The Wild Little Brother

"Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Lu Xianchang looked at the card he had given away, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

"Why would it be? He's your boss and my brother. If he won't take care of it, who will?"

Shen Yu grabbed Lu Xianchang's wrist. Mindful of Shen Yu's wound, Lu Xianchang didn't struggle, and watched as Shen Yu stubbornly asked him again.

"Are you coming or not?"

Lu Xianchang lowered his gaze to the young man gripping his arm. It was as though he could see that night from years ago, when little Lu Changfeng had seized his wrist just like this and dragged him out of that quagmire, refusing to let him say no.

They always assumed they knew best, believing their choice was the best one.

Shen Yu sensed Lu Xianchang's refusal. Lu Xianchang used his other hand to pry Shen Yu's fingers open. "Xiao Yu, this is my own choice."

"...All right." Shen Yu deflated.

He had come with his own selfish motives, but if achieving his goal required Lu Xianchang to give way, there was no need to achieve it.

"Are you going back to the agency, then?"

"Yes."

"All right, I'm leaving, then."

"Mm."

Shen Yu kept looking back as he walked away. When he reached the door, he remembered the letter tucked against his chest, stuffed it into Lu Xianchang's hand, and left.

Lu Xianchang looked at the envelope in his hand and opened it. The familiar handwriting belonged to Luo Ningsang. Aside from a greeting in the first sentence, the whole letter urged him to make sure Shen Yu took his medicine, especially to apply medicine to the wounds on his neck and hands, or they would leave scars.

Lu Xianchang: "..."

The end of the letter also mentioned Lu Changfeng, telling him to treat him well.

Lu Xianchang read it over several times. Luo Ningsang really had given him only a single greeting, seemingly not worried about him at all! Only Xiao Yu had come looking for him when he didn't see him, and he had turned him down... Would he find somewhere to cry in secret?

Luo Ningsang just loved doing this.

He had to go find him.

But Lu Changfeng wouldn't let him out.

Sigh. When it came to Lu Changfeng, he really didn't know how to get along with him. After what had happened, Lu Changfeng could put it behind him, but he couldn't.

Whenever he saw Lu Changfeng, those bloody images flashed through his mind, and his whole body froze, unable to move. He had tried seeing a therapist, but there had been no good solution.

But it really was strange, too.

When he wanted to find someone to help, the first place he went was still Lu Changfeng's residence. It was almost an unconscious physical instinct.

And he had discovered that as long as he thought of Shen Yu, he could suppress the images that surfaced in his mind somewhat, like a purifier?

Lu Xianchang couldn't help laughing at the thought. He didn't notice the door being pushed open or a figure walking in.

"What are you laughing at, brother?"

Lu Changfeng's voice came from in front of him.

Screams and wails mingled with flashes of spraying blood filled Lu Xianchang's entire field of vision. He couldn't make out the person in front of him at all, but he knew it was Lu Changfeng.

It was Lu Changfeng, whom he had abandoned and thrown away, yet who had survived.

Lu Changfeng watched him freeze in place, the color draining from his usually lively eyes. He was used to seeing Lu Xianchang like this... But when that blue-haired kid had come in just now, Lu Xianchang hadn't been like this. He could smile and joke and express his thoughts. Only in front of Lu Changfeng did he act like this, unwilling to say another word and treating him like air.

"Heh..." A low laugh squeezed out of his throat. Lu Changfeng stepped forward and straightened the sleeve that had been mussed during his tugging back and forth with Shen Yu. "Brother, now that you're back, don't think about anything else."

Then he gave a mocking laugh at himself.

Even Lu Xianchang's return had only come about because Shen Yu had been kidnapped.

Lu Changfeng, oh, Lu Changfeng.

You really are useless.

"I can give you the Lu Family's corporation, shares, anything, as long as I have it." Lu Changfeng lowered his eyes. "Even if you want to bring that woman back, you can. At least she carried you for ten months and gave birth to you."

"But what about Shen Yu? What can he give you?"

Lu Changfeng sounded a little aggrieved as he spoke.

But Lu Xianchang's head was like mush, and he couldn't make out what he was saying. When Lu Changfeng mentioned Shen Yu's name, however, it was as though his mind cleared, and his unfocused eyes came back into focus.

What was I just thinking about?

The letter still clutched in his hand reminded him.

"Medicine..."

Lu Changfeng leaned closer. "What?"

"Take medicine on time... Find Shen Yu."

"..."

Lu Changfeng laughed in anger.

He had said so much that his lips were nearly worn out, praying that Lu Xianchang would stand by his side again as he had when they were children, and in the end he wanted him to go find that wild little brother of his again!?

Suddenly, Lu Xianchang reached up and placed his hand on his shoulder of his own accord.

Lu Changfeng looked up at him in a daze, feeling the warmth on his shoulder. It was just like the countless times when they were children that he had put a hand on his shoulder, smiled at him, and said he would take care of it.

But now.

Lu Xianchang's words came haltingly, almost pleading.

"Let me go out... and make sure... Shen Yu takes his medicine."

It was him again.

Because of this Shen Yu again.

And he was even pleading with him.

Pleading with him because of that wild little brother.

But he couldn't refuse.

Lu Changfeng stood up and straightened his collar for him. Though there was nothing visibly untidy about it, Lu Changfeng simply enjoyed the process.

"Come back before the banquet starts."

Lu Changfeng left after saying that. He had deliberately waited until he was outside the door to say it, so Lu Xianchang could return to normal and hear him clearly.

Lu Xianchang watched his retreating figure and lowered his eyes.

Those past events made it hard for him to communicate normally with Lu Changfeng.

But he couldn't stop worrying about Xiao Yu.

He had the same access privileges as Lu Changfeng and could obtain all the information on Jinglan Imperial Residence. Even if he wasn't given access, it didn't matter; he could hack into the system and look up Shen Yu's room, or search for traces of him on the surveillance footage.

He glanced at the time.

It was almost noon, nearly time for Shen Yu's second dose of medicine. The letter had mentioned a backpack, but he hadn't seen Shen Yu carrying one. The medicine should be in there.

He took out his phone, intending to send Shen Yu a message, then belatedly remembered that his phone was with Lu Changfeng, who let him contact everyone except Shen Yu.

That underhanded man had even quietly blocked each of them on the other's contact list.

He could only go check the surveillance room, then.

Meanwhile, in the first-floor lobby, a man crouching beside the fountain looked at the information his secretary had sent him. "Shen Yu, the younger brother of the agency's top detective. That's a nice name."

"You actually looked him up?"

"What's wrong with that? I just wanted to get to know him."

"Heh."

"All right, I admit I kind of like him. You know what I mean? Love at first sight."

"That's lust at first sight, you pervert."

"Never mind that for now. Do you know where Luo Ningsang's card came from?"

"Stop keeping me in suspense."

"Lu Xianchang gave it to him. And Lu Xianchang has returned to the Lu Family and isn't staying at the agency anymore. Do you know what that means?"

"What?"

"I can afford to offend him. Surely the Lu Family wouldn't fall out with me over someone so insignificant?"

"He Lin!"

His friend grabbed him, watching him toss a pill into a wineglass. "Are you crazy? Today is Lu Xianchang's banquet to acknowledge his family! What are you doing?!"

He Lin swirled the wineglass. "Relax. I just want to invite him to my home as a guest."

His friend tried to leave, but He Lin grabbed him.

"Don't ruin this for me." He Lin stared at him in warning.

"I don't have that much time to spare. And don't tell anyone you were with me today, either." His friend shook off his hand and walked away without looking back.

He Lin waved, and a waiter came over.

He pulled up Shen Yu's photo.

"Which room did this person go to just now? I'm a friend of his and wanted to chat with him."

He handed over a platinum card as well.

"508, sir."