“I’m not hurt. Your big brother here is tough.”
A lush thicket of bamboo concealed Shen Minyan’s tall figure, allowing him to stand unnoticed behind the grove, watching the two children play. Had Shen Ning always been this tall? How old was he this year? Fifteen? Sixteen? With the abysmal grades that even a dog would disdain, which high school had he gotten into? Or had his grandparents pulled strings and paid his way into a private school?
A series of silent questions. Shen Minyan suddenly realized he knew almost nothing about Shen Ning’s current circumstances. His dark suit clung to his tall frame as he crossed the covered walkway and retreated to his room. His shoulders, which had been so rigidly straight moments ago, now seemed to slump wearily.
…
The paternity test results came back faster than anyone expected, in less than twenty-four hours. Early that morning, Youyou had been picked up by Uncle Yang next door.
Yang Yang stood at the doorway, holding the little one’s hand as he waved to Uncle Qin Kun. “Uncle Qin, I’m taking Youyou to the taekwondo class now. Bye-bye!”
Qin Kun handed both children over to Yang Shiqing. “Sorry for the trouble, Brother Yang.”
Yang Shiqing, a burly man who ran a taekwondo dojo in town, grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. “Don’t stand on ceremony with me.. Today’s just a trial class to assess Youyou’s motor skills and coordination.”
Qin Kun nodded and crouched down to speak to the little one. “There’s water and biscuits in your backpack. Go with Brother Yang Yang to class, and don’t run off, okay?”
The little guy was especially excited today. “Got it, Kunkun!”
Only after the child’s figure disappeared from sight did Qin Kun let his smile fade. He turned and went back inside. Zhang Shun had sent the paternity test results that morning. As expected, Youyou was indeed Shen Minyan’s son. At eight in the morning, Shen Minyan and Shen Ning arrived together. Unlike Su Siwen and Qin Kun, whose faces were etched with worry, the Shen father and son seemed to be in good spirits.
Shen Ning, in particular, looked as if he might burst into cheers at any moment. His dream had come true. Youyou was really his biological little brother! Shen Minyan’s expression remained impassive, but his increasingly rapid pace betrayed his inner turmoil. For three years, he had never stopped searching for his youngest son. He knew that many people whispered behind his back—that his son, stolen shortly after birth, had probably died long ago. But he refused to believe it.
“Good morning, Uncle Qin, Uncle Su.”
Shen Ning was notoriously unreliable at home, but now that he had a little brother, he was making an effort to act the part. He had changed into clean clothes and meticulously styled his hair before coming over. After greeting them, his eyes swept the room. There was no sign of the little one.
“Where’s Youyou?” he asked.
“Youyou has a taekwondo trial class today. He left early this morning.”
“What?!”
Su Youli, with his short little limbs, probably couldn’t even climb onto a taekwondo mat. Why taekwondo of all things? More likely, he was trying to avoid them! Shen Minyan said nothing. He didn’t care what Qin Kun and Su Siwen wanted to do, nor did he concern himself with what they were thinking. He pulled a bank card from his pocket.
“Mr. Qin, Mr. Su. This card holds one million. It’s to thank you for taking care of my son these past three years.”
Su Siwen reacted first. Staring at the gleaming bank card, he shot up angrily. “What do you mean by that?”
Shen Minyan’s expression remained blank, noncommittal.
Qin Kun placed a steadying hand on Su Siwen’s shoulder, his voice cold and heavy. “Mr. Shen, if it were about money, we wouldn’t have adopted Youyou three years ago.”
Three years ago, they had been so poor. Living in a cheap rental in an urban village, their combined monthly salary hadn’t even reached ten thousand. They could barely support themselves. And yet, out of a momentary softness, they had taken in a little “money-devouring beast.” They had no money. But when it came to Youyou’s formula and diapers, they always bought him the best they could afford.
Su Siwen’s head throbbed with pain. His eyes were bloodshot, and his knees throbbed with sharp, stabbing sensations, like a thousand silver needles piercing the gaps in his bones.
He didn’t expect Shen Minyan to understand his feelings. But trying to buy off the bond between him and Youyou with a single card? Absolutely unacceptable.
“Even if you are Youyou’s biological father, I am still his legal guardian!” Su Siwen braced his hands on the tabletop, enunciating each word.
A man this cold and heartless, who, upon learning the truth, immediately tried to pay them off. Su Siwen could never let Youyou live with someone like that. If he took the money, the Shen family would surely never let them see Youyou again.
“You’re strapped for cash right now, aren’t you?” Shen Minyan said. In his view, there was nothing money couldn’t solve.
He had already looked into Qin Kun and Su Siwen’s financial situation yesterday. Both were under thirty. Both sets of parents were deceased. Su Siwen’s leg required surgery, and they urgently needed to find a suitable surgeon. Over the past two years, hospital visits had nearly drained their savings. They were living beyond their means and couldn’t provide Su Youli with a comfortable life.
“Having Youyou return with me to the Shen family is the best choice,” Shen Minyan continued, unmoved by sentiment.
His words struck a nerve. Qin Kun and Su Siwen found themselves momentarily speechless. Yes, returning to the Shen family would make Youyou a pampered little young master. There would be many people to take care of him. He was still young—perhaps the separation would be difficult at first. But with time, surely Youyou would forget them. Su Siwen’s hands trembled as he covered his eyes. A surge of bitterness rose in his chest, and tears spilled down his cheeks, seeping through his fingers.
It felt as though the most vital part of his life had been violently carved out with a knife, yet he didn’t even have the right to protest. All that remained was a bloody wound that would never heal. Qin Kun shut his eyes and pushed the card back.
“Take your card back. We may not have money, but we’re not desperate enough to trade Youyou for it.” His voice caught in his throat. “Youyou will always be my son.”
Shen Minyan’s dark brows knitted tightly together. His deep-set eyes studied the two anguished men across from him, as if genuinely baffled as to why they would refuse the money. With this one million, they could seek medical treatment abroad. Su Siwen’s leg could be cured. All this, just to cling to their pride?
Foolish.
Neither side was wrong. Only fate was to blame.
Zhang Shun sighed. After Shen Minyan had left, he placed the bank card on the corner of the table. “These past couple of days, I’ve seen for myself how genuinely good you are to Youyou. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t want to let him go either…”
Su Siwen’s eyes were vacant. His complexion, already pale, had turned even worse.
“Don’t blame Chairman Shen for being harsh. He just… he’s too rational. He just wants to bring the little young master home as quickly as possible.”
That was Shen Minyan’s way—logical and decisive. He despised beating around the bush. Qin Kun and Su Siwen couldn’t absorb a single word. Their minds were entirely consumed with Youyou. At the Su family’s doorstep.
“Shen Minyan!” Shen Ning addressed his father by his full name.
Little brat.
Shen Minyan turned his head. “What did you call me?”
“Don’t you think you went too far? Not everyone wants your money!”
The teenager’s chest heaved violently. His shout startled the birds right out of the trees.
Sorry for taking so long to update. School this sem was more hectic than I expected. All issues have been dealt with tho, so I’ll be updating more often.<3 I’ll upload a chapter (or two) every day till the end of the week as a sorry❤️
Ps- the next chapter is really short( I had to countercheck multiple times to be sure it wasn’t missing a part 😂 )If you like what I do, please consider supporting me on Ko-Fi.
