Chapter 27 – Rock the Crybaby

Chu Yin harbored a bone-deep fear of death.

He grew up in an orphanage with poor fire safety measures. A fire broke out, killing several children, and the orphanage shut down. That horrific brush with death forced Chu Yin onto the streets.

Later, he was adopted by Chen Meixian’s family—the happiest time of his life—until his adoptive mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer. By the time they found out, it was too late. All they could do was palliative chemotherapy.

In her final days, despite being such a crybaby, he never shed a single tear in front of her. Every night, clutching his little blanket, he slept on the floor beside her bed, desperately hoping for a miracle. But it seemed fate had destined him for misfortune. The miraculous recoveries he saw in news reports never happened for him. He could only watch helplessly as his adoptive mother withered away, devoured by death, until she became nothing more than a cold tombstone.

He was terrified. For years afterward, nightmares plagued him.

The first person who had ever patted his back and pinched his nape to comfort him during those nightmares was gone.

And now, Wei Lai was about to be gone too.

“I… I’ll give you my kidney…” Chu Yin sobbed, tears streaming down his face, but his grip on Wei Lai’s hand was tight, as if trying to impart some strength. “If it’s not a match… we’ll find another way… Don’t give up…”

Wei Lai thought: Shit. I took it too far.

Taking a deep breath, Wei Lai put on a serious face. “I need to tell you something. After you hear it, promise not to punch me in the nose.”

Chu Yin shook his head tearfully.

Wei Lai spoke quickly, “I was just messing with you. I didn’t think you’d react like this. I had a full check-up last month, and according to the results, I’m practically a candidate for Chengdu’s Top Ten Centenarians.”

Chu Yin sniffled. “…R-really?… sob…”

Wei Lai raised his middle finger and swore to the heavens, “If I’m lying, may I be cursed to be a ‘happy stick’ for the rich forever—the kind that goes seven rounds a night!”

For Wei Lai, this was a fate worse than being struck by lightning. Chu Yin calmed down slightly, but his crying had left him lightheaded. On instinct, he got out of bed, poured himself a glass of water, and took a few shaky sips.

Wei Lai: “Chu Yin, say something. You’re scaring me like this…”

Chu Yin wiped his tears, then prepared Wei Lai’s medicine—dissolving the cold medicine granules and portioning out the pills into a tiny bottle cap before handing it over, hiccuping, “The doctor said… to take these… when you woke up.”

Wei Lai accepted the medicine gingerly. “You’re not mad?”

After the false scare, Chu Yin was too dazed to process emotions properly. “I… I don’t know.”

“Then… stop crying, okay?”

Chu Yin didn’t want to cry, but this time, the floodgates had burst open, and he couldn’t stop—like a broken faucet, dripping and dripping. It was so annoying!

Wei Lai watched as Chu Yin glared at him through tears, suddenly stood up, and marched to the bathroom. The sound of running water echoed through the frosted glass door.

Wei Lai downed the medicine in one gulp and got up to check on Chu Yin.

Before his feet could even slip into his slippers, the bathroom door swung open. Chu Yin had scrubbed off his makeup roughly, water droplets sliding down the sharp lines of his face, creating an oddly mesmerizing sight as it crashed into Wei Lai’s field of vision.

Chu Yin was the first man Wei Lai had ever thought could be described as ‘beautiful.’ Pure, resilient, yet devastatingly fragile. In that moment, Wei Lai suddenly understood why someone like Chen Meixian could never let go of Chu Yin—why he harbored such a cruel desire to possess that beauty.

Wei Lai coughed. “I should go wash up too and get my beauty sleep.”

Chu Yin suddenly pounced, sending them both tumbling onto the hotel’s pristine white sheets.

Wei Lai immediately recalled the first time they shared a hotel room, when Chu Yin had punched him in the face: “Fuck, don’t hit my nose! Huh…?”

Chu Yin sprawled on top of Wei Lai, pressing his cheek against Wei Lai’s.

Cool, damp skin rubbed against his, the faint stubble tickling like a cat’s whiskers.

Wei Lai: “…”

Chu Yin muttered sullenly, “You lied to me.”

Wei Lai patted his back. “I’m sorry, alright? Who knew you’d take it so seriously? Go to sleep. I’ll stay with you.”

Chu Yin nuzzled against him, somehow managing to squeeze his entire large frame into Wei Lai’s arms. “Rock me.”

Wei Lai: “?”

Chu Yin: “A hundred times.”

Wei Lai: “???”

The mighty agent’s brief five-minute reign as the one in charge had come to an abrupt end. Now, he had no choice but to exhaust himself trying to soothe his big star. After a moment of silent staring, he wrapped his arms around Chu Yin—who weighed as much as ten orange cats combined—and began laboriously bouncing his thigh up and down, rocking him like a fussy child.

Pressed against Wei Lai, Chu Yin still let out the occasional sniffle, but it was clear he had regained enough energy to resume his tyrannical ways.

“Slower. Lift your leg higher. Rock properly.”

Wei Lai felt his hairline recede in real time. “Are you riding a rocking horse?! It’s already been a hundred! I’m exhausted!”

Chu Yin glared fiercely and rubbed his face against Wei Lai’s. “There are still thirty-two left! You lied to me again!”

Wiping his sweat, Wei Lai thought: This shouldn’t be happening. I’m just a delicate little pheasant. I belong in a chicken coop, not here, shaking my leg like this.