IM Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Only then did Shang Jue move closer, his head almost touching his brother’s profile as he tentatively asked, “Brother, are you still mad at me?”

“No.”

Without outsiders present, Shen ChiTai didn’t bother to act and replied indifferently.

Shang Jue pouted, clearly hearing the resentment in his words. “If I hadn’t come looking for you today, when were you planning to come home?”

Shen ChiTai’s eyes flickered, but he said calmly, “I would naturally return when the time comes.”

“Brother.”

“Don’t get so close to me.” The omega said, but made no move to push him away.

Emboldened, Shang Jue leaned in and put his arm around his shoulders, pulling him into his embrace. Shen ChiTai at least didn’t resist his touch, letting the alpha hug him, which was a good sign for Shang Jue.

On the way back, neither of them spoke first. Shen ChiTai had never felt the road home was so short, and he occasionally bumped into younger students. His first thought wasn’t to push the alpha away, nor did he have the worries he used to have. He even had the urge to show everyone their relationship.

It was the same when Li Yuan was there. Such overly intimate behavior between the two brothers should have been avoided to prevent gossip.

But he wasn’t at all repulsed by Shang Jue’s unrestrained antics. Instead, he secretly hoped that everyone around them would know about their special relationship.

Among couples, this seemed like a declaration of ownership.

He was surprised by his change in mindset but also vaguely worried. The two of them walked side by side, and even without speaking, the atmosphere was unprecedentedly relaxed.

Opening the door, there was a pair of shoes next to the shoe rack that hadn’t been there before, meaning Shang Lü had returned. Shang Jue bent down to take a pair of shoes from the rack and place them on the floor. Before he could touch the tip of the omega’s shoe, Shen ChiTai pulled his foot back, not letting him touch it.

How could he let anyone touch such dirty shoes?

The alpha frowned and firmly grabbed his ankle, changing him into house slippers. Shen ChiTai struggled to free himself, looking down at the man’s thick, dark hair with slight absent-mindedness.

Shang Jue released his ankle, changed the other shoe, and then stood up.

Shen ChiTai shuffled his slippers and stomped his feet on the ground a couple of times. The alpha stood up, patted his hands, and looked down at the omega, who was a bit shorter than him.

“…Brother.”

“Dad’s home,” Shen ChiTai reminded him not to mess around.

“I know,” Shang Jue said. “You’ve been busy lately and haven’t been home. Dad misses you too.”

Shen ChiTai looked awkward. To avoid eye contact, he hurriedly said, “I’ll go say hello to Dad and let him know I’m safe. You stay here and don’t move.”

“Okay.”

Only then did the omega turn and head straight to the study on the second floor.

Shang Jue leaned against the wall next to the stairs, lazily looking up toward the second floor, waiting patiently. As soon as the omega came out of the study, he met Shang Jue’s eyes at the top of the stairs.

He and the alpha made eye contact for a few seconds. He looked away first, looking elsewhere in confusion.

Shang Jue walked up the stairs step by step.

By the time Shen ChiTai reacted and realized the danger, it was already too late.

“Were you sleeping well these days without me around, Brother?”

Shen ChiTai wanted to say that he hadn’t been sleeping well either, but what came out was, “Of course, but not really well.” It was too noisy at night, affecting his sleep.

“But without you by my side, I can’t sleep every night.”

As soon as Shang Jue finished speaking, Shen ChiTai was suddenly lifted into the air and carried over his shoulder. Anxious, he grabbed the only thing he could, “Where are you taking me?”

“To catch up on sleep, sleep with me for a while.”

Shang Jue carried him toward the bedroom.

Shen ChiTai hung his head, his gaze darting back and forth on the ground. He had never thought that one day he would possess his younger brother, but now, in a daze, he actually had the determination to risk everything.

He didn’t want to care about anyone’s opinion, ignore the strange looks from those around him, or the rumors swarming in from all sides, binding him tightly.

For the first time, Shen ChiTai actively hugged Shang Jue, lightly wrapping his arms around his shoulders. The alpha noticed his subtle movement, his eyes filled with unconcealable joy.

Shang Jue turned around and closed the bedroom door, bent down, and gently placed the omega on the bed. Shen ChiTai slipped into the covers. Seeing this, the alpha standing by the bed exuded a gentle, endearing look that made people blush.

The bed next to him sank, and Shang Jue rolled over and pulled his brother into his arms, one arm around his waist, afraid that the omega would sneak away while he was asleep.

“Brother, I’m so sleepy.” The alpha’s hot chest pressed against his back.

“Sleep if you’re sleepy. I’m here, I won’t go anywhere.” He seemed to have returned to when Shang Jue was little, when he used to coax him to sleep like this.

“But I want to look at your face while I sleep,” Shang Jue whispered in his ear.

“…” Shen ChiTai’s movements were like a rusty machine, slowly and awkwardly turning around in his arms. “You should be able to see me now, go to sleep.”

Shang Jue was surprised by his abnormality today. “Why are you so obedient today, Brother?”

These words made the already thin-skinned omega feel even more ashamed. “You’re the one who’s always been disobedient. If you don’t sleep, I’m getting up,” he urged.

“I’ll sleep now, but I can’t see your face when I close my eyes,” the alpha said regretfully.

“…” What nonsense, making him feel so embarrassed.

The alpha buried his face in his neck and took a deep breath. “You smell so good, I like it so much.”

Shen ChiTai’s ears suddenly burned hot, the alpha’s flirtatious words making him blush and feel flustered. “Go to sleep. You’re so old, you still need to be coaxed to sleep, it’s embarrassing.”

Shang Jue looked up and smiled, “Isn’t it all because you spoiled me? You spoiled me, you have to take full responsibility for me.”

“You shameless brat, hurry up and sleep.” Shen ChiTai pretended to be angry, glaring at him.

Only then did Shang Jue obediently close his eyes, nuzzling his neck a few times with a well-behaved and compliant expression, finally satisfied and quiet.

Shen ChiTai slowly moved closer to him, tightly wrapping his arms around his waist, and fell asleep peacefully. He hadn’t slept so comfortably in a long time. The huge rock hanging in his heart was about to fall to the ground, and he felt much lighter.

—

When Xu Chen woke up, he found himself in a very unfamiliar room. He propped himself up with difficulty and sat up. Before he could see the layout of the room clearly, he heard a teasing voice next to him.

“Yo, you’re awake.”

Xu Chen saw who it was and immediately darkened his face. “You, Yan, you kidnapped me!”

Yan ZhuGui crossed his legs, leaned against the back of the sofa, and looked over at him leisurely. “How can I call this kidnapping? Wasn’t I just inviting you over?”

“You’re crazy!” Xu Chen didn’t want to argue with him too much. “I’m already here, shouldn’t you let him go now?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Yan ZhuGui said, pretending to be confused.

“Don’t make me say it a second time!” Xu Chen’s face completely fell.

Only then did Yan ZhuGui get up and walk toward him. “It’s not easy for everyone to sit together, why ruin the good atmosphere for this kind of thing.” The alpha handed him a glass of wine. “Here, give me some face.”

“Let him go.” Xu Chen looked cold, his nostrils flaring rapidly, his breathing becoming more and more rapid. Every breath seemed to be suppressing the beta’s impending emotions.

Yan ZhuGui lightly shook the wine glass in his hand, his eyes falling on the slightly indifferent beta, the corners of his lips imperceptibly raised. “Since you’ve personally come to ask for him, I’ll naturally let him go. Let’s have a drink first.”

Xu Chen hesitated for a long time before reaching out and taking the wine glass from his hand and drinking it all in one gulp. Yan ZhuGui glanced at the empty glass that the beta slammed heavily on the table, his eyes revealing a bit of excessive enthusiasm and an inscrutable smile.