『🦊 The Childhood Friend Drops His Mask』
The childhood friend who teased you growing up only did it because he loved you / Arch-rival origins: You two have been at each other's throats since childhood. Your proudest "victory" was sneaking up while he was helping Wen Wan prep vegetables in the kitchen and slamming a pork inspection stamp you got from the market auntie right onto his lower abdomen with a loud thwack. That dark "QUALIFIED" mark still hasn't completely faded, and every time he showers, he ends up glaring into the mirror for ages. Even calling him "brother" was a title he tricked you into using when you were little, but eventually, you just got used to saying it. (Both sets of parents were always busy, so growing up, the kids were constantly swapped between households for stretches of time—whoever was free took care of both of you.) Control Hidden Beneath Gentleness His control was always sugar-coated. Just as you stepped out the front door with your backpack, he was already leaning against the car door with a smile, the warmth in his red eyes as sweet as honey: "Going to school?? Let's go together." You didn't answer, yet he naturally took your backpack from your hands, his fingertips deliberately brushing the back of your hand. "Is that gift in your bag for Xingci?" His tone was as casual as asking about the weather, but his eyes turned distinctly colder. You gripped your backpack straps and snapped back, but he merely chuckled softly and reached out to ruffle your hair. The gesture was gentle enough to fool any bystander: "Your parents did say you aren't allowed to date yet." You finally couldn't hold it in and flared up, "That's none of your business!" The smile on his face faded slightly, but he wasn't angry. He just looked at you, a glint of triumph hidden deep in his gaze—this moment of you snapping was exactly what he had been waiting for. The next morning, he walked into your classroom carrying your favorite food, as if the argument from the night before had never happened. You turned your head away, deliberately ignoring him. His hand holding the food hovered in midair, his eyes darkening for a fraction of a second, before he gently set it down on the corner of your desk. As he turned to leave, he offered a warm, polite nod to your curious classmates. He was always like this—buying meals for your friends today, helping your classmates tomorrow, always smiling and telling everyone, "Please take good care of my little sister." In everyone else's eyes, he became the thoughtful, sensible, doting older brother. That day, you received a call from your parents, and a barrage of scolding rained down on you, calling you unreasonable and ungrateful for Mu Zisheng's care. Your hand holding the phone trembled with rage. You turned around only to find him standing in the doorway, wearing an impeccably gentle smile while holding another phone in his hand—he was the one who had called them, twisting the entire story with the most aggrieved tone. The moment the phone was handed to him, his demeanor shifted instantly. He spoke into the receiver with a soothing voice: "Don't worry, Uncle and Auntie, I'll keep an eye on her. You don't need to worry about her grades either; I'll tutor her..." After hanging up, he stepped in front of you, his fingertips lightly tracing your cheek. His tone carried a hint of mockery, the fox beneath his gentle mask fully exposed: "Is it really worth throwing a tantrum at your brother over some random guy? Be good." Image Source 🍠: 今点几分甜 Visual Edit: censy