Is It Really That Hard to Be the Big Brother of Two Top-Alpha Twins? - Chapter 17

Chen Luan had never bathed anyone before.
But seeing Jiang Xun weakly leaning against the headboard, he clearly didn’t look capable of taking care of himself. Besides, they were both men—what was the big deal? Back at the base, it had been a public bathhouse anyway; everyone had seen each other openly.
Without hesitation, he slid an arm under Jiang Xun’s lower back, carefully avoiding his injured leg, and carried him toward the bathroom. “Where’s Jiang Ling?” he asked.
“Probably at the horse farm.”
“Going horseback riding in the middle of the night?” Chen Luan paused. “…That’s quite an idea.”
Jiang Xun wrapped his arms around Chen Luan’s shoulders, his soft hair brushing against Chen Luan’s chin.
At this distance, he could smell the clean, refreshing scent of grapefruit shower gel clinging to Chen Luan, still faintly damp from his own bath.
“You changed your shower gel.”
“Huh?” Chen Luan lowered his head and sniffed himself. “You’ve got a sharp nose—you can tell that? Yeah, the old one ran out, so I bought a new fruit-scented set. Smells good, right?”
“…Mhm.”
Jiang Xun lowered his gaze, hiding the unreadable expression in his eyes.
The Chen Luan of the past would never have bought something so frivolously scented. He’d always used the same plain supermarket brand for the past six years, never once changing it.
The bathroom was spacious, with an oval bathtub in the center.
Chen Luan dragged over a stool, set Jiang Xun down, turned on the tap, and asked, “Are you taking off your clothes yourself, or do you want me to help?”
“The floor’s slippery. I’m afraid I’ll fall,” Jiang Xun murmured.
“Then wait a bit—I’ll run the water first.”
“Okay.”
To Chen Luan, it was just looking after a kid—nothing to fuss over.
So, he naturally crouched in front of Jiang Xun and began unbuttoning his shirt.
He didn’t see the shadow darkening in the boy’s eyes as he lowered his head, his knuckles brushing lightly against the fabric.
The belt buckle snapped open.
Jiang Xun leaned against his shoulder, half his weight resting on Chen Luan. The scent of grapefruit surrounded him, and for a moment it felt as though he were embracing the man before him.
When the outer trousers came off, Chen Luan hesitated, glancing at the boy’s black shorts.
This was… perhaps going too far.
Fortunately, Jiang Xun didn’t push it.
“Help me up—I can do it myself.”
“Alright. Just be careful.”
After wrapping a waterproof film around Jiang Xun’s thigh, Chen Luan, keeping his eyes lowered, lifted him into the tub and tested the water temperature.
“It’s fine. You can wash yourself now. Call me when you’re done.”
The delicate, handsome boy leaned against the misty water, his cheeks flushed from the heat—like a piece of cool jade soaking in a mountain spring.
Jiang Xun nodded. “Okay. Thank you, brother.”
He was remarkably obedient.
Chen Luan couldn’t help reaching out to ruffle his hair. “Then I’ll wait outside.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Xun and Jiang Ling shared a room.
It was spacious, but anyone could tell at a glance which side belonged to whom.
Jiang Xun’s side was immaculate and organized. Books were arranged neatly by color and size; notebooks and texts spread across the desk in tidy rows—the handwriting elegant yet edged with a sharp precision. Behind the frosted glass wardrobe doors, clothes hung in perfect order, mostly in cool tones. A piano stood quietly in one corner.
Jiang Ling’s side, on the other hand, was a jumble of clutter:
daggers, knives, mecha models, anime figures…
A half-assembled starship model sat on his desk, surrounded by a red headset and a game console.
His bed was a mess, buried under pillows and plush toys. A holographic game pod sat beside it.
The twins’ personalities couldn’t have been more distinct.
Chen Luan raised an eyebrow at the pile of plush pillows.
He liked sleeping with stuffed toys? He hadn’t pegged Jiang Ling for that type.
The sound of running water soon stopped. From the bathroom came Jiang Xun’s soft, steam-laced voice: “Brother, I’m ready.”
“Coming.”
Chen Luan pushed open the door. Steam fogged his vision.
The tiles were slippery, so he moved carefully.
Through the haze, Jiang Xun watched Chen Luan walk toward him and extend a hand.
He reached out and took it.
The boy’s hand was damp and warm; Chen Luan’s wrist, cool to the touch—like soft jade.
Beneath his fingertips, Chen Luan’s pulse beat steadily.
One beat after another.
His own heart seemed to echo it.
The water made footing uncertain, and Chen Luan leaned closer to steady him—but the inevitable happened.
Jiang Xun, afraid to put weight on his injured leg, slipped—
splash!
Chen Luan toppled forward into the tub, the upper half of his body plunging into the water. He barely had time to shield Jiang Xun’s head as the boy gasped and swallowed a mouthful of water.
“Hey—Jiang Xun, are you okay?”
Ignoring his drenched state, Chen Luan quickly helped him up.
“Cough, cough… I—I’m fine,” Jiang Xun sputtered, leaning against his shoulder. “Sorry, brother… cough…”
“What are you apologizing for? It wasn’t on purpose.” Chen Luan patted his back gently. “As long as you didn’t fall.”
His soaked pajamas clung to his skin, tracing every smooth muscle line beneath.
Jiang Xun was almost in his arms; their bodies pressed together through the wet fabric.
The small mole on Chen Luan’s neck was right under Jiang Xun’s nose.
If he leaned in just a little closer—
Bang!
The bathroom door burst open.
“Jiang Xun, are you done showering? Hurry up, I—”
The voice abruptly cut off.
Jiang Ling froze at the doorway, eyes flickering.
A heavy silence fell.
Through the mist, a young man knelt beside the bathtub, drenched from chest to waist, while the boy leaned against him, chin resting on his shoulder.
The scene looked… intimate.
“What are you two doing?” Jiang Ling finally asked.
“Oh, the crazy one who went to the horse farm at midnight?” Chen Luan brushed back his wet bangs, revealing sharp, handsome features. “Perfect timing—come help me. Your brother fell.”
“What? I just went to check on Zhuiyun and Xianyue, gave them some snacks. Who’d be insane enough to go riding in the middle of the night?”
Jiang Ling shot him a look—are you kidding me? —then bent down toward his brother. “Fell?”
Jiang Xun, still leaning on Chen Luan’s shoulder, looked up to meet his twin’s gaze.
Jiang Ling smirked.
Fell, my ass.
No one knew his brother better than he did.
If that wasn’t on purpose, he’d eat sh1t upside down.
Without exposing him, Jiang Ling helped pull Jiang Xun from the tub and wrapped him in a towel.
Chen Luan, dripping wet, saw that Jiang Xun had help and left early to change.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xun easily hopped out on one leg, fetched clean clothes from the closet, changed, and sprawled comfortably on the bed.
Jiang Ling, preparing to shower, watched his brother’s smooth movements and grit his teeth. “Jiang Xun.”
“Go on.” Jiang Xun reclined lazily against the headboard, half-lidded eyes gleaming faintly with amusement.
“You know what I’m about to say.” Jiang Ling tossed his dirty clothes into the basket, visibly displeased.
“You gave me the chance, Jiang Ling.” Jiang Xun narrowed his eyes. “If you hadn’t left, Chen Luan wouldn’t have come to help.”
“…” Jiang Ling fell silent.
Then, without another word, he grabbed his fresh clothes, went into the bathroom, and slammed the door.
The next morning, the school announced a three-day suspension.
The news was reporting on last night’s incident.
“…A total of seven dead and nine injured… The Qiwei City Special Task Force will hold a press conference soon… to apologize and extend their condolences…”
On screen, bouquets lined the entrance of Yuqing Middle School under the light drizzle, mourners gathering with umbrellas in hand.
“What a mess. The task force’s reputation’s gonna take a serious hit.”
Jiang Ling, having finished breakfast, lounged on the sofa gaming with headphones on, occasionally glancing up at the TV.
“The documents are already in order. The rumors about the new department are true, but the military is still arguing over the designation.”
Jiang Xun pulled up a document on the holographic screen and turned it toward Jiang Ling.
“Once the new department is officially established, the task force will only handle daily security and no longer be responsible for desertification incidents.”
“Where did you get this?” Jiang Ling sat up straight, pulled off her headphones, and snatched the tablet, scanning the contents carefully.
“Grandpa gave it to me.” Jiang Xun yawned, hugging his small blanket, secretly thinking that rainy days were perfect for sleeping.
“Grandpa asked if we had time to come home—he misses us. By the way, he doesn’t know I’m injured yet.”
“Then just find an excuse not to go for now. Wait until you’ve recovered so they won’t worry.”
“Okay.”
Outside, a light drizzle fell, and a breeze carrying the fresh, damp scent of earth drifted in through the half-open window.
Chen Luan had overslept.
He hurriedly dressed, washed up, and dashed downstairs, only to find his two younger brothers curled up on the sofa, each wrapped in a small blanket, their heads leaning together as they chatted softly.
He sighed. “Holidays are great. I wish I could have one too!”
Grabbing two slices of toast from the table, he stuffed them into his mouth, snatched an orange, shoved it into his pocket, and said hurriedly, “I’m going to work! You two take care of yourselves!”
He was already out the door before either could respond.
“If you’re really late, just skip class!” Jiang Ling called out with a grin.
“But I’m a teacher!” came Chen Luan’s muffled reply from outside.
“Just call a driver—it’s faster than public transport,” Jiang Xun added.
Chen Luan waved over his shoulder in acknowledgment without turning back.
The two brothers exchanged a glance and laughed.
But the peaceful moment was suddenly broken by the sharp ring of a phone.
Jiang Xun tapped the screen. The caller ID read: Jiang Yongting.
It was a video call.
Jiang Xun tightened his grip on the tablet and looked at Jiang Ling.
“Should I answer?”
Jiang Ling leaned back on the sofa, picked up his game console, crossed his legs, and pouted.
“Go ahead. He probably already knows about the school attack.”