A family... about to fall apart?
This time, everyone heard it clearly. For a moment, Lin Yujing did not know what to do with her outstretched hand, so she could only quietly tug at her son's cowlick.
"Mom, that hurts." Shen Yu, who had minded his foot but forgotten his head, pouted aggrievedly. When he saw three pairs of eyes turn toward him, he immediately flapped his arms like a little chick.
Shen Changgeng was the first to regain his composure. He turned to look at his unruffled second son and reached a conclusion.
"That was Mom's fault. Little Yu, does your foot still hurt? Let's have the doctor take a look." Lin Yujing had weathered plenty of storms herself, and her first concern was still her son's health.
After all, they had raised him for over ten years, watching the little baby go from babbling to slowly growing taller. His lively manner now delighted the couple even more, giving them a faint sense that this was how he should have been all along.
"I'm in tip-top shape!" Worried that his second brother would be misunderstood, Shen Yu raised his hand and thumped his chest loudly. "Nothing's wrong at all."
[See that, second brother? Your little brother is pledging his loyalty!]
The boy's furtive little glances were both funny and heartrending, and his attempt to put on a brave face softened Shen Changgeng's heart even further. "Even if nothing's wrong, let the doctor take a look. If it's healed well, you can have it taken off!"
"Mm-hmm!" Hearing that the bandage could come off, Shen Yu nodded furiously. After hopping around for so long, he had almost forgotten what walking felt like.
The three who heard his muttering tacitly chose not to draw attention to it. Shen Yu scratched his cheek foolishly too, his head all muddled.
Just as Lin Yujing was about to chat about her second son's university life, Shen Yu's stomach growled at an unfortunate moment. A trace of regret mingled with the relief in Shen Xingshuo's eyes as he seized the opportunity to say, "Let's eat."
"Xubai has nearly finished dealing with his business too. He should be home soon." Realizing that her second son did not want a heart-to-heart, Lin Yujing opened her mouth, then shifted the topic to her eldest.
"Big brother's coming back too?" Shen Xingshuo frowned in confusion. His little brother had only suffered some superficial injuries. Did the whole family need to turn out?
"He has other business." Shen Changgeng answered for his wife, then looked at his tall, strapping second son and patted Shen Xingshuo's shoulder, signaling for him to follow.
Watching the father and son leave, Shen Yu visibly relaxed. Dad Shen had far too imposing a presence, and Second Shen's gaze was aggressive. His sweet-smelling, soft mother was much more relaxing to be around.
"Are you that scared of your second brother and Dad?" Lin Yujing pinched Shen Yu's cheek. The boy still had his baby fat, and his formerly dull eyes had become bright and dewy, making him look pitiful and adorable.
Shen Yu watched the two figures enter the study, then tentatively took Lin Yujing's hand. Once he was sure that the person before him did not object, he bared his teeth in a carefree grin.
So this was what having a mom felt like.
Lin Yujing was happy to be close to her son too. Seeing that the father and son still had not come out of the study, she immediately busied herself feeding Shen Yu.
When Shen Xubai arrived home, Shen Yu had his mouth open, waiting to be fed. At the sight of his rumored archvillain brother, he immediately shuddered.
Yet Shen Xubai's expression was indifferent, and he passed over Shen Yu just as Shen Xingshuo had earlier.
The arm Shen Yu had raised to greet him slowly lowered. Pretending nothing was wrong, he scratched his head, while his left hand quietly picked at the gap in the sofa.
[Big brother is so handsome. No wonder he's the most badass man in the whole show.]
Shen Xubai's advancing steps faltered. His gaze swept over the affectionate mother and son before finally settling on Shen Yu and his upright cowlick.
[Wow, big brother looked at me! Those proportions, that piercing gaze, that imposing air-no wonder he's the archvillain.]
Faced with those furtive, appraising glances paired with such muddled inner chatter, even Shen Xubai, who had not intended to pay him any attention, fell silent. His gaze shifted to Lin Yujing, who was overflowing with maternal affection.
"Is Dad in the study?"
"He has something to discuss with Little Shuo." Seeing Shen Xubai's appraising gaze settle on Lin Yu, Lin Yujing guessed that her eldest son could hear the inner voice too.
"Little Yu is still young, and he hasn't recovered yet." Lin Yujing lovingly rubbed her son's head. When she saw Shen Yu secretly glance toward the kitchen, she decisively announced that it was time to eat.
With their materialist worldview shattered, the members of the Shen Family silently reviewed what had happened, their food tasting like wax. Only Shen Yu was hoarding food like a hamster at the table.
[This chicken wing is so good-crispy, nicely charred, and full of flavor.]
[Wow, wow, wow, this fish soup is so fresh and savory.]
[Ohhh, even the vegetables in oyster sauce have so much flavor.]
The muttering echoed in their ears. Before Shen Xingshuo had recovered from the shock of the conversation in the study, he was already looking disapprovingly at Shen Yu, who seemed as though he had never eaten a meal before.
"Eating too much at night is bad for digestion." Shen Xingshuo held himself to strict standards when it came to his physique, and he could not stand other people stuffing themselves either.
"I can take a few extra digestion tablets." Shen Yu paused in shoveling down his rice before realizing that Second Shen was reminding him, and he immediately replied with a beaming smile.
Shen Xingshuo choked on his words. Meeting his little brother's foolish smile, he felt that his good intentions had been wasted on a dog. He gave a light huff and bent his head to eat.
"Second brother, eating too fast is bad for you." Shen Yu did not know what he had done wrong, but he still adapted quickly and reminded Shen Xingshuo.
Shen Xingshuo: ...
With one brother silly and the other goofy, Shen Xubai really could not watch any longer. He placed a small chicken drumstick in Shen Yu's bowl and did not forget to remind him, "Hurry up and eat, then get some rest early."
Shen Yu dared to answer his hot-tempered second brother, but he did not dare defy his gentle, composed eldest brother. At those words, he immediately bent his head to gnaw on the drumstick, paying no attention at all to his second brother, who was practically spitting sparks across the table.
"Big brother!" Shen Xingshuo felt wronged. As a man who had only just reached adulthood, he could not help huffing angrily and pulling a face at his eldest brother's unfair treatment.
"You eat too, second brother." The clever little Shen Yu saw Shen Xingshuo glaring and immediately placed a chicken wing in his second brother's bowl, not forgetting to eagerly return the favor to his eldest brother with a piece of fish.
"Tsk, your chopsticks are covered in spit." Seeing his little brother take the initiative to give him food, Shen Xingshuo's eyes filled with smug delight, but his mouth kept up its relentless complaints.
"But big brother ate it too!" Shen Yu was puzzled, failing to notice Shen Xubai's arm stiffen beside him.
"If you don't like it, don't eat it!" Watching his second son act obnoxiously and stir up trouble, Shen Changgeng snatched the chicken wing from Shen Xingshuo's bowl with lightning speed. "Don't waste food."
Shen Xingshuo, who had lost both the sesame seed and the watermelon: ...
Watching the four men put on a whole show at the dinner table, Lin Yujing sighed helplessly and placed some greens in Shen Xingshuo's bowl. "Eat properly."
As a good boy who was not picky about food, Shen Yu smilingly accepted everything his family fed him, completely oblivious to the undercurrents at the table, until dinner ended amid his burps.
[What a thoroughly satisfying eating contest.]
Gradually growing used to Shen Yu's muttered exclamations, Lin Yujing personally escorted her youngest son back to his room and tucked in the corners of his blanket before closing the door and leaving with peace of mind.
The members of the Shen Family tacitly gathered in the study.
Apart from Shen Xingshuo, who was scratching his head in distress, Shen Changgeng and Shen Xubai were clearly weighed down by worries.
"Have you found any trace of them? Did they tell you anything?"