Left with no choice Wen Qinxi left with his brother barely speaking the entire way. An excited Wen Danzhe had skipped classes just to reunite with his brother who he hadn't seen or spoken to for more than a month but was met with the Grinch. It was only when they were having some congee in Wen Qinxi's cosy apartment that he couldn't endure it anymore.
"Dage l thought you did be happy to see me but it seems you would rather hang out with Qie Ranzhe in the game. Did I drive all the way here just to be treated like this? I have to say my feelings are hurt," he said placing a towel over Wen Qinxi's still damp hair.
Wen Qinxi took another spoonful trying to acclimatize his stomach to regular food. For more than a month his nutrition supply was through an IV so his stomach was a little unused to digesting food. "Hahaha you make it seem like you came all the way from Mars to see me when you are merely five minutes away," he said rubbing his hair with the towel.
"Ai, in five minutes I would have got a girl's number at the club. Do you see how precious five minutes is to me?... Since you now know then talk," he asked lazily leaning against the couch observing his brother.
Wen Qinxi didn't say anything for while trying to find the right words to use. "Do you think Qie Ranzhe might actually be attracted to men? I know he had a girlfriend and all but l am starting to think otherwise," asked Wen Qinxi with a solemn expression.
Hearing such a question Wen Danzhe actually laughed a little before responding, "Okay let me approach this in psychological manner. Explain to me what happened then l can give you my opinion," while folding his legs on the couch facing his brother. He listened as his brother retold the events that took place before Qie Ranzhe left including the forehead kiss and the questions he asked back then.
After mulling over it for a while he asked, "What other things has he done that make you feel like he might like guys?"
Wen Qinxi thought for a moment then said, "Sleeping in the same bed, cuddling while sleeping and showing off his naked body," exposing everything he could think of except the embarrassing incident he didn't even dare think of.
"Well, we have shared a bed through-out high school and l have woken up a couple of times with you huddling me like a body pillow. Seriously your sleeping habits are so horrible. Maybe he takes you as a close friend just like his doctor friend. To be honest, I wasn't surprised that you lasted long in the game, I kinda expected it," he said soaking a cotton ball in the rubbing alcohol that Manchu passed to him before he left the game room. He used it to carefully remove the faint stubborn marks left on Wen Qinxi's face.
Wen Qinxi's brows furrowed in confusion recalling his past interactions with Qie Ranzhe in high school but there was none that could lead his brother to such an absurd conclusion. Actually, he was also curious why he survived the game out of all the people that tried. "What's your reasoning?"
"Well, you guys were in the same clubs apart from swimming. Think about it, why would the school grass join robotics or chess club? It seems like he was following yo-," he said before he was cut off by Wen Qinxi's unrestrained laughter but he didn't back down saying,
"And on Tuesday and Thursdays when mum and l picked you up late because of my badminton practice he was always at the basketball court near the parking lot. I didn't go to your school but l clearly remember him. At first l didn't think anything of it but two years is a long time to maintain the same routine," trying to convince his dim-witted brother.
Wen Qinxi laughed himself to tears amused by his brother's overactive imagination, "Are you that bored that you have to come up with such an interesting conspiracy? Let me ask you this? Even if he wanted to be my friend how come he didn't remember my face when we met in the company? Even if he can't remember my face at least my name," he said wiping away the tear flowing out at the corner of his eye.
Wen Danzhe hurriedly scrolled through his phone before facing the screen in his brother's direction saying, "Don't you remember what you looked like back then? Even mom couldn't believe you were her son when you removed your braces for college graduation. Look at all that cute baby fat you had back then, it all disappeared. Who would recognize you after seeing you once or twice?"
A slack-jawed Wen Qinxi gawped at that embarrassing high school picture. He attempted to grab the phone out of Wen Danzhe's hand saying, "Why do you even have that? Give it to me...delete it!" while tussling with his brother but it was pointless as his little brother had the height advantage and Wen Qinxi was still too weak to put up a fight. "Fine keep it but what about my name? Wouldn't he remember that?" folding his arms in frustration patiently waiting for Wen Danzhe to stop being vigilant so he could snatch his phone.
"Gecko! Hahaha, even the doctor called you that. Remember how the teachers called you that for three years straight. Hahaha, do you remember your Maths teacher hahaha wro-wrote that name on your certificate of excellence? Mum was so angry she marched over to the school and forced him to change it, hahaha that was so fuckin funny," he said bursting in unrestrained laughter, "Even if you call your former deskmate right now and ask him if he knows your name, l wouldn't be surprised if he says he doesn't."
"You know what I got from this conversation? Its that you are such a busy body. You know more about me than l do. Let me guess you also know my fuckin bathroom schedule?" said an annoyed Wen Qinxi before walking away slamming the bedroom door with a loud bang.
"Dage you have lost weight! You look really good!" called out Wen Da attempting to appease his brother by appealing to his vanity.
"Fuck off!" yelled Wen Qinxi while locking the bedroom door with a clicking sound.
Wen Danzhe, "...."