The boy looked aggrieved and pitiful. He had finally found time to watch a performance, only to run into one upsetting thing after another.
Shen Xingshuo swept a cold gaze over Yang Yi, who mumbled but refused to apologize. His casual tone held a note of indulgence. "Come on, let's get a late-night snack."
While everyone else was still anxiously boosting rankings and gathering votes, Shen Xingshuo took his hungry little brother by the hand and left backstage without looking back.
The production team was the first to breathe a sigh of relief. With the confrontation over, at least the blame would not fall on them. As for the backstage livestream, how to handle that would depend on what the big shots wanted.
Shen Xubai said nothing more during this time. Only once the brothers were far away did he unhurriedly remind them, "Go easy on spicy food at night. Little Yu is still growing. He can't keep eating junk food."
Hearing this, Shen Yu lowered his head guiltily, wishing he had not heard those words. After all, the brothers had been eating their way through all sorts of roadside stalls lately.
Shen Xingshuo, however, had a thick skin. He was too far away to get hit anyway. If he did not rebel now, when would he?
"With me here, what are you worried about?" Shen Xingshuo thumped his chest loudly, his voice as resolute as if he were taking a Party membership oath.
"I'd be less worried without you." Shen Xubai exposed his little brother without hesitation. Those little schemes were nothing in front of him. The moment Shen Xingshuo lifted his butt, he knew what kind of fart was coming.
"Hehehe." Seeing his second brother get put in his place, Shen Yu laughed goofily, only to get caught in his eldest brother's indiscriminate attack. "Little Yu, you have a weak stomach. If you don't show some restraint, don't go sniveling when you need surgery later."
His bared teeth immediately disappeared. Shen Yu rubbed his flat belly and shook his head fearfully. "Little Yu is super fragile. One touch and I'm dead."
"Don't talk nonsense."
"What are you saying!"
Startled by Shen Yu's outrageous declaration, Shen Xubai regretted scaring his little brother. Shen Xingshuo also silently resolved to take Shen Yu out for heavily seasoned snacks less often.
He was an adult and could take it; with his little brother's small frame, he had better not end up straight in the hospital.
Following Shen Xubai's reminders, Shen Xingshuo took Shen Yu to a local restaurant and ordered a tableful of light, simple, nourishing dishes.
Looking at the names of the exceptionally plain dishes, Shen Yu could see that they were certainly nutritious and healthy, but his face fell, and he kept pouting in dismay.
Finding it a hassle to hold his phone, Shen Xingshuo simply started a video call. It counted as a different sort of family dinner.
"Where's my little brother?" While they waited for the food, Shen Yu swung his lower legs in boredom, his big, round eyes darting around.
"Right here beside me." Lin Yujing smiled at her darling son's puffed cheeks, then turned the camera toward Shen Jun.
The boy looked up, gentle and refined as jade. He seemed to have transformed in this short time, his innate elegance radiating from within. At the sight of Shen Yu, the corners of his lips lifted involuntarily.
Unlike Yang Yi's affected gentleness, Shen Jun's tenderness was a calm serenity tempered by hardship. Even his gestures carried a scholarly air, leaving Shen Yu staring with his mouth foolishly open.
"Snap out of it." Shen Jun took the phone. Though he was used to this older brother's exuberant personality, he still could not help laughing whenever he saw it.
"My little brother is handsome." Looking at Shen Jun's smiling eyes, Shen Yu gave him a thumbs-up without hesitation, his voice full of pride. "That's my little brother for you."
"Look at you showing off." Shen Xingshuo deftly rinsed the bowls and chopsticks with hot water. Catching his little brother's hopelessly smitten expression out of the corner of his eye, he could not help shaking his head. "Your big brother here isn't bad either."
At that, Shen Yu immediately wiped away his goofy grin. His little pout spoke of having nothing left to live for, provoking a laugh of exasperation from Shen Xingshuo. "Shen Xiaoyu, getting bold, aren't you? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Hahahaha." Laughing, Shen Yu dodged Shen Xingshuo's large hand and scampered around the table, giggling all the way. He nearly collided with the server bringing their dishes.
"Told you to behave." Ashamed of what he had done, Shen Yu apologized, then obediently sat down close beside Shen Xingshuo, receiving a head pat and a lecture from his second brother. "What if hot soup had spilled over your head!"
As the bigger airhead lectured the smaller one, those on the other side of the screen roared with laughter, marveling that Shen Xingshuo had grown up and learned to take care of his little brother.
"Where are Dad and Little Jin? Aren't they home?" Wilting after his lecture, Shen Yu propped up his head and remembered his forgotten father.
"You little ingrate. You finally remembered me." Only then did Shen Changgeng take the phone, pulling the awkward Shen Jin over beside him as well.
Finally mentioned, Shen Jin wrestled with himself for a moment before slowly shuffling over, all the while reminding himself inwardly.
I only came over because Dad told me to. It's not because I wanted to see Shen Yu.
"I miss you so much, Dad." Shen Yu had a sweet tongue. Since gaining a family, he wished even more that he could stick close to them every moment. "And Little Jin too. I miss my little brother so much."
"Hmph." Shen Jin folded his arms haughtily, desperately suppressing the upward curl of his lips. He looked utterly unconcerned, yet his backside stayed obediently planted in place.
Sweet-talking Little Yu charmed the whole family into high spirits. Only when chopsticks were pushed into his hand did he realize that all the dishes had arrived, and he immediately began eating with delight.
It had to be said that expensive food was expensive for a reason.
Shen Yu had thought the dishes would be bland, but they turned out to be bursting with savory flavor, their full aroma brought out. Though they lacked the kick of seasonings, they were still so delicious that he shook his head with delight.
With his head down, Shen Yu shoveled in food like someone who had not eaten for days. Even Shen Xingshuo could not help reflecting on whether he had been mistreating the kid.
"How are things on your end? I'll deal with Xu Liangzhou." Once they switched back to a voice call, Shen Xubai began discussing business.
"Nothing much. I was careless this time and let him take advantage of an opening." Shen Xingshuo yawned and said dismissively, "He can't even act. I've been keeping all the evidence for him."
Shen Xingshuo was not a softhearted person. Yang Yi certainly would not give up on debuting, and there was a long road ahead.
"All right, as long as you know what you're doing." Shen Xubai did not want to interfere too much in his little brother's affairs, but he still had to ask about Shen Yu. "When is Little Yu coming back?"
Shen Xingshuo took a sip of juice and glanced at Shen Yu, who was busy shoveling in food. He quietly lowered his voice. "I don't think it's a big deal. Maybe things have changed."
Things had not unfolded as Shen Yu had expected, and Chu Yao and Qiao Luo did not seem unreasonable either.
"It's not entirely unrelated. What if Yang Yi's original target wasn't you?" Thinking of Yang Yi's baffling actions, Shen Xubai analyzed them thoughtfully.
"Maybe it's the protagonist halo Little Yu mentioned. Yang Yi saw Qiao Luo as a rival and planned to slowly destroy his reputation from the start."
"He didn't expect you to keep getting involved, so he simply decided to deal with you as cannon fodder too."
Shen Xingshuo was dumbfounded. He had never expected that he was being turned into cannon fodder because of some so-called protagonist, and he could not help swearing.
"Shen Xingshuo," Shen Xubai warned, not allowing Second Shen to be a bad influence on their little brother.
"Got it." Shen Xingshuo took a deep breath and handed the phone back to Shen Yu, who was rubbing his belly after eating too much. "Our eldest brother wants to know when you're going home."
"Big Brother, I want to stay and play a little longer." Shen Yu pressed close to the phone and wheedled at Shen Xubai.
"Having so much fun he's forgotten home." Shen Xingshuo watched from the sidelines, not forgetting to start clearing away the remaining food.
"Stay and play if you want." Remembering that school would not start for a while yet, Shen Xubai did not want to constrain Shen Yu's nature either. He could only entrust the important task to Second Shen.
"Xingshuo, take good care of Little Yu."
"Roger." Shen Xingshuo was very annoyed by his eldest brother's repeated reminders, but he still answered obediently.
"Give me one scrawny Little Yu, and I'll return a two-hundred-jin piglet."
Shen Xubai fell silent. "That really won't be necessary."