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After finishing up in the kitchen, Jiang Beibei went upstairs to change into her swimsuit when suddenly a video call popped up on her phone.
‘Yuanbao?’
Jiang Beibei tied her hair into a bun, sat cross-legged on the bed, and answered the call.
‘Is it Wi-Fi calling?’
‘Yeah, why are you video calling me all of a sudden? Are you at home?’ Jiang Beibei asked.
‘I’m at home. Let me show you Song Damiao—hahahaha!’ Huang Yuanbao turned the camera around, and as soon as Jiang Beibei saw the dog, she burst out laughing and slapped the bed.
Song Damiao was dolled up, with red cheeks painted on its face, wearing cat ear headbands, frolicking around the living room.
‘My dad’s been feeding him so much—he’s gotten so fat, eating all sorts of delicious food every day. Yesterday, my dad got drunk and started calling him ‘Brother Dog,’ saying, ‘Let’s take a shot together, buddy!’ This idiot just wagged his tail like crazy—it was hilarious…’
‘You should put him on a diet! All he does is eat!’
‘Jiang classmate, where are you? A hotel?’
‘At the hot spring—it’s pretty nice. Do you want to come? I’ll have my Fourth Brother pick you up tomorrow.’
‘I’d love to, but I have to stay home and help my parents host relatives. Sigh…’
Seeing her expression, Jiang Beibei asked, ‘Did you get set up on a blind date during the New Year?’
‘You’ve got sharp eyes…’ Huang Yuanbao petted Song Damiao, uninterested. ‘On New Year’s Day, my third aunt brought over a forty-year-old guy—balding—who kept bragging at the dinner table. Later, I found out he was there to check me out. After he left, he even added me on WeChat, saying I was the woman he desperately wanted to ‘tame.’ It made me sick… I said a few words about it, and then my mom started nagging me about how hard it is for someone my age with a strong personality to find a match. Blah blah blah—it’s so annoying!’
Huang Yuanbao glanced back at her door to make sure it was securely closed before continuing. ‘If it weren’t for Song Damiao here, I might’ve flipped the roof off the house! I’m so mad!’
Jiang Beibei hinted subtly, ‘Would you accept an age-gap relationship?’
‘What wouldn’t I accept?!’ Huang Yuanbao exclaimed. ‘If Song Damiao could transform into a man and told me he’s lived for five thousand years, I’d still agree! At least he’s cute! Those forty-something old men—no matter how good-looking they are—I feel physically repulsed just looking at them…’
Jiang Beibei said, ‘Then it’s easy. Song Damiao can’t transform, but he can… hook you up.’
Huang Yuanbao absentmindedly stroked Song Damiao’s fur. ‘Ah… How do I put this? I know what you mean, but your Fourth Brother’s eyes are just too small…’
Jiang Beibei clicked her tongue twice. ‘So what?! Double eyelids and big eyes are dominant traits—you have a high chance of passing those on to your kids!’
Huang Yuanbao laughed. ‘Hahaha… You’re really into this stuff… To be honest, I got double eyelid surgery.’
Jiang Beibei paused, then teased, ‘Then what other complaints do you have about my Fourth Brother? Love isn’t something you negotiate conditions for. Besides, my Fourth Brother’s small eyes aren’t exactly an unforgivable flaw.’
‘Hmm, I don’t know… Let’s talk about it later.’
Jiang Beibei wrapped herself in a towel, opened the door, and peeked out to test the outdoor temperature. To her surprise, it had started snowing.
‘Ah! So cold!!’
The five brothers were soaking in the hot spring pool, waving at her. ‘Come on in! Once you’re in the water, you won’t feel the cold—it’s warm.’
Qin Yuan called out, ‘Wait a bit—grab me a beer first!’
‘Me too!’
‘Who wants one?’
‘Beibei, bring them all!’
Jiang Beibei protested, ‘No… I’m freezing! I need to hold onto my towel—I refuse to move.’
She closed her eyes, shivered violently, and quickly jumped into the pool. Once submerged, she let out a long sigh of relief.
The pool was warm. Fourth Brother, being tall, sat right at the bottom to keep his shoulders submerged, with the water level reaching his nose.
‘If Little Six isn’t going, then Little Five will go. Let’s go in age order,’ Qin Yuan pushed Chu Yao forward. ‘You go grab some snacks.’
Chu Yao wiped his face, climbed out of the hot spring, slipped on a bathrobe hanging from a wooden beam, and went inside to fetch the food.
Jiang Beibei secretly stared after him, her gaze following his every move. Tang Xizhou noticed and chuckled, swimming in front of her and flexing his muscles. ‘Check out my muscles!’
Jiang Beibei blushed and looked away, her curiosity shifting to the waterproof film covering the wound on his arm. ‘Is that for waterproofing? Did you buy it on Taobao?’
Tang Xizhou smiled and glanced around surreptitiously before replying, ‘This? Your Eldest Brother made it out of a condom.’
Jiang Beibei’s Eldest Brother groaned. ‘Do you want a beating? Is this something you say in front of a kid?’
‘…Why not? There’s nothing wrong with talking about it openly. It’s a life hack—your mom taught my mom this trick.’
Yan Qingming’s mother worked at the epidemic prevention station, so their house was stocked with countless medical condoms. Being frugal, Yan Qingming’s mother even used them to cover remote controls to keep dust out. This habit rubbed off on her son, turning Yan Qingming into a household expert in creative condom usage.
Yan Qingming sighed deeply, wrung out his towel, placed it on his forehead, closed his eyes, and decided to ignore Tang Xizhou for three minutes.
Song Lang floated on the surface of the water, hands behind his head, with a towel draped over his face.
Jiang Beibei said, ‘Do any of you guys want to use face masks? I brought a box.’
Qin Yuan removed his glasses and squinted lazily. His naturally flirtatious peach blossom eyes narrowed, evoking the image of a gentle spring breeze brushing through a peach orchard. He leaned against the edge of the pool, drawling, ‘I’ll join in—let’s hydrate.’
Jiang Beibei cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and called toward the door, ‘Yao-ge! Bring the box of face masks from the suitcase!’
Tang Xizhou snickered, mimicking her tone in a low voice. ‘What’s this ‘Yao-ge’ nonsense? Call him ‘Lover!’’
Jiang Beibei rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, imitating a Taipei accent. ‘Oh, Second Brother, you’re so annoying…’
Song Lang chuckled under his breath. Qin Yuan rested his chin on his hand and eyed Tang Xizhou, suddenly saying, ‘Fourth Brother, I bet this chatterbox is going to end up as someone’s wife.’
Yan Qingming sighed again, essentially giving up—do as you please.
Tang Xizhou paused, smirked, and dove underwater.
A moment later, Qin Yuan cried out in distress. ‘Brother! Have mercy!! I was wrong—don’t pull my trunks! I still have dignity! Beibei’s watching!’
Jiang Beibei quietly turned around, pressing her back against the wall and muttering, ‘Sigh… What a bunch of immature brats.’
Chu Yao dragged over a long bench, arranged the snacks neatly, and placed them by the edge of the pool. Seeing Tang Xizhou and Qin Yuan messing around, Chu Yao shook his head briefly.
He took off his bathrobe, slowly descended into the water, and as he lowered his head, he caught Jiang Beibei staring up at him.
In a playful mood, Chu Yao reached out and dunked her head underwater.
When Jiang Beibei surfaced, she shouted, ‘Chu Yao! I’m breaking up with you for three minutes!’
‘Calm down,’ Chu Yao said. ‘It’s a bit dangerous.’
Just as Tang Xizhou had settled down, he snickered again, swam over, and grabbed Jiang Beibei. ‘I’ve caught a peeping tom! Who should I give her to? Yao-ge, catch!’
He tossed Jiang Beibei up, and she squealed as she landed in Chu Yao’s arms.
‘Second Brother! This feud is unforgettable!’
Yan Qingming finally opened his eyes. ‘Be careful with your wound—if it tears open, I’ll make whoever caused it cry!’
Chu Yao held Jiang Beibei close, chuckling softly.
The warmth of his skin made Jiang Beibei feel as if she were pressed directly against him, flesh to flesh. Her face flared up instantly, and amidst her dazed thoughts, she remembered the deceptive padding in her chest. In a flash, she slid away and pressed herself against the corner of the pool.
Chu Yao didn’t pursue her. He leisurely turned around, leaned against the edge of the pool, and cracked open a beer.
Jiang Beibei stealthily grabbed the box of face masks from the long bench and applied one to her face.
Song Lang said, ‘Beizi, toss me one.’
Qin Yuan swam over, carefully examined the types, picked a hydrating mask, and applied it to his face.
Tang Xizhou joked, ‘All you masked cats gather together! I’ll take a group photo.’
Yan Qingming added, ‘Everyone gets one—Fourth Brother brought a selfie stick.’
After applying their masks, the men instinctively lined up against the wall in an orderly fashion, as if they had planned it. Only their heads peeked out, each topped with a towel.
Song Lang held up the selfie stick, snapped a group photo, and posted it to their social media circle.
A while later, he read out the comments for them.
‘Scaring people on New Year’s?!’
‘Are you my sister or my younger sister?’
‘Hot spring luxury retreat?’
‘Where’s your Damiao? Give him a mask too!’
Song Lang replied, ‘Damiao isn’t here.’
A short while later, Huang Yuanbao responded to the post: ‘I’ve already started giving Damiao his mask treatment. I’ll send you a photo later—don’t forget to Photoshop Damiao into the picture!’
Jiang Beibei laughed so hard her mask nearly cracked.
________________________________________
After the hot spring session, the slightly tipsy siblings returned indoors and discovered something new.
‘There’s a raised platform—it’s heated flooring! It’s warmer to just lay out beds and sleep directly on the platform.’
‘Sleep together? Let’s tell stories!’
‘No way for Beibei—let her sleep in the bedroom. The five of us will sleep side by side.’
Beibei clutched her blanket, looking at them with hopeful eyes. ‘I’ll listen to your stories before I go to sleep.’
Tang Xizhou said, ‘Alright. Let Yao-ge tell a story. Yao-ge, after all these years of work, have you encountered any paranormal events? Share with us—it’ll be like a bedtime storytelling session.’
‘How should we sleep?’ Qin Yuan asked. ‘Don’t follow the order! I want to sleep next to Yao-ge, and let Song the tall guy sleep on the edge!’
He rearranged the pillows, lying down next to Chu Yao. Song Lang, resigned, moved to the farthest edge and reached out to hug Chu Yao. ‘Yao-ge always smells so good…’
Chu Yao replied calmly, ‘Oh, I just washed my hair.’
With Song Lang now at the far edge, Jiang Beibei couldn’t reach Chu Yao’s side. She reluctantly sat cross-legged at Yan Qingming’s end, clutching her blanket as she waited for Chu Yao to begin.
Song Lang requested, ‘Tell us the spookiest thing you’ve ever encountered!’
Chu Yao closed his eyes and smiled as he asked them, ‘A corpse that suddenly opens its eyes, a grandmother with a slicked-back hairstyle, or the sound of crying at a crematorium late at night—which one do you want to hear?’
Jiang Beibei burrowed her head into the blanket, curling into a ball. She tightly gripped the corner of Yan Qingming’s blanket, anxiously waiting for their choice.
Tang Xizhou hesitated. ‘…Are they all real?’
‘Yeah, I can even give you a two-parter.’
‘Don’t make it one of those Close Encounters of the Scientific Kind style stories—that’d be annoying!’
‘Then I’ll tell you about the grandmother with the slicked-back hairstyle,’ Chu Yao began softly. ‘The first elderly person I handled at work had passed away from a sudden illness. When she was brought in from the hospital, she was covered in blood. Her only grandson lived far away and couldn’t make it back that night, so they asked us to keep her overnight until someone could bring clothes for her…’
The room fell silent. Jiang Beibei breathed carefully, barely daring to move.
Chu Yao continued, ‘That night, I was on duty. She looked so lonely laying there, so I bought her two flower wreaths and combed her hair.’
Song Lang marveled, ‘I truly admire Yao-ge’s mental fortitude…’
‘That night, there were no urgent cases, so I went to the duty room to rest. Normally, I wouldn’t fall asleep, but that night, I sat down in the chair and unknowingly drifted off. Then, I dreamed of an old woman, her back facing me… wearing a deep red wool coat, her hair slicked back. She told me she wouldn’t see her child again and was leaving soon, but she wanted to thank me.’
Chu Yao paused briefly, then said, ‘Her grandson arrived early the next morning, crying the whole way. He hurried home to grab a piece of clothing and brought it over… That clothing was the deep red wool coat the grandmother had been wearing in my dream.’
Tang Xizhou murmured, ‘When Yao-ge tells this story, I believe it—I’ve experienced similar things where victims appear in dreams to express gratitude. It’s… quite touching.’
Chu Yao sighed, then suddenly said, ‘Beibei, stop biting your fingers. It’s not that scary.’
Jiang Beibei quickly lowered her hand, scrambled up with her blanket, and timidly asked, ‘…Can I sleep here?’
The brothers burst into laughter.
Chu Yao sat up and swapped places with Song Lang, making space for her to lie down next to him.
Song Lang wiggled his fingers and chuckled mischievously, ‘Third Brother, I’m back!’
Qin Yuan groaned, ‘Ah! You fart fiend! Eldest Brother! Eldest Brother, can I exile Fourth Brother to your side?!’
Yan Qingming rolled over in his blanket and said, ‘Don’t even think about it!’
Seeing that Jiang Beibei had settled in, Chu Yao turned off the light.
The room plunged into darkness and silence.
Not long after, Chu Yao noticed a draft seeping through the blanket. Opening his eyes and lifting the edge of the blanket, he saw Jiang Beibei cautiously tugging at the mattress beneath him.
Chu Yao closed his eyes and smiled, gently taking her hand. After a few weak struggles, Jiang Beibei clasped his hand in return.
Finally, their breathing grew steady.
A long time passed before Song Lang began snoring. Though not loud, it was certainly agonizing for those still awake.
Pfft—
A fart sounded, and Song Lang stopped snoring, smacking his lips a few times.
Qin Yuan sighed, got up, and yanked the blanket, pulling it over Song Lang’s head.
Tang Xizhou, pinching his nose, scolded Qin Yuan. ‘Third Brother! You let him fart all over us, damn it!’
Even Yan Qingming couldn’t help but laugh.
Qin Yuan grumbled, ‘I’m going to sleep with Beibei!’
Chu Yao warned, ‘You dare.’
‘Is Yao-ge still awake?’ Tang Xizhou asked. ‘Who’s breathing so rhythmically in the room? Is it Beibei’s?’
‘Yes,’ Chu Yao replied. ‘She’s sleeping soundly.’
‘Hahaha, this girl has nerves of steel!’
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