Shen Xingshuo stopped mid-step, his roguishly handsome face filled with disbelief.
Molest him?
With Shen Yu's skinny arms, skinny legs, and frail little body-molest him?
The line of people at school who liked Shen Xingshuo stretched all the way to France! Why would he need to molest a scrawny minor!
"Second Brother, wha... what's wrong?"
Shen Yu had no idea his thoughts had been exposed. Seeing Shen Xingshuo come closer and closer, he wished he could bury his head in the gap between the sofa cushions.
Only when he saw his little brother nearly pull the cover off the throw pillow did Shen Xingshuo stop. He narrowed his eyes slightly and teased him pointedly.
"So the little mute can talk?"
Not only could he talk, but his head was full of nonsense, too!
The courage Shen Yu had just mustered immediately drained away, and his little head drooped. He understood what Shen Xingshuo meant.
The two young masters of the Shen Family used to dote on their little brother. But Shen Yu was withdrawn and disliked talking, and his frail health inevitably diverted some of their parents' attention.
No matter how attentively his brothers cared for him, mistakes were inevitable. Combined with the original Shen Yu's ambiguous, tacit agreement, this had left Shen Xubai and Shen Xingshuo bitterly disappointed, and they usually did not want to come home.
Meeting his second brother's searching, meaningful gaze, Shen Yu spent ages psyching himself up before finding the courage to give Shen Xingshuo's hem a tentative tug.
"Second Brother, I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what? What do you have to be sorry about?" Shen Xingshuo's eyes darkened, but he did not accept the apology.
His little brother had changed far too much. Coupled with the absurd "mind reading," it severely shook Shen Xingshuo, a staunch materialist.
Second Brother is such a cheapskate.
Having failed to gain Shen Xingshuo's forgiveness, Shen Yu drew back his little hand in hurt. The twelve-year-old boy was underdeveloped and looked less than a meter and a half tall.
His thin face looked aggrieved, his little hands pinched his hem childishly, and his slumped shoulders made him look utterly wronged.
Just as Shen Xingshuo began to think he was being too heartless, he heard his little brother in name mutter indignantly. Both annoyed and amused, he pressed down the cowlick on Shen Yu's forehead with a little force.
Shen Yu dared to be angry but not to speak, and he still remembered to offer a silly smile, like a tiny kitten wagging its tail ingratiatingly as it sought affection.
Does Second Brother have a split personality, or is he a walking encyclopedia of questions? He doesn't understand children at all, and he keeps answering with questions.
Shen Xingshuo swallowed the comforting words on the tip of his tongue. He stared meaningfully at his little brother's innocent face and bandaged lower leg, then gave a noncommittal little snort.
The living room fell quiet again. Shen Xingshuo reclined on the sofa as though nothing had happened, though his eyes swept toward his little brother from time to time.
Shen Yu was so flustered by the staring that he straightened his back as though he were in class. Even when the sole of his foot itched, he did not dare scratch it.
"Will you be having dinner at home, Second Young Master?" Uncle Liu looked affectionately at the brothers. It had been a long time since the two young masters had chatted.
"Of course." Shen Xingshuo switched on the television. He had intended to leave as soon as he picked up his things, but his little brother was truly strange today, and bits of nonsense kept flashing through his head.
"Wonderful. It's rare for everyone to get together for dinner." Uncle Liu beamed and immediately headed into the kitchen, brimming with energy. "We'll prepare a few extra dishes to celebrate the youngest young master's recovery."
Shen Xingshuo raised an eyebrow at that. Only then did he shift his gaze away from the trembling Shen Yu and ask casually, "The others are coming back, too?"
"Sir and Madam will be here soon." The butler's cheerful words caught in his throat. Belatedly remembering the strained relationship between the second young master and his parents, he changed his tone stiffly.
"The youngest young master wasn't feeling well earlier, so I..."
"All right, I know." Shen Xingshuo frowned and interrupted Uncle Liu, then lay back lazily on the sofa, though his gaze fell on Shen Yu, who was shifting his bottom to scratch an itch.
That openly probing gaze made Shen Yu stiffen as he lowered the arm he had been using to rub his bottom. He sat properly and meekly, his not-so-clever head desperately trying to think of a way out.
His second brother in name's strained relationship with their parents owed no small amount to him.
At nine, Shen Yu could not run and jump like other children. As his older brother, Shen Xingshuo felt terribly sorry for him. After getting the original Shen Yu's agreement, he had huffed and puffed as he carried his little brother out on his back to play.
But once they arrived, Shen Yu refused to cooperate. Not only did he scratch up Shen Xingshuo's face, but he also slipped away to the water when Second Shen was not looking and nearly lost his life there.
Shen Xingshuo, who had only just started high school, was terrified. His parents' scolding had not upset him, but his little brother's indiscriminate accusations after waking up had pierced the boy's heart.
Only the two silent brothers remained in the living room. Shen Xingshuo did not return to his room, instead scrutinizing Shen Yu without restraint, wanting to test this little brother of his in name.
Shen Yu was so frightened that his mind went blank. He desperately recalled the rotten things he had done before, failing to notice Second Shen's expression growing worse and worse.
Sounds came from the doorway again. Shen Yu shot to his feet, then saw his second brother remain firmly seated and clutched his sleeves, unsure what to do.
"How are you, Little Yu? Let Mommy see where you're feeling unwell." Lin Yujing hurried in, and Shen Changgeng behind her nearly failed to keep up with his wife. Seeing that his youngest son was all right, he, too, sighed in relief.
"Mommy." Looking at Lin Yujing's concern-filled eyes, Shen Yu awkwardly called her Mommy. He turned and met Shen Changgeng's expectant expression, then instinctively looked away.
Shen Changgeng: ...
"My sweet baby has suffered. Is it your leg or your tummy that hurts?" Lin Yujing looked frail, but she lifted Shen Yu with ease and began checking him carefully.
Shen Changgeng was used to his youngest son's silence. Seeing that nothing serious was wrong, he turned his attention to his second son, who had remained silent. The boy, who had only just reached adulthood, wore an unruly expression.
"Xingshuo, are you busy at university?"
"No." Shen Xingshuo had no intention of sharing his future plans with his father. After that perfunctory answer, he changed the subject. "How have you been lately? Is everything all right at home?"
This was his first time coming home since university started. Had his parents never heard his little brother in name's thoughts before this?
"What is it?" Shen Changgeng raised his eyebrows slightly. From what he knew of his son, he must have encountered something unusual.
Father and son stared at each other for a long time. Just as Shen Xingshuo could no longer hold out and was about to turn away, that furtive, gossipy inner voice sounded again.
Aaaaah! Is Dad going to scold Second Brother? I'm just too fragile-I get dizzy after a couple of hops. Does Dad think Second Brother bullied me?
Thinking of how the original owner's withdrawn nature and refusal to either admit or deny anything had worsened Shen Xingshuo's relationship with his family, Shen Yu stiffened his neck and tried to explain.
"What was that sound?" Startled, Lin Yujing squeezed the back of Shen Yu's neck. The boy sprang upright with a jolt, then let out a pained howl as soon as his lower leg hit the floor.
"Waaah, my leg!"
Heavens above, what sin have I committed? What can I possibly do to save my family before it falls apart?