The next day.
Shen Lin got up early and, treading through the morning mist, knocked on the Su family’s door. It was Qin Kun who opened it, holding a little toddler who had just woken up. The little toddler was yawning repeatedly; Shen Lin could even see the little dimples on his hands. Ahhhh!!, so incredibly cute.
“Good morning, Uncle Qin.” Shen Lin nodded in greeting. The youth looked fresh and clean. Apart from his somewhat unruly hairstyle, Qin Kun couldn’t find fault with anything else.
“Hello.”
Youyou, hearing the voice, blinked his eyes hard a few times. “Daddy, who is he?”
I’m your brother, I’m your brother! Shen Lin screamed inwardly.
“Youyou, this is Brother Shen Lin. He’ll be our guest for the next few days.”
Youyou nodded and greeted, “Brother Shen Ning, how are you?”
Regarding the little one’s language education, Qin Kun and Su Siwen had always focused on it. Youyou’s health checkups over the past two years had all shown his physical indicators were below those of children his age. After adopting him, Su Siwen had studied many books related to young children. A child’s poor physical development could severely affect language and intelligence.
Now Youyou was three. Although his physique still lagged behind children his age, everyone who saw him said the child spoke very clearly. The hardships the two daddies had put in behind the scenes went without saying.
“Shen Lin, not ‘Ning.’ Say it again,” Qin Kun corrected his mistake on the spot.
Youyou sat up in his daddy’s arms and, following Qin Kun’s example, clearly and slowly repeated, “Brother Shen Lin.”
Shen Lin stared at his plump, fair, tender cheeks. His fingertips tingled; he really wanted to pinch the little one’s face.
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Qin Kun walked to the vacant lot next to the house where a white Volkswagen was parked. He set the little toddler down by the car and crouched to instruct him, “Youyou, don’t get into conflicts with the other children, okay?”
Youyou nodded, then stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Qin Kun’s neck, nuzzling his cheek affectionately against his neck. After instructing the little one, Qin Kun stood up and looked at the boy who was almost as tall as he was. “Could you please help take Youyou back home?” he said.
The Volkswagen drove off, and Youyou kept watching until his father’s car disappeared from sight. Shen Lin was still lost in thought when he felt something soft brush against his palm. He looked down to see the little one’s small hand holding his. The touch was soft, like cotton—an experience Shen Lin had never had before.
His heart trembled inexplicably, and he crouched down. “Call me that again,” he said.
Still a little sleepy from waking up early, Youyou thought his brother was testing whether he had learned to say his name. So, he stood up straight and called out loudly and clearly, “Brother Shen Lin!”
Shen Lin almost burst into tears, his mind instantly flooded with countless thoughts. If this weren’t his biological brother, he would still have wanted to take Youyou home and raise him. Shen Lin picked the child up, surprised that Youyou didn’t resist but instead nestled obediently in his arms.
“Youyou, how old are you? Are you in school yet?”
Youyou held up three fingers. “Youyou is three years old and not in school yet.”
Youyou was adopted. Back when Qin Kun and Su Siwen were in college, their household registrations had been moved out. The transfer procedures were currently being processed and, barring any issues, would be completed before the September school term began. Shen Lin lowered his gaze to Su Youli’s little face and sighed inwardly: My brother is so good-looking, even prettier than those child models in ads.
Tables and chairs were arranged in the garden, with a semi-circular plastic cover over the tabletop. Acting every bit the little host, Su Youli seated Shen Lin opposite him and trotted off on his little legs to fetch bowls and chopsticks.
“Brother Shen Lin, it’s time for breakfast.”
The little boy pronounced “Shen Lin” slowly, but each syllable was perfectly clear. When the cover was lifted, the table revealed a steaming plate of buns and shumai, alongside freshly squeezed soy milk that was still warm. Youyou picked up his small mug, took a sip, and when he lowered it, a white “mustache” of soy milk clung to his upper lip. Su Youli grabbed a bun and began eating, swinging his little feet.
“Youyou, where’s your other dad?”
Shen Lin had learned from Assistant Zhang the day before about Su Siwen and Qin Kun’s relationship—they were a same-sex couple who had adopted Su Youli together. The little one’s mouth was stuffed with a bun, puffing out his cheeks.
“Daddy is still sleeping. We can’t wake him up.”
Shen Lin hummed in acknowledgment, stood up, and took a tissue to wipe away the lingering soy milk from the child’s lips.
“Thank you, Brother Shen Lin.” Su Youli was very polite.
At sixteen, Shen Lin was in the midst of a growth spurt. He dug into his food eagerly and was pleasantly surprised when he tasted the bun.
“Did Uncle Qin make these?”
Su Youli replied, “Yes, my daddy is really amazing.”
Everyone in the Shen family was hopeless in the kitchen. Only Shen Lin’s mother could manage some basic soups. As for him and his brother, they’d never even paid attention to what the kitchen looked like. He recalled Qin Kun’s tall stature and rugged features, thinking, You really can’t judge a book by its cover. Uncle Qin can actually cook.
Then he thought of his own father, Shen Minyan—strict, cold, and unfeeling. After comparing the two, his disdain for Shen Minyan grew even stronger. If only his father had possessed this kind of skill, his mother might not have divorced him. Shen Lin had no experience taking care of children and was worried he wouldn’t do well with Su Youli. But as they spent time together, he realized Su Youli didn’t need much looking after at all.
After finishing his milk, the little one put away his own dishes. If something was too heavy, he moved it in two trips, carefully stepping onto a small stool by the sink to place the dishes inside. Then, he took the blue cloth hanging from the faucet, wiped the table clean, and replaced the plastic cover.
Shen Lin, a sixteen-year-old high school student, felt ashamed in comparison. The Shen family was wealthy, and he had grown up with several nannies taking care of everything for him. He’d never had to lift a finger. After breakfast, the little one took out his drawing supplies on his own. Shen Lin leaned over to look and saw a sunflower drawn on the paper. Shen Lin racked his brains to make conversation. “What are you drawing, Youyou?”
The little one gave Shen Lin a puzzled look. “It’s a sunflower, Brother.”
He even pronounced “sunflower” so accurately! Around ten o’clock, the sound of footsteps creaking on the wooden floorboards came from the second floor. Su Youli immediately dropped his crayons and hurried upstairs, calling out “Daddy!” as he went.
Shen Lin’s gaze lingered on the sunflower. In his ears, he could faintly hear the cheerful voices of the father and son upstairs. Uncle Qin had prepared breakfast for Youyou at seven in the morning. Uncle Su, despite his poor health, patiently taught Youyou how to draw.
And there were countless other things Shen Lin couldn’t see. He scratched his head, wishing Youyou were his biological brother, yet fearing the day Youyou might refuse to leave with him, looking at him with distant, guarded eyes. He was afraid Youyou would hate him. His own family was in chaos right now—he didn’t even want to go back himself. How could he take Youyou there?
It’s all because of that useless Shen Minyan, Shen Lin cursed silently.
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