Too Much To Handle! The Canary Forced Love on The Grim/Vicious Villain - Chapter 12

To Jiang Xu, life was precious—especially when he could clearly feel his health slipping away, his life slowly draining from him. That kind of despair was like the sky collapsing, yet he was powerless to stop it.

He pushed Si Yuhuai into his room, thinking there was still plenty of time. There was no rush to figure out his sponsor’s preferences right away.

Si Yuhuai didn’t know why, but he hadn’t pushed Jiang Xu away.

Maybe subconsciously he felt that someone with this kind of IQ could never pose any real threat to him. Maybe he was just too tired now, too tired even to mock or reject him.

Or maybe… he just didn’t want to be alone.

Jiang Xu’s massage technique was standard.

Back when he was half-blind and worried about how he’d survive, he had planned ahead and even gone to learn blind massage for a while.

The boy’s hands were young yet strong. He covered Si Yuhuai’s eyes and massaged his temples.

Perhaps Jiang Xu had eaten too much fruit—when he leaned closer, Si Yuhuai could even smell faint traces of sweetness.

Si Yuhuai felt as if his body were being wrapped in soft clouds. His body sank deeper into the mattress, his consciousness loosening, and he actually drifted off to sleep.

After coaxing him to sleep, Jiang Xu’s lips curved in satisfaction.

Honestly, Si Yuhuai reminded him of the big dog they once kept at the orphanage.

That dog was probably a mutt—huge, looking fierce.

But since it had been a stray and had fought with other dogs for food, it was especially vicious.

At first, all the children at the orphanage were afraid to go near it. Only Jiang Xu would persistently leave it bones every day, tossing them over.

Over time, he discovered that the dog was actually just scared of being bullied again. It barked and snarled as a show of bravado, but if you gave it the tiniest kindness, it would wag its tail to the heavens. It really wasn’t scary at all.

When Si Yuhuai slept, it seemed as though all his hostility melted away, all his sharp edges softened. Jiang Xu couldn’t help but think of that big dog.

Before leaving, he left one of the lamps at the bedside on.

If you’re afraid of the dark, just sleep with the light on. What, should people laugh at him for that? Everyone is afraid of something.

Quietly, Jiang Xu shut the door and went back to bed.

His schedule had been regular lately—sleeping at night, lazing around by day. His only real brainwork was deciding what to eat. Such a life of lying flat was dangerously addictive.

But in the middle of the night—

When Jiang Xu woke, a dark figure blocked his view. Looking up, he saw it was Si Yuhuai.

He jolted up in bed, clutching his little blanket tightly.

Swallowing nervously, he looked closer. As always, Si Yuhuai’s expression was blank.

Could it be… he thought Jiang Xu was eating too much, and had come to kill him in the night?

Jiang Xu looked down. Si Yuhuai’s hands were empty, no weapon in sight, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

The butler had said Si Yuhuai only hurt himself when he sleepwalked, never others.

Digesting this, Jiang Xu leaned toward him.

“Si Yuhuai?”

…

Kneeling on the bed, Jiang Xu straightened up and leaned close. With one hand he pressed Si Yuhuai’s shoulder to keep him from suddenly attacking, and with the other he waved in front of his eyes to test for a reaction.

Si Yuhuai had none. Yet the next second, he naturally slipped his arms around Jiang Xu’s waist.

He lowered his head abruptly, his nose brushing lightly against Jiang Xu’s neck.

Jiang Xu froze stiff.

What on earth was this supposed to mean?

Like coaxing a child, Jiang Xu hugged him, patting his shoulder. “Just petting fur, nothing to be afraid of. It’s really late now—better to sleep, okay?”

Si Yuhuai’s body still gave no real response, but Jiang Xu could tell he wasn’t resisting.

So Jiang Xu pried his hands off his waist, pushed him down onto the bed, and pressed his head against the pillow.

In the sweltering summer night, Jiang Xu was sweating by the time he tiptoed back into place.

He hugged his pillow, climbed onto the soft bed, yawned, and just as he closed his eyes, Si Yuhuai’s arm slipped around his waist again.

His nose brushed against the back of Jiang Xu’s neck, and before long, his breathing deepened into sleep.

Si Yuhuai was always exhausted, and tonight, with the alcohol in his system, he had no consciousness left.

Jiang Xu could feel the possessiveness in that grip, and let out a small hum from his nose.

Some men—put on such a stern front by day, only to reveal all their hidden neediness at night.

At the end of the day, wasn’t it just that he coveted his body?

Yawning again, Jiang Xu didn’t push him away. He just fell asleep.

Si Yuhuai’s headaches were an old ailment.

At first, light drinking did improve his sleep.

But as his anxiety worsened, drinking only left him more restless.

Yet that night, he had actually slept well. He hadn’t even dreamed. When he woke, he felt clear-headed.

Opening his eyes, he frowned at the sight of Jiang Xu sleeping beside him.

Then he recalled Jiang Xu had massaged him the night before.

Lately, Jiang Xu had really been fawning—clinging to every opportunity. Saying he was just giving a massage, but somehow ending up in his bed?

The system, sensing its host’s narcissistic thoughts, scoffed:

“Open your eyes, host. This is Jiang Xu’s room.”

Si Yuhuai: “…”

Looking up, he realized indeed, it was Jiang Xu’s room.

Jiang Xu was sleeping quietly. Or maybe, “quietly” because he had no choice—Si Yuhuai’s arm had him pinned in a position he couldn’t break free from.

Si Yuhuai pulled back his arm and sat bolt upright.

“How did I get here?”

System: “Please watch the VCR!”

Si Yuhuai: “…”

So he’d sleepwalked again.

But surprisingly, that night he hadn’t done anything to hurt himself. Instead, he had gone straight to Jiang Xu.

He had stood at Jiang Xu’s bedside for a full ten minutes before Jiang Xu woke up.

Jiang Xu had looked scared when he did.

That annoyed Si Yuhuai.

Ungrateful little thing.

Sure, he’d locked him in the house, but when had he ever hurt Jiang Xu? And he was still afraid of him?!

But then—he remembered Jiang Xu had touched his head. Then opened his arms and hugged him…

Si Yuhuai’s chest throbbed suddenly.

“All right, time to sleep. Be good, okay…”

Jiang Xu had gotten out of bed, pushed him down onto the mattress, fixed his head on the pillow, then crawled back up.

Originally Jiang Xu had turned his back to him. But later…

Si Yuhuai’s ears warmed.

He turned away, refusing to look, and muttered coldly: “Even if I was sleepwalking.”

The system sneered: “Even if? You were sleepwalking.”

Si Yuhuai’s gaze fell on the boy still asleep beside him. His heart felt as though warm spring water was flowing through it.

Jiang Xu, for some reason, seemed to have lost all his sharpness. Instead he was like a hot spring, mild and soothing to the heart.

Not a single one of Jiang Xu’s alarm clocks had gone off.