Jian Suiying twisted his ankle and decided to skip work, resting at home for two days.
Jian Suilin didn't give up and kept calling.
Fed up with the ringing, Jian Suiying finally answered, asking lazily, "What?" "Bro, Li Yu told me you hurt your foot."
"Yeah, twisted it."
"Are you feeling any better now? How are you eating?" "I could starve myself to death, couldn't I?"
"Is anyone taking care of you?"
"It's just a sprain, not paralysis. Who needs care?" Jian Suiying missed several shots and said impatiently, "I'm hanging up."
"Hey, bro!"
"What?"
"Did you apply the ointment? Did you massage it yourself? If you don't treat it, it'll take at least two weeks to heal." "It's not that complicated. It'll be fine in a few days."
"Should I bring you some medicine? Our team has injuries all the time. I know how to handle it."
Jian Suiying had rare days off to rest at home. Being alone felt so liberating—she didn't want to see him at all. She flatly
She flatly refused. "No need. You have your college entrance exams tomorrow. Don't go messing around."
"My teacher said not to study these days. I'm just sitting around at home anyway. Let me come see you." "I said no means no."
"Brother..."
"Are you annoying or what? That's exactly what bugs me about you—all this nagging."
Jian Suilin immediately swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
Jian Suiying gave a perfunctory reply, "Do your best on the exam tomorrow. Don't embarrass the old Jian family." Then he hung up and went back to snacking and watching movies.
Images of Li Yu's flushed ears and evasive gaze from that day kept surfacing in his mind. Jian Suiying thought that look of his
was something he could never get enough of. How he longed to see it again.
Jian Suying paused the movie. The room fell silent, the emptiness suddenly palpable. He suddenly felt suffocated in this house, devoid of any human warmth.
He fished his phone out from between the sofa cushions, found Jian Suilin's number, and dialed it. The call was answered quickly. "Brother?"
"Mm."
"Bro, you... you want me to come over?" "No, I just want some spicy crayfish."
"Should I bring you some?"
"I don't want to eat at home. Come pick me up and take me to Guijie." "Alright, I'll be right over."
"Oh, and bring Li Yu along." "Huh... Li Yu?" "Bring him too."
Jian Suilin paused, hesitating before asking, "Why?"
Jian Suiying was momentarily stumped, then declared with righteous conviction, "Old Li's grandson. It can't hurt to keep in touch, right?
. Besides, you two get along well. I was hoping his brother could help me secure a plot in Beihai." "Oh, I'm not close with his brother. We've only met a few times."
"I'm not that close with his brother either. It'd be best to get acquainted through him. Just bring him along for dinner." "Alright..."
Just minutes after hanging up, Jian Suiying's phone rang again. He saw it was Jian Suilin calling.
"What else is there?"
"Suiying." His father's voice came through the line. "Dad?"
"Yeah, Sui Lin is coming to see you." "Right."
"I told him to pack his things and stay at your place tonight."
Jian Suiying immediately bristled at the suggestion. "Why would he stay at my place?"
"You live in the city center, close to his exam site. Tomorrow's the college entrance exams—traffic will be hellish. What if he's late
What then?"
"Didn't you hear him say I sprained my ankle? I can't drive."
"I know, but even a taxi would be faster than driving from home." "Dad, I don't have room for him to stay."
Her father clicked his tongue. "Damn it, why are you making such a fuss about letting your brother stay one night?" Jian Suiying rolled her eyes.
His father continued earnestly, "Suiying, you're both grown men now. No matter what, he's still your brother. When we're gone, he'll be the only family you have left to rely on. Do you understand?"
The fact that he could even speak calmly to Jian Suilin now was already a sign of his magnanimity. Jian Suijing replied lazily, "Fine, fine, fine. Stay if you want to."
His father finally gave a satisfied "Mm-hmm" and was about to hang up when Jian Suiying called out, "Hey."
"What is it?"
"Dad, tell Xiao Lin to invite Old Li's grandson too. My place is big enough. Let's just send them off together tomorrow
them all at once tomorrow."
"But can they even stay?"
"Ask them. His dad and older brother hold real power. You never know when that might come in handy. Building good relations never hurts."
hurt."
"Alright, I'll have Sui Lin ask."
Jian Suiying hung up the phone, secretly hoping Li Yu would stay over that night too. Otherwise, it would be utterly pointless.
Jian Suiying waited at home for over an hour, dozing off on the sofa before the doorbell finally rang. Sure enough, Jian Suilin had brought Li Yu along, instantly lifting Jian Suiying's spirits.
As soon as Xiao Lin entered, he looked at Jian Suiying with concern. "Bro, how's your foot? Let me take a look." "No need, it's fine now. What good would it do for you to look? You're not a doctor."
"Let me take a look. I brought some liniment. I'll give you a massage."
"No, no. Come in and sit down." The polite invitation was clearly directed at Li Yu. Li Yu offered a perfunctory greeting: "Brother Jian, how's your foot?"
"Nothing serious."
Jian Suilin helped him sit down and insisted on examining his foot.
Jian Suilin rolled up his pant leg and frowned at the foot. "Bro, did you go to the hospital?" "No, why go to the hospital? It'll be fine in a few days."
"This won't do. If you don't treat it properly, you won't be able to drive for a long time." He reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of oil. "Let me
massage it for you. It'll hurt a bit—bear with it."
Before Jian Suiying could say anything, Jian Suilin had already unscrewed the cap and poured a splash of oil onto his foot. By the time he tried to speak.
It was too late.
Jian Suilin carefully placed his foot on his thigh, gripped his ankle and began to massage it, starting gently before applying more pressure.
He had always known how Jian Suying treated Jian Suilin. The grudges of the older generation weren't Suilin's fault, yet Suying had taken out all his anger on him since childhood.
Every time he saw Jian Suiying arrogantly bossing Jian Suilin around, he felt that Jian Suilin didn't deserve it.
However, Jian Suiying saw it completely differently.
In his eyes, no matter how much he bullied Jian Suilin, it was only natural for him to curry favour.
Now that his grandfather was old and infirm, his father was head of the household and he was second in command.
If this mother and son wanted to live comfortably when the time came, they would have to rely on Jian Suying's favour.
Jian Suilin wasn't stupid — if he didn't curry favour with him, who else could he possibly curry favour with?
So when Li Yu claimed Jian Suilin idolized him, he found it laughable. Jian Suilin probably wished the world didn't have someone like Jian Suying.
Jian Suilin's grip tightened. Jian Suying gritted his teeth in pain. "Ouch, ouch! You've got some strength, kid." "If it doesn't hurt, it won't work. This is how you get the blood flowing."
"Alright, alright, stop! It hurts like hell, stop pressing already!" "Bro, just bear with it. This is how you heal faster."
"Damn it, can't I just heal slowly? Stop pressing!"
Jian Suiying stubbornly tried to pull his foot back.
Jian Suilin held onto his foot, practically coaxing him. "Bro, just bear with it a little longer, okay?"
"No." Jian Suiying kicked him in the stomach—not very hard, really—and seized the chance to pull his foot back.
Li Yu couldn't stand watching any longer. He sprang to his feet, his face darkening. "Suilin's only trying to help you. What the hell are you doing?"
?"
His words left both men stunned.
The Jian brothers' dynamic was one of mutual tolerance—one willing to strike, the other to endure. They'd long grown accustomed to it. Jian Suilin felt awkward. "Li Yu..."
Li Yu realized he'd overreacted and sat back down, frowning.
Jian Suiying frowned too, unsure what had upset him. Then it hit her—was it because she’d kicked Jian Suilin?
"Did you get your driver's license yet?"
"Got it."
"Hmm, good. What kind of car do you want to drive to school?" "You decide, bro."
"Alright. Depends on how you do on the test. Study hard, and I'll get you a nice car." "Thanks, bro."