The Whole Family Are Villains, I’m the Group Pet 140

Chapter 140

The news of a giant monster appearing at the exam site circulated online for less than half an hour before being suppressed and disappearing without a trace.

Those who had witnessed the scene in Rongcheng, finding no one believed them, started to doubt their own sanity.

Strange news reports appeared from time to time, but with so much misinformation and sensationalism, most people dismissed them as jokes.

For Xing Nuo, this scorching summer meant enduring the constantly high temperature set by his dad, the air thick and muggy, his skin sticky and uncomfortable.

Although his dad and eldest brother strictly forbade him from eating cold treats, Shen Baizhou, the indulgent brother, would often sneak him ice cream under the guise of taking him for a walk.

Shen Baizhou’s allowance was meager. Shen Yan, afraid he would spend it all on junk food for Xing Nuo, had strictly limited it.

Fortunately, Shen Baizhou had returned to his underwater lair, retrieved a small piece of gold, sold it, and, with his newfound wealth, felt like a king.

Xing Nuo and Shen Baizhou, like two little spies, snuck out of the apartment and, after their usual stroll in the small garden, avoiding the other children who wanted to play with them in the sandbox, went to a small supermarket in the next complex.

They didn’t dare go to the one in their own complex, afraid of being discovered.

They stood in front of the freezer, carefully examining the ice cream selection.

Xing Nuo pointed at a purple package.

“This one new. Gwape flavow.”

Shen Baizhou looked at it, then shook his head.

“Too big. We can’t finish it. And what if Shen Yan catches us?”

Several times, Shen Yan, returning to the apartment or leaving for the company, had caught them huddled in the garden, secretly eating snacks.

He would confiscate their treats and then reduce Shen Baizhou’s allowance.

His face cold and expressionless, like a statue, he would glare at Shen Baizhou and say:

“Shen Baizhou, if I catch you giving Xing Nuo these things again, you’ll regret it.”

Shen Baizhou was usually unafraid of Shen Yan.

But when it came to this, he would cower, standing beside Xing Nuo, like two scolded children, not daring to argue.

Xing Nuo, remembering Shen Yan’s angry face, darker than the bottom of a pot, making him shiver even in the summer heat, said:

“Let’s get smaller one…share.”

Shen Baizhou agreed, took out three dollars, and bought a small pudding-flavored ice cream cup.

The shop owner, recognizing the two brothers who always came here secretly, sneaking around, hiding from the adults, chuckled, amused by their antics.

“Alright, run along now.”

Seeing Shen Baizhou holding Xing Nuo’s hand, he added:

“Your little brother, I understand, but you’re a big boy now. Why are you still afraid of being caught buying snacks?”

Shen Baizhou frowned, his monolid lifting slightly, and scoffed.

“Afraid? I’m not afraid.”

The shop owner, fanning himself, chuckled.

“Do you even believe yourself?”

Xing Nuo, licking his ice cream, his mouth covered in a milky white mustache, looked up at his brother and patted his arm reassuringly.

“It’s okay. I scared too. Not embarrassing.”

Shen Baizhou, not comforted at all, his lips twitching, took the ice cream and quickly ate most of it.

“My turn. I give you back after.”

Xing Nuo nodded obediently, waiting patiently.

Shen Baizhou, also afraid of Xing Nuo getting a stomachache and them both being scolded by Shen Yan and Shen Wen, ate most of the ice cream, leaving only a small amount on the stick.

Xing Nuo took it, savoring each lick, and sighed happily.

“Summer ice cweam so good!”

It wasn’t about the taste, but the cool, refreshing sensation, soothing his warm tummy.

He licked the remaining ice cream slowly, finishing it just as they reached their complex.

They expertly disposed of the wrapper and stick, then washed their faces and hands at the outdoor tap in the garden, making sure they were clean, before going upstairs.

Shen Yan, knowing exactly what they had been doing, sat on the sofa, his legs crossed, his posture relaxed, and gestured for Shen Baizhou to sit down.

Shen Baizhou, one hand in his pocket, told Xing Nuo to go do his homework, then sat down and looked at Shen Yan.

“What?”

Shen Yan raised an eyebrow, his gaze filled with disdain.

“Took Xing Nuo for ice cream again?”

Shen Baizhou, feigning ignorance, leaned back against the sofa, yawning, and didn’t answer.

“I went to my underwater lair recently. Opened a shop near the merpeople’s territory. And, conveniently, took everything from your lair.”

Shen Baizhou, his mouth open mid-yawn, froze, his eyes widening.

“You emptied my lair?”

Shen Yan nodded. “Yes.”

Shen Baizhou, his voice rising in alarm, “Everything?!”

Shen Yan, his posture still relaxed, “Everything.”

Shen Baizhou, enraged, was about to jump up and attack Shen Yan when Shen Yan stopped him with a single sentence.

“You’ve taken Xing Nuo for ice cream eleven times, and given him snacks eight times. I’ve caught you five times this month. Shen Baizhou, should I tell Father about this?”

Shen Wen hadn’t discovered their secret ice cream trips yet.

Shen Baizhou, who had just stood up, sat back down, defeated, his mind blank, thinking of Shen Yan’s ruthlessness, and rolled his eyes.

“You’re so cruel, Shen Yan. You’re a dog.”

Shen Yan, unfazed by the insult, chuckled coldly and put down his magazine.

“Don’t worry, I’ll return your things eventually. How much I return depends on your behavior.”

Shen Baizhou, his secret exposed, his weakness exploited, sulked for the next two days.

Xing Nuo, after dinner, looking at the fiery sunset, winked at Shen Baizhou.

Big Brother, time for ice cweam downstairs!

Shen Baizhou, pretending not to see, turned his head away.

Xing Nuo, confused, tilted his head, then, while Daddy was busy experimenting in the kitchen, a new recipe resulting in a minor culinary disaster, ran over to Shen Baizhou.

Like a little spy, he whispered:

“Big Brother, go downstairs…play?”

Shen Baizhou, glancing at Shen Yan, who was watching them coldly, shook his head.

“No.”

Xing Nuo, kneeling on the sofa, his head resting on Shen Baizhou’s stomach, persisted.

“Why? Downstairs fun!”

Shen Baizhou pushed his head away, sighing, his hands clasped together, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.

“Not fun. Don’t want to go.”

Xing Nuo, his little head filled with questions, climbed down from the sofa and took a couple of steps towards the door.

“Then I weally go?”

Shen Baizhou waved his hand dismissively. “Go ahead. Go play with your friends.”

Xing Nuo, disappointed, went downstairs alone to the small garden, hoping to find someone to play with in the sandbox.

A little boy, building a car out of sand with his shovel and bucket, saw Xing Nuo and said, surprised:

“Xing Nuo? You have time to play today?”

Xing Nuo crouched down beside the sandbox and sighed.

“I don’t know. Big Brother no come down…so I have time.”

The other children liked playing with Xing Nuo.

“Then I hope your Big Brother never comes down!”

His words were prophetic.

For the next week, Shen Baizhou didn’t come down to the playground once!

Xing Nuo and his friends played in the sandbox, played hide-and-seek, played all sorts of games, but his brother still refused to come down!

Xing Nuo, heartbroken, sat by the flowerbed, mourning his lost playtime.

Qi Yao, returning from the SIA, saw the little one sitting alone, his face filled with sadness and disappointment, and walked over.

“What’s wrong, Xing Nuo? Where’s your brother? Isn’t he usually here with you?”

Shen Baizhou often took Xing Nuo to the playground and secretly bought him snacks. Qi Yao had seen them many times.

Xing Nuo, thinking of his brother, sighed sadly and shook his head.

“Big Brother inside. He no come out.”

Qi Yao, after a moment of thought, nodded knowingly.

“His exam results are probably out. Must be stressed about applying to universities.”

Xing Nuo, not understanding the complexities of the adult world, his eyes wide with confusion, asked:

“Really?”

Qi Yao, taking Xing Nuo’s hand, nodded.

“Of course. Many students are stressed these days. It’s okay. Uncle will buy you a snack!”

Xing Nuo’s eyes lit up, and he smiled, revealing his dimples.

“Thank you, Uncle Qi! Can I have ice cweam?”

Qi Yao, his salary more than enough for his simple lifestyle, readily agreed.

“Just one ice cream? Come on! Uncle will buy you the deluxe version!”

Xing Nuo, used to sharing a cheap three-dollar ice cream with his brother, his eyes widening at the thirty-dollar ice cream Qi Yao bought him, clutched it like a precious treasure, his hands almost burning from the cold.

“I can’t eat this much! Uncle, just a little bit.”

Qi Yao crouched down, pinched Xing Nuo’s soft cheek, and chuckled.

“Just one ice cream, and you want to share? Don’t be silly. You eat it. Uncle doesn’t like sweet things. They give me a toothache.”

Xing Nuo, holding the ice cream cup, took a small bite and gasped.

“So yummy!”

It was the same pudding flavor as the one he usually had with his brother, but it tasted ten times better!

He happily licked his ice cream as he walked home with Qi Yao.

Back at the apartment, he hid the ice cream under his shirt and ran to his brother’s room, knocking on the door.

“Big Brother!”

Shen Baizhou, emerging from his fish tank, his hair dripping, opened the door.

Xing Nuo snuck inside, closed the door, and took out the ice cream.

“Big Brother, look! Uncle Qi bought me! Thirty dollar ice cweam!”

Shen Baizhou’s monthly allowance from Shen Yan was only thirty dollars!

Shen Baizhou’s eyes widened, and he sat down at the table with Xing Nuo, examining the ice cream cup.

“Definitely looks different,” he declared, without even tasting it.

Xing Nuo, leaning against the table, nodded vigorously in agreement.

Definitely different! He, whose daily allowance was also only one dollar, knew a good deal when he saw one.