Chapter 42 Foster Brother [VIP]
On a summer evening, the afterglow of the sunset is magnificent.
Rays of colorful sunset light streamed through the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the second floor of the villa and turning the gleaming floor into a bright, radiant glow.
The light of the setting sun shrouded Qingran's face, who was dragging a mini suitcase, obscuring her original expression.
He replied clearly, "My grandparents kept worrying about whether I had a good time, so I came back."
"But you, I didn't tell you I'd be back early, why are you home too?"
Didn't they say they had nothing to do at home anyway, and would stay until their tour group's trip was over before considering coming back?
Pei Xuhui wasn't sure if he had heard what he had just said, and said in his usual lazy tone, "My roommates were all leaving, so I came back with them."
He reached out to take the suitcase.
"Were you just on the phone with Aunt Pei?"
The boy's voice was clear and melodious, like a mountain stream flowing through the valley.
Upon hearing this question, Pei Xuhui didn't hesitate at all. He picked up his suitcase and turned to walk towards his bedroom.
"Yes, they asked on my phone why I wasn't here. I told them I went on a trip with my grandma and the others and haven't come back yet."
The boy clicked his tongue: "I was proven wrong as soon as I came out."
Qingran strolled behind the young man's back: "Did Mother Pei say she would be back soon?"
Pei Xu replied, "No, do you need to see them for something?"
Qingran shook her head, remembering that the other person couldn't see: "Just asking."
Upon entering the bedroom, Pei Xuhui knelt down and opened his suitcase: "Is there anything that needs washing?"
Qingran was speechless: "I'm 16 years old, not 6. Of course I've washed the clothes I took off. Did you bring them back on purpose?"
Pei Xuhui jokingly said as he hung up his clothes, "Really? Why don't I see you washing them at home?"
Qingran casually put her hands behind her back and said, "Because there's a little boy in the family who always finishes the cleaning before I even have a chance to do anything."
"Let me guess, could this snail boy's surname be Pei?" the boy asked, leaning against the wardrobe with one hand after hanging up his clothes.
Qingran snapped her fingers: "Correct answer~"
Pei Xuhui chuckled; his handsome, unrestrained features, a blend of youthful innocence and maturity, were exceptionally striking.
He didn't think there was anything wrong with doing a little more cleaning. With today's advanced technology, washing clothes is just a matter of throwing them into the washing machine and taking them out to dry.
Put the suitcase away and close the wardrobe door.
"You can rest now. I'll call you for dinner later."
Qingran nodded: "Remember to close the door when you go out."
Pei Xu replied, "I know."
As the door closed, the boy's figure disappeared from sight.
After holding back for a long time, the system finally spoke.
[Host, didn't you hear the phone conversation between Pei Xuhui and his mother just now?]
Qingran gazed at the closed doorway, her smile slowly fading, her eyes and tone equally indifferent.
[I heard you.]
Then why are you still so calm?
The system, refusing to believe it, reported: [Pei Xuhui and his mother are discussing which university to attend abroad; he's going overseas!]
Qingran remained calm: [Mm.]
The system doesn't understand: [Why?] There was no warning at all.
The host has been traveling recently, and hasn't confessed his feelings or been ambiguous with anyone. Why is Pei Xu running away?
wrong.
It stroked its chin thoughtfully.
In the original storyline, Pei Xu ran away because his relationship with the original owner was just average; it was a normal, not very close, brotherly relationship.
He neither wanted to turn their brotherhood into a romantic relationship, nor did he want to sever their brotherhood completely.
After all, even though they weren't close, they had treated the original owner as a younger brother for so many years, and their relationship was closer than that of family.
But now his relationship with his host is not as casual as it was in the original story.
Considering the previous host's history of flirting with the male lead...
The system readily accepted the request and asked: "[He finally realized he likes you?!]"
After asking, I became even more puzzled.
[Then why did he go abroad?]
Qingran was silent for a moment, then scoffed: [He can't accept it.]
Although it's unclear which link in the chain went wrong, the fact remains that Pei Xuhui has likely already realized something.
However, the other party's choice was beyond his expectations.
He thought Pei Xuhui would only be troubled and distressed for a while, but he didn't expect him to choose to go abroad directly.
[Can't accept that I like you?]
The system stands with its wings on its hips, why can't it accept this? Is liking the host something shameful?
Qingran: [He was afraid I wouldn't be able to accept it.]
System: [That's easy, just tell him you can accept it. Besides, he didn't even ask you, how would he know if you can accept it?]
It discovered that in many novel-generated worlds, the main characters and their official partners all have this problem: they assume that the other person is a certain way without asking whether it is true.
[No. Even if I told him I accepted it, he still wouldn't accept it.]
Perhaps it will be even more painful, feeling like you've led him astray?
Because he was only sixteen years old.
Thinking of this, Qingran's cold sneer disappeared, replaced by a mixture of emotions and pleasure.
Humans and demons have different definitions of adulthood.
The demon race believes that one is considered an adult as soon as the body begins to experience estrus, while humans rigidly only recognize 18 years old.
Of course, there are humans who do not follow this rule, but Pei Xuhui is not one of them.
Even in Pei Xuhui's heart, what stood between the two of them was not just time, but many other things.
Qingran should be angry that the other party chose to run away.
However, in reality, he found Pei Xuhui's escapism even more attractive.
He liked the way Pei Xuhui rushed towards him so passionately, but he loved even more the way Pei Xuhui reached out and then restrained himself from pulling his hand back.
Then he wanted the other person to break through the erect shell with their own hands, to voluntarily abandon all restraint, and to show him how captivating that beating heart was.
He was annoyed by this restraint, yet he loved it even more.
"Sigh." Qingran sighed softly, even she herself felt that she had a perverse sense of humor.
But since his brother likes him so much, he shouldn't blame him, right?
Hearing him sigh, the system quickly asked, "[What's wrong? What's wrong? Don't you know what to do either?]"
Qingran's mood was now quite different from before. Upon hearing this, she said, "[Nothing is needed.]"
System: [What do you mean by "what if not needed"?]
[It means to let him be.]
He slightly curved the corners of his lips, his gaze seemingly piercing through the door to see the scene outside.
Outside the door.
The boy closed his eyes and leaned slumped against the door, his body motionless, like a frozen sculpture.
How should he bring it up with Qingran?
How can I tell Qingran that they agreed to go to T University together, but now he's going to break his promise?
The boy exhaled heavily, opened his eyes, and stiffly walked back to his bedroom. He composed himself and took out his phone.
As soon as the call connected, Pei's mother immediately asked on the other end of the phone, "Ranran is back? You haven't told him about your trip abroad yet?"
Pei Xu replied, "How did you know?"
Pei's mother said smugly, "What a joke! You're my child, how could I not know you?"
Only Qingran's matter could be her son's top priority.
"But it's a bit strange. Usually, you would tell Ranran first about something like this."
Pei Xuhui was speechless.
Pei's mother: "What happened? Did you two have a fight and then you stormed off to go abroad?"
"...Have you been having a lot of free time lately? You sound like you're talking from a melodramatic soap opera," Pei Xuhui retorted.
"We didn't argue. I just readjusted my plans for the future."
"Hey, has that bird that's always dreaming of flying away finally decided to settle down and make something of itself?"
Pei's mother teased him.
However, it's better for the child to be focused on building a career than on traveling. She and Lao Pei can't travel much anyway, and it would affect their mood in the long run.
"If Ranran has trouble bringing it up, do you want me to speak to her on her behalf?"
Pei Xu replied, "No need, I will tell him."
"Then don't forget, or I won't help you coax people."
I won't forget.
After their casual conversation, the two continued discussing matters related to going abroad.
There are only two conditions to consider when studying abroad: grades and family. Pei Xuhui doesn't need to worry about his grades, and his family can take care of the rest.
The final date was set for mid-August, and the school was STF.
...
Pei Xuhui didn't formally tell Qingran about this until the eve of his departure abroad.
Although he hadn't said it explicitly before, he had frequently probed about going abroad in his daily life, and sometimes deliberately let Qingran catch him talking to his parents' assistant.
Perhaps he was waiting for Qingran to ask him?
But Qingran pretended not to know, and he had no choice but to smile bitterly.
The day of confession had finally arrived, and Pei Xuhui felt a sense of relief.
After yesterday's farewell banquet, whether Qingran truly didn't understand or was pretending not to, she should have understood by now.
As night deepens, the garden terrace, illuminated only by ambient lighting, loses its bright appearance and becomes eerie and oppressive.
Pei Xuhui's steady voice came from beside him.
"...My flight is tomorrow morning."
His usually clear voice sounded strangely melancholic at this moment.
Qingran stopped stroking the flower branches: "What is this, a notification?"
"No, I just don't know how to bring it up."
"So you acted first and informed me later, only telling me when it was too late?"
As if finding it amusing, Qingran turned her head and gave the boy a slightly sarcastic smile.
Pei Xu returned to silence.
Regardless of his excuses or reasons, from Qingran's perspective, he did act first and then inform her.
Pei Xuhui stopped arguing and only gave detailed instructions:
"You always eat without restraint when you have something delicious. Remember not to eat too much at once when I'm not around."
"Also, don't eat ice cream immediately after eating spicy food."
"You can't eat ice cream all the time. In summer, you can have a maximum of two a day. In the hot autumn, you're allowed one. In winter, you're not allowed to touch it at all."
Qingran interrupted impatiently, "You're leaving soon, why are you saying so much?"
The boy wasn't angry. He smiled and said casually, "Even if I leave now, I'll still come back someday, right?"
Home is here, you are here, how could he not come back?
Qingran scoffed, "It's fine if you don't come back."
He left those words behind and turned to leave.
Pei Xu reached out to stop him, but then suddenly stopped, remembering something.
Then a warm sensation glided across his fingertips, his figure passed by him, and only the faint scent of jasmine remained in the air.
Gradually, even that last trace of fragrance dissipated with the wind.
The boy gazed silently in the direction the wind was coming from; the night sky was dark and gloomy, not a single star could be seen.
After a sunny summer, it seems a downpour is imminent.
*
On the day Pei Xuhui left, Qingran did not go to see him off.
Both the Pei and Yu families arrived at the airport, but Qingran was absent. Now, it was impossible for the elders not to know that the two brothers were having a conflict.
When asked what happened, Pei Xu simply replied that he hadn't managed to appease the person yet, glossing over the matter.
In truth, he wasn't sure whether he could actually win people over.
Before leaving, he looked back at the crowd seeing him off and thought it was better that Qingran didn't come, so that he wouldn't be unable to let go.
He knew Qingran was waiting for him to explain why he went abroad, but this was the one reason he couldn't tell him.
Behind the crowd.
[Host, you're here, why aren't you leaving?]
Qingran offered no explanation.
Just like Pei Xuhui refused to explain the reason for his departure.
A note from the author:
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