Chapter 221: Expose the Filthiest Corners
The big brother couldn’t stand seeing his younger brother slack off. He handed him the towel and reminded him sternly, “Use the towel to scrub my back—hard! Otherwise, I’ll have to train you!”
Yu Yin chuckled softly. It sounded as if he was laughing at his big brother’s obliviousness or perhaps amused by his threats.
Lifting his chin from the warm, smooth muscles of his big brother’s shoulder, he took the towel and began scrubbing his back.
The big brother’s hair was cut very short, and the back of his head was round. Dampened by the steam, his hair stuck out in messy tufts, feeling stiff and prickly to the touch.
Despite living his life with a serious attitude, the big brother tended to be quite careless about small details.
Yu Yin’s fingers brushed across the stubbly hair at the nape of Yu Guang’s neck, immediately recognizing that he had probably trimmed his hair himself again.
After feeling the coarse stubble, Yu Yin’s fingers moved to the area behind Yu Guang’s ear, lingering between his ear and neck.
Yu Guang felt a tickling sensation from the touch behind his ear and shifted his head slightly. “Yes, don’t forget to help scrub behind my ears too.”
Yu Yin narrowed his dark eyes, brushing past his ear and neck before letting the towel linger at his waist. Suddenly, he pressed the towel downward, scrubbing along the curve of Yu Guang’s lower back.
Yu Guang remained unbothered, merely twisting his neck to remind him, “You haven’t finished the upper part yet.”
Over the past two years, Yu Yin had long realized how oblivious his big brother was in this regard. Scrubbing all the way down, even over those two parts, would only earn him a laugh and a casual remark about how his younger brother must have too much free time on his hands today.
Thus, Yu Yin stopped paying attention to his reactions and simply enjoyed himself, exploring as he pleased.
Yu Guang, with his eyes closed, relaxed and waited for his younger brother to finish scrubbing him, nearly dozing off in the process.
He thought his younger brother did a decent job at bathing him, though it was far too meticulous and time-consuming.
“Alright, now it’s my turn to scrub your back,” Yu Guang said, returning the favor to take care of his younger brother.
In the misty haze of the medicinal pool, Yu Yin’s expression appeared somewhat indistinct.
Before Yu Yin could refuse, Yu Guang flipped him over with one swift motion. The large towel was flung over him with a resounding whoosh, the force and efficiency far beyond anything Yu Yin could ever hope to match.
In an instant, any ambiguous atmosphere was completely dispelled.
Yu Guang, entirely focused, treated his younger brother like a fish, scrubbing his fair skin so vigorously that it left noticeable red streaks.
Yu Guang paused, looking puzzled. He had already lightened his pressure significantly.
The memory of their earliest days together surfaced in his mind—when he first brought Youngest along and bathed him in a mountain stream. He had almost scrubbed the fragile boy’s skin raw.
Back then, even a single swipe over his slender arms would not only turn them red but also leave small abrasions from the rough cloth and his calloused fingers, causing blood to rise beneath the skin.
It was then that Yu Guang truly realized just how delicate his new little brother was. Compared to him, even their fifth brother, Yu Le, who was just a few years older, seemed much sturdier.
Recalling those early days, Yu Guang’s warm hand gently kneaded Yu Yin’s arm.
Of course, Yu Yin was no longer the frail twelve-year-old he once was. His arms now had the solid build of an adult man. Though still fair, they were covered with a thin layer of muscle, no longer prone to being scratched by the rough calluses on Yu Guang’s hands.
Patting and lightly slapping Yu Yin’s arm, Yu Guang wore a look of satisfaction—like a farmer admiring the thriving growth of his crops.
Youngest had indeed grown well over the years.
Sensing Yu Guang’s movements, Yu Yin turned to look at him.
A few strands of his damp hair slipped onto his shoulder and back as he moved, with others brushing against his cheeks and lips. The stark contrast between his jet-black hair and crimson lips was strikingly vivid.
Yet, it was a pity. If there was anyone truly blind here, it was not Yu Yin but Yu Guang.
Such a breathtakingly vivid, otherworldly image of beauty didn’t seem to register in Yu Guang’s eyes at all.
Casually lifting Yu Yin’s hair, Yu Guang spoke carelessly, “Youngest, your hair can’t be cut. Why not tie it into a long braid? It’d save you the trouble of it getting in the way.”
When Yu Yin was younger, Yu Guang would often take the initiative to trim his hair neatly, cutting it to shoulder length. He’d always marvel at how fast Yu Yin’s hair seemed to grow compared to others.
Later, Yu Guang discovered that Yu Yin’s hair was tied to his abilities. Cutting his long hair would affect the control and strength of his black threads.
There were times Yu Guang insisted on trimming Yu Yin’s hair. Yu Yin, believing it was a deliberate attempt to limit his power, had no choice but to endure it since he couldn’t win against his big brother.
When the misunderstanding was finally cleared, Yu Guang patted the back of Yu Yin’s head and said, “Why didn’t you say so earlier? Big Brother will never cut your hair again.”
True to his word, he never touched Yu Yin’s hair after that.
It was also from that moment that Yu Yin realized Yu Guang didn’t know everything.
In some areas, he was surprisingly oblivious.
After finishing scrubbing their backs, the two of them sat in the pool. Yu Yin propped his chin on his hand, tilting his head as he watched Yu Guang scrub other parts of his body.
When Yu Guang stood up and moved to the side to rinse off, he was completely unbothered by baring himself in front of his younger brother. With a towel wrapped around his head, he even reminded Yu Yin not to soak for too long.
Yu Yin stared at his back and exhaled a soft, wistful sigh.
After the bath, Yu Guang returned to his room, looking refreshed and relaxed. Not long after, Yu Yin appeared at the doorway of his room.
Yu Guang was seated at the table, writing under the flickering candlelight. His resolute and focused profile exuded a righteousness that seemed capable of piercing the surrounding darkness.
When he turned and saw Yu Yin, Yu Guang paused for a moment before smiling and asking, “Planning to sleep here with Big Brother tonight?”
They had shared a room for years until Yu Yin turned sixteen. Only then did Yu Guang have him move to the adjacent room to sleep on his own.
To Yu Guang, the youngest sibling, Yu Yin, was different from all his other brothers. When he brought the other brothers home, they had always been true children or teenagers. But the youngest was not like them.
Within Yu Yin’s frail body resided the most dangerous soul.
Yu Guang watched over him the most closely, keeping him by his side during the day and under his eye at night, ensuring he had no opportunity to cause any trouble.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but care for him the most attentively and seriously.
Yu Yin’s body was far too weak. He couldn’t see, couldn’t speak, ate very little, and disliked moving around.
There was a dark, damp aura about him, as if, left unattended, he might simply wither and rot away.
By keeping him under his watchful eye during the day and by his side at night, Yu Guang ensured nothing would happen to him.
For years, they ate and slept together. Only when Yu Guang was confident enough in Yu Yin’s ability to move about freely did he loosen his constant supervision.
But once he let go, the youngest unexpectedly started to seek him out more actively. Yu Yin would touch his hand, lean on his shoulder, or make small affectionate gestures.
None of the other brothers had been so clingy. After some thought, Yu Guang concluded it was a sign of reliance and fondness for him as the big brother, and he gladly accepted it.
Even after they began sleeping in separate rooms, Yu Yin would occasionally come over to sleep with him. Yu Guang didn’t mind at all; it gave them a chance to chat before bed.
Ever since Yu Yin could communicate through his threads, the two brothers would often lie in bed at night, talking before falling asleep.
Most of their conversations revolved around Yu Yin’s behavior during the day. If Yu Yin had done something well, Yu Guang would praise him. He’d also teach him how to interact with people and share bits of his own life experience.
However, if Yu Yin had done something wrong during the day or secretly caused trouble that Yu Guang had caught wind of, the night would end with Yu Guang pinning him down by his hands or feet and giving him a firm lecture right there in bed.
Yu Yin had already stepped into the room, bringing with him a faint scent of wintersweet from outside.
Yu Guang closed the notebook he had been writing in and tidied up the bed.
“Do you have anything you’d like to tell Big Brother today?” Yu Guang, as usual, left the inner side of the bed for his younger brother.
Yu Yin rested his head on Yu Guang’s pillow and slipped his hand under the blanket to touch his brother’s hand.
The threads Yu Yin left on Yu Guang weren’t many, so he could only speak to him through direct physical contact.
“Did you miss me while you were away for a few days?” Yu Yin rubbed the calluses on Yu Guang’s palm.
Yu Guang replied, “Every day I was out, I kept wondering if you’d been up to no good at home.”
“Why don’t you tell me what you’ve done lately that Big Brother wouldn’t approve of?”
“Oh, there’s a lot,” Yu Yin replied with a smile, listing them off one by one. “I doubled the training schedule you set for Shi Bai, took off my mask to confuse a group of young students from the Divine Academy until they went swimming in the river in the middle of winter, and I threw all the fish Pei Wenjue and the others caught back into the river…”
Yu Guang burst into hearty laughter. “Hahaha! Hahahahaha!”
Yu Yin curled his lips into a smile, waiting for him to finish laughing. Then, without warning, he grabbed his brother’s hand and bit down hard on the back of it. His eyes darkened as he asked, “What does Big Brother think I would do that’s bad?”
Yu Guang didn’t care about the slight pain in his hand, nor did he react to the seemingly angry expression on Yu Yin’s face. Without hesitation, he said, “Of course—killing people at will, turning them into puppets, and using them to commit evil deeds.”
Yu Yin’s lips curled again. “With you, Pei Wenjue, Ban Ying, and the others watching me, how could I possibly do something like that?”
“Couldn’t you?” Yu Guang’s gaze was sharp, piercing straight through him. “Youngest, don’t think you can get away with it. If you ever do something like that, Big Brother will find out sooner or later.”
That sharp gaze vanished in an instant.
Yu Guang gave Yu Yin’s hand a firm squeeze, earnestly reminding him, “Don’t relax. Big Brother will always be watching you.”
Yu Yin caught a faint trace of blood on Yu Guang’s palm and parted his lips to gently lick away the salty, metallic taste.
Lowering his eyes, he seemed a little aggrieved.
“Why does Big Brother always suspect that I’ll do something bad?”
Unmoved by Yu Yin’s pitiful expression, Yu Guang pressed his hand against Yu Yin’s chest and said, “Because I can sense the malice in your heart that’s always stirring, trying to surface.”
“You want to grow stronger, and you crave despair and pain as your nourishment.”
“You’re dissatisfied with the current state of Zhuzhou. I can feel your longing and know you’re only restraining yourself because you fear me.”
“That’s why I have to constantly remind you—don’t indulge the darkness in your heart, and don’t cross the line.”
Yu Yin was silent for a moment before placing his hand over the back of Yu Guang’s, threading his fingers between his brother’s. “So, Big Brother means that you know everything I’m thinking?”
Yu Guang replied confidently, “Of course I do.”
Seeing the self-assured look on his brother’s face, Yu Yin almost felt tempted to whisper his deepest, darkest thoughts into Yu Guang’s ear, to expose the filthiest corners of his mind.
If he were to confess, “Watching you like this every day only makes me want you more,” would Yu Guang still wear that unshakable, all-knowing expression?
Suddenly, Yu Yin rolled over and leaned in closer, asking softly, “Then, Big Brother, tell me—what am I thinking right now?”
Yu Guang studied his face, partially obscured in the shadows of the night, and after a moment of contemplation, declared, “You’re scoffing at what I said and thinking that there must be something Big Brother doesn’t know.”
Yu Yin fell silent, then prompted with a faint smirk, “… And what might that be?”
Yu Guang suddenly exerted his strength, flipping over and pinning Yu Yin down with his arm. “Confess now! Leniency to those who admit, severity to those who resist!”
Yu Yin merely laughed, lifting his leg to hook it around Yu Guang’s and brushing against it. Like a playful threat, he lightly bit his brother’s arm twice, as if gnawing.
“Youngest, why have you been so fond of biting people lately?” Yu Guang let him go, rubbing his arm where the faint tingling lingered.
A few days ago, when he was preparing to lead a group to exterminate an evil spirit, Yu Yin had done something similar. That night, during their bath, the youngest had suddenly come up and bitten his shoulder.
Yu Yin replied casually, “Didn’t Big Brother already say it? I want to do bad things, want to devour people. I’m holding myself back, but when I can’t, I just use Big Brother to grind my teeth.”
Amused by his “joke,” Yu Guang lay back down, hooking Yu Yin’s leg with his own and pinning it beneath him.
“Why are your feet so cold again? Bring them over, and Big Brother will warm them up.”
Yu Guang pressed down on Yu Yin’s leg, stopping him from fidgeting. “Alright, it’s late. Let’s get some sleep.”
Big Brother, who never carried any burdens on his mind, relaxed completely and soon fell asleep with his head tilted back.
Yu Yin: “…”
