"You won't throw a fit at me but you would at Jiang-ge," YiHan mumbled at his brother. "You act like this before us. Who knows how much of a bully you are behind our backs? It's because he seemed like an easy target for bullying, right? Hmph. You could do all this just because..." he likes you.
"Just because what?" Yan tiredly asked.
YiHan bit on his hip. "Because he's got a good personality. Not anyone could handle serving a boss as unruly as you. It's not like no one wants him," he huffed.
By now, JingYuan had listened to YiHan asking Jiang Hua out to a meal right before his eyes and YiHan speaking on behalf of Jiang Hua. He'd been fuming in silence.
"Hurry up and drink up," JingYuan said in a low voice. "It's getting cold."
YiHan shot a glance at JingYuan and reluctantly lifted the soup bowl up to his lips once more. His poor Jiang-ge, he sighed internally. He didn't think his big brother would be that kind of man. Jiang Hua has had it tough.
After sending off the still upset Yan, JingYuan solemnly and quietly read through his documents. (JingYuan had ordered Chen Hong deliver all urgent documents to the hospital so JingYuan could take care of YiHan himself.) YiHan laid there for a long time, bored out of his mind. He tilted his head over to look at JingYuan's side profile. After a brief moment, he began shifting around once more.
"What is it?" JingYuan asked without looking up at all. "You keep moving."
"I need to go to the toilet," YiHan said, rising from the bed.
JingYuan put down his work, helped YiHan to the toilet and back, and continued working.
YiHan laid back down in his bed. He looked at JingYuan for a while longer.
"JingYuan, are you upset?" YiHan asked.
JingYuan's eyes glanced up at YiHan and back down at his documents. "No."
YiHan pondered upon the answer he got and moved to rise once more.
"Why do you keep getting up?" JingYuan barked. "Lie back down."
YiHan was stunned. He let go of the blankets he'd been ready to pull aside and silently laid back down. He bit down on his lower lip and kept quiet.
JingYuan regretted his words the moment they'd left his lips. He might've been too harsh in his tone. However, there was a fire burning deep within him and he lost control of the volume then. He thought YiHan would be angry at him. To his surprise, YiHan really laid back down, as obedient as can be. He regretted what he'd said so much. He hurriedly walked over and smoothed a hand over YiHan's head.
"I'm sorry," JingYuan said. "I didn't mean to shout at you. If you want anything or need anything, you can just tell me. The doctor said you need to rest in bed for a few more days."
YiHan smiled up at JingYuan. "I'm fine," he replied. "I just feel uncomfortable from having laid down for so long. It's my bad. Um, I won't move anymore. I'll take a nap." He shot one last grin up at JingYuan before closing his eyes.
Looking down at the bright red imprint of YiHan's teeth on his lower lip, JingYuan's heart ached. He leaned down and embraced YiHan. He tenderly kissed the younger man on the lips and ran his hand through the other's hair.
"HanHan, are you mad?" JingYuan softly asked. "It's my fault. If you can't sleep, then don't. I'll chat with you. Hm?"
"I'm not angry," YiHan replied, eyes still closed. "I was just a little tired. I can fall asleep. Go do your work. I know you have a lot of documents waiting for you. You actually don't need to be here all the time. That'd be so bad for work. I'm not that badly hurt. I can go home now and...mmngh."
JingYuan covered that chattering mouth up with his own. After a deep kiss, his tongue retreated out of YiHan's mouth. On the way back, it gave the bite mark on YiHan's lower lip a gentle lick.
"And you say you're not angry," JingYuan commented, forehead pressed against YiHan's. "You wouldn't even open your eyes and look at me."
There was nothing YiHan could do then but to open his eyes. "I'm really not angry," he said with a smile. "I'm not a girl. How could I be so easily angered? Go back to work. I'm really going to take a nap. With you here, I can't fall asleep."
JingYuan caressed YiHan's cheek with a thumb and sighed, "HanHan, it's been a while since we've started dating. I can feel your emotions, at least some of it. You're upset yet you won't tell me. That makes me very dejected."
"But you were upset just now," YiHan said, finally looking the man in the eye, "yet you won't tell me."
That made JingYuan pause. His mind recalled what happened a few minutes ago. It was certainly so. He loved YiHan so he was sensitive to YiHan's emotions and changes. Similarly, his HanHan loved him. Of course the younger man could sense his emotions. JingYuan was certainly the one at fault here. He was projecting.
"My bad," JingYuan whispered. He sat higher up on the bed and pulled the upper half of YiHan's body into his arms. "I want HanHan to have no secrets from me but I couldn't do the same."
YiHan leaned fully into the hug, calm and docile. "Then, can you tell me," he asked in a voice so low that it seemed like he was afraid the slightest noise could ruin the tranquillity of the room, "why did you leave here this morning in a good mood but you came back in a horrid mood in the afternoon?"
JingYuan was actually still seething on the inside and he did think this fit of jealousy was rather ridiculous. He really didn't want to tell YiHan about it but he had just said he'd be sincere. Hence, he had no choice but to put his ego aside.
"It's nothing much," said JingYuan. "I just thought that you and Jiang Hua are a little too close. It hurt my heart."
"Jiang-ge?" YiHan asked in shock.
"Yes." JingYuan had decided to just let it all free. "Don't you think you treat him too well? When investigating XueQing's suitors, you go to him for help first instead of me. When I walked into the room just now, he was still holding onto your hand. If I hadn't walked over, he might've insisted on holding on a while longer. You then asked him out to a meal right before my eyes. You kept defending him to Yan. You would rather have your allowance cut instead of his monthly bonus!"
YiHan's mouth opened and closed and opened and closed. Finally, he gasped out, "My god, JingYuan. This jealousy fit...you know as well as I do Jiang-ge has no family. I just told him I'd be his younger brother forever. He only held my hand because he was excited at having family. Are you going to get jealous over my big brother holding my hand too? As for the meal, we've decided on that early on. He helped me look into my sister's past suitors. You know how busy he usually is. He handed me an extremely detailed document. One glance and I could tell he compiled the information himself. He put in so much effort so I said I'd treat him to a meal as thanks."
"Of course I know you love me and only me," JingYuan said as he rubbed his chin against the top of YiHan's head. "But who knows about him? You're such a sweet man. Perhaps he has feelings for you? Why else would he be so concerned about your matters?"
"What are you rambling on about?" YiHan tiredly said. He was beaten by this man's logic. "He has someone he likes and Jiang-ge is a very stubborn man. He's like a swan. Once he's set his mind on someone, he'll only be with them and no one else. Unfortunately, he fell in love with a straight man. He didn't want to drag that man down with him into the murky waters of being gay, so he's decided to be alone forever. Do you know why I'm so concerned about his bonus? That truly is his retirement fund. He has already made plans for his future. He has started accumulating his own retirement fund now. I'm not like him. I'm the Little Master of the Bai family and I have you by my side. When would I ever be strapped for cash? Furthermore, it'll only be allowance from my brother. Even if all of my allowance gets cut, the dividends I'll earn through company shares would be enough for me to live in luxury.
"Actually, I'm a fool too. Why was I concerned for his retirement fund? I wasn't fooling around when I said I'd be his younger brother. How could any brother of mine be afraid of poverty?"
"Is that so?" JingYuan replied, letting out an awkward cough. "Let me guess. He's in love with Yan, yes?"
"How do you know?" YiHan cried in surprise.
"If it were someone else, would you be as concerned?" JingYuan let out a huff of laughter. "Even if you're close to him, you'd just be his friend. Why must you be his younger brother? But you're quite right. This Jiang Hua is a good man. He's a great match for Yan in terms of look and personality."
"So what if they'd be a great match?" YiHan said in frustration. "My brother's straight. Jiang-ge has said he didn't want to disrupt Yan's life. Being able to be by his side is enough for Jiang-ge."
"Nothing's set in stone," JingYuan said, his chin ruffling up his lover's hair once more. "Who could say what will happen in the future?" Now that they'd both opened up to each other, JingYuan could think back on Yan's reaction just now. It was similar to how JingYuan himself reacted. Perhaps Jiang Hua stood a chance. However, he'd wait and watch them dance around. Love was something no one but the couple themselves could control.
"This time, through sheer luck, you were able to find out Wei Quan's plot," JingYuan spoke up once more after a moment of contemplation. "You saved XueQing and TianYang but did you know there was someone else behind the car crash? Did you know Wei Quan was deliberately incited to act by another person?"
"Someone else?" YiHan was shocked. "Who?"
"Tao Qi."
"Tao Qi?" YiHan said. "Tao Qi! What does this have to do with her? We've broken up ages ago!"
"She's already been captured by Chen Feng," JingYuan replied. "Captain Chen Jing knows we're furious so he didn't push us for her. She's now locked up in your home's basement. Chen Feng is in charge of guarding her, along with his men. She was absolutely the one who'd provoked Wei Quan to drive a car at TianYang. Although, for some unknown reason, Wei Quan changed targets and aimed at XueQing. The only one who knows why Tao Qi did such a thing is she herself but she's acting deranged right now. She's screaming and shouting about wanting to talk to you. She was your girlfriend after all. So I thought I might as well as if you want to see her."
"You went out in the afternoon for this?" YiHan asked.
"Yes. A lot of what she's said was utter nonsense and sometimes lies," said JingYuan. "I couldn't even understand what she was trying to say. I was wondering if there's something wrong with her mentally."
"But she's quite normal?" YiHan said, confused. "Speaking of which, I was the one in the wrong when it came to my relationship with her. When I discovered my feelings for you were not what they should be, I panicked and agreed to her confession. Soon after we started dating, I hastily broke up with her. While I don't like her, I can't deny she's an incredibly good girl. She's extremely kind and pure. She always thinks the best of everyone and everything. She can't have done something like this. There's also nothing wrong with her mind at all! Just what's going on? What did she say?"
JingYuan drily cleared his throat. "Other than her request to talk to you," he replied, rage simmering beneath his voice, "She demanded to talk to me too. She said we're the official couple. We're destined to be together. I had to save her. She said if I don't save her, I'd regret it forever, or something. Either way, it's all a bunch of nonsense. I was afraid I'd be unable to hold myself back from hitting her if I kept listening, and I was worried about leaving you all alone in the hospital. So I came back."
YiHan: !!!