A Cool Younger Brother's Love

"Hey, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Just as I was about to remove the last brassiere, a boy with a boyish charm, rosy lips, and a bright smile sat up from the sofa and rubbed his sleepy eyes.

I looked at him, and he looked at me. I didn't scream, and he didn't scream, either.

Instead, he looked at me with a gaze as moist as morning dew and said, "Darling, be gentle with me later."

1

On my birthday, after a long day at work, I returned home, kicked off my shoes, and felt so tired that I was ready to collapse into bed.

But the next moment, I saw a young man rubbing his eyes and sitting up from the sofa.

I remained calm.

He remained calm.

He looked at me sleepily and then said, "Hey, you're finally back. I've been waiting for you for a long time."

It was a low, slightly magnetic voice, yet he called it out in a youthful and innocent tone.

I looked up and met his eyes, feeling instantly drawn to his eyes.

This guy, his eyes are stunning!

Beautiful captivating eyes, exuding an innocent and tender vibe, paired with that innocent expression, it was enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat.

I swallowed hard, silently reciting a calming mantra hundreds of times, and finally said, "Hey, boy, wherever you came from, go back there."

Just as I finished speaking, there was a series of sharp flashes of lightning outside, followed by the rumble of thunder. And within minutes, a torrential downpour began.

I suddenly got stuck when trying to say something to let him go.

Even god himself seems to be against me.

"Fine." I sighed, "I'm not a heartless witch. Go to take a shower and then rest, okay?"

With that, I headed to the kitchen to make myself some coffee.

I still had work to finish tonight.

When I returned with my coffee and opened the door, I found the young man lying on my bed, his hands neatly placed on his chest, looking like an adorable oversized puppy.

I told you to rest, not to rest in my bed!

I silently repeated to myself several times not to get angry, reminding myself that he was just like a kid and not to lose my temper.

Then I forced a kind and gentle smile and said patiently, "You might not have heard me clearly. I said you should rest in the guest room. This is my room."

He lowered his head and said nothing.

What's the deal? Is my bed too cozy to leave?

Is there anyone who would occupy someone else's bed?

Where on earth did my bestie find this man?

I felt my patience wearing thin, so I walked over to the bed, pulled back the covers, and said sternly, "You have two choices, either leave my house immediately or rest in the guest room."

"My name is Caiden Ford."

"I don't care what your name is... Wait, what did you just say your name was?"

His beautiful lips moved as he spoke, "My name is Caiden."

Caiden?

If I remember correctly, I once subsidized an orphan named Caiden. However, when I went back to the orphanage to find him, the headmistress told me he had already been adopted by someone.

Thinking that he had a new life, I decided not to find him anymore.

Looking at the handsome young man in front of me, I couldn't connect him with the scrawny little boy from back then.

"You are Caiden?" I looked him up and down, "Did you get plastic surgery?"

No surgery, just grew up.

"Weren't you adopted? How did you end up at my house?" I asked him.

He glanced at me, then lowered his head again in silence, his slender fingers clutching the blanket as if ashamed to speak.

Seeing him like this, I didn't press further.

"Go to sleep." I sighed.

Earlier, I really wanted to kick this inexplicable boy out, but knowing he was the boy I once subsidized.

I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Let him sleep in my bed then.

After all, he did sleep over at my house once when he was little.

"You sleep first, I'll go make a call."

When I called my bestie, I wanted to strangle her.

"Look at the mess you've gotten me into."

"No need to thank me."

"Thank you? I want to strangle you. Where did you find him?"

My bestie replied, "In a restaurant. At first, he refused to go with me, looking so scary that I almost backed out. But when I mentioned your name, he suddenly changed his attitude, urging me to take him to your place."

I was speechless.

You've been played, you know that?

"He looks pretty good. You might consider him." My bestie said.

I was fuming with playful frustration, "I'm not like you."

After hanging up, I looked up to find Caiden standing not far away, watching me.

2

"Um, you can stay for the night, but leave first thing in the morning, okay? This was all my bestie's drunken antics, and I apologize on her behalf."

He remained silent.

He was like this as a child too. Whenever something upset him, he'd put on a deep, brooding act.

With that personality, he was always bullied at the orphanage.

He was not only constantly bullied by his peers, but he was also often ignored and given leftover food to eat.

If I hadn't volunteered there, I wouldn't have realized that there was such a sad and helpless child at the orphanage.

Later, I often visited the orphanage and paid special attention to him, sneaking him treats and toys, and telling him to keep it a secret.

Alas. Watching him eat with crumbs all over his face, I used to wonder, If I stop coming here, can you take care of yourself?

"Hey?"

"Caiden?"

"Hey!" I waved my hand in front of him, added, "Say something."

He finally looked up, with his beautiful dark eyes that seemed to hold the stars and the sea, just like when he was a child. His eyes were still bright and pure, untainted by worldly concerns.

This was one of the reasons I noticed him in the first place.

He spoke up, "I have nowhere to go."

"Huh?" I was taken aback.

He looked pitiful, "Could you temporarily take me in?"

I was speechless.

Then I was about to refuse, but he quickly added, "I can cook and do laundry, and tidy up the place. I promise I won't be a bother..."

As he spoke, his eyes grew sadder, and his voice became softer, "I really have nowhere else to go."

I admit, my heart softened.

But taking in a stray pet required careful consideration. You needed to know how much it ate, whether you had time to care for it, and if you had enough money to take it to the vet when it was sick.

It took a lot of thought to take in a cat or a dog, let alone taking in a person.

But then again, he is Caiden.

Thinking of how pitiful he looked at me, calling me to take him in, I couldn't harden my heart.

I took a deep breath, "Alright, you can stay here temporarily, but only temporarily. I'm busy with work and might not have time to look after you, so you'll have to take care of yourself, understood?"

His previously sorrowful eyes instantly shone with a luminance. His smile was even more dazzling than the sunflowers I planted on my balcony, and he said, "Thank you. I promise I won't be any trouble."

And just like that, Caiden stayed in my house.

I gave him a set of keys to the house.

After some thought, I also handed him a few thousand dollars, just in case he foolishly went hungry.

Before leaving, I instructed him, "You can watch TV at home, use any room except mine. There's a laptop in the living room you can use. If you're hungry, you can order takeout or eat out."

"Okay."

I felt like a nagging parent.

As I left and got into the car, I called my bestie via Bluetooth while driving.

I wanted to know more about Caiden.

My bestie said, "I told you, I just ran into him in a restaurant. I don't know anything else. You said he has nowhere to stay; maybe he ran away from home?"

I was speechless.

Did she really bring a stranger boy to my house without knowing the situation?

Is she trying to help me or harm me?

After hanging up, I turned the car and headed straight to the orphanage where Caiden stayed years ago. The orphanage had been renovated, looking brand new from the outside, and the director had changed.

I asked the director to check Caiden's records from when he was taken in.

Initially, the director said these records couldn't be disclosed, but I said I was the volunteer who had ever subsidized Caiden and I persistently persuaded. The director finally relented and agreed to show me the records.

"Here, these are Caiden's records."

"Thank you, Director."

I took the records and read them carefully. After finishing, my face was as sour as spoiled milk.

The director noticed my expression and cautiously asked, "Miss Watson, is something wrong?"

A breeze flipped open the page of Caiden's personal information. He was wearing a white shirt, with a stern face, looking straight ahead. This was his ID photo.

Below it was written...

3

As soon as I entered the house, I smelled the aroma of food.

Looking at the dining table, there were already three dishes laid out, stir-fried mushrooms with greens, spicy squid, and beef with green peppers which were all my favorites.

Hearing the sound of me returning, Caiden came out of the kitchen with a bowl of soup.

Seeing me, his usually cool demeanor broke into a smile, "You're back just in time for dinner."

I wanted to say something, but I thought discussing serious matters over dinner might ruin my appetite, so I decided to wait until after the meal.

Caiden served me a bowl of soup, seaweed and egg soup. I took a sip, pleasantly surprised.

Caiden stared at me intently, "How does it taste?"

I looked up and met his gaze.

His eyes were like black pearls from the depths of the sea, shining brightly, reflecting my image.

I looked away, replying casually, "Not bad."

Hearing my compliment, Caiden curved with a proud smile, like a child who had just received candy.

"Then try the beef with green peppers I made. It's your favorite dish."

I looked at the beef in my bowl but didn't eat. Instead, I called his name, "Caiden, you..."

"What is it?"

I looked at his familiar yet unfamiliar face, and the words I wanted to say got swallowed back, "Nothing, let's eat first."

Caiden's eyes flickered, and he softly replied, "Okay."

Throughout the meal, I ate quietly while Caiden occasionally shared amusing stories, but he never mentioned anything about himself.

After dinner, Caiden volunteered to do the dishes.

I was so full that I didn't feel like moving, so I just lay on the sofa and watched TV.

Before long, a beautifully arranged plate of fruit appeared on the coffee table, even shaped into a little rabbit.

I found it a little amusing.

This man sure has a strong sense of ceremony.

I sat up and said to him, "You don't have to do this. Although I let you stay here, I didn't ask you to be a butler. Also, Caiden, even though we knew each other before and I took care of you to some extent, you..."

Before I finished, the doorbell rang.

Could you please let me finish my sentence, please?

No, because Caiden had already gotten up to answer the door.

I sighed and got up as well.

Strangely, after opening the door, Caiden stood there silently, like a statue guarding the entrance.

As I walked over, I asked, "Caiden, who is it?"

Seeing the man standing at the door, I fell silent.

Then I said angrily, "Caiden, shut the door."