At that time, Shen Sizhan had cried himself unconscious.
Lin Mo decided not to wake him.
Sleeping would help him adjust to the time difference anyway.
She brought him home and settled him in the bedroom specially reserved for him upstairs.
Shen Ji'an had been absent all morning.
By late afternoon,
a tall, unfamiliar young man walked in through the door.
With a buzz cut, striking features, and a chiseled bone structure, he wore a black T-shirt and long pants.
There was a rugged, rebellious handsomeness about him.
Shen Yihan, who had been working in the living room, looked up and frowned. "Who are you?"
Lin Mo’s eyes widened. "Oh my god! Shen Ji'an!"
Shen Yihan was stunned.
Shen Ji'an glanced at his second brother and scoffed.
It’s just a haircut—how could they not recognize him?
Then he grinned at his sister. "Yeah, it’s me!"
Lin Mo stepped forward and rubbed his buzz cut. "So round and smooth—what a great head!"
"Wait, didn’t you have a long scar on your forehead? Where’d it go?"
Shen Ji'an scratched his ear. "That scar-removal ointment Mr. Xie gave me worked really well."
The dashing, unruly third brother was back.
Shen Ji'an had been feeling the pressure.
He couldn’t afford to drag down the family’s looks.
Once he noticed the scar had mostly faded, he rushed to the barbershop.
Originally, he just wanted to trim his bangs.
But the barber, who claimed to be a "styling director," insisted on designing a cool new look for him.
Half an hour later, he ended up with a mushroom cut.
Annoyed, he asked for another style.
Next came a spiky airplane cut.
After several failed attempts, he finally settled on a buzz cut.
The barber charged him 300 for the "design fee."
Capitalism wins again!
But seeing the amazed look on his sister’s face, he decided the 300 was worth it.
Auntie Zhen came out of her room, blinked at Shen Ji'an, and said, "Xiao An, you look so handsome!"
Shen Ji'an rubbed his buzz cut, grinning sheepishly. "Really?"
Auntie Zhen nodded. "Mhm! Even without daily face masks and creams, you’re still good-looking!"
Shen Ji'an: "..."
His smile vanished. "No way, Auntie Zhen, you must be mistaken. I don’t use face masks or lotions every day. Nope, not me—you’re definitely wrong!"
Lin Mo burst out laughing. "There’s nothing wrong with guys caring about their appearance."
Shen Yihan studied Shen Ji'an for a long moment.
His skin was way smoother than when they’d first met!
Back then, he thought his younger brother was just joking about skincare—but the kid had actually been serious!
Who was he trying to outshine?
Even the housekeepers didn’t recognize Shen Ji'an at first, gasping about how handsome he’d become.
Auntie Zhen suddenly said, "Xiao An, stand next to Xiao Mo—I’ll take a photo of you two."
With a picture, she could see Lin Mo every day.
Shen Ji'an had been wanting to take a photo with his sister for a while.
He just hadn’t worked up the courage to ask.
The two stood side by side.
The young man was slightly taller than the girl—one ruggedly handsome, the other breathtakingly beautiful.
They didn’t even need to pose; they looked like they belonged on a magazine cover.
Watching this, Shen Yihan silently vowed to start a daily skincare routine from today onward.
They took turns posing for several shots.
Then footsteps sounded from the staircase.
Both turned to look.
Lin Mo smiled and greeted him.
Having not seen his third brother in ten years, Shen Ji'an was nervous.
Before he could say a word,
Shen Sizhan charged at him, fist raised.
He froze in place.
A fist the size of a sandbag was about to smash into his face—
when a hand intercepted it.
"Shen Sizhan, what are you doing?"
As if he hadn’t heard Lin Mo, Shen Sizhan glared at the buzz-cut boy, his wild eyes icy. "Why were you standing so close to my sister? You got a death wish?"
Outside, Shen Ji'an was the school bully who punched anyone who crossed him.
But at home, he was the timid, helpless youngest brother.
He’d never seen his third brother like this before.
For a moment, he was genuinely scared.
He took a step back.
But Shen Sizhan wasn’t done.
He tackled Shen Ji'an to the ground and wrapped his hands around his throat.
Lin Mo’s eyes widened in shock as she tried to pull Shen Sizhan off.
"This is your fourth brother!"
Shen Sizhan’s eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead, his strength manic.
Lin Mo couldn’t pry him loose.
Auntie Zhen screamed and rushed over.
Shen Yihan also ran forward, his expression dark.
No one expected Shen Sizhan to relapse like this!
"Third Brother!"
Shen Ji'an’s strained voice barely escaped his throat.
Shen Sizhan: "..."
Even after hearing Lin Mo’s words, Shen Sizhan still didn’t process it—until he heard "Third Brother."
His head spun.
He stared at the boy beneath him. "What did you call me?"
Shen Ji'an didn’t answer.
Shen Sizhan roared, "Say it again!"
Lin Mo slapped Shen Sizhan. "Let go! He’s turning blue!"
Shen Sizhan blinked and released Shen Ji'an’s neck. "Fourth Brother… is it really you?"
In his memory, his youngest brother was a chubby kid.
Nothing like the lean young man before him.
Shen Ji'an coughed. "Y-yeah… Third Brother, it’s me."
Shen Sizhan went completely still.
Then he decided this had to be a dream.
His sister was alive. His long-lost brother was home.
What else could it be?
He looked around, suddenly laughing—but tears sprayed like a sprinkler. "Hahaha… this dream is amazing! I never want to wake up!"
He grabbed Shen Ji'an’s hand and started spinning. "Let’s play, Fourth Brother! Sister, you too!"
Then he reached for Lin Mo.
"Second Brother, join us! Let’s spin!"
Expressionless, Shen Yihan joined the spinning.
Auntie Zhen, who’d been held back by the cook, frowned. "That white-haired boy seems… mentally unstable."
The cook whispered, "Probably. The entertainment industry is stressful."
The four siblings spun until they were drenched in sweat, just like when they were kids.
Back then, Shen Ji'an was so short he’d often be lifted off the ground mid-spin.
As soon as they stopped,
Shen Sizhan turned to Lin Mo. "Sister, let’s climb a tree! You can step on my shoulders—you’ll reach any height!"
"Second Brother, Fourth Brother—come on!"
Earlier, Lin Mo hadn’t cried when Shen Sizhan did.
But seeing him like this, her eyes burned.
She took a deep breath and pulled him into a tight hug. "Shen Sizhan… this is all real."
