Chapter 11: Let Big Brother Show You
Niannian was awakened by the incessant chirping of birds outside the window. Even before opening his eyes, he felt the dampness in his palm. As soon as he opened them, he met Ji Suize’s gaze. Already accustomed to such surprises, Niannian quickly came to his senses, a smile curling at the corners of his lips. "Big Brother."
His voice carried the hoarseness of someone just waking up, like biting into a sweet red bean-filled glutinous rice ball, soft, dense, and tickling Ji Suize’s heart.
Ji Suize reached out expressionlessly and poked the little dumpling’s cheek. The day had barely begun, and he had already touched the dimple he’d been longing for. He was certain today would be a very pleasant day.
Their hands had been clasped together all night, and sweat had gathered between their palms, making soft, squelching sounds as they moved.
This was the first time in his memory that someone had stayed with him from falling asleep to waking up. He didn’t have to fear being startled awake by nightmares in the middle of the night, crying because he couldn’t find a warm embrace, nor did he have to worry about the loneliness of waking up to an empty room.
Delighted, Niannian gave Ji Suize’s fingers a gentle squeeze, leaned in, and planted a firm kiss on Ji Suize’s cheek.
Ji Suize: "..."
The sudden kiss left Ji Suize’s thoughts frozen. In his daze, Niannian slipped his hand free, threw off the blanket, and prepared to get out of bed. Acting faster than his mind could process, Ji Suize grabbed the hem of Niannian’s clothes.
Niannian turned back and explained, "Big Brother, I’m going to brush my teeth and wash my face."
Ji Suize pointed at Niannian’s left foot. Niannian picked up the small crutch by the bed and smiled. "I have this."
Ji Suize felt a twinge of dissatisfaction. Wasn’t he more useful than this broken crutch?
He wrapped his arms around Niannian’s waist, pulled him back to the center of the bed, and pointed at the bed as if to say: Stay right here and don’t move.
Niannian understood Third Brother’s meaning and obediently sat in the middle of the bed, blinking his big eyes in confusion as he watched Ji Suize. To his surprise, Ji Suize hopped off the bed, took his crutch, and placed it in a corner where he couldn’t reach it.
"..." Niannian protested softly, "Big Brother, if you take my crutch, I won’t be able to walk."
"You don’t need to walk," Ji Suize suddenly spoke up, walking back to the bed. He wrapped his arms around Niannian’s waist and pulled him into his embrace. "I can carry you."
Just as he hadn’t trusted Ji Suize to carry him on his back, Niannian was even more skeptical that Ji Suize could lift him. Although there was only half a head’s difference in height, Niannian felt he looked much chubbier than Ji Suize.
Worried again that he might crush Ji Suize, Niannian quickly tried to stop him. "Big Brother, don’t carry me. I can walk on my own."
His warning came too late. Ji Suize had already lifted him up. The feeling of his feet not touching solid ground made Niannian’s heart race. He could only cling tightly to Ji Suize’s neck, holding on like a koala, hoping Ji Suize would be reliable and not drop him.
His foot injury really hurt. He always pretended to be strong in front of his parents, but in truth, he was terrified of pain.
"Big Brother, be careful..." Niannian said, his voice trembling.
Hearing this, Ji Suize stopped and looked down at the little dumpling trembling in his arms. "Are you worried about me?"
Niannian: "..." I’m worried you’ll drop me.
Niannian hid what he didn’t dare say and instead voiced the thoughts he could share. "Falling hurts. What if Big Brother hurts his foot too?"
Ji Suize revealed a faint smile, fleeting and almost imperceptible. "I won't fall. I'll protect you."
Both his voice and physique were noticeably more youthful than Su Yanheng's, yet strangely, when Ji Suize spoke like this, Niannian instinctively believed him. He stopped trembling, obediently rested his head on Ji Suize's shoulder, relaxed his body, and tried to ease the burden for him.
The distance from the bed to the bathroom wasn't far. Niannian could sense Ji Suize's breathing growing uneven, but Ji Suize remained reliable and didn't drop him. Instead, he carefully placed Niannian on the small stool in the bathroom.
The layout of Ji Suize's bathroom was identical to his own, except Niannian's bathroom had white tiles, while Ji Suize's were sky blue.
The sink was custom-made to suit Ji Suize's height. Ji Suize casually picked up his own toothbrush before realizing a problem. He placed it back and earnestly instructed Niannian, "I'll go to your room to get your toothbrush and towel. Stay seated and don't move."
Niannian wanted to say he could go along to save time, going back and forth seemed so troublesome, and he still needed to return to his room to change clothes. But Ji Suize left as soon as he finished speaking, not giving him a chance to speak.
Bored, Niannian observed the entire bathroom, his focus settling on the sink.
He had been too tired the previous night to pay attention to Ji Suize's room, but now he noticed that there wasn't a single trace of white in it. Ji Suize's toothbrush cup was green, his toothbrush and towel were yellow, and even the bristles of his toothbrush had not a speck of white.
Even at his young age, Niannian knew that white was the most common color in daily life, often incorporated into decorations. Yet, it was strangely absent from Ji Suize's surroundings.
However, he was still too young to ponder deeper questions, and this fleeting curiosity was soon forgotten as other matters occupied his mind.
***
Ji Suize pushed open the door to Niannian's room and saw an unexpected person on the bed.
Su Yanheng was a light sleeper, easily awakened by the slightest noise. The moment the door opened, he opened his eyes, sat up, and looked toward Ji Suize at the doorway.
"Why are you here?" Su Yanheng asked groggily, still half-asleep.
That was exactly what Ji Suize wanted to ask. Hadn't Su Yanheng locked his door and slept soundly last night? How had he ended up in the little one's room after waking up?
Su Yanheng was accustomed to his brother's silence and could sense Ji Suize's confusion. He explained, "I couldn't sleep, so I came here..."
He had confidently believed that even without Su Younian, he could gradually fall asleep. But after lying awake for what felt like an eternity the previous night, he had given in to his sleeplessness and decided to swallow his pride and seek out Su Younian. To his dismay, Su Younian wasn't in his room, which sent him into a panic.
Su Yanheng immediately checked the surveillance footage, discovering not only where Su Younian had gone but also everything the two children had done outside his door.
Seeing the rare closeness between them, Su Yanheng couldn't bring himself to disturb them. Unable to sleep in his own room, he decided to stay in Su Younian's room instead. Miraculously, breathing in the scent Su Younian had left on the pillow and blanket, he quickly drifted off to sleep.
Now, he had to admit it, Su Younian was the perfect remedy for his insomnia.
"Why did you come alone? Where's Niannian?"
Ji Suize pointed towards his own room without giving a clear answer, striding purposefully towards Su Younian's bathroom.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Su Yanheng, still groggy, didn't want to decipher Ji Suize's gestures. He quickly got out of bed and followed Ji Suize to the bathroom.
By then, Ji Suize had already retrieved Su Younian's towel and toothbrush. Brushing past Su Yanheng without a word, he left the room.
Su Yanheng scratched his head, utterly helpless when it came to this younger brother. Driven by curiosity, he quietly trailed after him.
As Ji Suize entered the room, he instinctively moved to close the door but was blocked by Su Yanheng, who had hurried over. Ji Suize glanced at his older brother and, unlike his usual insistence on shutting him out, didn't push him away this time.
"Brother, you're back." Niannian looked past Ji Suize at Su Yanheng, his eyes shining even brighter. "Big brother."
Su Yanheng quickly stepped past Ji Suize and crouched down in front of Niannian, ruffling his messy hair. "Did you sleep well last night?"
"Very well." Niannian examined Su Yanheng's face with concern. "Did brother sleep well?"
Su Yanheng: "Not bad."
Niannian breathed a sigh of relief, wondering if his treatment had already taken effect. After just two sessions, had he managed to cure Su Yanheng's insomnia?
Just as Ji Suize squeezed toothpaste onto the toothbrush, Su Yanheng snatched it away.
"Brother will brush your teeth for you."
Niannian obediently opened his mouth wide.
Su Yanheng had never brushed anyone else's teeth before and was extremely clumsy. At first, he only dared to brush the front teeth. Seeing that Niannian showed no discomfort, he grew bolder and moved the "battlefield" to the inner teeth.
Ji Suize silently watched the pair, not stepping forward to compete with Su Yanheng for the task of brushing teeth. Only after Su Yanheng finished brushing Niannian's teeth did he finally place the towel he had been holding onto Niannian's face.
"Mmm..." Niannian didn't understand what was happening. Darkness enveloped his vision as two small hands pressed the warm towel against his cheeks, rubbing back and forth in a rather haphazard manner.
"That's not how you wash a face. You'll rub Niannian's skin raw like that." Su Yanheng grabbed Ji Suize's wrist, offering a well-meaning reminder.
Ji Suize stopped and looked at Su Yanheng, as if silently urging him to continue.
Su Yanheng took the towel from Ji Suize's hand, brimming with confidence. "Brother will show you how it's done. Pay attention!"
As soon as Niannian regained his sight, the towel was draped over his face again. Su Yanheng's technique wasn't much better than Ji Suize's
A child's skin is delicate and can easily be injured if not handled carefully, so the pressure must be precise. Su Yanheng spoke convincingly, but in reality, he had no experience in this area. He preferred scrubbing his face vigorously to thoroughly remove dirt.
He did know he couldn't use too much force on Niannian. Although he held back somewhat, he still managed to rub Niannian's cheeks until they were bright red. When the towel was removed, both Su Yanheng and Ji Suize were stunned.
Niannian struggled to hold back the cry of pain that threatened to escape. His moist eyes and flushed cheeks betrayed him nonetheless. He blinked his damp eyelashes, looking at the culprit with a pitiful expression. Though he didn't utter a word, his silent grievance was more heart-wrenching than any direct complaint.
Ji Suize glared at Su Yanheng, a rare occurrence, his meaning crystal clear: You have no idea what you're doing, and you made him cry!
Su Yanheng's face was full of embarrassment as he cupped Niannian's cheeks, wanting to rub them but afraid of causing further harm to the child's delicate skin. Heart aching, he said, "Why didn't you say it hurt, you silly child?"
"It didn't hurt that much."
Compared to being scalded by boiling water, this kind of pain was nothing, he was most skilled at enduring.
But the situation now was different. After receiving such unprecedented care, he suddenly didn’t want to endure anymore.
Niannian sniffled with his equally reddened little nose and poured out the thoughts in his heart: "If I said it hurt, then you wouldn’t wash my face anymore."
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