I Don't Want to Be a Charmboy【Quick Wear】

Lin Shen sighed and gently wiped away his tears with her fingertips.

That was just part of the original story; he really shouldn't have used those preconceived notions to judge the real boy in front of him.

The skin his fingertips touched was burning hot, with traces of undried tears. Lin Ming trembled slightly, but did not flinch. Instead, he obediently, even somewhat greedily, tilted his face up, letting that rare tenderness linger on his cheek.

He bent slightly so that he could look Lin Shen in the eye. Through his teary eyes, he clearly saw the undisguised pity and heartache in the other's eyes.

My heart skipped a beat, and a mix of secret joy and bitterness welled up inside me.

Sure enough, he made the right bet.

His second brother appears aloof, but is actually soft-hearted and especially can't stand seeing people show weakness in front of him.

Hard and thorny things will only build up his defenses; only by being broken and disheveled can one pry open a corner of that solid ice.

He couldn't let this opportunity slip by.

Almost instinctively, Lin Ming pressed his forehead against Lin Shen's neck again, like a fledgling seeking shelter, his voice muffled, tinged with lingering sobs and tentatively asking, "Second Brother... will you hate me?"

He felt Lin Shen's body stiffen for a moment, but the expected push did not come.

Instead, a warm hand, with a soothing force, gently patted his back.

One stroke after another, the rhythm slow and steady, strangely soothing the surging panic and unease within him.

Then he heard the long-awaited answer, clear and gentle.

"will not."

These two words were like a pardon, instantly relaxing Lin Ming's tense nerves. However, what followed was not peace of mind, but an even stronger surge of grievance.

He unconsciously tightened his arms around her, burying his face deeper into hers, inhaling the irresistible warmth and scent.

"But... I treated you like that before..." His voice was still hoarse, with a heavy nasal tone, as if he were blaming himself, or as if he were still afraid. "I said so many awful things... and I... and I always deliberately made you angry..."

Lin Shen continued patting his back, his tone carrying a calm that seemed to see through everything, and even a faint hint of indulgence that he himself was unaware of: "It's all in the past."

“I can’t get over it…” Lin Ming stubbornly shook his head, his hair brushing against Lin Shen’s neck, causing a slight tickle. “I can’t get over it in my heart. Second brother, I’m scared.”

"What are you afraid of?"

“I’m afraid you’ll never talk to me again.” He looked up, his eyes even redder than before, like a little animal afraid of being abandoned, his eyes wet as he stared intently at Lin Shen. “I’m afraid you’ll think I’m hopeless, afraid you… will never give me another chance to get close.”

Seeing him like this, the resentment Lin Shen had harbored because of his past words and actions truly vanished.

He was, after all, just a teenager, growing up amidst indifference and neglect, using thorns to shield his inner unease. Now, he has personally removed those thorns, revealing the raw, bleeding softness within, making it impossible to criticize him.

"I won't ignore you," Lin Shen softened his voice, trying to reassure him. "You're my brother."

"Is he just my younger brother?" Lin Ming pressed, a hint of barely perceptible urgency in his eyes.

Lin Shen paused, met those hopeful yet uneasy eyes, and finally added, "He's an important younger brother."

important.

Lin Ming repeatedly pondered these three words in his heart, and a warm current finally dispelled the chill that had been lingering there. As if he had exhausted all his strength, he leaned his entire weight slightly against Lin Shen and murmured softly.

"That's good... Second Brother, I... I'll never do that again. I'll be obedient, I'll change..."

"Yes, I believe you." Lin Shen supported his slightly weak body, his hands feeling the burning heat, and his brows immediately furrowed. "You have a fever. You must go back to bed immediately."

This time, Lin Ming did not resist and obediently allowed Lin Shen to half-support and half-carry him back to the bed.

Even as he lay down, his hand remained tightly gripping Lin Shen's sleeve, his eyes filled with dependence.

"Second brother, will you stay here with me?" he asked, his voice weak from the high fever, adding to his pitiful state.

Lin Shen looked at his forehead, which was soaked with tears and sweat, and his pale face flushed with an unnatural redness. In the end, he couldn't harden his heart.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled the quilt over him.

"Hmm, once you're asleep," he said calmly, "I'll have the palace servants prepare another dose of fever-reducing medicine."

Lin Ming finally closed his eyes with satisfaction, the corners of his mouth curving upwards very slightly before disappearing back into exhaustion.

He still clung to that sleeve, as if grasping the only reliable piece of driftwood in the raging storm.

The candlelight flickered inside the hall, and the smell of medicine lingered, yet it no longer seemed so cold and desolate.

Lin Shen looked at the boy on the bed who quickly fell into a deep sleep due to the effects of the medicine and exhaustion. His gaze fell on the boy's slightly furrowed brows even in his sleep, and he sighed silently in his heart.

Lin Shen leaned against the soft couch, intending only to close his eyes and rest for a moment. However, the candlelight in the hall was warm, the fragrance of medicine wafted through the air, and the worries and fatigue of the past few days washed over him like a tide. Before he knew it, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

……

Lin Ming was awakened by the dryness and pain in his throat.

He opened his eyes and saw that the daylight outside the window was already bright, shining so brightly through the window frame that it made his vision appear somewhat white.

The moment my consciousness returned, I felt a sudden emptiness in my heart, and my hand instinctively looked to the side, only to find no one there.

Where is second brother?

have they gone?

Was last night's fleeting tenderness and promise just a dream? Did he leave because he had a fever and fell into a deep sleep?

An indescribable panic gripped him instantly, causing him more pain than his wounds.

He struggled to sit up almost immediately, the movement aggravating the injury on his back. A sharp pain made him groan, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead, but he didn't care. His anxious gaze swept frantically across the empty inner hall.

Just as despair was about to overwhelm him, his gaze suddenly fixed on the soft couch by the window.

A plain-colored cloak was casually draped to one side, and the person he longed for was lying on her side on the couch, fully clothed, facing him, fast asleep.

The morning light outlined his peaceful sleeping face, his long eyelashes drooping, casting a small, faint shadow under his eyes. His usual aloofness and detachment were completely gone, leaving only an unguarded tranquility.

The huge weight on my heart was lifted with a thud, followed by an overwhelming surge of tenderness.

He didn't leave.

Lin Ming stared blankly, his chest heaving a few times before his previously hurried and disordered breathing gradually calmed down.

He carefully, almost holding his breath, moved his body off the bed. His feet felt weak when they touched the ground, so he steadied himself by holding onto the bedpost before enduring the pain in his back and slowly, step by step, moving to the edge of the soft couch.

He crouched down, looking directly at the sleeping Lin Shen.

From this angle, you can see more clearly the delicate texture of his skin, the tip of his upturned nose, and his eyes, which are currently closed and always carry a gentle yet distant smile.

He said... he wouldn't hate him.

He said... he's an important younger brother.

A surge of heat coursed through his heart, prompting him to raise his hand.

With a barely perceptible tremor in her fingertips, she gently and tentatively touched Lin Shen's cheek.

It feels warm and smooth to the touch, like the finest jade, incredibly delicate.

Lin Ming's fingertips felt as if they were burned by the temperature, yet he was reluctant to leave.

He lingered greedily, his fingertips lightly tracing the boy's gentle facial contours, from his brow bone to the bridge of his nose, and then to those lips that were always tightly pursed at him, yet last night they uttered tender, comforting words.

An unprecedented sense of satisfaction and possessiveness quietly arose.

He is important.

This realization caused a faint, yet genuine smile to involuntarily rise to the corners of his lips, carrying the preciousness of something lost and found, and a deeper, more profound stirring that even he himself had not yet clearly understood.

Just as his fingertips were about to trace the line of Lin Shen's jaw again, the person under his palm suddenly moved very slightly.

Lin Ming's heart skipped a beat. He quickly withdrew his hand as if he were a thief, squatted down properly, and his heart was pounding in his chest.

Lin Shen's eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. The hazy feeling of just waking up only lingered in his eyes for a moment. When he saw the person squatting in front of the bed, looking at him expectantly, he was obviously stunned for a moment, and subconsciously propped himself up on his arms to sit up.

"Fourth brother?" His voice was slightly hoarse from just waking up. "Why are you up? Doesn't your wound hurt?"

When Lin Ming saw that he had woken up, his first reaction was to be concerned about his injuries. The panic he felt at being caught was immediately replaced by warmth. However, he frowned at the right moment, coughed softly twice, and said in a weak voice.

"Cough... It's alright. I didn't see my second brother when I woke up, I thought you were gone..."

As he spoke, he lowered his head slightly, his long eyelashes concealing the fleeting emotions in his eyes, leaving only a touch of just the right amount of loss and unease.

Lin Shen looked at him squatting in front of the bed, his face flushed from the fever, but his lips were pale, and he looked like he was trying hard to suppress his discomfort. Her heart softened.

He lifted the thin blanket covering him, bent down, and reached out to touch Lin Ming's forehead.

"It's still a bit hot." He frowned, his tone carrying an undeniable insistence. "Go back and lie down."

His palms were slightly cool, and it felt very comfortable against his burning forehead. Lin Ming couldn't help but rub against him, like a cat craving affection, tilting his head back with soft, moist eyes.

"What about my second brother?"

"I'll go and summon the imperial physician to take another look at you," Lin Shen said, getting up as he did so.

But her sleeve was gently tugged.

Lin Ming looked up, his eyes filled with a cautious plea, his voice low and hoarse: "Second brother... please don't go far, okay?"

In the soft light of dawn, the boy's reliance in his eyes was pure and straightforward, easily touching the softest part of people's hearts.

Lin Shen paused, looking at the fingers that were tightly gripping his sleeve, and finally softened his voice.

“Okay, I won’t go far,” he promised, taking Lin Ming’s arm as he did so. “I’ll help you back to bed.”