CHAPTER 95: THE BANQUET

If Nine were here, he probably would have yelled "pervert" at Henry 7,749 times.

Joshua lay face down on the bed, his entire face buried in the soft pillow, his lips tightly pressed, and his ears flushed red as if they were about to bleed. How could Henry be like that? All Joshua did was scratch his abdomen, and Henry did the same to him, but Joshua wasn’t reacting like this! Joshua thought with a hint of petulance.

Though only the sound of running water came from the bathroom, Joshua felt as if he could still hear Henry’s heavy breathing.

He must be going crazy!

Just then, a sudden knock sounded on the door, and Justin’s voice called out: "Joshua, are you and Henry done? We’re about to start the banquet."

Joshua jumped up from the bed and hastily replied: "Ah, yes, almost done!"

Silence fell outside. Joshua checked his phone screen; more than twenty minutes had passed...

Wait, stop!

Joshua frantically shook his head, refusing to let his mind jump to any further conclusions.

Meanwhile, inside the bathroom, steam made everything hazy. Henry pressed his lips tightly together, the recent image playing in his mind. Joshua, lying on the bed, was teased to the point of tears by him, his shirt dishevelled, revealing his pale abdomen with beautifully slight muscles.

He...

Joshua’s voice seemed to linger in Henry’s ear.

"Joshua... Joshua..."

Henry quickened the movements of his hand.

"Henry..." Just then, Joshua’s voice suddenly sounded outside the door. Henry instantly jolted and let out a soft groan, immediately releasing.

Joshua, still outside, had no idea what had just happened inside the room. He spoke softly: "Are you done? I’m going to go out first."

Having said that, he quickly slipped away.

Henry heard the retreating footsteps and felt the wet stickiness on his hand. In the end, he could only cover his face with his other hand in frustration. He really... really had no willpower when it came to Joshua.

Joshua would definitely think he was unreliable.

Henry lowered his eyes, his face expressionless, but his heart was in turmoil. The unsatisfied feeling made Henry only want to embrace Joshua completely.

No, no...

Henry splashed cold water on his face. Looking at his younger brother, who was still standing straight, he finally decided to take a cold shower. If it still didn’t wilt after the cold shower, he would resort to violence.

The "cold-blooded" Henry thought to himself.

"Joshua, what’s wrong with your face?" Luther frowned and asked, probing.

Joshua quickly shook his head. "Huh? Oh—probably just a little excited, that’s why I’m flushed."

It wasn’t just flushed; the corners of Joshua’s eyes were even a bit pink. This was clearly how he always looked whenever Luther teased him.

Luther frowned. "Did Henry bully you?"

Joshua waved his hand. "How could he bully me? I’m the one who teases him!"

Leonard, standing nearby, pinched Joshua’s cheek lightly and sneered, "Do you really think you can bully anyone?" Then, as if to reassure him, he added, "If anyone dares to bully you, tell me and I’ll beat them to a pulp."

Joshua shook his head. "Don’t use violence."

Leonard clicked his tongue and said nothing more.

Joshua couldn’t help but reach out and hover his hand over the grill.

Yes—the celebratory party for finally becoming ShineOn had turned into a barbecue! What could be better than grilled meat?

Joshua—the carnivore—felt nothing could top this.

"Move aside, move aside. Don’t play with fire. Watch me," Luther said, pulling Joshua’s hand away and starting to place meat on the grill.

The sizzle was satisfying; the meat had been pre-seasoned, and as juices ran out, the aroma quickly filled the room.

"Justin, did you turn on the ventilation?" Luther asked.

"It’s on," Justin replied quickly, flipping the meat.

Joshua stared at the meat on the grill with eyes that shone with no willpower at all, as if they might run away if he looked away—the look on his face was one of loud silence.

"You’re drooling, Joshua," Leonard remarked.

Joshua instinctively wiped his mouth and nudged Leonard’s leg. "I’m not drooling!"

Leonard laughed without saying anything. Luther, nearby, also found it a little funny.

Henry came over then. He glanced at Joshua, who was wedged between Leonard and Luther, and finally sat down beside Justin, across from the three of them.

"Here you go." Luther placed the first piece of meat into Joshua’s bowl.

"Thanks, Luther." Joshua rubbed his head against Luther’s shoulder. Luther bowed his head and bumped his forehead against Joshua’s, smiling. "What kind of thank-you is that?"

"Eat up—if you stall now, who are you waiting for?" Luther teased, ruffling Joshua’s hair gently.

Joshua blinked. "You really don’t need me to help grill?"

Luther flicked Joshua on the forehead. "Don’t give me that insincere look, Joshua. Besides, I don’t want burnt meat."

"Joshua, why don’t you offer to grill for me? My arm’s tired too," Leonard said suddenly from the side.

Joshua turned to look at him briefly, then went back to his plate of meat without saying a word.

Luther couldn’t help but laugh, while a vein popped out on Leonard’s forehead. "Joshua, what’s that supposed to mean?!"

The atmosphere wasn’t bad, though—after all, the meat and sauce were delicious. That was Joshua’s main takeaway.

Of course, there was alcohol, too. Everyone else was drinking, except Joshua, who wasn’t allowed even a sip. The reason? They said he was still a kid, underage, so no drinking for him.

Joshua: "..." I’m definitely older than you guys—you don’t know it!

Luther noticed Joshua’s plate was already overflowing with meat. He glanced over and saw Joshua with one cheek puffed out, chewing like a little rabbit. He’d assumed Joshua was starving, but after half the meal, the pile of meat had barely gone down.

"I’ve already eaten three plates, Joshua. If you eat like that, how are you supposed to grow?" Luther said.

Joshua didn’t seem to care. "You and Leonard keep cutting the meat nonstop, and I am eating."

"Joshua, open your mouth," Luther said again.

Joshua turned his head just in time to see Luther holding out a lettuce wrap toward him.

Joshua: "..." His eyebrows knitted together instantly as he leaned back—almost right into Leonard. Leonard went stiff like a statue, stammering, "Y-you—Joshua, don’t do that!" But on second thought... maybe it wasn’t so bad.

Leonard couldn’t help feeling indignant. Joshua really didn’t see him as boyfriend material at all!

"You’re eating grilled meat without vegetables? You’ll never get taller like that," Luther said, popping the lettuce wrap into his own mouth.

Joshua snorted. "I just grew one centimeter taller, so don’t try to scare me with that."

After another toast, Joshua took a sip of his soda, his eyes wandering toward Justin’s wine glass.

Justin caught his look right away. "Joshua, you wanna try some?"

"Can I?"

"It’s just one glass," Luther said, sounding unconcerned. They were all a bit tipsy by now, almost done eating. The night was winding down—one drink wouldn’t hurt.

Henry frowned. "Joshua, don’t drink."

But Joshua was already holding a wine glass, filled with just a little.

He looked over at Henry, tilting his head slightly, lips pressed together as he blinked up at him.

Henry: "..."

Henry stayed silent.

Joshua couldn’t help letting out a small cheer as he carefully took a tiny sip, as though savouring some rare delicacy. He’d tried a cocktail once before, but this tasted completely different—bitter and pungent. The moment the alcohol hit his tongue, he scrunched up his face, eyes squeezed shut, tongue sticking out slightly before he set the glass back down at once.

Luther burst out laughing. "Told you, you’re just a kid—can’t handle it at all, hahaha!"