ABOES 49: Our Little Brother

“R-Really?” Chi Yunxing couldn’t help but ask.

Duan Zhiyan’s gaze fell on Chi Yunxing’s soft hair, and he suddenly couldn’t control his hand again. “Really. Why would I lie to you?”

Chi Yunxing curved his lips into a smile. He was genuinely happy. “But won’t it take up too much of your time?”

Duan Zhiyan shook his head. “No. Summer vacation is when I usually rest every year. Right now, I only have one or two ad shoots.”

Chi Yunxing suddenly remembered something. “I can’t let you teach me for free. I…”

“What?” Duan Zhiyan interrupted him. “You want to pay me tuition?”

Chi Yunxing nodded.

That’s exactly what he was thinking.

Duan Zhiyan laughed out loud, unable to help himself. He reached out and tousled Chi Yunxing’s soft hair. “You don’t have to pay me,” he said, then added, “I’ll charge your Ge.”

Just then, Chi Xiweng came up with the wine and heard the end of the sentence. “Charge me for what?”

“Money,” Duan Zhiyan replied succinctly.

Tan Yao walked out behind him and chuckled when she heard. “What? Did you two make a bet and Xiweng lost?”

Before Duan Zhiyan could reply, Chi Xiweng jumped in. “How could I lose to him? Besides, I didn’t bet anything!”

Duan Zhiyan had no intention of explaining and didn’t even bother responding to Xiweng’s protests. He put his arm around Chi Yunxing’s shoulders and started walking toward the kitchen. “How about we start tomorrow? I heard Grandma is moving into the sterile ward, so during the day, you can either come to my place or I can come here.”

Chi Yunxing was still fixated on the earlier issue. “But the tuition…”

“Yunxing.” Duan Zhiyan’s smile faded slightly as his dark eyes fixed on him. “You still don’t see me as your Ge?”

Chi Yunxing immediately fell silent.

He looked away a little before murmuring, “I just think it’s too much trouble for you.”

Duan Zhiyan’s smile returned. He picked up a plate and motioned for Chi Yunxing to grab the tableware. “I’ve said this many times—I’m your Ge. I don’t think you’re troubling me at all.”

He walked up beside Chi Yunxing with the dish and lowered his voice, “It’s only natural for a Ge to help his little brother.”

His voice was low and pleasant, with a magnetic tone.

Chi Yunxing’s ears tingled. He shrank away slightly, unable to help himself.

With a hint of a smile, Duan Zhiyan didn’t tease him further and turned to head out.

Chi Yunxing stood there for a long moment before reaching up to touch his ear.

It was itchy.

“Yunxing? Need help?” Tan Yao called out.

Chi Yunxing snapped back to reality. He picked up the bowls and chopsticks and walked out, raising his voice, “No, I’m coming!”

…

Chi Ling had flown overseas on business for a few days, so only the three of them were eating at home. Technically, this was the first time Chi Yunxing and Duan Zhiyan had shared a meal outside the show.

There weren’t many formalities at the Chi family dining table. Chi Yunxing kept thinking about what had just happened, and his gaze kept drifting to Duan Zhiyan.

After a few times, Duan Zhiyan turned his head and looked at him directly. “What is it?”

Chi Yunxing was caught red-handed. He quickly turned away and feigned calm. “Nothing!”

Tan Yao noticed and asked curiously, “What’s going on?”

Duan Zhiyan smiled. “I said I’d help Yunxing with his acting. Maybe he’s just really happy.”

Chi Xiweng glanced at Duan Zhiyan, then at Chi Yunxing. Surprisingly, he didn’t argue. “That’s a good thing. When do you start?”

“Tomorrow,” Duan Zhiyan replied.

Tan Yao finally understood. “Oh, so that’s why you said he owes you money,” she said to Chi Xiweng. “Remember to pay him.”

Chi Xiweng’s eyes widened. He was just about to say “yeah, right,” but then noticed Chi Yunxing looking over. He could only glare resentfully at Duan Zhiyan. “What, you’re charging our little brother tutoring fees?”

Duan Zhiyan took a sip of wine. “Hmm. He’s finally our little brother now.”

Chi Xiweng choked. “You…”

Tan Yao laughed out loud and leaned toward Chi Yunxing. “They’ve always been like this. Aren’t they funny?”

Chi Yunxing smiled and nodded.

The playful banter around the table continued, and the smile on Chi Yunxing’s face grew brighter and brighter.

…

After lunch, Chi Yunxing got ready to head to the hospital.

Grandma was moving into the sterile ward tomorrow, so he wanted to spend the rest of the day with her.

Originally, both Chi Xiweng and Duan Zhiyan had planned to go with him, but as luck would have it, something came up at one’s company and the other had to go back to his office too, so they arranged for a driver to take Chi Yunxing instead.

He brought along the soup Tan Yao had made especially for Grandma and headed to the hospital first.

After Chi Yunxing left, Tan Yao subtly exhaled, then looked at the two young men and sat down nearby.

She was the first to speak. “What’s going on with the Xia family?”

If it hadn’t been for Yu Qiu’s call, Tan Yao wouldn’t have known anything. Just hearing Yu Qiu’s description had sent chills down her spine.

Duan Zhiyan and Chi Xiweng exchanged a look before Chi Xiweng started. “Dad asked Aunt Yu to investigate it. I didn’t tell you because I could see your condition wasn’t great at the time.”

Back when they had just found Yunxing, Tan Yao had been emotionally unstable. Chi Xiweng hadn’t dared to tell her anything too upsetting.

Tan Yao was stunned. “Your dad?”

Chi Xiweng nodded. “Dad had someone look into how the Xia family made their fortune. Later, he thought something was fishy and told Aunt Yu. He even showed me the files. It happened about seven or eight years ago, when the Xia family wasn’t that powerful yet. A few construction workers who disappeared from their site are still missing to this day.”

“One of them was especially important. The case even made it into the papers. He supposedly got drunk one night and told his coworkers that the Xia family was cutting corners on materials, and that he was going to report them. The next day, he disappeared.”

“He had no other family, just a younger brother with a mental disability. So no one reported it right away. People assumed he’d run off to ditch his brother.”

“Later, a neighbor who was close to him filed a report, saying that wasn’t possible. He’d raised that brother for over twenty years. If he were going to abandon him, he would’ve done it long ago.”

“But because the report came in so late, the police found nothing useful. It was filed as a missing person case.”

Tan Yao frowned deeply. “They had something like that happen?”

Duan Zhiyan took over. “And not just that one.”

He paused before continuing, “There were five such cases over the last eight years.”

“That many?” Tan Yao’s eyes widened in shock.

Chi Xiweng nodded. “And I only found out just now, the most recent disappearance linked to the Xia family happened just two days ago. The victim was one of their regular business partners.”

“After the Xia family fell, a lot of companies that used to work with them cut ties. And of course, some tried to replace them.”

That’s how business worked—no sympathy, just profit.

The missing Mr. Zhang was one of those people.

His company had always relied on the Xia family. Now he saw a chance and went for it.

That ambition cost him his life.

Tan Yao gasped and covered her mouth. “He… he’s dead?”

Chi Xiweng nodded solemnly. “Yeah. According to the police, the last time he appeared on surveillance was in a parking garage. He stepped into a blind spot, then disappeared.”

Normally, the police wouldn’t suspect the Xia family that quickly, but since Yu Qiu had given them a heads-up and Mr. Zhang had recently clashed with Mr. Xia, they took action.

They brought Mr. Xia in for questioning. He was airtight, no holes in his story.

There’s no concrete evidence, so the police had to release him.

Then, just this morning, a cleaner called the police.

Chi Xiweng said, “I just got word, they found seven severed heads in the Xia family’s office safe…”

One of them, still bleeding, was Mr. Zhang.

Tan Yao’s face went pale, her chest heaving as she fought nausea.

Chi Xiweng grew worried. “Mom?”

Duan Zhiyan handed her a glass of water.

Tan Yao drained it in one gulp and took a few deep breaths, waving them off. “I’m… I’m okay. I’m fine.”

“They really were monsters,” she said through gritted teeth. “Thank goodness our Yunxing’s safe.”

Still clutching the cup, Tan Yao suddenly thought of something. She looked at them. “Does Yunxing… know?”

Duan Zhiyan said, “I didn’t tell him the details, but I think he’s figured some of it out.”

“So you took him there today…” Tan Yao trailed off.

Duan Zhiyan looked guilty. Just thinking of Yunxing’s tears made his chest ache. He nodded. “It’s my fault. When I heard the news this morning, I didn’t ask for more. I thought it was just about finally finding proof of their past crimes, so I brought Yunxing.”

Chi Xiweng patted his shoulder. “It’s fine. We just found out ourselves. Don’t underestimate Yunxing, he’s stronger than we think.”

Tan Yao nodded. “It’s not your fault, Zhiyan. Don’t blame yourself.”

Then she asked, “The thing on the hot search today…”

“Yunxing doesn’t know yet,” Chi Xiweng said. “And we don’t plan to tell him.”

Tan Yao frowned and nodded. “Let’s try not to let him find out.”

Everyone in the room agreed.