Nightlife in the Shen Family was simple, and Cheng Jun and Cheng Jin had even fewer activities, but tonight had overturned their understanding.
[Were they afraid of the dark? Had their bedside night-lights been turned on?]
[What if Little Jun accidentally rolled over in his sleep? Would his injuries be worse when he woke up tomorrow morning?]
[Little Jin was so shy! What if someone bullied him when he went out?]
[When could I grow up? Why couldn't time fast-forward six years and send me to college? My IQ was top-notch!]
A miserable Shen Yu tossed and turned, unable to sleep, unaware that everyone in the Shen Family was keeping the little rascal company. Shen Xingshuo, in particular, wished he could shut his little brother's mouth.
Shen Xubai even lowered his head in reflection, planning to transfer some spending money to his brother first thing in the morning. Otherwise, with him muttering about it every day, anyone who didn't know better would think the Shen Family had gone bankrupt!
Shen Changgeng was also driven to exasperated laughter by his son's money-grubbing tendencies. Even Lin Yujing was distracted from her sadness, unsure whether to laugh or cry at Shen Yu's endless muttering.
The two brothers receiving his concern exchanged looks. Seeing his older brother's lips unconsciously curl into a smile, Cheng Jin gave a little huff without saying anything.
Shen Yu wasn't entirely useless. At least he could make Cheng Jun, who seemed as though he might disappear the very next second, smile.
Perhaps because they had heard too much muttering yesterday, there were still only five people at the table when Uncle Liu had breakfast ready.
Shen Changgeng looked at the two brothers sitting obediently, then at Shen Xubai, who hadn't forgotten to reply to messages while eating, and asked in genuine bewilderment.
"Were those two glued to their beds?"
"It wasn't the first time."
Lin Yujing sat beside the two brothers, using serving chopsticks to give Cheng Jun and Cheng Jin soup dumplings. She didn't forget to defend her children, either. "Children were still growing. What was wrong with letting them sleep a little longer?"
"Would they get tall enough to prop up the ceiling?" Shen Changgeng shook his head at his wife's unconditional protectiveness. "They couldn't even compare to their two younger brothers! Little Jun and Little Jin were so well-behaved. Just like Xubai, they had quite a bit of my flair back in the day."
Lin Yujing rolled her eyes at that. "I'd never seen anyone praise someone else only to circle around and praise himself."
The couple's lighthearted bickering at the table made Cheng Jun relax, too. The Shen Family clearly had no rule against talking while eating or in bed, and Mom was even especially protective.
Cheng Jin couldn't help glancing toward the room. Shen Yu had welcomed the two brothers so enthusiastically yesterday, so why was he staying behind closed doors today? Was he really asleep?
Unable to win an argument against his wife, Shen Changgeng shook his head in frustration. Fortunately, there were three good children in front of him. Otherwise, a whole nest of little brats could anger someone to death.
Only as breakfast neared its end did the groggy Shen Yu open his eyes. Seeing that it was eight thirty felt like a dream.
[Oh, eight thirty.]
[What? Eight thirty! Soup dumplings!]
Shen Yu, who had burrowed back under the covers, belatedly registered the time. Remembering the breakfast he'd been longing for, he hurriedly cracked his door open for a furtive peek.
Seeing that everyone was almost finished eating, Shen Yu slowly shut the door, rubbing his face hard as he wept inwardly.
Remembering that Second Shen hadn't gotten up either, the utterly despondent Shen Yu's eyes lit up. After hurriedly washing up, he bent over and opened the door, poking his head out to watch what everyone was doing.
A fluffy head poked out of the doorway, looked around again and again, then withdrew. The next second, the boy scrambled toward the stairs.
Everyone in the living room: ...
Exactly what mindset and confidence had made Shen Yu think that such a large group of people couldn't see that sneaky little figure?
Shen Xubai withdrew his gaze, unable to watch, and blamed Second Shen for sleeping in. If Shen Xingshuo had gotten up, Shen Yu wouldn't have been climbing the stairs while injured.
Determined to drag his second brother out of bed to face the storm together, Shen Yu climbed the stairs, panting, then slumped against the wall and knocked weakly on Shen Xingshuo's door.
"Need something?" Shen Xingshuo opened the door with the same bird's-nest hair. Faced with his aggrieved little brother, he first mocked him, then went to wash up at an unhurried pace.
Shen Yu followed him into the room like a little shadow and looked around curiously. He hadn't expected this athletically gifted brother of his to actually have an area in his room for studying music.
"Been bullied?" With his toothbrush between his teeth, Shen Xingshuo leaned lazily against the doorway. His half-lowered eyelids concealed the swagger in his eyes, making him look relaxed and harmless.
"No." Seeing that his second brother didn't mind him wandering around at all, Shen Yu pushed his luck and sat down on a chair, swinging his legs as he explained, "Everyone had finished breakfast. I was too embarrassed to go out."
"Were you too embarrassed to go out, or did you want to drag me down with you?" Shen Xingshuo spat out the foam and exposed Shen Yu's little scheme with unerring accuracy.
"This wasn't dragging you down! It was reminding you to eat! Dad wouldn't want you going hungry." Borrowing his father's authority, Shen Yu puffed out his chest, only to lower his head timidly when he met Shen Xingshuo's amused gaze.
Remembering Shen Xingshuo's outrageously cocky air when they'd first met, Shen Yu guiltily ducked his head.
Their brief, harmonious time together yesterday had made him forget Shen Xingshuo's unhinged personality.
"Let's go." Seeing how easily his little brother was frightened, Shen Xingshuo casually ruffled his cowlick, then scooped him straight up.
"Second brother." Suspended in midair, Shen Yu waved his arms helplessly, afraid that the fierce Shen Xingshuo from the day before yesterday would return. "I could hop down."
"And then what? If you fell, it'd be my problem again." Shen Xingshuo replied offhandedly, then noticed Shen Yu's body stiffen. Both of them fell silent.
Shen Xingshuo frowned in annoyance. Their relationship had been strained for the past two years. Though it had improved a little over the last two days, it still couldn't withstand scrutiny.
Just as Shen Xingshuo was pondering expressionlessly how to get past this, his arm was suddenly shaken. He looked down to find Shen Yu gazing at him fearfully but sincerely.
"Second brother, I'm sorry."
He had said exactly the same thing the day before yesterday, but this time Shen Xingshuo wasn't as stiff as before. Instead, he gave a slightly awkward grunt of acknowledgment.
Shen Yu stole a sidelong glance. Only when his second brother carried him straight to the dining table did he realize everyone was looking at him. He was so embarrassed that he didn't know whether to scratch his head or pick at his fingers.
Shen Changgeng looked at the ashamed Shen Xiaoyu, then at Shen Xingshuo, whose expression didn't change and whose heart didn't skip a beat. The brat practically made him laugh in exasperation. "Skip breakfast, and you'd end up with stomach trouble sooner or later."
Shen Xingshuo retorted to his dad with practiced ease, "I never ate breakfast in college."
"And you were proud of that? You were setting a bad example for your little brothers!" Shen Xubai rolled his eyes hard at Second Shen, who knew better but did it anyway.
At the mention of setting a bad example for his little brothers, Shen Xingshuo grew serious. He looked left at his twin little brothers sitting obediently, then right at his little firecracker of a brother fiddling with his fingers, and lectured him as though it were only natural.
"Little Yu, behave yourself. You weren't even doing as well as your two younger brothers!"
Shen Yu looked up, dumbfounded. He pointed at the Cheng Family brothers, then at the shameless Shen Xingshuo, but after struggling for ages, he couldn't get a single word out.