Chapter 39

Chapter 39

"039"

Xiao Lancui had just reached the door when it opened before him, just as it had last night.

"Brother!"

Having rarely seen sunlight, Lu Ao's complexion was as sickly pale as Xiao Lancui's, with two patches of dark purple clearly visible under his eyes.

Lu Ao took the several large bags of breakfast.

They were heavy, but he lifted them easily with one hand, yet he didn't leave. He stood at the entrance waiting for Xiao Lancui.

Xiao Lancui changed his shoes and went inside, and only then did Lu Ao follow him in like a shadow.

The dining table was a solid wood rectangle, about five feet long—not small—but it still felt crowded with the food Xiao Lancui had brought.

The portions weren't large, but there was a wide variety.

Xiao Lancui sat down and asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"

The sofa wasn't small—a three-seater—but unfortunately Lu Ao was far too large. He must have slept cramped last night, which was probably why his dark circles were so bad.

Lu Ao shook his head honestly. "A bit narrow." He blushed shyly. "I rolled off three times."

The corner of Xiao Lancui's mouth twitched slightly. Lu Ao stared without blinking and said, "Brother, you have a really nice smile."

Xiao Lancui didn't say anything. He picked up his spoon and scooped up a plump wonton, saying, "How many people have you even met to say that?"

"Dad, Auntie Han, Big Brother, Butler Wu..." Lu Ao started counting, finally stopping at Xiao Lancui. "Plus you, brother, that makes 12."

Xiao Lancui chewed the wonton. It wasn't as fresh anymore from the time spent on the road, but the bok choy and beef still tasted pretty good. He swallowed and asked, "Are you heading home today?"

Lu Ao's eyes dimmed. He lowered his head and gently set down his chopsticks. "Brother, are you gonna send me back?"

Xiao Lancui said, "I'm not gonna, but if you want to go, I won't stop you."

From Lu Ao's attitude, he didn't hate the Lu family. He was merely afraid of needles, afraid of being locked up in a mental hospital.

Lu Ao shook his head immediately. "I'm not going back. They..." His voice was very low. "They don't like me."

Xiao Lancui set down his spoon. It was only natural—Lu Ao had grown up starved for love, locked away from the world. It made sense he craved family.

He picked up a clean pair of chopsticks, grabbed a small soup dumpling, and placed it on Lu Ao's plate. "Okay, if you don't wanna go back, you can stay here."

Lu Ao's head shot up. "Can I stay here forever?"

"You can." Xiao Lancui smiled. "You can stay, and you can leave whenever you want. You're free."

Lu Ao stared at him, dazed, then suddenly said, "Brother, I like you."

Xiao Lancui's long lashes fluttered slightly. He felt no guilt about leading on a young pup.

He would give Lu Ao everything he wanted. Someday, everything the Lu family owned would go back to Lu Ao, and as for love—he'd give that to Lu Ao too.

He set down his chopsticks and motioned for Lu Ao to come closer. Lu Ao stood up, easily leaning over the table. "What is it, brother?"

A cool hand landed on Lu Ao's forehead, and he patted his head gently. Xiao Lancui said, "I like you too."

Lu Ao felt like his heart had been stabbed. He stared at the smiling face so close to him, and jealousy nearly overwhelmed him.

Xiao Lancui had never told him he liked him.

"Alan, I like you!"

Back when they were young, Xiao Lancui would just pat his head and brush it off.

But later.

"Teacher, I like you!"

"Teacher, I really like you."

Xiao Lancui would just smile. "Your Majesty could say that to other officials too. You've just ascended the throne—you need to establish authority, but you also need to show favor."

But now, he'd responded to a useless idiot.

"I like you too."

Lu Ao's blood boiled. Under the table, his hands clenched so hard his knuckles cracked. His face gave nothing away—he looked at Xiao Lancui happily and said, "Brother, you're the best!"

"Sit back down and eat. It's gonna get cold."

Lu Ao sat back in his chair. He picked up the soup dumpling, and he crushed the tasty dumpling to mush in his mouth.

Lu Ao cleaned up the whole breakfast spread. As he cleared the table, he was clumsy doing it—the Lu family's youngest son had been locked away since he was a kid and had never been asked to do chores like this.

He finished clearing up, a bit clumsily, and returned from the kitchen to find Xiao Lancui drinking some brown liquid.

On the table was another bottle with a lighter-colored liquid.

Xiao Lancui drained the bottle and looked at Lu Ao. "Clean up. We're heading out in ten minutes."

"Okay!"

Xiao Lancui left for the bathroom.

As soon as the bathroom door closed, Lu Ao quickly grabbed the empty sippy cup and strode into the kitchen.

A little liquid remained. Lu Ao opened the lid and quickly tasted the residual brown liquid.

His tongue identified the herbs, and Lu Ao nearly crushed the sippy cup in his hand.

Detoxification decoction!

Lu Ao had studied under renowned physicians and imperial doctors for years, and had read every medical text in existence. His medical skills were fairly accomplished.

Murderous rage surged through Lu Ao.

Who dared to poison Xiao Lancui?

"Mom, you... you poisoned Xiao Lancui too?" In Xie Jingfang's bedroom, Xiao Anfeng looked at her in disbelief.

Xie Jingfang's face was pale. She nervously grabbed Xiao Anfeng's hand. "Mom did it all for you—"

The moment her hand was seized, Xiao Anfeng suddenly yanked it away. He stepped back, eyes reddening. "Don't say it was for me. It was for yourself! This is murder, this is a crime! You pushed him into the sea too, didn't you!"

Xie Jingfang's hand struck the side cabinet as it was flung away. She winced in pain, but Xiao Anfeng didn't notice, still venting his emotions. "You all knew who Xiao Lancui was—only me, only I was kept in the dark!"

“I'm such an idiot!” Xiao Anfeng was about to lose his mind. The only thing he had over Xiao Lancui where Xiao Jingli was concerned was blood relation, and now he was told Xiao Lancui also had Xiao family blood. So what did that make him?

He couldn't control his twisted, demonic thoughts. He started resenting Xie Jingfang for not fighting hard enough to win Xiao Jingli's love, which led Xiao Jingli to cheat with another woman and father Xiao Lancui, stealing the father's love that should have been his.

He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself. When Xie Jingfang came over to hug him again, saying, "An Feng, Mommy was wrong..."

He avoided her again, not wanting to see her right now. Turning his back, he said, "I need some time to cool off. Don't come looking for me for a while."

And with that, he stormed off.

Watching Xiao Anfeng leave, Xie Jingfang covered her mouth and sank to the floor. Her stomach hurt, her heart hurt, every organ in her body was in pain. Xiao Anfeng was the child she loved most. When Xiao Mian was sick with a fever as a kid, because Xiao Anfeng was scared of thunder, she still chose to sleep with Xiao Anfeng instead.

She'd kept the truth from Xiao Anfeng because she wanted him to be happier...

The scraped skin on her hand stung like a thousand needles. Thinking about how Xiao Anfeng had brushed her off, she finally burst into tears.

Her throat was nearly raw from crying when she suddenly remembered what Xiao Anfeng had said earlier.

"You're the one who pushed him into the sea, aren't you!"

She pushed Xiao Lancui into the sea?

Xie Jingfang stopped crying, her heart pounding.

Xiao Lancui was pushed into the sea?!

Meanwhile, Xiao Anfeng arrived at Xiao Corporation. He ran straight into the general manager's office, shoving the door open despite the secretary trying to stop him. The reports inside cut off abruptly as several executives turned around in unison.

Xiao Liqin saw Xiao Anfeng's red eyes and immediately got up from his chair, saying, "You can all leave for now."

The executives quickly cleared out.

Xiao Anfeng stood at the door without moving, glaring at Xiao Liqin with bloodshot eyes. Xiao Liqin's heart went out to him. He hurried over, pulled him inside, shut the door, and checked his eyes. "What happened?"

Xiao Anfeng let Xiao Liqin's fingers move over his eyes, forcing the words out through clenched teeth, "When did you find out Xiao Lancui was Dad's bastard son?"

Xiao Liqin's fingers paused for a second, then gently wiped the dampness from the corner of Xiao Anfeng's eye. "Who told you that?"

"Answer me!" Xiao Anfeng's eyes grew wet again.

Xiao Liqin hedged, "I didn't find out much earlier than you did."

"Then when? Give me the exact time."

"When you were in middle school."

"Fine, fine, fine." Xiao Anfeng let out three laughs in a row. He pulled Xiao Liqin's hand away, took a deep breath, and said, "Don't follow me!"

He turned, pulled open the door, and ran off again.

Xiao Liqin rubbed his forehead, frustrated. He knew exactly how Xiao Anfeng's temper worked. He went back to his desk, grabbed his phone, and called Xiao Mian. "If your second brother asks you about Xiao Lancui's background, act like you just found out. Make it believable, and I'll get you that motorcycle you've been wanting."

Xiao Mian paused, "Too late, bro... I was the second one he asked..."

Xiao Liqin hung up. He paced a couple of steps, losing his composure for the first time, and impulsively dialed Xiao Lancui's number.

It was also the first time he'd ever called Xiao Lancui.

The phone rang twice before being hung up.

Xiao Lancui put away his phone and had the store assistant grab the largest size of the matching men's outfits off the mannequin—twenty sets total—and bring them to the fitting room for Lu Ao.

Lu Ao wore a mask. Every time he changed into a new outfit and came out of the fitting room, the store assistant would gush over him.

Part of it was for the sales commission, but also because Lu Ao was a natural clothes hanger. Every set looked like it came straight off a male model.

Xiao Lancui had the assistant wrap everything up and paid by card.

Lu Ao whispered in his ear, "Too expensive, brother. I can't wear that many."

His demeanor reminded Xiao Lancui of the first time he'd brought a new set of clothes for young Lu Ao.

It was just a simple long robe, but Lu Ao was overjoyed. He kept spinning around Xiao Lancui's wheelchair, "A Lan, do I look good?"

Lu Ao was good-looking.

A year later, he'd grown even more handsome and tall. Little palace maids would often sneak peeks at him in the cold palace.

Lu Ao did enjoy wearing nice clothes.

Xiao Lancui paid swiftly. Though Lu Ao was a good half head taller than him, his gesture of patting Lu Ao's head was smooth and natural. "Don't worry, I'm very wealthy."

The touch on his head was fleeting, and another wave of sourness surged in Lu Ao's heart.

That was the second time Xiao Lancui had touched this mortal body today.

Pushing a shopping cart from the mall, Xiao Lancui led Lu Ao on a shopping spree, and even the largest cart overflowed.

With most things taken care of, Xiao Lancui took Lu Ao downstairs to a phone store.

He told Lu Ao to pick out a phone. "I won't be coming back often for now. If you need me, contact me by phone."

He added, "No need to save money. Choose what you like."

Lu Ao said, "As long as I can call you, brother, I don't need any other features."

He asked the store assistant for a basic senior phone.

Xiao Lancui let him be. Coming out of the phone store, his phone rang. The new bed he'd ordered at the furniture store earlier was being delivered, arriving in three hours.

Xiao Lancui hung up. "We'll eat out for lunch. What do you want to—"

He turned and suddenly met a pair of bright, focused eyes.

Xiao Lancui paused slightly, the rest of his words fading on his lips.

He watched as the tall young man leaned in, both arms firmly wrapping around his back. Despite the strain on his right hand, he stubbornly held on tight.

A low, resolute voice spoke firmly in his ear—

"Brother, from now on, I'll earn the money to take care of you."