Chapter 21
In the dim living room, the television was playing Yu Chen’s favorite cartoon. But he was in no mood to watch it. Hugging his little schoolbag, he silently rested his chubby face on top of it.
Three days suddenly felt very long.
It was not as if everything would be fine after eating three little cakes.
The tall, burly boy in front of him was his older cousin, nicknamed Dandan. By age, Dandan should have been in elementary school already, but because of issues with his school registration, he still had not been able to enroll, so for the time being he was attached to the senior class of a private kindergarten.
When Uncle Li Huan had brought him here today, he had brought an enormous amount of snacks, fruit, and meat. But all the tasty things had already been packed away into a huge box by his cousin’s wife. The only snack left over had also been snatched away by Dandan, leaving Yu Chen with nothing but a single bag of little biscuits.
With his tense little feet pressed stiffly against the floor, Yu Chen slowly hopped down from the sofa. He wanted to ask his uncle whether Li Huan could come pick him up earlier. Before he came, Li Huan had specially tucked a business card into his little schoolbag. If Uncle and Auntie did not have a phone, he did!
But just as he was about to knock on the door, a strange sound in the living room suddenly caught his attention.
Dandan was rummaging through his schoolbag.
The moment Yu Chen saw it, he instantly turned into a little hedgehog, puffing up in babyish fury with his hands on his hips. “Brother! You’re not allowed to touch my things!”
Compared to Yu Chen, Dandan was practically towering and broad. Relying on the fact that this was his own turf, he stuck out his tongue provocatively at Yu Chen. “I am touching them! I am! Nyeh nyeh nyeh!”
With angry little stomps, Yu Chen rushed over and tried to wrest the schoolbag away. “There are toys Boss gave me in here. You’re not allowed to touch them!”
“What kind of stupid Boss?” Dandan was, after all, a six-year-old child. Spoiled and indulged by his parents, he often played on phones and had learned plenty of foul language. “I want your schoolbag!”
Yu Chen used almost all the strength he had, his little face steaming red. “That’s wrong! You can’t snatch things!”
Dandan gave him a wicked grin and suddenly let go.
Yu Chen immediately flew backward like a kite with its string cut. He staggered back with little pat pat steps, and at the moment he lost his balance, the back of his head slammed into the cabinet. He fell flat onto the floor on his stomach.
Dandan burst out laughing. “So stupid, shorty!”
Clutching his little schoolbag, Yu Chen’s head and nose were knocked bright red. He struggled to get up, but his whole body hurt terribly, and he simply could not use any strength.
A layer of tears instantly clouded his watery eyes. He tried to hold it back, but his aching little face burned hot.
With a loud waaah, Yu Chen pouted and burst into sobs so hard he could barely catch his breath.
Hearing the commotion, Xu Ru and Yu Senda hurried out. Once they saw that their own son was completely fine, Xu Ru relaxed and helped Yu Chen up from the ground. “Chenchen, did you fall down?”
“Wuwu, Brother stole my toys!” Yu Chen’s soft little face puffed up slightly. His messy bangs were stuck to his forehead with sweat, and as he brought up the painful matter, his little chest rose and fell. Tear drops hung thickly from his long lashes.
Yu Senda walked over to Dandan, gave him a pat that signaled him to hurry back into the room, then went into the kitchen, took out a chicken drumstick, and handed it to Yu Chen. “Stop crying. Uncle will give you a drumstick to eat.”
With tears still in his eyes, Yu Chen’s lips quivered pitifully.
He usually loved chicken drumsticks most, but today he did not want even a single bite.
Big tears pattered onto the little schoolbag one after another. Yu Chen fumbled frantically with his tiny hands, digging through it as hard as he could, and sure enough, he discovered that half a box of chocolates He Zhen had given him was gone.
That had been He Zhen’s little actor gift. Ever since He Zhen gave it to him, he had been too reluctant to finish eating it.
“One little yellow duck is missing too!”
“My invisible cloak is gone too!”
Because he was afraid he would feel lonely, Yu Chen had specially brought three little yellow ducks with him. Those were bath toys He Zhen had promised to buy him. In Yu Chen’s personal toy cabinet, there were still ninety-seven left.
“Give them back!”
Behind Dandan’s back was the raincoat He Zhen and Yu Chen had bought together, already crushed into a wrinkled mess in his fist. He showed a smug grin. “Invisible cloak? Isn’t this just a lousy raincoat?”
“You’re awful! Give it back!” It was the first time Yu Chen had ever been this fierce. Hugging his schoolbag, he glared with his round eyes at Dandan with all his might. “It’s wrong to snatch things!”
“You’re not allowed to talk to your brother like that!” Xu Ru shot Yu Chen a cold glare and gave a disdainful laugh. “They’re just a few broken ducks. Our Dandan doesn’t even care to want them.”
The intimidation and pressure coming from an adult were overwhelming. What was more, Xu Ru was fiercely protective of her son, and when she got angry and widened her eyes, she was truly frightening.
Yu Chen timidly glanced at Xu Ru. Pressing his swollen lips together, he walked over to Yu Senda and tugged on his sleeve. “Uncle, I want to go home.”
Before Yu Senda could answer, Xu Ru cut in coldly, “Go home to where? Your father entrusted you to us! This is your home!”
“This… isn’t…” Terrified, Yu Chen shouldered his little schoolbag and slowly edged backward. The moment he got close to the door, he suddenly lifted his little feet and bolted outside.
Xu Ru glared at Yu Senda. “Why aren’t you chasing him? Do you not want the five million anymore?”
Yu Senda nodded and immediately intercepted Yu Chen just as he ran into the courtyard, scooping him up. “Chenchen, from now on Uncle and Auntie are your father and mother. You have to be filial to us.”
“You’re not! You’re not!” Yu Chen struggled desperately at the top of his lungs, but how could he possibly fight against an adult’s strength? He was soon carried easily back into the room by Yu Senda.
Xu Ru ordered, “Lock the door. Don’t let the neighbors hear.”
Yu Senda nodded and locked the bedroom door tightly.
On the filthy big bed, Yu Chen twisted his two little hands helplessly in front of him. He had already cried so hard that he no longer had any strength left.
Curled up fearfully in the corner, he rummaged frantically through his schoolbag. After searching for a long, long time, the only thing he found that seemed useful was the business card Li Huan had left him. But he did not have a phone, and even if he did, he would not know how to use it.
The room faced the shady side of the house. It was dim, with not a trace of sunlight.
Yu Chen felt sore and cold all over. Curling up his chubby little feet, he desperately tried to comfort himself. “It’s okay! Uncle and Boss will come pick me up very soon! Very soon! Wuwuwu!”
Yu Chen went almost the entire day without eating anything.
That evening, Yu Senda called him out to eat. But when Yu Chen asked again when Li Huan was coming to get him, Xu Ru impatiently yelled at him.
From the dining room, the fragrance of food drifted through the crack in the door.
With his little stomach empty, Yu Chen quietly peeked through the crack.
Dandan was eating roast duck wraps, his mouth glistening with grease. After noticing Yu Chen peeking, he told Xu Ru, “Cousin is watching us.”
Xu Ru smiled as she picked more food for Dandan. “Ignore him. If you don’t starve a little cat or dog a few times, it’ll never become obedient.”
Holding his chopsticks, Yu Senda looked a little troubled. “A-Ru, let Chenchen eat too. He has heart disease and poor health. If he gets sick from not eating, it’ll just be more trouble to take him along.”
Xu Ru’s smile gradually vanished. She placed a rib into Yu Senda’s bowl and lowered her voice. “What? Are you actually planning to keep him with us forever?”
Yu Senda looked confused. “What… what do you mean?”
Xu Ru replied slowly, “If this child were healthy, that’d be one thing. But with this difficult illness of his, who knows how much money it’ll cost to treat him in the future. If you ask me, once we pass some welfare home, we should just leave him there.”
“But—”
“If Youshan comes back, how am I supposed to explain it?”
Xu Ru shot him a look. “Didn’t you hear what President He said? Yu Youshan owes more than four million. He’s already run overseas. How could he possibly come back? He probably already died out there!”
Yu Senda put down his chopsticks and frowned tightly. “A-Ru. If anyone discovers that we forged chat records with Youshan, what then?”
“No wonder you’re fated to be poor your whole life!” Xu Ru cursed in exasperation. “The text records were provided by President He’s side. If things blow up, do you think he won’t protect us? Whether they disguised a virtual number as Yu Youshan’s phone, or used some other method, Li Huan is nothing more than a stranger who’s only looked after Yu Chen for three months. How deep can that bond really be? Once Li Huan can’t find us the day after tomorrow, he’ll naturally call you. At that point, you just tell him we wanted to head north to try our luck, and that bringing the child along makes us feel safer. Tell him we didn’t want to trouble him anymore.”
Yu Senda nodded. “You really did think it through.”
Xu Ru let out a cold snort, then looked back at the tightly shut bedroom door. “Dandan, eat more chicken wings. Tomorrow I’m still taking you and your brother out to play.”
Dandan shoveled rice into his mouth, grains scattering all over the floor.
Pressed against the door, Yu Chen could hear his uncle and aunt’s conversation only in fragments.
He could not make out the full content, only vaguely understood that his father had gone to some faraway foreign place and might never come back again. He even caught words like “die.”
Yu Chen swallowed lightly. After a very, very long time, he finally wriggled his bottom up and slowly climbed back onto the bed.
The light from the streetlamp shining in through the window was very faint. Curled into a tiny ball against the wall, he covered his mouth and cried softly.
Even though his father had thrown him away, and that hurt him very much,
he still did not want his father to go to the sky.
Going to the sky meant death.
The next afternoon, Yu Chen woke up groggily on the bed. In the living room, Dandan was being very noisy, waving Ultraman figures around and pretending to fight monsters, his mouth full of crackling dirty words.
Lifting one little leg, Yu Chen realized the door was standing open. So he slipped quietly outside and curiously watched Yu Senda and Xu Ru packing up their things.
Yu Senda muttered, “You really waste things. Those clothes cost over a hundred yuan, and you’re just throwing them away?”
Xu Ru looked down on Yu Senda’s shabby mindset. “We have this much money now. What do we need these broken clothes for?”
Yu Senda disliked Xu Ru’s wasteful habits. When he stood up, dragging a suitcase, he happened to notice Yu Chen.
Yu Chen hurriedly turned his round little body and ran away, then did not dare come out of the room again for a long time.
Unable to bear treating a child like this, Yu Senda walked into the room and said gently, “Chenchen, there’s breakfast on the table. Go eat.”
Huddled fearfully in the corner, Yu Chen only carefully climbed down from the bed when he heard there was food.
By this time, breakfast was already cold.
He pattered over to the table, stood on tiptoe, quickly snatched a hardened sesame bun, and hurried back into the room.
Xu Ru shot him a look of disgust. “Yu Senda! Hurry up and pack!”
Yu Senda glanced at the child greedily gnawing on the hard little bun, shook his head, and went back to squatting down to pack.
Time quickly reached four in the afternoon.
Yu Chen was led onto a taxi by Yu Senda.
He had no idea where he was about to go. He only knew Uncle Yusenda said the whole family was going out to have fun.
On the way, without a baby safety seat, Yu Chen felt terribly uncomfortable. The taxi had barely gone a short distance before he became so carsick his little face turned pale. Gripping the seat tightly, he could only manage to rest his round little face against the window frame.
Holding Dandan in her arms, Xu Ru rolled her eyes at him. “Such a delicate little thing.”
Yu Senda said nothing. He lifted his eyes to check the time and reminded the driver, “Please hurry a little. We’ll miss the train.”
The moment Yu Chen heard the word train, his little upturned feet instantly stiffened with tension. He knew what a train was. Back when he and his father had come from their hometown to Hai City, they had ridden one.
He remembered the train being very fast. Before the sun had even set, they had already arrived somewhere very, very far away.
Yu Chen did not know what Uncle and Auntie were trying to do, but he understood one thing very clearly: once he got on the train, he would never see Li Huan and He Zhen again.
Lowering his slightly trembling eyes, Yu Chen encouraged himself in his heart to be brave. He was the smartest person in this whole book. He absolutely could not be defeated by bad people!
“This is Yu Chen’s identification. It’s in this blue pouch.”
Yu Chen’s ears twitched. He secretly glanced at the blue pouch. Though he did not know exactly what “identification” meant, he knew that whatever was inside that pouch belonged to him.
Very soon, the taxi stopped at Hongbei Station.
Yu Chen behaved very obediently, trailing after Yu Senda like a little tail through the security check, the stairs, and the ticket gate, until at last they boarded the enormous green iron train in front of them.
Though he felt terribly unwell, with his stomach empty and shriveled and his steps all soft and weak, those bright lively eyes of his never stopped observing the surroundings, waiting for a chance to escape.
At last—
Yu Chen found a perfect opportunity.
Because Dandan was greedy for food, he begged Xu Ru to take him to the little shop on the high-speed train to buy snacks. At that exact moment, Yu Senda’s craving for cigarettes hit, and after giving Yu Chen a few quick instructions, he went down to the platform to smoke.
Suppressing the trembling in his legs from sheer nervousness, Yu Chen hurriedly pulled on the invisible cloak that Yu Senda had crumpled the night before, stuffed the blue pouch into his little schoolbag, and quietly got off the train through another carriage.
On the platform, he did not dare look back even once. Though he knew he was not supposed to run hard, he still ran as desperately as he could.
The invisible cloak rustled with ka-cha ka-cha sounds as it rubbed against itself.
Yu Chen ran very fast, his little hands stretched out behind him. Like a galloping little calf, he took huge determined steps with heave-ho, heave-ho.
Anyway, he was wearing the invisible cloak. No one could see him.
He was the bravest little child!
“Boss and I are good friends! If we come, we come together! If we leave, we leave together!”
Yu Chen puffed out his lips and fought with all his might not to cry as he charged forward.
If he just tried a little harder, he could go home!
The passersby all looked at the little boy inside the raincoat in puzzlement. He was tiny and very pretty, and no one knew whose child he belonged to.
Just then, the whistle of the train sounded.
Returning from his smoke, Yu Senda looked at the empty seat and immediately began searching anxiously for Yu Chen.
After questioning all the nearby passengers, one young woman said, “Your child went to play in the next carriage.”
Yu Senda instantly let out a breath of relief. Since the train had already started moving, no matter what, a little child would not be able to get off the train. There was no need to panic.
Meanwhile, just as Yu Chen was trying to run out of the train station, he was finally stopped by a staff member.
Terrified that the auntie in front of him might be a bad person, Yu Chen kept shrinking backward with all his might.
He was clearly wearing the invisible cloak, so why could people still see him? Just as he was wondering that, he noticed the badge pinned to the staff member’s uniform, and only then relaxed a little, though he still looked around fearfully.
“Little friend, where are your parents?”
The staff member gently pushed back the hood of Yu Chen’s raincoat and looked at him warmly. “Did you get separated from your family?”
Yu Chen nodded his little head, and his eyes instantly turned red again.
Seeing how adorable the child was, the staff member could not help picking him up and comforting him. “Don’t cry, baby. Auntie will take you to find your parents right away.”
Pouting, Yu Chen quickly threw his little arms around her shoulders. “Thank you, Auntie.”
Inside the office, two staff members played with Yu Chen while recording useful information.
“What’s your name?”
“Where are your parents?”
“Are you supposed to be taking the train?”
Hearing the questions one after another, Yu Chen pulled Li Huan’s business card out of his little schoolbag. “Auntie, this is my family’s phone number.”
Hearing that faintly trembling baby voice, the worker’s heart instantly melted. She poked Yu Chen’s chubby cheek and, as gently as possible so as not to scare him, praised him. “Baby, you’re so smart.”
Yu Chen anxiously twisted his fingers together, his reddened eyes fixed tightly on the staff member making the phone call. He was terrified the call would not go through and he would have to go with Uncle and Auntie again.
Very soon, a voice answered on the other end.
The moment he heard Li Huan’s anxious voice, Yu Chen’s aggrieved tears spilled over. His childish voice carried a sob. “Uncle! Hurry and come find Chenchen!”
Half an hour later, Li Huan rushed over.
Yu Chen had been biting into a tomato, his lips stained red. But the moment he saw Li Huan—and He Zhen hurrying behind him—the tomato fell to the floor with a plop.
“Uncle! Boss!”
As though he had suffered the greatest grievance in the world, Yu Chen desperately stretched out his little arms, his entire face covered in tear marks. He clutched at Li Huan’s clothes with all his strength, and even after Li Huan pulled him into his arms, he cried so hard he could hardly breathe.
He Zhen anxiously circled beside them, unable to reach Yu Chen, so all he could do was grab onto Yu Chen’s chubby little leg and lean against Li Huan.
The reason Li Huan had managed to arrive so quickly was, unexpectedly, thanks to He Zhen’s tantrum at noon.
He Zhen missed Yu Chen terribly and insisted that Li Huan take him there to stay with Yu Chen for two days, or else he would neither eat nor drink. Unable to win against He Zhen—and because he himself missed Yu Chen very much too—Li Huan brought He Zhen along and went to knock on Yu Senda’s door.
By sheer coincidence, they ran into the neighbor across the hall and only then learned that Yu Senda had moved away with his family an hour earlier.
The moment He Zhen heard the news, he exploded on the spot and yanked at Li Huan, urging him to call the police immediately. Li Huan had not even finished taking out his phone when he received the call from the station staff.
“Chenchen, it’s my fault, it’s my…”
Li Huan’s hoarse voice choked with sobs several times as he held Yu Chen, his own nose stinging red.
Yu Chen cried terribly. He was filthy from head to toe, and every time he wiped his tears with his little hands, he only smeared himself darker, until he looked like a little lump of coal. One glance told Li Huan he had not even washed his face that morning. Usually, before sending him to kindergarten, Li Huan would always dress him in his prettiest clothes and put moisturizing cream on his chubby little cheeks, leaving him soft and fragrant.
“Uncle! Boss! I missed you!”
Yu Chen clung tightly around Li Huan’s neck with both arms, obviously frightened badly and terrified of being taken away by bad people again.
Li Huan’s heart ached so much he cried too. Though they had only been apart for two days, the child in his arms had clearly grown lighter, completely lacking his former liveliness and looking sickly.
“Yu Chenchen!”
He Zhen clenched his little fists tightly like a tiny volcano about to erupt. His eyes, fierce in that babyish way of his, were fixed wide open—he was already planning to avenge Yu Chen.
That couple must have bullied Yu Chen.
Otherwise how could Yu Chen have ended up this miserable?
“Thank you for helping me find the child.” Li Huan forced himself to suppress his emotions so as not to lose composure and thanked everyone with perfect politeness. Before leaving, in order to reassure the staff, he even took out his ID.
The moment Yu Chen saw Li Huan’s ID, he sniffled and patted his bulging little schoolbag. “Uncle, I have mine too.”
Curious, Li Huan opened the schoolbag and discovered that Yu Chen’s household registration booklet and birth certificate were both inside.
Yu Chen secretly leaned up to Li Huan’s ear and whispered, “Uncle, I stole them out!”
“You’re so smart, baby.” Li Huan’s throat tightened, and he forced out a smile.
What he really wanted was to ask Yu Chen what exactly had happened and where that ill-intentioned couple had gone.
But with staff all around, he could not ask.
His tall back trembled lightly.
He thanked the staff once more, then gathered Yu Chen into one arm and held He Zhen’s hand with the other. “Come on. We’re going home.”
He Zhen awkwardly pulled his little hand free, only to secretly grab onto Li Huan’s sleeve instead. “Come on! We’re going home!”
The staff watched the family of three with envy and once again marveled at just how adorable that chubby little treasure was.
On the ride home, after telling Li Huan everything from start to finish, Yu Chen rested his little head in Li Huan’s arms and smacked his lips in sweet sleep.
He Zhen leaned over Yu Chen and hugged him tightly, then voiced the question that had been bothering him.
He was very curious.
If those bad people were trying to steal Yu Chen away, then why not call the police and arrest them?
Li Huan fell silent for a while after hearing the question.
When he had first gotten Yu Chen back, it was not that he had never considered calling the police—but he had many worries.
Yu Chen’s uncle and aunt were suspected of trafficking, and Yu Youshan had vanished without a trace. If he really did call the police, Yu Chen might not be able to come home with him smoothly. The chances of him being sent to a welfare institution were even greater.
After thinking for a long time, Li Huan explained it in words He Zhen could understand. At first, He Zhen was still sitting there with an angry, puffed-up face. But the moment he heard the words welfare institution, his little brows instantly knitted together, and he grabbed tightly onto Yu Chen’s chubby hand.
Just then, a phone call Li Huan had been waiting for came through. Over the years, he had handled all sorts of matters at Old Master He’s side and had built up at least a little network of connections.
“Brother Li, that Yu Youshan got into Europe illegally. If he applies for asylum in the future, he probably won’t ever come back. It’ll also be pretty hard to contact him. I do have one photo here of him working illegally, though. I’ll send it to you now. I’ve done all I can, brother—that’s as far as I managed to track.”
Li Huan’s mood grew very complicated after hearing that. Lowering his tired brows, he said quietly, “Thanks. I’ll treat you to dinner another day.”
He Zhen had been staring the whole time at Li Huan’s phone, clearly hoping to catch some useful information. Obviously, he had heard what was said about Yu Youshan, so he hurriedly asked, “What about his dad?”
In a low voice, Li Huan replied, “He probably won’t be coming back.”
He Zhen asked, “Then what will happen to Yu Chenchen? Can we raise him forever?”
Hearing that innocent question, Li Huan let out a hoarse laugh.
Just now, He Zhen had said we, not you.
His bloodshot eyes softened as he spoke gently. “Chenchen’s paternal and maternal grandparents have all passed away. I can try applying to adopt Chenchen. That way, no one will ever have the right to take him away again.”
The moment He Zhen heard that, a rare expression of hope appeared on his face. “Really?”
If Yu Chen could be raised by Li Huan, then they would never have to be separated again.
“Really.” Li Huan slowly raised his deep gaze and looked out at the speeding car.
If he wanted to adopt Yu Chen as quickly as possible, the fastest solution would be to go ask Old Master He for help. That couple was like a haunting ghost. If they kept harassing him in the future or forced things to the point of involving the police, then he would be ready to go down fighting with them.
Once he obtained legal guardianship of Yu Chen, he would settle the score with that couple slowly!
He Zhen was delighted, finally no longer wearing that stern face. Because of Yu Chen’s situation, he had been in a bad temper for two days and had hardly eaten more than Yu Chen himself.
“The adoption will definitely go through, right?” He Zhen’s eyes shone brightly as he lifted his right hand and gripped Li Huan’s arm, shaking it hard. After spending so long together, this seemed to be the first time the two of them had ever been this close.
The severity in Li Huan’s eyes eased somewhat. After struggling over it for a long time, he ultimately decided not to tell He Zhen about his plan to go ask Old Master He.
He wanted to do everything in his power and fight once, for Yu Chen’s sake.
If he told He Zhen, then He Zhen would certainly go beg Old Master He too, and the chances of Old Master He agreeing would indeed be higher. But at the same time, Li Huan worried that if Old Master He showed the slightest hint of refusal, He Zhen would absolutely make a scene in his impulsiveness. And if that happened, it would only damage the relationship between He Zhen and Old Master He even more.
Back at the He family home, Yu Chen was still drooping his little head in sleep. He Zhen was worried, so after helping Li Huan bathe Yu Chen, the three of them simply squeezed together onto one big bed and stayed there.
Yu Chen slept very soundly, though he woke up twice during the night.
Each time he woke, he would lift his damp eyes and glance left, then glance right, only settling down and covering himself properly with the little blanket after confirming that there was someone on both sides.
It was now three in the morning.
Yu Chen desperately tried to fall asleep again, but his stomach was so hungry that he could not. He tossed and turned and simply could not drift off.
So he sneakily climbed out of bed and crept to the little dining area, standing on tiptoe in front of the snack cabinet, stretching his bottom up in the air and groping around inside.
The last time Li Huan had sent him to Uncle’s house, all of the snacks had been packed up and sent over too, and there had not yet been time to refill them.
Yu Chen struggled for a very long time before finally managing to dig out a bag of little biscuits and a box of cheese durian pastries.
But this was far from enough for him. His little stomach was so empty right now that he felt like he could swallow an entire goose!
The biscuit bag was hard to tear open. Usually He Zhen would help him. So just as Yu Chen was biting down on the plastic wrapper with all his teeth bared, a ghostly voice sounded behind him.
“Yu Chenchen.”
Like a little thief, Yu Chen slowly turned around. “Boss.”
Dressed in sleepwear, He Zhen slowly walked over to him. “Are you hungry?”
Yu Chen nodded his little head pitifully and handed over the biscuits. “Boss, open them.”
He Zhen effortlessly tore the bag open and handed it back. Yu Chen immediately stuffed a biscuit into his mouth the moment he got it. Watching him, He Zhen suddenly picked him up. The two little children slowly shuffled along for a long while before finally reaching the sofa.
He Zhen did not set Yu Chen down right away. Instead, he let him sit on his own lap, face-to-face and pressed against him.
At that moment, Yu Chen’s entire heart and mind were occupied by the little biscuits. His cheeks bulged out, and just like the first time he had come to the He house, he devoured them wolfishly.
In the silent deep night, the steady crunch, crunch sounds rang out rhythmically, as though a tiny mouse were secretly stealing grain.
Suddenly, He Zhen asked softly, “Yu Chenchen.”
Yu Chen lifted his watery eyes. “Boss.”
Frowning like a little grown-up, He Zhen finally asked the question he cared about most. “Did they abuse you?”
With biscuits stuffed in his mouth, Yu Chen shook his head. “They didn’t hit me, but they wouldn’t let me eat.”
“Oh right! Brother Dandan stole my toys too!”
Just bringing this up made Yu Chen angry all over again. If Dandan had not torn his invisible cloak, then how could other people have seen him? That invisible cloak had been specially bought for him by He Zhen on Pinduoduo.
“Do you know their names?” He Zhen lowered his eyes. As his breathing gradually quickened, a violent edge settled over his expression. “When I grow up, I’ll help you get revenge.”
“Don’t know.” Yu Chen rubbed his little tummy against He Zhen in a clingy way and said sweetly, “Boss, I’m still not full.”
He Zhen unclenched his hard little fists and looked toward the snack cabinet. “There’s no more?”
Yu Chen said, “No more! Boss, can you look in the fridge for me?”
He Zhen thought for a moment. “I have some in my bedroom. I’ll go get it for you.”
Resting against He Zhen’s chest, Yu Chen’s chubby little face wrinkled up like a custard bun. “It’s so dark outside. I’m worried about Boss. Let’s eat tomorrow instead!”
Naturally, He Zhen refused to let Yu Chen go hungry. After thinking it over for a moment, he climbed onto a chair, took out two raw eggs from Li Huan’s fridge, tossed them into the egg cooker, and pressed the switch.
He had seen Li Huan use the egg cooker before. It was simple and easy to operate, and the eggs would be ready in just a few minutes.
When Yu Chen finally touched the warm cooked eggs, his clear, beautiful eyes filled with admiration and worship.
Suppressing the upward curve of his lips, He Zhen proudly peeled the shell for him. “It’s just boiling eggs. It’s nothing special.”
Yu Chen bit into the tender yolk and smiled so hard his eyes curved. “My Boss! Is the most amazing Boss in the whole world!”
He Zhen touched his reddened ears, so happy he nearly boiled every last egg in the fridge.
After finishing the eggs, Yu Chen’s little belly no longer felt so empty. Hugging He Zhen, he slept warm and soundly.
Just before dawn, he had a dream.
In the dream, he and He Zhen had both grown very, very tall. They studied together, played together, did homework together, and stayed together every single day, never apart…
Time passed in a rush.
Because Old Master He took into consideration Li Huan’s many years of unwavering loyalty and the fact that he had never once made a request, he readily agreed to help him. Yu Chen had been abandoned by his biological father, and on top of that, Yu Chen had cleverly stolen his own birth certificate and household registration booklet at the time, so the process of reissuing and handling all the necessary documents went very smoothly. With Old Master He’s support behind him, Li Huan became Yu Chen’s rightful legal guardian in less than half a year.
And after He Jingtai learned that Li Huan had successfully adopted Yu Chen, his reaction was far from calm. The knife hidden behind his smile was keenly noticed by Li Huan, who pieced together several clues. Li Huan had long suspected that the sudden appearance of Yu Senda and his wife had been arranged by someone behind the scenes, and now his guess was even more solidly confirmed.
He Jingtai was exactly the type to repay every grievance. Since he had once disliked the fact that Yu Chen stayed by He Zhen’s side and interfered with his plans, then now he would certainly make Yu Senda and Xu Ru—who had deceived him—pay the price, forcing them to spit back every last cent they had taken.
Li Huan merely gave a cold, disdainful smile and continued living his quiet daily life with the two children.
Wicked people would eventually meet someone even worse.
That couple would get what was coming to them.
Time passed quickly.
After learning that Grandpa had helped with Yu Chen’s adoption procedures, He Zhen became very grateful to him. Every few days he would drag Yu Chen along to keep Grandpa company, and the relationship between grandfather and grandson grew warmer and warmer.
Yu Chen had a sweet mouth and high emotional intelligence, and often had Old Master He laughing so hard he could barely straighten up. Amid such warm and happy family scenes, Old Master He’s illness gradually improved, and his health grew better day by day.
During the Lunar New Year, Old Master He specially invited Yu Chen over and prepared a thick stack of red envelopes for him.
Yu Chen knew money was a good thing. He hugged it tightly to his chest and refused to hand it over no matter who tried to coax him, making everyone burst into laughter.
When He Zhen saw how much his little underling liked money, he secretly prepared a huge red envelope for Yu Chen while they were staying up on New Year’s Eve. He even generously declared that from now on, he would give Yu Chen a red envelope every New Year.
Yu Chen was overjoyed to receive lucky money. Ever since his mother passed away, he had never received any again.
After they returned home, Li Huan originally assumed Yu Chen would hide the red envelopes away in his treasure box. Instead, when he woke up the next morning, he found all three big red envelopes neatly arranged beneath his pillow.
While dressing himself, Yu Chen waved his little hand grandly and instructed Li Huan in his baby voice to buy lots of tasty things. Someday, he promised, he would earn a lot of money and be filial to Li Huan.
With his back turned, Li Huan wiped away his tears. He hugged Yu Chen over and over, kissing him again and again before finally, with great reluctance, sending him off to kindergarten.
As the cold and heat of the seasons came and went, and spring, summer, autumn, and winter changed in turn,
in the blink of an eye, Yu Chen and He Zhen had reached second grade in elementary school.
The two children had originally attended Yingzhuo Elementary. But by the end of first grade, Yingzhuo Education Group merged with another elite education group in Hai City, and from then on they became students of Hongwen First Elementary.
Hongwen First Elementary had always followed a certain tradition. Every year, at the start of school, the school organized lively and interesting study tours to develop the students’ independence and spirit of exploration.
And this year, it just so happened to be a wilderness adventure summer camp.
Before the summer camp, all the parents of the second graders received the same electronic notice, which explained in detail everything that needed to be prepared.
As the guardian of both children, Li Huan naturally had to prepare two sets of everything. But after he gathered all the daily necessities and saw the final line of the notice, he smiled and shook his head.
It seemed their little treasure Chenchen was in for a miserable time.
No snacks allowed—this was practically asking for his life.
“Young Master He, if you have any special requests, you can tell me. I’ll do my best to accommodate them.”
Inside the principal assistant’s office, a handsome, strikingly pretty young boy sat on the sofa with his legs crossed. Sunlight poured in through the corridor window, falling over him and reflecting a free, unruly pride in his brows and eyes.
Tilting his head back slightly, the boy looked at the person in front of him and said, “Teacher, what I want to say is, my younger brother has had a weak heart since he was small, and he can’t do strenuous exercise. He’s very well-behaved and obedient, so he doesn’t dare come say this to you himself.”
“So what you mean is, your younger brother cannot participate in the daily morning run and afternoon exercises during camp, correct?”
He Zhen nodded with complete seriousness. “Correct. Otherwise he won’t be able to breathe.”
Assistant Jin adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses. “All right. I’ll remind your teachers to take good care of your younger brother.”
“I still have more to say.” He Zhen folded his arms, his clean-cut features especially serious. “He’s young and not very healthy. He needs nutritional supplements every day, otherwise he’ll get sick. The school notice says we’re not allowed to bring food, but if that happens, my younger brother will definitely become malnourished!”
Assistant Jin hesitated for two seconds. “I understand what you mean. Your younger brother needs to bring some nutritional products, correct?”
“Yes!” He Zhen nodded in an extremely matter-of-fact way. “If he gets thinner, that’ll be a real problem.”
After Li Huan told them they were not allowed to bring snacks, Yu Chen had looked so aggrieved he was nearly in tears. As Yu Chen’s boss, He Zhen simply could not sit back and ignore it.
Just then, Auntie happened to tell him that if he ever had any trouble at school, he could go to the principal’s assistant, Teacher Jin. An idea immediately occurred to him, and that was how this “negotiation” came about.
Assistant Jin nodded readily. “Your younger brother is also in Class One, second grade, correct? Did he come today? Can you bring him in so I can meet him?”
“He came. He’s waiting outside.” Right now it was the thirty-minute big break, when students usually went to the little school store together or ran off to the field to play games.
He Zhen had carefully calculated the timing in advance. Like a little guardian, he had personally brought Yu Chen along to pay this visit.
“He’s very timid. Please don’t scare him.” He Zhen reminded him several times before going out to bring Yu Chen in.
Assistant Jin smiled curiously, even growing a little impatient to meet this precious younger brother of He Zhen’s, supposedly weak and sickly.
The He family’s name was known throughout Hai City. And as the only son of the heir to Hefeng Group, He Zhen naturally drew plenty of outside attention.
Before He Zhen came to their elementary school, his homeroom teacher had been under tremendous pressure. After all, this kind of private elite school had always attached great importance to students from such families. She had been very worried that a pampered little young master like He Zhen would be incredibly hard to handle.
And the younger brother whom He Zhen treasured so much was probably even harder to deal with.
One minute later, there came a polite knock on the office door.
Assistant Jin smiled. “Come in.”
At the same time, those words He Zhen had used to describe his brother kept circling in his mind.
Timid.
Sickly.
Malnourished.
Footsteps sounded. And when He Zhen finally led in a little boy of about 1.1 meters, Assistant Jin’s smile visibly froze, and the corners of his mouth twitched twice beyond his control.
The little boy in front of him could certainly be described as beautiful—no, very beautiful.
His skin was very fair, and set into that pink-and-jade-like little face was a pair of clear and lovely eyes, like night pearls embedded in fine jade, carrying a smart and lively sparkle.
Compared with ordinary second graders, He Zhen’s younger brother was somewhat shorter, and his plump little cheeks made him look even younger. His soft black short hair fell just right beside his ears, a cute little mushroom cut that was both adorable and spirited—more than enough to melt a person in an instant.
But—
Assistant Jin looked at the two of them, both wearing Hongwen First Elementary’s summer uniform of pink short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and a giant question mark rose in his heart.
He Zhen was probably around 1.3 meters tall. Though he looked strong and agile, he was relatively slender. Meanwhile, the little boy beside him had every pocket of his pink uniform stuffed full of little biscuits, and the exposed parts of his little arms and legs were plump and round, with folds and rolls at the joints like white tender lotus root. They looked so soft it made one want to take a bite.
Assistant Jin simply could not imagine this was the frail and chronically ill younger brother He Zhen had just described.
“This is my younger brother. His name is Yu Chen.”
He Zhen led Yu Chen over to sit on the sofa, then thoughtfully opened a bag of little biscuits for him. “This is Teacher Jin.”
Holding the biscuits, Yu Chen swung his little legs cheerfully twice. A sincere smile spread across his rosy face.
“Hello, Teacher Jin!”
“Would you like some biscuits?”
“Thank you, but Teacher doesn’t eat biscuits.” Assistant Jin adjusted his glasses again. Looking at the Yu Chen on the sofa—who was clearly one size sturdier than He Zhen—he tried his hardest not to burst out laughing.
Because he was holding back laughter, his voice trembled slightly. “Young Master He, at home… do you often give your own food to your younger brother?”
He Zhen looked baffled. “Huh?”
Assistant Jin was suffering from holding it in. “Judging from your younger brother’s condition, he actually looks much sturdier than you. As for nutritional supplements, I recommend the two of you take them together.”
