Shen Huaian remembered that there was a timid and crybaby older brother next door.
She would always hide in the backyard and sob quietly.
Once, when Shen Qianshan finished his work and came home, Shen Huaian ran over and grabbed his pants with her little hands.
He looked up and asked, "It sounds like someone's crying next door, brother, do you know who it is?"
Shen Qianshan glanced at the butler beside him, who then said, "Young Master is probably referring to Lin Changfeng, the young master of the Lin Family. He overheard something while out playing."
Shen Qianshan realized what was happening.
He is the son of the first wife.
The Shen Family and Lin Family families had some ancestral ties, but Lin's father was a scoundrel. Not only did he have an extramarital affair, but his illegitimate child was born before his first wife's, and he remarried not long after his wife's death.
Shen Qianshan knew about this, but he was too busy to deal with the Lin Family's dirty business. He could only instruct the Shen Family to be careful and gradually cut off all contact with them.
But this is not something I can easily talk about with An'an.
Shen Qianshan squatted down and patted the child's head. "It's the Lin Family's older brother, what's wrong?"
"Why is he crying?" Shen Huaian asked. " An'an didn't cry at all."
"... He might be missing his mother," Shen Qianshan said cautiously. "He's timid and not as strong An'an."
"Hehe, can An'an go see him then?"
Shen Qianshan frowned, looking somewhat conflicted.
Ultimately, he was just a teenager, and he couldn't handle many interpersonal matters smoothly.
The butler gently reminded him, "Young Master, Young Master Lin has a good character; perhaps he could become friends with the young master."
Shen Qianshan thought for a moment, realizing that his younger brother was still young and didn't have any friends of the right age around him, so he said:
"You can take a look, but if anyone in the Lin Family makes you unhappy, you won't go next time."
Shen Huaian nodded, his tiger ears perking up as well. "Okay~"
Shen Huaian left like that, wearing a little tiger pajama, holding a cloth doll in his arms, with the butler standing beside him, groaning and protecting him.
The sun was shining brightly when Lin Changfeng, carrying his schoolbag, was about to leave.
Just before boarding the bus, I suddenly heard a voice, a childish voice calling out, " Brother Lin-- "
Lin Changfeng paused in his steps.
Turning my head, I saw a little tiger.
With big, round, black eyes looking this way, and with short arms and legs, it stumbled and ran over.
Its lop-eared ears fluttered, sometimes revealing the white, fluffy lining, sometimes covering it up, leaving only a short, brownish-yellow patch.
Lin Changfeng looked on, his eyes unconsciously falling on those ears.
While Lin Changfeng was sizing up Shen Huaian, Shen Huaian was also observing him.
The young man was wearing British-style overalls and a shirt, black leather shoes, short hair, and fair, beautiful skin.
Her fox-like eyes were bright as stars, and her eyelashes were long. Even from a distance, you could see the thick black of her eyelashes, which made her eyes look bright and sparkling. Her features were delicate and pleasing to the eye.
But for some reason, Shen Huaian felt that those eyes were too cold.
He slowly stopped and stood in front of Lin Changfeng.
Shen Huaian knew this Lin Family brother; he had secretly met him many times.
He deliberately asked Shen Qianshan before because he wanted to clarify things so that his brother wouldn't worry about him.
"Hello, Brother Lin, my name is Shen Huaian."
Shen Huaian, then force, and he learned about 70% of Shen Qianshan's approach.
After a polite greeting, she grabbed Lin Changfeng's clothes.
Lin Changfeng was only seven years old and not very tall, so Shen Huaian could easily grab his clothes, which made him extremely happy. He gripped the clothes tighter and tighter, saying, "You can call me An'an."
"From today onwards, you're my friend!"
Lin Changfeng glanced down at his crumpled shirt and frowned slightly.
The butler gracefully bowed and politely said, "Young Master Lin, my young master has been wanting to visit you. I apologize for disturbing you."
Lin Changfeng: "..."
He said he was disturbing him, but he didn't care at all, letting the little guy grab him.
"Hello, Uncle. Hello, young master."
Lin Changfeng was quick-witted and courteous, but his tense lips betrayed his emotions. "I have to go to school now. Can we talk another day?"
"Go to school?" Shen Huaian's eyes lit up, and he asked curiously, "Is it fun? Can I take An'an with me?"
"I'll let you play with the puppy, okay? Take me with you!"
As she spoke, she glanced inside at the half-open car door and shoved the puppy plush toy into his hands. " An'an is very small, she won't take up much space."
She turned back to look at the butler, whose expression was slightly troubled.
"But the butler is a bit too big. Why don't you go home first and come back tonight, sir?"
Lin Changfeng & Butler: "..."
He's incredibly clever for his age.
Shen Huaian was naturally unable to go to school with him, and the doll was returned. Lin Changfeng sat in the car, quietly looking out the window.
The little one threw a tantrum, crying and sobbing, and was held and comforted by the housekeeper.
The sun was a bit too bright.
Lin Changfeng lowered the carriage curtain, closed his eyes, and stopped looking.
That was their first encounter. The little boy next door, wearing tiger pajamas and clutching a plush toy, stumbled and ran into his world.
Shen Qianshan was very busy, and he became increasingly busy. Although he wanted to take care of Shen Huaian, he couldn't be by his side all the time.
Accompanied by the butler, the two boys grew closer and closer.
The butler's thinking was simple: Lin Changfeng was the young master of the Lin Family, and his appearance and temperament were very pleasing. His young master was ultimately a bit lonely by himself.
Since the young master likes it, why not let them play together?
Having another friend also meant having an older brother, which somewhat made up for some of the shortcomings of my childhood.
Shen Qianshan had secretly observed Lin Changfeng for a while and found him to be a good person, as well as very gentle with his younger brother, so he turned a blind eye to it.
Shen Huaian was very shrewd; to avoid his brother's suspicions, he didn't go to the Lin Family every day.
Behind the scenes, he would go to great lengths, scaling walls and crawling through holes, and when he arrived at the Lin Family, he was always filthy. Lin Changfeng would often help him wash his clothes.
I taught him to recognize and write characters, and I read to him and helped him with his homework.
Shen Qianshan had hired many private tutors and taught them himself, but for Shen Huaian, Lin Changfeng was still different.
At least, his older brother and teachers wouldn't point at his homework and teach him to read, "You are the joy of my youth."
"You are the joy of my youth."
After reading it Shen Huaian smiled and said, "I like this sentence."
Lin Changfeng said, "I saw it in a book, and I'm giving it to An'an."
Shen Huaian was very happy. He immediately tore off the page of homework, folded it, and stuffed it into the Xiao Fang pocket on his chest.
"This was given to me by Brother Lin; I will cherish it."
Lin Changfeng asked with a smile, "What? After I become famous, will you sell it?"
"I won't sell, An'an isn't short of money." Shen Huaian kicked her feet under the table relaxedly. "My brother said he'll take care of me for life."
Lin Changfeng silently said in his heart, " Brother Lin is willing to take care of you for the rest of my life."
Lin Changfeng would give him many small toys and trinkets, and even more every year on his birthday. Shen Huaian would pack them all in a separate box and keep adding to it.
Until one year, nothing was added to it anymore.
At that time, Shen Huaian also moved with his brother, leaving the old house for good.
Before leaving, still angry, he went to the Lin Family and cursed them for a long time.
After giving him a thorough dressing-down, she deleted all of Lin Changfeng's contact information right in front of him.
Shen Huaian's last words were. "You heartless vixen, I never want to play with you again!"
Lin Changfeng stood there stunned for a long time, wanting to chase after him, but he was met with Shen Qianshan's dark face.
After the young master left, grass grew on the wall outside the neighboring yard, covering it with moss and green plants.
Later, Lin Changfeng thought countless times that the children at that time probably didn't know why they were angry.
He's still young; I was just too impatient.
He shouldn't have brought a girl home just to provoke his father, and he certainly shouldn't have used the opportunity to test Shen Huaian when he found out.
That's outrageous.
What does " An'an" mean?
Lin Changfeng asked himself, "Does he... also have feelings for me?"
Or do you only see him as an older brother?
--No, that's too hasty.
This move was a terrible one.
Even though he hadn't handled his own affairs well, and things were still a mess here... Lin Changfeng took a deep breath, got up in the middle of the night, and went to the balcony to get some fresh air.
In the darkness, the cigarette lit at her fingertips flickered, and her clear, beautiful fox-like eyes lost their sparkle.
A budding, innocent crush ended before it could be clearly explained.
Two months later, Lin Changfeng went abroad to study.
Shen Huaian stopped dwelling on that past and focused on getting into good schools and learning to sing and dance.
A few years later, she participated in a variety show talent competition and debuted as an idol, starting her career.
Apart from his brother Shen Qianshan, no one knows what Shen Huaian has been thinking all these years.