Chapter 48 Foster Brother [VIP]
...
Did Qingran ever feel a fleeting attraction to him?
Ever since that conversation with He Anzhou, this thought has occasionally popped into Pei Xuhui's mind.
He remembered that Qingran had never been in a relationship, and that she had once said she liked good-looking people, and that by "good-looking people," she meant someone like him...
Pei Xu's heart fluttered.
Yet he clearly understood that this was like a math problem where you first assume the answer and then work backwards to deduce it; it was a delusion that had already led him astray.
Even so, this possibility still left ripples in his mind.
*
After the National Day holiday, Pei Xuhui finished his rest and began his working life in China.
During the adjustment period, he had a lot of work to do, and he would leave the company at seven or eight o'clock every night. When he got back, he would go to his study to work overtime, so he naturally had less time to spend with Qingran.
This made Qingran feel a little annoyed, thinking to herself that this person was really good at enduring things.
If he hadn't been certain that Pei Xuhui often stared at him in a daze, he would have truly believed that Pei Xuhui only felt brotherly affection for him.
On this day, Mr. and Mrs. Pei, whose travel plans had been delayed by a few days, returned from out of town with large bags and small packages.
When Qingran got home from get off work, the two were still in the living room counting souvenirs and local specialties.
"Ranran, come quick! Look at what Mom bought for you!"
Seeing Qingran approach, Pei's mother immediately picked up a pair of trousers embroidered with ethnic minority patterns and showed them to him.
"How about these pants? And the clothes too, they're made of cotton, they feel really comfortable to the touch, not too soft and not too stiff, and the color is a light color that you like."
The pants and top are a set, off-white, with light blue embroidery of branches and leaves around the cuffs and hems, giving it a bright and elegant look.
"They look great," Qingran said, taking the pants and holding them up to her waist. "The size is just right too."
“I remember your and Xu Hui’s measurements perfectly,” Pei’s mother said with a smile. “It’s just that they mostly use dark blue and black for making clothes over there. Your father and I went to several stores to buy these pants for you.”
"Thank you for your hard work, Mom and Dad Pei~" Qingran said attentively, massaging their shoulders in turn.
This made the two of them beam with joy.
"Your brother isn't back yet? We bought him a set too," Mr. Pei said with a smile.
Qingran: "My brother has been busy with work these past few days, and he usually gets home around seven or eight o'clock."
Mr. Pei nodded: "He was abroad before, so it will take him a while to get familiar with the affairs and adapt to the working style."
Pei's mother: "Let's not talk about him anymore. Let's look at the bag that Mom bought."
Pei's father shook his head inwardly. That palm-sized little bag couldn't hold much, and he didn't know what to do with it.
After dinner, Mr. Pei went back to his study to call his assistant to find out about the company's situation over the past few days.
Qingran stayed downstairs with Pei's mother to admire the traditional ethnic costumes she had bought, and also helped organize the postcards and refrigerator magnets.
Around 7 o'clock, Pei Xuhui, who usually gets off work at this time, indeed opened the door and came home, greeting his mother when he saw her at home.
Pei's mother happily counted her spoils: "Have you eaten? The kitchen left some food for you."
Pei Xu replied, "Okay, I'll go upstairs and change my clothes."
After the man went upstairs, Qingran put down the sorted postcards and refrigerator magnets, and picked up the clothes she had bought especially for him.
"I took my brother's clothes upstairs for him."
Without looking up, Pei's mother said, "Go on, tell your brother to eat before he gets busy. Don't go back to the study after you change your clothes."
He felt gratified that the brothers' relationship had remained as good as ever for ten years.
Although the two of them were a little estranged during the years they were abroad, they slowly became close again after returning to China.
Upstairs in the bedroom, Pei Xuhui was taking a shower in the bathroom.
The room was well soundproofed; the sound of the shower water could still be heard by the person outside the door, even through the two doors.
Qingran raised her hand and knocked symbolically at the door, but as expected there was no response, so she pushed the door open and went inside.
The interior decoration is similar to that of ten years ago, except it looks a bit more minimalist, which makes the cute little snake pillow on the bed look out of place.
Qingran placed the clothes on the bedside table, sat down on the edge of the bed, and noticed the photo frame on the headboard as she looked around.
"Splash." After an unknown amount of time, the bathroom door, where the sound of water had stopped, was opened from the inside.
Qingran looked in the direction of the sound.
The man, shirtless, had a towel wrapped around his waist; he was lean and muscular with a broad chest.
Water droplets, not yet dried, trickled down his chest, across his ribcage, and disappeared along the edge of the towel, following the V-line.
Upon seeing him, the man was clearly very surprised and instinctively slammed the door shut.
Qingran tilted her head.
He touched his lower lip in thought. Was Pei Xuhui shy?
Before he could come to a conclusion, the closed door opened again, and the man came out, took a set of loungewear, and went back into the bathroom.
Two minutes later, Pei Xuhui, dressed neatly, stood in front of Qingran again.
Qingran glanced regretfully at the short-sleeved shirt and trousers that completely covered the man's body, then looked up and said innocently:
"I knocked on the door, and you didn't answer, so I came in."
Pei Xuhui didn't mind this: "You need something from me?"
Qingran stood up: "Dad and Mom Pei bought us traditional costumes for our trip. I'll bring them up for you."
He went to the bedside table and picked up the clothes.
As if forgetting that Pei's mother had said she remembered his and Pei Xuhui's measurements, she picked up the clothes and held them up in front of the man in a seemingly serious manner.
Compare shoulder width, sleeve length, and neckline size.
His movements were slow and meticulous, brushing against the man's arms, collarbone, and throat inch by inch through the fabric, bringing a subtle yet penetrating itch.
The two figures were reflected in the jasmine flowers in the photo frame above the bed, bathed in the bright light from above, making it seem as if they were embracing.
Then the image shrunk, reflecting back into the man's deep eyes.
Even from behind, the young man was exceptionally handsome, his body stretched out like a newly blossoming jasmine, his hand lingering on his collar.
“Your outfit is black, with silver meander patterns embroidered on the cuffs and hem. I have a beige one, the same style as yours.”
As she spoke, her hand, which had been resting on the collar, accidentally slipped behind the fabric and gently caressed the skin around the man's Adam's apple.
"Don't we look like we're wearing matching outfits, brother?"
The young man's voice was clear and melodious.
Pei Xuhui understood that the sensation at the Adam's apple was not just about measuring size.
But he calls him brother, which is just his usual playful nature. How could he possibly dream of anything beyond the role of brother?
The man repeatedly warned himself, his gaze fixed on the reflection of the jasmine in the distance, and he uttered hoarse words uncontrollably.
"yes."
He couldn't refuse even verbal jokes.
"Okay, the size is just right," Qingran said, backing away as she finished flirting. "Are you still working overtime today? Aunt Pei wants you to have dinner before you start working."
"...just a little, not much."
The man turned around and put the clothes into the laundry basket in the bathroom, intending to wash them before wearing them. When he came out, he had already adjusted himself.
Qingran: "Shall we go downstairs for dinner first? Auntie should have heated up the food."
Pei Xu nodded, picked up the tablet, and went downstairs with Qing Ran.
Pei's mother wasn't in the living room; she'd probably taken the spoils back to her room to pack them up. The fridge magnets, however, were still in their original places.
Qingran took the refrigerator magnet and walked to the refrigerator.
On the other side, Pei Xuhui sat down at the dining table. He needed to review the company's financial statements for the previous quarter, so he put on his tablet.
The young man's leisurely figure, sticking to things in front of the refrigerator, was reflected on the unlit black screen.
The man paused, withdrawing his hand from the switch.
Only at times like these can he indulge the love in his heart and look at him without restraint.
Standing in front of the refrigerator, Qingran looked at the reflection of the image on the smooth refrigerator door and smiled.
Hmph~
*
Pei Xuhui's overtime work continued until late October.
On Friday, he still hadn't returned by 9 p.m.
After swimming, Qingran lay on a lounge chair and picked up her phone. The pool was heated, and the 25°C water temperature wouldn't feel cold even for an average person.
She discovered that the man had sent a message saying he was leaving get off work 10 minutes earlier, and he replied with a snake nodding emoji. She then clicked into the group chat he had created with Ningning and Linxi.
[Lin Xi: Another day of overtime... [Company night view at 9 pm][My life is so hard]]
[Ningning: Isn't your company always known for its great benefits? Why are you starting to work overtime every day now? [Scared]]
[Lin Xi: The boss who just returned from abroad has been working overtime lately, and the leadership is demanding that we follow his example [smile][swear][swear]]
[Ningning: What about your boss?]
[Lin Xi: The boss doesn't seem to care about us lowly employees right now [laughing and crying]]
Ningning: So sad.
[...]
[Linxi: Finally off work! [Applause][Cheers][Bows in thanks]]
[Linxi: Ugh, so unlucky! My electric scooter is out of power! [Oh no!]]
Lin Xi: ...You'll never guess what happened.
Lin Xi: I'm actually sitting in the boss's car right now! [Shocked][Dazed]
Qingran raised an eyebrow.
[Qingran: I have a secret to tell you all. Pei Xuhui is actually my brother.]
[Ningning: Who is Pei Xuhui?]
[Lin Xi: My boss, honey, you even complimented someone's good looks before!]
[Ningning: @QingranNonsense, I am clearly Pei Xuhui's half-sister!]
[Lin Xi: You could be three siblings [eating melon emoji]]
Ningning: Hehe, you're one more, making it four siblings~
Qingran: "..."
To be honest, nobody believes him. You can't blame him for not explaining beforehand.
[This should be the scene where Pei Xuhui and Lin Xi first meet in the original storyline?]
He chatted with the system.
System: [They are very similar, but their situations are different~]
Qingran: [This little world is quite interesting. The romance storylines have all been completely distorted, yet the plot manages to circle back onto the right track.]
Pei Xu returned to the country, and so did he meet with Lin Xi.
System: [Hehe, anyway, the host doesn't care about the plot.]
About ten minutes later, Lin Xi, who had been missing for a long time, reappeared and posted a few messages.
[Lin Xi: ...Can you believe it? President Pei actually drove me home himself!]
[Ningning: What's going on? Tell me in detail!]
[Lin Xi: It's nothing, my electric scooter ran out of power, and President Pei happened to be driving by. He saw I was a company employee and kindly offered me a ride.]
Ningning: ...emmm, that's a bit strange.
[Lin Xi: That's not the point. The point is that President Pei has been concerned about my friendships the whole time!]
[Linxi: I couldn't not answer, so I had to bring up my relationship with @Qingran and talk about it at length.]
[Lin Xi: Then President Pei's expression seemed a bit unpleasant? [Panic]]
[Lin Xi: To be honest, I admit he was a good person for taking me home, but I really don't want to chat with the boss! Especially the unpredictable boss! [Frustrated][Cleaver]]
After reading the message, Qingran touched her lower lip thoughtfully.
Pei Xuhui must be in a terrible mood right now.
[Lingling, remember to remind me when Pei Xu is almost home.]
As a younger brother, it's only natural to comfort your older brother when he's feeling down, right?
A note from the author:
Thanks for watering! *kissing*
Reader "Meng Cijun" watered the plants with 3 nutrient solutions.
Reader "Waaa Crying Ali" watered the plant with 10 nutrient solution.
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