What exactly was he supposed to understand?
Dad had said that, and now his brother was saying it too, so what was adult happiness?
Why couldn't he experience it now?
He really wanted to experience adult happiness too.
After lying in bed for a while, An Yubei felt Ji Shang settle down behind him before turning over to look at him.
"Are you going to sleep a little longer, Brother?"
He had gone to bed too early last night and wasn't sleepy anymore. He felt unusually energetic and wanted to get up.
Remembering how those abs had felt, An Yubei secretly made up his mind. He wanted abs too.
Ji Shang murmured an assent. "I'm getting up now."
An Yubei suggested, "Brother, let's go for a run!"
"Are you sure?"
The last time he had tried to get An Yubei out of bed, An Yubei had refused to get up no matter what. He clearly wasn't interested in exercise, so what had gotten into him today?
An Yubei nodded. "I want abs like yours too."
"All right. I'll take a shower first."
Ji Shang got out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom, deliberately glancing at the little house built from gold bars as he passed.
An Yubei had quite an imagination. He had actually built a courtyard house out of gold bars, but there apparently hadn't been enough, and it remained unfinished.
It looked like he needed to buy more gold bars.
Watching Ji Shang walk away, An Yubei really wanted to ask whether he would have to shower after running anyway.
Why not do it all at once?
So strange, so strange. He couldn't figure it out at all.
Half an hour later, An Yubei enthusiastically ran behind Ji Shang.
There were few residents in the neighborhood. Most of it consisted of landscaping such as greenery, artificial rock formations, fountains, and lakes, with small animals occasionally appearing.
The morning air was lovely, and breathing in the fresh air left him feeling refreshed all over.
But after running for a while, An Yubei regretted coming out for a run.
He was so, so tired. He couldn't finish this at all.
Why had he wanted to run?
He really wanted to go back and beat his past self to death for talking so big.
"Brother, I'm so tired. Let's rest for a while!"
"Xiao Bei, we've only been running for three minutes."
"Only three minutes? Why does it feel like a century?"
As he spoke, An Yubei lay straight down on the lawn. "Go on ahead, Brother. I'll lie here and wait for you to come back."
An Yubei didn't want to run another step, and he would never entertain the thought of running again.
It was too exhausting. His lazy body couldn't handle high-intensity exercise.
Lying down was much more comfortable.
"Don't you want abs anymore?" Ji Shang crouched beside An Yubei and looked at him dotingly.
An Yubei had life figured out. "Forget it. You don't have to have everything in life. You can be happy without it too."
Ji Shang's gaze grew intent.
An Yubei said, "It doesn't matter if I don't have any. You do, Brother. I can just touch your abs."
An Yubei thought gleefully, Brother has abs, and Lu Jinsheng has abs too. When Brother won't let me touch his, I can go to Lu Jinsheng.
I'm such a genius.
Right, I haven't contacted Lu Jinsheng in ages. Should I ask him out to have some fun? Where should we go?
As he was thinking, Ji Shang interrupted his thoughts with, "No."
"Brother, no what?"
Does he mean I can't touch his abs? Brother suddenly looks so fierce.
Ji Shang put away his slight anger and said gently, "Xiao Bei, you can only touch my abs, not anyone else's. Do you hear me?"
An Yubei nodded blankly, wondering what there was to be angry about.
He had scared him to death.
"Got it, Brother."
"Come on. Let's keep going."
An Yubei said, "I'm not getting up. My motto is to lie down for a while wherever I fall. I haven't finished lying down yet. Go ahead, Brother!"
"What kind of theory is that?"
"Slacker theory."
Ji Shang chuckled, thinking that his little brother really was adorable.
"Get on. I'll carry you back."
"Really?" An Yubei was too tired to move, but if someone wanted to carry him, he was more than willing.
Ji Shang nodded, and An Yubei instantly found his strength, quickly throwing himself onto Ji Shang's back. "Let's go, Brother!"
Ji Shang stood up effortlessly with An Yubei on his back and headed home.
An Yubei felt playful again and urged him, "Run, Brother. Run."
I really want that bumpy feeling of riding a horse, but isn't it a bit wrong to treat Brother like one?
An Yubei wrestled with that for just one second before wheedling Ji Shang into running, and running faster.
Having heard all of An Yubei's thoughts, Ji Shang smiled helplessly. What else could he do? He could only spoil his little brother.
He started running fast, and An Yubei cheered excitedly on his back. "You're so fast, Brother! This is so much fun! Go faster, Brother."
"Faster."
Ji Shang fulfilled every one of An Yubei's requests, regardless of whether it was unreasonable or excessive.
He simply wanted to spoil An Yubei.
That way, An Yubei wouldn't be able to leave him.
When they got home, Ji Dongsheng was already downstairs watching television. He was sprawled crookedly on the sofa like a slacker, looking miserable and not the least bit happy.
Seeing them return, Ji Dongsheng sighed heavily. "I'm so bored! Bored to death."
He had been cooped up at home all yesterday and was already bored out of his mind. Another day of this, and he felt he would turn into a fossil.
Ji Shang completely ignored Ji Dongsheng's needless moaning and took An Yubei upstairs to shower.
Realizing he had been ignored, Ji Dongsheng quickly sprang up and watched them leave in frustration.
Hmph. Nobody cares about me at all. I'm unhappy.
Even Xiao Bei doesn't care about me anymore. I'm so pitiful!
Soon, the two came downstairs for breakfast, and An Yubei whispered furtively in Ji Dongsheng's ear, "Dad, let's sneak out and have fun later. Don't be sad."
Ji Dongsheng threw his arms around An Yubei and said tearfully, "Xiao Bei, you're the one who remembers your dad after all. Ji Shang is a cold-blooded machine. There's no counting on him."
"My good boy, where are we going later?"
Ji Dongsheng could barely contain himself and was itching to go out and have fun.
An Yubei said, "Let's go find my friend later, then go to the amusement park together and have hot pot tonight."
An Yubei really wanted to visit an amusement park. Before, he had had neither money nor anyone to go with.
None of the classmates he knew liked him. They always kept their distance.
At first, An Yubei had thought his personality was simply unlikable. Later, he had heard a classmate's mother say, "Don't play with him. Children without parents are the worst."
An Yubei had never been able to understand what made him bad.
The other students kept their distance from him, and he kept his distance from them too. Over time, he hadn't even had anyone to talk to.
He hadn't participated in group activities, partly because he had no money, and partly because everyone else had friends while he had none, which would make him look very lonely.
At first, it had been fine, but as time passed, An Yubei had grown envious too.
In this life, he had friends, a brother, and a dad. He wanted to go out and have a happy time too, just once.
The moment he heard "amusement park," Ji Dongsheng frowned.
All he could picture was a throng of children rushing toward a merry-go-round.
Was that really something adults played?
He wanted beautiful women and erotic massages!
"Do we really have to go to the amusement park?"
An Yubei nodded vigorously. "Dad, I want to go."
If I can go with Dad, I'll be a happy little kid too.
Ji Dongsheng forced a smile. "Sure, let's go together, then."
Rather than suffer alone, he might as well drag Ji Shang along to suffer with him.
"Why don't we ask your brother to come too?"
An Yubei pictured Ji Shang sitting on a merry-go-round and shook his head. "Better not!"
"Dad, you're still grounded. We have to sneak out."
Ji Dongsheng: "...!"
He had forgotten about that!
His plan to screw Ji Shang over had failed.
"All right, then. We'll sneak out later."
The two had it all planned out. As soon as Ji Shang left, they would sneak out.
Unfortunately, Ji Shang always disrupted their plans without warning.
At the dining table, Ji Shang said, "Xiao Bei, come to the office with me later."
An Yubei let out an "Ah?" "Brother, I don't want to go."
"Why not let Dad go instead?"
Ji Dongsheng: "...!"
What a good son I have, screwing his dad over without even blinking.
Ji Shang said, "No."
An Yubei turned his gaze toward Ji Dongsheng, sending out a plea for help.
Ji Dongsheng drank his juice without looking at An Yubei.
Son, you're on your own. Dad can't help you.