CUB - 2

Su Yanheng remained standing motionless. Niannian’s hopeful expression began to falter. At his age, he hadn’t yet learned to control his expressions, his lips pressed into a trembling, wavy line, and his reddened eyes welled up with tears.

Su Yanheng’s mind went blank. He didn’t even realize when he had wrapped his arms around the child. It wasn’t until the little one nuzzled his head against his chest that he snapped back to reality.

Big Brother smelled really nice. Niannian couldn’t quite describe it, but it reminded him of the first snow of winter, covering all the dirt and leaving behind only a clean, pure scent. Big Brother’s embrace was broader and warmer than Mommy’s, and he liked it very much.

Unable to help himself, Niannian nuzzled against Su Yanheng’s chest again, his little nose wiggling and making Su Yanheng feel ticklish. Realizing what the child in his arms was doing, Su Yanheng froze completely, as if turned to ice.

Although the children on set all liked him, none had ever been bold enough to hug him, let alone snuggle and nuzzle against him like this.

Su Yanheng instinctively reached out and touched Su Younian’s forehead. The temperature was normal, the fever had subsided. So why had his little brother become so unusually affectionate?

“Big Brother, Niannian’s fever is gone,” Niannian said, tilting his head back and bumping his forehead against Su Yanheng’s palm. “See? It’s not hot anymore.”

That bump didn’t just land on his palm, it struck Su Yanheng right in the heart. He even wondered if the child knew just how adorable he looked and was deliberately using his charm to make such an endearing, heart-melting expression.

“Big Brother, is there something dirty on Niannian’s face?” Niannian didn’t understand why Big Brother hadn’t responded for so long. He was terrified of silence.

Silence was the warning sign before Mommy got angry. He would rather Mommy openly showed all her emotions than face her when she fell silent.

“There’s nothing dirty,” Su Yanheng said, lowering his palm to cover the child’s overly pure and bright eyes.

It was a good thing that his little brother wanted to be close to him, but Su Yanheng wasn’t used to such clingy affection.

His second brother, Su Xingcheng, only smiled at him when talking about games. His third brother, Ji Sui, was quiet and reserved with everyone, greeting them briefly before retreating back into his own world. Suddenly faced with such a sticky, affectionate little brother, Su Yanheng couldn’t adjust his state of mind right away.

He placed the child back on the bed, his heart rate gradually rising under the child’s intense gaze.

“You haven’t eaten yet, right? I’ll have someone bring the food up.”

His pinky finger was tightly grasped by a soft little hand. Niannian blinked his red, moist eyes and asked hopefully, “Will Big Brother eat with Niannian?”

Su Yanheng was surprised again. “You want me to eat with you?”

He couldn’t help but wonder: Wouldn’t the child be too scared to eat while looking at his face?

It wasn’t that he was overthinking, Su Younian’s previous reactions had been so extreme that they had left a deep and lasting impression on him.

“Yes!” Niannian tightened his grip on Su Yanheng’s finger. “Big Brother doesn’t want to eat alone either, right? Let’s eat together, okay?”

Su Yanheng’s heart softened. He pressed his hand over the child’s and unconsciously softened his voice. “I’ll go get the food. Let go for now.”

Niannian let out a short "oh," only loosening his grip slightly. Su Yanheng found it somewhat amusing but didn’t expose the child’s little selfishness. Gently pulling his finger free from the child’s grasp, he noticed the corners of the child’s mouth drooping slightly and quickly added, "I’ll be back soon."

The downturned corners immediately lifted into a faint curve as Niannian obediently replied, "Okay."

The moment Su Yanheng stepped out of the room, the smile vanished from Niannian’s face. He sank back into the pillow behind him, clutching the little rabbit plush tightly.

This plush toy belonged to "Su Younian." In this wealthy family, he could have as many plush toys as he wanted, never had to worry about going hungry, and would receive immediate care whenever he fell ill. Yet, he still felt uneasy. He wanted to hold onto something that truly belonged to him, like his brother’s affection.

"Why has he become like this?"

The family doctor followed Su Yanheng out of Su Younian’s room, looking puzzled at his question. "What do you mean?"

Su Yanheng still seemed somewhat dazed. "Why isn’t he avoiding me anymore? Why did he even ask me to hold him?"

The family doctor thought for a moment before realizing that the "he" Su Yanheng was referring to was the young master.

The doctor couldn’t help but chuckle. "Isn’t it normal for a younger brother to like his older brother?"

"No!" Su Yanheng’s expression turned serious. "Just until today, I could clearly feel that he didn’t like me. He would cry every time he saw me, as if he wanted to stay as far away from me as possible..."

The family doctor: "..."

It was evident that Su Younian’s rejection had deeply affected Su Yanheng, otherwise, he wouldn’t be asking such questions.

"You haven’t spent enough time with the young master. To him, you were initially just a stranger. As he saw you more often, he gradually formed a clearer impression of you. People are at their most vulnerable when they’re sick, especially children. After he fell ill, you were the first person to visit him, so naturally, he grew attached to you."

The family doctor’s explanation convinced Su Yanheng. Thinking of the child’s flushed cheeks, he pressed further, "Is he alright now?"

The doctor smiled. "The young master’s fever has already subsided. You can rest assured. However, the sprain in his left foot is quite severe. Don’t let him walk for the next few days. I’ll come back in a few days to check on him."

Su Yanheng nodded solemnly and personally escorted the doctor out before heading to the kitchen to fetch breakfast for the two of them.

When he pushed open Su Younian’s door again, Su Yanheng still felt nervous.

Niannian sat up the moment he heard footsteps, casting a delighted look toward Su Yanheng at the door. "Big Brother, you’re back."

Su Yanheng’s expression remained tense as he let out a low "mm" in response. He walked over to Niannian’s bedside, sat down, and handed him a bowl of millet porridge.

Niannian’s two small hands were barely bigger than the bowl, which had handles on both sides to make it easier for the child to hold. He took the spoon Su Yanheng offered and began eating.

The steam from the porridge flushed his already reddened cheeks even brighter, and his thick eyelashes grew damp, as if he had cried again after Su Yanheng left. 

Su Yanheng couldn’t help but think this, and just then, a soft puff of air reached his ears. Looking down, he saw the child pursing his lips, blowing on the spoonful of porridge. His lips were a vivid red, clearly scalded by the hot porridge.

Yet, he didn’t utter a single complaint, not about the porridge being too hot, nor about the adult who had brought him this steaming bowl.

The more silent his younger brother became, the heavier Su Yanheng's guilt weighed on him. He had no experience taking care of children, but he knew that scalding food could burn a child's delicate throat. He had been so nervous that he had even forgotten such basic common sense.

"Let it cool down a bit before eating." Su Yanheng took the small bowl from Niannian's hands with a pang of heartache, picked up a custard bun shaped like a little pig, tore it open to make sure the inside wasn't hot, and then handed it to Niannian. "Eat this first."

Before the bun could be placed in Niannian's hands, the little boy leaned forward and bit into it.

Su Yanheng froze. Niannian's small mouth was half-covered by the bun, and the pig's pink nose bumped right against the tip of his nose. The sight melted Su Yanheng's heart. He knew his brother was cute, but he hadn't expected him to be this adorable once he let his guard down.

Niannian took a bite of the bun, swallowed it, and then smiled. "It's delicious! It tastes even better when big brother feeds me!"

Was it because he had eaten the custard bun that his mouth had become so sweet?

"If it's delicious, eat more."

"Okay." Niannian nodded his little head, took the half-eaten bun from Su Yanheng's hand, and slowly continued eating.

The moment the bun was taken away, Su Yanheng felt an inexplicable emptiness in his heart. He wasn't usually someone who struggled with words, so why couldn't he even handle a child? 

He stared intently at the little pig bun in Niannian's hand, his overly serious expression making it seem as though he were glaring at the boy.

Niannian coughed nervously and looked up at his big brother with cautious eyes, unsure why he seemed angry. He whispered, "Big brother, did Niannian do something wrong?"

Su Yanheng no longer cared about the half-eaten pig bun. Seeing the child's timid and cautious demeanor, he couldn't help but frown.

This seemed like a reaction that came from long-term mistreatment. The servants and butler at home had all undergone strict training and had worked for the Su family for decades. 

If there had been any issues, he and his brothers would have noticed during their own childhoods. They shouldn't have mistreated Niannian.

So what could have caused Niannian to react this way?

"You didn't do anything wrong." Su Yanheng pushed his doubts to the back of his mind and reached out to pat Niannian's head. The child's hair was soft and smooth, pleasant to the touch. 

Su Yanheng, indulging in a bit of selfishness, patted it a few more times before withdrawing his hand.

Niannian's eyes filled with a sense of dependence. Summoning his courage, he leaned closer to Su Yanheng's arm, tentatively resting his little head against it.

Su Yanheng's arm stiffened instantly, and he asked awkwardly, "What's wrong?"

Niannian beamed with delight, his voice trembling with excitement. "I... I like it when big brother pats me."

Su Yanheng: "..."

Niannian picked up the unfinished bun and continued nibbling on it. The bun had been handmade by a servant, thin skin, generous filling. The bun skin couldn't contain the overflowing custard filling, which not only coated his hands but also smeared all over the corners of his mouth.

Anyone who knew Su Yanheng was aware of his cleanliness obsession. While filming, he could wade through muddy ponds or roll around in garbage dumps dozens of times, but that was only for work. Off set, his cleanliness standards were so severe they could drive his assistants to despair.

If it were anyone else, covered in custard filling from mouth to hands and leaning against him, Su Yanheng would have pushed them away without hesitation.

But he only stiffened for a few seconds before grabbing a wet wipe from the cabinet. Before he could even take Niannian's little hand, the boy eagerly snatched the wet wipe from him and began wiping himself clean.

Seeing this, Su Yanheng understood perfectly. Even young Niannian had heard of his cleanliness obsession, and a wave of greater disappointment surged within him. Having a brother who was too well-behaved wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Niannian meticulously wiped each finger clean, then pulled out a new wet wipe to clean his mouth. After finishing, he beamed at Su Yanheng. “Big Brother, is Niannian clean now?”

The child had wiped with such care and thoroughness that even someone as fastidious as Su Yanheng couldn’t find a single unclean spot.

Yet Su Yanheng insisted on nitpicking. He took out a fresh wet wipe, pressed it against the left corner of the child’s mouth.

Niannian was taken aback. His already flushed little face didn’t show shyness, but the redness spreading to his earlobes betrayed his embarrassment.

The more Su Yanheng looked, the more he liked it. He deliberately dragged out the time, wiping the child’s lips thoroughly before finally stopping, satisfied. “Alright, all clean now.”

“Thank you, big brother.”

At this age, children were at their most clingy and quick to forget past scoldings. Even if their parents treated them coldly, as long as they showed the slightest hint of kindness, Niannian would still cling to them without hesitation.

Now in this new world, unable to see his parents, Niannian felt no sadness, because he seemed to have found a brother even better than his parents.

Feeling even a tiny bit of kindness from Su Yanheng, Niannian clung to him like a little puppy, boldly wrapping his arms around Su Yanheng’s arm and saying in a soft, milky voice, “Big Brother is so good. Niannian likes brother.”

Su Yanheng was visibly uncomfortable all over, but he didn’t push the child away. His adaptability was decent, and he was slowly getting used to the child’s enthusiastic clinginess.

Su Younian was afraid of pain. The foot injury had tormented him all night, leaving him unable to sleep well. After breakfast, Niannian began to feel drowsy. Before falling asleep, he tightly gripped his big brother’s left index finger, afraid that the kind big brother he had finally found would run away.

Su Yanheng found it both amusing and exasperating. After Niannian fell into a deep sleep, he tried to pull his finger away. The child reflexively tightened his grip, then relaxed it almost immediately. 

Seeing the child’s little brow suddenly furrow, Su Yanheng’s heart softened instantly. He didn’t pull his finger away again, instead shifting to a more comfortable position, leaning against the headboard and quietly watching the child’s sleeping face.

Su Yanheng hadn’t slept well the previous night either. If he couldn’t sleep at night, daytime was even more impossible.

His eyelids felt heavy, his consciousness teetering on the edge of fading away. Despite trying numerous times before, he had never managed to fall asleep. 

This time, accompanied by the child’s light, steady breathing, he drifted off without realizing it. It wasn’t until a servant came to remind him about lunch that he slowly woke up.

Niannian had woken up at some point, clutching his little rabbit plushie and lying beside him, his big eyes clear and bright, fixed intently on him.

“Big Brother, you’re awake. Do you want to sleep a little longer?”

Sleep?

Su Yanheng wasn’t fully awake yet, instinctively refuting the idea in his mind. How could he possibly fall asleep?

Then it dawned on him, he had just slept?​