Brother Wei Chong

Yi Shen did indeed have a heart for the people of the world, but that heart was by no means enough to support him on such a path of no return. He only wanted Wu Qi to be well, and everything else was just an afterthought.

Even if he didn't say it, Wu Qi understood.

Yi Shen twirled Wu Qi's hair, recalling the words "Brother Weichong" she had just called out.

When they were little, Wu Qi always called him "Brother Weichong," repeating it over and over. Ning Xunxu wanted to do the same, and Lin Kuo joined in the fun. Yi Shen found it rather noisy to hear Ning Xunxu and Lin Kuo calling him "Brother Weichong."

Ning Chanyuan smiled and stopped Ning Xunxu and Lin Kuo from addressing Yi Shen that way, and suggested that they drop the "brother" from Yi Shen's address from now on, and call him "Wei Chong Ge". Lin Kuo was less than a month younger than Yi Shen, so he naturally refused to call Yi Shen "brother" and simply called him "Wei Chong". Ning Xunxu was the youngest and had to call everyone "sister" or "brother", so he listened to his sister and called Yi Shen "Wei Chong Ge".

Song Yinxing also referred to Yi Shen as "Brother Weichong".

Gradually, "Brother Weichong" became the only way Wu Qi addressed Yi Shen.

However, later on, Wu Qi stopped calling Yi Shen "Brother Weichong" as she used to. She stopped calling him "Weichong" and stopped calling him "Brother Weichong" like Song Yinxing and Ning Xunxu did. Instead, she called him "Young Master Yi," "Our Yi Shen," or "Our Young Master Yi," and occasionally she would call him "Yi Shen."

Yi Shen didn't know why this had happened, and only said, "Let her be," when Lin Kuo asked about it.

As long as she's by his side, let her decide how to address her.

Now, the person was not only beside him, but also in his arms. Yi Shen asked, seemingly casually, "Why did you suddenly stop calling me Brother Weichong?"

Wu Qi said, "Because I'm afraid you'll really treat me like a younger sister."

"What?" Yi Shen asked, puzzled.

Wu Qi recounted an incident from the past: "Previously, when we went out to play, people on the street said that you were too good to me, like your own sister. They also said that your aunt had been longing for a daughter for so long, and that she probably treated me as the Yi family's goddaughter, and that the goddaughter was treated almost the same as the biological daughter."

"At that time, I really didn't want you to treat me like a little sister, but I was also afraid that if I called you 'brother' all day long, you would really treat me like a little sister."

"So I had no choice but to take it upon myself to change the way I was addressed."

"Is that so?" Yi Shen smiled, relaxed and at ease, as if he had glimpsed a bit of the girl's true feelings across the years. She was confused and dissatisfied, hesitant yet bold, which made his heart soften and grow like a sweet and sour fruit when he learned the truth many years later.

He said, "If that's the case, I'd be very happy."

“That’s great. Brother Weichong, I want you to be happy every day, joyful every day…” Finally, Wu Qi looked up, his bright eyes sparkling as he embraced the darkness and the stars, “And, you can’t do without me.”

"I'm really looking forward to it," Yi Shen said softly.

Although Wu Qi kept saying that she was cured and no longer moldy, not many people believed her, or rather, no one believed her. At night, Wu Qi fell asleep nestled in Yi Shen's arms, but she still seemed restless, always needing Yi Shen to hold her, to kiss and coax her gently from time to time, and to hold onto the hem of Yi Shen's clothes.

Yi Shen held her in his arms, stroking her smooth long hair with one hand and gently stroking her back with the other, coaxing her, "Little Qi, don't be afraid, Brother Weichong is here. You're in Brother Weichong's arms, so don't be afraid of anything."

Normally, Wu Qi would be able to drift off to sleep again by this time, but this time, she snuggled closer to him, and soon two lines of tears appeared on her face.

She was still dreaming when tears began to fall.

Yi Shen kissed away her tears and continued to coax her, "Little Qi, be good. It's okay to cry for a while. It's alright, Brother Weichong is here."

Wu Qi's sleep grew increasingly restless, her crying intensifying as she fell into a nightmare, nearly unable to breathe. Yi Shen sat up, pulled her onto his lap, draped a blanket over her, and stroked her back from head to toe to help her catch her breath.

He kissed the top of her head while coaxing her, "Sweetie, brother's here."

The room was filled with sobs and comforting words; sorrow and tenderness filled the moon in the sky, its light shining into the room. Wu Qi leaned on Yi Shen's shoulder, wetting his nightgown with her tears before slowly waking up.

She was somewhat confused, unsure whether she was in reality or dreaming, and asked incoherently, "What's wrong with me?"

"It's alright, our Xiao Qi is perfectly fine." Yi Shen rubbed her head, pinched her cheek, and pointed to the corner of her clothes that she was clutching tightly. "Look, you're holding onto me. Good Xiao Qi, let's have a good sleep."

Wu Qi was not fully awake to begin with. He glanced at the hem of her clothes clutched in her hand, which eased his mind considerably. He was then coaxed by Yi Shen and fell asleep again.

Perhaps because she had just cried, she slept much more soundly this time.

Wu Qi was still clutching the hem of his clothes, using some force, leaving many wrinkles in the fabric. Yi Shen's large hands covered hers, helping her hold onto the hem of his clothes.

He wiped away the remaining tears on her face, pressed his cheek against hers, rubbed against her cheek, felt her body temperature, and murmured, "Don't leave me."

Wu Qi gripped his clothes tightly, as if she knew she couldn't abandon him.

Everything in the dream had passed. When Wu Qi opened her eyes again, it was already dawn, and she was still in Yi Shen's arms. Today, the students of Ci Zi Ge were leaving. Wu Qi felt a little embarrassed to stay in bed a little longer, and was about to get up when Yi Shen stopped her.

He said, "I'll lie down for a while longer."

Yi Shen never lingered in bed, except occasionally after arriving in Changru Town. However, Wu Qi knew that it wasn't his intention; he was just keeping her company. This was the first time Yi Shen had said he wanted to stay in bed a little longer.

Wu Qi lay back in his arms and said, "Why did you suddenly want to stay in bed?"

Yi Shen said, "Why don't you call me Brother Weichong anymore?"

Wu Qi smiled and said, "Do you like it when I call you Brother Weichong?"

Yi Shen said, "I've always liked it."

“Okay.” Wu Qi nuzzled his chin. “Brother Weichong.”

After a moment, Yi Shen said, "Not enough."

Wu Qi looked up in confusion and asked, puzzled, "What's not enough?"

"You have to say that I love Brother Weichong the most, and you also have to say that I will never leave Brother Weichong." Yi Shen pulled Wu Qi into his arms, and Wu Qi rested her arm on his head. He gently touched her cheek and said in a tender and seductive tone, "Little Qi, say that I love Brother Weichong the most."

Wu Qi blinked and replied, "I like Brother Weichong the most."

Yi Shen took a deep breath and continued in his gentle and seductive voice, saying, "I will never leave Brother Weichong."

Wu Qi repeated, "I will never leave Brother Weichong."

Without Yi Shen needing to say anything, Wu Qi had already connected the two sentences and added a sentence on her own. She said, "I love Brother Weichong the most. I will never leave Brother Weichong. I want to be with Brother Weichong in my next life."

"Is that enough, Brother Weichong?"

Yi Shen kissed her, seemingly satisfied, and said, "Only a puppy talks nonsense."

"That's so unfair! You didn't say anything." Wu Qi complained, tugging at his sleeve. "Even if it's unfair, you have to say something. That's what makes it fair."

"I love Xiaoqi the most. I will never leave Xiaoqi. I want to be with Xiaoqi in my next life." Yi Shen moved closer to her, his nose brushing against hers, and said happily, "Now, whoever is talking nonsense is a puppy, the ugliest kind of puppy."

Wu Qi found him unusually childish, laughing incessantly in his arms, and urged him to get up.

They had just gotten up, and the students of Cizige Middle School had also just gotten up. Everyone was full of energy. As soon as they saw Wu Qi, they grabbed him and hugged him. Wu Qi was confused as they hugged him back and forth, and looked at Yi Shen, who had stepped out of their circle, with a puzzled expression.

Yi Shen stood on the periphery, watching them carry Wu Qi around. Even when He Qi held Wu Qi, his expression remained unchanged. He smiled gently, his eyes fixed on Wu Qi, who was surrounded by the crowd in the center.

He arrived the latest and struggled the longest. He didn't know under what pretext or by what identity he should go to Changru Town to see Wu Qi and Yi Shen. Yi Shen was someone he shared life and death with, and someone he loved with the same heart. He was indeed jealous of Yi Shen's reputation and talent, as well as his ability to hold Wu Qi in his arms.

For him, Wu Qi was indeed the subject of a fleeting glimpse in the Ci Zi Pavilion years ago, and the subsequent flutter in his heart. Back then, Wu Qi smiled at him without any guard up, and said, "My name is Wu Qi, what's your name?"

Afterwards, he heard that Wu Qi seemed to be ill.

Strangely, when he heard that Wu Qi was sick, he wanted to refute it, saying that Yi Shen was by her side, so how could she be sick? But before he could say anything, he understood.

It's a mental illness.

So, without telling his parents, he set off overnight for Changru Town, and today, under the bright sunshine and amidst the blooming flowers, he embraced his beloved.

The moment he actually hugged Wu Qi, he couldn't tell whether she had lost weight or gained weight.

Because this was the first time he had ever held her.

The soft, smooth clothes, the fragrance in his hair, the ribbons fluttering in the breeze, and the unguarded laughter were all things he had desperately longed for in his dreams.

He was captivated by her, yet he whispered, "I don't think I love you anymore."

Wu Qi didn't react at first, turned his head to look at him, tilted his head slightly, and after understanding what He Qi was talking about, smiled and said: "Is that so? Then I wish you will meet your sweetheart in the future, and I wish you happiness in advance."

"Thank you," He Qi said. "I hope you'll be happier too."

What was a difficult moment for him was merely a blink of an eye, a fleeting instant, lasting only a few words to outsiders. Wu Qi pulled away from his embrace and was then held by someone else.

"What's wrong with you all? Are you trying to kidnap me?" Wu Qi really couldn't understand why these dozen or so people were coming to hug her one by one.

The crowd remained silent, only laughing.

When it was Song Yinxing's turn, Wu Qi smiled and hugged her. She said, "Zhiyun, hug me, it's been so long since I hugged you."

Song Yinxing hugged her, patted her head, and instructed her, "We're leaving now. Take good care of yourself here. As for that broken cannon blade, if you can research it, then do so. If you can't, then go to sleep. There's no rush."

Wu Qi nodded.

"Write to me if you need something, and write to me even if you don't need anything."

"Uh-huh."

“I will miss you in the capital, and you should miss me here.”

"Uh-huh."

"Nothing is in a rush, let's take it slow."

"Uh-huh."

Wu Qi buried his head in Song Yinxing's neck and nuzzled her, saying, "I will be fine, and I will return to the capital to see you all."

Finally, she asked, "She's dead, isn't she?"

Song Yinxing nodded silently. "They used your face. So, people who didn't know the truth thought you were dead."

"No, I won't die," Wu Qi said.