Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Xie Fengnan and I are not related by blood.

I was already eight years old when I arrived at his home.

My biological parents wanted a boy.

So, they sold me into Xie Fengnan’s family.

It’s hard to say exactly when I started liking Xie Fengnan.

I only know that by the time I looked back, the feelings had already been fermenting in the dark.

Like moss.

When the stone was finally overturned, I discovered that every dark corner was already covered in it…

Thick and suffocating.

Regrettably, despite Xie Fengnan giving me more than enough love, I remained anything but upright and honest when it came to loving him back.

I wasn’t healthy.

Yet, I wasn’t twisted enough to be a true yandere.

I just forced myself into becoming a total gloom-lord.

Before entering the house, I peeled off the labels from the sleeping pill bottles as if possessed. I tucked them away and stepped inside.

A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen.

The young man’s gentle voice reached me almost at the same time as the scent of food.

“Zhiyu.”

I gave a muffled response, stuffed the bottle into my pocket, and walked toward the kitchen door, acting as if nothing was wrong. “Brother,” I called out.

The scent of sweet and sour pork ribs was mouth-watering. I was used to that smell. What truly made my eyes crave more, however, was the young man’s lean, firm waist accentuated by his apron.

A gaudy pink ribbon was tied into a bow behind his lower back, looking like a gift waiting to be unwrapped.

The sleeping pills in my pocket felt like they were searing my palm, the heat making me feel like I was about to redline.

I swallowed hard.

As if sensing something, Xie Fengnan turned his head slightly, his eyes sparkling with a smile. His voice was warm.

“It’ll be ready soon.”

“There’s that guava juice you said you wanted to drink last time in the fridge. The kitchen is full of fumes; go wait in the living room for a bit.”

The summer kitchen was somewhat sweltering. A drop of sweat rolled down his brow and disappeared into his collar.

The lines of his neck and shoulders were smooth and beautiful. His skin looked like polished jade, shimmering with a faint, watery glow.

I couldn’t take it. He was a total incubus.

I couldn’t tell if the fire burning in my face was a wicked flame or the restlessness of my conscience. I quickly ran to the bathroom to wash my face.

My adoptive parents originally bought me because they wanted me to be a child bride for Xie Fengnan.

That year, Xie Fengnan had gone to play at the workshop where his father worked. He hadn’t been careful, and the pinky finger on his left hand was sliced off.

My adoptive parents weren’t highly educated and held traditional, superstitious beliefs. They feared this physical defect would affect Xie Fengnan’s ability to find a wife in the future, so they decided to get him a child bride.

In my opinion, they were worrying over nothing.

Setting aside the fact that Xie Fengnan was incredibly handsome, his personality alone meant he never lacked people who liked him.

Back in school, girls used to chase after him. Even after he started working at the factory, there were young women who volunteered to do his laundry and cook for him.

Not long after Xie Fengnan dropped out of school, a girl from a wealthy family at his old school came to find him.

It was late when he returned from work. The beautiful girl, dressed in an exquisite dress, was waiting downstairs. She looked completely out of place in our dilapidated surroundings.

The Maybach waiting in the alley was like a crouching beast.

Xie Fengnan froze for a moment when he saw her. Then, he gave a faint smile and greeted her as usual.

The young man still carried the heat from chasing the last bus. Though his clothes were old and washed out, he didn’t look poor or beneath her at all while standing by her side.

After greeting her, Xie Fengnan moved to walk past her and head upstairs.

“Xie Fengnan!”

The girl called his name loudly, blocking his path with her arm. Her crisp voice carried the characteristic coquettishness of a young girl.

“You…”

“Do you still want to go to school? I can sponsor you.”

I looked down from the balcony, only able to see the girl’s reddened earlobes, which carried a certain kind of desperate courage.

“I have money. If you’re willing, I can also get you a different house. I can make your life better than before.”

“You won’t have to work anymore. You just need to sit in a classroom and study. You won’t have to squeeze onto the bus either; I can have my family’s driver pick you up and drop you off. You won’t have to…”

I fell silent for a moment. I didn’t dare look at Xie Fengnan’s expression.

I crouched down.

The moonlight filtered through the grimy window, falling in mottled patches.

The optimal solution for my survival would be to rush down right now, scream and make a scene to scare the girl away.

I only had Xie Fengnan. If he didn’t want me-if my brother didn’t want me-then I would have nowhere left to go.

But… at that moment, what I actually thought was:

If my brother can find happiness, it’s okay if he leaves me behind.