NPC Part 1

Suddenly, a strange impulse came over Shi Jin. He leaned in towards Fei Yujing and asked, "You don't want me to be so polite to you?"

Fei Yujing didn't really like people getting too close to him, but when he noticed that Shi Jin's mood seemed to improve slightly, he found himself hoping that Shi Jin would get even closer.

"Yes, Xiao Jin, I'm also your older brother," he replied warmly.

Yes, you are my older brother.

He was afraid of being the only "polite friend" and anxious to get closer to Shi Jin. This person who was so foolish and made him feel so helpless was his older brother.

Shi Jin no longer restrained his thoughts and suddenly reached out to hold Fei Yujing's face.

Fei Yujing was stunned, then frowned, as if he wanted to tilt his head back but restrained himself. His body stiffened as he asked, "What's wrong?"

Shi Jin stared at him and suddenly rubbed his face hard, asking as he rubbed, "Are you angry?"

"Wait... Xiao Jin, let go first." Fei Yujing had never been "offended" like this before and quickly raised his hand to pull Shi Jin's hand away.

Shi Jin dodged flexibly, then put his hand on Fei Yujing's head and vigorously rubbed his hair, asking, "Are you angry?"

When did the always calm and composed lawyer Fei become so embarrassed? He quickly raised his hand to block Shi Jin's arm and asked, "Xiao Jin, what's wrong with you? Don't play tricks."

Shi Jin didn't speak, relying on his agility to finish rubbing Fei Yujing's hair, then pinched his ear and pulled it, even wanting to pinch his nose.

"Xiao... Xiao Jin!" Fei Yujing's voice rose as he finally caught his hand. He frowned at him, his hair in disarray, his face slightly red from being rubbed, probably because he had strained his wound during the struggle. His forehead was also sweating, and he looked quite disheveled.

Shi Jin, who was caught by him, carefully examined his current appearance and asked, "Are you angry? Do you hate me?"

Fei Yujing looked at him completely puzzled and said, "Xiao Jin, what are you doing--"

Click.

Suddenly, Shi Jin broke free from his grasp and took out his phone to take a picture of him.

"I want to share this photo with the whole world," Shi Jin said seriously.

Fei Yujing couldn't take it anymore and asked uncertainly, "Xiao Jin, what are you doing? Do you... do you hate me? Are you teasing me?"

"I don't hate you," Shi Jin put his phone back in his pocket and said, "I'm just not being as polite to you, even bullying you. Do you hate me?"

Fei Yujing was stunned, looking at the phone in his hand and said, "Not being polite..."

"You're not a robot after all." Shi Jin leaned in closer, carefully examining his face. Suddenly, he reached out and pinched his ear, pulling it outwards.

How wonderful it was that the always strong and rational Fei Yujing had a day where he could be rubbed and flattened without getting angry. He had indeed been too polite to Fei Yujing before, or perhaps he had idealized him too much.

This person was indeed rational, but not as cold-blooded as he had imagined.

"Politeness and distance are often created when we don't know each other well or when we fear someone," said Shi Jin with a serious expression and sincere tone. "By teasing you like this, I am trying to bring us closer and eliminate any distance between us. Second Brother, you used to be too unapproachable in my eyes, and we need some intimacy like this."

Is that so?

Fei Yujing stopped the hand that Shi Jin was holding and tried to understand his logic. He asked, "Do you feel happy doing this?"

"Yes, I do," nodded Shi Jin.

Fei Yujing fell silent and tried to suppress his discomfort, attempting to enjoy the "intimacy" that Shi Jin was offering.

When Shi Jin saw his serious expression, he couldn't help but laugh. As he laughed, he felt a strange pang in his heart. He looked at the intimate distance between them and let go of his ear, saying, "That's great... You're not a real robot. What I wanted was actually possible to get." No, he should say that he had already gotten some of them.

The person he thought was high and mighty, Fei Yujing, was actually standing on equal ground with him all along.

Although Fei Yujing couldn't quite understand what Shi Jin was saying, he could sense his emotions. As he listened to Shi Jin's soft murmurs of relief and satisfaction, Fei Yujing felt a strange pang in his heart.

Tentatively, he reached out and touched Shi Jin's head, saying, "I'm not a robot... Although I don't understand why, I wasn't angry when you weren't so polite to me just now. Xiao Jin, I also want to be close to you."

"I know," Shi Jin replied, bowing his head to let Fei Yujing touch him. He felt the awkward but caring comfort for a while before suddenly lifting his head and saying, "Second Brother, if you're afraid that I'll be on guard against you, then come closer and break down my defenses. I just told you what I wanted."

Fei Yujing didn't really know how to break through Shi Jin's guard, otherwise he wouldn't have made him angry before. He looked at Shi Jin's trusting and intimate appearance now, afraid that he would say something wrong and destroy the hard-won warmth between them. After weighing his words, he responded in a measured tone, "You said you want me to care about your feelings, I will do it."

Shi Jin saw through Fei Yujing's calm and steady demeanor, and sensed the confusion and caution hidden beneath it. He felt a little helpless, but also relieved to finally see Fei Yujing's true nature.

He gave up on this somewhat "stream of consciousness" communication and stood up, retreating three steps away from the hospital bed. He said to Fei Yujing, "Second brother, let's have a brotherly hug."

Fei Yujing: "...Huh?"

"I want you to come over here on your own," Shi Jin requested. Fei Yujing looked at Shi Jin and didn't move. It wasn't that he didn't want to embrace Shi Jin and reconcile, but... he felt a lingering sensation on his ear as if someone had pinched it, which made him feel uncomfortable.

If he got closer now, would Shi Jin pinch him again? Fei Yujing felt like it would be a challenge to his inner self. But he couldn't not go, this was Shi Jin's way of expressing closeness. Shi Jin was trying so hard to eliminate the distance between them, and if he didn't respond, it would be too hurtful.

"If you don't come, then I'll just leave." Shi Jin suddenly took a step back towards the door of the ward.

"Wait." Fei Yujing instinctively stopped him, not caring about the messy thoughts in his head. He lifted the blanket off the bed and took a step closer to Shi Jin.

The movement of Shi Jin's back and forth stopped, and he stood still, looking at him with his hands hanging by his side, without any intention of lifting them to welcome the embrace.

Fei Yujing looked at him and suddenly remembered how he hugged his other brothers with enthusiasm and warmth. He furrowed his brows slightly, but without much thought, he took a step towards him and opened his arms.

Oh well, let's just hug. He'll get used to it eventually.

The distance between the two was not far, and Fei Yujing had long legs. He only took two steps and stopped in front of Shi Jin. He looked down at Shi Jin's face, paused for a moment, and then awkwardly and clumsily wrapped his arms around Shi Jin's body, gently embracing him.

This was a slightly distant embrace, with only the shoulders and above touching. One of them didn't even react, standing stiffly with arms hanging down, showing no intention of responding.

In Fei Yujing's imagination, this embrace that Shi Jin initiated should have been intimate and full of reconciliation. But as Fei Yujing held onto Shi Jin, he felt that the distance between them was not bridged by this embrace. He smelled Shi Jin's scent and felt his warmth, but after a brief excitement, his heart slowly sank.

Shi Jin... didn't hug him back. This was a one-sided embrace, completely different from the ones Shi Jin gave to his other brothers. He lowered his eyes, hesitated, and slowly let go of Shi Jin.

Shi Jin suddenly spoke up and asked, "What are you thinking about, Second Brother?"

Fei Yujing paused, thinking that he wanted to change the topic of conversation. He quickly composed himself and replied, "Nothing much. It's late, you should-"

Suddenly, Shi Jin leaned in and hugged him, resting his head on Fei Yujing's shoulder.

Fei Yujing's body stiffened, and his eyes widened slightly.

"Second Brother, if you were feeling down just now because I didn't hug you back, or if you're happy now because of my initiative, then I am satisfied," Shi Jin said, his warm breath spraying on Fei Yujing's neck, his soft hair brushing against his earlobe.

Fei Yujing's heart rate momentarily increased, and after a brief moment of stiffness, he instinctively hugged Shi Jin back and said, "Yes, I feel all of those things you mentioned."

Although he could never keep up with Shi Jin's train of thought and couldn't understand what he was thinking, he had learned one thing - when Shi Jin asked him about his emotions, he would honestly tell him what he was thinking. His little brother loved to hear these things.

This was the only thing he was sure of now, that could instantly bring the two of them closer together.

Both of them fell silent and embraced each other quietly.

This was the first time Fei Yujing had ever been so intimately embraced by someone else. He furrowed his brow and carefully analyzed his feelings at this moment, remembering the sensation of being pressed against someone's chest and having their arms locked around each other's bodies, and a feeling of satisfaction emerged in his heart.

So this was what a responsive embrace felt like, and this was what an intimate embrace felt like. It was just as he had imagined, perfect.

Shi Jin felt the strength in his arm and relaxed, curling up the corners of his mouth. He patted his brother's back and said, "Brother, that's it. I hope you always hold onto this feeling of wanting me to respond to your embrace and continue to be with me. Our relationship before was like the first hug, you hugged me but didn't want me to respond. I didn't feel warmth from that hug, only a sense of being restrained. And you felt that I wasn't affectionate enough towards you, that I was guarding myself against you.

"But if you want my response, I may not be used to it at first, but in the end, it will definitely lead to us embracing each other. Brother, for a healthy relationship to be established, there must be give and take, and communication is also essential. One-sided giving and self-centered thinking are the most undesirable."

Fei Yujing finally understood his meaning, and turned his head to look at him.

"It's okay if you can't understand my thoughts, and it's okay if you can't comprehend my words. All you need to remember is this embrace." Shi Jin let go of him and smiled at him.

"Try your best. The next time you feel the urge to have me respond to your embrace, don't suppress it with reason. Tell me about it, and I'll respond to you. Second Brother, remember your current feelings and don't hesitate to need me in this sense."

With a loud noise, Fei Yujing's heart was stirred. As if a veil had been lifted from his eyes, Fei Yujing finally understood what Shi Jin wanted all along - just a simple, interactive embrace. It was such a simple thing, yet he had never given it to Shi Jin, or even thought about seeking it out himself.

He always stood in his own safe zone, saying nothing and guarding his heart, hoping that Shi Jin would come to him on his own.