"Brother Shaobai, come on, come on, add a spoonful of this place's special sauce. I guarantee you'll never forget the taste." As a Martial Gall Warrior, Xun Ding was several times larger than an ordinary person, and even perched on a little stool, he took up an enormous amount of space. He stood out among the porridge shop's customers. Yet now, this imposing man, the sight of whom would normally frighten ordinary people, was forcing a flattering smile and waiting on the boy hand and foot.
Jimò Qiu held a mouthful of porridge, his expression conflicted.
After swallowing with difficulty, he said quietly, "Don't call me that."
The boy's face had turned green from being called "Brother Shaobai" in Xun Ding's saccharine voice over and over, and he was squirming in his seat. Though he was outgoing and had never cared much about what other people thought, he wasn't yet as detached as Shao Chong, who could simply turn a blind eye to it all. Put plainly, the boy was still a little shy and could blush with embarrassment.
Xun Ding said, "I bet you're definitely my future brother-in-law!"
Though that conclusion hadn't been confirmed yet, he wanted to see Gongxi Chou in the role of a younger brother, with someone around who could keep the man in line. Just imagining that lordly fellow swaggering around outside, only to meekly call his older brother "Brother," made Xun Ding feel great!
He was getting married just once in this lifetime, and yet he'd have to take a beating twice.
Was that reasonable?
Absolutely not!
Xun Ding needed to plan ahead. He'd first get on good terms with Shaobai. Once the boy had accepted favors from him, surely this "eighteen-year-old by nominal age" brother-in-law wouldn't make things too difficult for him.
Xun