Chapter 227: They can’t even tolerate a single fish in their world of two
With the big brother setting an example by going for a morning jog every day, the young members of the Exorcism Bureau had also developed the habit of waking up early.
Pei Wenjue came over from Zhuzhou Park (Zhen family mansion) early in the morning. He grabbed a bun from the table and started eating it while casually asking, “Where’s Big Brother? Hasn’t he returned from his run yet?”
Ban Ying and Wu Jin exchanged a glance, their expressions slightly odd.
“It’s not that Big Brother hasn’t come back from running. He didn’t even sleep here last night.”
“I had something to discuss with him last night, but when I went to his room, it was completely empty. Shi Bai said he saw Big Brother leaving with Yu Yin last night, and neither of them came back the whole night.”
Wu Jin asked Pei Wenjue, “What do you think they were up to?”
Pei Wenjue slowed his pace of eating the bun, suddenly feeling like it was stuck in his throat.
Ban Ying cleared his throat. “Don’t overthink it. They probably had some matters to deal with.”
At that moment, Wu Shan, who had been squatting at the door with a bowl of porridge, ran inside with an exaggerated expression and lowered his voice to say, “Big Brother and little brother are back!”
“If they’re back, they’re back. Why the dramatic expression?” Pei Wenjue said.
He walked toward the door, peeked out, and then quickly shrank back, his face flushing red as if the bun really had gotten stuck in his throat.
“Cough, cough! Cough!”
Amid Pei Wenjue’s coughing, Yu Guang walked through the gate carrying Yu Yin on his back. He greeted them, “You’ve already started breakfast, I see.”
He then gently let Yu Yin down from his back.
The moment Yu Yin’s feet touched the ground, his legs gave way, and he nearly fell, only to be caught by Yu Guang again.
After helping him to the dining table, Yu Guang sat down as well.
Always observant, Ban Ying noticed the grass and dirt on Yu Yin’s hair and clothes—evidence of rolling around after being thrown by his big brother during a fight. This happened because he didn’t want to go jogging with him.
Then, Ban Ying noticed the red marks on Yu Yin’s arm, clearly left by someone’s fingers during the fight with his big brother.
Connecting this with how Yu Yin’s legs were so weak he could barely walk, Ban Ying suddenly understood what had happened. Her hands started to tremble.
At that moment, Yu Guang handed his younger brother a bun and advised, “You were exhausted all night. Eat more to recover.”
Ban Ying: “…”
“Cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough!” Pei Wenjue’s coughing grew even more intense.
Yu Guang, hearing the incessant coughing, asked with concern, “Why are you coughing so badly?”
“N-no! I’m fine! Cough, cough! Just choked a bit!” Pei Wenjue’s face turned bright red as he waved his hands frantically and turned away.
Yu Yin, still wearing an unhappy expression, finished his breakfast and stood up, only to stumble after taking just one step.
Yu Guang quickly steadied him, saying, “Your body is still too weak. You can’t even handle this. You need more training.”
With a clatter, Ban Ying’s chopsticks fell onto the table. She hurriedly picked them up and tried to gently suggest, “Big Brother, some things can’t be rushed. Look, little brother is already so worn out. Maybe you should help him back to rest for a while.”
As she spoke, she cast a subtle glance at Yu Yin’s dirt- and grass-stained clothes. Feeling a little embarrassed, she asked, “Does he need any medicine? I have some anti-inflammatory and pain-relief ointments.”
Poor little brother—he must have been seriously injured after all this.
“Medicine?” Yu Guang glanced at Yu Yin’s arm. The scratches had already healed, leaving only a faint pink mark.
“No need. Youngest’s constitution is special; he heals quickly. I checked—he’s fine and doesn’t need any medicine.”
Big Brother, honestly, was so straightforward even about something like this.
Ban Ying lowered her head awkwardly. “That’s good, then. No problem.”
As soon as Yu Guang and Yu Yin left, Wu Jin finally put down the large bowl he had been using to cover his face and sighed, “I never would’ve thought… but, well, it’s Big Brother. No surprise there.”
Pei Wenjue finally stopped coughing. He quietly suggested, “It’s really because there are too many people living here, and it’s not very convenient. Otherwise, Big Brother wouldn’t have to go out of his way to avoid staying here.”
“That’s true,” Wu Jin agreed. “With everyone living so close and the house not being soundproof, of course, Big Brother and Little Brother would feel awkward. How about we build them a separate little courtyard as their new home?”
Ban Ying chimed in, “Since it’s come to this, shouldn’t we hurry up and arrange the wedding? But Big Brother hasn’t openly talked to us about it yet. Do you think he still has some concerns?”
“Big Brother must have his reasons. Let’s just start preparing for it anyway,” Wu Shan said, raising his hand in support.
*
Meanwhile, Yu Yin was sulking, his legs aching so much that he didn’t leave his room the entire day.
When he finally limped out, he noticed the group behaving oddly—they were all sneaking glances at him in a way that was anything but subtle.
He sat down, supporting himself on the table, and Shi Bai awkwardly came over to place a cushion for him. “Here, uh… this cushion, you can use it,” he said stiffly.
Wu Shan, who handled the kitchen, brought over a small clay pot and grinned sheepishly. “Hehe, Yu Yin, this big brother specially made a gourmet stew for you. It’s full of delicacies to help you recover.”
Yu Yin: “…”
These people were as simple-minded as Big Brother himself. This sudden flattery had to mean one thing—they were scheming to use his spider silk to fish again.
Hah, these fishing-obsessed fools.
After taking two sips of the oddly flavored stew, Yu Yin raised his hand and tossed a handful of spider silk onto the table.
The young group, who had been listening to gossip all morning, immediately dropped their pretense of “caring for the big sister-in-law.” They quickly grouped up in threes and fives, calling out to each other and grabbing the silk as they ran for the riverbank.
“Let’s go, let’s go! Time to fish! It’s been a while since we’ve gone fishing!”
“Don’t forget the bamboo we cut last time! Shi Bai, come on! Bring that new guy along too!”
Mu Yi was led to the riverbank by Shi Bai, his expression stiff as he watched the black spider silk in their hands.
That was silk from the demon Silk Nest! The kind that could parasitize humans, turning them into puppets! Dangerous, terrifying spider silk!
And they were using it for fishing? Fishing with that stuff? They actually dared to fish with it?!
“Mu Yi, you’ve never seen this before, right? This line doesn’t need a hook or bait. Just tie it to a bamboo pole, and you can catch fish!”
Mu Yi couldn’t control the “what the hell” look on his face.
Watching them expertly find spots by the river and divide up the spider silk for fishing, he struggled not to shout, “This is dangerous! Stop it right now!”
Seeing Mu Yi standing there dumbfounded, Shi Bai handed him a bamboo pole with a piece of silk already tied to it. “Don’t just stand there. Go fish over there.”
Mu Yi reluctantly took the bamboo pole, his discomfort palpable. Even though there was a layer of bamboo between him and the silk, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the spider silk would suddenly burrow into his hand.
But nothing happened. The spider silk swayed gently in the lakeside breeze before tugging the pole sharply downward.
“Caught a fish, caught a fish, pull it up!”
For his first time fishing with the group, Mu Yi managed to catch a fish almost as long as he was tall. The group paraded through the streets of Zhuzhou carrying the giant fish, winding their way through alleyways before finally returning to the Exorcism Bureau.
Caught up in their excitement, Mu Yi found himself smiling too. But when his eyes fell on the black spider silk still wrapped around the fishing poles, his thoughts grew chaotic again.
Suddenly, a realization bubbled to the surface: As expected of silk from the demon Silk Nest. Its toughness is incredible! Even a fish this big couldn’t break it—it actually got caught!
The group brought back a massive fish and several smaller ones. After satisfying their fishing cravings, the young members divided most of the fish among the nearby residents. However, they couldn’t bear to part with the giant fish and decided to keep it in the courtyard.
The back courtyard of the Exorcism Bureau now reeked of fish.
That evening, the meal also featured fish. Yu Yin didn’t like eating fish, but as long as it wasn’t made by his big brother, he could grudgingly sip some fish soup.
“Yu Yin still doesn’t like fish, huh? Actually, eating fish is good for your health,” Ban Ying commented. She had been particularly attentive to Yu Yin’s well-being these past few days.
“Many people don’t eat fish because they were choked by fishbones as kids,” Yu Guang said, using his chopsticks to carefully pick apart the snowy white fish meat on his plate.
Hearing him speak, Yu Yin felt an urge to scoff but held back. Following his brother’s remark, a memory suddenly surfaced.
Back when he was kept in the dark cellar beneath the Qiyun Tower, one of the maids assigned to care for him had been perpetually impatient.
Once, when feeding him, she brought a piece of fish—probably leftover scraps from the main kitchen—and, without looking closely, carelessly fed it to him mixed with some soup.
A fishbone got stuck in his throat, scratching and tearing it.
It wasn’t a profound memory and had nearly been forgotten, but now that he thought about it, his aversion to fish wasn’t solely because of the smell.
“The fish is pretty good today. Want a piece? I’ve picked out all the bones,” Yu Guang said casually, pushing the plate of deboned fish toward Yu Yin.
Yu Yin silently picked up a piece with his chopsticks and ate it.
Their actions were so natural that Ban Ying, sitting across from them, couldn’t help but smile warmly at the scene.
Big Brother truly did care for Yu Yin. That’s how it should be. She had almost wanted to scold him earlier for being so unthoughtful—leaving Yu Yin in such a state that he couldn’t even walk and not even applying medicine afterward.
“Ah, by the way, Big Brother,” Ban Ying started, her tone laced with subtle implication, “Shi Bai, Wu Shan, and the others who used to live next door to you have all moved to the courtyard nearby.”
She continued with a hint of mischief, “The rooms next to yours and Yu Yin’s are now temporarily empty.”
In the past, everyone had fought to claim the rooms next to Big Brother’s, but now the situation was different. To make things more convenient for Yu Guang and Yu Yin, Wu Shan and the others had reluctantly moved out.
Yu Guang, unaware of the underlying intention, casually replied, “Alright, do whatever you think is best.”
As Yu Yin ate his fish, he thought to himself how ironic it was that they had made the courtyard reek of fish but moved themselves to the adjacent courtyard instead.
He leaned his knee against Big Brother’s leg and spoke directly into his mind.
Yu Guang paused mid-meal, then conveyed his little brother’s request to Ban Ying, “The youngest says they should move the fish to their own courtyard.”
Ban Ying replied quickly, “Alright, I’ll take care of it.”
‘They can’t even tolerate a single fish in their world of two,’ Ban Ying thought with a sigh as she went to arrange the relocation of the fish.
With a few people moved out of the courtyard, the night grew much quieter.
…
When Yu Yin walked into Yu Guang’s room, he saw him sitting at the table with his fingers pressed to his forehead and his eyes closed, as if he had fallen asleep. A notebook lay open before him.
This man always seemed so full of energy, as though fatigue never touched him. Even a moment of rest like this, leaning on the table, was a rare sight.
Yu Yin moved lightly, making no sound as he approached.
Bending down, he leaned in closer, and the gray-eyed cat nimbly leaped onto the table, observing the man before them with its peculiar vision.
A cat’s eyes differed from a human’s. To a cat, a human face appeared strange. Yu Yin’s own vision was even more unusual, composed of shades of light and dark.
When he looked through his own eyes, excessively bright lights were, of course, distinct. But why was it that even when viewing through the cat’s eyes, Yu Guang still appeared unlike anyone else?
As he drew closer, a rough hand suddenly blocked his face. Yu Guang leaned back and then sat upright, asking, “Your legs don’t hurt anymore?”
“Planning to go on another night run through the mountains tonight?”
Yu Yin: “…”
He turned on his heel and headed for the door.
“Hahaha, Youngest, wait a moment,” Yu Guang called out with a laugh.
Yu Guang opened the drawer of the table and took something out. “Big Brother has something for you.”
“What is it?”
“A hair tie I made for you,” Yu Guang replied, placing two small pale yellow bands into Yu Yin’s hands.
He had crafted them by soaking and twisting animal sinew and the roots of certain plants.
“Didn’t you want comfort from Big Brother the last time you were hurt? This is my consolation gift to you.”
The two simple little bands looked plain and unremarkable, giving no hint of the effort he had put into them.
With a serious expression, Yu Guang added, “Tie your hair up with these. It’ll make running easier next time.”
Yu Yin: “…”
After sending him off to bed, Yu Guang found himself chuckling at the memory of his younger brother’s faintly smiling face as it fell into a deadpan expression.
The youngest’s emotions and expressions were far more varied now than they had been in the past.
