15 15. Chen Household Is Under Attack

It was late in the evening when Min Zhe arrived home from his job. His body trembled from the numbness and his head felt heavy.

The people in the household was already sleeping and thus, Min Zhe quietly went back to his room.

Ever since he took his journey home, Min Zhe cannot focus his entire thought until he arrived. His mood crestfallen, and his mindset was making a ruckus.

His brother was going to be married with the General, just because of his stupid mistake. If he didn't aroused his stupidity to himself, then maybe their youngest brother maybe laughing with no disharmony every time.

He closed his room's door and leaned against it, a tick of seconds and he glided his body to the door. His agony and guilt rippled down to his spine and he felt helpless. Because, even if he opposed, he could not change the fact that his brother was still the concubine of the General. Even if he let his brother run away, the General will always hunt him down.

He covered his face with both of his palms, his breath shaken and he doesn't know what to do. Even so, how could their brothers forgive him? He started this mess, and now he could not help but to blame himself for the stupidness he had done.

He cannot even trust that General for he have witnessed how he inhumanly humiliated his concubines before and tossed them like trash. Thinking about his brother ending up in the same way, Min Zhe clenched his fist with frustration. He wanted to punish himself for being senseless.

His messy thoughts jolted when he heard a knock from the door. "Da ge, are you there?"

The sweet voice coming from the outside of his room rang to Min Zhe's ears. The sweet voice of his younger brother can melt anyone's heart. Min Zhe took a deep breath and smiled sweetly, a smile that could be deceiving. In his face shown that he was happy, but no one knew how he felt grieved inside.

He opened the door and looked at the beautiful young man standing in front him. Right now, Li Jie wore a plain white hanfu reflecting his stunning beauty, Min Zhe smiled faintly as he saw his younger brother. He hid his sadness deep inside and grinned at his younger brother, showing his white teeth.

"A-jie, it's late. You should sleep now." Min Zhe drawled, petting Li Jie's hair. The younger one smiled at his older brother and shook his head.

"No. Brother needs to eat. You should eat first and take a bath. Then you should sleep after." Li Jie reprimanded as he dragged his brother to the dinner table. Min Zhe inwardly sighed and let himself being dragged by his younger brother. Min Zhe wondered, does his brother waited for him to come home? He asked to himself.

"Here, I know that you will come home tonight so I left you a share. Hua ge was tired so he rested first. I waited for you until you come home." Li Jie muttered as he served food to his older brother. His brother chuckled upon how Li Jie acted. He was way more different before. Before, he will only nod silently and smiled sweetly, not saying even a single word. 'Li Jie' was shy, and he gets flustered so easily. But now, Li Jie went bolder and acted like a mother.

He liked this Li Jie now. He could finally express his thoughts freely. However, seeing his younger brother being hurt, he couldn't stand it. He wished he was stronger, so he could protect his younger brother without receiving any help from other people.

But how? Their family was ordinary, he was not a highly official but a lowly guard. Their income could only fit to their living expenses and unlike those filthy rich people, they were nothing compared to them.

Min She lowered his head and stared at the food. He let his hair hide his face as he ate his food.

He could not help it. He felt pained deep inside. His chopsticks shaken and Li Jie noticed it. He hurriedly dashed to his older brother and lifted up his long hair that hides his face and was taken aback when he saw his brother's expression.

His brother, firm and strong, was crying in front of the table silently.

"Brother, what's wrong? Who made you cry?" Li Jie said with his wary tone. He hugged his brother tightly as his brother buried his face on Li Jie's shoulder, sniffles and hiccups could be from the kitchen.

"I'm sorry... I'm really sorry... I will never lose you again..." Even when he cannot understand what Min Zhe has said to him because he cannot speak clearly due to his weeping, Li Jie knew that his brother was apologizing to him.

Seeing his older brother in this state, he felt deeply sad and heartbroken. He didn't do anything yet he made the older one upset.

"Why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything to me." He said, he kept patting Min Zhe's back to help him calm his senses. Li Jie then broke the hug and grasped his brother's shoulder. He stared deeply at his older brother whose head kept lowering down. He was worried and scared that Min Zhe really did something wrong.

'If you are guilty because you lost your brother, don't carry all the fault to yourself. He was lost because he did go for himself, and it was not entirely your fault. I'm sure your brother wanted to say this to you, if he can.'

Li Jie thought about this and could not dare to say this in front of Min Zhe. He wanted to, but no words came out from his mouth. He was tongue-tied because he never encountered complicated scenes such as this one before.

Because in reality, he doesn't really have a brother.

"If brother is exhausted, then he should rest. I'll fix things up in the kitchen okay? Don't be sad." Li Jie puffed his cheeks with his watery eyes staring at Min Zhe. Min Zhe lifted his gaze and saw his younger brother's cute, puffy face. Upon those sniffling and hiccupping sounds, Min Zhe silently giggled and wiped his tears.

'I'm too big enough to feel like this. And I am a fvcking guard. Why does it that I easily cry?! My cool points ruined!' Min Zhe thought as his eyes bent into crescents and his smile ripped wider. Nevertheless, the General probably knew what he would do if he hurt this innocent little brother. If the plan really succeeded, then he will protect Li Jie from him. He cannot afford his brother to be hurt again. If that happens, he cannot forgive himself.

"... Okay. I will head up first. Sleep when you are finished." Min Zhe said hoarsely. He went out of the kitchen and head straight to his room.

Li Jie looked at where his brother now. And, he already understood the situation. The General maybe did something to him that is why he was acting like that.

Did he threaten him? Did he beat him up? Those questions kept repeating and he could not help but to frown. If his brothers will not agree to the General's accord, will he hurt his family? He doesn't know what kind of agreement the General had proposed to Min Zhe, but if it could harm the family, was it better to sell himself to the General then?

"No no no! Even if I'm going to marry him, I will never like him! Even if I have to change my family's surname, hell I'm going to like that Mushroom General! Pah! F**** his mother!'

Li Jie kept cursing inside his head. Thinking about the possibilities that he will be ending up on the General's palm. Thinking about him making him had a strong urge to vomit. He may be handsome, but who would fall for a mushroom like him? Only the lowly prostitutes will be the one to do that.

He could not help but sigh, how did he end up in this kind of situation? He was supposed to be dead. He was supposed to rest in peace. And yet here he was, transmigrated into the ancient world and was about to betrothed by a man.

Who the hell made him a wife?! He thought.

Author: (passing by...)

Li Jie shook his head and tidied up the kitchen. He washed the dishes and went to his room after. Before he stepped inside his room, he glanced where Min Zhe's room resided. He wanted to go inside his room. But Li Jie knew that his brother needed to calm down so he pushed off his thoughts and went inside.

He then jumped into his bed, his head buried in the pillow and he stuffed himself under the quilt.

He snuggled his pillow tightly and only his head popped out on the quilt looking like a little ball of fluff covered with fine sheets of cotton. Right now, the silly young man really looked cute, but his brows furrowed that he almost look like a fury fluffy cat.

He wondered, what happened to that scum now? That stinky, old man Liu did not made his move yet and the silly young man was worried. What if he'll bring disaster to this family? What should he do?

"Stop it! Just sleep already." Li Jie forcefully closed his eyes, shooing all those thoughts for those could only make him feel really worn out and distressed. He could only hope, that all his problems passed by. For now, he really felt helpless because he was being farther from his real self. Now, he was weak. Really weak.

**************

The sun has risen to the east and the cockling roosters was really noisy that they have awoken the drooping people. Li Jie and his brother Jiang was in the study room. Jiang Hua examined Li Jie's knowledge he gathered this past days of reading books. To his brother's surprise, Li Jie have no errors on his test. Jiang Hua was proud and satisfied from Li Jie's performance and he had no doubt about Li Jie's capabilities.

"Hua ge, I have something to say to you." Min Zhe took his steps forward to the two and wanted to say about Li Jie being the concubine of the General. However, as he went on his way to them, a bunch of black-clothed men ambushed their household, and Min Zhe was in the maximum of wrath.

"Brother!" Li Jie exclaimed. He wanted to fight, but for sure he will be suspected. He really wanted to curse that stinky, old man for ambushing him that his family was involved. His family has nothing to do with this, but now it was too late. Even his family was in danger.

'Damn it!'

"Li Jie! Go inside the room now! It's dangerous!" Min Zhe shouted as he punched and kicked the black-cloated men to their stomachs, causing them to winced in pain.

"But brother..."

"Hua ge, accompany Li Jie inside! Don't let any pests near him!" Jiang Hua, who was skillfully slashing the men's body nodded at his brother. Jiang Hua's side is a bit gory. His hands and hanfu was bathed in blood and his eyes were glowing red with anger.

"Understood!" Jiang Hua carried his brother to the secluded room and guarded him safely.

But, Li Jie could not calm down. He really faced a real life danger situation and his hands trembled. He wanted to kill them. He wanted to plunge his knife to their intestines. He wanted to capture the mastermind of this mess and tortured him severely until he will going to die slowly.

He remembered, Min Zhe was out there fighting the uncultured men. His veins nearly popped out from his forehead.

'Screw it! Be suspected or not I'm going to kill those demons!'

Li Jie was about to throw himself outside and join the fight when Jiang Hua hugged his younger brother tight to avoid him from going to where the commotion happened.

Jiang Hua "What are you doing?! Don't you see we're in the life and death situation?!"

Li Jie "So what?! I'm going to leave Min Zhe there unprotected?! Let me go! I want to fight!'

Jiang Hua was really angry that he was looking at Li Jie furiously.

"Min Zhe was out there fighting for your safety! Don't be too reckless of throwing yourself in those kind of people! And what? What are you going to do? With that body of yours you really had a chance against them?! Please! Just for now, don't be a burden for Min Zhe's sake."

Jiang Hua's words struck deep into Li Jie's chest. For all these years, did his brothers really think of him as a burden to this family? Li Jie quieted down and his clenching fist loosen. Jiang Hua finally realized how foolish he was. How can he say that to him? Right now, he really hurt his brother's feelings.

"I'm sorry for being weak, brother. I'm sorry for carrying my burden for all this time. I just wanted my family to be safe. Is it too much to ask?" Li Jie said coldly and sighed heavily. Li Jie's chest felt heavy and painful. For all this time, do they treated the past 'Li Jie' as a burden? He sat down the floor and remained silent, his heterochromia eyes were lifeless.

"I..." Jiang Hua couldn't say anything. He was speechless. He blurted out those words without thinking and struck a long needle towards his younger brother's heart.

"Hua ge, if you got sick of my burden, just say it out loud. I will adjust myself for you." After Li Jie said those, he kicked the door open and punched the black man's face who was sticking from the door all this time. He was really angry, and to vent his anger all out, he need to torture this mortal pests. The man he punched flew out the window and the innocent brother they knew was transformed into a merciless beast.

"If I killed them all, then I won't become a burden right?" Li Jie's creepy smile shined through Jiang Hua.

Jiang Hua's hair stood up, looking at his angel brother turned into a demon.

.

.

.