Chapter 43 "I only want your kiss".
Chapter 43
Yu Pan, huddled under the covers, suddenly remembered that when Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen first took her in, everyone in the village thought she was a girl.
At that time, he was thin and small, with dry, yellow hair hanging down his shoulders, messily covering most of his face.
Uncle Shen and Aunt Shen initially thought they had found a girl, but when they bathed him, they discovered that he was actually a boy.
But the villagers didn't know that during that time, when neighbors visited each other, they would always joke about whether Shen Yanzhou had picked up a child bride.
Later, everyone found out that the person they had taken in was a boy, but the "child bride" was still there. Occasionally, the aunties from the neighborhood would come over for a chat, and when they saw Yu Pan, they would smile and say, "Come, come, let me see if your little child bride has grown any taller?"
When Yu Pan was a child, he was too young to understand the meaning of this word. He only knew that everyone was smiling when they said it, and that Uncle Shen, Aunt Shen, and Shen Yanzhou were not angry. So he thought it was probably a good word.
When he got a little older, he learned to read with Teacher Ji and secretly read a few miscellaneous books. Only then did he understand that a child bride would live with the family's son until she grew up.
Yu Pan was not at all opposed to this; on the contrary, he was quite happy. He wanted to be with Shen Yanzhou and never be separated from him.
Even though he later truly understood that the meaning behind the 'child bride' was not beautiful, his desire to be with Shen Yanzhou forever never wavered.
When they were young, intimacy was a very natural thing.
For example, Aunt Shen would peel a sugarcane and have Shen Yanzhou give it to Yu Pan. Yu Pan would take the sugarcane, stand on tiptoe, and give Shen Yanzhou a quick kiss on the cheek.
This is something Yu Pan observed himself. Every time he did this, Uncle Shen and Aunt Shen would laugh even more happily. Although Shen Yanzhou would sometimes deliberately put on a stern face, Yu Pan could tell that he was actually happy.
Conversely, the same applies when Shen Yanzhou occasionally kisses his cheek, which can make the whole family happy.
But since Shen Yanzhou went to high school, this intimacy has gradually decreased.
At that time, Shen Yanzhou grew much taller, his shoulders broadened, and his voice became deeper. He would often rub Yu Pan's head or pinch his cheeks, no longer letting Yu Pan sit on his lap and swing his feet while sharing funny stories, as he did when they were children.
Yu Pan is a very sensitive person, and he quickly sensed that he was actually a little disappointed and unhappy. They had grown up like this since childhood, so why did things have to change as they grew up?
He didn't understand; he just felt that Shen Yanzhou seemed to be a little distant from him, and it wasn't just the distance between school and home.
This unease reached its peak on a weekend when Shen Yanzhou returned from vacation.
When Shen Yanzhou was on vacation, he would often bring Yu Pan some novel snacks. As usual, Yu Pan would rummage through his schoolbag to see if there were any treats. This time, however, she found a light blue envelope in a hidden compartment, with a pink heart drawn on it.
love letter!
Yu Pan was already in junior high school at that time, so of course she knew what a love letter meant.
This means that someone likes Shen Yanzhou, and that Shen Yanzhou might be nice to someone else in the future, stop being nice to him, and then abandon him.
Yu Pan was heartbroken. She was so sad that she barely ate any food that night.
That night, for the first time, he didn't cling to Shen Yanzhou. He kept his distance from Shen Yanzhou and even used the blankets to create a boundary between the two sides of the bed.
Shen Yanzhou's temper wasn't as good back then as it is now. After trying to coax Yu Pan for a while and seeing that he ignored her, she simply let him be, thinking that he would be fine after a while.
As a result, the night passed like this. The next night, Yu Pan buried herself in the blanket, feeling more and more upset. She bit the corner of the blanket and cried secretly, sobbing uncontrollably.
They were sleeping on an old-fashioned wooden bed. When Yu Pan pulled the bed, it would creak softly.
Shen Yanzhou couldn't sleep at all. He sighed, sat up, and pulled Yu Pan, blanket and all, over. By the moonlight from the window, he saw that Yu Pan's eyes were red and swollen from crying. He reached out to wipe away Yu Pan's tears and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with you? Hmm?"
He should have asked, because the question only made Yu Pan feel more aggrieved. Her lips trembled and her tears fell even harder.
There was nothing Shen Yanzhou could do but hug him, pat his back, and soften his voice, "Alright, alright, don't cry. It's my fault, I shouldn't have been so mean to you. What happened?"
Yu Pan sobbed in Shen Yanzhou's arms for a while before she began to gesture, telling him about seeing the love letter and asking Shen Yanzhou if he would never want her again.
"What love letter?" Shen Yanzhou frowned.
Yu Pan gestured to emphasize, "I saw it! It was in your backpack!"
Shen Yanzhou raised an eyebrow, picked up the schoolbag hanging on the chair by the bed, and rummaged through it in front of Yu Pan, and sure enough, he found the letter.
He looked at the light blue envelope and found it amusing. "This? I really didn't notice. I don't know who slipped it in."
As he spoke, Shen Yanzhou casually stuffed the letter into his schoolbag and looked down at Yu Pan in his arms: "You're crying like this because of this?"
Yu Pan nodded vigorously, her eyes starting to well up with tears again.
Shen Yanzhou felt both angry and heartbroken. She leaned closer to him, looked into Yu Pan's eyes, and asked, "What does this have to do with me not wanting you anymore?"
Yu Pan lowered her eyes and thought for a while before gesturing with a wronged expression: "You just don't want me anymore."
"How could I not want you anymore?"
Yu Pan looked up and started counting on her fingers, gesturing: "You don't kiss me anymore! The last time you kissed me was a month ago, the night before you started school!"
He remembers it perfectly!
Seeing his earnest expression, Shen Yanzhou couldn't help but chuckle. He lowered his head and kissed Yu Pan's tear-streaked face, then kissed the corners of his swollen eyes. "Panpan, do you know what 'kiss' means now?"
Yu Pan nodded, then shook her head.
He didn't care what the books or other people meant by "kissing." All he knew was that Shen Yanzhou used to kiss him often, but now he didn't. This change frightened him, and that was the most important thing.
“When you’re a little older,” Shen Yanzhou said, “you probably won’t let your brother kiss you so easily anymore.”
"Yes! Yes!" Yu Pan gestured eagerly, then hugged Shen Yanzhou's neck tightly, burying herself in his arms, and wrote on Shen Yanzhou's back with her hand: "I only want your kiss."
Since then, Shen Yanzhou has returned to his old ways.
-
ah……
Recalling this past event now only made Yu Pan's already hot face burn even hotter.
I was so shameless back then.
After a while, he couldn't help but crawl out of bed again and continue staring at Shen Yanzhou.
Yu Pan's gaze was too direct; it was difficult for Shen Yanzhou to pretend he hadn't seen it.
He glanced at the wall clock, put down the documents in his hand, got up and walked to the small bed to sit down, placing his palm on Yu Pan's forehead. "It's already 10:30, why aren't you asleep? You won't be able to get up tomorrow morning."
Yu Pan shifted her position slightly, rested her head on Shen Yanzhou's lap, and said in a muffled voice, "I was thinking about the love letters you received before."
"Oh," Shen Yanzhou chuckled, pinching Yu Pan's soft earlobe, "when Panpan turns into a crybaby?"
"I wasn't a crybaby!" Yu Pan pouted, looking up at him. "I was expressing my grievances! Very serious grievances, okay!"
“Okay, I know Panpan suffered a great injustice back then.” Shen Yanzhou replied, cupping his face in his hands and kneading it like dough. “That aggrieved Panpan, if he doesn’t go to sleep soon, he’ll be dozing off in class tomorrow.”
Yu Pan rubbed against his palm and said coquettishly, "I can't sleep..."
"Lie down a bit more." Shen Yanzhou patted him.
As soon as Yu Pan heard this, she knew that Shen Yanzhou was going to sleep with her, so she immediately moved to the inside of the bed to make room for him.
After Shen Yanzhou lay down, he rolled into Shen Yanzhou's arms as if it were second nature, found the most comfortable position to snuggle up, and complained softly, "It's been so long since you've slept with me like this."
"Yeah, things have been busy at work lately, it's all my fault." Shen Yanzhou hugged Yu Pan tightly, his chin nuzzling against the top of his head. "Please forgive me this time, okay?"
As Shen Yanzhou spoke, Yu Pan's gaze fell directly on Shen Yanzhou's Adam's apple, watching it move slightly as he spoke.
On a whim, he leaned in and took a small bite of the protruding Adam's apple, before saying with satisfaction, "Alright, I'll forgive you since you've admitted your mistake so well."
Shen Yanzhou was startled by his sudden action. After realizing what was happening, she patted his back with a wry smile and said, "Are you itching for a beating? Go to sleep."
"Mmm..." Yu Pan closed her eyes peacefully in Shen Yanzhou's arms, her breath filled with a reassuring scent.
As for that book I saw at school today... well, I'll tell Shen Yanzhou when he's not so busy.
-
However, Shen Yanzhou's work seemed endless, and he was always so busy that he barely had time to breathe. Yu Pan also never found a suitable opportunity to talk about that book.
On the contrary, he talked more and more with Ling Luo at school.
Whether it was because Yu Pan had discovered her secret or not, Ling Luo became unusually open with Yu Pan after that.
From the latest scandals of movie stars to the trivial matters of his relatives, to who in his class is dating whom, he talks about everything.
That beautiful mouth, aside from eating and sleeping, spends most of its time chattering away.
Ling Luo talked so much that Yu Pan had the illusion that there was a different person inside her. When they first met, she was quite ethereal, but now she was like a walking news broadcaster, with her own commentary.
Today, Ling Luo finally stopped gossiping. He leaned over mysteriously and said to Yu Pan, "Hey, Yu Pan, my parents bought me a Nintendo game console yesterday! It's a genuine one! How about coming over to my house after school this afternoon to play Contra?"
Going to a classmate's house to play?
This was a novel and tempting thing for Yu Pan, but he didn't rush to respond. Instead, he told Ling Luo that he had to ask Shen Yanzhou first.
Ling Luo knew that Yu Pan always listened to his brother, so he only said, "Your brother even cares about this," and then waved his hand and said, "It's okay, I'll talk to you this afternoon."
After returning home from school at noon, Yu Pan finished her lunch and then called Shen Yanzhou to tell him that Ling Luo had invited her to his house.
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone before Shen Yanzhou's voice came through: "Okay, go ahead, be careful."
Yu Pan could hear faint discussions on the other end of the phone even through the receiver, knowing that Shen Yanzhou must be busy, so she quickly responded and hung up.
After hanging up the phone, Yu Pan started to think. It seemed impolite to go to a classmate's house empty-handed for the first time, so she should prepare something.
So he picked out a few of the best-looking apples, wiped them clean, and put them in a plastic bag. Then he remembered the gift boxes of chocolates and candies that Shen Yanzhou had brought back before, which were still unopened. He took one of each.
Yu Pan stuffed all these things into her schoolbag, which suddenly became heavy.
Ling Luo was also picked up and dropped off by a driver after school. They had agreed in the morning that if Shen Yanzhou agreed, Yu Pan would go back with him in the afternoon.
So before going to school in the afternoon, Yu Pan specifically told the driver who picks him up every day that he didn't need to come pick him up after school, as he was going to play at a classmate's house.
As a result, when school ended in the afternoon, Yu Pan and Ling Luo had just walked out of the school gate.
Yu Pan immediately spotted the familiar black car parked in its usual spot. Just as she was wondering what was going on, the car window slowly rolled down.
Upon seeing the person in the driver's seat, Yu Pan's eyes lit up immediately—it was Shen Yanzhou!
"Why are you here!" Yu Pan was both surprised and delighted, and immediately abandoned Ling Luo to run over.
Shen Yanzhou ruffled Yu Pan's slightly messy hair and said with a smile, "It's Panpan's first time visiting a classmate's house. It's such a memorable occasion, so I have to personally take you there."
At this moment, Ling Luo slowly caught up, looking at the unfamiliar handsome man in the car with a hint of doubt, "Yu Pan, why are you running so fast...?"
Yu Pan turned around and said to Ling Luo with a smile, "Ling Luo, this is my brother, Shen Yanzhou!" Then she turned to Shen Yanzhou, "Brother, this is my deskmate, Ling Luo!"
Shen Yanzhou nodded politely to Ling Luo, "Hello, I've often heard Panpan mention you. Thank you for taking care of him during this time."
Ling Luo, unusually, put aside her usual carefree attitude and replied respectfully, "Hello, brother."
With Shen Yanzhou's arrival, Yu Pan and Ling Luo's plans from the morning were scrapped. They eventually agreed that Ling Luo's driver would lead the way, while Shen Yanzhou would drive them behind.
Ling Luo's family lived in a high-end residential area in the city center. A department store was just a few hundred meters away from the residential area, and it was not far from Shen Yanzhou's company.
The car came to a smooth stop in front of Ling Luo's house. Before Yu Pan got out of the car, Shen Yanzhou took out a cell phone and handed it to him: "Take this with you. Call me if anything happens."
Yu Pan took the brick-like phone and muttered softly, "It's so heavy..."
Shen Yanzhou was amused by him and casually unzipped his backpack to put his phone in, but she immediately saw that it was full of fruit and candy gift boxes. She was both amused and exasperated. "Are you going to a classmate's house or on a field trip? Why are you bringing so much stuff?"
Yu Pan said matter-of-factly, "It's my first time going!"
Shen Yanzhou shook his head helplessly, put the phone inside, and instructed, "Put it away safely, have fun, and call me when you're ready to go back. I'll be there soon."
"Okay! I know!" Yu Pan nodded, got off the bus with her heavy schoolbag in her arms, stood by the roadside, and watched Shen Yanzhou's car disappear around the corner before turning around.
Ling Luo stood to the side, arms crossed, watching this scene with a strange feeling in his heart. After Shen Yanzhou left, he couldn't help but complain, "Hey, Yu Pan, why does your brother give me the feeling... like I'm going to sell you off? Is he that worried about you?"
Yu Pan turned her head and explained very seriously, "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that this is my first time going to a classmate's house, and my brother... well, he's probably a little worried that I won't be used to it."
“What’s there to get used to?” Ling Luo said, unable to resist trying to imagine herself in the shoes of her perpetually cold-faced older brother, Shen Yanzhou.
The thought of his brother worrying about him going to a classmate's house for the first time, personally picking him up and dropping him off with a mobile phone... sent a chill down Ling Luo's spine and gave him goosebumps.
"Never mind," Ling Luo shook her head, trying to banish the horrible image from her mind.
People are different, and brothers are different too, that's perfectly normal!
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Author's Note: Panpan is a high-needs baby [calico cat emoji][calico cat emoji][calico cat emoji]
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