Chapter 5: Second Brother, Spare Me!

Jiang Beibei called back, but the line was already disconnected.

A situation like a dead phone battery rarely happened to Chu Yao because his job hardly involved using his phone, leaving little opportunity for it to drain. When he worked, personal belongings—especially his phone—had to be locked in a cabinet and could only be retrieved after work.

Chu Yao had just called her, so he must have finished work. But turning off his phone again so quickly likely meant urgent work had come up, and he’d locked it away once more.

Jiang Beibei lost all enthusiasm and slowly wandered along the pedestrian street.

She didn’t want to go home.

With her grandmother gone, opening the door would reveal a dark house without lights or meals waiting for her—no sense of home, no one anticipating her return. Moreover… there were bound to be whispers from the neighbors eager to fill her ears with gossip.

Passing by a hotel, Jiang Beibei stopped and looked up.

This hotel had been heavily promoted recently. It was said to offer excellent service and impressive decor, with promotional deals during its trial period—including a hot spring buffet for guests.

After staring at it for a while, Jiang Beibei made up her mind. She rushed to the nearby underground supermarket, bought a huge bag of snacks and drinks, and then checked into the hotel.

“Welcome to Homecoming Hotel—experience the comfort of home!” the greeter exclaimed. “Madam, this way please—are you checking in?”

“Yes!” Jiang Beibei slapped her ID on the counter, initially wanting to say, “Give me the most expensive room!” But upon seeing the price, she quickly changed her words. “Uh, a single room for one night, thank you.”

“Alright, check-out is before noon tomorrow. Starting at eight tonight, we have a buffet and hot spring access. Here are your tickets. Madam, do you have any other requests?”

Jiang Beibei thought, Could I ask for a few young men to perform circle dances in my room? Would you agree to that?

Of course, to prevent Second Brother Tang Xizhou from working overtime to bust her for solicitation, Jiang Beibei swallowed the joke and said instead, “Yes, please turn on the lights and TV in the room beforehand to create an atmosphere of someone waiting for me. Thank you.”

The hotel’s service was quite considerate; they immediately contacted housekeeping to fulfill her request.

Three minutes later, Jiang Beibei lay sprawled on the soft bed like an idiot, grinning stupidly for a long time before whispering softly, “Not bad.”

Regardless, when she entered the room, the sound of the TV playing and the warm glow of the lights did indeed chase away some of her loneliness.

Jiang Beibei pulled back the curtains. In the distance, the overpass resembled a river of light, flowing slowly with flickering dots of warm yellow.

“Ten thousand households lit.”

Her melancholy was fleeting; she had long since grown accustomed to quickly tidying up her emotions.

Jiang Beibei opened her snacks, cracked open a can of cola, and listened intently to the fizz of bubbles before hopping back onto the bed to order a movie.

When feeling down, she knew how to console herself.

How? Jiang Beibei had plenty of experience—it boiled down to eating, drinking, and sleeping.

After starting work, she added another method: spending money.

Spending her hard-earned cash was both painful and reluctant, but that very ache reminded her, What’s the point of being sentimental? Use that time to make more money!

Jiang Beibei watched a movie and soon it was time for the buffet. Though she wouldn’t go to the hot springs—there was nothing more satisfying than staying in the room, munching on high-calorie snacks and sipping sugary cola—the buffet still beckoned. After all, there might be pastries, and perhaps even seafood.

She got up, took her meal ticket, and entered the restaurant, grabbing an empty plate to start wandering around. By the time she finished circling through, her plate was piled high with food.

Jiang Beibei sat in a corner, stuffing her face like there was no tomorrow. Just as she popped a grilled chicken wing into her mouth, she looked up and nearly dropped her jaw in shock.

Second Brother Tang Xizhou, wrapped in a bathrobe, was sitting not far away with a plate, his back to her.

“Second Brother is here too?!”

To her astonishment, Jiang Beibei saw Tang Xizhou pick up a piece of meat and feed it to the person sitting across from him. The decorative flowers on the table obscured her view, so she couldn’t see who was opposite Tang Xizhou.

“...Does Second Brother have a thing going on?”

Jiang Beibei was shocked yet delighted, her complex emotions bubbling up like soda fizz straight to her scalp.

Her Second Brother—sturdy and principled—had once rejected arranged blind dates by saying, “My job is too dangerous, and when I’m busy, I can’t take care of a family. Women marry for love and life, but I’ve already decided to serve the nation rather than build a home. Why should I hold them back? No need to meet.”

Never would she have expected that such a resolute Second Brother could have a tender side.

How gentle his eyes were when feeding someone else.

Before she could even grin, the person next to Tang Xizhou stood up, holding a plate to select more dishes. Wearing a bathrobe, it was none other than the person Jiang Beibei was most familiar with.

“...Elder Brother?!”

It was Yan Qingming! Her kind, gentle, mature, and considerate Elder Brother Yan Qingming!

No doubt about it!

So... the piece of meat Second Brother had fed earlier—was it for Elder Brother?

...Wait, no?

Cola spilled all over her as Jiang Beibei suddenly snapped out of her daze, covering her mouth in disbelief.

Her eyes widened as she stared, repeatedly telling herself, Don’t overthink this, don’t overthink!

The two brothers were simply enjoying their stay together, and feeding each other wasn’t unusual. She scolded herself for having such an odd train of thought, jumping to conclusions where there shouldn’t be any.

But reality swiftly slapped her in the face. She watched as Tang Xizhou quickly chased after Yan Qingming, grabbed his robe belt, stepped on his slipper, and made him stop. He took the plate from him and even threw a wink over his shoulder.

She heard Yan Qingming laugh and scold lightly, “Behave yourself—at least tone it down in public.”

“I’m behaving enough,” Second Brother laughed loudly in response.

Yan Qingming, smiling warmly, returned to his seat leisurely and picked up his phone.

Not long after, there was movement in the group chat.

Elder Brother: “Beibei, are you home yet?”

Jiang Beibei’s heart was still racing from the scene she had just witnessed. She held her phone with trembling hands, unable to react for a long moment.

She cautiously replied, “...No, I’m out. Elder Brother, aren’t you going back?”

Her usually honest and straightforward Elder Brother shockingly responded, “I’m on night duty today. Go home early, and let me know when you’re back. Don’t wander around outside.”

This was what they called blatant lying.

Jiang Beibei looked up and saw Second Brother Tang Xizhou return to his seat. She heard him ask Yan Qingming, “Was that message for Beibei?”

Even amidst the noise of the crowd, Jiang Beibei could still hear her name being mentioned. Then, she saw Tang Xizhou pick up his phone and type into the group chat, “It’s the end of the year—criminals are also rushing to meet their quotas. Go home early.”

For some reason, Jiang Beibei suddenly felt mischievous.

So, she asked Tang Xizhou, “Second Brother, if Elder Brother isn’t going home tonight, does that mean you’re not either? Are you working overtime?”

Tang Xizhou’s laughter echoed from the other side. Jiang Beibei heard him say to Yan Qingming, “The little girl is checking up on me!”

But in the group chat, Second Brother brazenly replied, “Of course! Your Second Brother serves the people—he’s working overtime on a case.”

Jiang Beibei mentally bowed in admiration, thinking, Respect, respect—I’ve learned something new.

The excuse of “working overtime” was used so skillfully. How many times had they claimed to be “working overtime” on the same day while actually enjoying themselves at a hotel?

Jiang Beibei decided to bury everything she had seen and heard today deep inside her.

No wonder her Elder Brother and Second Brother, both approaching their forties, never brought up marriage.

Her gaze softened. In this day and age, how many people succumbed to family pressure and got married or had children? Her Elder Brother and Second Brother were truly iron-blooded men of responsibility!

As she recalled Tang Xizhou’s words rejecting blind dates, she now had a newfound appreciation for them, her heart warming.

But before she could finish basking in this warmth, her phone rang, and her blood ran cold.

Jiang Beibei’s ringtone was an anime song—over-the-top and ear-piercing. Normally, she kept it on vibrate, but today, worried she wouldn’t hear it in the noisy buffet area, she had turned up the volume.

Well, that did it. Game over.

Though she hung up quickly, by the time the singer belted out the first line, Tang Xizhou had already turned his head.

There was no way he wouldn’t have turned—it was a ringtone all five brothers knew well because Jiang Beibei had been teased about it countless times. This neurotic ringtone was too familiar to them.

In this day and age, someone as otaku-like and stubborn as Jiang Beibei wasn’t commonly seen in public places.

Thus, Jiang Beibei locked eyes with Tang Xizhou, just as she expected—the two brothers had spotted her.

She quickly raised her bag to cover her face, muttering, “You didn’t see anything, you didn’t see anything. It’s not me, it’s not me, moo-mee-moo-mee-hum!”

But neither brother was blind. Tang Xizhou reassured the startled Yan Qingming, then slowly walked over with a smile.

He said, “Oh, whose little girl is this? You look so familiar.”

Jiang Beibei raised her head and gave an awkward laugh. “Um… Second Brother, do I get a chance to confess and receive leniency?”

Tang Xizhou smiled and spat out two words: “Strict punishment.”

After a moment of silence, Jiang Beibei said, “Second Brother, guess what I’m thinking about? Can we start over?”

She cleared her throat and exaggeratedly performed an expression of surprise. “Second Brother? What are you doing here? What a coincidence—I didn’t see you earlier! Did you come alone? Oh, of course not—you must have come with your colleagues, right? Haha… ha…”

Tang Xizhou continued to smile but didn’t humor her. “You didn’t see wrong—I came here with your Elder Brother.”

That sentence instantly shattered Jiang Beibei’s dream of performing.

She awkwardly laughed and said, “Second Brother, give me some face—let me finish my act.”

But Yan Qingming also approached, his expression solemn like a hero facing martyrdom. He coughed lightly and asked, “Beibei, why aren’t you home yet at this hour? What are you doing here?”

Jiang Beibei raised her hands in surrender. “If I say it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision… would you believe me? I was passing by and thought I’d come in to experience it. Really.”

The two brothers remained silent.

Whether they believed her or not no longer mattered. Jiang Beibei had already seen what she needed to see, heard what she needed to hear, and likely guessed what she needed to know.

Jiang Beibei understood. She took a deep breath, stood up, and spoke seriously, “Elder Brother, Second Brother, I swear to the heavens—I didn’t see anything today, and I won’t say anything. Not even to Song Dawang. You can rest assured.”

Tang Xizhou snorted dismissively, not taking her words to heart. Yan Qingming’s gaze was complex, and he sighed deeply in the end.

Seeing the two brothers’ expressions soften, Jiang Beibei couldn’t help but revert to her mischievous nature. Lowering her voice like a secret agent making contact, she cautiously asked, “So… Elder Brother, Second Brother, how long have you two been together?”

The two brothers exchanged glances, and after a moment, Yan Qingming answered, “Six years.”

They actually confessed! And for so long?!

Jiang Beibei let out a startled bark, “Woof?!”

She had originally wanted to say “Holy crap,” but fearing it might scare her Elder Brother, she swallowed it and ended up barking instead.

Tang Xizhou chuckled briefly. “Beibei, you really are full of drama.”

The phone rang again.

Tang Xizhou said, “Answer it. If you’re out this late, it’s probably Xiao Yao calling. After you hung up earlier, he’s probably worried.”

Sure enough, the caller ID showed Chu Yao.

“Eh? How did Second Brother know?”

Tang Xizhou and Yan Qingming exchanged another glance, this one meaningful, but neither explained.

She had already hung up on Yao Ge twice.

This time, Jiang Beibei finally managed to answer Chu Yao’s call.

Chu Yao: “Where are you? The lights at home are off—are you still out?”

“Mm...”

“Are you with colleagues? When will you be done? Do you need me to pick you up?”

“Um… Yao Ge.”

“Mm, go ahead.”

Jiang Beibei struggled to speak. “I’m not going home tonight. I’ll stay out. Don’t worry—I can take care of myself.”

She waited, wondering how Chu Yao would respond.

After a few breaths, Chu Yao said, “Alright, be safe. Call me if anything happens—I won’t turn off my phone.”

Jiang Beibei hung up, her emotions tangled. She looked up at the two brothers in front of her and asked, “How can I…”

How could she get closer to Yao Ge?

She almost blurted out the obvious question.

“How can you what?” Tang Xizhou raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing.” Jiang Beibei forced a smile and laughed it off. “Let’s eat, let’s eat!”