But you love a fool - CHAPTER 9:

For the first time in his life, Jian Suiying was doing something a real older brother should do

picking up his little brother after the college entrance exam.

Of course, that wasn’t his main reason for coming.

As soon as his car turned onto the street outside the exam school, his head started to ache.

Cars were jammed end to end, the street packed so tight not even air could squeeze through.

Every inch of space was filled with people or vehicles, and

even the traffic police were out, waving and shouting, trying to untangle the chaos.

Twenty minutes crawled by and the car hadn’t moved more than ten meters.

Damn, what a mess. Forget it, don’t drive in anymore. I’ll go find them myself.

Turn around and wait across the street, he told the driver.

The driver looked relieved anyone would be, creeping forward at a snail’s pace under that sun.

The moment Jian Suiying opened the door, a wall of heat slammed into him,

almost knocking him backward.

He squinted against the blazing light and started walking toward the school gates.

His ankle still ached a little, but it didn’t stop him from moving.

The real problem was the heat thick, suffocating, like the air itself was boiling.

Thankfully, the walk wasn’t long, maybe a hundred meters.

He ambled his way to the gates and joined the crowd of

anxious parents craning their necks, peering inside.

Among the middle-aged faces, his tall frame and sharp,

confident air made him stand out immediately.

He asked the woman next to him how much longer the test would last.

She said another two or three minutes.

He nodded and found a patch of shade, waiting patiently.

He was killing time, lazily scanning the scene, when someone behind him called out.

Young Master Jian!

People who called him that were usually one of two kinds,

the spoiled sons of other big families, or people desperate to curry favor with him.

He turned and saw a tall, handsome man making his way through the crowd.

The man’s features resembled Li Yu’s a little, though his expression carried a steadier,

more serious dignity. His steps were quick and confident clearly someone of weight.

Well, if it isn’t the great Young Master Li, Jian said with a grin.

It was Li Xuan, Li Yu’s older brother.

The two of them weren’t exactly close.

Their families both came from founding generals of the new republic

men who’d bled and fought to build what they now stood on.

But his grandfather was a soldier, while Li Xuan’s father was a scholar-official.

Scholars and soldiers, since ancient times, rarely looked eye to eye.

Their fathers were polite but not intimate. Li’s father, unlike Jian’s, cared deeply about education.

When Jian was a scrappy kid climbing trees and ripping his pants,

he’d already heard stories about Li Xuan sitting properly at a desk,

learning English with perfect posture.

So it was only natural they hadn’t mixed. One was a wild child who lived with scabs on his knees,

the other, a model student who smelled like ink and ambition.

Their social circles often overlapped, but whenever they met,

it was just polite smiles and distant greetings.

Still, running into each other here, under the merciless sun and the chaos of parents waiting,

felt unexpectedly intimate like fate had decided to bridge that polite distance.

Li Xuan smiled as he reached him, extending his hand.

What a coincidence, Young Master Jian.

Jian Suiying returned the smile. Isn’t it? Must be fate. You’re here for Li Yu, right?

I’m here to see him, not pick him up. He told me he’d be staying with your brother at your place.

I just got off a flight and came straight here. Haven’t even had time to call you

I owe you one.

What’s there to owe? Your brother’s like my own. And those two kids are thick as thieves.

Being together before the exam probably helped them relax a bit.

It’s good for their performance. Jian chuckled, a touch of deliberate warmth in his voice

a small gesture of courtesy toward Li Xuan.

Among old revolutionary families like theirs, there was an unspoken rule,

every generation, only one heir gets the spotlight.

One family, one official. More than that was unwise.

In other words, when his grandfather had chosen Jian’s uncle to climb the political ladder,

the rest of the family had to step back. His father had been a local official

for a while before going into business instead now the family

held both money and power in balance.

The Li family was similar. Li Yu’s father had chosen Li Xuan to follow in his footsteps.

That meant the younger brother’s political prospects were naturally dimmer

Li Xuan was destined to be the future head of the Li clan.

And he was doing spectacularly. Not even thirty,

already a division-level official, with another promotion on the horizon.

His career path was smooth as glass, the kind that inspired envy.

Jian, for all his wealth and confidence, knew the truth his uncle wasn’t his father,

and his own influence depended on connections, not lineage.

In Beijing’s swamp of politics and power, the smart ones started weaving their networks early.

The deeper and wider the roots, the steadier the family’s standing.

Getting close to someone like Li Xuan was both smart and natural.

He’d heard that Li Xuan had recently been reassigned to Guangxi,

so meeting him here today felt like striking gold.

Li Xuan smiled. You’re right before exams, keeping calm is everything.

Staying with you must’ve helped him a lot. Thanks again, really.

Don’t mention it. Just a bed and a few meals.

They laughed together, chatting idly about everything from weather to work.

Before long, Jian smoothly steered the conversation toward Beihai.

He hadn’t been bluffing when he’d mentioned it to his father he really was eyeing land there.

A friend’s brother-in-law was trying to start a feed factory with cheap raw imports from Southeast

Asia. It wasn’t much of a project under normal circumstances, Jian wouldn’t even look twice.

But if he could get land under an “eco-recycling” pretext and use it for financing,

he could make a fortune without spending a dime.

And if not, well, he had plenty of other deals. Still, if anyone could open that door, it was Li Xuan.

He hinted around the topic lightly, but Li Xuan was distracted,

eyes scanning the stream of students emerging from the school gates.

He didn’t answer directly, just smiled and said they should

grab dinner soon they’d talk properly then.

Jian understood. Timing was everything.

He turned his attention back to the gate just as a handsome boy with bright eyes and a clean,

elegant face appeared among the crowd.

Even from a distance, Jian felt his heart leap.

He cupped his hands and shouted, Li Yu! Li Yu!

Li Xuan flinched a little, startled by the volume, and gave him a sidelong look.

Li Yu didn’t hear. The crowd was a wall of noise.

Li Xuan called out twice too, tried to push forward,

but the press of parents made it impossible to move.

Jian pulled out his phone and dialed.

He saw Li Yu fish out his phone, hesitate, then answer.

Jian’s voice came sharp and smiling through the speaker.

Look to your left.

Li Yu turned and saw Jian waving, with his brother standing beside him.

He jogged over, smiling. Brother, what are you doing here?

Dad and Mom didn’t want to come. Too crowded, they said.

When they came for my exam, they nearly fainted from the noise,

so they sent me instead to check how you’re doing.

Li Yu flashed a grin, his teeth white in the sun. I feel great.

Then he remembered something and turned to Jian. Jian-ge, Suilin’s not in my testing hall.

Just as he spoke, his phone rang again. Hey, Suilin?

Yeah, your brother’s here and my brother too. Left side of the gate.

Soon after, Jian Suilin arrived, calm-faced, still a little dusty from the day.

How’d it go? Jian asked, for once genuinely interested.

Suilin smiled faintly. Hard to say. Shouldn’t be bad.

Good enough. Don’t overthink it. It’s done. Time to start prepping for the next thing.

Li Xuan clapped Li Yu on the shoulder. Your Jian-ge’s right.

Once it’s done, let it go. By the way, have you thanked him properly for hosting you?

Jian laughed and patted Li Xuan’s shoulder. Alright, alright, enough out of you.

Li Xuan chuckled. Lunch is on me today. Suilin, where do you want to eat?

I’m not picky, Li-ge, Suilin said politely.

No need to eat out, Jian cut in. I’ve already had lunch prepared at home.

Come on, everyone to my place rest and eat there.

After a few polite refusals, Li Xuan agreed easily. Good idea.

You kids need a nap after lunch anyway.

They crossed the street where Jian’s car was waiting.

Getting in turned out to be a challenge none of the four men were under six feet tall.

One in front, three in the back. Tight didn’t begin to describe it.

Jian regretted bringing the smaller car. He insisted Li Xuan take the passenger seat,

but Li Xuan insisted he should. Both too polite for their own good.

Finally Jian all but pushed him into the front seat,

grinning as he squeezed himself into the back between his brother and Li Yu.

Li Yu’s arm brushed against his side, their thighs pressed together.

The boy smelled clean like soap and sunlight. Jian’s pulse fluttered,

and he had the ridiculous urge to turn and steal a kiss from that smooth, bright face.

By the time the car rolled forward, Young Master Jian was

grinning so wide he could hardly contain it.