Shen Xingshuo looked at Chu Yao with an indescribable expression. That "bro" took him right back to last night, and he nearly raised his hand to deliver a crushing blow.
Qiao Luo also remained silent, seeming used to this scene, though there was a faint awkwardness about him.
A crowd packed the doorway. When Shen Xingshuo and Qiao Luo stopped, everyone else crowded into the entrance too.
Seeing that Shen Xingshuo had no intention of introducing anyone, the others still refused to leave. Mo Zeyao, stuck at the back, couldn't help frowning. "We're short on time. Let's go back and discuss it."
"No objections here." After all, Shen Xingshuo had created the group himself. He gave a quiet hum of agreement with Mo Zeyao's suggestion.
The career-driven Mo Zeyao left first. Lin Yan looked at Qiao Luo with concern, then, after receiving a smile and a nod, left with his teammate Fan Yu. That left just Yang Yi and his two companions.
"Isn't the floor dirty?" Ignoring Yang Yi's appraising gaze, Shen Xingshuo pulled Shen Yu up from where he sat cross-legged.
"Hehe, nope." Shen Yu grinned cheekily, remembering to sneak a glance at Shen Xingshuo's expression, afraid his second brother would scold him for hanging on the window.
"Bro, why are you ignoring me?" Seeing that Qiao Luo wouldn't engage with him, Chu Yao scratched his head and switched his focus to Shen Xingshuo. "I misunderstood you last time. I owe you an apology."
Seeing his second brother raise an eyebrow in confusion, Shen Yu was speechless too. If he remembered correctly, the "last time" Chu Yao mentioned should have been when he complained at the livestream about Qiao Luo speaking up for Shen Xingshuo.
As they spoke in riddles, Shen Yu stayed close to his brother, smiling. Yang Yi's two followers truly couldn't bear the awkwardness of being ignored and left without looking back.
But Yang Yi refused to accept being ignored. He was thinking about how to work his way into their circle when he heard Chu Yao ask in genuine puzzlement, "Who are you looking for?"
Yang Yi's face flushed crimson with embarrassment. Compared with Shen Xingshuo's blunt put-downs, Chu Yao's frank question was what truly made things awkward.
"I just wanted to say bye to Qiao Luo." Suppressing his frustration, Yang Yi waved as though he didn't care. "Then let's keep in touch by phone. Don't forget we still have a task."
Watching Yang Yi disappear into the distance, the remaining few were noticeably in better spirits, then smiled without thinking.
"Like a complete idiot." Shen Xingshuo brushed a finger over the bridge of Shen Yu's nose. It was unclear whether he meant his little brother or someone else.
"Bro, I'm genuinely grateful to you." With no pest interrupting, Chu Yao looked at Shen Xingshuo with tears in his eyes.
Unable to cope with someone's husky-like personality, Shen Xingshuo gritted his teeth. Unfortunately, Chu Yao only grew more excited as he talked, even putting on a performance of crying tears of joy.
"Let's go!" Shen Xingshuo tugged the short-legged Shen Yu along, truly unwilling to talk to this husky of a Chu Yao.
Qiao Luo hurried after them, while Chu Yao kept muttering, "Our brotherly bond could move heaven and earth. Why don't we become sworn brothers?"
Shen Xingshuo was speechless. His family already had five kids. He would have to be out of his mind to become sworn brothers with this husky.
Listening to Chu Yao ramble, he got the general idea that this guy had a bunch of disreputable friends who spent every day plotting how to spend his money.
When they went out to eat and drink, they simply left him there if he got drunk. Naturally, his so-called friends wouldn't take him home, because they were afraid of running into his strict parents, or Chu Yan, that smiling tiger.
"You're the first-oh, no, the second person to take me home." Chu Yao stole a glance at Qiao Luo, sounding even more aggrieved. "From now on, you're my bro."
"No, thanks." Shen Xingshuo refused coldly. Without even sparing Chu Yao a look, he pulled Shen Yu away.
"Wait..." His passionate outpouring interrupted, Chu Yao looked left and right, then received the same rejection from Qiao Luo.
"We have things to discuss. Go stand somewhere else."
"That's not fair." After struggling for words for quite a while, Chu Yao pointed indignantly at Shen Yu standing nearby. "Why does he get to stand here?"
"Because I like Xingshuo!" Seeing Chu Yao so angry that he couldn't speak coherently, Shen Yu waved his arms happily.
Although he didn't know what had happened, and his second brother, who was supposed to be cannon fodder, had suddenly become friends with the two protagonists, Shen Yu still lifted his head proudly. His second brother really was the best.
His little brother's smug words struck a chord with Shen Xingshuo. In a cheerful mood, he ruffled Shen Yu's hair, considering how to subtly show off to his eldest brother.
With the clinging pest he couldn't shake off in tow, Shen Xingshuo prepared to find somewhere to sit and deliberately paused as they passed a café.
Sure enough, Chu Yao excitedly pointed at the café.
"Where the dream began."
The corner of Qiao Luo's mouth twitched. From the few remarks earlier, he had already guessed what had happened. Now he gained an even deeper understanding of Chu Yao's "idiocy," and mercilessly slapped that arm down at those words.
"Then it's time you woke up."
The two brothers watching the drama exchanged a knowing glance, their bright eyes looking as though they were watching some grand spectacle. All they lacked was a plate of sunflower seeds to munch on.
After all the dawdling along the way, Shen Yu wore a long face, deeply shaken. It was hard to imagine that the protagonist he'd envisioned was so... hard to describe.
And so, the two brothers pretending not to know each other and the protagonists acting as though they weren't acquainted sat around a booth in a milk tea shop, each ordering a milk tea and falling silent.
While discussing the performance in the group chat, Shen Xingshuo also remembered to type messages to look after his little brother beside him. Qiao Luo naturally joined in with suggestions, leaving only Chu Yao boredly chewing his straw.
"Are you guys excluding me?" Suddenly enlightened, Chu Yao slapped the table angrily, finally realizing what was wrong.
Qiao Luo was speechless, Shen Xingshuo rolled his eyes, and even Shen Yu gave Chu Yao a sympathetic look.
The difference in how they treated him was so obvious, yet somehow Chu Yao's reaction had been delayed until now.
Looking at Qiao Luo's gracious, gentle manner, then at Chu Yao's dim-witted reactions and self-centered thinking, Shen Yu felt deeply that this was simply a toad lusting after a swan.
"Qiao Luo, do you have someone you like?" After holding back for quite a while, Shen Yu still asked furtively.
"No." Qiao Luo stopped typing on his phone and looked in surprise at the little fellow who had spoken up on his own, an affectionate smile in his eyes. "Why? Are you planning to set me up with someone?"
At that, Qiao Luo seemed to find something funny and declined with practiced ease. "Unfortunately, I'm destined to be single. I'm all about my career."
"Qiao Luo, I'm worried about you." Seeing Qiao Luo's dismissive attitude toward romance, Shen Yu put on a very serious face. "What if it's one of those angsty romances where he runs, he chases, and he can't escape even with wings..."
"Read fewer novels." Qiao Luo was at a loss for words. He reached out in shock to pat Shen Yu's head. "Also, there's nothing wrong with me."
"You're telling him to read fewer of them? I remember someone started reading those in middle school." Having finally found a topic he could talk about, Chu Yao rattled off Qiao Luo's embarrassing history.
"Right, you're amazing. You know everything." Qiao Luo gave Chu Yao a cold look, then turned back with a smile to reassure Shen Yu. "You're still young. Don't think so much about this."
Chu Yao, once again receiving different treatment: ...
Shen Yu peered at Chu Yao with wide eyes. Now he didn't even need to egg anyone on. Qiao Luo was openly uninterested in a certain someone, and only this young master was still putting on a one-man show.
"Have I been abandoned?" Chu Yao looked bewildered, realizing what had happened a beat too late.
"It's okay. You have to look ahead." Shen Yu felt a little guilty, because he had intended to split Chu Yao and Qiao Luo up too, though he hadn't acted yet.
Chu Yao stared blankly at Qiao Luo, his eyes full of disbelief. "How is that possible? Then what did our memories together count for?"
"Proof that you have a good memory." Qiao Luo was indifferent.
"Hehe." Shen Yu covered his mouth.
"You finally have a good point." Shen Xingshuo added the finishing blow.