Chapter 21: Younger Brother
The living room erupted in chaos.
Wei Langxing exclaimed: “What does this mean? Who sent this? Are they harassing you?”
Xie Cun wasn’t far behind: “Is some creep bothering you? Give me a name, and I’ll take care of it immediately… Is it your birthday today? Why didn’t you tell me?”
He didn’t forget to jab at Wei Langxing: “You don’t even know his birthday? What kind of captain are you?”
Wei Langxing’s mind stuttered, actually feeling a pang of shame: “I… I’m not, I didn’t…”
Tang Yu’an intervened, silencing them: “Stop arguing. I don’t know who sent this, and today isn’t my birthday. I don’t understand what this means.”
Wei Langxing smacked his forehead. Right, it was Xie Cun’s fault for confusing him. He clearly remembered Tang Yu’an’s birthday was still a long way off. He had even set a reminder; he couldn’t forget!
Xie Cun sniffed the card: “This is Aier’s new ‘One Step Away’ perfume. It has a scent similar to the Sea of Illusions. It was almost sold out on Valentine’s Day. It means that with this perfume, the sea of love is at your feet.”
The Sea of Illusions was located in the center of the main star, faintly glowing at night. Legend had it that magical creatures gathered at its depths, and lovers who made wishes by the sea would be together forever.
Of course, many scholars claimed it was simply due to some special element, but people preferred the magical creatures version.
Xie Cun tossed the card aside: “Yu’an, since you’ve lost your memories, could it be someone you knew before?”
“Perhaps.” Tang Yu’an felt inexplicably uneasy.
If it was someone from his past, why not come to him directly instead of sending a small mirror?
Was there something special about this mirror?
He couldn’t tell.
Xie Cun started speculating again: “Maybe it’s some loser trying to punch above his weight. He couldn’t get you before, and now that you’ve lost your memory, he’s too afraid of rejection to approach you directly, so he’s using this childish method to get your attention.”
He became more and more convinced: “And he doesn’t even know your birthday. Clearly poor and uncaring… If it were me, I wouldn’t give such a cheap gift. After all, I’m rich and have good taste…”
He subtly jabbed at Wei Langxing: “Unlike some people, whose gifts are embarrassing.”
While he rambled, Wei Langxing didn’t listen, still examining the small mirror, trying to find something unusual.
It was best not to keep such an unknown object near Tang Yu’an. He suggested taking it to headquarters for safekeeping. Just as Tang Yu’an was about to agree, the system notification sounded.
[Beep—Detected communication device, Ocean Mirror. Please use with caution, Host.]
If an item had special hidden properties, the system would usually give a prompt to prepare Tang Yu’an.
A communication device? Could this mirror make calls?
And the name “Ocean Mirror” sounded impressive, like a treasure. He couldn’t just hand it over.
“Actually… it might really be a friend from before. I vaguely remember mentioning a different date for my birthday sometimes, perhaps as a joke, and they took it seriously…”
He continued to improvise: “And that sentence, ‘my love’ and all that… might be a joke. You know, it’s normal for friends to tease each other.”
He put the mirror away: “It’s just a pocket mirror, definitely not dangerous. I quite like it, so I’ll keep it.”
His explanation was full of holes, but his attitude was firm, and the package was indeed addressed to him, so Wei Langxing couldn’t argue. He simply told him to be careful, then went to find Pang Jin, trying to trace the sender through the delivery company’s system.
Xie Cun, although puzzled, accepted his explanation, only muttering: “Why do you always like worthless things…”
Tang Yu’an, clutching the small mirror, locked himself in his room, poking at the mirror’s surface, trying to find a switch.
Nothing happened no matter how he touched it. Was it broken…?
Frustrated after his fruitless attempts, he tossed the mirror aside, hugging his teddy bear and collapsing on the bed.
Tonight was his scheduled hypnosis session with Therapist Zheng.
As time ticked by, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but worry.
His mental energy was unique; what if he couldn’t wake up from the hypnosis…?
He stared at the white ceiling, feeling his body grow heavy.
Fragmented images flashed through his mind again. He closed his eyes.
But this time, the images didn’t disappear immediately. He fell into them, like a person falling into a dream.
The scene changed. He was standing on a bustling street, filled with the sounds of hawkers, conversations, and laughter.
He stood before a shop window, captivated by the various toys inside.
The glass reflected the image of a small boy, pale-skinned, with dark, bright eyes, a slightly timid expression on his face. He looked about seven or eight years old, his delicate features already hinting at future beauty, despite his young age and thin frame, his cheeks almost hollow.
A kind old man approached him, bending down and asking: “Little boy, why are you alone here? Where are your parents? Did you get separated from them?”
He had been watching for a while; no one had come looking for the child. This place was crowded; what if he encountered a human trafficker?
Tang Yu’an shook his head: “No, I came out with my dad and younger brother…”
But when he looked up, the two familiar figures were gone.
Panic surged through him, leaving him feeling lost: “They… they were just here…”
The kind old man told him not to be afraid, asking if he remembered his parents’ contact information.
Just then, Tang Yu’an spotted them in the distance. Afraid of losing them again, he ran after them.
“I see them! They’re over there!”
After a few steps, he remembered he hadn’t thanked the kind old man, so he turned back, pulling a wrinkled fruit candy from his pocket: “Grandpa, I’m going to find my dad now. Thank you for helping me!”
Although the old man hadn’t actually helped, he had reminded him. He had to show his gratitude.
The old man watched the small figure weaving through the crowd, sighing.
What was wrong with parents these days? They didn’t even notice their child was missing. If something happened, they would have no one to blame but themselves.
If he wasn’t walking so slowly, he would have chased after them and given them a piece of his mind.
Tang Yu’an caught up to them, breathless. His father was standing before an ice cream stall, asking his younger brother what flavor he wanted.
His brother tugged at his hand: “I want strawberry! And mango!”
His father said he couldn’t eat so much, he would get a stomachache. But his brother wouldn’t give up, threatening to tell their mother he was being stingy.
His father relented and bought both flavors: “Alright, Xiao Ze, are you happy now?”
His brother, Tang Ze, took the ice cream and turned to leave: “We’re not done shopping yet. We’ll see how you behave later!”
His father hurried after him: “Xiao Ze, don’t walk so fast! What if you get lost…”
Tang Yu’an trailed behind them like a little duckling, completely unnoticed.
Tang Ze pulled his father into the largest clothing store. A saleswoman greeted them enthusiastically: “Welcome! Are you looking for clothes or shoes?”
Tang Ze spoke first: “I got an award for improving my grades, and my dad said he would buy me the most expensive clothes as a reward!”
His father ruffled his hair, asking the saleswoman to find him some suitable clothes.
But Tang Ze had his own ideas, quickly picking out several items.
However, with ice cream in hand, he couldn’t try them on.
He wanted his father to hold it, but his father was busy checking the fabric quality. He looked around and spotted Tang Yu’an behind them.
Without a word, he shoved the ice cream into Tang Yu’an’s hand: “Hold this for me! I’m going to try on clothes!”
Before entering the fitting room, he added: “Don’t eat it! Dad bought it for me!”
Tang Ze tried on several outfits, dissatisfied, until he put on a star-patterned suit, happily twirling in front of the mirror.
“Dad, do I look good in this?”
His father beamed: “Of course you look good! My son looks handsome in everything! We’ll pick out matching shoes later, so you can show off to your mom…”
The saleswoman also offered some compliments, then glanced at Tang Yu’an, who was sitting quietly on a chair, holding the ice cream, and asked his father if he wanted to buy two identical outfits, as many brothers did.
She had seen many parents with twins, usually buying everything in pairs, the slightest difference causing a tantrum.
When the father and sons first entered, she had wondered why the twins didn’t look alike at all. The boisterous one was quite ordinary, while the quiet one was incredibly beautiful.
Perhaps one took after the father, and the other after the mother. People were so different.
She had assumed the father would choose clothes for both sons, but he seemed to have no intention of buying anything for the quiet child, who patiently waited, holding his brother’s ice cream.
Parents could be careless sometimes, perhaps unintentionally, but it could hurt a child’s sensitive heart.
So, the saleswoman gently reminded the father that he had another son waiting.
As she spoke, she noticed Tang Yu’an’s eyes light up, looking at his father expectantly.
But the father’s reaction was strange. He turned to Tang Yu’an, his smile fading slightly: “Do… you want one too?”
Tang Yu’an hesitated, then shook his head: “I have clothes.”
The saleswoman encouraged him: “Little boy, why don’t you try it on? You’re so cute, you’ll look great in it! Don’t you want to match your brother?”
Tang Yu’an looked at his father, then shook his head again: “It’s okay, I have enough clothes.”
The saleswoman hadn’t seen such a well-behaved child in a long time. Any other father would have bought him the outfit without hesitation, but this father… he seemed relieved.
Tang Ze tugged at him impatiently: “Dad, dad, there’s nothing else here. Let’s pay and go to the next store!”
He took back his ice cream from Tang Yu’an, taking a large bite from each.
After they left, the saleswoman was still puzzled.
They were both his sons; why was there such a difference in treatment? One treated like a treasure, the other like a stranger.
Perhaps obedient children were always overlooked. The saleswoman felt a pang of sympathy. She should have given the boy who didn’t get any new clothes a small toy, so he wouldn’t go home empty-handed.
There was a small pond in their backyard. As soon as they returned, Tang Ze ran out of the car and started playing by the water, quickly getting his new shoes dirty.
Tang Yu’an was about to go to his room when his brother called him, handing him a camera.
“I bought new clothes today. Take some pictures of me, and make sure I look good!”
Tang Yu’an wasn’t a skilled photographer, but he had seen others squatting down when taking pictures, so he did the same, assuming it made people look taller.
After taking the pictures, Tang Ze checked them, clicking his tongue: “Not bad, but not as good as Dad’s.”
He showed Tang Yu’an his old photos: a candid shot while hiking, a picture of him making a peace sign on his first hovercar ride. There were countless photos, showcasing a vibrant life.
“See? Dad knows how to find the right angles. You should learn from him.”
Tang Yu’an didn’t reply. Tang Ze nudged him: “Why aren’t you answering? Don’t you want to learn?”
Tang Yu’an, clutching his shirt, finally spoke after a long pause: “We can learn together. Then we can take pictures of each other when we go out.”
Tang Ze stared at him for a moment, then smiled and put away the camera: “Are you upset because Dad bought me clothes but not you?”
Tang Yu’an was annoyed, feeling petty, but he truly was a little upset.
Tang Ze stepped closer, looking into his evasive eyes: “Do you know why you didn’t get any new clothes?”
“Why…?”
Tang Ze put his hands on his hips: “Because you’re too boring! You don’t know how to make Mom and Dad happy.”
He said matter-of-factly: “That’s why they only like me and not you. Got it?”
