Side story: Big brother

Time flies by.

The branches on the distant mountains were tinged with a long stretch of withered yellow several times, only to sprout new branches again in the new year. Then came autumn frost and winter snow, turning the landscape into a vast expanse of white, and once again a sense of desolate loneliness resurfaced.

The fireplace in the study was burning warmly, and the man bent over his desk, his eyes deep and his pen moving swiftly, was writing a letter that could never be sent.

On the table sat a model of an anime character, a collaboration with a game from years ago. In a daze, a boy seemed to be leaning against his lap, chattering away, boasting about how hard it was to get his hands on this collaboration, how ingenious its design, and how rare its materials were...

The man holding the pen stared blankly for a moment, the noisy sounds in his memory fading away, and the room returned to its long-lasting desolation.

It seems that ever since that figure left, his life has turned gray and lifeless, mired in a kind of faded loneliness.

Going to work, leaving get off work.

Eating, working.

Occasionally, you'll hear news about him in some corner of life—he's won an award, starred in a movie, or received the Most Popular Actor award, or you might even bump into him with his partner somewhere in the world...

Sometimes he would receive calls from afar; the person on the other end had a clear voice and called him "Big Brother."

Invite him to a dinner party, or ask if he has time to attend his party as an audience member, and occasionally extend an invitation to a family dinner.

Qin Mubai remained silent on the other end of the phone.

He wanted to see him, yet he was also afraid to see him.

He longed to see that smiling face, yet feared that his heart would once again be corrupted by the sunlight.

His Qingqing has started a family, has a loving partner by his side, and has a promising career.

Many years later, he may leave his mark on film history, while a certain rigid and uninteresting businessman in S City, with his few achievements, conventional life, and unremarkable resume, will not be qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

Like an unknown character flashing by in a magnificent historical scroll.

His life, seemingly devoid of anything remarkable except for those twenty-odd years of brilliant achievements, was mediocre to the point of being unremarkable.

A wind picked up outside, the howling north wind whipped up fallen leaves, and even blew away the last wisp of cloud on the horizon.

Qin Mubai got up to close the window, and the window frame creaked as if something had broken.

He gripped the edge of the window, and as he looked up, his gaze fell on a corner of the window.

Decades of wind and rain have etched their marks on this wooden board. The childlike handwriting, with a touch of clumsiness, appears to have been carved crookedly with a knife.

I hate Qin Mubai.

This line of text was then forcefully smeared, revealing faint traces, while another line of clear text appeared below, as if something was being corrected.

" Qin Mubai is the best older brother."

As the sandstorm blew by, Qin Mubai stood rooted to the spot, his eyes suddenly reddening.

The splintering wood cut his hand, tiny drops of blood falling silently. But the man standing by the window seemed oblivious, carefully bending down and gently touching the crooked words with his other clean hand.

It is so old that there is no date marked.

He didn't even know when he wrote those words.

The outlines were blurred, the deep red wood showing through the faded white, and the man's fingers traced the strokes, with hot water droplets falling along with them.

His handwriting was taught to him by holding the other person's hand and embracing them many years ago.

The handwriting, probably from when he was 8 years old, is crooked and uneven, yet already quite distinctive.

That year, their first argument was also the first time he used his elder brother's rules to confine him.

He was the unreasonable older brother, while his younger brother, with red eyes, hugged him and generously forgave his mistake.

Perhaps parenting books are right; every child is born with the capacity to love, and they will naturally love their parents, giving them all tolerance and dependence.

Nan Qing has no parents.

Nan Qing only has an older brother.

But he didn't know that the elder brother he trusted was a hypocritical beast who had betrayed all his tolerance and reliance.

Thankfully, he eventually found a suitable partner.

So, like all parents who watch their children leave home, this disgusting and boundary-blind older brother of his eventually has to learn to let go little by little, and learn to withdraw from his life with his love.

The long night was desolate, and the wind gradually subsided.

Qin Mubai made a phone call, and his assistant, who was at Christie's Auction House house, whispered a report to him.

Today's auction item is a bespoke Patek Philippe watch, crafted using traditional enamel techniques, with baguette-cut diamond hour markers on the dial. The child has always loved sparkly things, making it the perfect New Year's gift this year.

After finishing everything, Qin Mubai pushed open the door to the study.

There weren't many servants at the Sinan Mansion, and he preferred quiet, so it was always empty.

A long, black shadow fell to the ground, its length elongated by the dim light of the corridor lamps, curving around a corner before finally pushing open the bedroom door.

Sweet dreams tonight.

It should have been a sweet dream. In the dream, the boy was all smiles, opening his arms and playfully asking to be carried on his back. His slender legs swayed in the sunlight, and his spotless Baroque-style leather shoes gleamed.

He said a lot.

For example, he had a conflict with a chubby little monkey, or he stopped a big-mouthed frog from pulling a little girl's clothes, or his bespectacled teacher called him an idiot, or he lost a bet and had to give away his beloved skateboard...

He gave many people nicknames, and they were very fitting.

Qin Mubai couldn't help but want to laugh, but for some reason, his eyes welled up with tears again.

He wanted to praise him for being a helpful and well-behaved kid, and also wanted to make it up to him by buying him a new skateboard.

But the sunlight falling on his face stung his eyes. The child who had been clinging to his back had somehow slipped off and was now standing in front of him, smiling and waving.

"Big brother, I'm getting married."

My heart felt like it had been bent down and thrown into a blender, my mind was buzzing, and my hands and feet felt icy cold.

As if on fast-forward, he, as the only elder, attended the wedding and personally handed over the child he had raised to another man.

Laughter, music, and the scent of flowers carried on the wind—they were kissing.

Qin Mubai watched from afar, then touched his heart.

-

fine.

Fortunately, the child he raised will never know how dirty he is.

-

fine.

Fortunately, he managed to control himself in time and didn't make another mistake.

-

fine.

Fortunately, he can always stand behind him as the older brother who is not related to him by blood.

-

He no longer yearned for love that was not meant for him.

He simply chose to confine himself to this self-imposed prison, willingly becoming a silent inmate.

-

The night was deep and cool, and the man, startled awake from his dream, opened his eyes.

A shooting star streaked across the sky outside the window, leaving a long, bright arc in the night sky.

The man standing by the window, wearing a coat, stood there for a long time.

It's as lonely as a sculpture.

-

Fortunately, a dazzling shooting star streaked past him.

The rest of my life is long.

He will live forever guarding that last glimmer of starlight.