That evening, Yu Qingchuan sketched the outlines, applied the primer, mixed his colors, and painted, striving for perfection at every step. By the time he put on the finishing touches and took turns kneading his aching arms, he realized it was already past midnight.
On the 60 × 80 canvas, a Nine-Tailed Fox Lord with long, silvery-white hair reclined against a peach blossom tree. Pink petals fluttered down around him, creating a dreamlike scene. He held a flask of wine in fingers as white as jade, his posture languid. His features closely resembled Liang Xingyao's, but his eyes and brows held an extra touch of alluring tenderness. His long lashes were slightly lowered, enough to make anyone fall for him at first sight.
In all fairness, Liang Xingyao was very handsome, with a charming, free-spirited air and plenty of leading-man potential. Yet as Yu Qingchuan looked at the figure in his finished oil painting, he felt only appreciation, not attraction.
He still preferred Brother Yi.
Yu Qingchuan felt that if Liang Xingyao and Lu Shiyi entered a beauty contest, he would definitely cheer his heart out for Brother Yi.
That was how dependable he was.
Oil paintings dried slowly, taking roughly half a week to a week. Yu Qingchuan thought it would make a nice gift to bring along when he went to discuss their collaboration with Liang Xingyao in a few days.
After putting the painting away, Yu Qingchuan took a shower. By the time he lay down in bed, he was already very sleepy.
His stomach no longer felt so uncomfortable, and his body was gradually adjusting to how much he ate now. Yet despite his drowsiness, he simply couldn't fall asleep. He felt strangely empty and really wanted a large body pillow to hug.
Ah, could a habit really form this quickly?
Yu Qingchuan rolled over and tossed around for a long time before finally falling asleep.
Even then, he slept fitfully, waking several times in a groggy haze.
At the hospital, Lu Shiyi couldn't sleep at all either. He had grown accustomed to having someone soft in his arms every night. That warmth and those gentle breaths always helped lull him to sleep.
He only needed a few more days to recover, yet Yu Qingchuan had actually stopped staying over so he could paint Liang Xingyao.
After pondering for a moment, Lu Shiyi found a solution.
And so, when Yu Qingchuan came to see him early the next morning, he found Lu Shiyi looking rather poorly. He seemed a little more haggard, with an air of fragility that easily stirred the urge to protect him.
Brother Yi had looked like a sleeping prince every morning before! Yu Qingchuan indulged in a small, self-flattering thought. Could it be because I wasn't by his side?
After all, Brother Yi's hands make me feel so comfortable. Maybe my company makes him feel warm too?
Yu Qingchuan had no idea how close he already was to the truth.
In any case, Yu Qingchuan asked softly, "Brother Yi, can I come over again tonight? If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes!"
Lu Shiyi: "..."
Yu Qingchuan waited a moment, then immediately broke into a smile. "Brother Yi, you didn't say anything. You agreed!"
He really was a clever little thing.
After helping Lu Shiyi wash up and drink his nutritional supplement, Yu Qingchuan had to hurry off to work. He rushed back at noon, then returned to work in the afternoon. It was tiring, but he treated it as exercise. After all, he was slimming down quickly now, and his old clothes no longer fit very well.
He would need to find time to buy a few new outfits.
That afternoon, Yu Chenyi called Yu Qingchuan into his office to discuss the project. Lu Shiming had no projects on hand for the moment and was organizing files.
Suddenly, a coworker sidled over with a secretive air and asked, "Hey, Shiming, what's going on between you and our eldest young master these days?"
Lu Shiming immediately answered proudly, "He's my family."
His coworker misunderstood, assuming they were already deeply in love and settling into life like an old married couple. Looking conflicted, he said, "Look, Shiming, I know you and the eldest young master are close, but I just found something out, and I still wanted to tell you. He might be trying to have both you and your brother."
As he spoke, he took out his phone and brought up a photo. It clearly showed Yu Qingchuan, who had already lost a good deal of weight, nestled against Lu Shiyi's neck. The scene looked particularly intimate.
"Shiming, my girlfriend sent me this photo. She works at the Yu Corporation Private Hospital, and she knows you and the eldest young master. She happened to snap this picture and sent it to me. We discussed whether to tell you, but I still wanted to let you know. Your brother's in a vegetative state right now. Would he be willing to let the eldest young master do this?"
My brother couldn't be more willing!
That was what Lu Shiming thought, but he still furrowed his brows.
Seeing Lu Shiming's reaction, his coworker assumed he must be angry. He was also a little worried that if Lu Shiming broke up with Yu Qingchuan in a fit of anger, the eldest young master might come after him.
But his girlfriend had insisted that Lu Shiming had to know, so he hadn't had much choice.
"I know your girlfriend meant well," Lu Shiming said. "But this is no different from secretly taking photos of us, and it violates our privacy. I hope nothing like this happens again."
His coworker froze, clearly realizing it himself, and hurriedly apologized. "Sorry. My girlfriend didn't think that far."
Lu Shiming gave a quiet "Mm," then continued, "But if the eldest young master likes my brother more, that's fine too. He's such a wonderful person. I'm willing to step aside so he and my brother can be together. Song, please don't joke about me and the eldest young master anymore."
What Lu Shiming actually thought was, Miss, you did a brilliant job! I was just wondering how to come up with a reasonable excuse to 'break up' with my brother-in-law.
"Huh???" His coworker stared at Lu Shiming in disbelief, his face full of shock at how unconventional they were.
"Anyway, thanks for letting me know, Song."
"...Oh. Right." Song Weixuan looked dazed, clearly still struggling to digest this bombshell.
Lu Shiming thought that he really couldn't keep working at the Yu Corporation after all. His internship would end in just over two weeks anyway. He could go straight to Xingyao afterward, or choose another company after graduation.
But he had to settle this matter completely before he left.
What should have been an enormous storm had vanished in this bizarre fashion. Yu Qingluo, however, hadn't heard the news. When he learned that Yu Qingchuan was actually trying to get his hands on Lu Shiyi too, he was utterly shocked.
His first thought was, What about Lu Shiming? He must be heartbroken, right?
Whenever Lu Shiming had mentioned Yu Qingchuan before, his eyes had shone. Yet Yu Qingluo's older brother had actually made a move on Lu Shiming's brother too...
Su Ningyue advised him, "You can comfort him and help him sort this out. Maybe Lu Shiming will start seeing you differently."
Yu Qingluo pressed his lips together and replied, "Okay. I understand."
Before you continue