The Troublesome Child

Li Ye stopped his bike in front of Yun Hai Wan. Xie Qi Zhi jumped off but didn't rush inside. He grabbed the handlebars and asked, "Are you busy tomorrow?"

Li Ye glanced at him, surprised, and asked, "Do you have something?"

"Mm." Xie Qi Zhi nodded, secretly thinking of having his older brother take him to the police station for a DNA test, but it would be a bit strange for him to explain the reason.

Before Li Ye could answer, a few wintergreen bushes with red berries in the roadside flowerbed swayed slightly. There was a chirping of insects on the grass, hidden within it was a faint meow of a kitten.

Xie Qi Zhi followed the sound. A small stray cat was hiding in the flowerbed. Its eyes were bright and round, looking around cautiously.

He only looked but didn't approach, while Li Ye, who had finished parking his bike, half-knelt near the flowerbed. He seemed to be very popular with kittens; he somehow lured the cat out and then teased it with his finger.

The stray cat was a yellow tabby, very friendly. Li Ye teased it for a while, then noticed Xie Qi Zhi still standing a meter away, lowering his eyes to watch the kitten rub its head against his pant leg.

He had just cried, and his eyelids were still red. When he focused on something, his pupils were like a clear blue pool of water, sparkling in the dim light.

He didn't seem to dislike cats.

Li Ye asked, "Are you afraid of cats?"

Xie Qi Zhi shook his head. When he was little, he once went to the park to feed pigeons, was hit by a pigeon's wing, and then developed a high fever at home, almost dying. Since then, his older brother made him stay away from small animals. Wild, stray animals like these were even more dangerous for him.

He didn't go near to touch it. Li Ye couldn't control him either, lowered his head, and asked, "What do you want me for tomorrow?"

If Li Ye was truly his second brother, would he resent him for having usurped the wealthy life that should have been his for the past ten-plus years? If he hated him, would his older brother distance himself from him out of pity for his second brother's circumstances?

Xie Qi Zhi thought of these things, his nose stinging, and he felt a little like crying again.

He lowered his eyelids slightly, not speaking directly, but stammered, "If you're not busy with anything else, can you come here again tomorrow at 9 AM? Or tell me where your house is, and I can come find you."

His voice was originally clear, but now, he didn't know if it was because he had just cried or if it was frozen by the cold wind, but it had a slight nasal tone, sounding very aggrieved, making it hard for people to refuse.

Li Ye turned his head, silently looking at him for a long time, not answering.

Xie Qi Zhi noticed his somewhat resistant attitude, so he conceded, "Or whenever you're free, that day I—"

"Don't you dare scheme against me," before he could finish, Li Ye's expression suddenly became extremely strange. He also stopped teasing the cat, emphasizing, "I don't like boys."

Xie Qi Zhi was stunned, even forgetting his sadness, and tilted his head to ask, "Huh?"

"I don't care what your intentions are, don't try anything with me." Li Ye's expression was serious, "Did you hear me clearly?"

His right hand was on his knee, his fingers slender and bony, his knuckles clearly defined. The cat was dissatisfied that he had teased it for a while and then stopped moving, so it used its claws to tap his fingertip, then rubbed back and forth.

Xie Qi Zhi looked at the cat and obediently nodded.

He and his older brother looked so alike, as if they shared the same face. If he were to scheme against him, wouldn't it be like incest?

Xie Qi Zhi slowly "oh-ed," unable to help but ask, "Why did you think of that?"

"The place I used to work part-time provided food and lodging. My roommate, who was assigned there, was just as enthusiastic. He'd cling to me whether there was something or not, and even secretly climbed into my bed. I thought he wanted to steal something, so I even had to tie my phone to a string and hang it around my neck." Li Ye said coldly, "It turned out he put his dog paws into my pants, wanting to touch my butt! Damn it, I beat him so badly his own mother wouldn't recognize him."

After a long time of not hearing Xie Qi Zhi reply, Li Ye looked up and found that the kid had quietly moved behind him at some point.

He asked suspiciously, "What are you doing?"

Xie Qi Zhi stood behind him, seriously observing for a while, then said, "Looking at what butt."

Li Ye suddenly jumped up, turned around, and said urgently, "What are you looking at! Did I tell you to look!"

The small tabby cat was startled by his shout, scurried into the flowerbed, and disappeared. Xie Qi Zhi suddenly burst out laughing, laughing so hard he almost couldn't stand straight, his hair flying wildly in the wind, like a soft dandelion.

Li Ye looked at him; this person was actually quite cute when he wasn't being troublesome.

Someone walked out of the deep darkness, footsteps gradually approaching, calling out, "Qi Qi."

Xie Qi Zhi froze, straightened up, and stopped laughing. Li Ye also looked over at the sound.

The newcomer's face was expressionless; his features were too sharp, and even the dim light of the streetlights couldn't soften them. When he lowered his eyes to look at Xie Qi Zhi, he looked like a strict parent, asking, "You said you were sleepy and went home first. Is this how you went home?"

Xie Qi Zhi pursed his lips, not answering.

Li Ye looked at Xie Qi Zhi's expression, knowing he was someone he knew, so he opened his mouth to explain for him, "His phone's dead; I brought him back." Since his family had arrived, Li Ye didn't linger, telling Xie Qi Zhi, "I'm going back first," then lifted his foot and left.

Xie Qi Zhi suddenly grabbed his hand and asked, "Will you come tomorrow?"

"I—" Li Ye initially intended to refuse, but seeing his half-pleading eyes, he paused, hesitated for a moment, then replied, "We'll see tomorrow; it depends on my mood."

He rode off, his retreating figure gradually disappearing into the traffic.

"Still lingering, huh." Ying Huai observed Xie Qi Zhi's expression and asked him, "Your friend?"

Xie Qi Zhi still didn't answer, only looked up at Ying Huai.

Ying Huai looked straight into his eyes for a while. Those big, round eyes were sparkling, watery, and the corners of his eyes were still a little red, as if he had just cried. He raised his hand to touch him, but Xie Qi Zhi suddenly backed away, turned his face, and mumbled an unclear "mm."

Ying Huai frowned. His intuition told him that Xie Qi Zhi was in a very bad mood right now, but he was also unhappy with his evasive attitude.

Two hours earlier, he had called his driver to go home, but Xie Qi Zhi was nowhere to be found. Not even a single light was on, and his phone couldn't be reached.

Xie Qi Zhi always took taxis when he went out; there was no way he could have taken so long to get back.

His health was not like a normal person's. Ying Huai worried that something had happened to him on the way; the alcohol in his system completely evaporated. He took a taxi and searched back and forth twice from the restaurant to the residential complex. He didn't see an ambulance or anything unusual. He searched around the complex again, still couldn't find him, and only then returned to the gate to wait for him.

If he had come home a little later, Ying Huai would have already called the police. However, this late-returning child was not very grateful, coldly brushing past him and walking into the residential complex.

Ying Huai looked at his fair nape ahead, following him unhurriedly and asking, "What's wrong? Did I come at the wrong time? Did I disturb you two?"

Xie Qi Zhi suddenly stopped, turned around, walked over, and kicked Ying Huai, leaving a clear stain on his pant leg, then turned his head and walked away irritably.

Are you even angry back at me? Ying Huai strode after him, pressed down on Xie Qi Zhi's head, and leaned down to say, "Do you know what time it is now? I waited for you for over two hours. Even if your phone was dead, you could have borrowed someone else's to call me and tell me to pick you up, right?"

Xie Qi Zhi lowered his eyes and suddenly replied, "I couldn't call; I don't remember your number either."

Ying Huai: "..."

Xie Qi Zhi lowered his head, slipped out of his arm, pressed the elevator button, then raised his fair wrist. His hoodie sleeve slid down, revealing a section of a gold watch strap. He said, "And don't tell my older brother he'll worry. He has my location; he knows where I am."

The elevator doors opened, and Xie Qi Zhi stepped in first. Immediately after, he took his phone out of his hoodie pocket and turned it on. He had to tell his older brother about Li Ye, telling him to come tomorrow morning and take him straight to the police station for a blood sample for identification.

Ying Huai leaned against one side of the elevator, clearly seeing the entire smooth and complete startup animation on his phone.

Alright, so the dead phone was also a lie.

He lowered his eyes and looked at Xie Qi Zhi for a long time, watching him type messages to Xie Zhi Lan with a clatter, even the tips of his soft white eyelashes clearly showing indifference towards him.

Through his indifferent expression, Ying Huai read Xie Qi Zhi's meaning: Did I tell you to wait for two hours? You're not my biological brother, why bother with this?

Ying Huai gritted his teeth. He had never been one to meddle in others' affairs. It was rare for him to care about someone, only to be provoked by a series of infuriating actions from this troublesome child, making him want to burst out laughing.