Hearing Chu Shangluo’s agreement, Fan Mo nervously swallowed as he faced the answer he had long awaited.

Yet, at the same time, a strange, indescribable feeling welled up inside him. Looking at Chu Shangluo’s handsome face under the sunlight, he couldn’t help but wonder—once he got the answer, would he have no reason to see Chu Shangluo again?

Chu Shangluo pulled Fan Mo aside and opened the door. “Come in. We’ll talk inside.”

Fan Mo followed him in and was momentarily stunned. Chu Shangluo casually sat in a tattered chair, drinking lukewarm tea from the table. Was this really the glamorous, dignified CEO he knew?

Dust coated the table and chairs. The black suit he wore had visible patches of dirt, especially on the cuffs and pant legs. The Chu Shangluo he knew shouldn’t look like this.

Fan Mo hesitated, not sitting down. He looked at Chu Shangluo and asked, “Isn’t this dirty?”

“Dirty? What’s dirty?” Chu Shangluo set down the tea and only then noticed the dust on his clothes. He casually patted it off and replied indifferently, “It’ll wash out. You’re not a clean freak like your brother, are you? You don’t seem like it.”

“Ah—no, no, I’m not a clean freak! If I were, how could I sell fish for a living?” Fan Mo replied, finally sitting across from him.

Chu Shangluo lit a cigarette and asked, “With the market shut down now, where are you selling fish?”

Fan Mo grinned. “No need to worry about me, Mr. Chu. I can sell fish anywhere—I’m always on the move. You got betrayed by the Wen family, but none of us blame you. I just don’t know how I can help you. If you ever need me, just say the word. If I can do it, I will.”

Chu Shangluo narrowed his eyes. “How do you know the Wen family betrayed me?”

“Chu Shen ge told me. He also told me you’d be here.”

Fan Mo glanced around the small, worn-down hut. His eyes lingered on the tiny bed tucked in the corner, his chest tightening uncomfortably.

“Mr. Chu… are you living here?”

Chu Shangluo exhaled a plume of smoke, his beautiful eyes veiled behind the haze, filled with indifference. “Sometimes. When I’m too tired to bother, I stay here.”

Fan Mo recalled how Chu Shen ge had mentioned that Chu Shangluo sold his car to pay off debts and now had to borrow a small electric scooter, spending four hours commuting back and forth each day.

But this place… this shabby hut was too run-down. The weather was still mild, but autumn was approaching. How would Mr. Chu endure the cold here?

Suddenly, Fan Mo spoke up. “Mr. Chu… If you don’t mind, I can give you a ride every day. I have a small tricycle with a passenger seat. I could drive you home.”

Chu Shangluo felt a rare warmth at the offer. This kid… he really hadn’t spoiled him for nothing. He chuckled. “No need. You think I need you to drive me around? Just focus on selling your fish. The market closure must have hit your income, right? Also…”

He flicked his cigarette ash, pausing before continuing, “Starting next month, I won’t be able to sponsor your school fees anymore. But you can ask your brother—he has money.”

Fan Mo shook his head firmly. “That’s okay! Really, thank you! I’ll repay every cent you’ve spent on my education.”

“Forget it. Keep that money to find yourself a wife someday,” Chu Shangluo replied, pulling out a notepad and scribbling a few bold, elegant lines of handwriting. When he finished and handed the note to Fan Mo, he suddenly realized—he had memorized Ren Jiaoming’s phone number and address perfectly.

Loving someone so deeply and unreservedly was terrifying. No matter how much he tried to forget Ren Jiaoming, his body still betrayed how much he had once loved him.

Fan Mo accepted the note and watched as Chu Shangluo seemed lost in his own world. Quietly clutching the note, he hesitated before asking carefully,

“Mr. Chu… can I ask… why did the construction stop? Did something happen between you and my brother? Did you… break up?”

Fan Mo was actually a bit afraid to hear that it was due to a breakup. Being the younger brother of an ex-boyfriend—it was such an awkward identity. He had no idea how he would face Chu Shangluo in the future.

Chu Shangluo came back to his senses, taking a deep drag from his cigarette. “Yeah… something like that,” he replied vaguely. Strictly speaking, he and Ren Jiaoming hadn’t really broken up—they were never officially together in the first place. How could they break up? “Falling out” was a more accurate description. But Fan Mo was still young; he didn’t need to know all that.

Fan Mo fell silent. He couldn’t understand why his brother would agree to break up with someone as good as Chu Shangluo. If he were his brother, he would have held onto Chu Shangluo tightly, constantly worrying that someone else might steal him away.

But the house… that made Fan Mo feel even worse. It was almost finished. He had thought it would become a home for him, his brother, and Chu Shangluo. Now, there was nothing left.

He didn’t blame Chu Shangluo. Chu Shangluo had worked so hard, supervising the construction under the sun and rain, carefully finding and restoring the old furniture from his home. Every corner of that house was filled with his care and effort. How could he blame someone who had been so sincere?

Blame his brother? Not really. He didn’t understand relationships well, and people always said there was no right or wrong when it came to love.

He didn’t blame anyone. But it still hurt—a deep, indescribable ache.

Fan Mo slowly lifted his head, hesitating before asking, “Then… why did you break up with my brother? Can I ask?”

Chu Shangluo glanced at Fan Mo, who looked so downcast, his head almost drooping to his chest. He waved his hand dismissively. “It has nothing to do with you. Kids shouldn’t get involved in adult matters. Go find your brother.”

“…Okay then.”

Fan Mo was clearly disappointed. He stood up and walked toward the door. “Mr. Chu, don’t forget to take good care of the chicks. Don’t let them die. I’ll come back to check on them when I have time.”

Chu Shangluo glanced at the fluffy yellow chicks hopping around outside the door. This was really troubling—there weren’t many things that could stump him, but raising animals definitely counted as one.

He could barely take care of himself. How was he supposed to raise these things?

“…I’ll try my best.”

Fan Mo left the small hut, feeling heavy-hearted. He sighed repeatedly as he walked, and when he saw the shabby electric scooter parked nearby, his sighing grew even louder.

At that moment, Lu Wen happened to be approaching. He saw the sulking young boy walking without watching where he was going and asked, “What’s wrong? You look so frustrated. Did you get scolded by Mr. Chu or something?”

Fan Mo stopped and immediately perked up, snapping back, “You’re the one who got scolded!”

Since Chu Shangluo had been staying at the Yu estate recently, Fan Mo often came to wait for him, which led to him getting familiar with Lu Wen. Lu Wen was friendly with almost everyone, often joking around and even playfully arguing with Fan Mo.

Now, Fan Mo’s usual obedient demeanor around Chu Shangluo had completely disappeared. Having grown up fishing and selling fish, he had a sharp, street-smart attitude and knew how to adapt his behavior depending on the person. He only showed his good side to those he respected, while with others, he was more casual and cheeky.

“Hey, Lu Wen… do you know why Mr. Chu broke up with my brother?”

Lu Wen blinked. “Yeah, I know.”

“Tell me?”

Lu Wen’s lips curled into a sly smile. “Sure.”

A few minutes later, Fan Mo left without a word, fists clenched tightly and back ramrod straight.

Lu Wen returned to the small hut, just as Chu Shangluo was about to leave.

“By the way,” Lu Wen said, “I ran into Fan Mo earlier. He asked me about your breakup with Ren Jiaoming… and I told him.”

Chu Shangluo paused mid-motion, his hand freezing as he stubbed out his cigarette. “Why did you tell him? He’s just a kid—he doesn’t understand these things. Besides, now that he knows, he’ll feel too awkward to face me.”

Lu Wen smiled, pulling out a wet wipe to clean the dust off Chu Shangluo’s suit. “I didn’t want to hide it from him. He deserves to know what kind of person his brother is. Plus, his reaction can tell us whether he’s someone worth keeping around.”

Chu Shangluo frowned. “What do you mean, ‘worth keeping around’? He’s just a kid. Lu Wen, I don’t like gossiping.”

“You’re too kind,” Lu Wen sighed helplessly. “Alright, I won’t say anything next time, okay?”

“Forget it. You’ve already told him—there’s no taking it back now,” Chu Shangluo replied, unable to find the words to scold Lu Wen further. Shaking his head, he left to continue searching for a new place to stay.

Four days later, the deep autumn arrived in Beijing.

With Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, it was crab season. Every year around this time, the Chu family’s seafood market would sell high-quality hairy crabs at lower prices than the competition, making business boom.

However, this year, the Chu market had closed. Seafood prices across the city soared, and the affordable, high-quality crabs from the Chu market were nowhere to be found. While the wealthy clients in Beijing’s business circles hardly noticed, many regular customers who had long relied on the Chu market missed it dearly.

This was usually the time when Fan Mo earned the most money, selling a large amount of seafood at the Chu market. But this year, he hadn’t sold a single item.

Now, he sat at the gate of a grand villa, his expression dark with frustration and anger.

It was the fourth day—four days since he had been waiting outside his brother’s house. Yet the enormous villa remained completely empty. No one had come or gone, and his calls to his brother had gone unanswered.

He didn’t know what had happened. He wanted to ask Chu Shangluo, but after what his brother had done, he felt too ashamed to face him. So, all he could do was wait.

It was already noon. The sun hung high overhead. Fan Mo decided to grab some lunch and return afterward. Just as he stood up, dusting off his pants, he spotted a car approaching from the distance.

His gaze locked onto the vehicle, heart pounding with a strange certainty—the person he had been waiting for was inside.

Fan Mo couldn’t describe how he felt. It was complicated.

On one side was the biological brother he had longed for and searched for over the years. On the other was Chu Shangluo, someone he deeply respected and owed so much to. Expectation and frustration twisted together, leaving him overwhelmed.

The black car stopped at the gate. A cold, imposing man stepped out.

Fan Mo froze. Wasn’t this the same icy, handsome guy who had saved him in the alley that day?

As the man approached, closer and closer, Fan Mo opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

The feeling was strange—blood ties made him feel close, but the man’s aura and expression felt so unfamiliar.

In his memory, his brother had been a gentle, smiling boy with bright, sparkling eyes, like a precious little prince.

But the man before him, aside from his breathtakingly beautiful face and the delicate red mole beneath his eye, bore no resemblance to the brother he remembered.

Ren Jiaoming glanced at the young man standing at the door, but didn’t acknowledge him.

He had been staying in a residence near the Wen family’s house for some time, as he was working on something very important. He cleared his throat and took out his keys to open the door. After the night on the island when he got soaked in the rain, Ren Jiaoming caught a cold. But he didn’t have time to worry about his health; he had been planning this for years, and now it was finally time to reel in the net. He had obtained the Wen family’s internal accounts. For the past four days, he had been tirelessly reviewing the internal accounts, organizing the evidence he had gathered against the Wen family. With the huge sums of money from tax evasion now included in the accounts, bringing down the Wen family was going to be easy. At this thought, a trace of coldness flashed in Ren Jiaoming’s eyes.

“Cough, hey!”

Fan Mo cleared his throat. “You’re Ren Jiaoming, right?”

Ren Jiaoming’s eyes instantly regained their calm. He turned to look at the unfamiliar young man standing in front of him. Fan Mo took a deep breath and pulled out a red jade pendant from his pocket, laying it out in front of Ren Jiaoming.

Ren Jiaoming stopped in his tracks. He picked up the jade pendant, and his emotions fluctuated slightly. “Where did this come from?”

Fan Mo, seeing that his brother’s reaction was colder than he had expected, felt deeply upset. At the same time, he was also angry. He had waited for four days, only to be met with this kind of response from his brother? His tone turned harsh. “This is mine! My name is Fan Mo, I used to be called Ruan Zixuan!”

Ren Jiaoming stared at the boy for a long time. His chest rose and fell slightly as he controlled the trembling fingers from his excitement. He took a deep breath, placed his arm over Fan Mo’s shoulder, and his eyes reddened slightly.

Brothers’ hearts are connected. In that instant, Fan Mo’s eyes also welled up. The emotions that had been tangled inside him up until then couldn’t resist the familial bond in his blood. He hugged Ren Jiaoming tightly, both angry and aggrieved. “You’re driving me crazy! I’ve been looking for you for four days, where have you been?! Why didn’t you pick up the phone?!”

Ren Jiaoming closed his eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry, I was busy with work and turned off my phone.”

The past four days of being cut off from the outside world were something only Ren Jiaoming knew about. It wasn’t all about bringing down the Wen family—more than that, he had tried to use work to numb his feelings for Chu Shangluo. He could handle everything else with ease, but he didn’t know what to do about Chu Shangluo.

The two brothers stood in an embrace for a long time, neither of them saying anything further. Eventually, their emotions calmed down. Ren Jiaoming opened the door, inviting Fan Mo in, but Fan Mo didn’t move.

Ren Jiaoming was puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Fan Mo tightened his fist. “Your house is nice, but…”

Ren Jiaoming quietly waited for him to continue.

Fan Mo finally spoke. “It was Chu Shangluo who asked me to find you!”

Ren Jiaoming’s eyes, which had been calm until now, suddenly shifted when he heard the name “Chu Shangluo.”