The Beastly Brother’s Secret

Qin An crept into the bathroom, peeling off his sticky, hormone-laden underwear. He splashed cold water on his face, trying to calm his restless heart.

Glancing down at his flaccid member, he felt a pang of frustration. Should he hit up a red-light district to blow off some steam? Or maybe go to a bar and pick up a girl to quench his thirst? He seemed to have forgotten he was just a twelve-year-old shota now—though a big sister with a shota fetish might be all too happy to help him out.

Qin An took a freezing cold shower, dousing his desires completely.

Clang! Bang!

A clatter came from the kitchen, like a starving rat frantically searching for food.

Wearing nothing but a flashy red pair of boxers, Qin An rushed to the kitchen and found a “giant rat” rummaging through the cabinets with her butt stuck up in the air.

Qin An grabbed the not-so-ordinary “rat” and asked irritably, “Dongfang, I swear you must have been a starving ghost in your past life. It’s the middle of the night, and you’re still looking for food.”

Dongfang Kelian turned her head stiffly and exclaimed in surprise, “Big… brother, how are you awake?”

“Ah, pervert! Big brother, you pervert! Showing up in front of a lady in just your underwear! Do you know how easily that could be misunderstood?” Dongfang Kelian covered her eyes with her hands in fake horror, but left visible gaps between her fingers. Her face flushed pink like rouge.

“Big brother, I’m not ready yet!”

“Big brother, no matter how much you like me, you have to consider Yaya’s feelings! I’m her best friend, you know.”

Qin An was speechless. Especially since she was only wearing a revealing nightgown. If his sister saw this, knowing her personality, she’d probably tear him apart.

Dongfang Kelian sat up straight at the dining table, awaiting Qin An’s interrogation.

“Spill it. Where are you from? A beggar?”

“From the capital. And I’m not a beggar!”

“What’s your purpose in coming to my house?”

“To freeload and look at pretty girls.”

“What are your plans now?”

“Of course, I’m staying here!”

“How long do you plan to stay?” Qin An’s veins nearly bulged as he asked.

“Little Dongfang, you know I’m not rich. Supporting another freeloader costs a lot.”

Qin An put on a pained expression, looking powerless.

“I know, big brother. But I’m not a freeloader! How can someone as cute as me be a freeloader? There’s about a hundred thousand yuan in this card. The password is Yaya’s birthday. That should cover my expenses for now, right? You money-grubbing big brother.”

Qin An took the bank card nonchalantly. It was even a premium VIP card from Dragon Bank. This girl was a little rich girl!

His face broke into a smile. “Alright, little Dongfang. What would you like to order?”

“Any instant noodles left?”

“No.”

“What? None?” Dongfang Kelian looked disappointed. It seemed his junk food had completely addicted her.

“But I have something similar. Would little Dongfang like some?”

Dongfang Kelian raised her hand eagerly like a model student. “Yes, yes! But big brother, can you stop calling me ‘little Dongfang’? It’s so distant. And I’m not little at all. You can call me Keke or Ke’ai. Also, big brother, your underwear is way too bright. It’s tempting!”

Qin An coughed twice to hide his embarrassment. “Forget it, I’ll just call you Dongfang. Let me put on some clothes first. Wait here.”

“Got it, big brother.”

Qin An grabbed an army coat and draped it over his butt.

In the cramped kitchen, he picked up a cleaver and sliced a piece of lean meat at an invisible speed, like a master butcher. Qin An sometimes thought he could have been a chef—instead of killing people, he’d be killing animals.

To an assassin, ordinary people and animals were almost the same, even less valuable.

He took out the only small bag of flour from the cupboard, glanced at the empty shelves, and felt his thin wallet. Suddenly, he had a sense of destitution.

Tonight, he was making hot and sour noodles. The pickled vegetables were from Aunt Xia’s, the eggs from Aunt Xia’s, even the dried chili peppers from their place.

Without Aunt Xia’s family, he couldn’t imagine how he’d survive.

The fragrant aroma of the noodles had already bewitched the greedy, famished Dongfang Kelian.

But Qin An found it strange. Every few bites, she would look up at him and flash a sly smile. Did he have a flower growing on his face?

Dongfang Kelian put down her chopsticks and, with practiced fluidity, grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth—elegant, flawless.

“Big brother, you did something really bad just now.”

Qin An stiffened as if struck by lightning.

“Big brother, I went to the bathroom earlier and smelled something unusual.” Dongfang Kelian pinched her nose as if the odor were foul.

“I…”

“Hehehe, big brother, don’t explain. I know what it is.”

“Also, I found similar residue on Yaya’s little panties. By scent analysis, it all came from the same person—you, big brother. The truth is clear: you’re a pervert, the number one beastly brother in history.”

At that moment, Dongfang Kelian was like Detective Conan—if she had a red bow tie and high-tech black-rimmed glasses, she’d be a dead ringer. They were even both so short.

She listed all the evidence of Qin An being a beastly brother, leaving him without a rebuttal.

“Beastly brother, if you have any last words, say them now.”

Qin An flashed a dark, sinister smile—the kind most common among villain bosses.

“That’s right, I am a beastly brother. What are you going to do about it, little Dongfang? Blackmail me?” He stepped closer, making her lean back and retreat.

“Exactly. I’m going to blackmail you. Unless you agree to three conditions, I promise not to tell Yaya.”

“But that sounds like a losing deal to me. Not good at all, little Dongfang.”

Dongfang Kelian’s heel hit a chair leg, and she lost her balance. About to fall flat on her face, Qin An caught her by the waist just in time, putting them in an ambiguous pose.

“Beastly brother, what are you doing!” She pounded his chest lightly.

“Since you know I’m a beastly brother, and a little bunny comes knocking, how can the big bad wolf not eat her?”

Dongfang Kelian felt dizzy. Her ‘future brother-in-law’ was so close. Was he about to devour her? She had just arrived—was she already betraying Yaya? And with her most beloved family member? So taboo, so thrilling, even more exciting than doing shameful things with Yaya.

She squeezed her eyes shut, her long lashes trembling. Her small body curled up weakly.

She was ready. But what she expected never came. Too shy to open her eyes, she waited… and waited… and unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

Qin An looked at the sleeping Dongfang Kelian and smiled helplessly. Today had been the worst. The most embarrassing thing for a guy had been discovered by a little girl.

Dongfang Kelian was neither his sister nor his close friend. She was essentially a stranger connected through Qin Yage.

He casually laid her on the old fabric sofa, then thought better of it and covered her with his army coat.

Qin An returned to his bed. The sheets still smelled faintly of some fluid.

He couldn’t remember the last time he was threatened. In an assassin’s dictionary, taking hostages to threaten an assassin was incredibly stupid. An assassin is an emotionless killing machine.

And this life, his blackmailer was a half-grown loli. The thought was almost endearing.

Still, Qin An wasn’t a true assassin. Even if he was considered the strongest S-rank, the title of Assassin King still belonged to that man. But Qin An knew that man wasn’t a real assassin either. He could never let go of that love. Even when he commanded the underworld, he could only hide in the shadows, watching his beloved fall in love with another man and walk down the aisle. He never even dared to confess his name.

Only when that woman was abandoned by the other man and swindled out of all her money did he wake up. But it was too late. Some things, if missed, aren’t just wrong—they’re gone forever.

“Harakawa Takashi, I hope that in this life, even if we can’t be partners, we won’t be enemies. Because you’ll die horribly.”

Qin An hugged the warm, fragrant body and drifted back to sleep. This time, he vowed, he wouldn’t have those messy dreams anymore.

In the middle of the night, Dongfang Kelian woke up cold. Her little feet felt like chicken claws fresh from the freezer.

She rolled over, and the army coat, carrying Qin An’s warmth and scent, fell to the floor. She stared at it blankly, feeling a thorn that had been stuck in her heart disappear unnoticed.

Tears fell silently. She suddenly thought having a brother might be nice. She wished she had one too, but her mother probably couldn’t give her one anymore.

She tiptoed into Qin An’s room and looked at the sleeping Qin Yage like a melon farmer eyeing a ripe watermelon. She planted a big kiss on her cheek.

Then she glanced at Qin An and muttered, “Can’t play favorites.”

Like a dragonfly skimming the water, she lightly pecked his cheek. Qin An turned over, and Dongfang Kelian jumped like a startled rabbit. Seeing nothing amiss, she patted her chest, shot them a jealous glare, and quietly closed the door.

After she left, a faint smile curled at the corner of Qin An’s mouth. He wiped the drool off his face.