"Elder brother !" shrieked Lin Yan as he tried to snatch the string from Lin Jing but the latter has already thrown it at Lin Yu, who with an unusual speed took out two threads and threw the string back at Lin Yan who was startled and instinctively caught the string missing the exact moment to stop his brothers from tying the threads around their wrists " you! Are you all idiots! Didn't you hear what mother said? You all can die because of me… How can you? Why did you do this!"
" because you are our brother," said Lin Jing simply as he patted Lin Yan's head, loving the silky smooth feel under his hand. Aye, it has been years – after Lin Yan grew up he didn't let him pat his head at all " we can't watch you die, and we can't let Wan Wan suffer alone either. This is what we are supposed to do, alright ?"
" but -"
" no but second brother, we are brothers" Lin Chen crossed his arm behind his head and leaned back like he was slouching. " and even if you keep on with your ifs and buts, it's already done deal. We have already tied the string around our wrist and it looks quite durable I don't think it will break even if you stretch it. So give up and save your breath"
" third b..brother is right," said Lin Yu shook his head incredulously at him like he couldn't believe that he was trying to snatch those threads from them" you can't possibly e..expect us to stay as passive onlookers now that we know this, right? And especially when it concerns b..both you and Wan Wan, we don't want to lose either of one you, h..how can you even think about it ?"
Lin Yan felt his eyes sting as he clenched his hands but despite all his efforts, he still felt something hot trickle down his cheeks " you all… You all are such idiots! I swear! You idiots! You dummies! Why do you care so much about me, I am so cold and I don't speak warmly to you either and I..and I always scold you two, you idiots! You are such idiots!"
" imagine staking your life and being called idiots," said Lin Chen dryly " oh come on second brother, treat us a bit more tenderly will you ?"
" idiots! Idiots! Dummies! Such big dummies " but that only made Lin Yan even more hyper as he cried " you didn't have to, I'm not worth it. You could have lived without me, dummies. I'm not worth your life! Idiots! Stupids"
" that's right we could have," said Lin Jing to which Lin Yu and Lin Chen nodded, " but we don't want to, we want our fussy Yan to stay by our side and you know I would rather not see either of you lying dead and cold in a coffin, if possible let your elder brother pass on first because I am sure I wouldn't be able to carry that weight. So, at least let me do what I can, okay?"
" We don't w..want to do that either" chimed Lin Yu " it's scary to think of our lives without you, s…second brother"
" yeah who will cook for us if you are gone?" said Lin Chen parting Lin Yan's back " even if your food is not as good as Wan Wan, I have gotten used to its taste. Without you I might end up starving, so don't fret over it okay? We are not doing this for you, we are doing it to keep our own conscience clean, and because of our selfish desires okay?"
" you…dummies" was all Lin Yan said before he started bawling his eyes out, and he didn't even push Lin Jing away when the latter embraced him in his arms.
–
" second brother can really cry," said Lin Chen as he walked out of the room " he kept crying until his eyes became swollen and he passed out because of crying too much"
" he is the softest..st among us," said Lin Yu as he limped next to Lin Chen, he pursed his lips as he stared down at the ground " his heart is the cleanest, and that's why he couldn't take it. If not he wouldn't have tried to kill h…himself back then, because something like that wasn't worth killing over. After all, it was just t…touching and c…caressing, it's because of his soft heart that he couldn't take that incident, and tried to kill h..himself. Think of it how m..many men out there have lost their v..virginity, did they kill t..themselves? No right? It's always the softest heart that gives up on t…themselves,"
Lin Jing said nothing, he kept walking behind his brothers, he knew that his second brother, Lin Yan was like a soft persimmon and could be rubbed and pinched with ease. If not, just like Lin Yu said Lin Yan would have forgotten that incident, it was all because of his clear heart and strict morals that he tried to end his life.
" oi, you boys! Where are you going? Didn't you see me standing back there ?" Shen Junxi who was standing just outside Su Wan's room heard everything. Though he had no intention to make things difficult for these brats currently, he still wanted to have a small chat with them but the brats just walked past him, like they couldn't see him standing there " I was standing just outside of the room, why didn't you wait for me? Did you not see me ?"
' of course, we saw you !' thought the three Lin brothers as they stopped next to the woodshed but because they were afraid of Shen Junxi's beatings, they didn't wait for him and walked past him like they couldn't see him.
" ah? Uncle in law you were there? I'm sorry, we just had too much to think and didn't see you" said Lin Chen as his gaze wandered here and there " I mean we were you know kind of lost, hehe ~" so please let us go!
" oh that's understandable," said Shen Junxi patting Lin Chen's shoulder, " it's true that after something like this happened it is given your minds will be occupied. Ah boy, why don't you come and have a chat with me ?" ( Shen Junxi has no wrong intention)
Lin Jing, Lin Chen, Lin Yu: WE ARE GOING TO BE KILLED! ( again Shen Junxi has no other intentions)
" Why are you looking so pale? what happened ?" asked Shen Junxi looking at their pale complexion.
" that -" before Lin Chen could say anything, Lin Yu who was behind him tugged the axe out of the tree stump next to them and threw it.
