Chapter 10

I chuckled and served three bowls of soup, quite pleased with how my words had gone. I don't consider myself pedantic or old-fashioned, and they could tell I was joking, so the atmosphere for the conversation was generally quite pleasant.

Moreover, teasing a healthy younger brother is quite fun, like watching a small animal bar its teeth and snarl for a long time before just licking your finger with its tongue.

Cream of mushroom soup. My brother loves to research all sorts of recipes, but when we eat together, the one he serves is always the most normal and ordinary meal.

As I scooped out the side dishes, I asked, "What are your thoughts on your names?"

The older brother rested his chin on his hands: "Didn't you say you were going to think about it? What are your thoughts now?"

"Of course I like them both, as long as you came up with them. But I wonder what the guy next to you thinks. You know, it's very difficult to satisfy him in both states. I'm really ashamed for him."

This was no longer a veiled reference; it was a completely open and blatant mockery.

My younger brother, who had just been leaning weakly against me, is now sitting up properly, bowing his head and saying softly, "...I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to cause you any trouble..."

Even those who don't think he's truly saddened by this scene would feel sorrow upon seeing it.

I couldn't bear to see him looking so pitiful, so I went back to the previous topic: "The names I've thought of are all fairly common, and you all have your own views on the world. If possible, I still hope that you can decide on the name yourselves."

I was truly ashamed to say the name I wanted to say; it felt as strange as introducing myself to someone. Lu Cangxue, Lu Mingnan, and even Sol and Theo all seemed a bit odd.

I put my arm around my younger brother's shoulder: "Why don't you express your opinion first?"

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "...I want to have the same name as you."

I couldn't help but immediately think of the Miki incident. I already have a vague PTSD about the word "same," and I hope I won't encounter it again in the future.

“Use the same name, so when your brother calls you in the future, I'll be the one you turn around to.” I smiled. “Can you bear to let your brother Qinghe be bothered by your brother on top of finishing his studies and working to earn money?”

He shook his head, reached out and hugged my waist, looking very dependent: "A little similarity is fine... I want it to be related to you, because you saved me."

His eyes shone brightly as he spoke, sparkling like sapphires under the light. I reached out and touched the corner of his eye, and soon saw him lower his head like a startled fawn, revealing the furry back of his head to me.

I felt a little awkward, but I also enjoyed his dependence on me, so I gently patted his back.

My older brother stopped eating. He noticed that although I kept referring to both of us, I was actually only talking to my younger brother. He came around from behind me, buried his head in my shoulder, and said in a muffled voice, "I'm sorry... please forgive me. I didn't mean to upset you. If I've made you unhappy, please do whatever you want with me, just don't ignore me..."

I still ignored him.

He persisted, his long eyelashes brushing against my neck, causing a slight tickle with each stroke, his breath warm and damp. He continued, even preemptively accusing me because he felt favored: "You see, I didn't mean to mock him; you know, he acts strangely when he's sick. But I have to take care of him during those times, and when he's not having an attack, I have to face your doting on him. Even as his older brother, I shouldn't be treated like this, should I?"

He put his arms around my neck gently: "You can't treat me like this. I just feel it's unfair. In this relationship, I'm always the one who suffers unfair treatment. You can see that, can't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't treat me like that usually, and now you're being cold to me. It hurts me so much, and it makes me realize that I shouldn't ask for more."

I was both amused and exasperated by the brothers, so I pushed them aside and tried to be serious: "Stop fooling around. Let's get this name issue sorted out. Do you all have the same idea? But I don't recommend you both use the surname Qing, because I don't know what my surname is."

“Then, green will do,” the older brother said, his eyes shining with a bright smile. “As long as it’s related to you, I’ll be satisfied.”

Just as he was about to move closer to me, my younger brother suddenly grabbed his pants from behind, almost causing him to stumble.

"Blue-green..." I said thoughtfully, "Then, what about the name? Should I think of it?"

My brother then revealed some information to me: "My name used to be You, and his name was Hua. If you really have trouble, just put those two characters at the end."

I wasn't surprised at all: "Then why did you say you didn't have a name when we first met?"

“Because it is a title,” Hua said. “A title is not a name. A title can be inherited or taken away. We do not own it; it owns us.”

He nodded again, indicating that his younger brother was right. He smiled, revealing a sharp canine tooth: "But it doesn't matter, as long as you provide us with a surname, even if our given names are just titles, they will still be our own names. We will have our own titles, and we will always be connected to you. You are the one who gave us a new life."

I suddenly remembered that my younger brother also had a canine tooth, but in the opposite position. These twins had experienced hardships I had never imagined, including infighting within their own tribe. I calmly said, "So, are you sure you want the surname 'Qing' (青)? It's not a common surname, and if we add your titles, it will look even stranger."

"If it's so special that you'll always remember us, then that's really great," Qing said enthusiastically. "Even Qinghua, who has always looked down on me, agrees with this. You have to believe it."

I chuckled and kissed them both on the forehead.

"Alright, Qingyou, Qinghua," I said. "It's getting late. You're still growing, so even if you don't want me to catch you doing something funny, you should go back to your rooms and get some rest, okay? I'll wash the dishes..."

"Absolutely not." Qing stopped me from speaking again, kicking Qinghua and his chair toward the kitchen without changing his expression. "Qinghua will be very excited tonight, so you should get some rest. I could tell when you first came in that there were always annoying people surrounding you, which really saddened me. Fortunately, you always resolutely rejected them, but they still shamelessly surrounded you..." He became more and more clenched his teeth as he spoke.

I agreed with the beginning, but the latter part became incomprehensible. However, I could still understand that "he cares about me," so I was in a good mood: "Then I'll trouble you tonight. Get some rest early, and... and also..."

I felt the hand that was pushing me stiffen again, and the warmth of my palm slowly grew hot. Children's body temperatures are always high; I'll check again in the middle of the night to see if he might have a fever.

And why did it sound like a porcelain plate breaking over there?