Strange Mo Fan

"Sorry... Sorry..."

"I'm so sorry..."

Mo Fan raced down the street. He accidentally bumped into several people along the way, but could only toss out hurried apologies.

Sweat streamed down his forehead. A few drops got into his eyes, and he wiped them away without slowing down.

He kept his gaze fixed ahead and ran even faster, his eyes filled with urgency, excitement, and hope.

Please, heavens! I've never asked you for anything in my life. Don't let me down now!

Mo Fan cried out in his heart, praying for just one thing.

He ran into an upscale residential complex and followed his memory to a three-story villa.

Standing outside the courtyard, Mo Fan panted as he tried to calm himself.

He looked up at the familiar house, nostalgia filling his eyes.

Mo Fan clearly remembered that his older brother, Mo Xie, had bought this villa at the end of his first year of high school in his previous life. Ever since middle school, Mo Xie had been constantly on the move, looking for ways to earn money.

It had been hard at first, but Mo Xie later told him that he had been lucky enough to catch the eye of a company president from Magic City, who invited him to work there.

From then on, life had finally gotten better for Mo Xie's family. But they all knew how hard he worked, juggling his job and his studies.

To Mo Fan, Mo Xie was a hero and a role model. Mo Fan had sworn to become someone like his brother, take some of the burden off his shoulders, and protect their family!

But the good times hadn't lasted. Then that had happened... As his thoughts drifted, the light in Mo Fan's eyes gradually faded.

He took several deep breaths and walked softly toward the courtyard, as though afraid of disturbing someone.

He gently pushed open the wooden gate and looked around. The trees swayed in the wind, their shadows reflected in the pond below. Something about the sight felt strange.

He stepped onto the wooden bridge. The boards rang crisply beneath his feet as he looked down past the railings on either side.

Goldfish darted beneath the lotus leaves, sending ripples across the pond. They brushed against one another like figures in an ink painting.

Beneath the steps to the front door lay a flowerbed that ran along the house, filled with jasmine in quiet bloom.

A sweet fragrance reached his nose, soothing him like a gentle mother waiting at the door to welcome him home.

He climbed the steps. A wooden swing hung beneath the eaves beside the front door.

The entire courtyard felt peaceful and serene.

Nothing had changed. Everything was so familiar.

Until now, he hadn't known whether this was still his home. At this point in middle school, they had still lived in their old house.

But seeing the familiar courtyard put Mo Fan at ease. There was no mistake. This was his home.

He didn't know why his family had moved here early in this world, while he was still in middle school. But he couldn't worry about that now. There was only one question in his heart, and he needed an answer.

Mo Fan entered the code, pressed his finger to the scanner, and pulled open the door.

The chandelier overhead cast a bright, gentle light across the living room.

An anime was still playing on the flat-screen television mounted on the wall, though no one was watching it.

A young man leaned back against the sofa, his head slightly bowed. He appeared to be asleep.

His left arm rested along the back of the sofa, his right leg crossed over his left, and his right hand lay on his knee. Even asleep, he had an air of refinement.

As if he had heard the door open, the young man slowly opened his eyes.

He glanced at Mo Fan standing in the doorway, then checked the time before rising.

Mo Xie yawned and stretched lazily. "You're more than ten minutes early. Why are you home so soon today? I'll make dinner. Watch some TV while you wait."

Mo Fan didn't move. He stood in the doorway, staring blankly at Mo Xie.

"Xiao Fan? What's wrong? You look dazed."

Seeing Mo Fan like this, Mo Xie couldn't help finding it a little funny.

The familiar name echoed through Mo Fan's mind. He snapped back to himself and lunged into Mo Xie's arms.

"Xiao Fan?"

Mo Xie didn't understand why Mo Fan was so emotional, so he simply let his brother hold him.

"Brother, I missed you..."

The tremor in Mo Fan's voice left Mo Xie stunned for a few seconds.

Then Mo Xie smiled helplessly and patted his back. "You missed me after just a few days? Of course I missed you too."

The brothers stood embracing in the living room. A long while passed before Mo Fan finally let go.

"Brother, let's go to the hospital!"

Mo Fan looked up into Mo Xie's eyes, his expression utterly serious.

"Huh?"

Before Mo Xie could react, Mo Fan dragged him out the door.

"Wait, I'm not wearing a mask!"

Only after they arrived at the hospital did Mo Xie understand what a full-body examination involved.

The endless tests left his head spinning. Worse, every nurse who examined him fussed over his health.

Mo Xie could barely take it. He had to explain to each of them that this was just a routine checkup, lest it cause unnecessary trouble.

Mo Fan, meanwhile, was unusually diligent. He led Mo Xie all over the hospital and grew especially nervous when they drew blood for testing.

After the final test, Mo Xie slumped onto a bench, too exhausted to move.

Remembering that he hadn't told Mo Jiaxing or Ye Xinxia where they were, Mo Xie quickly called them.

It had gotten very late, and Mo Jiaxing and Ye Xinxia must have been worried. He explained what had happened and told them not to worry.

After hanging up, Mo Xie finally let out a long breath. A little while later, Mo Fan returned with the examination report.

The results showed that Mo Xie had no illness or abnormalities. In fact, he was unexpectedly healthy.

Mo Xie glanced at Mo Fan, who was grinning beside him, and more or less understood. It seemed the Mo Fan from another plane had crossed over.

That also meant Mo Xie had a fair idea of how things had ended for him in that other plane. Apparently, it hadn't been good.

Since another Mo Fan had crossed over, was he still Mo Xie's little brother?

Mo Xie had considered questions like that long ago. He had wavered once, but he had come to terms with it.

No matter how Mo Fan changed, he was still his little brother. His understanding of the world was different now, but who he was at heart remained the same.

Beside him, Mo Fan was in high spirits. He kept looking at the report in his hands and laughing.

In Mo Fan's original world, Mo Xie had been diagnosed with a very strange illness during high school. By Mo Fan's final year, his brother had been confined to a hospital bed. Not long after Mo Fan graduated, Mo Xie left their family—and Mo Fan—for good.

Mo Fan had stumbled through those days in a daze. Losing Mo Xie had devastated him, and there were times he had nearly given up. In the end, he had forced himself to keep going.

Mo Xie was gone, and Mo Fan had to hold the family together.

But to Mo Fan's surprise, Mo Xie in this world of magic didn't have that strange illness. He had worked out the timing; this was about when his brother should have fallen ill.

That was why Mo Fan was still so excited. Whatever the reason, all he cared about was that his brother was still here, at home.

I can keep living with my brother. Thank goodness!

This is a new book, so please support it! Recommendations, bookmarks, and continued reading are all appreciated!

As for the issue with Mo Fan, just treat it as an alternate interpretation. It won't affect the story.