Chapter 52

Chapter 52

"052"

The road was congested, and at a crossroads, the car came to a stop.

Lu Ao was still holding Xiao Lancui's left hand in his pocket. Maybe the car's heater was cranked up too high; Xiao Lancui, who usually ran cold, felt warm, especially his palm—scorching hot and slightly sticky, like he'd sweated.

Xiao Lancui was about to withdraw his hand when the driver's voice suddenly came from the front.

"Hey, Daddy's driving here."

The driver had the call on speakerphone, and a little girl's bright voice piped up, "Daddy! What day is it tomorrow!"

The driver chuckled, "How could I forget—tomorrow is my baby girl's 8th birthday!"

Hearing "birthday," Xiao Lancui remembered that tomorrow was also the birthday Lu Ao had picked for himself.

Because of the Late Emperor, Lu Ao hated the day of his birth and had moved his birthday to a cold winter day.

Xiao Lancui only remembered later: that was the day Lu Ao knelt before his wheelchair on the plum garden path.

In a daze, Xiao Lancui forgot to pull his hand back, and the sweet call up front went on.

The little girl reminded her dad, "You promised to take me and Mom to the amusement park for my birthday. If you forget again, I'm not talking to you anymore!"

The driver said with a grin, "Alright, alright, we're definitely going this year!"

The traffic started moving, and the driver hung up. Lu Ao noticed Xiao Lancui's unusual state, turned to him, and asked cautiously, "Brother, you feeling carsick?"

Xiao Lancui was about to shake his head, but then he nodded instead. "Mm, a little off."

"I've got an idea!" Lu Ao suddenly released Xiao Lancui's hand and pulled his hand out of his pocket.

Without that broad, large hand, Xiao Lancui realized—it wasn't the pocket that was warm; it was Lu Ao's hand that was warm.

He pulled his own hand back too; it wasn't sweaty, just cool and dry. The sticky, sweaty feeling from before had just been his imagination.

As Xiao Lancui pondered this, Lu Ao brought an unwrapped candy to his lips. Lu Ao leaned close and said, "Open up, brother."

Xiao Lancui instinctively opened his mouth, and Lu Ao popped a round, light-brown candy into his mouth.

A lingering citrus fragrance spread across his tongue, followed by a fresh, slightly bitter herbal taste, mixed with a crisp minty coolness that shot straight to his head.

The bittersweet, cool sensation wrapped around his throat, felt really soothing.

Xiao Lancui rolled the candy around in his mouth for another second. "Licorice, lily, bergamot, honeysuckle—" He tasted it again. "Monk fruit, chrysanthemum, red tangerine peel..."

He couldn't identify the rest and asked Lu Ao, "What else is in these?"

Lu Ao's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Brother, how would I know? I just grabbed some random jar of candy."

Of course Lu Ao hadn't just grabbed them at random. Winter was dry, and Xiao Lancui's throat often bothered him—he took more medicine every day than he ate food. That day, Lu Ao had spotted this jar of bergamot throat lozenges, tried one, and knew Xiao Lancui would like them, so he bought them.

He didn't say anything, slowly savoring the candy. He liked it a lot and asked Lu Ao for another. By the time he finished the second candy, the car had pulled up slowly to the entrance of the residential complex.

At home, the housekeeper had already cleaned up, and a faint fragrance of winter plum blossoms lingered in the air.

It was from a few branches of winter plum blossoms the housekeeper had brought, arranged in a simple vase.

In the mausoleum, a collection of the finest porcelain from the Dali dynasty had been entombed with the dead. A few vases had been picked by Lu Ao based on Xiao Lancui's tastes. Seeing Xiao Lancui glance at the plum blossom vase twice, Lu Ao thought he'd need to go back to the mausoleum one day, pick out a vase, and send it to an auction house so the owner could find an excuse to gift it to Xiao Lancui.

"I'm going to take a shower." Lu Ao turned around at the sudden remark, and Xiao Lancui had already gone into the bedroom.

This was the first time Xiao Lancui had spent the night since moving in.

Lu Ao listened to the sound of trickling water, undid two buttons on his shirt, grabbed a handful of bergamot throat lozenges, and went out to the terrace.

Xiao Lancui didn't drink or smoke. Lu Ao drank occasionally, but only far from Xiao Lancui—at the border camp, when he was wounded and near death, or when he missed Xiao Lancui so much he thought he'd lose his mind. And sometimes, he smoked too.

Now, of course, he couldn't smoke. He bit down hard on a candy, crushing it as he chewed to tamp down the heat building inside him.

In the cold winter night wind, the bitterness in his mouth did nothing to cool the heat surging through him. Lu Ao's mind wandered back to that summer evening—

Xiao Lancui had let down his hair bun and was resting in the bamboo grove, fast asleep on a bamboo chair. His robes had come loose, revealing a patch of snow-white skin, and—

Feet so white they were almost blinding.

Lu Ao got even hotter. He shoved the rest of the candies into his mouth and chewed them all. Suddenly, the sliding door opened, and Xiao Lancui's clear voice rang out, "What are you doing out on the terrace?"

Lu Ao turned around. Xiao Lancui had changed into light silver silk pajamas. His damp hair had just been blow-dried, messy and slightly tousled, partially covering his eyes. The faint pink flush from the steam hadn't yet faded from his fair face, chasing away his usual cold authority, making him look extraordinarily soft, and—

"Brother, you're so cute." Lu Ao swallowed the candy whole.

Xiao Lancui mulled over the word "cute." It was unfamiliar to him—shouldn't that be a word he'd use for Lu Ao?

The next second, a gust of cold wind hit his face. He'd only cracked the terrace door open, but it was still too cold. He wrinkled his nose slightly, and Lu Ao stepped into the room in one stride, quickly closing the terrace door behind him, answering his question, "I think I'm a bit carsick too. The fresh air helped."

The cold air was shut out, and the room returned to its spring-like warmth. Xiao Lancui didn't dwell on the "cute" comment.

He brought up something else. "We're going to the amusement park tomorrow."

Lu Ao's eyelids twitched. Tomorrow was the day he and Xiao Lancui first met—did Xiao Lancui actually remember?

He smiled. "Mm!"

Xiao Lancui looked at him and asked, "Aren't you going to ask why?"

Lu Ao shook his head. "Whatever brother says can't be wrong. I just do what you say."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Xiao Lancui's lips. He said calmly, "Then what if I said I want you to be with only me for the rest of your life—would you listen to that too?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Xiao Lancui was pulled tightly into the young man's embrace. Those two broad palms, through the thin fabric, gripped his waist firmly, and the breath against his ear was hot yet careful.

"Brother, you'll never leave me, right?"

He didn't answer, but asked another question instead.

Xiao Lancui had grown accustomed to Lu Ao's sudden embraces, but Lu Ao was just so strong—he held him too tight. Xiao Lancui patted Lu Ao's arm to signal him to let go. Lu Ao understood, but instead of obeying, he tightened his hold even more, burying his chin deeper into Xiao Lancui's neck, and said in a low, husky voice, "I won't let go. Brother is mine—mine alone."

Like a puppy with no sense of security.

Xiao Lancui wasn't used to such intimate embraces. Even the real Lu Ao—except for a few times in his youth—had later been forbidden from being clingy with him.

Perhaps it was his own aloofness that had caused that wolf to gradually drift away from him.

In relationships, a little closeness helps build bonds. Besides, Lu Ao growing increasingly dependent on him was exactly what he wanted.

Just as Lu Ao belonged only to him, he was, of course, only Lu Ao's brother.

From now on, and for the rest of his life, until the very second he stops breathing, they will be each other's one and only.

Xiao Lancui reached out and patted Lu Ao's back reassuringly, answering him definitively, "Mm, if you don't want to let go, then don't."

In response, Lu Ao pulled him even closer, more possessively. The young man, his cheek now smooth, nuzzled gently against Xiao Lancui's neck, "Brother, I love you so much."

Xiao Lancui nodded in acknowledgment, "I—"

Before he could finish, Lu Ao suddenly let go, pushing Xiao Lancui back by the shoulders, "Brother, we'll talk later—I'm going to shower!"

With that, he dodged around him and hurried into the bathroom.

Xiao Lancui's lips were still forming the word "love." A second later, he closed his mouth. Such occasional bursts of impulsiveness were very much like a puppy. Xiao Lancui went to get himself a glass of warm water. After drinking it, the second bathroom was still roaring with water. He knocked on the door, "I'm heading to bed first. When you're done, get some rest too."

Lu Ao's "Mm" came back, muffled, wet, and low.

Xiao Lancui returned to his room.

He turned on his phone, swiped away the pile of explanatory texts from Xiao Jingli, and saw one from an unfamiliar number—

"Don't worry about the surgery costs or the psycho's meds. I'll cover them from now on."

Xiao Lancui screenshotted it and saved it, then opened his browser to search for the most popular amusement park in the capital.

A theme park on the outskirts, a two-hour drive from the neighborhood, and about the same by subway.

The park had a fireworks show and a limited-time float parade at night. If they stayed for everything, it would be 11 PM by the time it ended. Xiao Lancui booked a two-person VIP package, plus a night at the park's own hotel in a luxury double room.

After booking, he was about to set the phone down again. He glanced at the park's birthday-limited dinner page, his gaze lingering for a couple of seconds. He didn't book it, turned off his phone, and went to rest.

The night was too quiet. The water in the second bathroom—Xiao Lancui watched the clock until 2 AM before it finally stopped.

He had woken several times, half-suspecting Lu Ao had passed out, and went to check on him more than once. Each time, Lu Ao answered perfectly normally.

Hearing the lighter footsteps, Xiao Lancui confirmed Lu Ao was truly fine, and finally fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke again, the housekeeper was already there making breakfast.

It was the first time Xiao Lancui had seen her—a woman in her early fifties who made excellent Jiangnan-style dishes.

Breakfast was also light and refreshing, in the Jiangnan style, and the clear shrimp noodles suited Xiao Lancui's palate perfectly.

He ate most of the bowl, and Lu Ao simply took the rest, tipping it into his own bowl with a laugh, "I didn't get enough—perfect!"

The housekeeper brought over some cut fruit and remarked with a smile, "You two brothers get along so well!"

Lu Ao kept eating his noodles without replying, and Xiao Lancui just smiled softly, offering no explanation.

After breakfast, Xiao Lancui still called a private car to take them to the amusement park. The subway had better airflow than a car, but it was too crowded, always full of unpleasant smells.

As soon as they got in the car, Lu Ao signed up for driving school, his dark eyes locked on Xiao Lancui, "From now on, brother, you're only riding in cars I drive!"

Xiao Lancui nodded, "Once you get your license."

At the amusement park, the VIP pass gave them a dedicated entrance, with a staff member assigned to guide them around.

Xiao Lancui still hadn't seen Lu Ao's ID.

Lu Ao said his father—Lu Qing—had taken it away.

Xiao Lancui smiled, "No worries. I'll get it back for you in a while."

Lu Ao nodded happily.

In truth, the ID was never coming back.

After he discovered Xiao Lancui was his A Lan, the first thing he did upon returning to the Lu family with his reconstructed face was find and destroy the ID.

The face on that ID was identical to his own.

They used the VIP entrance, no ID scan needed—the staff simply led them straight into the park.

Neither of them had much interest in the rides, so they followed the staff's arrangement through a round of attractions. Passing a spot that seemed quieter compared to the others, the staff member suddenly asked, "Would you two like to try the haunted house?"

The staff explained, "The haunted house is a New Year limited attraction—it'll be closing in two weeks."

Half a month later, it would be another Spring Festival.

Xiao Lancui glanced toward the exit. A family of three came out—a child and both parents, all pale-faced, thoroughly spooked.

He asked Lu Ao, "Want to go?"

Lu Ao nodded instantly.

Buzz!

Two simultaneous, unnoticed vibrations—Xiao Lancui's and Lu Ao's phones each buzzed in their respective pockets.