Chapter 46

Chapter 46

"046"

Lu Siye's voice was deep and low, only Xiao Lancui and Fu Chen heard it. Fu Chen frowned heavily, his first instinct was to look at Xiao Lancui.

But Xiao Lancui remained completely unruffled.

Xiao Lancui's expression was indifferent, like facing a rabid dog barking at the sun. No, more like a tiny ant.

Not even worth raising his eyes for.

Xiao Lancui knew Xiao Jingli had arrived. A quick check of the address revealed who owned the place, but Xiao Jingli still got there faster than Xiao Lancui expected.

Damn, that was fast.

Xiao Lancui spoke, "Get Xiao Anfeng out here."

The second those words left his mouth, Fu Chen, Xiao Mian, and Xiao Jingli's faces all changed to varying degrees.

Lu Siye stared at Xiao Lancui, that handsome face completely expressionless. He clicked his tongue, released the door handle, the door slowly swinging shut, still watching Xiao Lancui. "That's tough—he's got no energy right now—"

BAM!

Lu Siye's words were cut off as he got slammed into the door. Xiao Jingli brushed past him and walked right in.

Lu Siye didn't lose his cool, his gaze fixed on Xiao Lancui's face as he smirked. "Your dad's a real brute."

Xiao Lancui blew him off and walked straight in. The lights were off, the floor-to-ceiling curtains wide open, but outside was too dark for any light to filter in. The room was dark and stuffy.

Xiao Lancui glanced at the wall and flicked on the lights.

The sudden brightness had Lu Siye squinting. Watching Xiao Lancui's back, he fixed his robe and followed him in.

Outside, Fu Chen's hands balled into fists, then loosened. He suddenly felt it was all pointless. His hand automatically went to his pants pocket, found his pack of cigarettes, and he headed downstairs without saying a word.

Xiao Mian's head was buzzing, and he hurried into the room in a daze. The moment he stepped into the master bedroom, a dull slap rang out.

Xiao Jingli slapped Xiao Anfeng across the face. The guy, still half out of it, didn't react, his eyelids barely cracked open, his unfocused gaze staring at nothing.

In the light, used condoms were scattered all over the carpet. On the nightstand were an open box of unused condoms and a few empty white bottles.

There were too many condoms. Xiao Lancui stopped half a meter away on a clean spot. His eyesight wasn't the best, so he fished his glasses out of his pocket and put them on.

His vision got a lot clearer. Most of Xiao Anfeng's body was still under the covers, but what was exposed—his neck and shoulders—was gruesome enough, covered in bruises and deep purple and red bite marks.

Xiao Lancui had only ever seen scenes like this described in the original text. Seeing it in person was a first for him.

He watched Xiao Jingli slap Xiao Anfeng again. "You piece of trash! Get the hell up!"

Xiao Lancui reminded him, "Dad, he's on rush."

He watched Xiao Jingli's expression at the same time. Sure enough, Xiao Jingli got it, shooting a deep look back at Lu Siye before turning to wrap Xiao Anfeng back in the blanket and carrying him out in his arms.

Rush is a nitrite inhalant—its main ingredients are strictly regulated dangerous chemicals that are bad for your health and can't be bought through legal channels.

Xiao Jingli knew what rush was—he probably used it regularly himself.

Xiao Lancui put the pieces together, calmly watching Xiao Jingli carry Xiao Anfeng out of the room in big strides. Xiao Mian stood in the middle and got roughly shoved aside by the furious Xiao Jingli, who wasn't picking sides.

Lu Siye followed behind Xiao Lancui, still staring at him, clicking his tongue and saying, "Xiao Lancui, help me explain to your dad, yeah? It was consensual—you'd think I was raping him or something."

Xiao Lancui still didn't look at him. He was about to leave when Lu Siye suddenly stepped in front of him, his face dark and unreadable. "Xiao Lancui, I don't care if you don't clear my name, but there's one thing—"

He leaned down, close to Xiao Lancui's ear, and chuckled low and deep. "You hid my brother away—want me to tell my dad about that?"

Xiao Lancui suddenly got it. Ah, the lookout outside the neighborhood—those were Lu Siye's mom's people.

Lu Siye's dad, per the original text, was named Lu Qing.

Xiao Lancui's mind drifted for a second, and Xiao Mian had already made his move. He came over and punched Lu Siye in the face, yelling, "Stay the hell away from my brother!"

Lu Siye staggered back a few steps, hitting the wall, but just smiled lightly, wiping the corner of his mouth with his thumb, his eyes still darkly locked on Xiao Lancui.

Xiao Mian grabbed Xiao Lancui's arm and dragged him away. Lu Siye didn't chase after them, slowly tossing a few words at Xiao Lancui's back, "Xiao Lancui, my brother's thing isn't over."

Xiao Lancui didn't say anything.

There was no point in negotiating with Lu Siye. Lu Ao's legal guardian was still Lu Qing. Xiao Lancui thought he'd need to find time in the next couple of days to go see Lu Qing.

He hated being watched.

Xiao Lancui didn't interrupt Xiao Mian. Only once they were out of the villa did he speak, "That's enough. The cigarette smell on you hasn't worn off yet."

Xiao Mian then remembered Xiao Lancui hated the smell of smoke. He let go of Xiao Lancui's arm. Tonight he'd taken in way too much overwhelming info, and his mind couldn't process any of it. He picked the thing that was bugging him most to ask: "That pervert said his brother's thing isn't over—what does that mean?"

The pervert was Lu Siye. He hadn't heard what Lu Siye said earlier, but he vaguely remembered, "Isn't his brother, like, a psycho?!"

"It doesn't mean anything." Xiao Lancui walked out. Outside, he heard a car pulling away.

No need to think about it—Xiao Jingli had already taken off with Xiao Anfeng.

Xiao Mian quickly followed, his mind still a mess—jumbled, chaotic, and for a second he was speechless. By the time they got through the garden gate, the only car on the road outside was Fu Chen's supercar.

The window was down, and Fu Chen was puffing on a cigarette.

Xiao Mian blurted out, "Dad's gone?"

Xiao Lancui said flatly, "Yeah." He asked Xiao Mian, "Did you bring your motorcycle or drive?"

"It's freezing out—I'm not that stupid. I drove." Xiao Mian pointed ahead. "Parked over there."

Xiao Lancui started to walk off when Fu Chen's muffled voice came from inside the car, "Classmate Xiao, you deliberately called me here tonight, didn't you?"

Fu Chen couldn't figure it out. He liked Xiao Anfeng—even Lu Siye and Huo Shenan, who'd grown up with him, never noticed. How the hell did Xiao Lancui figure that out?

Fu Chen had felt a little hurt at first, but once that feeling passed, he got even more curious about Xiao Lancui.

A god among men, Xiao Lancui.

Fu Chen added in his head, a god in the good way.

Xiao Lancui answered, "No."

Fu Chen and Huo Shenan weren't part of the plan. The reason he'd called Fu Chen was simple—only he and Huo Shenan could get into Lu Siye's villa, and Huo Shenan's leg wasn't healed enough for speeding.

But Xiao Lancui didn't explain further. It was too cold, so he quickly got into Xiao Mian's car.

Xiao Mian got in after him, started the car, and blurted out, "It's normal that Dad didn't wait for me, but why didn't he wait for you?"

Xiao Mian thought it was really weird.

Xiao Jingli was acting weird—even angrier than Xiao Mian himself.

In Lu Siye's room, Xiao Jingli was way too concerned about Xiao Anfeng—so much it felt off.

It would've made more sense if it were Xiao Lancui...

"Tsk, tsk!" Xiao Mian cursed out loud, "A dog's mouth doesn't produce ivory!"

He blurted that out of nowhere. Xiao Lancui buckled his seatbelt and only responded to his earlier question, "You think Dad actually cares about me?"

Xiao Mian, "..." He twitched his mouth, "Who else would he care about besides you?!"

Xiao Lancui hinted, "Look past the surface to what's underneath."

Then he went quiet and pulled out his phone. Sure enough, a message from Lu Ao popped up, "Bro, the new housekeeper made some really tasty food!"

Xiao Lancui opened the image—a plate of squirrel fish.

Once, when passing through Jiangnan, a local official had prepared a feast, and among the dishes was the regional specialty squirrel fish. Xiao Lancui found it tasty and helped himself to a few more bites.

When he got back to the capital and ate at Lu Ao's palace, Lu Ao had a private kitchen, usually for late-night snacks when he got hungry. Only when Xiao Lancui came over to eat would Lu Ao have the kitchen make a proper meal.

"The imperial kitchen's food is bland," Lu Ao said with a smile. "Teacher only takes a bite or two and then stops."

Lu Ao crouched down, just like he did in their youth, took his hand, and sighed, "Teacher, you're too skinny. Eat more meat, and all your sicknesses will go away."

This time, the private kitchen served a plate of squirrel fish—bright red and golden, with a sweet-and-sour aroma wafting up.

Even more authentic than the one he'd had in Jiangnan.

"A new chef from Jiangnan, who specializes in squirrel fish," Lu Ao said, not eating himself, but kept piling dishes onto Xiao Lancui's plate. "Teacher, eat it while it's hot. It won't taste as good cold."

In the dead of winter, behind Lu Ao's red desk, a small table was set up, covered with dishes Xiao Lancui usually ate more of, along with a plate of fresh, big bayberries on ice.

After the meal, Lu Ao said, as expected, "Teacher, this chef is pretty good. Take him back to your place."

That was when Xiao Lancui confirmed Lu Ao had started to be wary of him.

The people around him—the groom, the servants, the guards... now even the chef had been swapped out for Lu Ao's people.

Xiao Lancui said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

A gentleman is open and honest; Xiao Lancui had nothing he couldn't say to Lu Ao.

But in the end, he still lost to love.

Just then, a text from Qi Ying popped up, "Mr. Xiao, are you free for a meal tomorrow? I'd like to talk to you about something regarding Xiao Zixian."

What great love.

He had planned for everything, except that Lu Ao was a great, devoted fool.

Xiao Lancui calmly deleted Qi Ying's text and replied to Lu Ao, "Looks like the new housekeeper's cooking suits you. Want to keep them?"

Lu Ao called back right away.

Xiao Lancui answered, and the moment he heard Lu Ao's voice, he caught a hint of a warm laugh, "Teacher has sent me so many paintings of bamboo groves. When will you paint one for me too?"

Soon, he was snapped back by the word "brother."

Xiao Lancui said, "Say that again."

Lu Ao immediately said, "Brother!"

Xiao Mian turned his head and asked, "Bro, who's that?" He vaguely heard—another guy.

Lu Ao also asked on the phone, "Brother, who's next to you?"

Xiao Lancui said, "My younger brother." He answered both at the same time.

Xiao Mian went quiet, a weird irritation bubbling up. Xiao Lancui had another younger brother?

On the phone, Lu Ao's voice dropped, "Sorry, brother. I'm interrupting you two. I'll hang up now."

Xiao Lancui heard Lu Ao's deflated breathing and asked, "You feeling homesick?"

"I miss you," Lu Ao's voice was still low, like he had a cold, deep and nasal. "But brother has closer family, right?"

Xiao Lancui got it—Lu Ao was being clingy.

He imagined the look Lu Ao might have right now—maybe his head hanging, maybe even hugging his knees in a corner.

Just like back then, on those old stone steps at school.

The corner of Xiao Lancui's mouth curved slightly for a second, "The day after tomorrow, early morning, I'll bring you brown sugar rice cake sticks. Eat them before you get your stitches out."

Lu Ao asked carefully, "What time the day after tomorrow?"

Xiao Lancui usually said eight. The number was on his lips, but considering how much Lu Ao was looking forward to it, he changed his habit for the first time, "Seven."

"Brother, I love you!" Lu Ao yelled.

Xiao Lancui's long lashes blinked twice, very lightly.

That wolf loved saying that all the time. He'd heard it a lot before and never thought much of it. But now, maybe polluted by having read a ton of "I love you, you love him, he loves you" from the original text, hearing "I love you" felt a little off.

Xiao Lancui snapped back to reality, "Got it. Rest early."

After hanging up, Xiao Lancui knew Xiao Mian had been sneaking glances at him the whole time. He had no intention of explaining anything. He closed his eyes to rest, and only when they got into the city did he tell Xiao Mian, "Go home."

Then he added, "If I were you, I'd call your mom right now."

Xiao Mian didn't get it, "What?"

Xiao Lancui said flatly, "If you don't want Xiao Anfeng beaten to death."

Xiao Mian finally got it. The Xiao family still kept their old-school family discipline. The last time was when Xiao Anfeng got lost and was kidnapped as a kid—even though it was clearly the kidnappers' fault, Xiao Jingli still punished Xiao Anfeng, leaving him in bed for a week.

Xiao Mian quickly called Xie Jingfang to come home. After hanging up, he kept racking his brain over all their relatives.

They had a few younger male cousins, but the ones on the Xie side were Xie family, not related to Xiao Lancui. So it had to be a paternal cousin.

There were only two paternal cousins—one was just a few months old and couldn't call. The other was eighteen, and at family gatherings, Xiao Mian had never once seen him talk to Xiao Lancui.

Could that kid have been sucking up to Xiao Lancui behind his back?

Xiao Mian turned onto the road leading to the Xiao family villa, pulling straight up to the front door before he finally couldn't contain himself any longer. "Bro, which new younger brother of yours is this? Do I know him?"

"You do."

"???"

Xiao Lancui kept his eyes lowered, still looking at that squirrel fish dish. He turned off his phone and got out of the car, saying, "Some psycho."

In the Xiao family garden, Lu Ao hid among several clumps of holly bushes that barely rose above his head, watching from not too far off as Xiao Lancui walked into the villa.

His gaze then shifted to that pesky shadow trailing Xiao Lancui, and Lu Ao's dark eyes narrowed dangerously.

Xiao Mian.

The fourth brother of Xiao Lancui's current body, and also the buzzing fly from the phone call earlier.

At that moment, a string of screams erupted from inside the villa.