No Longer Balancing - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My older brother, Chu Zhou, was the first to notice the change.

However, he didn’t say anything. He simply took the glass as usual and thanked me.

Meanwhile, Chu Chuan sat on the sofa nearby, bored and preoccupied with a game.

It wasn’t until I stood up to say goodnight and started heading toward my bedroom that he finally sensed something was off.

“Hey, did we run out of milk? Or are you so broke you can only afford one glass?”

Compared to Chu Zhou’s quiet indifference, Chu Chuan was like a prehistoric Tyrannosaurus rex-irascible, arrogant, and sharp-edged.

He set down his gaming console, his gaze unfriendly and his words as caustic as ever. “If you don’t need your eyes, donate them. Can’t you see I’m sitting right here?”

He never knew how to speak to me decently.

Any desire I had to explain myself vanished. My smile faded slightly as I gave a curt reply: “No.”

“‘No’? Then who are you trying to spite by only bringing out one glass of milk?”

Spite?

I thought back to a few nights ago.

Chu Zhou and Chu Chuan had been called out on an emergency mission.

They didn’t return until nearly one in the morning.

I had waited so long that I’d drifted off to sleep on the sofa, only to be jolted awake by the sound of the door opening.

I hurried to my feet, reheating the meal I’d kept for them and bringing it out. Just like always, I had prepared two glasses of milk.

Chu Chuan’s eyes were heavy with exhaustion. Noticing a wound on his shoulder, I stepped forward to ask about it.

To my surprise, he shoved me aside impatiently.

A Beastman’s strength is naturally immense. I was sent sprawling to the floor, the glass of milk crashing down with me.

Chu Chuan froze for a second, but his impatience quickly returned.

“Dammit, are you blind? Can’t you see I’m sending a message? You’re always trying to cling to me-you deserved that.”

He continued, “It was one thing when you used to act all spoiled and cute, but I’m exhausted today. I come home and the first thing I see is you annoying me like some pathetic lapdog.”

So, in his eyes, my waiting and worrying were nothing more than acting spoiled and cute.

I felt the sting of the loathing in his voice. A surge of shame rushed to my chest, and with a flushed face, I scrambled back to my room without looking up.

A muffled grunt echoed from the living room-Chu Zhou had punched him.

A moment later, Chu Zhou entered my room with a first-aid kit and knelt before me.

Only then did I realize that a shard from the glass had sliced my calf. Blood had already trickled down to my ankle.