steps were steady and unhurried as he went upstairs, into his room, and closed the door.

A torrent of emotions once again gathered in Qi Xiuyi’s chest.

For the first time since he was rescued, his sense of grievance surfaced from the bottom of his heart and immediately engulfed him.

Qi Wendong…

How could this person be like this!!

But before these emotions could ferment.

Qi Wendong walked out of his room. His high-collared sweater had been replaced with a comfortable, long-sleeved striped pajama shirt, and he had a book in his hand.

The rhythmic sound of his footsteps echoed on the stairs.

Qi Wendong raised an eyebrow slightly, looking down from above, and said, “I can’t just sit here and wait for you. What’s the rush?”

Qi Xiuyi: “…”

All the various emotions in Qi Xiuyi’s chest were shattered by this one sentence.

His cheeks felt a little hot.

He averted his gaze and mumbled in a small voice, “…You should have told me first.”

Qi Wendong let out a soft sneer but didn’t say anything. He found a sofa beside him, sat down, and started reading his book.

The process of bandaging and applying medicine was not fast.

Qi Xiuyi either sat or lay on his stomach, letting the family doctor do as he pleased.

With nothing to do, he couldn’t help but secretly size up Qi Wendong.

When Qi Wendong wasn’t talking, he sat there quietly, looking like the top student of the grade in middle school, “well-behaved” written all over him from head to toe.

But Qi Xiuyi knew very well what a wicked heart was hidden beneath such a harmless surface!

…Alright.

To say wicked was a bit of an exaggeration.

At least tonight, he wouldn’t curse Qi Wendong even once!

Qi Xiuyi was lost in thought and didn’t hear the family doctor’s occasional questions of “Does it hurt?”, so naturally, he didn’t react at all.

It wasn’t until the family doctor had patted him several times to remind him that the bandaging and application of medicine were complete that he suddenly came to his senses.

…So fast!

Qi Xiuyi didn’t know why the bandaging was so quick today.

But his joy and anticipation quickly overshadowed his confusion. He called out to Qi Wendong, “Qi Wendong, I’m done!”

Qi Wendong looked up from his book and glanced at him. “You’re so dirty. Aren’t you going to wipe yourself down and wash your hair first?”

Qi Xiuyi: “.”

Qi Xiuyi’s joy dissipated in a second. He put on a straight face and said expressionlessly, “You really are best when you’re not talking.”

Qi Wendong: “So, are you washing or not?”

Qi Xiuyi: “I’m washing.”

After applying medicine and being bandaged, any activity that required contact with water became troublesome.

It took Qi Xiuyi a full thirty minutes to clean his head and body.

When he returned to the living room on the first floor, he saw that Qi Wendong’s book was placed upside down on his lap. The young man was leaning diagonally against the sofa, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling gently. It seemed he had fallen asleep.

Before Qi Xiuyi could decide whether to wake him up, Qi Wendong was woken up by his footsteps. His brow furrowed, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Qi Xiuyi hesitated. “So sleepy? Maybe…”

Qi Wendong: “Did you fall in the bathroom? Why did it take you so long to take a shower?”

They spoke at the same time.

The little bit of guilt that had been in Qi Xiuyi’s heart instantly vanished. He sat down on the sofa opposite Qi Wendong with some annoyance.

Qi Xiuyi said angrily, “Qi Wendong! What would happen if you didn’t talk so sarcastically!”

Qi Wendong was confused. “Where was I being sarcastic? I was clearly expressing my confusion.”

Qi Xiuyi huffed and leaned back. The movement was too big and pulled on his back, making him hiss in pain and sit up straight again.

Seeing this, Qi Wendong said kindly, “You’ve already been beaten up. Don’t be so angry.”

Qi Xiuyi: “…”

Qi Xiuyi said gloomily, “No wonder I disliked you so much before.”

Qi Wendong: “Oh? You don’t dislike me now?”

“Now…” Qi Xiuyi was so angry he wanted to say, “Of course I dislike you.”

But the words were stuck in his throat for a long time. The memory of being enveloped in Qi Wendong’s warmth amidst the cold wind and pain just a short while ago seemed to be deliberately replaying on the surface of his consciousness.

He was silent for a long moment, then finally lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, “Now… thank you for tonight.”

Qi Wendong rested one hand on the sofa, supporting his head, a little surprised.

Qi Wendong: “…Oh, you’re welcome.”

Qi Xiuyi suddenly asked, “Do you know where I went tonight?”

Qi Wendong: “Hmm?”

Qi Xiuyi was a little nervous. “…Tonight, I was originally planning to run away from home.”

Qi Wendong: “And then you ran out of money, got beaten up, and were forced to come back?”

Qi Xiuyi: “…Can you not talk?”

Qi Wendong: “Oh.”

Qi Xiuyi said dejectedly, “Actually, I know… Dad has always been very dissatisfied with me because I can’t be what he wants. Now that he’s found out I’m not his biological son, he must feel very relieved. What’s more… you’re so outstanding.”

He laughed at himself. “From this point of view, you really are much more like Dad than I am. You truly deserve to be his biological son.”

Qi Wendong: “You’re too kind. That is indeed the case.”

Qi Xiuyi was furious. “How can you be so shameless!”

Qi Wendong said calmly, “So, what exactly did you want to say to me?”

Qi Xiuyi: “…”

Qi Xiuyi felt extremely wronged. He rarely swallowed his pride, but he said in a small voice, “…I wanted to say, should we be friends?”

He immediately added a patch. “Of course, I’m saying this because I don’t think we need to end up like the He brothers. Anyway, Dad has allowed me to stay. We can be like you said… we can just be sworn brothers.”

A small smile appeared on Qi Xiuyi’s face. “I’m very familiar with the capital. I can show you around the entire capital! We can also travel out of the province, or even out of the country. I’m not as familiar with other places as I am with the capital, but I’m still very familiar! If you’re interested in antique collection, I can also lend you my entire collection to look at. I can’t say it’s the largest in the whole country, but I guarantee that in the entire capital, you definitely won’t find a second person with a larger collection than me!”

Qi Xiuyi’s words came faster and faster, and he became more and more excited. For the first time in these few days, a fire ignited in his eyes.

It was friendliness, sincerity, and also hope.

He sincerely hoped that Qi Wendong would accept his invitation of friendship.

However, after waiting for a long time, Qi Wendong never responded, just watched him quietly.

Qi Xiuyi became anxious. “Why are you staring at me? Say something!”

Qi Wendong asked calmly, “And what about you? What do you hope to get from me?”

Qi Xiuyi was stunned. “Get what?”

He realized and said with some annoyance, “You can give me whatever you want! We’re being friends, being brothers, not doing business!”

Qi Wendong laughed, as if in sudden realization. “Oh—”

The next moment, Qi Wendong’s smile vanished. His tone changed, and his expression turned cold. “But, I’m not interested in any of these.”

“And, don’t you think it’s a bit inappropriate to keep using my dad’s money to collect antiques like this?”

Qi Wendong closed his book with a “snap,” his face indifferent.

He stood up, supporting himself on his knees, and glanced at him sideways.

“Of course—if you can develop some other hobbies, I won’t interfere. Anyway, the pressure of inheriting the family business will be borne by me in the future. You just need to be well-cared for at home and not run around causing trouble.”

Qi Wendong yawned. “Alright, is that all you wanted to say? Nothing else? Then I’m going to sleep. Good night.”

Qi Xiuyi’s eyes widened. He had not expected that the first time he so sincerely invited someone to be his friend, he would be met with such a large basin of cold water.

And—

What did he mean by “you just need to be well-cared for at home”?

What did he mean by “not run around causing trouble is enough”?

He, he, he…

Qi Xiuyi was so angry that he once again shot up and kicked over the table.

His chest heaved violently up and down. “Qi Wendong! What do you mean? Get back here!”

Qi Wendong was already halfway up the stairs. Hearing him, he didn’t turn back, just raised his hand and waved behind him as he leisurely returned to his room.

Qi Xiuyi gritted his teeth tightly. A huge sense of grievance surged to the heavens.

He shouted angrily towards the second floor, “….Qi Wendong!! I really do still hate you!!!”

…

Lin Chen returned to his room, closed the door, put down his book, and let out a big yawn.

The System heard the angry shout from outside the door and said with some sympathy, “Host, Qi Xiuyi is so sincere! I just eavesdropped on his heartbeat. He really wants to be on good terms with you! You, you, you… how could you…”

Lin Chen: “?”

Lin Chen: “What, you really want me to be good brothers with him?”

The System hesitated. “No, it wouldn’t affect anything, right? And won’t you… hurt Qi Xiuyi’s feelings too much by doing this?”

Lin Chen said with a blank expression, “Oh? But am I here to woo Qi Xiuyi?”

“I’m here to reform him!”

“Look at the Qi family! Have there been few people who coddled him and spoiled him? Have there been few people who could play with him? Can having a good relationship with him and being liked by him change him?”

“No!”

“If I become good brothers with him, then who will bear his hatred, who will bear his gaze and pursuit, who will stimulate his motivation to change?”

Three consecutive questions, forcing the System to be unable to answer a single word.

The System let out a shameful “Wuuu—”

Lin Chen rolled onto the bed. “If you ask a question like that again, you can go back to the kindergarten for systems and repeat your studies!”