Whether I'm a decent human being isn't for me to say anymore. You've clearly decided I'm not

The atmosphere in the dining room grew subdued and strange.

For a moment, everything became awkward.

An Jie froze when her son, who had been bawling just a second ago, suddenly fell silent.

"What are you up to now?"

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, she wiped his tears and snot away. "You start crying on cue and stop on cue. Are you putting on a show for us, or do you have a switch somewhere?"

An Jie knew her son. If he genuinely felt hurt or upset, he would cry nonstop, and no amount of coaxing would help.

This time, he had barely raised his voice-he hadn't even warmed up yet-and somehow he had already stopped!

Since when had this little brat learned to fake-cry?

"You're pretty good at this."

Tang Xifeng was equally helpless. He pinched his son's chubby cheek. "Even your fake crying comes with tears and snot. With acting skills like that, you could become an actor when you're older. You'll definitely win an Oscar someday."

"..."

Tang Youzhen looked pleadingly at his parents, unable to explain his misery.

How was he supposed to tell them that he really had been upset and crying, but his little sister's words had interrupted him, and then he had forgotten to pick up where he'd left off?

It was too hard. A little kid couldn't explain all that.

Tang Youzhen decisively gave up trying.

An Jie and Tang Xifeng's exchange brought everyone back to their senses.

At the same time, each of them became even more certain that Tang Tang didn't know they could hear her thoughts, and that no one else present could hear them.

For my own sake and Tangtang's, and so I can learn crucial information, I'll have to be even more careful from now on, the adults thought.

So I really am the only one who can hear my little sister's thoughts!

My little sister likes me. I'm the most special one, the children thought.

The crybaby, an actor?

Oh, please.

With feelings that fragile, could he even tell reality from a fictional scene? One slightly forceful line would have him bawling his eyes out.

An Oscar? More like a little golden crybaby.

Uncle Xifeng, you'd better give up on that grand dream now and find another career for your crybaby son.

Tang Xifeng: "..."

Tang Youzhen: "..."

Although he didn't understand what his little sister was talking about, or what an Oscar or a little golden crybaby was, he had a strong feeling she was insulting him.

He felt awful. He wanted to cry.

But his little sister didn't like him crying.

He couldn't cry.

He couldn't let her call him a crybaby again.

"Hey, hey, hey! I just praised you. Why are you starting to cry again?"

Seeing tears well up in his eyes, An Jie panicked. She was about to act first and stop him from crying when she saw him press his lips tightly together, hiccupping and sniffling without actually bursting into tears.

His tears ran down his cheeks and into his mouth, yet he stubbornly refused to make a sound.

An Jie: "..."

"Honey."

An Jie poked Tang Xifeng. "What's gotten into Youzhen?"

Tang Xifeng: "..."

Why ask me? I have no idea either!

"Is Youzhen trying to hold it in?"

The others looked over curiously, too.

Tang Youzhen was delighted that someone had figured out what he was trying to do.

"Not crying."

He sniffled and protested through his choked voice, "I'm not crying."

This time, he absolutely, positively would not give his little sister another chance to laugh at him!

"Haha, not bad! You already know how to hold it in at your age. Impressive."

"Our Youzhen is a little man now."

Tang Tang found it novel, too.

Not bad, little fatty.

Tang Youhao silently glanced at his flushed face. After a brief pause, he suddenly reached over and slapped his twin older brother across the face with his chubby hand.

Everyone: "..."

Tang Youzhen froze.

After staring blankly for a moment, he slowly turned toward his little brother.

Then it finally registered. He let out a wail and pointed accusingly at Tang Youhao. "My little brother hit me!"

Tang Youhao withdrew his hand as though nothing had happened, picked up his spoon, and went back to eating.

"..."

Tang Tang stared, dumbfounded. Only after a long moment did she manage a thought.

That little coward really can't keep his hands to himself!

She felt as though she now understood why her fifth older brother was a crybaby.

With a younger brother who settled every score and couldn't keep his hands to himself, anyone would have trouble not crying.

Still, Tang Tang didn't dislike that sort of personality.

Everyone fell silent.

The stares of the adults and older children, and his older brother's ear-splitting sobs, seemed to have nothing to do with Tang Youhao. Food was the only thing on his mind.

Tang Youzhen had stolen his meat twice earlier, while he had only knocked over his bowl once. Now they were finally even.

By the end of the chaotic meal, Tang Youzhen, Tang Xifeng, and An Jie all felt mentally and physically exhausted.

The two brothers had tired themselves out as well. After eating, they quietly leaned against their parents, conserving their energy.

Tang Nanzhou hadn't returned to the country in over a year, and the siblings had plenty to discuss, so they went straight to the reception room.

Su Xiajing wasn't interested in their conversation, so she took Tang Tang to the living room. Tang Youzhen insisted on going to play with his little sister, leaving An Jie no choice but to follow him out.

The other little ones followed them, too.

Tang Tang had been awake since they left home that afternoon and was already unbearably sleepy. With no entertainment left to watch and the little ones about to crowd around her again, she simply closed her eyes and went to sleep.

At the four Tang siblings' long-awaited reunion, Tang Beichen, Tang Xifeng, and Tang Nanzhou first discussed a few company matters before the conversation turned back to family affairs.

"I heard all about what happened to Tangtang. Beichen, what are you planning to do?" Tang Nanzhou went straight to the point. "You can't have bodyguards following Xia Jing and Tangtang around forever, can you?"

At the mention of this, the brothers fell silent.

It was a difficult matter to handle.

Even though they all knew the old man had arranged for people to abandon Tangtang, there were no security cameras in the hospital room, and no evidence proving that the butler and the nanny had intended to abandon the baby. Besides, the baby was still perfectly fine, so they couldn't even report it to the police.

All Tang Beichen could do was arrange for people to protect Su Xiajing and Tangtang.

There was no doubt that this had become a source of anguish for the couple, especially Su Xiajing.

After something like that, it was remarkable that she had remained composed and hadn't confronted the old man. But there was no hope of her treating him as family again.

Tang Nanzhou's question concerned not only their conflict with the old man, but also the problems the couple needed to resolve between themselves.

"After what happened, we can all understand why Xia Jing wants a divorce, but..."

Sure enough, Tang Nanzhou eventually turned the conversation toward Tang Beichen. "Why did I hear that you're the main reason Xia Jing asked for a divorce?"

Tang Beichen: "..."

Sis, I already know what you're about to say.

First his mother had misunderstood him, then his two older brothers, and now even his sister, who had only just returned to the country, thought he was a monster...

Tang Beichen had grown numb to the accusations and couldn't be bothered to explain anymore.

"Yes, it really is my fault. I failed to keep my promise to protect Xia Jing and Tangtang." He simply gave up and accepted the scolding.

"My God, you're utterly inhu... utterly outrageous."

Even so, Tang Nanzhou had no intention of letting him off. "You know better than I do how hard pregnancy and childbirth were on Xia Jing. You did something like this when your wife and child were at their most vulnerable. Do you think any decent human being would do that?"

In the end, Tang Nanzhou couldn't stop herself from berating him.

Tang Beichen: "..."

Whether I'm a decent human being isn't for me to say anymore. You've clearly decided I'm not, anyway.