"Huh?" Yu Shulin looked up at him, not quite understanding what he meant. He raised a hand to scratch his cheek and tentatively replied, "I'm honored?"
Seeing his confusion, He Long decided to be more direct. "It's like this."
Yu Shulin hurriedly put down his bowl and chopsticks, sat up straight, and assumed a posture of listening attentively. "Go on."
He Long also set down his utensils and began explaining slowly. "Look, my dad and I, we don't talk much, and we don't smile often."
"Mhm, and then?"
"The boss talks even less than us and basically never smiles at all," He Long added.
Yu Shulin's face stiffened. He continued cautiously, "Uh, so?"
"And then Aunt Liu loves to talk and loves to smile. You talk a lot and smile at her often, so she likes you." He Long spoke with profound sincerity. After finishing, he picked up his bowl again, looking as if he had said his piece and no thanks were necessary.
"......"
Yu Shulin widened his eyes at him, trying to make him see the giant question mark in his gaze. "So, the meaning of you saying all this is...?" Was he teaching him how to quickly integrate into this family?
He Long shook his head, exasperated at his failure to understand. "How did you suddenly become so dense? Aunt Liu is the one who cooks. If she likes you, you get more meat to eat. Understand?"
"...I understand. Thanks for the tip." With a grave expression, Yu Shulin picked up his bowl and continued eating the sweet and sour pork ribs... He felt like He Long seemed a bit different from when they first met...
The room Liang Zhou had prepared for him was on the second floor of the villa, situated between Liang Zhou's own bedroom and study. Although slightly smaller than the other rooms, it had a small balcony facing south, which let in plenty of sunlight.
The room was carpeted. The bedsheets, curtains, and such were all a clean, refreshing blue. A few sets of clothes hung in the wardrobe. He pulled one out to look—it was a style suitable for a teenager and the size was just right. A faint hint of mint fragrance wafted from the clothes; they had probably been specially rinsed.
In the corner of the room sat a basketball and a soccer ball. A brand-new badminton racket hung on the wall, clearly purchased recently.
Yu Shulin sighed emotionally as he touched the single armchair by the window. Remembering his past life and comparing it to now, a complex mix of feelings churned in his heart. Perhaps his rebirth wasn't meant for revenge against Yu Xiu and the others, but to learn that in this world, there were still people willing to treat him with genuine kindness.
After tidying up a few things from his suitcase, he took out the gift he had prepared for Liang Zhou. He touched it gently and placed it on the bed. He would give it to Liang Zhou when he returned. Yes, he would definitely strive to get along well with this older brother.
It was almost midnight when Liang Zhou arrived home. After sending away the chattering Mu Qiu, he walked into the villa with an expressionless face. He nodded to Uncle He, who was waiting by the door, and bent down to change his shoes. "It's too late, Uncle He. You should go to bed."
Uncle He rubbed his lower back and waved a hand. "Are you hungry, young master? Would you like some supper?"
Liang Zhou shook his head and opened the shoe cabinet. His gaze fell upon a pair of white sneakers placed at the very bottom, and his movements paused. He asked in a low voice, "He's arrived?"
Uncle He nodded and went over to help him organize the shoe cabinet. "He arrived at noon. He's asleep now."
"How is he?"
Uncle He thought for a moment, his expression softening a little. "He's a good kid... quieter than described in the dossier."
"Mhm." Liang Zhou nodded. After urging Uncle He to sleep once more, he headed straight upstairs. Passing by Yu Shulin's room, he hesitated for a moment, then stopped, carefully opened the door, and went in.
The room now held a few more personal items than when it was first set up. He gave them a cursory glance before turning his gaze to the bed, where a lump was visible under the covers.
The central air conditioning maintained the room temperature at 26°C. The boy was wrapped in a thin quilt, sleeping soundly.
The room was dimly lit, making it hard to see the boy's features clearly, only that his frame looked quite slender. Liang Zhou took a few steps closer, stood by the bedside, bent down, and gently brushed aside the quilt covering the boy's head.
Why does he like to sleep with the covers over his head? That's not a good habit... He frowned, but the force with which he pulled the thin quilt remained gentle.
The boy's face gradually became visible. His eyebrows were light, his eyelashes long, his nose straight and well-defined. His lips were slightly parted, a healthy pale pink. His face was nicely shaped, with a touch of baby fat. His soft hair was tousled from being under the covers, a few strands sticking to his forehead, making him look very young.
A very pretty appearance. He didn't look much like their father; he probably took after their mother more. Liang Zhou reached this conclusion—this was his younger brother... He frowned, his fingers moving to the boy's cheek to brush away the mischievous strands of hair on his forehead, his lips pressed together... So this is what having a younger brother feels like.
...Not bad, he thought. If he stayed this well-behaved, he wouldn't mind treating this younger brother even better.
Yu Shulin was dreaming. In the dream, a playful big cat kept brushing its tail against his face. It tickled, and he couldn't escape it no matter how he tried. He shook his head impatiently and woke up groggily.
In his bleary vision, everything was dark. He blinked, and his gaze suddenly met Liang Zhou's deep eyes. Startled, his sleepiness vanished instantly. He sat up and rolled to the side of the bed. "Who is it?"
"It's me."
The shadowy figure by the bed took a step back, and a somewhat familiar, deep male voice reached him. Yu Shulin tried to place the voice, his tense body relaxing slightly. He addressed the shadow uncertainly, "Is that... Mr. Liang?"
Liang Zhou in the darkness frowned, dissatisfied with the address. He remained silent.
"Is it Mr. Liang?" Yu Shulin reached for the bedside lamp, intending to get out of bed.
"Don't get up." Liang Zhou stepped forward, bringing himself into the warm glow of the bedside lamp. He reached out and pressed on Yu Shulin's shoulder to stop him from getting down. "I woke you. Go back to sleep."
His hand touched the shoulder and withdrew immediately. He pulled his hand back, curling it into a loose fist, and frowned—too thin. It felt all bones.
Yu Shulin looked up, finally getting a clear view of his appearance.
Liang Zhou was very tall. The gray fitted shirt showcased his well-built physique perfectly. His legs were long, and standing by the bed, he had a somewhat imposing presence. His hair was cut very short, complementing his handsome, strong features. He looked sharp. The contours of his eyebrows and eyes were deep, his nose very straight, and his lips were pressed tightly together, giving the impression that he wasn't the easiest person to get along with.
—He didn't look anything like him at all. You couldn't tell at all that they were brothers.
Yu Shulin reached his own conclusion. His eyes flicked to the alarm clock on the bedside table, and he paused, looking at Liang Zhou with confusion. "You just got back?"
While Yu Shulin was sizing him up, Liang Zhou was also observing him. And the result of his observation... The boy seemed to come alive the moment he opened his eyes... He still looked very well-behaved. Mhm. He nodded. He wanted to reach out and ruffle the other's messy hair. His fingers twitched, but instead, he gestured toward the door. "Go back to sleep. I'm leaving."
Seeing him about to go, Yu Shulin instinctively said, "Wait." When the other looked back at him, he realized with some embarrassment what he had done. Hurriedly, as if to cover it up, he picked up the delicate box from the bedside table, hopped off the bed, walked over to Liang Zhou, and shoved the box into his hand.
"This... it's a gift for you."
Liang Zhou rubbed the box in his hand, paused, and spoke: "Not Mr. Liang."
"What?" Yu Shulin looked up at him.
This angle of their gaze meeting inexplicably gave him the feeling of being wholly and completely trusted by the other... very good, his little brother was soft and obedient. This time, he didn't hesitate again. He reached out and touched the boy's soft hair, giving it a gentle ruffle. His expression softened a little as he said, "You should call me 'brother'. Go to sleep now, good night."
The door closed, blocking the view of the man's departing figure. Yu Shulin touched his own hair, remained silent for a long while, then waved his hand towards the door. "Good night... brother."
