Shen Yuan sat in front of the mirror as the barber asked him to take off his glasses so it’d be easier to cut his hair.
His nearsightedness wasn’t bad, but he’d gotten used to wearing glasses every day. It was his way of hiding his face.
When he was little and living at his grandfather’s house, people would sometimes say, “He really looks like his dad.”
His features took after his biological father—and the man had no virtues to speak of except for being handsome.
Back then, Mr. Shen, with nothing but a pretty face to rely on, had fooled plenty of people. He first used his looks and connections to get work in a big city. Later he somehow caught the attention of someone and even filmed a few TV dramas and movies. He thought he was some kind of rising star, but after a couple of years he offended the wrong person, couldn’t stay in the industry, and slunk back home. He put on an act, pretending to be a tragic, down-on-his-luck scholar with amnesia, and since he and Shen Yuan’s mom had been high-school classmates—and he hadn’t been that terrible in school, even many girls’ first crush—he didn’t have to try very hard to fool her into marrying him.
But pretending is still pretending. It never becomes real.
After the wedding, his true nature came out: lazy, unmotivated, selfish. He started resenting being tied down by an “ordinary” woman, resenting that honest work paid too slowly, and began messing around outside. He latched onto wealthy married women to live off them, spent money like water, and lived a life of indulgence. After two years of constant fights, they finally divorced.
His father hated him so much that after the divorce, he even changed his son’s name to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan despised that man—despised the surname, despised the face that looked so much like his biological father’s.
Removing his glasses, wetting his hair, slicking it all back—the whole face was exposed.
He caught sight of himself in the mirror and actually jumped a little. The man in the mirror looked so much like the father in his memory. One look and anyone could tell they were father and son.
A wave of discomfort hit him. He really hated this face. That was why he avoided mirrors and styled himself in ways opposite to his father.
Shen Yuan frowned slightly, but this makeover was something his uncle asked for, so… he’d listen.
Li Lin had been sitting behind him scrolling his phone. He looked up by accident and saw Shen Yuan’s side profile. From his forehead to his chin, the lines were smooth and refined—clean, delicate features. Only now did he realize his older brother’s eyelashes were so long, and even the color of his irises was different from most people’s, like he was wearing colored contacts—his pupils large and dark.
When Shen Yuan finished his haircut, Li Chen nodded in satisfaction. “Much fresher. From now on, wear contacts or get a different frame. I didn’t notice before, but you’re definitely at the age where you should dress yourself up a bit.”
He assumed Shen Yuan might be against the idea of men caring about their appearance—Shen Yuan clearly hadn’t cared at all before—so he added, “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Men and women both should present themselves well. It’s basic respect—for yourself and for others. Men have every right to enjoy looking good.”
Shen Yuan replied obediently, “Mm.” He wasn’t against grooming—he just didn’t want to look like his biological father.
He touched his forehead and laughed. “Feels breezy.”
When he turned his head, he found Li Lin staring blankly at him. “What’s wrong?”
Seeing Shen Yuan smile at him, Li Lin flushed around the ears and stammered, “B-bro… you—you look really good like this.”
Shen Yuan teased, “Didn’t you and your friends say I was ugly before?”
Li Chen shot him a glare. “What’s wrong with you? You made fun of your brother?”
Li Lin panicked instantly, flustered and red-faced. “N-no! I was just joking—I didn’t mean it!”
Shen Yuan had only been teasing the kid. Seeing him panic, he quickly eased things over. “It’s fine, Uncle, we were just messing around.”
They bought him a new pair of glasses afterward. As a designer, he used his eyes a lot. Wearing contacts every day wasn’t good, so regular frames were still better for work.
On the way home, Shen Yuan noticed Li Lin glancing at him over and over. He thought the boy had something to say. It made him a little embarrassed. “What is it?”
“N-nothing,” Li Lin stuttered, incredibly earnest. “It’s just… you look like a whole different person. Kinda unfamiliar. I gotta look a few more times to get used to it.”
After they got home.
Shen Yuan showered, changed into pajamas, and was about to go to sleep when someone knocked.
Li Lin stood there in his own pajamas, looking up at him with puppy-dog eyes. “Bro, I wanna sleep with you… We haven’t slept together in forever.”
Shen Yuan froze for half a second at the first part, his mind going somewhere indecent—then mentally slapped himself. Damn it, he was turning into that old pervert. How could he think something like that about his pure, innocent little brother?
When Li Lin was small, he used to sleep holding Shen Yuan’s hand. It wasn’t a big deal.
Shen Yuan didn’t hesitate. “Sure.”
It was summer, hot outside but cool inside with the AC on, both of them sleeping under blankets.
Time for a bedtime chat.
Li Lin said nostalgically, “Bro, I remember the second night after you first came here—I snuck over to sleep with you.”
Shen Yuan said, “Yeah, and your sleeping posture was terrible. You kicked me off the bed, I even got a bump on the back of my head.”
Li Lin winced. “I don’t sleep that bad anymore… Bro, after your haircut, you really look good. When I first met you, you weren’t wearing glasses, and honestly I was confused—everyone said I had a ‘brother,’ but you were so delicate, you looked like a girl, and you were shorter than me.”
Shen Yuan hated people saying he looked like a girl—even though he knew Li Lin didn’t mean it badly. So he shot back, “And I remember thinking, how is my new little brother shaped like a round dumpling?”
Li Lin blushed. He hadn’t actually been that fat when he was small—just a little round. But once he hit middle school, he slimmed out and stretched up fast, starting to develop a more adult frame.
He scooted close, hugged Shen Yuan, and sniffed him. “Bro, you smell really good.”
Shen Yuan pushed him away. “What smell? It’s just soap and lotion. And don’t cling to me, it’s too hot. Quit fooling around. You promised you wouldn’t, or I wouldn’t have let you sleep here. One more peep out of you and you’re going back to your room.”
Li Lin reluctantly let go. “Oh…”
They went to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Shen Yuan woke up groggy and thirsty. He got up to get some water, but his room’s pitcher was empty, so he headed downstairs to the kitchen.
As he passed his uncle’s study, the door cracked open and a faint light spilled out. Shen Yuan hadn’t meant to listen, but his uncle’s voice was unusually gentle, instantly making him stop in his tracks:
“…the kids all really like it.”
“If you hadn’t reminded me, I wouldn’t have thought of it at all. I really am an incompetent dad.”
“You’re right—Ah Ben is such a beautiful child. It’d be a waste not to dress him up.”
“We ended up choosing a midnight-blue fabric. I wish you could’ve seen it too—Ah Ben looks stunning with his new haircut.”
A soft laugh. “I’m not as attentive as you. A household really does need a mom.”
“All right, I’ll keep it quiet. I won’t tell the kids for now.”
It felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over his head.
Shen Yuan was sharp; he didn’t need to guess whose voice was on the other end.
He’d actually thought his uncle treated him differently—that all that gentleness and thoughtfulness was directed at him. But no. Every bit of it came from Miss Lin’s suggestions.
He didn’t blame her—she was observant, smart, tactful. No wonder his uncle liked her. He just… he just felt ridiculous for assuming he mattered.
His uncle wasn’t thinking of him. His uncle was thinking of Miss Lin.
Earlier that day, his uncle had taken him shopping, given him a makeover. It felt sweet. Now it was like that sugar had turned into a blade stuck in his throat.
Shen Yuan steadied his breathing and quietly backed away, returning to his room.
Li Lin woke at the sound. “Bro? Where’d you go?”
“I went downstairs for water,” Shen Yuan said lightly.
He lay down, trying to fall asleep, but couldn’t. His mind churned. And at that moment, he really, really, really wanted to see Qiao Hailou.
After all, Qiao Hailou already knew every filthy, dark little secret he hid. Venting to him wouldn’t change anything.
What would Qiao Hailou say? Probably mock him mercilessly: “You act all fearless with me, but shrink at something like this? Ha!”
Then he’d snap back, they’d argue, and he’d feel better.
Shen Yuan pulled the blanket over his head and grabbed his phone.
He opened the contact labeled “Old Pervert.” He was impulsive—really tempted to message Qiao Hailou, ask him out for a night. With Li Lin asleep next to him, it even felt a little like sneaking around.
But then he remembered their last blowout fight—Qiao Hailou leaving him with, “I’m not in a hurry. I’ll wait for you to come crawling back.”
Thinking of that smug, self-satisfied expression made Shen Yuan grind his teeth. No way was he walking into Qiao Hailou’s trap this easily.
It’d only been a few days. Going to find him now would be playing right into his hands.
Li Lin rolled over, mumbling sleepily, “Bro… why aren’t you sleeping?”
Shen Yuan shoved his phone away. “It’s nothing…”
Forget it. He couldn’t go. If they were gonna keep messing around, Qiao Hailou would have to come to him first.
Endure.
Shen Yuan, buried in thoughts, kept his eyes shut but couldn’t sleep. Not until two or three in the morning did his mind finally fog up and he drifted off.
The next morning, Shen Yuan woke up feeling suffocated, something heavy pinning him down.
He opened his eyes to find himself wrapped in Li Lin’s arms, the boy half-lying on him. The kid had grown tall and strong—he was heavy.
He turned his head and came face-to-face with Li Lin’s sleeping profile. Sixteen-year-old features: pure, bright-skinned, unfairly youthful.
Shen Yuan whispered, “Xiao Lin… Xiao Lin… wake up.”
Li Lin mumbled twice, didn’t wake, and only hugged him tighter.
Shen Yuan shifted, trying to wiggle free—then accidentally brushed against something and froze.
Well… teenagers. Full of energy. Up at dawn. Literally.