Betrayed yet again, Shen Yu was too furious to speak and swung his arms, ready to hit someone.
Who could put up with that? What kind of big brother shifted the blame whenever something happened?
"Xingshuo." Shen Xubai glanced at the second brother. The boy, who had been so smug a moment earlier, pouted in displeasure, then obediently patted Shen Yu's head and apologized.
The already messy bird's nest of hair grew even more disheveled. Shen Yu smugly shook his muddled head, then sniffed and eyed the scattered remnants of breakfast, his eyes darting around.
"Uncle Liu, Xingshuo and Little Yu are up." Seeing the resentment filling Shen Yu's big eyes, Lin Yujing smiled and signaled for the kitchen to prepare more food.
Sure enough, Shen Yu's eyes lit up the instant he heard there was food, and he craned his neck to look eagerly toward the kitchen.
"You act like you never ate in your last life." Shen Xingshuo rolled his eyes and complained about his troublesome little brother, but still filled a glass with warm water and set it in front of Shen Yu before yawning and scrolling through his phone.
"Just look at yourself. You're supposed to be an older brother." Shen Changgeng could barely stand to look at his scruffy second son. He finally understood what people online meant by the current state of college students.
No need to work, with the eldest holding things up above him. What a leisurely life!
No need to read textbooks, with his younger brother studying below him. How comfortable!
He even stirred up trouble from time to time, making Shen Yu hop mad every day.
"Tsk." Shen Xingshuo sat down without a care. Seeing the steaming breakfast arrive, he shamelessly helped himself to his little brother's favorite soup dumplings, earning a string of eye rolls from Shen Yu.
Shen Xingshuo, whom even cats and dogs detested, crossed his legs and looked at Cheng Jun and Cheng Jin sitting obediently beside him. In a rare stirring of conscience, he asked, "Do you two want some soup dumplings? Personally selected by Shen Xiaoyu!"
"I've finished eating." Cheng Jun was surprised that Shen Xingshuo had struck up a conversation, but gently shook his head and declined.
Cheng Jin followed his older brother's lead, shaking his head while still studying Shen Yu, who was eating a soup dumpling in a single bite.
Compared with Cheng Jun and Cheng Jin, who had spent over a decade down on their luck, Shen Yu looked more like the poor little thing who had never seen anything good.
The late-rising brothers finished breakfast under everyone's watchful eyes.
Compared with Shen Yu, who was embarrassed but still ate with gusto, Shen Xingshuo seemed much more at ease and even remembered to trade a few barbs with his father.
Only when the hospital notified them that the paternity test results were ready and were being rushed to the Shen family did the relaxed atmosphere turn tense.
Holding the milk Uncle Liu had prepared, Shen Yu took small sips while observing everyone's expressions.
His excited mother, his tense father, his impassive eldest brother... and his well-fed second brother, along with the utterly calm Cheng Jun and Cheng Jin.
Oh, and young comrade Shen Xiaoyu, looking all around.
[Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to reveal the answer!]
[Let me take a look at Mom's expression. Mom is very nervous, very excited, but she looks absolutely certain.]
[Now let's look at Dad. His fists are clenched, and he's glanced at Little Jun three times and Little Jin twice! Oh no, is Dad going to play favorites? I need to look at Little Jin one extra time to make up for it.]
[Big Brother is as calm as ever, and Second Brother couldn't care less. Sigh~]
Growing anxious, Shen Yu turned into a chatterbox. The endless muttering ringing in their ears nearly did everyone in the living room in.
Shen Xingshuo stopped baring his big front teeth in a grin and eyed Shen Yu darkly, considering whether he could shut the brat's mouth.
Oh, no, Shen Xiaoyu hadn't opened his mouth at all.
Cheng Jun had been a little nervous, but listening to Shen Yu's rambling commentary nearly made him laugh despite his taut nerves. He even remembered to give the others a sympathetic look.
Maintaining his delicate, innocent persona, Cheng Jin looked timidly toward Shen Yu, afraid of getting caught in the chatterbox comrade's crossfire.
The half-hour wait stretched on endlessly. Shen Xubai even considered building a helipad at home so they could fly things directly back and forth.
Fortunately, the hospital hurried as well. Han Rong even rode over personally to deliver the test results into Shen Changgeng's hands.
"Thank you for your trouble." Shen Changgeng and Han Rong had been friends for years, and he still made a point of thanking Han Rong when he arrived.
"Your business is my business. Now that there's finally hope, of course we have to do everything we can." Han Rong sighed and nodded to the family gathered neatly in the living room, waiting for the results.
Seeing that Han Rong had not left, Shen Changgeng handed the file straight to the brothers. Cheng Jun and Cheng Jin had more right than the Shen family to know the results.
The sealed file weighed heavily in his hands. Sensing his older brother's breathing quicken, Cheng Jin pressed his lips tightly together and opened it with trembling hands.
It was printed perfectly clearly in white on black paper: a biological parent-child relationship existed between the samples from Shen Changgeng and Cheng Jin, with a sample locus similarity rate of 99.99%.
Both tense brothers released their breath at the same time. Seeing this, Shen Changgeng hurried to check. Once he confirmed that the results were correct, the weight in his heart finally lifted.
"Looks like good news. Congratulations." Watching his old friend's excitement, Han Rong sighed with deep feeling. "Your good days are still ahead of you."
Lin Yujing came over to the brothers. Everything she had held back these past few days finally found an outlet, and she hugged them both, silently shedding tears.
Cheng Jin drew his neck back awkwardly, unused to the overflowing warmth. Seeing that everyone's attention was focused on the results, he tentatively asked a question.
"Could there have been a mistake? Could something be wrong with the test results?"
Those mood-spoiling words were clearly ill-timed, but looking at Cheng Jin's hopeful yet frightened expression, Shen Changgeng swallowed what he had been about to say and gave a firm assurance.
"Shen Family Hospital has never made a mistake. We established your identities long ago. The test was only a formality."
"If you have any doubts, we can have another test done anytime."
Shen Changgeng's tone was solemn, and he did not fly into a rage over Cheng Jin's doubts. Han Rong, however, offered a meaningful reassurance. "Children these days are all very cautious. He'll amount to something in the future."
Cheng Jin did not answer, merely retreating shyly behind his older brother, looking every bit like a child who lacked a sense of security.
"Ah, these children have suffered too much." Shen Changgeng clearly did not want to continue, and Han Rong took the opportunity to say goodbye.
"Little Jun, Little Jin." Once Han Rong left, Shen Changgeng let out a relieved breath for some reason, then kindly soothed the two "frightened" boys.
"You've seen the test results, haven't you? I'm your dad."
"I'm sorry I lost you when you were so little."
Cheng Jun and Cheng Jin were not five-year-old children. They were already old enough to remember things and even understand them. Their emotions were bottled up inside, and though they pressed their lips together and gathered themselves for a long time, they could not say the word they had longed for so long to use.
[Dad is so silly. Just go for it! Charge ahead!]
Beside them, Shen Yu anxiously craned his neck. After confirming that the paternity test results were real, he was so happy he nearly jumped up.
Looking again at his father's clumsy explanation, Shen Yu squeezed the cushion in his arms, wishing he could step in and coach him himself.
[Put one arm around each of them and kiss your babies!]