An Yubei lay back in the bathtub, the water just covering his chest.
The water was a little hot, and An Yubei's fair skin had begun to flush. Even his cheeks were red, and a mist veiled his beautiful eyes, making anyone who looked at him feel an inexplicable itch.
Pink bubbles and roses floated on the water, their faint fragrance leaving him dazed.
A tingling sensation swept through his body, and An Yubei opened his eyes in discomfort.
He pressed his lips together and gazed at Ji Shang pitifully.
Ji Shang was beside the bathtub, massaging An Yubei's sore calves and feet.
Ji Shang had never learned massage, so he was following a video, learning as he went.
An Yubei felt like a guinea pig being tormented by Ji Shang, the novice masseur.
The mist in his eyes thickened, and with flushed cheeks, An Yubei asked quietly, "Gege, are you done yet?"
"This is only one foot. There's still the other one." Ji Shang studied diligently, paying no attention to An Yubei's aggrieved expression.
An Yubei sniffled, feeling even more wronged. "I think that's enough!"
Ji Shang had said that after a whole day of walking, his feet would easily hurt without a massage, so he had started massaging them for him.
But his technique really left much to be desired.
"Not yet." Watching the video, Ji Shang said, "It says here that walking for long periods can cause soreness and swelling. We have to work it out so it won't hurt tomorrow."
"Be good, Xiao Bei. Bear with it a little longer. We're almost done."
An Yubei endured the pain, but still couldn't help saying, "Gege, it really hurts."
Partly, An Yubei was a little afraid of pain, and partly, having Ji Shang hold his ankle tickled terribly, as though someone had seized his lifeline.
His ankles really were quite sensitive, and An Yubei didn't want anyone holding them.
Ji Shang looked up at An Yubei and said gently, "Be good, Xiao Bei."
Those gentle words took away even his subconscious urge to resist. Enduring the pain, An Yubei looked elsewhere.
He said, "Gege, school starts soon. Will Dad be able to come back?"
Ji Dongsheng had said he could, but An Yubei was still a little worried. After all, Ji Dongsheng usually seemed very unreliable.
Ji Shang asked, "Do you miss him?"
"Mm." It no longer hurt so much now; it actually felt rather nice. An Yubei gave a soft, affectionate murmur. "I do."
The bath made him a little sleepy, bringing on an inexplicable laziness. An Yubei slouched over the edge of the bathtub and stared blankly at Ji Shang.
"Gege, your girlfriend would definitely be very happy."
Ji Shang really knew how to take care of someone. He treated them like a little baby, tending to their every need.
It also showed that Ji Shang would be a good father in the future.
From Ji Shang's angle, An Yubei looked like a languid little kitten. His fair, delicate back extended into the water, his shoulder blades pronounced and lovely, like a beautiful butterfly with broken wings.
Ji Shang looked away. "Really? Aren't you happy being my little brother?"
His voice was soft, as though he were teasing An Yubei.
An Yubei said softly, "Being anything to you would make me happy, Gege."
Ji Shang was almost finished too. Worried that An Yubei would fall asleep in the bathtub, he quickly scooped him out, wrapped him in a bath towel, and carried him to bed.
An Yubei opened his eyes groggily. Realizing he could finally sleep, he tugged the bath towel off forcefully and burrowed under the covers.
The central air conditioning was set to twenty-four degrees, just right for sleeping under a quilt, neither too hot nor too cold.
An Yubei slept comfortably, not even knowing when Ji Shang got into bed.
Ji Shang spent quite a long time showering, mainly because tending to the little baby had left him itching unbearably, the desire inside him rising without cease.
Ji Shang wasn't particularly lustful, but lately, he had found himself unable to control it, reaching the brink of breaking down every time.
Only after a long shower in the bathroom did the restlessness inside him finally subside.
He came out wrapped in a bath towel and saw An Yubei sleeping soundly.
Perhaps An Yubei had gotten hot. He was lying on his side, holding the little dead dog Lu Jinsheng had won in his arms.
The quilt rested across his waist, keeping his private parts securely covered.
But that was all it covered. His fair, delicate back and straight legs were entirely exposed.
An Yubei didn't have much leg hair; the fine fuzz was practically invisible.
While massaging An Yubei's calves earlier, Ji Shang had discovered how soft they were.
The heat he had suppressed rose again. Ji Shang sat on the edge of the bed, looking at An Yubei and sighing.
Who knew when the little fellow would understand what he meant?
He didn't want a little brother anymore. He wanted a wife.
Ji Shang had only just lain down when An Yubei flung himself unerringly into his arms, as though he had woken up.
An Yubei was still hugging the little dead dog as he came over, so Ji Shang seized his chance and tossed it down by their feet.
Ji Shang took the dog's place, held tightly in An Yubei's arms, while An Yubei murmured, "Doggy, my doggy."
Ji Shang: "...!"
Being a dog was a kind of happiness too.
Then Ji Shang's gaze fell on An Yubei's lips. They looked so soft; he wondered what they tasted like.
Soon, Ji Shang bent down slightly and, unable to resist, kissed him.
The next day, An Yubei came downstairs for breakfast. Ji Shang was giving Lao Wang instructions.
"Make a list. Write down everything he might need, and I'll send someone to buy it."
"Also, have someone check out the campus in advance. Ideally, put together a guide so Xiao Bei can get familiar with the school quickly."
"Oh, and Lao Wang, contact Ji Dongsheng. Tell him not to forget that Xiao Bei's starting school."
Lao Wang noted everything down, agreeing repeatedly. Though respectful aloud, inwardly he couldn't help grumbling. Was this going to university? It was practically entering the palace as an imperial study companion.
Even the crown prince couldn't receive better treatment.
Seeing An Yubei come down, Lao Wang hurried to have breakfast served.
An Yubei sat beside Ji Shang and asked, "Gege, what were you talking to Lao Wang about?"
Ji Shang put an arm around An Yubei's shoulders, letting him lean against him as he said, "Aren't you starting school soon? It's time to get your school things ready."
An Yubei thought for a moment. "There isn't really anything to prepare, is there? I can just take a suitcase and go."
That was how An Yubei had gone to university before.
He had packed some clothes for the season in a suitcase, then bought everything else at the campus supermarket.
The campus supermarket had been fairly cheap too. A little over a hundred yuan had covered his daily necessities.
Ji Shang lightly brushed a finger over the tip of An Yubei's nose. "How could we be so casual about it? I'm going to prepare the very best for you, Xiao Bei."
"All right, let's eat!"
With that, Ji Shang took An Yubei over to the dining table for breakfast.
After sitting down at the table, An Yubei suddenly remembered something and said to Lao Wang, "Lao Wang, there are mosquitoes in my brother's room. Remember to spray some floral water."
Lao Wang said, "How could there be mosquitoes?"
Since it was summer, mosquito-repelling plants were grown outside, and even the lights were mosquito-repellent lamps. The rooms were treated for insects every day to ensure that no mosquitoes could harm the household's owners or guests.
Lao Wang couldn't help wondering if something had been overlooked.
Biting into a soup dumpling, An Yubei said, "I don't know how they got in, but a mosquito definitely bit me."
As he spoke, An Yubei pulled his collar aside, revealing a small mark on his collarbone.
While half asleep last night, he had felt mosquitoes constantly biting him.
A bite here, a peck there. It had been terribly annoying.
Only when he was getting dressed that morning had he discovered that a mosquito had bitten up his collarbone.
It seemed to be a very big mosquito. Afraid it might bite Ji Shang, An Yubei had mentioned it to Lao Wang.
Looking at the mark, Lao Wang understood everything. Then he pressed his lips together and glanced at Ji Shang, who was calmly eating breakfast beside them. "That certainly is one very big mosquito."
About as big as Mr. Ji!
Ji "giant mosquito" Shang gave a guilty little cough. "All right, let's eat."