What kind of experience is it to suddenly see someone you thought had passed away many years ago?

Some people might be overjoyed, some might burst into tears, but at this moment, Tao Fengche only felt a profound sense of bewilderment, as if he had suddenly floated into mid-air, unable to find solid ground, feeling empty inside.

Since he saw those misty gray-blue eyes, his thoughts swiftly traveled back ten years.

Tao Fengche lost his mother at a young age and lived with his father in the ancestral mansion of the Tao family. This mansion, occupying the entire mountain, showcased the Tao family’s wealth to the extreme, but to young Tao Fengche, it felt nothing but lonely.

The whole mountain belonged to the Tao family, so there were no other residents. Tao Zhixing had childhood friends like Zhao Jiayang and Chu Yin, but when it came to Tao Fengche, Zhao Jiayang and Chu Yin didn’t have children.

In Tao Zhixing’s subconscious, there was no option for “sending his son to kindergarten.” In his view, kindergarten was just a place where a bunch of ignorant brats played under the guidance of teachers, not meaningful and not educational for children. It was better to hire a private tutor for one-on-one teaching at home.

Because of this decision, Tao Fengche fundamentally cut off the possibility of having playmates. At an age when he didn’t yet understand the meaning of “loneliness,” young Tao Fengche was already used to playing alone. There were many things in the playroom, and it was fun to have two little dinosaurs fighting each other.

But when he got to elementary school, he understood that it was different. Other classmates had their own familiar buddies, and on the first day of school, they quickly became a group, leaving him standing alone on the side, not knowing anyone, vividly illustrating what it meant to be “out of place.”

Tao Fengche later learned that other classmates had already known each other since kindergarten and had formed their own little circles.

Tao Zhixing’s intentions were actually good. Without a mother, he had always pampered Tao Fengche, to the point that even at the age of five or six, he was still a crybaby, thinking about sending him to a public elementary school to toughen up, with private tutors filling in for missed classes, and then sending him to a private school in middle school wouldn’t be too late.

Even among private schools, the Tao family’s wealth was top-tier nationwide, not to mention the local public elementary schools in the area.

Children’s worlds are much simpler than adults’, regardless of whether you’re rich or poor, being different from the masses makes you an outsider.

“We either get driven to school by our parents or take the school bus. How come you’re the only one whose family’s driver brings you here? Do you not have a mom and dad?”

Tao Fengche’s face turned red, wanting to retort, but when others suggested that his father should pick him up from school, he had nothing to say. He held back for a while but couldn’t hold back his tears, which welled up in his eyes.

Although he cried easily, Tao Fengche was actually a sensible child who understood that his father was busy with work and didn’t want to trouble him by asking for rides to school.

“Oh oh oh~ Tao Fengche~ crybaby~” The kids laughed and ran away, leaving Tao Fengche alone, dropping golden beans on the spot.

After that, he didn’t want the driver to pick him up and drop him off, only letting him drop him off on a street several hundred meters away from the school, and waiting there after school, saying he didn’t want any special treatment.

As a small, chubby kid in school uniform, speaking maturely for his age, Tao Fengche’s cuteness disarmed Tao Zhixing instantly. He agreed to his requests, feeling rather pleased afterwards, proud of raising his child as a single father.

At that time, no one could have anticipated what would happen later.

Just a few months into second grade, when Tao Fengche left the school gate, he encountered someone who claimed to be Tao Zhixing’s friend, offering to take him out to play. Tao Fengche knew better than to follow strangers or get into their cars, but he couldn’t stop the person from covering his mouth and nose with a cloth soaked in ether, then trying to force him into the car.

Luckily, Tao’s driver noticed something was wrong and chased down the car less than a kilometer away. He swiftly shot out the tires, forcing the car to a stop, and rescued the nearly kidnapped young master.

Tao Fengche remained in a state of semi-consciousness until he was safely returned home. Tao Zhixing was furious. He first thoroughly punished those who dared to threaten his son’s safety, ensuring they couldn’t harm anyone else. Then he personally went to the school to find out why Tao Fengche suddenly wanted the driver to keep his distance.

The principal didn’t dare delay and quickly summoned Tao Fengche’s homeroom teacher, a young female beta who usually turned a blind eye to children’s affairs, preferring they solve problems themselves. She never expected such a serious incident to occur, let alone attract such attention. She hastily explained the whole situation.

Tao Zhixing fell silent. After returning home, he locked himself in the study for a long time.

The incident had already occurred, and no amount of regret could change what had happened. After much thought, Tao Zhixing decided to withdraw Tao Fengche from school.

It was already late November, and with Tao Fengche’s birthday approaching at the year’s end, he decided to bring him home first to recuperate, study with a private tutor at home, and then send him to a private school for third grade.

Although the private school had a relatively relaxed learning atmosphere, the students there matured early. At least under the influence of his family, Tao Fengche learned whom to avoid and what not to say.

Tao Zhixing felt like he was facing a formidable opponent, but children’s minds weren’t so complicated. Tao Fengche was indeed quite frightened at the time, but after returning home and resting peacefully for a few days, he recovered.

Though he enjoyed not having to study, being alone at home without playmates made him frustrated. Over time, he even started chatting with the horses tied in the stable. Tao Zhixing saw it once and quietly stood there from a distance for a long time, ultimately not disturbing him.

Everything changed at the beginning of December.

Tao Fengche still remembers to this day that it was a very cold snowy night. The weather forecast warned of an unprecedented cold wave, and just after a snowstorm outside, he curled up in bed reading comic books. On the bedside table was the sweet milk brought by the butler, pondering why his father hadn’t come home that day.

When he heard the sound of a car passing through the courtyard, he quickly ran downstairs in slippers and met Tao Zhixing coming in through the door, followed by a dirty humanoid figure.

The humanoid figure had messy hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed for a long time, and the clothes were described as “tattered.” Although he wore Tao Zhixing’s down jacket, he still looked frail in the freezing temperature, skinny enough to be blown away by a gust of wind.

He probably wasn’t used to the scent of Tao Zhixing’s down jacket, as he frowned tightly.

Tao Fengche instinctively stepped back two steps.

He had never seen such a person before, and he seriously suspected whether his father had rescued a little beggar from the roadside. But his father didn’t seem like such a kind person, right? He was full of suspicion.

“I found you a playmate,” Tao Zhixing summed up in one sentence.

But he’s really dirty… Tao Fengche instinctively pursed his lips and reluctantly nodded.

Xu Song came up and led the little beggar to the guest room next to Tao Fengche’s bedroom, specially found pajamas for him, and prepared hot water for him to bathe. Tao Fengche followed him all the way, listening to the splashing water in the bathroom, and finally realized belatedly.

—Although the other party looked very sloppy, he was also a playmate! No need to talk to the horses anymore!

Tao Fengche’s eyes instantly lit up. He recalled the shivering figure wrapped in the down jacket, inexplicably ran downstairs and rummaged through the cabinets, and finally succeeded in finding a pair of plush slippers in the corner of the shoe cabinet, then hurriedly ran back upstairs and placed them at the bathroom door.

Although the house was heated in winter and quite warm, stepping on plush slippers should be more comfortable, right? Tao Fengche couldn’t help but glance at the same pair on his feet.

Just then, someone pulled open the bathroom door of the guest room, revealing a face so beautiful that Tao Fengche gasped in surprise.

The once dirty, tangled hair had been cleaned to reveal a light gray color, long enough to reach the chest and styled in gentle curls, dripping water slowly. The young man’s face was so beautiful that he didn’t seem real, more like a celestial being descending from television.

Was this really a bath? It was as if he had transformed into a completely different person!

“Oh my, a divine, divine jie!” Tao Fengche couldn’t help but exclaim.

The young man furrowed his brows slightly. “I’m a boy.”

Tao Fengche nodded easily, accepting his gender without hesitation. “Divine ge.”

“…”

The young man wanted to curse, but considering he was the son of his benefactor, he reluctantly accepted this title. He glanced down and put on the plush slippers handed over by Tao Fengche.

These shoes were originally bought by Xu Song, hoping that both the father and son of the Tao family could wear them together. Tao Fengche happily put them on, but Tao Zhixing kept frowning and refused to wear them, stuffing them in a corner of the shoe cabinet. Today, they were retrieved by Tao Fengche to be offered to the new guest.

Originally intended for adult male alphas, the shoes were a bit too big for the young man. He unconsciously wiggled his toes, not quite used to the unusually soft but unfamiliar touch, but indeed feeling warmer all over.

“I’m Tao Fengche, what’s your name, ge?” The little boy followed him like a shadow.

“Sui Yuesheng.”

He thought for a moment before answering, his voice soft. After a moment, he repeated it, this time much louder and more determined: “My name is Sui Yuesheng.”

Over an hour ago, the male alpha who saved him told him that the family was missing a friend for their child and asked if he would be willing to take on this responsibility.

After nodding, the other person led him out of that door, looked up at the moon hanging in the sky, and said.

“I’ll give you a new name. Let me think… Now that the snow has stopped, the full moon hanging in the sky is quite beautiful. How about you be called Sui Yuesheng?”

“From now on, it’s a brand new beginning.”

He chewed on this new name in his heart twice and nodded seriously.

Tao Fengche had no idea about the twists and turns in Sui Yuesheng’s mind at this moment. He just thought that his divine brother looked good and that the name sounded nice, like a fairy descending from the moon palace.

He followed Sui Yuesheng like a little adult, saying that after washing his hair, he should blow it dry, or he would get a headache when he grew old.

Sui Yuesheng listened attentively to this term for the first time, tilted his head slightly to listen, and obediently returned to the bathroom to use the hairdryer.

Although the two were nearly ten years apart in age, at that moment, both Tao Fengche and Sui Yuesheng thought that they would be friends for a long, long time.

No one expected that farewell would come so soon.