HOLM : Chapter 78

This Brother and That One

 

Warm morning light spilled across the cloud-like blankets, soft and inviting.  

 

Ji Mian buried himself deeper into the cozy covers, basking in the warmth that wrapped around him. An arm was draped over his waist, and the moment he stirred awake, it tightened around him protectively.  

 

A familiar weight pressed down on him. Without turning his head, Ji Mian reached behind and patted lightly. “You’re squishing me.”  

 

Chu Shiye: “Mm.”  

 

Though he acknowledged it, he didn’t move. Instead, he clung tighter, nuzzling his face into Ji Mian’s neck.  

 

Then Ji Mian felt a soft nip at the back of his neck.  

 

“…”  

 

He turned his head immediately.  

 

Chu Shiye looked back at him with an expression of pure innocence.  

 

It was an accident.  

 

Ji Mian said nothing.  

 

He patted this Alpha again.  

 

Chu Shiye caught Ji Mian’s hand and pressed it to his cheek, rubbing against it gently.  

 

He loved the warmth of Ji Mian’s touch.  

 

So soft…  

 

Ji Mian sighed internally. Ah, so clingy…  

 

Pinned beneath Chu Shiye on the plush bed, Ji Mian wrapped his arms around the Alpha and asked, “Is it all over now? How are your grandfather and uncle?”  

 

Chu Shiye replied, “They’re fine now.”  

 

Dirk and Jagger had been found on a nearby planet. Though unconscious at the time, they were otherwise unharmed.  

 

With Dorn and Joshua gone, the Relief Society was nothing but a fractured mess. During the time Ji Mian had been resting to recover his mental power, Chu Shiye had quietly taken care of everything—their secrets and sins wiped away, leaving no trace to reach the outside world.  

 

After hearing this, Ji Mian chuckled softly. “Impressive. Looks like you’re getting used to your position.”  

 

Chu Shiye shook his head. “No.”  

 

Lowering his voice, he leaned closer to Ji Mian’s ear and said, “Without you, I wouldn’t want to do any of it.”  

 

Ji Mian paused. Wow, he’s good with words.  

 

He laughed lightly. “Alright, I’ll reward you with a candy later.”  

 

Chu Shiye immediately asked, “Can I have a kiss instead?”  

 

Ji Mian: “?”  

 

Chu Shiye’s voice dropped again, soft and sweet. “Gege… Ge—”  

 

Ji Mian covered his mouth.  

 

Chu Shiye gazed at him with wide, hopeful eyes.  

 

Ji Mian: “…” Always playing cute.  

 

Fine.  

 

Ji Mian released his hand and said, “But no biting.”  

 

Chu Shiye nodded obediently. “I won’t bite.”  

 

Moments later, Ji Mian realized something.  

 

This Alpha… was not obedient at all.  

 

 

After pulling on a perfectly tailored outfit, Ji Mian rose from the bed. Turning back to Chu Shiye, he said, “I want to return to the Capital Star.”  

 

Chu Shiye didn’t ask why. Instead, he simply nodded. “Alright, we’ll go together.”  

 

Ji Mian blinked. “With your current status…”  

 

Chu Shiye replied, “We’ll go quietly.”  

 

Before Ji Mian could argue, Chu Shiye fixed him with a gaze. “Would Gege leave me behind?”  

 

Ji Mian’s lips curved into a smile. “No, you’re my good little Alpha.”  

 

Chu Shiye hooked his finger around Ji Mian’s, their fingers intertwining.  

 

As the emperor of the Empire, it wasn’t easy for Chu Shiye to visit the Federation. But now, traveling discreetly and without revealing their identities, the two managed to reach the Federation’s Capital Star without issue. 

 

The cool morning air of the Capital Star carried a subtle chill as Ji Mian stood at the cemetery where his mother rested. Together with Chu Shiye, he placed a bouquet of pure white flowers on her grave.

 

“These were my mother’s favorite flowers,” Ji Mian said softly.

 

Chu Shiye glanced at them, the delicate blooms swaying lightly in the breeze. “They’re gentle flowers. No wonder she liked them.”

 

Ji Mian smiled faintly, but the warmth in his expression quickly dissipated as he spoke the next words. “Let’s go—to the Ji family.”

 

The Ji family estate, once a place of bustling power and prestige, now exuded an air of desolation.

 

The servants had long been dismissed, and the once-tidy gardens had grown wild and unkempt, with overgrown plants spilling out in every direction.

 

The front door was unlocked. Ji Mian and Chu Shiye pushed it open and entered. Upstairs, in the study, they found Ji Tingyan.

 

This was the first time Ji Mian had seen him in such a disheveled state. His face was covered with stubble, his hair unkempt, and his clothes looked like they hadn’t been changed in days. It was clear that life had not been kind to him recently.

 

Ji Tingyan didn’t seem surprised by Ji Mian’s sudden arrival, though his gaze shifted slightly when it landed on Chu Shiye standing beside him.

 

“I knew you’d come back,” Ji Tingyan said.

 

Ji Mian sat down calmly across from him. “I came to see you for the last time.”

 

The evidence of Ji Tingyan’s collusion with the Relief Society had already been sent to Federation Prime Minister Charles under Chu Shiye’s name.

 

The best possible outcome for Ji Tingyan would be to spend the rest of his life in prison, forever cut off from the outside world.

 

Upon hearing this, Ji Tingyan’s expression contorted into something monstrous. If not for Chu Shiye’s presence, he might have lunged at Ji Mian. “I’m your father!”

 

“In my eyes, you’ve never been a father to me,” Ji Mian said coldly. “Nor have you ever been a husband to my mother.”

 

At the mention of Su Mingye, Ji Tingyan visibly flinched, as if a blade had stabbed through him. He collapsed into his chair, his composure shattered.

 

“You don’t understand… none of you understand!” Ji Tingyan cried out.

 

“The reason I did all of this was to protect her!”

 

Ji Mian raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical, as if silently saying, Go on, let’s hear what excuses you’ve come up with.

 

Ji Tingyan’s face twitched as he began to ramble. “Before you were even born, the fall of the Su family was inevitable. So many people wanted to trample on them while they were down. How could I alone protect her against all of them?”

 

“At the time, I was rising in prominence. Many saw me as the Su family’s last hope. If I did anything even remotely supportive of them, they would have believed I was still connected to the Su family and dragged her down with me!”

 

“And if they had known how I felt about her—known that she still had me as her support—they would have destroyed her entirely. To eliminate any chance of the Su family’s revival, they would have eradicated her without mercy!”

 

Ji Tingyan buried his face in his hands.

 

“You have no idea how much I suffered back then! Eyes were constantly watching me. I didn’t dare show her any kindness or comfort her in any way. I kept everything bottled up inside… because only if she couldn’t even tell how I felt would those vultures believe I had abandoned her.”

 

“I didn’t protect her because that was the only way to protect her. That was the only way she could live in peace!”

 

His words were filled with fervor and desperation. For decades, Ji Tingyan had carried this burden of self-imposed guilt and hidden anguish. He had convinced himself that pushing away the woman he loved was an act of ultimate protection.

 

Yet, even as the head of the Ji family—surrounded by power, wealth, and influence—this moment revealed his deep torment. He had enjoyed everything the world had to offer: prestige, riches, even lovers. Yet now, he claimed to have suffered in silence, weighed down by his actions.

 

Ji Mian’s face was devoid of sympathy.

 

“Are you joking?” Ji Mian asked icily.

 

“You hurt my mother and have the audacity to call it ‘protection’? At the end of the day, all of this is just an excuse for your cowardice and selfishness.”

 

Ji Mian reached forward, grabbing Ji Tingyan by the collar, forcing him to meet his icy gaze.

 

“Your self-serving delusions and sentimental self-pity are absolutely revolting.”

 

Perhaps Ji Tingyan had indeed revealed a fragment of his true feelings, but Ji Mian knew all too well—those feelings were three parts truth and seven parts self-serving lies.

 

For years, the Ji family had built its prestige and power on the glory of his S-class abilities, yet Ji Tingyan had always been cold and distant toward him and his mother.

 

The existence of Liu Jing and Ji Cheng had never been necessary, yet they appeared regardless.

 

If Ji Tingyan had truly cared for Su Mingye, even just a little, he wouldn’t have allowed Liu Jing and Ji Cheng to step into the Ji family, flaunting their presence in front of Su Mingye. He wouldn’t have let Su Mingye witness her husband sharing a life with another woman and her child.

 

It was blatant betrayal. And this wasn’t the first time. Ji Tingyan had betrayed her countless times before.

 

If Ji Tingyan had even a sliver of regret, a genuine desire to make amends to his wife and family, none of them would have ended up here.

 

Ji Mian’s expression was indifferent as he released Ji Tingyan, as though even brushing against the man’s clothing might dirty his hands.

 

Ji Tingyan slumped back into his chair, his façade completely torn apart by Ji Mian’s cutting words. His mask of justification lay in tatters, leaving him no room to maintain his dignity.

 

He snapped, yelling furiously, “So what now? Now that you’ve climbed to the top, you’ve come back to laugh at me?”

 

“You think you’ll stay on top forever?” Perhaps resigned to his fate, Ji Tingyan’s tone grew reckless, turning his venom on Chu Shiye instead. “He’ll soon become the Emperor of the Empire. Even if you’ve latched onto him now, so what?”

 

“You depend on him, but he doesn’t have to depend on you. Once he’s seated on that throne, he’ll have countless choices. You won’t be able to hold onto him—”

 

Ji Tingyan’s rant came to an abrupt halt. Or rather, he no longer dared to continue.

 

Chu Shiye stood protectively in front of Ji Mian, his gaze cold and sharp, like a blade poised to pierce Ji Tingyan’s heart.

 

Though the scenario Ji Tingyan painted had yet to happen, the intensity of Chu Shiye’s presence made it feel as though Ji Tingyan’s chest truly had been pierced, his heart torn apart. His words died in his throat.

 

Amidst his terror, Ji Tingyan heard the low, chilling voice of the Empire’s new emperor:

 

“You’re wrong.”

 

“It’s me who can’t live without him. It’s me who wants to hold onto him tightly.”

 

There wasn’t a trace of warmth in Chu Shiye’s tone.

 

“If he ever tries to leave me, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him. And if anyone tries to take him from me, I’ll kill them.”

 

Ji Tingyan shuddered uncontrollably.

 

An instinctive fear told him that if it weren’t for the fact that he shared a blood connection with Ji Mian, if it weren’t for that one thin thread of familial bond, the words he had just spoken would have cost him his life.

 

This man—the Empire’s new emperor—was utterly devoted to Ji Mian.

 

Ji Tingyan stared in disbelief.

 

How is it possible…? This man, toward Ji Mian…

 

A slender hand gently tugged on Chu Shiye’s wrist.

 

Chu Shiye turned his head and met Ji Mian’s calm, gentle gaze. The violent storm of anger and murderous intent that had terrified Ji Tingyan moments ago was instantly soothed.

 

Chu Shiye lowered his gaze obediently, like a beast tamed to submission—his fierce loyalty reserved only for Ji Mian.

 

Ji Mian spoke softly. “Let’s go.”

 

Chu Shiye nodded. “Mm.”

 

Ji Mian took Chu Shiye’s hand and led him out of the Ji family estate, not sparing Ji Tingyan another glance.

 

At the gate of the estate, a familiar figure paced back and forth, looking lost. When they spotted Ji Mian and Chu Shiye, they hurried over.

 

It was Ji Cheng.

 

He looked haggard, his face pale and gaunt, as though he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time.

 

Ji Mian paused in his steps. Ji Cheng stared at him intently. “Ge…”

 

Before Ji Mian could respond, Chu Shiye’s voice cut in. “Gege.”

 

Ji Mian turned to him, confused. “Hm?”

 

Ji Cheng: “?”

 

Chu Shiye continued without missing a beat, “What would you like to eat today, Gege? I’ll make it for you.”

 

Ji Mian blinked. “?” What are you trying to do now?

 

Meeting Chu Shiye’s unwavering gaze, Ji Mian quickly caught on. A small smile played on his lips. “Sure, sounds good.”

 

Ji Cheng: “??”

 

Unable to hold back any longer, he asked, “Ge, who is he…?”

 

Chu Shiye answered expressionlessly, “Gege, it’s windy. Be careful not to catch a cold. You can lean on me, I’ll block the wind for you.”

 

As he spoke, he placed an arm confidently around Ji Mian’s waist, a clear and undeniable declaration of possession.

 

Ji Cheng: “???”

 

His confusion turned to shock. This man… He’s doing this on purpose!!

 


R : hahaha this A is sooo childish


Thank you so much for support ♡(´・ω・)(・ω・`)♡ :Ko-fi

Have any doubts about the chapter update? Check the schedule in the menu on the website (*˘︶˘*).。.:*♡

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Veruzca
Veruzca
1 month ago

Is this the end? Oh no, this was so comforting, so fluffy, I love it all, thank you so much for bring this story to us. xoxo

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