Chapter 2453: Another Me 22

On the third day after arriving here, Lai Chi wandered around the mountains at random, and returned to the inn's small courtyard in the evening.

The courtyard was much livelier than usual.

Although it was still midsummer, the mountain night carried a chill; the innkeeper lit a bonfire in the center of the courtyard, the flames leaping and dispelling the slight chill of twilight.

Many guests sat around the bonfire, chatting and laughing.

As soon as Lai Chi stepped into the courtyard, he heard someone greeting him enthusiastically, the voice sounding somewhat familiar.

"Hey, handsome guy! Over here, over here! Come play with us!"

He followed the sound and saw, sure enough, the two girls who had invited his brother to hike together at the entrance on the day they first checked in.

Lai Chi instinctively wanted to refuse; he wasn't used to such lively gatherings of strangers.

Jin Chen's gaze swept past the leaping flames and landed on Lan Shan sitting opposite the bonfire.

He seemed to sit there casually, playing with his camera, but his eyes would occasionally glance over this way.

Jin Chen's vigilance rose.

This person had repeatedly initiated conversation—yesterday at the sketchboard, today here—his purpose seemed a bit too strong.

"Little Chi, go over and take a look."

Hearing his brother's words, Lai Chi let out an oh in his heart.

He thought Jin Chen wanted him to blend into the crowd and experience ordinary liveliness; although he didn't quite understand, he wouldn't oppose his brother.

Lai Chi silently walked over and found a slightly quieter spot on the edge of the bonfire to sit down.

The fire crackled, and the owner began to tell her story and that of the inn.

Her voice was not loud, carrying a touch of mountain rusticity and the sediment of years.

She said she and her fiancé had grown up together here, inseparable since childhood, but later they each went their own ways, leaving this small town for nearly five years.

Lai Chi listened quietly.

The owner's story was like a mountain stream, flowing slowly.

She and her fiancé wandered back here, started the inn together, and stayed together for five years, but a month before their wedding, her fiancé died unexpectedly.

Lai Chi's heart gave a faint tug.

The bonfire's light fell on his face, light and shadow interlacing.

A human life is so short, full of impermanence.

He and his brother depended on each other soul to soul, closer than any worldly relationship.

Precisely because of that, he feared loss all the more.

If one day he could no longer call out to his brother…… he wouldn't even know where to look for him.

The surrounding guests began to share their own stories—some warm, some funny, some tinged with regret.

Lai Chi listened quietly, with no intention to speak, merely being a silent listener.

His past sufferings weren't worth recounting in such a setting; the wounds already soothed by his brother had no need to be reopened.

And it was even less possible to tell anyone about his brother's existence.

At that moment, Lan Shan shifted over and sat down in the empty seat beside Lai Chi.

He raised his camera and pressed the shutter once at Lai Chi's profile,

"Handsome guy, I took this yesterday, printed it out today, and it's for you."

The photo showed Lai Chi sitting under a locust tree yesterday, drawing; the outline on the sketchpad looked especially gentle in the sunset.

Lai Chi took the photo, glanced at it, his eyes falling on the bright patch on the sketchboard, and asked, "How much?"

"No charge." Lan Shan waved his hand, his smile still bright, but his words carried a hint of secrecy.

"I'm actually pretty good at photography; you can have your boyfriend come along too, so we can take some meaningful commemorative shots."

Lan Shan paused, as if asking casually, "By the way, where's your boyfriend? You couldn't possibly be traveling alone, could you?"

Every word of that question hit on something Lai Chi disliked.

Lai Chi lowered his eyelids, lashes shielding the displeasure in his eyes, and in his mind said to his brother, "Brother, this person is really unpleasant."

Jin Chen deeply agreed.

This over-familiarity was too much, not like ordinary tourists striking up conversation.

"Little Chi, ask him to meet you alone behind that old tree over there."

Lai Chi did as told, looked up at Lan Shan and said, "Mr. Lan, can we have a private chat for a moment?"

He pointed to the ancient tree with twisted, gnarled branches in the corner of the courtyard.

Lan Shan seemed a little surprised, but immediately smiled and said, "Of course."

He readily rose, followed Lai Chi away from the bonfire circle, and walked toward the relatively secluded shade behind the ancient tree.

The surrounding noise was blocked by the tree shadows, becoming muffled.

Just after they stood behind the tree, the youth's eyes shifted, instantly turning sharp.

"You're deliberately approaching me."

Jin Chen's voice also turned cold: "Who hired you, what do you want, or is there some other motive?"

Lan Shan blinked, instinctively feeling that the person before him had undergone a complete change in aura, like a beast suddenly baring its fangs.

His scalp tingled; he couldn't fathom how someone could change so drastically in an instant, so he assumed the other was just in a bad mood.

He tried to laugh it off, saying, "Brother, you're… too serious, aren't you? Just out and about, making friends—I see you have a unique vibe…"

Before he finished speaking, Jin Chen slightly turned his head.

Those eyes looked over from the shadow, devoid of any warmth.

Lan Shan's words that followed were cut off; a chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to his head, and he instinctively stepped back, his back hitting the rough trunk.

"You… what's wrong with you?"

Damn, it's scarier than seeing a ghost in the middle of the night!

Jin Chen stepped forward, "I'll give you a chance—tell the truth."

Lan Shan felt his scalp tingle from his gaze, and under the moonlight his handsome face looked especially dangerous.

He abruptly turned his head, not daring to look at Jin Chen's eyes, and blurted out, "Okay... alright! I'll tell the truth!"

"I... I just think you're too good-looking! I wanted to get to know you! I didn't expect you actually have a boyfriend..."

Jin Chen: "..."

Jin Chen almost couldn't help but punch him in the face.

After all that, he's just a horny idiot.

"Stay away from me; if I catch you getting close again, I'll beat you up."

As his words fell, a dry branch shaken loose snapped off and fell straight down, hitting Lan Shan squarely on the head—scary enough.

"Ah!" Lan Shan was so frightened his soul fled; he scrambled up and turned to run, not daring to look back.

Jin Chen shook out his hand, watching Lan Shan's flustered escape, and the coldness in his eyes slowly faded.

"It's fine; if you're tired, let's head back to rest."

Li Chi regained control of his body, glanced at the dry branch shaken to the ground, and felt a bit surprised.

I never expected big brother to have him come over for this.

He narrowed his eyes, "Big brother, are you jealous?"

"Mm-hmm." Jin Chen didn't deny it either.

Li Chi: "Big brother, you're so cute."

"..."