Just How Many Good Brothers Do You Have?

Coming soon: The Eighties Cannon Fodder Refuses to Be a Foil

Please add it to your reading list.

Blurb:

Xu Dong's educated youth roommate, Lu Xuelin, comes from a good family, has a bad temper, and keeps to himself with few friends. Everyone at the educated youth settlement keeps their distance from him.

Only Xu Dong can't read the room and keeps coming over for no reason.

As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Besides, although Lu Xuelin is bad-tempered and sharp-tongued, he's actually helpful and means no harm.

Xu Dong unilaterally claims him as his own, treating him like his best buddy.

From then on, whenever his buddy is upset, Xu Dong comforts him; when his buddy takes a bath, Xu Dong hauls water; when his buddy is sick, Xu Dong takes care of him...

Lu Xuelin finally can't help asking, "Why are you so good to me?"

Xu Dong pats his chest. "Because you're my best buddy."

Under Xu Dong's relentless care and attention, Lu Xuelin, whose heart is like stone and whose words are as hard as his heart, finally begins to respond.

In summer, he scrubs Xu Dong's back. In winter, he warms his bed. And when Xu Dong gets a craving, he asks someone to buy him snacks from the city.

Xu Dong is deeply moved and makes a bold declaration: "With a friend like you, what more could I ask for? We're brothers, and we'll be brothers for life!"

Later, the man who never showed his feelings pulls him into an alley and kisses him, smiling. "Do you still think of me as your brother?"

Xu Dong, embarrassed and furious, punches him.

Not long after, someone else appears by Lu Xuelin's side: fair-skinned and handsome, with enticing eyes, inseparable from Lu Xuelin like his shadow.

Xu Dong finally can't hold back. "Who is he?"

"He's one of my... good buddies."

Xu Dong curses under his breath. How many good buddies do you have, exactly?

Later, in that same alley, Xu Dong pins Lu Xuelin against the wall and bites his lips in revenge.

Lu Xuelin savors the kiss and teases him lazily with a smile. "Brothers?"

Xu Dong: Whatever! To hell with calling each other brothers!

[Note: A period drama. Both the seme and uke are locals. Pure romance, turning a straight man gay, childish bickering, bittersweet with a sweet aftertaste.]

Theme: Two people from unequal social classes can still share the same ideals. Happiness comes from being content with what you have.