Big Brother / Da Ge / The Unknown

Chapter 25

Soon after, a crowd squeezed in, and Wei Qian was pushed to the side by what appeared to be medical personnel. The medic indifferently pressed on the scar-faced man's carotid artery, flipped his eyelids, and after a few minutes, stood up and coldly declared, "Take him away, he's dead. This loser overdosed on stimulants and died suddenly. He had no skills yet dared to compete in the ring; he got what he deserved."

This statement ignited a furious uproar among the crowd, particularly those who had just lost money, who promptly accused the organizers of foul play. On the stage, another life-and-death struggle was unfolding, while offstage, a brawl had erupted. The event had just begun, yet it was already climaxing.

Wei Qian dodged several punches that nearly hit him, an innocent bystander, and silently made his way out. In the damp, sticky night air, he hurriedly crossed the street to a small convenience store selling tobacco, alcohol, tea, and sugar. He bought a pack of cigarettes, hastily tore it open, took one out, lit it, and put it in his mouth.

An elderly man planning to enter the store gave him a look, mistaking his smoking for drug use, and was so alarmed that he didn't dare enter and instead took a detour.

Throughout, Wei Qian's expression was impassive, but his hands, covered in cold sweat, trembled constantly.

By the time he returned, Wei Zhiyuan had already gone to bed.

It had been a long time since Wei Zhiyuan had smelled such a strong, choking scent of smoke. Half-awake, he opened his eyes and asked groggily, "Are you smoking?"

Wei Qian softly replied, "Yeah, I won't next time. I'm going to take a shower; you go to sleep."

Wei Zhiyuan didn't make a sound, having no particular objection to his smoking; he was even fond of the scent.

Zhao Laojiu had booked them a standard room, which was quite nice with a powerful air conditioner and clean surroundings. Most importantly, it had two beds. At home, they had to share, but here, Wei Qian decided not to compromise, so after a quick wash, he lay down on the other bed.

By now, Wei Zhiyuan was fully awake and uncomfortably noticed that his brother didn't plan to share the bed with him. After waiting a while, guessing that his brother might have fallen asleep, Wei Zhiyuan, wearing slippers, quietly climbed onto Wei Qian's bed.

To his surprise, Wei Qian wasn't asleep; at the slightest noise, he opened his eyes.

Wei Qian was annoyed and slapped Wei Zhiyuan on the back, "What are you annoying me for again?"

Wei Zhiyuan stayed silent, expertly snuggling under the blanket with him.

Wei Qian sighed, a mix of frustration and amusement, "Are you crazy? With two beds, you still have to squeeze into mine?"

Whispering softly, Wei Zhiyuan said, "I want to sleep with you, brother."

Wei Qian looked down at him emotionlessly.

Wei Zhiyuan shrank back, avoiding his gaze, and silently clung to Wei Qian's arm, stubbornly cuddling up to him.

Despite everything, Wei Qian couldn't help but find it endearing; the kid was eleven or twelve and still so clingy. From home to the south, he had stuck by him all the way, even insisting on squeezing onto his bed... truly vexing, yet touching.

Wei Qian did not drive him away again and started thinking about other things irrelevantly.

The thousand yuan that Zhao Laojiu had given him was still in the pocket of his shirt, pressing uncomfortably against his chest like a bone stuck in his throat, causing pain even as he lay facing upwards. Wei Qian considered the feasibility of taking this thousand yuan and quietly running away, never to return to this place of trouble.