Following somewhat hazy memories, Yu Shulin found his way home, his mood heavy as he stood before the door. He retrieved the spare key from under an old flowerpot in the corner, opened the door, and walked in.
Everything was just as he remembered, unchanged from his past life to this one. Counting it up, he hadn't been back in nearly ten years. A thin layer of dust coated the furniture, and the tightly drawn curtains made the living room seem dim and gloomy. He turned and walked to his mother's bedroom door, took a deep breath, and slowly pushed it open.
The light-colored floral bedsheet was his mother's preference. A photo frame sat on the nightstand, holding a picture of a beautiful woman holding a two or three-year-old child, smiling happily. Even without a father, his life with his mother had always been peaceful and content.
Clutching the photo frame to his chest, he sat down leaning against the bed. Inhaling the familiar, faint fragrance from the sheets and gazing at the barely visible dust motes floating in the air, he fell into a daze. The wardrobe was slightly ajar, revealing a few of his mother's everyday clothes. A pair of warm yellow slippers, the most ordinary style but in her favorite color, sat beside the bed.
Resting his arm over his eyes, he let out a deep sigh, his chest rising and falling, a barely audible sob escaping with his breath.
He was really back. It was good.
After spending several hours thoroughly cleaning the entire house, he wiped his sweat and gathered clothes to take a shower.
The phone suddenly rang. He was stunned for a long moment before realizing it was the landline at home. Not long after the college entrance exams, he had been locked up, and later his uncle pushed him out to take the blame for Yu Bo, wasting several bleak, oppressive years in prison. That pale, stifling life had almost made him forget what a telephone ring even sounded like.
He walked to the phone, hesitated for a while, then gently picked up the receiver and held it to his ear, speaking softly, "Hello..."
"Shulin, it's me. Why did you go over there? Didn't we agree you wouldn't go back there anymore? Your uncle is very worried about you. Have you had dinner? Do you want me to come pick you up?"
The loathsome voice came through the receiver. He frowned, his eyes filled with impatience, and replied stiffly, "No need. I came back to pack some things. Let's meet at the law firm tomorrow morning at ten." Afraid Yu Xiu might become suspicious, he softened his tone and added, "I know you care about me, Uncle. Thank you."
Yu Xiu had been thoroughly hassled by Lawyer Zhou that afternoon. Although he was puzzled by the loss of Yu Shulin's previous closeness and dependence, remembering the boy's terrible attitude towards his father's side eased his worries a bit. After expressing a few more words of concern, he hung up.
This call darkened Yu Shulin's mood, which had just begun to settle. He stared at the phone with a heavy gaze for a long time, clenched his fist, took a deep breath, picked up his change of clothes, and headed to the bathroom.
Seeing Yu Xiu hang up, Zhou Mei quickly and cautiously approached, asking, "Well? That child Shulin... doesn't suspect anything, does he?"
"No, the child trusts me completely now," Yu Xiu replied, frowning and glaring at her, still somewhat angry. "How have you been teaching Xiao Bo usually? This is a critical time, keep a tighter rein on him! If it weren't for him, those documents would have been signed today. We wouldn't need to make another trip tomorrow—don't you know the longer the delay, the more likely something goes wrong! And who knows what the situation is with his father's side... Also, Shulin is emotionally unstable right now. Tell Xiao Bo to stop provoking him."
"What are you talking about? Today it was clearly that jinx picking a fight... You shouldn't have even mentioned someone contesting guardianship to him..." Seeing her husband's expression grow increasingly unpleasant, Zhou Mei quickly shut her mouth. Recalling Yu Shulin's violent outburst that afternoon, she couldn't help but worry, "You said the child has such a bad attitude towards our Xiao Bo... could he just give guardianship to the other side instead?"
At this, a hint of smugness appeared on Yu Xiu's face. He waved his hand confidently, "No, no, you didn't see the sheer venom when Shulin mentioned his father, thanks to me whispering a few extra words in his ear. And you, keep Xiao Bo in check these next few days. Make him be sweeter-talking. Think about the inheritance my poor, short-lived sister left behind. Don't let anything go wrong." Actually, he was also somewhat annoyed at himself for mentioning the guardianship contest—he had only meant to show his concern and thoughtfulness, never expecting it to backfire and provoke Yu Shulin. But still, the child's impression of his father's side was so terrible, his heart was still leaning towards him.
Annoyed by his lecturing, Zhou Mei changed the subject, "Alright, alright, I get it. Xiao Bo is so well-behaved, there won't be any more problems. What about the matter of transferring to Chenghan..."
"Once the money is in hand, I'll go make the arrangements. It shouldn't be a problem," Yu Xiu replied, his mood greatly improved.
Hearing this, Zhou Mei was satisfied and started pulling him into discussions about how to spend the inheritance once they got it.
Over there, Yu Xiu and his wife were happily planning how to use that six hundred thousand plus inheritance. Over here, Yu Shulin was holding a cup of instant noodles, glaring irritably at the incessantly ringing phone, considering whether to just unplug the line. What was Yu Xiu's problem? Didn't they agree to meet tomorrow? Why keep calling now?
After ringing for a while, the phone finally fell silent. His brow relaxed slightly, and he buried his head back in his instant noodles—it had been half a month since his mother's funeral ended. Anything in the fridge had long gone bad. This instant noodles was bought with the last bit of money he had when he went downstairs; he couldn't waste it.
Just after cleaning up the noodle cup, the phone, quiet for less than fifteen minutes, suddenly rang again, startling Yu Shulin who was about to return to his room.
Enough already!
Frowning, he walked over in a few strides, picked up the phone, and spoke impatiently, "Hello, Uncle, what else is it? Didn't we agree to meet tomorrow?"
The background on the other end of the line was somewhat noisy, but no one spoke. Yu Shulin was taken aback, feeling puzzled. "Hello?"
"Yu... Shulin, hello. I am Liang Zhou."
The voice coming through the phone was low and slightly hoarse, faintly carrying a trace of weariness. The tone was flat, giving no clue to the speaker's emotions. Yu Shulin frowned, his confusion deepening. He didn't know this person.
"Hello, may I ask who you are..." Could it be a friend of Mom's?
Another period of silence followed, as if the person on the other end was considering how to introduce themselves. After a long while, the low voice sounded again, the weariness now hidden, "I am your brother. To be precise, I am Liang Zhou, the son of your father, Liang Chi."
Yu Shulin was stunned. It wasn't that he wasn't mentally prepared to face relatives from his father's side, but he truly never expected the first person to contact him would be his... brother?
Brother... such an unfamiliar word.
Wait, if his father already had a son, and one older than him... Could it be that his mother really was the "other woman" who broke up a family, as those neighbors had whispered? Was that why his mother never mentioned his father in front of him? But...
His mind was in turmoil for a moment. In his past life, people from his father's side never contacted him directly. What was going on this time? He had just been reborn and hadn't even had time to do anything yet. How had the butterfly's wings already started flapping?
"Mr... Liang." He suppressed the chaotic whirl of thoughts and spoke hesitantly, "What about my father..."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, then a calm, detached reply came, "Father passed away three years ago."
"..."
