Pen Pals {MXTX}

34- Qingqiu-ge is Shen Yuan-ge?

Luo Binghe's anticipating smile is going to haunt him in his nightmares.

Shen Qingqiu stared back at him blankly.

A moment of silence had passed.

"..."

Luo Binghe cocked his head to the side. Why wasn't Shen Yuan saying anything?

"Shen Yuan? Shen Yuan?"

GASP

Luo Binghe brought Shen Qingqiu back to reality.

"Y-yeah?"

Luo Binghe's face turned to concern. "Are you okay, Shen Yuan? You look sorta pale."

"Oh, I'm, uh, fine."

"Are you sure?" Luo Binghe's eyes became rather round.

Shen Qingqiu began to sweat.

"Well, actually," Shen Qingqiu said. "You know how your pen-friend's name is Shen Qingqiu?"

Luo Binghe nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I told you that."

"Okay... And have you ever thought that it was kind of weird that your penfriend and I have the same surname? Has that maybe passed your mind before-?"

Luo Binghe bobbed his head so hard, Shen Qingqiu thought it was going to snap off and roll away.

"Oh, yeah!" he said. "Of course, I thought it was a strange coincidence."

"Well... Perhaps it may be more than just a coincidence?"

Luo Binghe's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Shen Qingqiu looked at him. "There's a reason we have the same surname."

Luo Binghe let out a little gasp. "You mean..."

Shen Qingqiu nodded. He looked away. "I'm sor-

"You guys are brothers?"

"..."

.
.
.

An imaginary gust of wind whoosh by.

Shen Qingqiu wants to lower himself onto the floor.

WHY?

CAN YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?

Luo Binghe: "Are... are you guys really brothers?"

"No!" Shen Qingqiu practically screamed in his face.

Luo Binghe made a noise. A wronged expression appeared on his face.

Shen Qingqiu sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Sorry. The thing is, I am Shen Qingqiu. Shen Qingqiu is me."

...

Ding!

Luo Binghe: "What?"

。。。

。。。

。。。

"Shen Yuan-ge! Shen Yuan-ge! Are you mad at me?"

Luo Binghe hurried toward Shen Qingqiu as the two walked out of the gym.

"Why would I be- no, why are you calling me that?"

"Oh. Because you said in your letters that you were older than me."

"Yeah, by like, a few months. You don't have to call me that."

"But I like to!" Luo Binghe blurted out.

Shen Qingqiu stared at him. "..."

Luo Binghe hastily says, "It's sorta like calling you bro."

"Don't even call me bro."