Xiao Cheng had spent the night at Luo Jingshu’s place. Thanks to a soothing essential oil massage, the lingering soreness in his waist and legs had significantly subsided by the time he woke up.
Feeling as if he were a fully revitalized game character, Xiao Cheng exuded a vibrant energy. Although he hadn’t returned home the previous night, he had informed his mother, He An, in advance. After a brief inquiry, she didn’t press the matter further.
Ever since Xiao Cheng started university, He An had been less strict with him, simply reminding him not to act recklessly.
After a refreshing morning shower, Xiao Cheng prepared himself and was about to take Luo Jingshu out for breakfast when he received a WeChat message from He An. Initially, he didn’t notice it, but when he failed to reply, He An followed up with a phone call.
“Mom?” Xiao Cheng answered instinctively, glancing at Luo Jingshu. He pressed a finger to his lips, signaling him to stay quiet.
Luo Jingshu, just slipping his arm into the sleeve of his jacket, turned to look at Xiao Cheng upon hearing his voice.
Although Xiao Cheng was listening to He An, his eyes couldn’t help but drift toward Luo Jingshu.
Luo Jingshu’s waist was slender yet strong, hinted at by the faint outline of abdominal muscles under his clothes. It looked so narrow and delicate that it seemed it could be grasped with one hand.
But only Xiao Cheng truly understood the strength of that seemingly slim waist.
Luo Jingshu wasn’t particularly burly; in fact, he appeared lean, with an aura of youthful vitality. His handsome, collagen-rich face made him look even younger, especially in his light blue hoodie with a grape-shaped ornament at the neckline. He looked like the epitome of a novel’s high school heartthrob.
Caught up in his admiration, Xiao Cheng snapped back to reality when He An repeated her question.
“What was that?”
He An noticed his distraction but didn’t press the issue. She repeated, “I asked if you knew where Yinan and Yixi went yesterday afternoon.”
Of course, Xiao Cheng knew.
However, he couldn’t exactly admit outright that he had orchestrated their abduction.
“Did something happen?” he asked cautiously.
He An sighed. “Those two kids have come down with a fever, and it’s pretty serious.”
At this moment, Luo Jingshu leaned closer, resting his chin on Xiao Cheng’s shoulder, catching He An’s words clearly.
Xiao Cheng didn’t shy away from Luo Jingshu’s eavesdropping, allowing him to listen in.
“They have a high fever? Have they been taken to the hospital?”
Could it be that they were frightened too much?
He An rubbed her temples, her voice tinged with concern. “Yes, they’ve been hospitalized. Feng Yi says their condition isn’t great.
“It’s like they’ve been haunted by nightmares. They keep mumbling incoherently in their sleep, and the fever hasn’t subsided.”
This state of being trapped in nightmares had scared the twins’ parents out of their wits, and even He An felt a chill run down her spine.
She vaguely suspected that this might have something to do with Xiao Cheng, though she refrained from saying so in front of others. Instead, she called him privately to inquire.
It seemed they had indeed been frightened.
When Xiao Cheng had the twins released last night, they had been subdued and dispirited, like frostbitten eggplants. The sheer humiliation of the ordeal was likely enough to make them never want to think about it again.
Still, apart from their subdued demeanor, they had appeared mentally intact. How had a single night turned them into this state?
Xiao Cheng shot a glance at Luo Jingshu, his instincts telling him this was somehow connected to him.
Luo Jingshu averted his gaze, his expression giving nothing away. He merely hugged Xiao Cheng from behind, silently listening to the conversation.
“Cheng Cheng, Feng Yi mentioned something about finding marks on the twins’ bodies—injuries. Did someone beat them up?”
“Are you sure this has nothing to do with you?”
He An had always been aware of the tension between Xiao Cheng and the twins. She had assumed it was just regular familial squabbles but hadn’t expected the twins to end up in such a dire state.
Could her son have really done this?
Xiao Cheng fell silent, debating internally whether to come clean to He An.
He had intended to keep this hidden from his family, but the twins’ fragile state and visible injuries would undoubtedly bring trouble. If their parents pursued the matter, it might implicate Luo Jingshu.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Cheng was about to respond when he noticed Luo Jingshu opening his mouth, seemingly to explain.
Xiao Cheng acted quickly, covering Luo Jingshu’s lips and shaking his head slightly.
As he had said before, if the matter couldn’t be kept under wraps, the blame would fall on him. Luo Jingshu shouldn’t be dragged into it.
After all, Xiao Cheng’s uncle might at most reprimand him for roughhousing with family.
But if Luo Jingshu were found responsible, his uncle, in his anger, might go as far as retaliating against him.
Luo Jingshu furrowed his brows, a faint trace of hostility flickering in his eyes.
He didn’t care about the twins’ fate—they could live or die for all he cared. In his view, their punishment was far too light. He had no intention of letting Xiao Cheng take the fall for him.
Who could’ve guessed those two weaklings would break so easily?
Though Xiao Cheng silenced him, Luo Jingshu suppressed his irritation, merely tightening his grip around Xiao Cheng’s waist, holding him firmly in his arms.
“Cheng Cheng?” He An seemed to have heard something, but after listening carefully, only Xiao Cheng’s breathing remained.
“Mom, I don’t want to hide it from you. The injuries on the twins were indeed caused by me,” Xiao Cheng admitted.
He An wasn’t surprised by his confession, and her breathing remained steady. She simply asked in a low voice, “Why did you hit them?”
She knew her son very well. Even without the bias of a mother’s love, Xiao Cheng was not someone who resorted to violence easily.
For Xiao Cheng to be driven to the point of physical confrontation, the twins must have done something serious.
He An never denied her favoritism. Upon hearing about the incident, her first reaction wasn’t to scold Xiao Cheng for being too harsh but to ask why.
“Mom, what if I said they were the ones who provoked me first?” Xiao Cheng replied in a subdued tone. “It was the night before last.”
He An hummed in acknowledgment, then asked, “Did they try something inappropriate with you?”
Xiao Cheng’s heart skipped a beat. He knew his mother’s mind was sharp and observant, and she must have already suspected something. Still, hearing her say it outright made him suck in a cold breath.
“Mom, aren’t you angry?”
Most people, upon discovering their nephews had inappropriate intentions toward their son, wouldn’t remain so calm.
He An had already suspected. The night she knocked on Xiao Cheng’s door, the twins had refused to let her in, which had raised her suspicions. If Xiao Cheng had merely been taking a bath, as they claimed, why did he have Xiao Ziyue knock on the door ahead of time?
It didn’t make sense.
That could only mean that when she went looking for Xiao Cheng, he had already lost the ability to move freely.
He An laughed lightly over the phone and asked, “Did Luo Jingshu help you handle it?”
Xiao Cheng opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.
How could his mom be so smart?
She had figured everything out.
Xiao Cheng felt as transparent as glass in front of her; He An could easily see through all his little secrets.
So, did that mean she also guessed what he and Luo Jingshu had done the night before?
A wave of embarrassment swept over Xiao Cheng. Luo Jingshu, on the other hand, couldn’t help but press his forehead against Xiao Cheng’s neck, chuckling softly.
He An heard the movement on the other end. “Cheng Cheng, is there someone else with you?”
After asking, she immediately realized there was no one else who would be with Xiao Cheng at this time.
If he didn’t return home last night, it must have been because he was with Luo Jingshu.
Her first reaction was to frown, but then she reminded herself that the two had likely already crossed the line. Living together wasn’t unexpected.
“Mm,” Xiao Cheng answered vaguely. He then repeated his earlier question, “Mom, when did you start suspecting the twins’ intentions?”
“Careful observation,” He An said with a faint smile.
The twins had been too obvious. They didn’t seem to fear being discovered. If Xiao Cheng hadn’t been so unwilling, they might have been even bolder.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t upset. He An had treated the twins as her own children. Who could accept two of their sons liking the other one?
“You…” Xiao Cheng didn’t know how to respond.
He remembered Luo Jingshu mentioning that in a past life, He An had been so angered by this revelation that she was hospitalized.
Although He An seemed calm now, Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but worry that she might be secretly heartbroken.
Sensing what Xiao Cheng wanted to say, He An sighed and reassured him, “It would be a lie to say I’m not angry.”
“But Cheng Cheng, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Xiao Cheng felt his chest tighten, sensing that what she was about to say was very important.
“Yixi and Yinan are not your uncle’s children.”
He An didn’t beat around the bush, dropping a bombshell directly.
Xiao Cheng gripped his phone tightly, doubting his ears.
The twins weren’t his uncle’s children?
That meant they weren’t biologically related to him.
Xiao Cheng had often used their familial ties as a reason to reject the twins, but now it seemed that argument didn’t hold water.
Turning to Luo Jingshu, he saw no trace of surprise on his face, as if he had known all along.
Xiao Cheng gritted his teeth. This scoundrel probably knew in their past life and had kept it from him.
Luo Jingshu grabbed Xiao Cheng’s hand, signaling him to stay calm. Leaning close to his ear, he whispered, “I’ll explain everything later.”
Xiao Cheng rolled his eyes at him.
“Mom, why are you telling me this? Do you want me to forgive them?” Xiao Cheng asked.
When He An had first learned of the twins’ feelings, she had been more shocked and disapproving than anything else.
But then she thought of how difficult it must have been for Xiao Cheng to deal with their advances while trying to keep the situation under wraps.
Eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore and resorted to beating the twins.
He An felt both angry and heartbroken.
“Cheng Cheng, I just want you to take it easy and not carry everything on your shoulders.”
Xiao Cheng’s biggest fear was that his parents would find out about the twins’ feelings. He was worried He An would end up in the hospital and his parents would be caught in the middle.
Last night, after letting the twins go, Xiao Cheng had asked Luo Jingshu, “Do you think I’m too soft-hearted?”
The twins had done something so unforgivable, and yet he had only scared them before releasing them.
Luo Jingshu had placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not soft-hearted, Brother Cheng; you’re sentimental.”
Xiao Cheng didn’t care about the twins. What he cared about was his family.
He feared that if the matter escalated, it would affect the relationship between his parents and his uncle and aunt.
Xiao Yu’s bond with his uncle was strong. Whenever his uncle announced a visit, Xiao Yu would prepare excitedly for days in advance.
Once his uncle arrived, Xiao Yu’s smile never left his face.
Xiao Cheng saw all of this.
He overthought everything and could never act recklessly like Luo Jingshu.
Luo Jingshu understood. What Xiao Cheng couldn’t do, he would handle for him.
Too bad those two useless fools couldn’t even withstand a little scare.
All they did was create more trouble for Brother Cheng.
He An comforted Xiao Cheng for a while longer, urging him not to overthink, before hanging up the call.
Xiao Cheng’s mood sank. He felt like he had mishandled the situation, leaving He An to worry about him.
Luo Jingshu patted his back, his voice low and gentle. “It’s okay, Brother Cheng. You’ve done great.”
Xiao Cheng, rarely showing vulnerability, leaned into Luo Jingshu’s embrace, his eyes rimmed red.
After a long pause, he whispered, “Should I go to the hospital to check on them?”
Luo Jingshu internally sneered. He wished the twins would just die in the hospital and was unwilling to see Xiao Cheng waste any more of his energy on them.
“If you go now, they won’t even be awake.”
Xiao Cheng exhaled deeply, as if reminded of something.
He pushed Luo Jingshu away, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized the expression on his face.
It was enough to make Luo Jingshu break out in a cold sweat.
“Luo Jingshu, how many things are you still hiding from me?”
TN: long time no see~ im sorry for the super late update (┬┬﹏┬┬) i;m not feeling well (mentally) and im trying my best to heal myself:D but i’m recovered now! i’ll be back on updating this story everyday, thank u for reading<3
Thanks for the updates author samaa ❤️
Hope everything is okay in irl🙏