Listening to the phone call, An Wu Yang was momentarily taken aback. After all, his sister rarely came home after starting college, so it was unusual for her to be so concerned. “Sis, I’m just feeling a bit dizzy and nauseous, and I’m a little uncomfortable. I don’t need someone to accompany me for that. It’s not that serious.”
Seeing his attitude had dampened everyone’s spirits, he added, “You guys should eat well, enjoy your meal. I’ll go have lunch now.”
“…,” An Wu Yu was left speechless, feeling that this person had no emotional intelligence. Did he not realize the difference their parents made between them, the way they treated their siblings?
Was it really all their parents’ fault?
When his sister remained silent, An Wu Yang said, “Bye, see you later?”
Annoyed and not in the mood to continue the conversation, An Wu Yu hung up the phone. “Fool,” she muttered. “Un-teachable child. So dumb.”
Little did she know that her brother, seated in the luxury car, was cheerfully munching snacks, completely unfazed. He had thick skin and was used to being the target of her disdain.
“Ah,” he sighed.
The middle-aged man driving ahead felt a pang in his heart, somewhat suspecting that the young man’s situation at home might not be as good as it seemed, perhaps even quite bad.
He tapped the steering wheel and inquired, “Feeling unhappy?”
An Wu Yang furrowed his brow, troubled. “I haven’t figured out an excuse for moving yet.” His voice was somewhat muffled, and he alternated between sucking on a piece of dried plum and a piece of honey candy.
“…” Mr. Huo silently cursed himself for meddling too much. Perhaps he had not seen that An Wu Yang was not a happy person.
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As An Wu Yang kept pondering, time flew by.
After finishing lunch and returning to the living room, he waited for his parents. He sat on one end of the sofa, and Mr. Huo sat at the other, maintaining their distance.
—Mr. Huo, you’ve picked up the magazine the wrong way.
An Wu Yang kindly pointed out, “Mr. Huo, you’re holding the magazine the wrong way.”
“…”
“An Yang?” Mom and Dad appeared in sight, with the sister and brother. It seemed like they would be here within five seconds.
“Mr. Huo, I’m leaving,” An Wu Yang whispered, waved goodbye to Huo Yun Chuan secretly, and departed.
The man left behind watched the whole family walk out of the hotel doors before he got up and followed them.
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If it were before, Huo Yun Chuan wouldn’t believe that he would ever behave so recklessly as he did today.
But he did it today, and he did it willingly.
After all, a full stomach made him drowsy, and during the return trip, regardless of how Mr. Huo tried to call out to him using voice messages, An Wu Yang remained sound asleep, right up until they entered the city.
They were almost at the doorstep.
In the final voice message, Huo Yun Chuan said, “I’ve fulfilled my promise; when will you fulfill yours?” Each word was clear. It awakened the drowsy teenager, but he quickly fell back into a daze. “I’m sleepy, I didn’t think…”
“We’ll talk about it tonight. Be good,” Huo Yun Chuan said.
Dad’s car stopped at the doorstep, and An Wu Yang immediately got out of the car. He called to his parents, “I’m going to buy a bottle of water.”
The younger brother, acting like a little annoyance, said, “I’m going too!”
An Wu Yang felt like dying inside and tried to bribe him. “Don’t come with me. I’ll buy you some grilled chicken wings.”
After a moment’s consideration, An Wu Yu replied, “Alright, I want the New Orleans grilled chicken leg burger.”
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His elder brother was left speechless. Had this kid not eaten enough for lunch?
He walked out of the community gate, looking around for a moment, and finally spotted the silver-blue sports car at the street corner. Initially parked, it slowly approached, possibly upon seeing him.
“Mr. Huo?” An Wu Yang opened the door and got in, sitting in the passenger seat.
Huo Yun Chuan frowned. “Go to the back.”
“I’m just going to the KFC up ahead,” An Wu Yang fastened his seatbelt and winked at him.
The older man was momentarily taken aback and then erupted, “Who gave you permission to eat KFC?” Damn, how much junk food had this kid been eating behind his back?
Did he want to die or something?
“It’s for my little brother,” An Wu Yang stammered in fear.
Huo Yun Chuan, upon hearing this, toned down his temper and wasn’t as terrifying. “Your brother shouldn’t eat too much either. It’s harmful.”
An Wu Yang closed his mouth and nodded.
At KFC, Huo Yun Chuan, along with the teenager, stood in line to make a purchase. It was An Wu Yang’s first time inside a KFC, all for the sake of buying a chicken leg burger for his younger brother.
“Alright,” he said after making the purchase, noticing the child eyeing someone else’s ice cream.
“Hmm…” Taking care to return An Wu Yang and his little brother’s chicken leg burgers, Huo Yun Chuan opened a WeChat mini window with his younger cousin and sent a voice message, “Guess what I did all day today?”
Jiang Shao Fei replied, “It can’t be a woman.”
Huo Yun Chuan: “I took care of a child all day.”
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“Hahaha.” The unexpected answer caused Jiang Shao Fei to burst into laughter, as he couldn’t believe Huo Yun Chuan had taken care of a child.
But in all honesty, the genuine response was, “Yun Chuan, you’re doing great. Really, buddy, I support you.”
“Get lost.”
Back home with the freshly bought chicken leg burgers and chicken wings, An Wu Yang knocked on his sister’s door. “Sis, do you want some chicken wings from KFC? Freshly made, still hot.”
After a while, his sister opened the door.
“Here.” An Wu Yang said, holding out the food.
“You’re not eating?” An Wu Yu glanced at the chicken leg burger in her brother’s hand and the chicken wings in her own.
“I’m not eating,” An Wu Yang said.
Turning to leave, he heard his sister say, “What are you achieving by being so hard on yourself? Nobody is asking you to do this, you know?”
“Sis…” An Wu Yang looked perplexed. What was she getting so upset about?
“Honestly tell me, do you really not want to eat them, or are you just pretending?” His sister held the box of chicken wings, asking.
“…” To be honest, the teenager who actually wanted to eat chicken wings felt complicated. With a clear conscience, he shook his head. “I really don’t want to eat them.”
His sister looked at him insincerely, remained silent for a few seconds, and then turned away to close the door.
*Bang*
It’s heart-wrenching to have a sibling who doesn’t align with your values.
“Big brother, big brother, did you get my chicken leg burger?” An Wu Ji put down his pen and gazed eagerly, like a starving baby bird.
“Here.” An Wu Yang handed it over.
His younger brother opened the box, releasing a delightful aroma. He sniffed it, even though it seemed quite greasy. Even if Huo Yun Chuan hadn’t forbidden him from eating, he probably wouldn’t eat it.
“Aren’t you eating, big brother?” An Wu Ji took it out and hadn’t taken a bite yet.
“No, you have it yourself.” He answered from his bed and put on his headphones.
He dozed off for two hours and woke up to a sky filled with colorful clouds.
An Wu Yang turned off the lights in the room and both brothers lay by the window, marvelling at the wonders of nature. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Is it a fire cloud?” his younger brother asked.
“It seems like it.” An Wu Yang smiled and patted his brother’s head. “I’m going to help Mom cook. You can go watch TV.”
An Wu Ji pouted, irritated when someone patted his head.
“Mom.” An Wu Yang joined his mother and reached into the basin to help with the vegetables. “I want to stay at a friend’s place for a few days before school starts.”
Ding Wei looked up at him and furrowed her brows. “Which friend? Why do you want to stay at someone else’s house out of the blue? And did their parents agree? You should consider these things.”
“They are classmates from high school, and we have a good relationship,” An Wu Yang explained, weaving a little fiction. “His parents are busy with their business and not often at home, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Business? They must have a well-off family,” Ding Wei calculated, thinking that if her second child had connections like this, it might be beneficial. “If they invite you, then it should be fine.”
“In that case, I’ll go tomorrow,” An Wu Yang said.
“When you go to their house, be well-behaved and leave a good impression,” Ding Wei advised. She had no choice with this child; he wasn’t good at handling things, no matter how she tried to teach him.
“Sure,” the carefree teenager replied nonchalantly, not inquiring further about why his mother had agreed so easily.
In the end, it’s for the best.
Ding Wei: “Your father promised you a computer before…”
“I won’t buy it,” An Wu Yang interjected. “I’ll focus on studying in my freshman year. We can consider getting a computer in a year or so.”
Given that he had expressed his stance, Ding Wei nodded in agreement.
The family’s finances were indeed tight, especially with the upcoming tuition for all three children.
Moreover, if they were to buy a computer, it couldn’t be a cheap one.
Absent-minded An Cheng had suggested a couple of days ago to move the desktop computer from his eldest daughter’s room to let the second son use it at school.
Now Ding Wei, who had almost agreed, couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward when she recalled it. It was a bit of an admission that she favored her daughter and the youngest son. In the end, it was because her second son wasn’t affectionate and lacked some childlike qualities.
The eldest daughter was twenty-two and would occasionally show her affection to her parents, playfully acting out or sometimes annoying them, but she was still endearing.
It was different with the second son, who was more independent.
—Huo Sir, I talked to my family, and we’ve reached a consensus successfully. [Blush]
Upon receiving the message, Huo Yun Chuan stared at the little yellow ball and fell into a chest-rubbing gesture for a moment. Afterward, he finally regained his composure and sent a voice message in response: “Mmm.”
An Wu Yang replied, “I used the wrong emoji. It should be this one [Frown/].”
“…”
Huo Da Shao hesitated for a bit this time, perhaps because the elderly are more fragile when it comes to their feelings.
“I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow. Get some rest.”
An Wu Yang looked puzzled and said, “Didn’t you call me at night?”
The voice on the other end replied immediately, “I did.”
As the question left his mouth, An Wu Yang regretted it. It seemed like he was eager for the other person to call him. But he responded with, “Oh, I’ll wait for your call before going to sleep.”
Huo Yun Chuan leaned on the table and took a deep breath to keep his voice steady, “If you want to sleep, you can go ahead. I can call you earlier.”
“It’s fine. I just napped for two hours,” An Wu Yang replied.
“That’s still 9:30,” Huo Yun Chuan said in a low, mature, and seductive tone.
The mature and sexy voice still made the teenager’s ears tingle, and he found himself slightly breathless. He tugged at his clothes and noticed that his mother had stopped making noise in the background, so he said, “It’s so hot today. I’m going to have dinner now. Bye.”
He had already hung up.
Huo Yun Chuan put his phone down.
During this non-awkward time, he went to the bathroom to relieve himself.
After he came out, he retrieved the phone number he had asked Ji Ming Jue for the last time and dialed it directly. “Mrs. Zhang? Hello, please start working from tomorrow.”
Listening to the phone call, An Wu Yang was momentarily taken aback. After all, his sister rarely came home after starting college, so it was unusual for her to be so concerned. “Sis, I’m just feeling a bit dizzy and nauseous, and I’m a little uncomfortable. I don’t need someone to accompany me for that. It’s not that serious.”
Seeing his attitude had dampened everyone’s spirits, he added, “You guys should eat well, enjoy your meal. I’ll go have lunch now.”
“…,” An Wu Yu was left speechless, feeling that this person had no emotional intelligence. Did he not realize the difference their parents made between them, the way they treated their siblings?
Was it really all their parents’ fault?
When his sister remained silent, An Wu Yang said, “Bye, see you later?”
Annoyed and not in the mood to continue the conversation, An Wu Yu hung up the phone. “Fool,” she muttered. “Un-teachable child. So dumb.”
Little did she know that her brother, seated in the luxury car, was cheerfully munching snacks, completely unfazed. He had thick skin and was used to being the target of her disdain.
“Ah,” he sighed.
The middle-aged man driving ahead felt a pang in his heart, somewhat suspecting that the young man’s situation at home might not be as good as it seemed, perhaps even quite bad.
He tapped the steering wheel and inquired, “Feeling unhappy?”
An Wu Yang furrowed his brow, troubled. “I haven’t figured out an excuse for moving yet.” His voice was somewhat muffled, and he alternated between sucking on a piece of dried plum and a piece of honey candy.
“…” Mr. Huo silently cursed himself for meddling too much. Perhaps he had not seen that An Wu Yang was not a happy person.
Advertisement
As An Wu Yang kept pondering, time flew by.
After finishing lunch and returning to the living room, he waited for his parents. He sat on one end of the sofa, and Mr. Huo sat at the other, maintaining their distance.
—Mr. Huo, you’ve picked up the magazine the wrong way.
An Wu Yang kindly pointed out, “Mr. Huo, you’re holding the magazine the wrong way.”
“…”
“An Yang?” Mom and Dad appeared in sight, with the sister and brother. It seemed like they would be here within five seconds.
“Mr. Huo, I’m leaving,” An Wu Yang whispered, waved goodbye to Huo Yun Chuan secretly, and departed.
The man left behind watched the whole family walk out of the hotel doors before he got up and followed them.
Advertisement
If it were before, Huo Yun Chuan wouldn’t believe that he would ever behave so recklessly as he did today.
But he did it today, and he did it willingly.
After all, a full stomach made him drowsy, and during the return trip, regardless of how Mr. Huo tried to call out to him using voice messages, An Wu Yang remained sound asleep, right up until they entered the city.
They were almost at the doorstep.
In the final voice message, Huo Yun Chuan said, “I’ve fulfilled my promise; when will you fulfill yours?” Each word was clear. It awakened the drowsy teenager, but he quickly fell back into a daze. “I’m sleepy, I didn’t think…”
“We’ll talk about it tonight. Be good,” Huo Yun Chuan said.
Dad’s car stopped at the doorstep, and An Wu Yang immediately got out of the car. He called to his parents, “I’m going to buy a bottle of water.”
The younger brother, acting like a little annoyance, said, “I’m going too!”
An Wu Yang felt like dying inside and tried to bribe him. “Don’t come with me. I’ll buy you some grilled chicken wings.”
After a moment’s consideration, An Wu Yu replied, “Alright, I want the New Orleans grilled chicken leg burger.”
Advertisement
His elder brother was left speechless. Had this kid not eaten enough for lunch?
He walked out of the community gate, looking around for a moment, and finally spotted the silver-blue sports car at the street corner. Initially parked, it slowly approached, possibly upon seeing him.
“Mr. Huo?” An Wu Yang opened the door and got in, sitting in the passenger seat.
Huo Yun Chuan frowned. “Go to the back.”
“I’m just going to the KFC up ahead,” An Wu Yang fastened his seatbelt and winked at him.
The older man was momentarily taken aback and then erupted, “Who gave you permission to eat KFC?” Damn, how much junk food had this kid been eating behind his back?
Did he want to die or something?
“It’s for my little brother,” An Wu Yang stammered in fear.
Huo Yun Chuan, upon hearing this, toned down his temper and wasn’t as terrifying. “Your brother shouldn’t eat too much either. It’s harmful.”
An Wu Yang closed his mouth and nodded.
At KFC, Huo Yun Chuan, along with the teenager, stood in line to make a purchase. It was An Wu Yang’s first time inside a KFC, all for the sake of buying a chicken leg burger for his younger brother.
“Alright,” he said after making the purchase, noticing the child eyeing someone else’s ice cream.
“Hmm…” Taking care to return An Wu Yang and his little brother’s chicken leg burgers, Huo Yun Chuan opened a WeChat mini window with his younger cousin and sent a voice message, “Guess what I did all day today?”
Jiang Shao Fei replied, “It can’t be a woman.”
Huo Yun Chuan: “I took care of a child all day.”
Advertisement
“Hahaha.” The unexpected answer caused Jiang Shao Fei to burst into laughter, as he couldn’t believe Huo Yun Chuan had taken care of a child.
But in all honesty, the genuine response was, “Yun Chuan, you’re doing great. Really, buddy, I support you.”
“Get lost.”
Back home with the freshly bought chicken leg burgers and chicken wings, An Wu Yang knocked on his sister’s door. “Sis, do you want some chicken wings from KFC? Freshly made, still hot.”
After a while, his sister opened the door.
“Here.” An Wu Yang said, holding out the food.
“You’re not eating?” An Wu Yu glanced at the chicken leg burger in her brother’s hand and the chicken wings in her own.
“I’m not eating,” An Wu Yang said.
Turning to leave, he heard his sister say, “What are you achieving by being so hard on yourself? Nobody is asking you to do this, you know?”
“Sis…” An Wu Yang looked perplexed. What was she getting so upset about?
“Honestly tell me, do you really not want to eat them, or are you just pretending?” His sister held the box of chicken wings, asking.
“…” To be honest, the teenager who actually wanted to eat chicken wings felt complicated. With a clear conscience, he shook his head. “I really don’t want to eat them.”
His sister looked at him insincerely, remained silent for a few seconds, and then turned away to close the door.
*Bang*
It’s heart-wrenching to have a sibling who doesn’t align with your values.
“Big brother, big brother, did you get my chicken leg burger?” An Wu Ji put down his pen and gazed eagerly, like a starving baby bird.
“Here.” An Wu Yang handed it over.
His younger brother opened the box, releasing a delightful aroma. He sniffed it, even though it seemed quite greasy. Even if Huo Yun Chuan hadn’t forbidden him from eating, he probably wouldn’t eat it.
“Aren’t you eating, big brother?” An Wu Ji took it out and hadn’t taken a bite yet.
“No, you have it yourself.” He answered from his bed and put on his headphones.
He dozed off for two hours and woke up to a sky filled with colorful clouds.
An Wu Yang turned off the lights in the room and both brothers lay by the window, marvelling at the wonders of nature. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Is it a fire cloud?” his younger brother asked.
“It seems like it.” An Wu Yang smiled and patted his brother’s head. “I’m going to help Mom cook. You can go watch TV.”
An Wu Ji pouted, irritated when someone patted his head.
“Mom.” An Wu Yang joined his mother and reached into the basin to help with the vegetables. “I want to stay at a friend’s place for a few days before school starts.”
Ding Wei looked up at him and furrowed her brows. “Which friend? Why do you want to stay at someone else’s house out of the blue? And did their parents agree? You should consider these things.”
“They are classmates from high school, and we have a good relationship,” An Wu Yang explained, weaving a little fiction. “His parents are busy with their business and not often at home, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Business? They must have a well-off family,” Ding Wei calculated, thinking that if her second child had connections like this, it might be beneficial. “If they invite you, then it should be fine.”
“In that case, I’ll go tomorrow,” An Wu Yang said.
“When you go to their house, be well-behaved and leave a good impression,” Ding Wei advised. She had no choice with this child; he wasn’t good at handling things, no matter how she tried to teach him.
“Sure,” the carefree teenager replied nonchalantly, not inquiring further about why his mother had agreed so easily.
In the end, it’s for the best.
Ding Wei: “Your father promised you a computer before…”
“I won’t buy it,” An Wu Yang interjected. “I’ll focus on studying in my freshman year. We can consider getting a computer in a year or so.”
Given that he had expressed his stance, Ding Wei nodded in agreement.
The family’s finances were indeed tight, especially with the upcoming tuition for all three children.
Moreover, if they were to buy a computer, it couldn’t be a cheap one.
Absent-minded An Cheng had suggested a couple of days ago to move the desktop computer from his eldest daughter’s room to let the second son use it at school.
Now Ding Wei, who had almost agreed, couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward when she recalled it. It was a bit of an admission that she favored her daughter and the youngest son. In the end, it was because her second son wasn’t affectionate and lacked some childlike qualities.
The eldest daughter was twenty-two and would occasionally show her affection to her parents, playfully acting out or sometimes annoying them, but she was still endearing.
It was different with the second son, who was more independent.
—Huo Sir, I talked to my family, and we’ve reached a consensus successfully. [Blush]
Upon receiving the message, Huo Yun Chuan stared at the little yellow ball and fell into a chest-rubbing gesture for a moment. Afterward, he finally regained his composure and sent a voice message in response: “Mmm.”
An Wu Yang replied, “I used the wrong emoji. It should be this one [Frown/].”
“…”
Huo Da Shao hesitated for a bit this time, perhaps because the elderly are more fragile when it comes to their feelings.
“I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow. Get some rest.”
An Wu Yang looked puzzled and said, “Didn’t you call me at night?”
The voice on the other end replied immediately, “I did.”
As the question left his mouth, An Wu Yang regretted it. It seemed like he was eager for the other person to call him. But he responded with, “Oh, I’ll wait for your call before going to sleep.”
Huo Yun Chuan leaned on the table and took a deep breath to keep his voice steady, “If you want to sleep, you can go ahead. I can call you earlier.”
“It’s fine. I just napped for two hours,” An Wu Yang replied.
“That’s still 9:30,” Huo Yun Chuan said in a low, mature, and seductive tone.
The mature and sexy voice still made the teenager’s ears tingle, and he found himself slightly breathless. He tugged at his clothes and noticed that his mother had stopped making noise in the background, so he said, “It’s so hot today. I’m going to have dinner now. Bye.”
He had already hung up.
Huo Yun Chuan put his phone down.
During this non-awkward time, he went to the bathroom to relieve himself.
After he came out, he retrieved the phone number he had asked Ji Ming Jue for the last time and dialed it directly. “Mrs. Zhang? Hello, please start working from tomorrow.”
