Chapter 12
Hearing Lu Lin’s words, Lu Mian immediately covered his mouth with his hand: O×O!
Absolutely no rewarding him!
Lu Lin seemed to chuckle, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes as he withdrew his hand.
“What’s with all the biting?” Chu Bai Xu frowned, about to step between the two, when he heard a chuckle beside him. He turned and saw Madam Chu looking at him with a knowing smile.
Chu Bai Xu suddenly felt like his thoughts had been seen through, and he stopped.
Madam Chu amusedly turned her gaze to Lu Lin. “I heard from your stepmother. No need to prepare a separate room, right?”
Among them, only Chu Bai Xu was confused. He wondered, “What doesn’t need to be prepared?”
Madam Chu smiled at him, saying nothing.
Chu Bai Xu had a feeling his mother was hiding something.
Lu Lin nodded. “Thank you, Madam Chu. We appreciate your hospitality these few days.”
Lu Mian froze.
Did he understand correctly?
They usually shared a room at the Lu residence. Did Madam Chu’s words mean they would also be sleeping together at the General’s residence these few days?
He had just bitten him; it was a bit awkward now.
Thinking this, Lu Mian glanced at Lu Lin, who looked sideways at him. He quickly averted his gaze.
Forget it, it doesn’t matter. It wasn’t the first time they shared a room; they could just be roommates.
But when they arrived at the room Madam Chu had prepared for them after dinner and saw only one large bed, Lu Mian was stunned.
“If you need anything, just tell the servants,” Madam Chu said to Lu Lin, then turned to Lu Mian. “Mian Mian, go and see if you like the bed Auntie prepared for you.”
Lu Mian sat on the wooden chair, one hand on the bridge of his nose, feeling like he was glued to the chair.
No way.
He didn’t want to sleep in the same bed as Lu Lin!
“This is unacceptable!” Chu Bai Xu, who had also followed them after dinner, finally understood what Madam Chu had meant earlier.
Lu Mian’s gaze immediately shot to Chu Bai Xu, silently cheering him on: That’s right, that’s right!
Chu Bai Xu continued, “There are so many empty rooms in the residence, why do they need to sleep together?”
Unable to contain her amusement any longer, Madam Chu explained calmly, “Mian Mian only recognizes Lin-er after his injury… May I call you that? Your aunt has been arranging for them to stay together.”
Chu Bai Xu choked, realizing there was more to it, and fell silent. He had been planning to stay and chat with Lu Mian later; he had found him quite interesting last time. But with Lu Lin there, it wouldn’t be easy to tease him, so he had to leave with Madam Chu.
“Not so annoying anymore?” Madam Chu teased her son after they left the room.
Chu Bai Xu pouted, saying nothing.
Madam Chu, still a loving mother at heart, patted him and continued, “Mian Mian will be staying at the residence for a few days, you two brothers will have plenty of time to spend together.”
Chu Bai Xu pondered for a moment, then said awkwardly, “I won’t be going to the military camp tomorrow.”
Madam Chu gave him a knowing look and hummed, drawing out the sound.
Chu Bai Xu scratched his nose uncomfortably and strode away. From afar, he heard a burst of unrestrained laughter. His ears flushed, and he quickly leaped away.
If Lu Mian were here, he would surely be wide-eyed with excitement. That’s the light body skill he wanted to see!
However, Lu Mian was still struggling with the bed.
He was about to sleep in the same bed as the villainous boss!
The bed was soft and comfortable, the curtains half-drawn, tempting anyone exhausted from a day of play. Lu Mian swallowed.
He wanted to sleep.
But…
Lu Mian glanced sideways cautiously.
Lu Lin, his expression calm, was putting away his clothes. Noticing the gaze from the side, he turned his head. “What are you looking at?”
Lu Mian shook his head, saying defiantly, “Nothing!”
Lu Lin raised an eyebrow.
This little liar.
Lu Lin continued unpacking. Lu Mian stealthily peeked at him again. Just as he looked over, Lu Lin crossed his arms, looking at him with a faint smile. “Still saying you weren’t looking?”
Lu Mian froze: O.O!
He carefully turned his head away, then suddenly turned back. “Aren’t you going to wash your hands?”
Lu Lin paused, not understanding why he would ask this. “Why should I wash my hands?”
Lu Mian’s pupils quaked, and he stood up. “Why wouldn’t you wash your hands! Tell me why you’re not washing your hands! Why!” He had bitten him, and Lu Lin wasn’t disgusted and hadn’t washed his hands!
Lu Lin didn’t speak, watching his indignant expression, his dark, bright eyes sparkling even more brightly under the candlelight. “Why should I wash my hands?”
Lu Mian pouted. Be disgusted by me, please!
He couldn’t voice his true thoughts, so he just muttered repeatedly, “Wash hands, wash hands, wash hands.”
Finally, worn down by his persistence, Lu Lin had someone bring in a basin of water and washed his hands. Lu Mian watched him, then nodded in satisfaction.
That’s better.
But after they had both washed up, Lu Mian hesitated in front of the only bed in the room.
Lu Lin, ever perceptive, noticed his conflicted expression and suddenly asked, “Don’t want to sleep with me?”
Lu Mian abruptly turned his head, the surprise in his eyes evident. Lu Lin took it all in, his gaze intense.
As their eyes met, Lu Mian felt inexplicably guilty and slowly averted his gaze. Just as he turned his head, a hand appeared in his vision, its knuckles distinct, slender, and strong.
Following the wrist upwards, Lu Mian met Lu Lin’s dark, intense gaze again.
Just as he was wondering what was going on, he heard the young man’s clear voice. “Here, you can bite.”
His voice was soft, almost coaxing.
Lu Mian’s scalp tightened, and he said with wide eyes, “I’m not a puppy!”
The person in front of him seemed momentarily speechless. Then Lu Lin extended his hand further, affirming his words. “Mm, not a puppy.”
Lu Mian pursed his lips, determined not to reward him.
Lu Lin: “Not biting?”
Without even opening his mouth, Lu Mian mumbled, “Not biting!”
Lu Lin nodded. “Then let’s sleep.”
Lu Mian hesitantly looked at the bed, then at him, and saw that Lu Lin had turned his back. Seeing this, Lu Mian immediately darted towards the bed, threw his clothes aside, and burrowed under the covers, instinctively wanting to wrap himself up like a cocoon.
Halfway through, Lu Mian stopped, remembering something.
This wasn’t his bed alone.
Lu Lin had turned back as soon as Lu Mian ran towards the bed, observing his every move. Because he had stopped halfway, half of Lu Mian’s body was still exposed, like a half-wrapped spring roll. He looked up at Lu Lin, who was staring intently at him.
Lu Mian’s face flushed crimson. He quickly calmed down, wiggled under the covers, and declared before Lu Lin could speak, “Don’t look at me! I’m looking for my soul egg!”
Lu Lin was used to his nonsensical words. He just raised his chin and turned his head away again.
Only after Lu Mian had settled down and was lying still did Lu Lin walk towards the bed.
Lu Mian fell asleep quickly, almost the moment he lay down, completely unaware of the intense gaze from the person beside him.
Lu Lin lowered his eyes, his hand rising slightly, his palm hovering over the sleeping boy’s cheek. His gaze slowly traveled down from his delicate features, landing on his pink, slightly parted lips, which looked exceptionally soft.
Only by touching them would he know they were even softer than they looked, like… Lu Lin snapped back to reality. His fingertips were mere inches from those pink lips. He abruptly withdrew his hand, clenching it into a fist, his nails digging into his palm.
What was he doing?
Was he crazy?
Lu Lin’s eyes darkened, and he stepped away from the bed.
In the middle of the night, Lu Mian rolled over in bed. Perhaps because he was in a different bed, he didn’t sleep as soundly as he did at the Lu residence and woke up halfway through the night.
He wanted to go back to sleep, but he couldn’t, so he opened his eyes. The candlelight in the room was dim.
Lu Mian smacked his lips; his throat was dry. He kicked his legs, trying to motivate himself to get up and get some water.
After a few more minutes of lazing in bed, Lu Mian finally sat up, then suddenly realized something was wrong.
Where was Lu Lin?
Lu Mian looked around, then leaned over the edge of the bed to look underneath, thinking he might have kicked him off in his sleep, but there was still no one there.
“Where did he go…” Lu Mian murmured as he got out of bed. He went to the outer room to pour some water and froze when he saw the scene before him.
As it was a guest room, the furnishings weren’t as elaborate as those in Yulin Pavilion. There was no couch for resting. Several tables had been pushed together, and a figure lay quietly on top of them.
Lu Mian held his breath, completely surprised to see Lu Lin sleeping there. No wonder he couldn’t find him.
He took a few steps closer, a faint, unpleasant metallic scent reaching his nose. Lu Mian frowned, moving closer. In the dim candlelight, he saw Lu Lin’s hand resting at his side.
His palm was bleeding, stained crimson.
Lu Mian froze. The moment he saw the blood, he realized Lu Lin had self-harmed again.
He had seen the gauze-wrapped hand when he bit him earlier, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it. Now, seeing Lu Lin hurting himself again, his hand a bloody mess, Lu Mian felt a pang of sadness.
They were roommates, after all, and Lu Mian couldn’t bear to see someone self-harming right under his nose.
He sighed and rummaged through the box A-Qing and A-Ping had packed for him, finding a tube of ointment. He went back to the table and carefully applied the ointment to Lu Lin’s hand.
Lu Mian didn’t bandage it, afraid of being discovered.
After applying the ointment, he moved away from the table and glanced at Lu Lin, who wasn’t covered by anything.
Wouldn’t he catch a cold sleeping like this?
Lu Mian hesitated for a long time, then took the tablecloth from a chair and carefully covered him with it.
This way, even if he was discovered, he could pretend he had accidentally dropped it there while sleepwalking.
After doing all this, Lu Mian returned to the inner room, his hands behind his back, a smile on his face. Just as he lay down on the bed, he sat up again. “Ah… I haven’t drunk my water yet.”
Lu Mian dejectedly got up again to drink his water.
After drinking his water and lying back down, he quickly fell asleep this time.
Meanwhile, on the long table in the outer room, Lu Lin quietly opened his eyes.
The scent of ointment filled the air around his hand, seemingly carrying traces of another person.
He stared at it for a long time, then, as if following his heart, he brought his hand to his face, deeply inhaling the warm fragrance mixed with the bitter scent of medicine, a near-crazed expression on his face.
Unfortunately, no one saw it.
On the bed in the inner room, Lu Mian curled up into a ball, sleeping even more soundly.
The next day, Lu Mian was still sound asleep when he felt a tickle on his face. He reached out to scratch it, then his nose started itching.
Lu Mian sneezed and opened his eyes, coming face to face with Chu Bai Xu’s smiling face.
“Awake?” Chu Bai Xu said, dangling a blade of grass in front of him.
Lu Mian’s eyes focused, moving from the ‘weapon’ in his hand to his face, realizing he had been tickled awake. He gritted his teeth.
“The sun is already high in the sky,” Chu Bai Xu said, throwing the grass away. “Get up.”
He hadn’t even gone to the military camp today, planning to tease his suddenly foolish younger brother at home. But he had waited in the main hall for a long time without seeing him. Helplessly, Chu Bai Xu went to practice his swordsmanship, but still didn’t see Lu Mian. Finally, he had to go and wake him up personally, picking a blade of grass on his way through the courtyard.
“I’ve been waiting for you for ages,” he said, preparing to step back.
Lu Mian gritted his teeth and suddenly lunged forward, bumping his head against Chu Bai Xu’s. There was a thud.
Chu Bai Xu cried out in pain, “What are you—”
He froze mid-sentence.
Lu Mian, who had initiated the headbutt, teared up from the pain. He put on what he considered his fiercest expression and said menacingly, “Man! This is what happens when you mess with me!”
If one ignored the tears rolling down his cheeks, he would have looked quite intimidating. However, with his teary eyes, the fierce expression lost its impact.
Chu Bai Xu chuckled. Lu Mian immediately glared at him.
“Hahaha,” Chu Bai Xu laughed even harder.
Just then, a voice came from the doorway, “What are you laughing about?”
Chu Bai Xu’s laughter abruptly stopped. He turned and saw Madam Chu walking in. “Is Mian Mian awake?”
Before she could finish, Madam Chu saw Lu Mian’s tear-streaked face and immediately glared at Chu Bai Xu. “You brat, are you bullying Mian Mian again!?”
She strode forward and grabbed his ear, twisting it hard.
“Ow, ow, ow!” Madam Chu’s grip was strong, and Chu Bai Xu’s handsome face contorted in pain.
Lu Mian winced at the sight. Madam Chu, thinking he was sobbing, twisted even harder.
Chu Bai Xu yelled, “It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!”
Seeing him in pain, Lu Mian winced even more dramatically.
He must be hurting even more than him.
Lu Mian raised his hand, blew on his palm, then gently patted his forehead.
No pain, no pain.
Chu Bai Xu, seeing this, almost burst out laughing again. He didn’t bother asking Lu Mian to explain or defend him. When they were younger, he and Lu Mian had often argued, and the adults always blamed him. Lu Mian would just watch coldly, gloating.
Although Lu Mian was different now, Chu Bai Xu was used to it. Besides, he seemed a bit foolish now, so even if he wanted him to explain, he wouldn’t be able to.
Chu Bai Xu gave up resisting, waiting for Madam Chu to calm down and release him.
“Hungry,” Lu Mian suddenly said, interrupting Madam Chu.
“Mian Mian is hungry?” Madam Chu turned to him. “Go wash up, Auntie will have the meal brought in.”
The Chu family was a family of warriors, and they didn’t have many rules. Madam Chu and Old Madam had already had their breakfast and, knowing that teenagers like Lu Mian loved to sleep in, hadn’t disturbed him.
However, a servant had just informed her that Chu Bai Xu was in Lu Mian’s room, so she had come over, just in time to witness the scene.
Lu Mian nodded, then pointed at Chu Bai Xu. “I hit him.”
Madam Chu froze, then after a moment, “Mian Mian, are you saying that just now, it wasn’t this brat who hit you, but…”
Lu Mian nodded repeatedly like a pecking chicken.
Yes, that’s right, he was the one who did the hitting.
Madam Chu, seeing him nod, although still unsure why Lu Mian had been crying earlier, smiled and let go of Chu Bai Xu’s ear, clapping her hands. “Well done!”
Chu Bai Xu: “…”
He was speechless for a moment, then looked at Lu Mian in surprise – Lu Mian had actually spoken up for him.
Madam Chu laughed. “Did you hurt your hand, Mian Mian? Next time, tell Auntie, and Auntie will do it for you. Just tell him what to do.”
Lu Mian was startled by her bold words, while Chu Bai Xu calmly accepted the fact that his mother didn’t treat him like a human being.
Madam Chu left the room, dragging Chu Bai Xu along with her. A-Qing and A-Ping quickly came in to help him dress and wash up.
After Lu Mian finished his meal, Chu Bai Xu finally arrived, sitting down opposite him. “Thanks.”
His thanks were so light that it was almost inaudible.
Lu Mian looked up.
“If it weren’t for you just now, she wouldn’t have let me off so easily.” Chu Bai Xu knew his mother’s methods all too well. Even if she had let go quickly, there would have been other punishments waiting for him later.
So Lu Mian’s words had saved him.
After finally expressing his gratitude, he saw Lu Mian’s confused expression and thought, What a little fool. He continued, regardless of whether Lu Mian understood, “You helped me, so tell me, what do you want? Anything I can get, just ask.”
Lu Mian understood. Not only did he understand, but he also clapped his hands excitedly and stood up. “Mount!”
Hearing that term again, Chu Bai Xu paused, asking uncertainly, “Mount… what does that mean?”
Lu Mian tried to explain it in a foolish, not-so-smart way. He looked around, then suddenly turned around, sitting backwards on the chair and rocking back and forth, clicking his tongue. “Giddy up!”
Chu Bai Xu stared at him for a long time, falling silent.
He understood.
Mount meant mount.
His mother didn’t treat him like a human, and Lu Mian was treating him like a horse.
Understanding this, Chu Bai Xu rubbed his face. He couldn’t go back on his word, so he turned around. “Come on then.”
Lu Mian immediately stood up excitedly and ran over. But when he stood behind Chu Bai Xu, he realized the significant height difference; he couldn’t get up. Chu Bai Xu would have to squat down for him to climb onto his back.
Chu Bai Xu stood there like a mountain, and Lu Mian suspected he didn’t really want to give him a ride.
“Aren’t you coming up?” Chu Bai Xu asked.
Lu Mian was even more certain now. He kicked Chu Bai Xu’s backside, and Chu Bai Xu immediately jumped away. “What are you doing!” He was willing to be his horse; why was he kicking him!
With anyone else, Chu Bai Xu would have already thrown a punch, but not with Lu Mian. Looking at his small frame, as if a gust of wind could blow him away, and meeting his clear eyes, his anger dissipated.
Chu Bai Xu asked good-naturedly, “Little ancestor, why did you kick me?”
Lu Mian: 0.0.
He didn’t seem to be doing it on purpose. Lu Mian’s anger deflated, and he replied softly, “Can’t reach.”
Chu Bai Xu slapped his forehead, looking at his pitiful expression, feeling like he had committed a grave sin. “My fault, I forgot. I’ll squat down… I’ll even lie down on the ground if you want.”
Realizing it was his fault, Chu Bai Xu felt extremely guilty, thinking he would do anything for Lu Mian today.
Two hours later, Chu Bai Xu jumped down from a treetop, his face slightly pale. Behind him, the person on his back was singing loudly, “Woohoo! Flying, flying~ I want to fly higher!”
Chu Bai Xu choked back a mouthful of blood, his voice weak. “What? Even higher?”
Wasn’t this high enough?
He had little internal energy left; if he went any higher, they might fall.
“Next time, next time, okay?” Chu Bai Xu pleaded.
Lu Mian pretended not to hear. “Fly, fly!”
Chu Bai Xu was about to suffer internal injuries. Someone, save him.
He mustered his strength and leaped over a wall, a tall figure coming into view. An idea struck Chu Bai Xu, and he flew towards it.
Lu Mian was ecstatic. He still had energy! “Excellent horse, fly!”
Chu Bai Xu almost lost his grip and fell from the sky, landing unsteadily.
“Ahhh, falling, falling!” Lu Mian clung tightly to Chu Bai Xu’s back, his face full of panic, afraid of being thrown off.
Chu Bai Xu quickly regained his balance, holding him steady. “It’s okay, even if I fall, I won’t let you fall.”
Lu Mian was touched and whimpered. My good horse.
He was about to praise him, to give him some emotional support so he would continue to fly, when a familiar voice came from in front of them.
“What are you doing?”
Lu Mian looked up, meeting Lu Lin’s gaze. His eyes were dark, deep like a pool, seemingly filled with countless dark and complicated emotions.
Lu Mian flinched and hugged Chu Bai Xu tighter.
“Young Master Lu, you’ve come at the right time,” Chu Bai Xu said, his neck constricted, his veins bulging. He struggled to speak. “Quickly take your brother away.”
He was not the same person he was yesterday.
Yesterday, he had wanted to snatch his brother back; today, he just wanted to get rid of Lu Mian as quickly as possible.
Lu Mian thought Chu Bai Xu watched too many movies. The next moment, he felt himself being lifted and placed in a slightly cool embrace, held tightly.
Lu Mian: OoO!
He looked up, and Lu Lin looked down at him, his eyes dark and intense, almost predatory. At the same time, Lu Mian felt the hand around his waist tighten, and he couldn’t help but move.
Lu Lin’s grip on his waist tightened, his voice emotionless. “No hugs allowed now?”
