CUB - 3.1

Since developing insomnia, Su Yanheng had consulted numerous doctors, but none had been able to cure his condition. The side effect of taking too much medication was nausea, which severely affected his work. 

As a result, Su Yanheng had rarely taken any medication in the past six months, resorting to sleeping pills only when he had important work the next day.

Over the past six months, he hadn’t experienced a single restful night’s sleep without first enduring a painful struggle to fall asleep. This was the first time in half a year that he had drifted off unknowingly, and it happened while someone else was by his side.

Su Yanheng stared blankly at Su Younian, who was beaming with a bright smile, unable to comprehend why he had been able to fall asleep so defenselessly beside the child.

He quickly realized it was likely Su Younian’s doing, though he didn’t dare jump to conclusions just yet.

“Big Brother, are you going to keep sleeping?” Niannian raised his small hand, tentatively reaching toward Su Yanheng. Seeing that Su Yanheng showed no sign of pulling away, he mustered the courage to touch Su Yanheng’s cheek, gently brushing aside the stray strands of hair stuck to his face.

“No more sleeping.” Su Yanheng’s expression was dazed, but his mind was already clear as he glanced at the wall clock.

He had slept for over three hours and felt more refreshed than after a full day’s rest.

The exhaustion from the past few days had eased somewhat, and Su Yanheng’s tense nerves relaxed. He caught Niannian’s retreating hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it softly, murmuring, “Thank you.”

Niannian didn’t hear him, his face flushing from Su Yanheng’s affectionate gesture. “Big Brother, what did you say?”

Su Yanheng asked, “Are you hungry?”

Niannian nodded his little head and pleaded, “Can Big Brother eat with Niannian again?”

Su Yanheng found it both amusing and heartwarming, quickly reassuring him, “I asked because I planned to eat with you.”

Niannian was overjoyed and wrapped his arms around Su Yanheng’s neck. As he moved, he accidentally tugged on his injured left foot, causing his small face to scrunch up in pain. 

Su Yanheng gently placed him back against the pillow and instructed, “I’ll go downstairs to get the food. Wait here for me.”

“Okay!” Niannian replied loudly, obediently adding, “Niannian won’t go anywhere. Niannian will wait right here for Big Brother.”

As Su Yanheng went downstairs, he sent a message to his manager, Zhao Shun: 【I just took a nap.】

Sleeping wasn’t unusual, but for Su Yanheng, it was extraordinary.

Zhao Shun, finding typing a waste of time, called him directly. “How did you manage to fall asleep?”

As Su Yanheng’s manager, Zhao Shun was all too familiar with his condition. He had personally witnessed Su Yanheng’s struggles with insomnia. 

During a three-month film shoot, Su Yanheng’s dark circles had grown so severe that even concealer couldn’t hide them. If there were a concealer that could cover Su Yanheng’s dark circles, it would undoubtedly become a bestseller.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Su Yanheng admitted honestly. “But I have a feeling it has something to do with my brother.”

Zhao Shun asked, “Which brother?”

A hint of laughter crept into Su Yanheng’s voice. “The youngest one, Su Younian.”

Zhao Shun had heard Su Yanheng mention this brother before and was even more surprised. “Weren’t you two not getting along? How did your relationship improve so much after just one day off?”

“Adversity reveals true feelings,” Su Yanheng replied, recounting the family doctor’s explanation to Zhao Shun and adding a few personal thoughts of his own.

“Niannian is really dependent on me now.”

Zhao Shun felt goosebumps rising all over his skin, utterly unable to believe that these words had come from the aloof and distant Su Yanheng, who usually disliked getting too close to others.

"Anyway, the important thing is that you managed to sleep. Since being around your brother helps you sleep, you should spend more time with him during your breaks and soak up some of his 'sleep aura.'"

Su Yanheng: "..." What kind of term is "sleep aura"?

To be honest, Su Yanheng wasn’t entirely sure whether being with Su Younian would actually help him sleep. Perhaps this time was just a coincidence, and it might not work again. 

He didn’t want to get his hopes up too much, fearing that greater expectations would only lead to greater disappointment.

Talking with Zhao Shun had taken up quite a bit of time, and by the time he went back upstairs, fifteen minutes had already passed.

The little one had been waiting anxiously for Su Yanheng, craning his neck repeatedly to peek at the door. If it weren’t for his injured foot, he probably would have come downstairs to look for Su Yanheng already. A servant amusingly recounted this little incident to Su Yanheng, which made him chuckle inwardly.

He quickly composed his expression, pretending not to know anything, and walked slowly into the room.

Niannian had already shifted his upper body away from the pillow, his little face turned toward the door, his eyes fixed intently on the door panel as if trying to bore two holes through it. The moment he saw Su Yanheng, his anxiety instantly melted away, replaced by a big, sweet smile.

"Big brother."

So this was what it felt like to be relied upon, more wonderful than he had ever imagined.

Su Yanheng walked over, set down the tray, and ruffled his brother’s fluffy little head. He asked knowingly, "Were you getting impatient?"

"No," Niannian instinctively replied, but after a few seconds of conflicted expression, he honestly admitted, "Just a little bit impatient."

He raised his chubby little hand, pressing his thumb and index finger together to show a "tiny bit" gesture. "Niannian really wants to be with Big Brother."

Su Yanheng’s heart swelled with emotion, but he kept his expression calm. "Mm."

Niannian stared unblinkingly at Su Yanheng. "Does Big Brother think Niannian is too clingy?"

The name "Niannian" really suited him, he was indeed clingy. But Su Yanheng didn’t dislike it. On the contrary, he loved how attached his little brother was to him.

After being ignored by his two younger brothers for so long, finally having a sweet and clingy little brother was something Su Yanheng wanted to cherish deeply.

"Not at all."

Niannian pursed his lips, revealing a faint dimple on his left cheek. Suddenly, Su Yanheng understood why parents loved taking photos of their children. Their own kids were just so adorable, and you couldn’t help but want to capture every single moment.

Su Yanheng resisted the urge to pull out his phone. He was the eldest brother, 25 years older than Su Younian. He should maintain a dignified and steady image and not act like an obsessive fan, lest he scare his little brother again.

Su Yanheng helped Niannian set up the bed tray. As soon as he placed the rice and a dish on it, Niannian eagerly picked up his own little bowl, chopsticks, and spoon.

Su Yanheng hesitated for a moment before asking the obvious, "Can you manage on your own?"

Neglected by his parents, Niannian had learned early on the principle of "self-reliance leads to abundance." While children his age were still practicing with training chopsticks, he could already use regular chopsticks skillfully. Though his fingers were too short and his grip wasn’t perfect, it didn’t stop him from eating.

"Yes, I can!" Niannian corrected his chopstick grip and proudly showed off his cleverness to Su Yanheng. "Brother, is Niannian amazing?"

"Impressive." Though he said it, Su Yanheng felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. How had his little brother learned to do all this so early?

It was also his own fault for coming back too late, missing the age when his brother knew nothing and simply needed their care.

Filled with regret, Su Yanheng decided not to let himself be overwhelmed by it. Just then, a meatball slipped from Niannian's chopsticks and rolled right in front of his rice bowl.

Having just boasted about his skills, Niannian immediately flushed red and whispered an explanation, "The meatball was too small."

It wasn't the meatball that was too small, it was you. A child your age should just be fed by their parents obediently. Why did you have to learn to be independent? If you're going to rely on me, then rely on me completely!

Su Yanheng picked up the meatball from the tray and placed it back into Niannian's rice bowl. Then, he pressed down on Niannian's hand, which was about to pick up the chopsticks again, as if announcing something important: "Don't move. I'll feed you."

"Huh?" Niannian froze.

Was that allowed?

Mom had said that children who couldn't feed themselves were useless, and no one would like such a child.

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