TIAN GUAN CI FU Fan fic stories

MY BROTHER

Xie Lian's didi is finally home for summer holidays. San Lang had been off at university and hadn't been home in months. Xie Lian had been looking forward to seeing his beloved stepbrother after all this time.

Xie Lian's father had passed away when he was young and his mother had eventually remarried San Lang's mother. They have been a family ever since. It's been so long that San Lang feels like Xie Lian's real didi.

While he had been expecting to enjoy his younger stepbrother's company again after his first year away from home, Xie Lian finds that San Lang has been acting differently.

Usually, his cute didi would stick by his side all the time, offering to help gege with his errands. San Lang would always assist Xie Lian with making dinner, or insist on grocery shopping together. He would even convince gege to visit the beach or go to the mountains with him for hikes.

In short, they had been inseparable. Yet after San Lang's first year at university, something seems to have changed.

He's still very happy to see Xie Lian, but sometimes San Lang would abruptly avoid eye contact. Or he would hole up in his room instead of sticking to Xie Lian like glue as he normally would have.

Xie Lian is a little despondent about this, but he tells himself, maybe this is San Lang finally growing up. Maybe San Lang has big boy interests now and is starting to realize it isn't so cool to be so attached to his gege.

The one thing that has Xie Lian feeling quite a bit more glum however, is that sometimes San Lang would seem more interested in his phone than being present with him when they are together.

For example, they had finally gone on their first mall outing together two weeks after San Lang had returned.

It had initially felt like things were back to normal as San Lang enthusiastically pulled Xie Lian into stores. He would hold up clothes that he thought gege should try and modelled others that suited his own style.

San Lang had always had a keen eye for art and fashion. Xie Lian even began to notice that other customers would do double takes when they walked past San Lang, and even pretty store employees would linger for longer to chat San Lang up.

Xie Lian realized that San Lang was growing into a handsome young man. He was nostalgic that San Lang is no longer the chubby cheeked, bright eyed kid who would insist on holding his hand everywhere they went. Yet, he felt oddly proud that everyone was finally appreciating his didi's charm.

He had always known San Lang was special.

Which again, made the new changes in San Lang all the more bittersweet. While San Lang's world was expanding, he would naturally grow to have less time for his gege.

When they had taken a break from shopping to have afternoon refreshments at a milk tea shop, instead of taking time to catch up with Xie Lian, San Lang's gaze had been glued to his phone screen.

San Lang's pretty, shapely brows were furrowed like he was thinking intently. Xie Lian had noticed with fascination that San Lang's ears were uncharacteristically red.

Sudden realization had hit Xie Lian like a truck at that moment.

He couldn't help asking nosily, "Does San Lang have a crush on someone?"

It was almost comical the way that San Lang's head had sprung up from his screen. He stared wide eyed at Xie Lian for a moment, looking absolutely guilty. Then, to Xie Lian's surprise, San Lang quickly schooled his expression into one of casual nonchalance and said, "Oh no, not really. I was just talking with a friend."