Chapter 58: Just Brothers
"Sort of. If I hadn’t helped him enlist, he wouldn’t have died." Yang Jiabo was still haunted by this question.
"Life is full of accidents, no one can predict them. For you to obsess over this... I don’t even know what to say, it’s so foolish." Wei Jing really wanted to crack open his head and see how his brain worked.
"What if I told you that the alternate life I just imagined was the one where he didn’t enlist? Would you believe me?" Yang Jiabo asked.
Wei Jing hesitated for a second before saying, "I believe you."
Yang Jiabo was surprised. "Why?"
"From our usual conversations, I’ve learned a bit about your family. Given Li Wen’s situation, being the eldest son but not favored by his parents, he was capable but also a bit arrogant."
"He couldn’t stand staying at home, and his skills weren’t useful for daily life. To break free, he basically had two choices: become a live-in son-in-law or leave to work elsewhere. You can’t deny he was a bit lazy, liked to have fun, and yearned for city life. So, there was a 60% chance he’d choose to marry into another family."
"From what you’ve said about his arguments with his father, his personality was impulsive and eager for success. People like that are prone to trouble. Being a live-in son-in-law isn’t easy—at first, the marriage might seem fine, but over time, conflicts arise. Given his status, he’d always be at a disadvantage. And with his pride, the longer it went on, the worse the relationship would get."
"Besides, families who take in sons-in-law usually want someone to carry on their lineage. Once they have a child, most such families won’t let the child get too close to the father, they might even send the child to live with the grandparents. So, it’s easy to predict how things would go. Personality determines fate, there’s truth to that.
"Of course, life is full of surprises. My analysis isn’t absolute, there’s always some probability involved. Don’t take it too seriously."
After hearing Wei Jing’s words, Yang Jiabo was stunned. His reasoning seemed solid.
Wei Jing took a sip of beer before continuing, "Now, let’s talk about the other life. Li Wen’s talents could’ve shined in the military. But his personality would still be a problem, it’d take time to temper. The strict discipline would’ve curbed his bad habits and corrected them one by one."
"Compared to civilian life, he’d have found belonging and success in the army. Setting aside this accident, he might’ve thrived there. Even if he’d left the military later, his perspective would’ve broadened, and his personality would’ve matured. So, for him, enlisting was still the best choice."
"I get it now." Yang Jiabo nodded, feeling a little better.
"Li Wen’s death is truly regrettable, but don’t blame yourself too much. At least everyone will remember him. He died a hero, saving others. When people mention him, they’ll only remember the good." Wei Jing comforted him.
"Brother, you know what? When I first heard about Second Cousin’s death, I really felt like I’d killed him. I blamed myself so much. I kept thinking, if I hadn’t encouraged him to enlist, he wouldn’t have died." Yang Jiabo recalled his emotions at the time, it was complicated.
"The older you get, the dumber you become. Really." Wei Jing felt a pang of pity for this fool, but seeing him finally let go, he also sighed in relief.
"Yeah, I was stupid. But I’ve figured it out now." Still, he’d never dare interfere with someone else’s life path again. At most, he’d help if they were in trouble.
"Good that you’ve figured it out. Besides Li Wen’s matter, anything else bothering you?" Wei Jing asked.
"Not much. Just… my mom came to see me." Yang Jiabo sighed.
"She’s your mother, it was bound to happen sooner or later. What did she want this time?"
"She regrets it now, wants to remarry Dad. I refused outright, and then she got upset. I feel like she and I live in completely different worlds, our perspectives are just too different."
"Different people, different minds. Just stand your ground, don’t be afraid of her. Eventually, she’ll give up."
"But if she keeps pestering me, it’ll be annoying. My mom cares a lot about face, is easily influenced, and a bit vain. I’m thinking of asking my aunts to persuade her to remarry someone else. Once she has a new family, she’ll have fewer ties to us." Yang Jiabo had been considering this for a while.
Li Mingyi might not want to marry Li Guizhen, but that didn’t mean no one would. His eldest and second aunts loved matchmaking, Yang Jiabo figured he’d give them something to do. If that didn’t work, there were always matchmaking agencies.
"Do what makes you happy. What about your dad, any plans to remarry?" Wei Jing asked.
Yang Jiabo thought for a moment. "Not right now. He seems disillusioned with marriage. If he ever wants to remarry, I won’t object. By the way, any news about Wei Feng?"
Wei Jing: "He should be back soon. You must be tired today, go wash up and rest. Tomorrow, I’ll take you out."
Yang Jiabo: "What about your work?"
"Brother Ren’s got it covered. That’s the benefit of having a partner."
"Won’t Brother Ren mind?"
"Don’t worry about it."
Yang Jiabo nodded and went to wash up. While he was showering, Wei Jing called Ren Boying and asked him to handle things for the next few days, he wanted to take Jiabo around. Ren Boying agreed without hesitation.
"Jiabo’s here, is everything okay on his side?" Ren Boying asked.
"Not really. His cousin died, and he’s been stuck in a loop of self-blame." Wei Jing sighed.
Ren Boying: "Then comfort him well. Taking him out to relax these days is a good idea."
Wei Jing: "Can you manage the company alone?"
Ren Boying: "No problem. Tomorrow, I’ll treat Jiabo to a meal, let him know."
Wei Jing: "Got it."
After his shower, Yang Jiabo dried his hair and flopped onto the large bed. Wei Jing’s bed was bigger than his, not as soft, but still comfortable. Hugging the blanket, surrounded by Wei Jing’s scent, he felt at ease.
By the time Wei Jing finished showering, Yang Jiabo was already asleep, clutching his blanket. Seeing the faint dark circles under his eyes, Wei Jing thought: This idiot hasn’t been sleeping well lately.
He grabbed a book from the nightstand and leaned against the headboard to read, he always liked reading a bit before bed.
Yang Jiabo turned over, restlessly throwing a leg over Wei Jing. Wei Jing gently moved it back. Soon, Yang Jiabo rolled closer and did it again.
This was the first time Wei Jing realized how restless Yang Jiabo was in his sleep. Giving up on reading, he turned off the light and settled in, pressing an arm over Yang Jiabo to keep him still.
Yang Jiabo slept soundly. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Wei Jing’s face. His sleep-addled brain struggled to process where he was.
"Finally awake? Can you let go now?"
"Huh?" Yang Jiabo blinked dumbly at Wei Jing. What had he done? He looked utterly innocent.
"You kept clutching my clothes in your sleep." Wei Jing pointed at the fabric still in his grip.
Yang Jiabo quickly let go, grinning sheepishly. "Morning."
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