TVDC 16: Don’t Like Crying

When Qiu Shuohai saw him crying, he was momentarily taken aback, but then the corners of his mouth twitched and he started laughing. “No way! You’re crying already? Are you even a man? Always crying like that, you’re acting like a girl.”

The noise they made caught Zhou Mingmei’s attention. “Qiu Shuohai! What the heck are you doing now?”

Qiu Shuohai stepped back a few paces, his smile fading slightly. “Nothing at all, Mom, you’re busy. I’m just going out for a while.”

He said that and tried to slip away.

Zhou Mingmei grabbed his collar and caught sight of the torn test paper in Qiu Xuning’s hand. She turned and demanded of Qiu Shuohai, “Did you tear this?”

Qiu Shuohai looked utterly wronged. “It wasn’t me, it was Qiu Xuning who tore it himself.”

Zhou Mingmei’s gaze fell on Qiu Xuning. His head was lowered so she couldn’t see his face, but she noticed his thin shoulders trembling and heard the faint sound of sobbing. In an instant, her anger flared. “You made your little brother cry?”

Qiu Shuohai shouted his innocence, “It really wasn’t me, damn it! Ask him yourself, I didn’t do anything! He just started crying out of nowhere, it wasn’t me!”

He argued loudly, but Zhou Mingmei couldn’t be bothered to listen. She knew her eldest son’s nature all too well—useless at everything except lying. Fooling outsiders was one thing, but lying to his own family was a serious problem. “Still denying it? You think he would suddenly start crying for no reason? As his older brother, all you do is pick on him? Keep this up and don’t blame me if I throw you out to sleep on the streets!” Zhou Mingmei snapped, reaching out to yank Qiu Shuohai by the ear.

She yanked so hard that Qiu Shuohai was practically lifted off the ground. “Damn it, so he’s your son but I’m not your real kid? If you rip my ear off and I end up disabled then can’t find a wife, you will have to take responsibility for that!”

Zhou Mingmei ignored his nonsense. “What did you do!?”

The pain was too much, and Qiu Shuohai grumbled loudly, “I didn’t do anything! I was just teasing him, he’s the one who tore up the test paper himself, how’s that my fault? Seriously, he’s a boy, always crying, crying over nothing. Mom, you should pull down his pants and check if he got swapped with some girl at birth, instead of yanking on me.”

“Still spouting nonsense? One of these days I’ll tear that mouth of yours wide open!” Zhou Mingmei snapped, and actually reached out to pinch his big mouth.

Qiu Shuohai’s lips swelled instantly from the tug, and he begged for mercy, “Alright, alright, I was wrong, okay! Mom, let go already, you’re really gonna rip my ear off! Please, let go!”

Zhou Mingmei finally released him. “Now go and paste your brother’s test paper back together. You think you could score that high? Born from the same womb, and yet you’re as dumb as a pig. Sometimes I wonder if they mixed you up with someone else at the hospital.”

Qiu Shuohai clutched his ear, hissing from the pain. Damn, he didn’t even need to look to know it must be bright red. His mom really didn’t hold back.

“If I’m a pig, then you’re the old sow. We’re the same litter, and you’re still picking and choosing who to despise,” Qiu Shuohai muttered under his breath.

Zhou Mingmei raised her hand, and Qiu Shuohai hunched his neck in fright, the sight almost comical.

Growing impatient with him, Zhou Mingmei snapped, “Hurry up and paste that test paper back together!”

Qiu Shuohai dragged his feet as he went to look for some clear tape.

Zhou Mingmei walked over to Qiu Xuning, bent down, and looked at his face. “I’ve already taught your ge a lesson for you. Don’t cry anymore, alright? Why are you always crying?”

Her tone had been harsh and fierce just a moment ago, but it softened so much when it came to Qiu Xuning. That sudden change made Qiu Shuohai roll his eyes.

“No,” Qiu Xuning said, still choking on his words, though the tears had stopped. His eyes were damp, his lashes clumped together, making his gaze look all the more clear and bright. He glanced at Zhou Mingmei, then quickly lowered his head and tried to shield the test papers. In his haste, the exam that hadn’t been completely torn before ended up being ripped clean in two.

Qiu Xuning looked at the test paper that had once been praised, blinked, and his vision blurred again.

Zhou Mingmei coaxed him gently, “Don’t cry, I’ll make your brother tape it back together. If there’s even the slightest tear left, I’ll beat him and he won’t get dinner tonight.”

Qiu Shuohai came back with the clear tape, and his brows furrowed at her words. “Damn, it’s just a few torn papers. Why the hell are you treating it like some treasure?”

He yanked the test papers from Qiu Xuning’s hands, plopped down on the floor carelessly, and started taping them back together.

His movements were rough, almost on purpose, and the already torn papers ripped even more. Watching it made Qiu Xuning’s heart clench in fear. “You… that’s not how you tape it,” he said, his voice still trembling with sobs, so soft it stirred a pang of pity.

Zhou Mingmei smacked Qiu Shuohai on the head, scowling. “Be gentle!”

Qiu Shuohai shouted, “I’m fixing it for you and you’re still so picky? As long as it’s stuck back together, isn’t that enough?”

Even as he spoke, his hands grew rougher. Qiu Xuning couldn’t hold back anymore. “Be gentler, make it neat, not like that…”

The more he spoke, the less he could hold it in, his voice rising in urgency. “I told you, that’s not how you tape it! You have to line it up—line it up properly!”

Qiu Shuohai glanced up at him, and sure enough, the kid’s eyes instantly brimmed with tears. Those eyes of his were ridiculously bright, almost dazzlingly pretty.

“What do you mean, not lined up? Aren’t I lining it up? Why do you have so many demands, such a fussy little brat.” Even with Zhou Mingmei’s smack still stinging on his head, Qiu Shuohai couldn’t keep his mouth from running off.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a faint rip sounded as he pulled at the tape. Another tear split across the paper and the math test was practically in shreds this time.

“Waaah!” For the first time, Qiu Xuning burst into loud sobs, his crying so fierce it felt like it might blow the roof off. “It’s torn again, you ruined it again!”

The tears brimming in his eyes spilled over all at once, splattering onto Qiu Shuohai’s hand.

“Damn, you’re crying again?” Qiu Shuohai muttered in disbelief. “Mom, it’s not my fault this time. I’ve never taped papers before so how can he expect me to get it perfect right away?”

Zhou Mingmei slapped him across the face and snapped, “Shut up!”

Qiu Shuohai pouted in grievance, stood up, and said, “I don’t care anymore. Whoever wants to tape it can do it themselves!”

With that, before Zhou Mingmei could respond, he bolted.

She didn’t have the time to deal with him. Instead, she soothed, “Don’t cry, I’ll fix it for you.”

As she reached out to take the test papers, Qiu Xuning suddenly remembered what had happened earlier. He clutched the papers to his chest, sobbing, refusing to let go.

He cried so hard it was as if he couldn’t catch his breath, clutching those papers tightly, refusing to let go. Zhou Mingmei grew both anxious and frustrated, saying to Qiu Xuning, “Stop crying. Worst case, I’ll call your teacher and have him give you another copy of the test to do.”

Qiu Xuning shook his head, unwilling.

Zhou Mingmei was at a loss. “Then what do you want to do?”

Just as the words left her mouth, the faint rustle of clothing sounded behind her.

Qiu Xuning felt a gaze on him. He lifted his eyelids slightly and saw it was He Zhiyuan. A wave of embarrassment surged through him, and he bowed his head even lower.

“What are you doing here gawking?” Zhou Mingmei snapped at He Zhiyuan in displeasure.

But He Zhiyuan ignored her. He crouched down, placed his hand on the torn test papers, his eyes fixed on Qiu Xuning’s face. Of course, he couldn’t see much from his angle—only half of Qiu Xuning’s face and ear flushed red from his agitation.

That was just how Qiu Xuning’s body was and whenever he cried or his emotions ran high, his face would flush with a vivid crimson, like the glow of a sunset fading from the sky. The color spread quickly from beneath his skin, climbing wherever it could reach, until his neck and ears were covered in that same blush. No one knew if it spread across his whole body as well.

Feeling He Zhiyuan’s gaze, Qiu Xuning still refused to lift his head, even as he gasped for breath. He Zhiyuan said nothing. He simply took hold of Qiu Xuning’s wrist, gently moved his hand aside, then reached for the tape and began piecing together the shredded papers.

Qiu Xuning’s sobs gradually quieted, his gasps for breath eased as well. He didn’t dare lift his head. Instead, he sniffled softly, pulled out a few tissues, and carefully wiped his face until he looked a little less pitiful.

Once he had tidied himself up, he snuck a glance upward, and watched He Zhiyuan’s hands at work.

He Zhiyuan’s fingers were surprisingly deft, his movements neat and efficient. In less than two minutes, the torn papers were all pieced back together. He hadn’t even used much tape, yet the pages looked tidy and well put together.

Qiu Xuning wanted to say “thank you,” but as soon as he opened his mouth, he realized his throat was hoarse. The first syllable never even made it out before he swallowed it back down.

“There now, isn’t it all fixed? Stop crying,” Zhou Mingmei said, relieved at last. She even found He Zhiyuan a little more pleasing to the eye, though only just a little. She carefully took the test papers back from his hands and was about to look them over when Qiu Xuning cut her off.

“Mom, give me the test papers.” His voice was so hoarse it was barely audible, his eyes swollen and red, almost too heavy to open. He reached out toward the papers in Zhou Mingmei’s hands. Afraid they might tear again, she didn’t linger over them and quickly handed them back to him.

“Next time, don’t let your ge get his hands on your test papers. He’s useless himself, and he can’t stand to see you do well,” Zhou Mingmei said, not thinking there was anything wrong with belittling Qiu Shuohai in front of Qiu Xuning.

Qiu Xuning held the papers carefully, folding them neatly. Only when Zhou Mingmei turned away to be busy herself did he finally whisper to He Zhiyuan, “Thank you.”

Those big eyes of his, usually so clear and bright, were now half-hidden by the swollen lids, barely open. His nose was red, and his whole face was really flushed. He knew all too well how ugly people looked after crying, so he didn’t dare meet He Zhiyuan’s gaze. He only kept his head bowed as he murmured his thanks.

He Zhiyuan said, “Didn’t I tell you to look at me when you talk?”

Qiu Xuning sniffled and rasped, “I can’t this time.”

Fighting the urge to lift his head, he added, “Thank you.”

It felt like he was always crying in front of He Zhiyuan, though it wasn’t something he wanted at all.

After a pause, Qiu Xuning drew in a shaky breath and said in a low, hoarse voice, “Actually, I don’t like crying… but I… I just can’t help it.”

Would it be too much to ask for him not to get annoyed with me because of that?