Xie Ji had sat on the field ridge for over three hours. The cool summer night breeze carried away his body heat, and the wounds on his calves had begun to scab over and itch.
By the time Lu Xunji and Ji Shi finished planting all the rice, it was already midnight. Exhaustion covered Ji Shi's face as he stumbled toward Xie Ji.
He first lowered his head to inspect Xie Ji's wounds. Only after confirming they were no longer bleeding did he let out a small breath of relief, then abruptly pull Xie Ji into his arms.
"Thanks for all your hard work." He nuzzled Xie Ji's neck and whispered, "Thank you."
Born into the Ji Household, he had always been used to doing as he pleased. With his parents' power and money behind him, he had both ability and daring, so no matter how much trouble he recklessly caused, he could resolve it perfectly.
But here, he suddenly realized that his abilities and intelligence were castles in the air, often built on the Ji Household's existing power and influence. Everything he did before had succeeded so easily because his family had always paved the way for him.
His reckless insistence on doing whatever he wanted had led to this outcome.
Xie Ji patted his back without a word of blame. "Let's go home. I saved you some food. It cost twenty points, so remember to pay me back sometime."
[System notification: Ji Shi's favorability toward you has increased by 10. Current favorability: 100.]
Ji Shi was utterly moved when he suddenly felt something cold against his back. He looked up to see that Lu Xunji had thrown his mud-soaked gloves onto him, his expression cool. "Let go."
Ji Shi: "..."
His feelings toward Lu Xunji were a little complicated now. After all, Lu Xunji had helped him. Without Lu Xunji, he probably wouldn't have had such an easy time.
But he still found him a little irritating.
Ji Shi pursed his lips and reluctantly released Xie Ji.
Under the moonlight, the three of them slowly walked back along the field ridge, their steps unusually slow.
Normally, everyone would have been asleep by now, and the hidden cameras around the island would have been switched off. But today's circumstances were somewhat unusual, so the livestream hadn't ended early.
When the three of them returned to the courtyard residence, it was still brightly lit.
Mu Yao sat in a rocking chair in the courtyard, looking at his phone. When he looked up and saw Xie Ji enter, his eyes instantly narrowed in a captivating smile. "Little Cake's back."
Xie Ji went to the tap to wash his hands. "Hasn't everyone gone to bed yet?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Mu Yao spotted Ji Shi and Lu Xunji at the entrance. He had just sat up, but immediately reclined again and said sarcastically, "We wanted to. But thanks to a certain someone, the livestream got extended, didn't it? With cameras everywhere, who could sleep?"
Ji Shi's steps faltered. Of course he could tell Mu Yao was taking a jab at him, but what happened today really was his responsibility. In the wrong, he didn't argue, merely pressing his lips together and entering the bathroom.
When he came out after his shower, he saw Xie Ji sitting in the rocking chair Mu Yao had occupied. Lu Xunji knelt on one knee before him, holding his slender, pale ankle as he applied medicine.
"What's going on?" Xie Ji's toes rested against Lu Xunji's thigh, wriggling restlessly. "You two stood in the fields way longer than I did, right? How come neither of you has any?"
Lu Xunji's hand paused in applying the medicine, then slid down to press against the top of Xie Ji's foot. "Behave," he said in a low voice.
"Oh." Xie Ji obediently stopped. After a while, he propped his head on his hand and looked at Lu Xunji again. "Ge, your Little Lu Xunji doesn't seem as well-behaved as me."
Lu Xunji: "..."
Mu Yao came over and crouched beside them, reaching for Xie Ji's foot with a smile that hid a blade. "He's an old pervert. Don't step on him, Little Cake. Step on me."
Lu Xunji unobtrusively gathered Xie Ji's foot into his hand and turned to ask, "Don't you have anything else to do?"
Mu Yao snorted, then stood and spotted Ji Shi.
"Well, if it isn't our heir to traditional handcrafts, Young Master Ji Shi," Mu Yao said. "Does the young master's field cost more than everyone else's?"
Ji Shi clicked his tongue. "Mu Yao, you're really not going to let this go, are you?"
"What an overbearing young master." Having been rebuffed by Lu Xunji, Mu Yao found a romantic rival when he looked down and another when he looked up. He was so annoyed that his tongue was even sharper than usual. "I'm scared to death."
Seeing that a few more barbs from Mu Yao would probably result in a murder, Shang Yan, the group's eldest, pushed up his glasses and stepped forward.
"Enough. Mu Yao, give it a rest."
Mu Yao gave a soft scoff and turned into the living room.
"It's already very late. Since everyone's back, let's all get some rest." As he spoke, Shang Yan glanced at Xie Ji.
He knew Mu Yao's personality well. He played around and took things lightly. Ever since he was young, men and women had flocked to him in droves, and as long as their looks met his standards, he accepted them all.
But he rarely saw Mu Yao care so much about anyone. As for clashing with someone out of romantic jealousy, this was the first time he had ever witnessed it.
It stirred a trace of curiosity in him, a desire to examine Xie Ji.
Xie Ji seemed to notice his gaze. He turned his head and met his eyes.
Those mist-blue eyes entered his field of vision. He was beautiful, as though even the moonlight favored him a little more.
Shang Yan hadn't expected that, in this brief exchange of looks, he would be the first to concede defeat.
A sense of danger deep in his heart forced him to avoid Xie Ji's gaze.
Like a siren's song rising from the depths of the waves, some unknown, fatal danger lay hidden beneath that ultimate beauty.
He had always been a steady, rational sailor.
A trace of confusion flashed through Xie Ji's eyes, but he didn't dwell on it. The next moment, someone turned his chin back, and the fresh scent of ointment drifted into his nose.
Lu Xunji rubbed his chin and said softly, "Look at me."
"Oh." Xie Ji nodded, then suddenly said, "Wait, Ge, did you wash the hand you touched my foot with?"
Lu Xunji bent down, lifted him out of the rocking chair, and walked toward the residence, his voice calm. "No."
Xie Ji clutched his arm and shook it. "You're so unhygienic!"
Lu Xunji replied, "You're grossed out by yourself?"
"If the doctor asks why I have athlete's foot on my face tomorrow, how am I supposed to explain?"
"No need to explain. You won't."
"How do you know?"
"Mm." In a voice neither particularly loud nor particularly soft, Lu Xunji said, "Because I don't have it in my mouth."
The viewers watching the livestream: "..."
[Huh?]
[Wait, bro?]
[I was wondering why a pampered young master like Xie Ji was hoarding his points without spending any. Aside from Lu Xunji, who had a luxury bedroom from the start, everyone exchanged some points for essential furniture. He didn't even get a pillowcase!]
[Wait, nobody told me these brothers were sleeping together?]
[That's not right, is it? Didn't the rumors online say they had an awful relationship and were like fire and water?]
[What's wrong with an older brother sleeping with his little brother? Our gorgeous Lu just has a brother complex! Don't overthink it!]
[Whose older brother acts like this with his little brother? This goes beyond normal brotherly intimacy, doesn't it?]
[No idea. All I know is Liu Bei didn't lick Zhang Fei's feet.]
[Don't let our gorgeous Lu die of pleasure.]
[I've seriously seen the light. Lu Xunji was already struggling to hold back while putting medicine on Xie Ji, wasn't he? Holy shit, those two were going on about behaving earlier, and I didn't even get what they meant. So I'm the only innocent one here?!]
[The internet sure has come a long way. Going online to watch other people have a secret affair. What a thrill.]
[I feel like Lu Xunji got jealous because Xie Ji helped Ji Shi, and that's why he's acting so unhinged... oh my god, the Shi/Ji ship had barely started sailing before gorgeous Lu sank it with one sentence.]
[Wait? I just started shipping Shi/Ji like my life depended on it? Bro, don't pick on a new account.]
[Lu Xunji: I don't care if your account's new. Show your head and I'll one-shot you.]
That sentence was no less than a deep-water torpedo, causing an enormous uproar among the crowd.
Meanwhile, Xie Ji, one of those involved, belatedly gave him a thumbs-up. "That's true! No wonder you're my big brother. You really are smart!"
Lu Xunji chuckled softly and carried him back to their room.
Ji Shi and Shang Yan exchanged a glance.
Both saw indignation and speechlessness in the other's eyes.
Damn pervert, taking advantage of Xie Ji not understanding!