Chapter 175: Tsk, Such a Clingy Kid
“Xiao Bai, I’ll tell you a secret, but don’t tell my brother, okay?” Yan Man said shyly, confiding her little thoughts. “I do like you quite a bit, but it’s not the kind that makes my heart flutter. I think I still prefer the mature, uncle-type.”
Seeing how bashful the girl was, Nan Xun felt even more fond of her. A trace of mischief flashed in his eyes. “Manman, I’ll tell you a secret too. Actually… I don’t like women.”
This time it was Yan Man who choked on her own saliva. She pointed at Nan Xun, stammering “you, you, you” for ages, then her little face flushed bright red before she burst into a bout of uncontrollable laughter.
A moment ago she’d been holding back a bit, but now Yan Man hooked arms with him, shoulder to shoulder, and whispered gleefully in his ear, “Xiao Bai, you’re amazing. I was wondering why my brother looked so off when he came back last night—so it was because of you! Heehee, his plan to marry me off to you just went down the drain. No wonder he’s in such a bad mood.”
“Manman, you seem pretty happy about it,” Nan Xun chuckled.
Yan Man grinned, revealing two little tiger teeth. “I love seeing my brother get thwarted. He’s always controlling me, like a grumpy old man.”
“Manman, your brother does it for your own good,” Nan Xun said, reaching out to pat her head—the exact same way Yan Luo always did to him.
Yan Man rolled her eyes skyward. “Xiao Bai, the way you talk is just like my brother—no, our brother. Seriously, you’ve been influenced by him. Of course I know he’s good to me, but I’m in my rebellious phase right now. I just don’t want to go along with what he wants.”
Nan Xun couldn’t help laughing at that.
They ate a bit of breakfast together. Yan Luo wasn’t in the house—he’d gone out early to inspect several territories. His workload had been heavy lately; after all, he’d been away for a year. Still, the name “King of Hell” carried enough weight that no one on the streets dared pull any tricks behind his back.
Little Eight suddenly sighed. “The big boss gets up at five every day and is gone all day long. If you keep sleeping like a dead pig like you did today, don’t even think about clearing your malice points.”
Nan Xun: “……”
After breakfast, Yan Man took Nan Xun around the area to have some fun and introduced him one by one to several formidable fighters. When the mood struck him, Nan Xun picked one to spar with.
His strength didn’t quite match the other’s, but he made up for it with agility. The two fought to a standstill. The fighters had looked down on him at first, but after that bout, they gained a bit of respect for him.
Yan Man watched excitedly, praising Xiao Bai nonstop.
By the time they returned, it was almost dark, and Yan Luo still hadn’t come back.
Yan Man was used to it, but Nan Xun was clearly worried. He paced by the door several times.
The way Nan Xun kept craning his neck anxiously fell into Yan Man’s eyes, startling her. Somewhat uncertain, she asked, “Xiao Bai, y-you wouldn’t happen to… like my brother, would you?”
After saying that, she swallowed nervously.
Nan Xun was completely stunned. He honestly didn’t know how to answer.
If he were a woman, he could’ve said “yes” without hesitation. But he was a man. A man liking another man—even thinking about it made it hard for him to accept.
Yan Man reminded him earnestly, “Xiao Bai, our brother isn’t someone an ordinary person can like. I’m not saying this because of your gender, so don’t overthink it. It’s just that our brother—he’s a natural ascetic. A weirdo, you know? He doesn’t like that kind of thing between men and women, and liking men is even more impossible. Don’t hang yourself on this crooked tree!”
Nan Xun was shocked. “Brother’s already twenty-eight. Has he really never touched a single woman?”
“Nope! Not a single woman—and not a single man either.”
Yan Man always made sure to add “man” at the end, which made Nan Xun laugh despite himself.
“Manman, don’t tell anyone about me liking our brother, okay?” Nan Xun said seriously. “I just want to like him quietly. I don’t want to burden him psychologically. For now, I’ll just be the good little brother in his eyes.”
Even Nan Xun himself was moved by what he’d just said.
Yan Man’s nose suddenly stung. She nodded hard.
When Yan Luo came back, what he saw was the kid standing at the door, anxiously waiting for someone. His heart softened instantly.
He really did have things to deal with today, but more than that, he hadn’t figured out how to face the kid—should he pretend not to know about last night, or be a good brother and guide him onto the right path?
After much thought, Yan Luo decided to be the good brother.
So he brought the kid into his study.
“Brother, did everything go smoothly today? Are you thirsty? I’ll pour you some tea. Are you tired? I can massage your shoulders.”
Nan Xun’s rapid-fire concern made Yan Luo feel an inexplicable pang, but for the kid’s sake, he had to say it.
“Xiao Bai, sit down. I need to talk to you.”
Nan Xun obediently sat in the chair opposite him, staring with big, dark eyes—like a puppy looking straight at him.
Yan Luo pressed his lips together and said earnestly, “Xiao Bai, I looked up a lot of information last night. Your situation isn’t innate. It’s because you lack a sense of security, so you develop dependence on others. Women are physically smaller and might not give you the security you need the way men do, so you’ve developed this illusion of liking men.”
As he spoke, Yan Luo stepped forward and pulled him into an embrace, gently patting his back as he promised softly, “So don’t be afraid, Xiao Bai. From now on, your brother will protect you. You can feel safe liking girls.”
Nan Xun was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Brother, do you really think a man who can beat the prison’s second-in-command lacks a sense of security? It’s true I lost my parents when I was young, but I had my grandma. Even though she’s gone now, I’m already a man. What I said yesterday was to fool you—I just… ahem, wasn’t used to getting all touchy-feely with women in front of so many people.”
Yan Luo’s body stiffened abruptly. He released him expressionlessly.
So all that worrying and sleeplessness last night had been for nothing?
Nan Xun spread his hands at him.
Yan Luo looked at him, confused.
“Give me some money, bro. I’m planning to hit a bar on my own sometime. Hehe—how can I live it up without money?”
Yan Luo: “……”
With a heavy heart, Yan Luo directly tossed him a bank card. After a moment’s thought, he also took out two thick stacks of cash from the drawer and handed them over.
The next day, Nan Xun was woken by Little Eight’s yelling. “Damn it, if you don’t get up now, the big boss will be gone all day again! If you don’t stick around him, how are you supposed to reduce your malice points?”
Startled awake by Little Eight’s ghostly shout, Nan Xun staggered downstairs in a daze to look for Yan Luo. When he saw the man in the courtyard, bare-chested and practicing punches, he yawned and called out, “Brother, wait for me! I’ll wash up and be right there.”
Yan Luo stopped and, seeing the kid still half-asleep, couldn’t help but smile.
Was the kid afraid he’d run off again, so he came to keep an eye on him?
Tsk—how did this kid end up being so clingy with him?
