Chapter 141
The brothers sat on the floor, a small spoon each, their eyes fixed on the ice cream cup, their expressions solemn.
“Eat slowly…only this much…no more after.”
Xing Nuo carefully scooped a tiny spoonful and held it in his mouth, savoring the sweetness.
“So sweet!”
They each had a spoonful, then decided to save the rest for later, hiding it in the freezer.
Xing Nuo, wrapping the ice cream cup in his shirt, snuck out of the bedroom and, seeing that his dad and eldest brother weren’t home, sighed in relief.
He hid the ice cream in the bottom of the freezer, covering it with other items. He and Shen Baizhou checked it several times, making sure it was well hidden, then quietly left the kitchen.
Just as Xing Nuo was about to leave, a voice sounded from thin air:
“Xing Nuo, what are you doing?”
Xing Nuo jumped, his curls bristling like a startled animal, his face paling.
“I didn’t do anything!”
Shen Baizhou also jumped, seeing Wen Xingxue, who had used a prop to materialize partially.
Wen Xingxue glanced at Shen Baizhou, then, ignoring him, ruffled Xing Nuo’s hair.
“It’s Daddy. Xing Nuo, you haven’t forgotten, right?”
Xing Nuo nodded vigorously, relieved, and ran to his room, returning with a small jar of sterculia lychnophora (malva nut), a traditional Chinese remedy for sore throats.
“Daddy, I saved money…bought this for you.”
The small jar cost over fifty yuan, and Xing Nuo had been saving for two months!
He had made Shen Baizhou pay for their ice cream trips, saving every penny of his own allowance.
Wen Xingxue, touched, his heart melting, wanted to hug and kiss his son, to show off his thoughtful gift to the world.
His son was so sweet and considerate!
“Thank you, Xing Nuo,” he said softly, his voice thick with emotion.
Xing Nuo smiled shyly, his dimples appearing, and placed the jar on the floor.
“Daddy, you go now. Big Brother and Daddy come home soon.”
Wen Xingxue, still basking in the warmth of his son’s affection, didn’t register the meaning of his words.
It was as if the little one knew everyone else in the house could also see Wen Xingxue and was warning him to leave.
But love made even the smartest person a bit foolish, and he nodded, clutching the jar, and left.
Xing Nuo, sensing Wen Xingxue’s departure, relieved, heard the door open and casually walked out.
“Daddy! Big Brother!”
Shen Wen, still enthusiastic about his soup-making endeavors, his sleeves rolled up, was about to try the simple chicken soup recipe the grandma downstairs had taught him.
Shen Yan discreetly sent Shen Wen away and, after much bustling in the kitchen, prepared a delicious four-dish meal with soup.
After dinner, Xing Nuo, sneaking another bite of his hidden ice cream, happily went to bed.
A warm summer breeze drifted in through the open window.
Xing Nuo was sleeping soundly when he was suddenly jolted awake by a scream from the next building.
He opened his eyes, saw he was in his familiar bedroom, and, relieved, quickly got up to check on his daddies and brother.
Shen Wen, in his pajamas, picked up Xing Nuo and, pinching his nose gently, explained:
“The college entrance exam results are out. Someone’s celebrating.”
Xing Nuo nodded, his eyelids drooping, then, remembering something, he opened his eyes wide.
“Where’s Big Brother?”
Shen Baizhou’s results were also out.
Shen Wen chuckled, his voice filled with amusement.
“He’s sleeping.”
Shen Baizhou, carefree as always, hadn’t bothered to check his scores.
Xing Nuo, his eyes almost closing, still asked sleepily:
“Go see scores?”
The next moment, his head tilted, and he fell asleep against his dad’s shoulder.
Shen Wen, chuckling, carried him back to bed, but just as he put him down, Xing Nuo suddenly sat up, his eyes wide open.
“I dreamt…Big Brother’s scores…out!”
Shen Wen, struggling to suppress his laughter, coughed and patted Xing Nuo’s back.
“No, they’re not. Go back to sleep, Xing Nuo. We’ll check tomorrow.”
Xing Nuo mumbled in agreement, lay back down, and instantly fell asleep.
But his sleep was restless. He dreamt that Shen Baizhou, his exam score a dismal seventeen, had turned into an octopus and been made into takoyaki.
“No!”
He woke up with a start, his eyes wide, his sleepiness gone, and jumped out of bed,
running to Shen Baizhou’s room without even putting on his slippers.
Shen Baizhou’s room was cold, the water in his tank stale, and he had been sleeping on his bed for the past two days.
Xing Nuo pulled the blanket off Shen Baizhou and nudged his forehead with his head.
“Big Brother! Big Brother!”
Shen Baizhou woke up groggily, smiled at Xing Nuo, and mumbled sleepily:
“Xing Nuo, can’t sleep?”
Shen Baizhou, as a sea creature, could sleep for years. Now, limited to sleeping only at night, he had become even lazier.
He pulled the blanket over them both and patted Xing Nuo’s back.
“Sleep. Big Brother sleep with you.”
The next moment, he was fast asleep.
In some ways, Xing Nuo and Shen Baizhou were truly brothers, both falling asleep remarkably easily.
Xing Nuo, his mind still foggy, sat there for a moment, trying to remember why he had woken his brother up.
Then, he remembered and shook Shen Baizhou’s arm.
“Big Brother, wake up! You’ll be made into takoyaki!”
Shen Baizhou, undisturbed, continued to sleep peacefully.
Xing Nuo sat there for a while, shaking his head, trying to wake up, then suddenly collapsed onto the bed, falling fast asleep.
Shen Wen, woken by the commotion, emerged from his bedroom.
Seeing Xing Nuo sleeping in Shen Baizhou’s room, he paused, then, not bothering to move him, just tucked them both in and left.
Daylight.
Xing Nuo woke up, realizing he was in his brother’s room, scratched his cheek, and then remembered!
Takoyaki!
No, wait, exam results!
He gasped and shook Shen Baizhou awake.
“Big Brother, youw scores out!”
His brother’s sleeping habits were a constant source of worry for Xing Nuo.
Shen Baizhou had been sleeping in every day since the start of summer break.
He groaned, stretching his legs, and sat up, yawning.
“It’s noon already?”
Xing Nuo, his hands on his hips, sighed, thinking his brother was hopeless.
Shen Yan, standing at the door in his suit, his laptop in hand, shook his head and said:
“I checked. Three hundred and seventy-one.”
Shen Baizhou’s eyes widened. “How much?!”
That high?!
He looked outside, confirming they were in the real world, and exclaimed, “Holy crap!” several times.
Over three hundred, almost four hundred!
An octopus actually managed to get that score!
Xing Nuo clapped his hands like a seal, spinning around excitedly, his curls bouncing, even happier than Shen Baizhou.
“So many points! My test only three hundwed!”
Shen Yan thought, That’s because your test was out of three hundred.
Shen Baizhou’s test was out of 750. He had barely passed.
Shen Yan placed his laptop on the desk, ignoring Shen Baizhou, who was so excited he wanted to do a backflip, and took Xing Nuo to change into his school uniform.
Xing Nuo’s summer break hadn’t started yet. His final exams were in two days.
He arrived at school, sat down at his desk, and turned to An Zimuo.
“Zimuo, my Big Brother’s score…three hundwed seventy!”
An Zimuo’s eyes widened in awe.
“So amazing! Xing Nuo, your brother is a genius!”
Xing Nuo smiled, swinging his legs, thinking, When I gwow up, I get high score too!
With such a high score, Big Brother wouldn’t be turned into takoyaki!
Xing Nuo, his mood cheerful, hummed as he walked home from school.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and went to the freezer, looking for his hidden ice cream.
He searched the bottom shelf, but it wasn’t there.
He tilted his head, puzzled, then turned and saw Shen Wen watching him.
“Looking for something?”
Xing Nuo’s eyes widened, and he shook his head quickly.
“No!”
Shen Wen smiled, his expression gentle, grabbed Xing Nuo by the collar, and made him stand in the corner with Shen Baizhou.
“You two snuck out for ice cream again, didn’t you? I’ve been wondering why Xing Nuo keeps going to the freezer lately.”
Xing Nuo, his head against the wall, his hands and feet tucked close to his body, didn’t dare argue.
Shen Baizhou, however, was fuming, his fists clenched, remembering Shen Yan’s promise not to tell on them.
After standing in the corner until dinner, Xing Nuo and Shen Baizhou had learned their lesson and ate quietly, not daring to speak.
After dinner, Shen Baizhou went to the study and, banging his hand on the desk, yelled at Shen Yan:
“You promised not to tell!”
Shen Yan, closing his laptop, a cold smile playing on his lips, looked at Shen Baizhou.
“Think, Shen Baizhou. It wasn’t me. What would I gain by telling on you?”
He then added mockingly:
“And you promised not to give Xing Nuo ice cream. Hiding it in the freezer? Very clever.”
Shen Baizhou, guilty, his anger subsiding, mumbled:
“If not you, then who?”
Shen Yan said, “Whoever knew about the ice cream in the freezer.”
Shen Baizhou’s eyes narrowed.
“Wen Xingxue?”
