CHAPTER 21

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At 11:oo the next morning, Pon was sitting on the sofa in the living tapping his notebook on the keyboard, when Sailub walked out of the room.

"I think you should sleep for a bit longer," Pon moved his laptop to the side, "How do you feel?"

"My head still hurts a little," Sailub's brow scrunched together, "Where's the bathroom? My clothes?"

"I'll give it back to you after it's washed, you can wear my clothes first," said Pon, "The bathroom is the white door in the middle. You can go shower first, I'll make something for you to eat."

It was only when Sailub turned around and headed toward the bathroom did Pon discovered that on the upper right side of his back, there was a tattoo of a tiger climbing a large mountain.

It was full of arrogance, and an overwhelming sense of power encircling it and as Sailub's arm swayed back and forth, the tiger looked as though it was moving, any minute now it was going to leap out.

Looking at that sturdy back, the emotional tranquility that Pon had meticulously constructed wavered.

As he quickly restraint his emotions yet again, he walked into the kitchen and heat up the congee that he had made earlier.

Then, he returned to his own room to find a set of clothes and a new pair of underwear.

Finally, he looked in the cabinet drawer and flipped through it for a new towel.

He knocked on the bathroom door, "Sai, I'm going to place the clothes and the towel on the stool beside the door, in a moment you can ------"

There was a rustling sound on the other side of the door before Sailub pulled the bathroom door open in one quick go, then he grabbed the towel directly from Pon's hands and started to wipe his naked body clean in front of him.

In that torturous moment, pont got caught up in a celestial battle between the urge to look or not to.

Completely unaware, Sailub began to grumble, "Your showering water is too cold. I immediately trembled when I turn the water on."

"A cold shower is good for your health ah," said Pon, without anything better to say as he steadied his eyes.

He felt sorry as he watched Sailub put on one article of clothing at a time.

A second later, Pon swerved his entire body around and entered the kitchen,

"Drink a cup of hot black tea first to warm up your stomach."

Then he returned to sit cross-legged on the sofa in the living room and continued to tap away at the keyboard.

Since the black tea was a bit too hot, Sailub turned it around a couple of times while asking him, "You're not attending class today?"

"Today is Saturday."

"Why is Garfield not here?"

"He doesn't break on Saturday so he already left to work earlier in the morning."

Sailub kept turning the cup around and a moment later, he asked again, "He and Benz......"

Pon let out a sigh and lifted his head to look at him, "Did you know that Benz wants to go to a different province for work?"

It was evident that he did not know since he became dumbfounded for a moment then asked, "Really?"

"And he wants to take Garfield with him."

Sailub continued on to ask, "Did you agree?"

Thinking, Pon leaned back against the sofa and looked at him for a moment, then he softly said, "Hey, what did you two brothers fight over to reach this point?"

After a while and Sailub still did not say anything, Pon heaved and let out another sigh, "Actually, when Garfield and I was younger, our feelings toward each other weren't so good. He was always pestering me and I really dislike that annoying side of him so I always bullied him. Later on, every time he saw me, he would cry. Even until now, he really scared of me. Then my parents passed away and he went to live with our grandparents. During those times, we didn't see each other for nine years, then our grandmother passed away and soon our grandfather followed her. So I went to my hometown to get him. There were several  relatives around his age standing together with him, I recognized a few of them but I didn't recognize my own brother."

Sailub finally drank his black tea, he probably thought that it wasn't that bad since he finished it all just several gulps.

"Then, it must have been hard for you to take care of your brother alone?"

Pon forced a bitter smile, "You might be wrong about that. Although my parents passed away prematurely, they left behind an inheritance for us. Even though the figure isn't worth mentioning, but its guaranteed to provide the basic necessities for both Garfield and me for at least half our lives. If we're talking about hardship, taking care of Benz is even harder for you."

Sailub laughed, "What hardship were there? All day long, I was out fighting. All I knew was to give him money. In actuality, I didn't take care of him at all, he was the one that worked hard in studying. When the neighborhood kids bullied him because he doesn't have a mom or dad and avoided him since his brother was mixed up with the gangster life, he never even said anything to me. Later on, I saw him getting hit by another guy, so I went over and beat that guy up. Benz got mad at me and said that I would cause other people to look down on him even more. And he'd even said, I don't deserve to be his brother."

He laughed mockingly at himself, "You didn't see the expression in his eyes then......I don't even know how long he had hated me for to him look at me like that."

Pon snorted.

Sailub went onto say, "He never told me about his relationship with Garfield before. I went to a restaurant one day and saw them together so I went over and greeted them. I also gave Garfield my phone number. To tell you the truth ah, the first time I saw your brother, I knew right away that Benz definitely likes him a lot."

Hearing that, Pon was a bit baffled, "Why?"

"How can I not understand my brother?" Sailub said it in a matter of fact manner, "He likes the type that is simple and pure, with a simple and pure family as well." Then he stared blankly for a moment, "Your grandfather's situation, did you tell him about it?"

Not admitting to anything, Pon dubiously said, "You should give him less things to worry about then, he's already an adult."

Sailub's expression became a bit sad which caused Pon to resign with a sigh.

Then he quietly consoled him, "You've provided him with the opportunities to attend college, go abroad, and find a job. Looking at it from that point of view, you've already done a lot of good for him, it's more than enough. Even if Benz does not understand you at the moment, your parents do."

"Since I was born, I've never met my father. My mother......" Sailub twisted his head away. It was only a moment later did he say, "I hope she understand me then. What you've said is correct, as long as she understands me, that's good enough."

Looking at that dreary figure, Pon could make out the pain in his heart, so he didn't ask anymore.

He simply stood up and picked up the empty teacup, "Do you still want another cup?"

Slowly Sailub shook his head.

When Pon went to the kitchen to get the bowl of congee for him, he could see Sailub through the window.

Sailub sat silently in the same position and when he sensed Pon's warm gaze, he lifted his head and smiled at him.

Pon really wanted to ask him just one sentence, a sentence comprised of only a few words.

'Then, what about you?

What type do you like?'

But he didn't ask, because not knowing the answer, made him feel that there is hope.
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