Difficult To Raise Chapter 8
byChapter 8 The Gathering
Jiang Jin only sang half a song before placing the guitar on the floor. While Jiang Ran was distracted, he walked over and hugged him, gently pressing his face against his—an exceptionally intimate posture. He lowered his eyes and said somewhat dejectedly, “Brother, I’m sorry.”
Jiang Ran didn’t pull away or speak, remaining silent. In this terrible stillness, Jiang Jin’s eyes reddened slightly. He rubbed against Jiang Ran lightly, just like before, with a hint of pleading, “Brother, I was wrong. Please don’t be mad at me, okay?
“I don’t want to be separated from you, Brother.”
“I’ll be obedient from now on. I’ll do whatever Brother tells me to do.”
He held Jiang Ran tightly and repeated, “Brother, I know I messed up.”
Jiang Ran sighed, stroking his soft hair, and asked him, “Do you like music?”
Jiang Jin nodded quickly at first, a flash of light in his eyes. But then, remembering Jiang Ran’s previous attitude, he immediately shook his head, his tone laced with flattery: “If you don’t want me to play, I won’t play anymore.”
Jiang Ran wanted to laugh, but a bitter feeling rose in his heart. He realized he had paid far too little attention to his brother; he didn’t even know what he liked or disliked.
“I’m not mad at you,” Jiang Ran said seriously. “I won’t stop you from doing what you like. I wasn’t trying to stop you from listening to music before; I just didn’t want you to damage your hearing by wearing headphones for too long. Pay attention to the time from now on, and I won’t stop you again.”
He paused, then added, “I think you sing exceptionally well.”
“Really?” Stars seemed to fall into Jiang Jin’s eyes. He smiled happily, then cautiously asked, “Then, can I still sleep with you, okay?”
Jiang Ran hesitated, not making a sound for a moment.
Seeing his silence, the light in Jiang Jin’s eyes seemed to dim. He pouted and said aggrievedly, “You said you weren’t mad at me. If you’re not mad, why won’t you sleep with me? Are you still blaming me for locking you out that day?”
“I won’t do it again, really! I promise.” Jiang Jin whispered, “Brother, I can’t sleep alone, you know that.”
Jiang Ran felt troubled. He thought that since they were growing up, they should sleep in separate beds to have some private space.
So he tried to persuade him, “Little Jin, you have to grow up eventually. You can’t sleep with your brother forever.”
The moment he said this, Jiang Jin’s face instantly turned pale. He felt an unprecedented panic and immediately raised his voice, “Why not?”
Jiang Ran was speechless. “It just can’t happen.”
Jiang Jin: “Do you not want me anymore?”
Jiang Ran quickly denied it. “No.”
“Then why not?” Jiang Jin said unreasonably. “We always used to sleep together.”
Jiang Ran felt helpless and stopped talking.
Jiang Jin stared at him intently for a moment. Perhaps seeing no reaction, he softened his voice again, “Brother, I’m scared sleeping alone. It’s so dark.”
Jiang Ran simply couldn’t handle him. What was he supposed to do? This child had been both demanding and adorable since he was little. If he softened his tone to act spoiled or cried with red, wronged eyes, Jiang Ran would feel a painful ache in his heart and would agree to anything.
He had to comfort himself: fortunately, Jiang Jin wasn’t a girl. Two boys sleeping in one bed wasn’t a big deal. Maybe when he got older, Jiang Jin himself would find it annoying and ask for a separate room.
Jiang Ran sighed, finally turning a blind eye and allowing Jiang Jin to hug his pillow and lie back down on his bed.
That night, Jiang Jin was especially clingy, holding Jiang Ran tightly, with half his body forcefully pressed against him. In his drowsiness, Jiang Ran even vaguely thought he was being wrapped up by a giant python.
Not long after this interlude, He Qian’s birthday arrived.
That day was a Friday, and their last class was math. The teacher was notoriously fond of dragging class out, and the monthly exam papers had just been returned. He was enthusiastically lecturing on the problems at the podium, not stopping even when the dismissal bell rang.
The students below were listless, daring not to voice their anger. Finally, when he finished, everyone instantly rushed out of the classroom like a gust of wind, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
When Jiang Ran walked out with his backpack, he saw He Qian leaning against the railing, resting his chin on one hand, eyes slightly closed, having waited for who knows how long.
He walked over apologetically, patted He Qian’s shoulder, and said softly, “Have you been waiting long?”
He Qian opened his eyes, still a bit groggy. It took a few seconds for him to snap back to reality. He smiled at Jiang Ran. “It’s fine, just a moment.”
He then hooked his arm around Jiang Ran’s neck and said, “Let’s go. I invited quite a few friends today. Let’s have a good time together.”
Jiang Ran quietly hummed in agreement and followed He Qian outside.
It wasn’t a formal birthday banquet, just inviting some familiar friends for a meal and then heading to a karaoke place afterward. For people their age, this was a common activity, though Jiang Ran had never participated before.
So, when he first sat in the private room, looking at the flashing lights and the screen on the wall, he felt a sense of novelty. But that feeling instantly vanished when He Qian snatched the microphone amidst everyone’s cheers and started wailing like a ghost.
He Qian’s singing, honestly, calling it singing was being generous; it was pure caterwauling. Jiang Ran even suspected that if he kept singing like this, his voice would be ruined sooner or later.
He couldn’t help but raise his hand to cover his ears, trying to block out some of the noise, but just as his hand touched his ear, a spotlight suddenly shone on his face.
Jiang Ran followed the light and saw that the private room door had been pushed open at some point. A girl in a white dress with black hair was standing in the doorway. With slender legs, a slim figure, and a fair face, she was quite a pretty girl.
The girl poked her head inside and laughed somewhat shyly. “Excuse me, is He Qian here?”
The delicate female voice instantly quieted the room. Only He Qian, completely oblivious, was still singing enthusiastically. Someone walked over, nudged him, glanced toward the door, and said, “Someone’s looking for you.”
He Qian followed his gaze, and his eyes immediately lit up. He casually tossed the microphone to the person next to him and walked over in three strides, stopping in front of the girl. He flashed her a toothy grin. “Why did you come? Didn’t you say you were busy?”
The girl smiled. “It’s your birthday, isn’t it? How could I not show up?”
Her smile was very sweet, and paired with her beautiful face, she was incredibly noticeable among the group of boys. Several pairs of eyes focused on her, filled with scrutiny and curiosity.
Someone winked and teased, “Qianzi, who is this beauty? Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
He Qian turned his head and glared at him, then scratched his head sheepishly at the girl. “Don’t mind them. Come in and sit down quickly.”
The girl looked unconcerned. She followed He Qian into the private room and casually chose a seat, which happened to be directly across from Jiang Ran. When Jiang Ran looked up, he noticed something strapped to her back. As soon as the girl sat down, she tossed the item beside her. He squinted and looked closely, thinking it looked a bit like… a guitar.
He Qian then introduced her to everyone: “This is my cousin, Shen Xin.”
“Oh!” The boys in the room laughed and cheered, saying, “Hello, Sister.”
Shen Xin smiled, greeting everyone generously, appearing to have a good personality. With a pretty girl suddenly arriving in the private room, the boys were somewhat excited and chatted with her animatedly. Jiang Ran didn’t join in, only staring at the object she had placed beside her.
He Qian brought over a fruit platter and offered her some fruit. When he turned around, he caught Jiang Ran’s gaze. He flashed a mischievous smile and leaned in to tease him in his ear, “What? Stunned?”
“No.” Jiang Ran blushed, signaling with his eyes. “I see she brought a musical instrument.”
“Yeah.” Talking about this energized He Qian, who said proudly, “My sister is a top student in the Music Department. She just started her first year of university. I finally managed to convince her to come. She sings exceptionally well; you’ll know when you hear her later.”
He Qian wasn’t exaggerating. Shen Xin’s singing was indeed beautiful. Her voice was sweet but not cloying, and her breath control was steady. She held the guitar, her slender white fingers placed on the strings, quietly strumming. When she occasionally lowered her head, her long hair naturally fell forward, beautiful like a painting.
In that moment, watching Shen Xin, Jiang Ran suddenly thought of Jiang Jin. They were clearly two unrelated people, but he inexplicably felt they shared something in common. It was hard to articulate what it was, but it was undoubtedly very captivating.
It wasn’t until much, much later, when he accidentally recalled this scene, that he suddenly realized it was a deep and profound… passion.
When the song ended, the boys applauded enthusiastically and immediately surrounded Shen Xin, chatting with her. Shen Xin was pretty, sweet-voiced, and had a good temperament, answering whatever people asked.
A tall, thin boy smiled and asked, “Sister, besides the guitar, do you play any other instruments?”
Shen Xin winked at him and said, “I know a little bit of violin, piano, and things like that.”
She said “a little bit,” but everyone knew she was being modest. To be accepted into the Music Department and play the guitar so well, her other instruments couldn’t be bad either.
“Wow, that’s amazing.” The boy complimented her generously, his ears turning red as he asked, “So, are you dating anyone?”
Before Shen Xin could say anything, He Qian became displeased. He walked over, pushed the boy, and laughed, scolding, “Get lost, get lost! My sister wouldn’t look twice at a young punk like you.”
Everyone burst into laughter, and Shen Xin also smiled lightly.
Just then, for some unknown reason, Jiang Ran suddenly said, as if possessed, “My brother also sings very well.”
He looked up at Shen Xin and emphasized, “Exceptionally well.”
“Is that so?” Shen Xin had a good impression of the handsome boy in front of her, so she smiled politely and said, “May I hear it?”
Jiang Ran was startled. After regaining his composure, he quickly played the recording of the song Jiang Jin had sung earlier. He only played half of it, as the song itself was only half-finished.
Shen Xin hadn’t taken it seriously at first, but as she listened, her expression changed. When the music finished, she asked, “Your brother sang this?”
Jiang Ran didn’t understand why, but still nodded. “Yes.”
Shen Xin stared at him, thinking about something. After a moment, she said, “Can you send me this song?” Her fingers tapped the screen a few times, revealing a QR code—her WeChat contact card.
Jiang Ran looked at her, somewhat hesitant.
Shen Xin smiled. “Don’t worry, it’s a good thing.”