Chapter 135: Good Brothers

Luo Yixian, bruised and battered, quietly went to a pharmacy to buy medicine. Just as he stepped out, he heard a man calling him from behind.

"Who is it?" he snapped, feeling irritable as he turned around.

Cheng Yanchi was standing there, his hands tucked into his pockets. Seeing the state of Luo Yixian’s face, his eyes widened in instant shock, and the mocking, arrogant tone he had held a moment ago vanished. "You’re Luo Yixian? What... what happened to your face?"

"What do you think? Some lunatic beat me up," Luo Yixian replied, not recognizing Cheng Yanchi. "And you are...?"

Cheng Yanchi chuckled and stepped closer. "Listen carefully, I’ll only say this once: Cheng... Yan... Chi."

Hearing the name, Luo Yixian quickly deduced his intentions. "So, it’s the second young master of the Cheng Group. Are you here to make trouble for me because of that Jiang Yao, too?"

"Too?"

"That’s right," Luo Yixian said, throwing the medicine to the ground with a hateful glare. "The lunatic who beat me was He Yunqing. He came looking for trouble earlier, and I taught him a lesson."

Looking at Luo Yixian’s condition, Cheng Yanchi found it hard to believe he had taught anyone a lesson. "Damn it, that guy He beat me to it." Cheng Yanchi rubbed his wrists. "You’re the one who bullied Ye Yiyi, right? You’re the one who hit Jiang Yao?"

"So what if I did?" Luo Yixian stiffened his neck, trying to maintain his bravado.

In the next second, he took another solid punch to the face.

"Then I didn't hit the wrong person!" Cheng Yanchi frowned. "You must have a death wish to lay a hand on either of them."

Luo Yixian clutched his face, feeling that his luck had been absolutely abysmal lately. He couldn't beat He Yunqing, but surely he could take on Cheng Yanchi? Besides, he had heard that Cheng Yanchi’s hand had been injured before... With that thought, he lunged at Cheng Yanchi.

As it turned out, he couldn't beat him either. Tonight, Luo Yixian received his second beating.

"Don't you run! If you have the guts, don't run!" Luo Yixian shouted at Cheng Yanchi, even as he bolted away faster than a rabbit, fleeing in a panic.

Cheng Yanchi rubbed his hand and clicked his tongue. "What was Ye Yiyi thinking? How could she have ever stomped such garbage?"

***

In the small tavern late at night, there were only a few patrons. He Yunqing sat alone, silently pouring himself a drink and downing it. Across from him, someone approached.

"Drinking your sorrows away all by yourself?" the voice was laced with mockery and provocation.

He Yunqing looked up. Cheng Yanchi was standing across from him, raising an eyebrow. "Want me to join you for a drink?"

He Yunqing ignored him. To him, Cheng Yanchi—who was about to marry Jiang Yao—appearing before him felt like nothing more than a gloat. It was rare for Cheng Yanchi to be so infuriating in He Yunqing’s presence.

Cheng Yanchi pulled up a chair and sat down. "Hey, I heard you beat up Luo Yixian?"

"So what if I did?" He Yunqing replied coldly, clearly not in the mood to entertain him.

"I beat him up too," Cheng Yanchi said with a grin. "For that alone, shouldn't we have a drink together?"

He Yunqing looked up and indeed saw a faint bruise on Cheng Yanchi’s face. He silently poured a glass for Cheng Yanchi and clinked his own against it. Everything was understood without words.

Cheng Yanchi raised his glass and drank with He Yunqing. "I heard from A-Yao that your tolerance isn't great. Are you going to start acting crazy when you get drunk later?"

"Whether I can hold my liquor or not, you'll find out soon enough."

Cheng Yanchi didn't argue, continuing to drink with him. "I'm going to marry A-Yao. Don't you have any parting words?"

He Yunqing rolled his eyes. "You're feeling pretty proud of yourself for marrying her, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Cheng Yanchi said with a sly smile. "Especially since you didn't manage to."

He Yunqing hummed and took another drink. "You better be careful. If you dare to treat her badly, I will definitely take her away."

Cheng Yanchi looked at He Yunqing’s eyes, which were becoming hazy from the alcohol. "I will naturally treat her well. You don't need to worry about that."

"Take good care of her. Don't let her suffer any grievances. She likes to keep everything to herself and hates troubling others. You have to make sure she troubles you more often."

Cheng Yanchi nodded, suddenly becoming solemn. "A-Yao is never a trouble. Rest assured, A-Yao will be no worse off with me than she was with you. On the contrary, I will make her the happiest woman in the world."

He Yunqing gave a bitter smile. "Also, the child in her womb... you must be a good father..."

"I will naturally be a good father, and in the future..." Cheng Yanchi stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing something was wrong. "What child?"

The alcohol made He Yunqing’s cheeks flush red. He offered a drunken, captivating smile, and then his head suddenly thudded onto the table.

"Hey, He Yunqing, explain yourself!" Cheng Yanchi shook him. "What child in her womb? Are you saying A-Yao is pregnant? Don't fall asleep yet..."

He Yunqing was eventually supported out of the tavern by Cheng Yanchi. Although Cheng Yanchi’s own gait was unsteady, his tolerance was ultimately better than He Yunqing’s. In fact, few people likely had a worse tolerance than He Yunqing.

The two walked down the deserted street in the dead of night. He Yunqing draped his long arm over Cheng Yanchi’s shoulder, singing loudly, "Love truly needs courage, to face the gossip and rumors..."

Cheng Yanchi sighed helplessly. "Hey, are you really drunk or just faking it? You're this far gone, yet you’re not even singing off-key?"

Cheng Yanchi was different; he sang off-key even when he was sober.

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have let you drink so much. I knew your tolerance was low, but I didn't realize it was *this* bad. You said I’d find out soon enough—well, I’ve certainly found out now." Cheng Yanchi grumbled. "Hey, does this mean we’ve reconciled?"

He Yunqing gave a soft laugh and patted Cheng Yanchi’s shoulder. "Good brother."

Cheng Yanchi rolled his eyes. "I really should film you like this and put it on the internet."

"Come on, let's sing together."

Cheng Yanchi clicked his tongue, but he couldn't help being swept up by He Yunqing, and he began to sing along.

The night was deep and quiet; the whole city was slowly falling asleep. Two grown men stumbled down the road, leaning on each other, singing at the top of their lungs, their shadows stretched long and thin against the ground...

"As long as you have that one look..." Cheng Yanchi belted out.

"You're off-key, you're off-key," He Yunqing tapped his shoulder.

"Am I? I don't think so. He Yunqing, you're a drunkard—do you even know what a key is?"

"As long as your one look confirms it, my love has meaning..."