Chapter 18
Xing Nuo looked around the office, but Daddy was nowhere to be seen.
He clutched his backpack strap, his clear eyes filled with unease, and shook his head.
“Not…Big Brother. White hair.”
Shen Baizhou was the white-haired, seafood-smelling Big Brother, not this stranger.
The stranger, who had been reading a magazine, looked up and put it aside when Xing Nuo entered.
He stood up, tall and imposing in his black suit, his features sharp.
Shen Yan knew his demeanor was intimidating, so he softened his expression and forced a smile.
“Xing Nuo.”
His gray eyes calm and unreadable, he walked over to the tiny, three-head-proportioned cub, crouched down, and met his gaze.
“I’m Shen Yan, your other older brother.”
Despite his imposing aura, Shen Yan was careful not to show any aggression towards Xing Nuo, afraid of scaring the small child.
Xing Nuo continued to shake his head, his curls practically blurring, his lips pressed together. After a moment, he mumbled:
“Zaizai…no know.”
The teacher, understanding the situation, hurried over to explain.
“Xing Nuo, your dad had to leave for something urgent. He called your brother to pick you up.”
This was the downside of dungeon monsters; unexpected emergencies were frequent, and Shen Wen sometimes had to leave abruptly.
Shen Baizhou was still at school, so Shen Yan, the company boss, was the only one available.
After Shen Yan arrived, Shen Wen briefly introduced him to the teacher and left in a hurry.
The teacher’s jaw had practically dropped when she heard Shen Wen had a son as old as Shen Yan!
Shen Wen looked so young, at most twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Who would have thought his eldest son was already an adult!
Shen Yan wasn’t one for explanations. He sat silently in a corner of the office, listening to the other parents discussing parenting.
Seeing that Xing Nuo didn’t remember him at all, Shen Yan gently poked the little one’s forehead.
“The gifts from the other day.”
Xing Nuo stumbled back slightly from the unexpected poke, his eyes widening.
“Widdle sword!”
The memory came flooding back.
Daddy had said another Big Brother, whom he hadn’t met, had sent him a little wooden sword.
Xing Nuo blinked his clear, grape-like eyes, pursed his lips, and tilted his head, looking at this unfamiliar brother with curiosity.
Shen Yan didn’t mind the child’s direct gaze and even took a step back, allowing him a better look.
Xing Nuo stared at him for a long time, then took a small step forward and extended his hand.
“Big brother, go home.”
Shen Yan paused, then his sharp eyes softened.
“Mm.” He gently took the little one’s hand, careful not to squeeze too hard.
Shen Yan led Xing Nuo out of the kindergarten, remembering his father’s instructions, and stopped by a restaurant to get him some steamed egg custard.
Xing Nuo stood beside him, his sunflower backpack on his back.
The little one barely reached the table’s height, looking up as his new Big Brother ordered his lunch.
Seeing how well-behaved he was, Shen Yan couldn’t help but ruffle Xing Nuo’s curls.
“Anything else you want to eat, Xing Nuo?”
Xing Nuo’s usual lunch consisted of egg custard or soup, a small portion of stir-fried vegetables, and half a small, milky steamed bun. He didn’t like meat; it was too greasy and difficult to chew.
But he was shy around his new Big Brother and shook his head, not daring to speak.
The restaurant owner, having packed Xing Nuo’s usual order, handed it to Shen Yan with a smile.
“Xing Nuo usually has the small steamed buns, a small bowl of stir-fried vegetables, and the steamed egg custard. I’ve packed them all up.”
Shen Yan nodded and looked down at the little one.
“You can tell Big Brother directly if you want anything else.”
Shen Yan’s voice was deep and pleasant, especially when he softened it, like a smooth cello, easily recognizable.
Xing Nuo nodded, but didn’t look up, his little cowlick sticking up, his lips pursed.
Shen Yan knew Xing Nuo wouldn’t warm up to him so quickly and wasn’t in a hurry. He held Xing Nuo’s hand and walked home slowly, matching his pace.
They had lingered at the kindergarten, and it was getting late by the time they arrived home.
Shen Baizhou, coming down in the elevator to find his little brother, saw Shen Yan in his black suit holding Xing Nuo’s hand. His relaxed expression vanished.
He strode forward, scooped up his little brother, frowned, and stepped back, glaring at Shen Yan.
“Why are you bringing Xing Nuo home?”
Shen Yan crossed his arms, looked down at Shen Baizhou in his school uniform, and sneered, his expression indifferent.
“Father had an emergency. I’m just picking up my little brother. Do I need your permission?”
Shen Baizhou bristled.
“You b—”
Remembering he was holding his little brother, Shen Baizhou swallowed his curse, his monolid drooping, glaring at Shen Yan.
“Don’t you dare try anything funny. Xing Nuo is my little brother!”
Shen Yan scoffed, his aura equally imposing, his words sharp.
“Focus on your studies, high schooler. Try not to score a 7 in chemistry next time.”
Shen Yan didn’t take Shen Baizhou, that brainless brute, seriously.
Shen Baizhou’s eyes narrowed into slits, wanting to tear this black plastic bag to shreds!
“At least I’m better looking than you!”
Shen Baizhou spun around, clutching Xing Nuo tightly, and strode away from the garbage monster that looked like a small, black plastic bag in its true form.
Back home, pacing around the living room, Shen Baizhou grew increasingly angry.
Finally, he crouched down, gently pulled Xing Nuo’s cheeks, and said seriously:
“That Shen Yan is not a good monster…person! Xing Nuo, stay away from him!”
Xing Nuo’s cheeks turned red, and he mumbled in protest.
He shook his head, wriggled free from Shen Baizhou’s grip, and ran to get his little wooden sword.
“Good Big Brother…give Zaizai widdle sword.”
As a child, Xing Nuo was acutely sensitive to emotions. He could tell instantly who was kind to him and who wasn’t.
Although Shen Yan had a strong presence, Xing Nuo sensed his gentle intentions.
Like a sheathed sword, Shen Yan had hidden his sharp edges around Xing Nuo.
Shen Baizhou snorted, wanting to smack Shen Yan with his tentacles.
“No way!”
Shen Yan was not a good person!
“He’s just trying to bribe you!” Shen Baizhou whispered in Xing Nuo’s ear, badmouthing Shen Yan.
Xing Nuo’s ears were numb from listening, and even his dreams were filled with noisy chatter.
He didn’t have to go to kindergarten in the afternoon and slept until the sky was ablaze with sunset colors, the vibrant hues painting the bedroom.
Daddy wasn’t home yet, and Big Brother was at school.
Xing Nuo wandered around the living room, his little wooden sword in hand, listless and bored, looking out the window.
After a long time, seeing no sign of his dad or brother, he sighed softly and was about to put his sword away.
He noticed a toy box on the coffee table, shaped like a small town.
Having received gifts recently, Xing Nuo wasn’t surprised.
Another toy from Big Brother?
He tilted his head, looked at it for a while, and touched the box. It opened automatically.
The toy inside practically filled the entire coffee table.
A brightly colored, fairytale-like toy town, complete with various shops and houses, a cafe, a post office, a convenience store, streetlights, clean streets…
Each building had one or more small figures in uniform, going about their business.
The figures were incredibly lifelike, scattered throughout the toy town.
The moment he saw the town, Xing Nuo heard a cacophony of voices.
Chattering and shouting, filling the otherwise silent living room with the sounds of a busy street.
The figures in the toy town seemed to come alive, their painted smiles widening.
Xing Nuo covered his ears, the noise making his eardrums vibrate painfully.
He stepped back, clutching his wooden sword, looking around, trying to find the source of the noise.
When his gaze left the toy, the noise stopped, and silence returned.
But as soon as he glanced back at the toy town, the commotion started again.
“Free ice cream! Sweet and delicious!”
“Does anyone know where the bank is? Can a kind child tell me?”
“Freshly baked bread! Get your bread here!”
“Come play with us, children! There’s a new amusement park in town!”
The chattering voices bombarded him, each trying to entice him to respond.
Xing Nuo’s head ached from the noise. He wanted them to stop talking, but a strong intuition told him—
He absolutely couldn’t speak.
