Dinnertime.
The dining table was quiet. Yu Shulin glanced at He Long, then at Liang Zhou. After hesitating and wrestling with himself for a long time, he finally scratched his cheek and spoke softly, "Mr. Liang."
Liang Zhou paused while picking up food with his chopsticks and looked up at him. "What did you call me?"
Yu Shulin was stunned by the question, suddenly recalling their conversation from the night before. His mouth opened slightly, then he lowered his head to avoid Liang Zhou's gaze and said quietly, "Brother... I was thinking of signing up for a summer tutoring class." He had given it serious thought. Of the middle school subjects, only math, English, and the science subjects would be truly useful in high school. Rote-memorization subjects like history, geography, and politics could be tackled gradually. Chinese mainly tested accumulated knowledge over time; he had studied diligently in middle school. Even though his high school grades had been terrible in his past life, he still had some foundation. With some tutoring, catching up might not be impossible. He really didn't want to repeat the third year of middle school. So, if he was going to advance directly to high school, tutoring was essential.
After his guardian was decided, he had spent most of his free time reviewing textbooks. With the knowledge from his past high school life as a foundation, understanding these middle school subjects wasn't too difficult. Perhaps his mindset had changed, or perhaps the stable living environment had relaxed him a lot, but that terrible state from his past life where he just couldn't absorb anything he studied had disappeared. Learning had become much easier for him.
Although he wasn't entirely sure if his terrible high school entrance exam scores would get him into any high school in City B, he had already made up his mind. If no school was willing to accept him... he would... buy his way into one.
Ahem. Although the idea seemed a bit unambitious, he swore that once he got into high school, he would study seriously! Besides, he had some money now and wouldn't need Liang Zhou to spend a fortune.
Thinking this, a trace of anticipation inevitably appeared in his eyes. His fingers under the table fidgeted slightly as he silently calculated his assets. The house was sold, plus his mother's savings, and the accident compensation he had gradually recovered from Yu Xiu... by any measure, he was a millionaire now. Buying his way into a school... should be more than enough.
Under his expectant gaze, Liang Zhou slowly withdrew his chopsticks. His expression grew even stiffer, his deep eyes fixed on Yu Shulin, as if pondering something.
"Brother?" Yu Shulin felt uneasy under his chilly gaze, his speech becoming slightly stuttered. "I-Is it not okay?"
That cautious "Brother" made Liang Zhou's heart flutter strangely. His gaze swept over Yu Shulin's soft, messy hair and slightly chubby cheeks, feeling a warmth spread in his chest.
Hmm, this was his younger brother. Not a cousin, just simply his younger brother... good.
"He Long." He finally looked away, turning to He Long.
He Long, who had been silently burying his head in his rice bowl pretending not to be there, instantly sat up straight, put down his bowl and chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and said, "Boss, what are your instructions?"
"Find a few good tutoring classes for Shulin to choose from. If there aren't any good ones, look into hiring a private tutor." He then turned back to Yu Shulin. "Which subjects do you mainly want to focus on?"
"Math and English..."
Liang Zhou nodded and looked back at He Long. "Find tutoring classes that are good at teaching math and English. Also, look into which high schools in City B are better and bring back some materials for Shulin to choose from."
He Long took out a small notebook and scribbled notes furiously. After finishing, he carefully checked it over and nodded. "Understood."
Liang Zhou frowned and added another instruction. "Find ones closer to home."
He Long's hand holding the pen paused. He glanced at Yu Shulin and nodded. "Okay."
With the matter settled and the meal almost finished, Liang Zhou wiped his mouth, glanced at Yu Shulin who was slowly finishing his rice, frowned, and instructed, "Don't be picky with your food." Then he stood up and went upstairs without looking back.
Only He Long and Yu Shulin were left in the dining room. Yu Shulin looked at He Long, puzzled and frowning. "Brother, he just..." Why did he leave right after finishing talking? He hadn't even had time to say thank you. And that last sentence... the tone was a bit scary. Was his table manners bad?
"The boss is embarrassed," He Long concluded definitively, putting away his notebook before also making a quick exit.
"..."
Liang Zhou was indeed very busy. Not long after dinner, he was called out by a phone call and hadn't returned by the time Yu Shulin went to bed.
Yu Shulin didn't quite understand. Did actors need to work this late?
The next day, he got up early hoping to have breakfast with Liang Zhou, only to be told that Liang Zhou had already gone on a business trip and wouldn't be back for a week. He felt a little disappointed. After hesitating for a moment, he took out his phone and sent Liang Zhou a text message.
"Have a safe trip, take care of yourself. Thank you for the tutoring and school matters."
His phone vibrated shortly after. He picked it up and opened the message.
"Hmm. You should call me brother."
...How obsessed was he with this 'brother' title? Yu Shulin felt a bit embarrassed, but a smile unconsciously appeared on his face. He quickly replied, "Come back soon, brother."
"Hmm."
The following days passed quietly. Yu Shulin spent his time reviewing textbooks, helping Uncle He in the garden, and watching TV with Aunt Liu. It wasn't too boring.
As he became more familiar with them, he gradually learned a lot about the family from Aunt Liu.
For example, about his father, Liang Chi.
Liang Chi was a famous film director. According to Aunt Liu, he was a very serious and rigid person, but truly talented. After marrying Liang Zhou's mother, Zhou Qingya, he began venturing into the business world. He first started an entertainment company, and after it gained traction, began investing in other industries, achieving considerable success. But the good times didn't last. Mother Zhou died in a car accident when Liang Zhou was four. After that, Liang Chi became dispirited and lost interest in managing his businesses. He entrusted his entertainment company to his younger brother, Liang Jian, and after roughly consolidating his other assets, entrusted them to Mother Zhou's family.
Free of burdens, he returned to his old profession, focusing solely on making films, and became even more reckless with his health than before. Liang Zhou, having lost his mother from a young age and later his father's care as well, grew increasingly silent and spoke less and less.
Several years passed like this. After producing a few more classic films, Liang Chi fell ill. He was barely saved, but his health was completely ruined. After struggling for a few more years, he passed away with regrets.
After listening, Yu Shulin could only sigh. He lowered his head to calculate and asked, "Then how old is brother now?" He looked to be about twenty-seven?
"The young master is twenty-three," Aunt Liu said, also sighing about the past. "Don't let his cold demeanor fool you. He was very filial to the master. Before the master died, he asked him to become an actor, and the young master agreed without a second thought. Otherwise, someone as precious as him, why would he go earn that kind of hard-earned money?"
Twenty-three. He was only twenty-three... so young. Yu Shulin was momentarily stunned. After the surprise, however, he felt somewhat relieved. The vague sense of guilt he felt towards Liang Zhou gradually faded a little.
An eight-year age gap, and Liang Zhou's mother passed away when he was four. By that calculation, my own mother wasn't the other woman... It's a relief she didn't break up Liang Zhou's family.
Once she started talking, Aunt Liu couldn't seem to stop. She simply brought over several large photo albums and began recounting past events, pointing at the photos one by one. By the end, she couldn't help but look up at Yu Shulin with affectionate eyes, pat his head, and sigh, "You're a good child. The young master has been so lonely all these years. With you by his side from now on, I can rest easy."
A whirlwind of thoughts collided in his mind, but he couldn't find the words to describe them.
Feeling the gentle touch on his head, he nodded earnestly. "I will get along well with my brother."
As someone who had suddenly barged into their lives, he had long been mentally prepared to be treated coldly. But he never, ever expected these people to treat him with such kindness. Whether it was Uncle He, Aunt Liu, or He Long and Ling Chun whom he met at the beginning, and of course, Liang Zhou himself—they were all such good people. How could someone like him, a dark, wretched creature who crawled out of the mire and hell, ever repay their goodwill?
