Ye Yunche truly never expected those words to come from Ye Yunjin.
In his eyes, his big brother had always been steady and outstanding—the son his parents were most proud of, the kind of child people praised whenever his name came up, the proverbial perfect child everyone else’s parents wished they had.
And him?
Ye Yunche, the eternal second son, good for nothing and rebellious from childhood, always going against their parents.
He had often given Mr. and Mrs. Ye headaches. During his rebellious teenage years, he would even run away from home every so often.
Because he envied Ye Yunjin. He was jealous of him. He hated him, too.
They had exactly the same face, so why did it seem as though the heavens had given all the intelligence and wisdom to him?
And now, Ye Yunjin was saying that he hated him.
Ye Yunche’s voice drifted uncertainly as he recalled what his brother had told him.
“Do you know why Mom was playing ball with me in the courtyard?”
“Because that day, I worked up the courage to go to Dad’s study. I told him that I wanted to study with my brother too. Dad looked at me very gently, but what he said was something I would never forget for the rest of my life.”
“He said, ‘Yunche, you’re the younger brother. You don’t need to learn these things. Having your brother is enough for this family.’ I cried and threw a tantrum, shouting, ‘Why are you biased toward him?’ I cried until my throat was nearly hoarse.”
“But Dad just stood there in the distance, watching me without moving, until Mom heard me crying and came to the study to carry me away.”
“I wouldn’t stop crying. In the end, Mom had no choice but to take me to the courtyard and ask whether I wanted to play ball.”
“I wanted to play, but I wanted even more to study with my brother. I asked Mom why Dad wouldn’t agree.”
“Mom told me that we had another younger uncle. He was very intelligent and rebellious. When he learned that Grandpa intended to make Dad his successor and hand the company over to him, he became obsessed. He even destroyed himself in an attempt to drag the company down with him.”
“Grandpa eventually subdued our uncle through ruthless means, but after Uncle was sent abroad, he became deeply depressed and ultimately chose to take his own life.”
“To prevent another tragedy like that, the Ye family decided that raising one outstanding son was enough.”
At this point, Ye Yunche let out a bitter laugh.
“Brother, do you think I don’t hate you?”
“Why? Why was my fate decided from the moment I was born simply because I was the younger brother? Why because of what happened in the previous generation?”
“Because I’m the younger brother, they were afraid I would compete with you and fight you for everything. So they spoiled me instead, giving me whatever I wanted. But do you really think that was love?”
“That day in the courtyard, Mom was playing ball with me—but have you forgotten? After you came out, Dad called you to the study. When you came out, you were holding a fountain pen. It had been passed down from Grandpa to Dad, and Dad gave it to you.”
A look of surprise and bewilderment flashed through Ye Yunjin’s eyes.
What?
The younger brother he had always envied and resented had also envied and resented him?
The two brothers had both longed for what the other possessed.
For all these years, they had carefully maintained a superficial peace—until Zhu Liuyue appeared.
That balance had been shattered.
Ye Yunche took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the hand he was holding with Zhu Liuyue.
“I don’t want much. I’m not trying to compete with you for Yueyue. I only want to stay by her side.”
“So I won’t withdraw.”
Ye Yunjin’s emotions were complicated.
As an older brother, he felt a pang of sympathy for Yunche in that moment. At the same time, he found it almost laughable that all these years, they had both been living while envying the other’s life.
“Yunche, no one wants to shoulder the burden of the family willingly. When you went to the racetrack all those times, how could you have known that I envied you?”
“When you first founded your racing club, Mom and Dad both objected. Later, a mysterious investor provided a sum of sponsorship money. Haven’t you always wanted to know who that person was?”
Ye Yunjin paused, a hint of envy showing in his eyes.
“It was me.”
“Because I couldn’t do it myself, I placed my own dreams in you.”
His gaze slowly shifted to Zhu Liuyue.
His voice was sincere and earnest.
“Yueyue, I don’t think I’ve ever told you when I first fell in love with you.”
“Actually, my heartbeat recognized you before I did.”
“It was the day after the race at Mount Daqi. I saw a video of that race on my computer. My blood surged through my entire body. No one had ever made me feel that way before.”
“In that moment, I backed away.”
“You were a moon too dazzling and radiant for me to approach. I was afraid…and insecure…”
“Because I knew I was too rigid and boring. For the first twenty-odd years of my life, all I had known was studying, competing, and working. I had no hobbies, because compared with inheriting the family business, those hobbies seemed like nothing but a waste of time.”
“But the more time I spent with you, the more uncontrollably I wanted to draw closer to you. Even if you didn’t like me… In that moment, I was even despicably relieved that Yunche had stood in for me at the engagement ceremony.”
“Otherwise, I never would have had the chance to stay by your side for the rest of my life.”
“And once I had you in my grasp…”
Ye Yunjin raised his hand as well. With a gentle yet resolute movement, he took hold of Zhu Liuyue’s other hand. His voice was firm and determined.
“I will never let go again!”
Two identical, handsome faces stared intently at her from either side.
First came an analysis of their tragic childhoods, then the brothers poured out their hearts to each other, and finally they both confessed their love to her with deep emotion.
Zhu Liuyue frowned, utterly at a loss.
“What should I do? I really like Yunjin…” She paused, then looked toward the other side. “But I like Yunche too.”
