“Brother!” Xiao Yu tilted her head, holding onto her sun hat, and waved, “Brother, I’m over here.”

Luo Yunqing lowered his eyes, taking one step, then another, getting closer but slowing down. His last few steps were even awkward, like he was walking with both hands and feet at the same time. Above his mask, his thick eyelashes couldn’t stop trembling.

Pei Yanli.

It’s the living Pei Yanli!

That’s great.

He thought he would at least have to return to the Song Family to see him.

His legs… Luo Yunqing’s gaze involuntarily fell on the legs covered with a cashmere blanket, but he quickly looked away. Pretending to be calm, he walked over to Xiao Yu’s wheelchair and squatted down, but as soon as he spoke, he stuttered even more, “Wha-what happened?”

“Xiao Huangche.” Xiao Yu’s voice got lower as she spoke, “Xiao Huangche bumped into this big brother.”

Luo Yunqing immediately tightened his grip on the wheelchair handle, slowly turned around, and didn’t dare to look up the whole time, “S-sorry.”

Bending over, his thin oversized shirt clung to his back, clearly showing his spine extending from the back of his neck downward. His small forearm, which could be completely wrapped with one hand, was wrapped in thick gauze tied with a bow.

Both brothers were sick.

“It’s okay.” It was just a small matter, not worth Pei Yanli holding onto, “The little one was very well-behaved and already apologized.”

He pushed Xiao Huangche forward a bit.

Luo Yunqing had no choice but to let go of the wheelchair, reaching out to take the toy bulldozer, which carried a faint sandalwood scent, into his hands.

He and Pei Yanli didn’t know each other at this point.

It was two years later when his grandmother fell seriously ill.

By then, he had already spent the five million he got from cutting ties and was at a dead end, ready to sell himself in a bar to make quick money.

To be fair, his face was quite pretty, and many people were eager to have him. A big boss in the building materials business was willing to pay a high price to keep him, and aside from being a bit older, heavier, and greasy, everything else was fine.

The price was already agreed upon, and they were about to leave when Pei Yanli suddenly appeared and ruined the deal.

He couldn’t be angry.

This person offered three times the price.

Although the big boss was unwilling, he was also wary of Pei Yanli’s status, so he left with his tail between his legs.

But this person was strange; he spent so much money and didn’t even sleep with him. For the first two years, he only let him do some simple chores and didn’t even let him help with bathing.

Later, he learned to massage his necrotic legs and got a little closer…

Luo Yunqing hugged the toy car, burying his head deeply, his voice trembling, “Th-thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The wheels creaked as they rolled over the bluestone path and out of the corridor.

Until he disappeared.

Luo Yunqing still maintained his previous posture, holding the bulldozer tighter in his arms, trying to keep that scent.

“Huh? Why is brother crying?”

Amidst his black hair, his conspicuously white ear tips were bright red.

The last time Xiao Yu saw this was three years ago, the day Sister Xiao Shuang was adopted. He found his brother curled up behind the big stove in the kitchen, his head buried in his knees, and his ears burning red.

Thinking his brother was sick, he called for their grandmother, only to find out his brother was crying.

When he cried, his ears turned red.

That was the first time he saw his brother cry.

Today was the second time.

“Brother, don’t cry, don’t cry.” Xiao Yu scratched her head, quickly saying, “Xiao Yu won’t play with the car anymore, and won’t sunbathe either.”

“Brother didn’t cry.” Luo Yunqing quickly pinched his sleeve and pressed hard on the corner of his eye, turning back to explain, “Brother is just thinking about how to drive this Xiao Huangche.”

He placed the bulldozer on the ground, took Xiao Yu’s hand, and started the remote control.

The bulldozer’s excavator arm jerked up and down.

Not as good as when Xiao Yu controlled it herself.

Sneaking a glance at her brother, she thought, he said he didn’t cry, but his eyes were red.

Oh well.

Let brother play for a while.

…

Until the sun set.

Song Moyan left the welfare institute and made a detour to the company, only arriving home under a sky full of stars.

“Where’s Xiao Xue? Is she feeling better?” He loosened his tie and took off his coat.

The nanny, Mother Liu, took it over and nodded, “Madam took care of her all day, the fever just subsided, and she asked about you several times today. She’s probably asleep after taking her medicine.”

Mother Liu then asked, “Would you like to eat first or…”

“I’ll go check on Xiao Xue.”

As the most pampered young master of the Song Family, Song Xuechen’s room was large and bright. The room was filled with souvenirs he brought back from traveling around the world before he was ten, and the corner had a display cabinet over five meters long filled with various toy models.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window was a semi-circular open-air balcony.

Standing on the balcony, you could see the artificial lake not far away, with a few rare black swans swimming for viewing.

Song Moyan walked while unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt. At the room door, he knocked three times.

After waiting for a while and seeing no one open the door, he pressed down the handle and pushed it open, calling, “Xiao Xue.”

A small lump on the bed moved reluctantly.

Song Moyan chuckled lightly and closed the door.

With the light refracted from the outdoor pool, he walked to the bed and sat down, “Is Xiao Xue still mad at brother?”

The quilt was pulled open with a rustle, revealing a delicate doll-faced boy with eyes full of grievance, “Why did brother come back so late?”

He sent a message at two-thirty in the afternoon, asking him to come back, but he didn’t get home until almost eight.

Song Xuechen huffed and puffed, “I know, I’m not brother’s real brother, so brother doesn’t love me anymore.”

His sweet voice carried a slight tremor, as if he was about to cry the next second.

Song Moyan’s heart trembled, pulling him into his arms, his thumb brushing against the smooth cheek, sighing, “How could that be? Xiao Xue will always be my most adorable brother, brother… loves you the most.”

“I don’t believe it.” Song Xuechen turned his head to the other side in a huff, sourly saying, “Brother is about to have another brother soon, and will definitely forget about Xiao Xue quickly.”

“Xiao Xue is just saying angry words, no one can surpass you.” His hand slid down, touching the rosy lips, Song Moyan’s eyes darkened, his breathing noticeably heavier, “Don’t worry, Xiao Qing won’t take your place, and won’t… stay too long.”

Old Master Pei was eager to have Second Master Pei marry quickly, and couldn’t wait any longer.

“He grew up in the welfare institute, so he might have some resentment. In a few days, we’ll have mom bring him back, let him settle for a while, and then let him marry into the Pei Family for you, wouldn’t that be great?”

Upon learning that his brother was switched at birth, Song Moyan had been pondering this matter.

He heard that Second Master Pei had his legs broken in a car accident and couldn’t take care of himself. Xiao Xue had been pampered since childhood, how could he endure such hardship?

As for Luo Yunqing, they could compensate him more in the future.

“Ah? Isn’t that bad?” Song Xuechen frowned, worried, “Would he be willing?”

“Marrying into the Pei Family for you, and to Second Master Pei, is already quite good.” Song Moyan pinched his delicate nose, “Or does Xiao Xue want to marry a cripple?”

“No, no.” Song Xuechen quickly freed his nose from his hand, giggling, and hugged him back, “I want to cling to brother for life, let brother take care of this little waste.”

Song Moyan half-jokingly, half-seriously said, “You said it.”

His peach blossom eyes blinked a few times, and Song Xuechen slipped out of his arms like a fish, wrapping himself into a ball, “I’m still not over my cold, I want to sleep, goodnight brother!”

…

That night, some had sweet dreams.

And some couldn’t sleep at all.

Luo Yunqing tossed and turned on his small 1.2-meter bed, getting up before five in the morning. After washing up, he went to the kitchen, washed a pot of rice, covered it, and set it on the stove to steam.

The welfare institute now, besides the director, had only three teachers, who not only had to cook but also do laundry and chores.

There were nearly thirty children in the institute, the youngest just learning to speak, and the oldest was Luo Yunqing, who wouldn’t turn eighteen until the end of August, over half a month away.

The work was endless, not to mention that they were all elderly people in their fifties, almost sixties.

Even if Luo Yunqing had no time, he had to squeeze out time to help, so that others could do less.

The idea was good, but not unique.

Less than twenty minutes after entering the kitchen, while sitting behind the stove burning firewood, someone pushed the door open.

Luo Yunqing poked his head out and bumped into a sneaky girl.

“Brother! You can’t sleep either?”

“Qingqing, what are you doing here at this hour?”

“I…” The girl, who had just entered her third year of middle school, touched her ponytail, her eyes darting around, “I’m hungry, came to steal some food.”

Yeah, right, there’s never any leftover food in the kitchen.

“Kids need to sleep enough to grow tall, go back and sleep some more.” Not giving her a chance to refuse, Luo Yunqing pointed to the door.

Ten years later, Qingqing was still this tall, probably because she used to get up early to secretly do chores.

“Brother, you’re one to talk.”

At fifteen or sixteen, it’s the rebellious age. Qingqing directly pulled over a small stool to sit beside him, staring at his hands, “Grandma told you to rest, yet you’re still like this. I’ll report you tomorrow.”

Luo Yunqing: “…”

This little girl sure knows how to hit where it hurts.

“Hehe.” Seeing him silent, Qingqing laughed. After laughing, she looked at him through the firelight reflected in the stove, “Brother, do you have something on your mind?”

She noticed something was off after they returned from the hospital, he barely ate two bites at dinner, “Is it about Xiao Yu’s illness…”

“Xiao Yu is fine.” Luo Yunqing broke a piece of firewood and fed it into the stove, “The doctor estimates that in another three months, we can find a kidney donor.”

“That’s great!” Qingqing grinned widely, but soon frowned, “But a kidney transplant costs a lot, right?”

“Don’t worry about the money, I have a way.” Luo Yunqing paused, turning to look at her, “You’re a big sister now, remember to take care of the younger ones, okay?”

“Brother… you’re leaving, aren’t you!”

When that person with the Rolls-Royce came today, she had a feeling.

Her mouth turned down, tears welling up in her eyes. Before they could fall, she forced them back, pulling a strained smile, “It’s okay, it’s no big deal, brother, don’t worry, I’ll take good care of them.”

“Qingqing…”

“Brother, you have to take care of yourself too.”

Amidst the crackling fire, Luo Yunqing looked at the girl holding back tears and no longer looking at him, murmuring a “Okay.”

*

Yang Kang was considered slow.

After hanging up the phone, he carefully investigated again, gathering all the evidence, and at six in the morning, unexpectedly released the news.

By the time the Song Family wanted to block it, it was too late.

“What the hell is going on!”

“Didn’t we already seal the hospital’s lips!”

Seeing the news early in the morning, Song Jingguo almost fainted from anger.

At the dining table, Song Xuechen, who had shrunk into a quail, was equally pale, his nails digging into his palms, wishing he could bite off a piece of flesh from his mouth.

Now everyone knew he was a fake.

A fake who had taken someone else’s place!

Online, they even posted photos of the real one, washing diapers, planting vegetables, and delivering takeout at the welfare institute.

For a moment, ridicule, mockery, and scolding… overwhelmed him like a mountain, making it hard to breathe.

“What do we do now?”

Seeing the leaked photos, Song’s mother, Lin Wenting, was heartbroken, but turning her head, her youngest son’s pale cheeks left her at a loss.

Both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh.

“What else can we do! Now that it’s out, we have to bring him back quickly.” Song Jingguo said with a stern face, “Let’s go together.”