012 The Most Hated Little Brother
An architectural designer’s day off is like a high school senior’s gym class—you never know if the gym teacher will suddenly have something come up.
12 a.m., 11th floor, IFS Center.
“If I hadn’t seen the message in the group chat, I’d already be asleep.”
All the lights in Qianhe Architectural Consulting were on. There were quite a few people working overtime in various departments, including Qin Ren, who had just arrived by car.
“Then you should have slept. What are you doing here?”
Yun Wanhe’s fingers flew across the keyboard, muttering under her breath.
Qin Ren, at the workstation behind her, was doing the same, also muttering.
“What am I doing here? Sister Yun, search your conscience. If I didn’t come, could you have finished this by yourself without pulling an all-nighter?”
Yun Wanhe glanced at her full-chested conscience and said nothing. It wasn’t until an idea in her mind was implemented on the drawing that she pressed Ctrl+S, narrowed her eyes, and stretched. She placed both hands on her slender waist, pushed her abdomen forward, and stuck out her chest. The curve of her hips, wrapped in the pencil skirt, became full and round as her waist cinched, looking as if it were about to jut out.
“Sister Yun.”
“Hm?”
“How are you doing over there?”
“Almost done.”
Yun Wanhe in full work mode was a force of nature. Qin Ren, a rookie who had only been with the company for a year, was not to be outdone. Each of them took charge of one proposal. Finally, at two in the morning, they sent the files to the client and took the elevator down together.
“Did you clock out?” Yun Wanhe suddenly asked while waiting for a car downstairs.
“Damn…” Qin Ren frowned. “Forgot. Whatever, I can’t use up all my days off anyway.”
The company rule was that working overtime after 12 a.m. counted as half a day off, and after 3 a.m., a full day. Qin Ren had accumulated about forty-something days off so far, which was impossible to use up before they were cleared at the end of the year.
“My car is here.”
Yun Wanhe’s Didi arrived before Qin Ren’s. She took two steps towards the car, then turned back, her lips parting hesitantly.
“Sorry, Little Qin. I told you to take a day off today, but then…”
“No, no, no.”
Qin Ren waved his hand.
“Don’t say that. I came on my own accord. If I didn’t come, you were probably planning to work alone until four or five, right?”
“…”
Yun Wanhe didn’t answer. That was indeed her original plan.
“Sister Yun, you might be tired of hearing this, but I’ll say it again.”
Qin Ren spoke as he walked, escorting her to the car door, his expression very serious.
“You’re the one who trained me. Call me when you need me. Don’t push yourself so hard with work. Your health is the most important thing, you hear?”
“Mhm…”
Yun Wanhe nodded lightly, then couldn’t help but feel a little stunned.
Strange, why does it feel like he’s the leader…
She lifted her eyelids, glanced at Qin Ren’s face, said goodbye, and got into the car.
It wasn’t until the car was far away that Yun Wanhe took out her phone, tapped on Qin Ren’s profile picture, and deleted the message “Can you come to the company for a bit?” that had been in the text box for several hours.
“Health is important…”
She leaned against the car window thoughtfully, murmuring Qin Ren’s earlier advice. After a long time, she let out an almost inaudible, soft huff.
“Is your health not important then…”
So young, yet his overtime hours ranked second in the entire company for the past year.
Second only to herself, who ranked first.
He really is the subordinate that I, Yun Wanhe, trained…
Yun Wanhe vaguely recalled the first time she interviewed Qin Ren. She opened her photos and pulled up his resume to look at it.
It was actually quite ordinary, with no particular highlights.
Except for the four words “able to bear hardship,” which were written in all three columns for special skills, hobbies, and interests.
Naive young graduates were all so full of bravado, so eager to find their first job that they looked as if they were afraid the boss wouldn’t exploit them.
“Silly boy, you know how tough it is now, don’t you…”
Yun Wanhe smiled and shook her head, then her gaze unintentionally landed on the line for age.
22 years old.
This year, he would be 23.
So young…
The curve of her lips gradually flattened. Yun Wanhe turned off her phone, let out a soft sigh, and closed her eyes. Her long eyelashes trembled twice, and she stopped thinking about certain things she was unwilling and afraid to think about.
—————————
Qin Ren’s luck wasn’t great; he couldn’t get a car.
In the end, he just scanned a shared bike and rode all the way back through the streets at two in the morning.
When he got back and entered the bedroom, a certain Pixiu was holding the tablet, watching a TV series.
“Still not asleep?”
“Mhm.”
Luo Yao turned off the tablet and placed it neatly and carefully on the bedside table.
“When you’re not here, I can’t sleep.”
“Did you take a shower?”
“I did~”
Luo Yao sniffed her clothes. They were fragrant, with the same faint floral scent as her own, mixed with a bit of body wash.
“Lights out.”
“Qin Ren, when’s your next day off?”
“Don’t know. What’s up?”
“Nothing, I just miss you when I’m at home…”
“I’ll pick out a few more novels and TV series for you another day. Go to sleep.”
“Mhm…”
…
A few mumbled words back and forth in the darkness, and the two of them quickly fell asleep.
However, at the same time, far away at Jiaotong University, Gu Qing, who had finally finished the final draft of her paper, found herself unable to sleep after getting into bed.
She took out her phone, looked at it once, then again.
She opened WeChat, then QQ.
Looking at the empty chat windows, Gu Qing’s heart was a mess of frustration.
Could it be that my little brother thinks I’m still angry, so he doesn’t dare to contact me…
Gu Qing bit her lip and angrily kneaded the pillowcase. Then she thought about it. Actually, that was a real possibility.
If that was the case, it would be a normal reaction.
But if it was for some other reason, then it wouldn’t be normal.
Gu Qing thought back to when she caught him on the dating site. It had been so long. Although she had calmed down and felt that he probably hadn’t lied to her and wasn’t really on a dating site, but…
What if he really had the intention to date and wanted to find a girlfriend again?
After all, he had entered the workforce, and that woman had been gone for nearly two or three years. Whether psychologically or… or physiologically, Qin Ren should have needs, right?
Yes, he must!
His older sister has them, why wouldn’t his little brother…
Gu Qing buried her blushing face in the blanket on her bed, thinking to herself. She had never known that Qin Ren hadn’t actually had relations with his first love, so for years, she had basically regarded that woman as the rapist who had taken her little brother’s first time.
That might be an exaggeration, but that was the general idea.
In short, perhaps due to the sense of liberation after finishing her paper, from two to three in the morning, Gu Qing tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The more she thought about his recent situation, the more she cared. Finally, she gritted her teeth, picked up her phone, and dialed that familiar number.
It wasn’t that she wanted to question him about anything. Gu Qing didn’t really know why she was calling. Maybe… she felt… that even just hearing his voice would help her fall asleep…
Beep—
Beep—
…
After a few rings, a burst of static meant the call had connected. Gu Qing’s ears twitched. She reflexively adjusted her tone and spoke coolly.
“Qin Ren.”
“Hello…?”
However, what came back from the receiver was a sleepy, seemingly coquettish, and crisp female voice.
“Hello… who is this…”
“I’m looking for Qin Ren.”
Gu Qing didn’t even know how those four words came out of her dry throat.
“Qin Ren…”
An impatient grunt came from the other end of the line, followed by the rustling of a blanket being moved.
“He’s asleep. Call him tomorrow…”
Beep, beep, beep—
The call was hung up just like that.
————————
“…What was that noise just now…”
“Nothing… Qin Ren, this eminence wants to change positions to hug you…”
“…Tsk, you’re so much trouble…”
…
Another mumbled exchange. After a small interlude unknown to “Ren,” the bedroom returned to its tranquility.
It wasn’t until he woke up the next morning that Qin Ren saw a small red dot pop up on the WeChat profile with the ID [Jing Ke].
“Oh? She’s not angry anymore…”
Qin Ren was very pleased. He happily clicked it open to see:
[Qin Ren, you are the most hated little brother in the world!]
???
Staring at this sentence on the screen, Qin Ren fell into deep self-doubt.
What did I do now…
Translator’s Notes
-
Didi (滴滴): The largest ride-hailing company in China, equivalent to Uber.
-
Jing Ke (荆轲): A famous historical figure from the Warring States period, known for his failed assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.
