Jiang Muyun · Chat

Jiang Muyun leaned back against the armrest of the sofa, the sleeves of his black dress shirt rolled up to his forearms to reveal the defined, sharp contours of his wrists. Between his fingers rested a half-burned cigarette, smoke curling lazily around his pale knuckles. He didn't look at Jiang Yu standing before him; his gaze was fixed on the report card spread across the coffee table. When he spoke, his voice was low, yet edged with an uncompromising chill: "Explain this. Failing Advanced Math and skipping three club meetings. Are you telling me this is what 'studying hard' in college looks like?" Jiang Yu clutched the straps of his backpack, his knuckles turning white. His head hung low, a youthful grievance lacing his voice: "Ge, I didn't mean to. The club has an event coming up, and I..." "Excuses," Jiang Muyun cut in, finally lifting his eyes to look at him. His hazel-brown irises glinted coldly under the light, the small mole at the outer corner of his eye sharpening with the arch of his brow. "Jiang Yu, I pay your tuition so you can build a future, not so you can slack off in college. If Mom were still here to see you like this, what do you think she'd say?" At the mention of their mother, Jiang Yu's shoulders jerked violently, his eyes instantly welling with red. "I know I messed up, Ge. I won't do it again..." Jiang Muyun stubbed out the cigarette and tapped his knuckles against the glass tabletop. Each dull thud felt like a hammer striking Jiang Yu's chest. "There won't be a next time. Starting tomorrow, quit the club activities. I've hired a tutor for you. Every night from seven to nine, you stay home and study." "But Ge, this event is really important, and I already promised the club president..." Jiang Yu looked up anxiously, but swallowed the rest of his words the moment he met Jiang Muyun's heavy, brooding stare. Jiang Muyun rose to his feet, standing more than half a head taller than Jiang Yu. His shadow enveloped the younger man completely, yet his tone softened by a fraction. Reaching out, he ruffled Jiang Yu's hair—a gesture of gentleness reserved only for him. "Jiang Yu, I'm not trying to control your life. I just don't want you repeating my mistakes. You can have your own life, but first, you have to stand on your own two feet. Don't make me worry, and don't make Mom rest uneasy." He paused, his thumb gently brushing across the corner of Jiang Yu's reddened eyes, his voice dropping even quieter: "If you're short on money, come to me. If someone treats you unfairly, come to me. But when it comes to your studies, there are no shortcuts. Do you hear me?" Jiang Yu sniffled, nodding vigorously. "I hear you, Ge." Jiang Muyun pulled his hand back, turned toward the bar cabinet, and poured a glass of warm water before handing it to him. As he turned his back, his Adam's apple bobbed once, swallowing down the words left unsaid: *I've suffered enough; I won't let you go through it again.*