Feng Yi felt that ever since he stepped into the old family residence today, everything he saw seemed surreal.
His sister-in-law was radiant and quick-witted, coaxing the old man into cheerful laughter.
He noticed that Old Master Feng, caught up in the moment, asked Uncle Yue to fetch an old photo album.
No need to guess—the old man was surely about to reminisce over those same worn-out stories Feng Yi had heard a thousand times.
Old Master Feng pointed at a black-and-white photo and motioned for Sang Lu to come closer.
"Lu girl, look—this is the group photo from when your grandfather and I enlisted in the army."
Sang Lu glanced over in surprise.
Old Master Feng continued, "See this simple-looking lad in the front? That’s your grandpa, barely twenty years old back then—"
Sang Lu had never seen this photo of her grandfather before.
The sudden sight of it made her eyes sting.
With a proud grin, Old Master Feng pointed again.
"—And the handsome young man in the back? That’s me, the most dashing soldier in the entire company. We fought side by side in the trenches, brothers in all but blood."
Pfft—
The tears welling in Sang Lu’s eyes instantly retreated, replaced by a soft, emotional laugh.
She never knew her grandfather and Old Master Feng had been so close in their youth.
Old Master Feng’s gaze grew distant as he drifted into memory.
"Back then, the two of us clung to a broken plank, drifting on the river for three whole days. Your grandpa was a fool—when he saw I couldn’t hold on much longer, he gave me his last piece of compressed biscuit, lying that he still had another. Tell me, wasn’t he an idiot?"
"But I wasn’t fooled. I only took half."
"You wouldn’t believe it… that biscuit soaked in filthy water—ugh, barely edible."
"So I told Old Sang, ‘Imagine it’s the braised pork my family’s cook makes—juicy, glistening with fat.’ That’s the only way I managed to choke it down."
Sang Lu pictured the scene in her mind.
It was heartbreaking, yet she couldn’t help but admire the two young men—brave, resilient, even finding humor in their suffering.
Just as she was lost in thought, Old Master Feng snorted and chuckled,
"Your grandpa was sharp, though. Later, we made a pact to arrange a marriage between our grandchildren. I bet he planned it all along—to have his granddaughter come to our house and feast on braised pork!"
Tears shimmered in Sang Lu’s laughter.
Her grandfather had passed when she was only five or six.
As she grew older, her memories of him had faded.
But now, through Old Master Feng’s stories, her grandfather came alive again—
A man both foolish and clever, steadfast and reliable.
Old Master Feng grinned. "Lu girl, make sure you eat extra braised pork later, understand?"
"Of course!" Sang Lu nodded eagerly, her eyes curving into sweet crescents.
Nearby,
Feng Yi observed the scene, raising an idle eyebrow.
He couldn’t decide—
Was his sister-in-law genuinely indulging the old man, or was she just putting on a show?
Before he could figure it out,
Sang Lu, perhaps sensing Old Master Feng’s melancholy, smoothly shifted the topic to regional differences in braised pork recipes.
How did she always have something to say?
Even about braised pork?
Feng Yi stole a glance at his elder brother, Feng Yan.
He expected to see the same bewilderment, the same irritation at her chatter.
But to his surprise, Feng Yan looked completely unfazed, as calm as ever.
???
Since when did his brother tolerate noise?
And yet, he wasn’t bothered by her endless talking?
Feng Yi was the one who couldn’t take it.
He tried to cut in—
But before he could utter more than a few words,
Old Master Feng’s cane unceremoniously nudged him aside.
"Whatever it is, say it later. I’m talking to Lu girl right now."
Feng Yi shut his mouth.
"...Fine."
Well done.
Just when Feng Yi felt abandoned by the entire world,
a figure appeared in the main hall.
The figure was slender and upright,
moving silently like a ghost,
floating in without a sound.
Feng Yi let out a cold snort, his tone lazy and mocking:
"The whole family's been waiting for you. Finally decided to show up, huh?"
Sang Lu followed Feng Yi's gaze and froze for a moment.
Wasn't that... Feng Yan's other younger brother, Feng Bai?
The twenty-year-old boy wore a black windbreaker, the zipper pulled all the way up, his tall frame standing straight.
His hair was slightly messy, dyed a shade between gray and hazy blue, with over-ear headphones loosely resting on his head.
A stray lock of hair fell over his slightly downturned, world-weary eyes.
His skin was pale, his demeanor melancholic—clearly someone who rarely saw the sun.
Even when teased by Feng Yi, his expression remained blank.
His downturned eyes shifted slightly,
giving Feng Yi an indifferent glance.
Everything about him...
radiated a faint aura of lifelessness.
Feng Bai was the other male lead in the original storyline.
And honestly, he was quite the character.
At eighteen, fueled by blind confidence, he had charged into the entertainment industry.
After two years of struggling, he made zero waves.
He released one album, selling a grand total of 20,003 copies—
20,000 of which were bought by Old Master Feng to support his grandson.
Even more tragic than his album sales was his fan count.
Across all platforms, he had 36 followers.
Yet, no matter how obscure he was, nothing could crush his determination to make a name for himself.
He spent his days obsessing over songwriting, never seen without his headphones.
Scrawled across the black ear cushions was a single English phrase:
"FXXk the WOrld."
Sang Lu: "..."
Honestly...
Deep down, Sang Lu couldn't help but think that while the "Ice Prince" might have mutism and couldn't speak,
he was still the most normal one among the three Feng brothers.
...
Once everyone had arrived, they took their seats.
Servants filed in, placing exquisite dishes on the table.
Throughout the meal, Sang Lu was the only one keeping Old Master Feng company, chatting and laughing with him.
The old man had three grandsons:
Feng Yan, silent as ever;
Feng Yi, lounging with one leg crossed as he picked at his food;
and Feng Bai, his downturned eyes drooping, not saying a word.
Sang Lu rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought...
This wasn't just a one-time thing.
On normal days, Feng Yan was buried in corporate affairs, while the other two were obsessed with motorcycles and songwriting.
Old Master Feng had probably grown accustomed to loneliness.
Maybe that was why...
he had taken to learning the ways of the younger generation—scrolling through short videos, picking up trending internet slang—just to have something in common with his grandsons.
A wave of sympathy washed over Sang Lu.
Channeling that sympathy into action,
she put her social skills to work, desperately keeping the conversation alive to entertain the old man.
Nearby, Uncle Yue, the family butler, didn't say a word,
but the frequent glances he cast Sang Lu's way betrayed his thoughts.
It was as if he was saying: "The master hasn't laughed this much in a long time."
Just as Old Master Feng was chuckling, his beard trembling with mirth,
he suddenly noticed his youngest grandson, Feng Bai, raising his hand.
Assuming he was about to slip on his headphones and tune out the world again,
the old man rapped his knuckles on the table:
"Feng Bai! We're having a family meal. What's with the music? Take those headphones off!"
Feng Bai slowly paused his movement.
Old Master Feng shot a disapproving look between Feng Yi and Feng Bai:
"You two younger ones—why can't you be more like your eldest brother? Give me less to worry about, let me live a few more years."
"Hey, old man," Feng Yi shot a sidelong glance at Feng Bai. "Don’t lump me in with him. I’ve always aimed to be like our eldest brother—I’m way better than him."
"You? Way better?" Old Master Feng scoffed in disbelief.
Just as he was about to launch into a lecture, his youngest grandson, Feng Bai, finally spoke up.
It was his first sentence of the evening.
"Yeah, you’re better than me—"
His voice was as gloomy as his demeanor, flat and emotionless:
"—at wasting the family’s money."
"..." Sang Lu’s pupils constricted.
Here we go…
These two… it’s starting again…
