Chapter 74 - The Fox's Brother Has Grown Up

Chu Yun should have expected something like this. Why else would his brother be so desperate? 

He had written to his mother, asking about her opinion on Chu Hean's upcoming visit, but didn't get a reply before Chu Hean's arrival. He was now wondering if Chu Hean had perhaps intercepted them.

He sat down beside Chu Hean with a beleaguered sigh. "Who does he want to marry you off to?" Part of Chu Yun feared his uncle had completely lost his marbles and had decided to marry Chu Hean to one of their idiot cousins. 

Chu Hean continued to look at him pleadingly. "I don't know, some noble's alpha son I've never met."

There was a way to phrase what Chu Yun was going to say next that could sound supportive and well-intentioned, or that could permanently damage his relationship with his brother.

Taking a deep breath, Chu Yun smiled kindly at Chu Hean and ran his fingers down the silky strands on his hair. "Maybe...maybe it won't be such a bad thing"

Chu Hean flinched away from his touch, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What?"

Chu Yun sighed, wondering if perhaps he could have worded that better. "It's not...the worst thing in the world, being married."

The betrayed look Chu Hean shot him made Chu Yun wince. This wasn't going well. But Chu Yun had no interest in placating his younger brother with empty platitudes.

Honestly, Chu Hean was almost of age, he couldn't be this naive. 

"You say that because you're an alpha," Chu Hean said, the words leaving his lips in a hissed snarl.

Chu Yun stared blankly at him, and then at the well-appointed but sparsely decorated inn room. Everywhere he looked the furniture was dark, polished to a shine, but not lacquered. Lacquers weren't as common in Zui as in Xin, and the fabrics were heavier, the embellishments a lot plainer. The bed they were sitting on had a thick feather mattress and multiple layers of blankets stacked on top of the already thick comforter, on account of Zui's cold climate.

There was no way for Chu Hean to have missed the fact that he was in a completely different country on account of his brother having accepted the marriage arrangements made for him.

"That really played a role, uh?" Chu Yun said, chuckling bitterly. "Why are you talking as if I had a choice in who I married?"

Chu Hean shot him an indignant glare. "As if alphas are treated the same way as omegas!"

He was right on all counts. But Chu Yun wasn't the person to say any of this to.

"I was married off! I married into my husband's family! Into another country in case you haven't noticed," Chu Yun retorted. Looking at Chu Hean now, he couldn't help thinking of him as petulant.

For the first time in his life he wondered if he had spoiled his brother too much.

Chu Hean's peach blossom eyes shone with wetness, he was on the verge of tears, but not because of sadness. They were tears of anger.

He shot up from the bed and stood in front of Chu Yun, his hands clenched into fists at his side. "You know it's not the same thing! You can go whenever you please, you're not your husband's propriety in the same way I'll be."

Chu Yun rubbed his temples, feeling an headache building. "Please, alphas in Xin aren't that boorish. I would have been worried for you if you had to marry someone from Zui. You have no idea how bad omegas here have it," Chu Yun shook his head, suppressing a shudder, "You're very lucky to be from Xin."

For a moment Chu Hean was quiet, and Chu Yun thought perhaps he had gotten through to him.

His slender shoulders shook, and Chu Yun worried he had made him cry, but the bleak sound trapped inside his chest grew in volume until Chu Yun realised he was laughing.

His laughter grew and grew until finally he threw his head back in manic amusement.

Chu Yun squirmed uncomfortably on the bed -- he had never seen his brother like this.

Then, his laughter finally subsided, and Chu Hean's features adopted their usual mask of sweet tranquillity. 

"You fool yourself if you think our country is all that much better than Zui. Only those on top go around raising their nose at each other's countries, beating their chest and proclaiming their superiority." He leaned close to Chu Yun, his voice dropping to a lower register. "You think the peasants of Zui and Xin would even notice if their countries changed rulers? What material different would it make? Would they still not be working on some lord's land?"

Chu Yun could only look up at Chu Hean in stunned silence. Where was all this coming from?

He had never heard his brother talk this way.

"What would change for the omegas except who they called master?" He grinned in the face of Chu Yun's shock. "In Zui omegas can be someone's spouse, in Xin they can be someone's spouse or a prostitute. Tell me how that's an improvement?"

Chu Yun's throat was dry, some part of him hurt to realise the sweet little brother who clung to his skirts was gone. His earlier thoughts seemed almost laughable now.

He had mistaken Chu Hean's complaints for petty naivety, but his brother saw clearly, perhaps too clearly for his own good.

"You'll get in trouble talking like that," Chu Yun warned, his heart beating violently inside his chest.

Chu Hean scoffed, turning away from him. "I should have known you'd be no help."

Chu Yun got up as well, staring down at his brother. "What do you expect me to do? Do you think I'm in any position to change anything? I can't do anything about my situation, let alone yours."

His words didn't meet any reply or rebuttal. Chu Hean remained with his back turned to him, shoulders drawn.

"Maybe you should go for now," he said, after some time, sounding really tired. "Take the package on the table, I brought it for you. It's food and drink...from home."

With a lump in his throat, Chu Yun took the waxpaper parcel and left.