“Who dropped it?!”

Song Xuechen, always pampered and cherished, had never been accused like this before. She was so angry she jumped up and down, “It was clearly you who didn’t hold it properly, and now you’re blaming me?”

“No, no, I’m not blaming you…” Luo Yunqing glanced at Song’s mother, then lowered his head pitifully, “Xiao Xue gege is right, it was me who didn’t hold it steady, it’s not gege’s fault.”

His soft voice sounded like he was reluctantly compromising after being forced.

Song Xuechen got even angrier, “You!”

“Alright, what’s all this noise at the front door?”

Song Jingguo came over, his voice commanding.

Song Xuechen, as if finding her backbone, quickly bypassed Luo Yunqing and ran to his side to complain, “Dad, he’s framing me! I didn’t even touch that ceramic, right, Mom?”

Lin Wenting was dragged into the dispute.

One was jumping up and down, shouting grievances, while the other remained silent, not saying a word in his own defense.

To be honest, she wasn’t very clear about it either.

She only saw Luo Yunqing handing the ceramic to Xiao Xue, and then it fell. How exactly it fell, she really didn’t know.

“There must be some misunderstanding here.”

A flash of memory of Luo Yunqing’s eyes, full of patience and hope that she would stand up for him, crossed her mind. She also remembered how he spent the whole afternoon in the pottery classroom under the scorching heat, just to make a decent gift for Xiao Xue.

Such a good child, how could he break the ceramic he worked so hard on? On the other hand, Xiao Xue was a bit spoiled…

“Maybe it was too slippery.” Lin Wenting racked her brain to find an excuse for him, “Ceramics are like that, if you don’t hold them steady, they fall.”

Luo Yunqing had carried it all the way without dropping it.

Who didn’t hold it steady was obvious.

“Mom! I already said it wasn’t me, it wasn’t me!” Song Xuechen couldn’t even maintain a basic good face, stomped her foot, glared at Luo Yunqing, and ran inside, “I knew it, now that your real son is back, your heart is biased, hmph!”

“Xiao Xue, that’s not what Mom meant.” Lin Wenting hurriedly chased after her.

At the door, only Luo Yunqing and Song Jingguo were left.

One in front, one behind.

A sharp, piercing gaze locked onto his back until the cicadas’ shrill cries from the million-dollar pine tree in the courtyard broke the silence, and Song Jingguo finally moved.

He strode to his side, not looking at him, “Just this once, don’t let it happen again.”

“Father thinks it was me?” The hopeful light in Luo Yunqing’s eyes dimmed bit by bit, and he lowered his head dejectedly, “…If Father thinks so, then it is.”

He sniffed lightly, his voice growing smaller, “I have nothing to say.”

His initial certainty diminished by four points as he wiped his eyes.

“That’s not what Dad meant.” Song Jingguo sighed deeply, “After all these years, Xiao Xue has been spoiled by your mom, it’s inevitable she’ll be a bit willful. I’ll have your mom educate her properly later, and you… don’t let this matter cause any more unpleasantness between you two. We’re all family, harmony is the most important.”

“I understand.” Luo Yunqing wiped his eyes again and nodded.

Song Jingguo’s frown slowly relaxed, “That’s right. Come on, let’s go in and eat.”

…

At dinner, Song Xuechen was sulking and didn’t come down.

Song Jingguo didn’t bother with him either, he picked up two pieces of meat for Luo Yunqing and suggested to Lin Wenting, “Xiao Qing is too thin, have the kitchen make something nourishing for him later.”

Lin Wenting absentmindedly agreed.

After a few bites, she put down her chopsticks, worried, “Xiao Xue, that child, won’t even eat dinner. Today we made his favorite braised pork with preserved vegetables.”

Luo Yunqing looked at the meat in his bowl, picked up a piece, and slowly savored it. The meat was tender and melted in his mouth like soft jelly.

No wonder Song Xuechen liked it.

“Why are you worrying? When he’s hungry, he’ll come down to eat.” Song Jingguo picked up another piece of braised pork and put it in Luo Yunqing’s bowl, turning to her, “Besides, missing one meal is no big deal, it’s a good chance to curb his spoiled nature.”

“He’s been like this for so many years, how can he change…” Lin Wenting turned back, seeing Luo Yunqing quietly eating, she stopped mid-sentence. She quickly picked a few more dishes for him, “After dinner, Mom will take you back to your room, and tomorrow we’ll buy you some nice clothes.”

Luo Yunqing looked at the bowl full of meat and softly agreed.

Song Xuechen’s room was on the third floor, on the east side with excellent lighting and view. Lin Wenting arranged for Luo Yunqing to stay in the far west corner, to avoid the two kids clashing before they got along.

“Ayan, your big brother, lives on the fourth floor. He went to the company today and hasn’t come back yet, you’ll meet him tomorrow morning.”

After dinner, Lin Wenting led him to his room, talking as they walked.

Luo Yunqing responded to each point.

Taking the elevator to the third floor, turning right to the end, was his room now. The room was large, with an en-suite bathroom.

It had just been cleaned, with a lingering citrus cleaner scent.

The bathroom led to a two-meter bed and an empty wardrobe, much better than his welfare institute. The bed must be soft and comfortable.

The room was temperature-controlled, no more sleeping with a fan.

“Is Xiao Qing satisfied? If you need anything, tell Mom, and she’ll prepare it for you.”

Luo Yunqing looked around, seemingly in a good mood, and shook his head with a smile, “The room is beautiful, I’m very satisfied, thank you, Mom.”

Lin Wenting quietly breathed a sigh of relief, “As long as you’re satisfied, then you rest first.”

“Okay.”

Smiling, he saw Lin Wenting off.

Closing the door, Luo Yunqing turned and rushed to the bathroom, vomiting all the dinner.

He vomited until his mouth was sour.

The welfare institute had many children and was often short on funds, so every meal was light. Suddenly eating such rich, oily meat, his stomach couldn’t handle it.

He barely ate a few bites before feeling nauseous, forcing himself to eat more.

But… the meat was really delicious.

Turning on the cold water, he splashed his face, flicked the water off his fingers, and ran them through his hair, revealing a smooth, fair forehead and a pair of ambitious eyes.

Such delicious meat, he must eat more next time.

…

Near ten at night, a faint light appeared by the window.

Luo Yunqing was a light sleeper, easily woken by any noise. He pulled the curtain aside and looked down, seeing the familiar Rolls-Royce Phantom return.

It hurriedly entered the house and went straight to the third floor.

Song Xuechen hadn’t slept, curled up on the third-floor lounge sofa with a pillow. Seeing someone, he pouted and started crying, “Luo Yunqing is too much!”

“What happened?” Song Moyan quickly went over, wiping his tears with his thumb, “What happened to make our Xiao Xue so upset?”

“Isn’t it Luo Yunqing?” Song Xuechen sniffed, complaining, “Didn’t Mom and Dad bring him back today…”

He repeated what happened after they brought him back, feeling even more wronged, “It was clearly him, yet he acted all pitiful for Mom and Dad, gege, you have to stand up for me!”

“Alright. Gege will talk to him tomorrow morning.” Song Moyan agreed without hesitation, holding his tear-stained face, feeling heartbroken, “How could he upset our Xiao Xue like this, not even eating dinner, he deserves a scolding!”

In the dark corner, Luo Yunqing silently grinned against the wall.

He then took out his phone, checking if the flash was off, and snapped several photos of the overly intimate pair, switching to video mode.

Unfortunately, the memory filled up in less than thirty seconds.

Tsk, time for a new phone.

But this was enough.

Song Moyan was twenty-five this year, and the Song family was about to arrange a match for him.

In the previous life, it was the second Miss Tang from a family of traditional Chinese medicine. They were married for nearly eight years, and she was kept in the dark by her gentle and polite husband.

Later, while investigating Pei Yanli’s death, he discovered Song Moyan and Song Xuechen’s unspeakable secrets and couldn’t bear to tell her.

In the end, she drugged Song Moyan and delivered him to him, and Luo Yunqing didn’t mind helping her again in this life, letting her see the truth sooner.

After taking the photos, he returned to his room as quietly as he came.

…

Early the next morning, before seven.

He was about to go downstairs when he ran into Song Moyan.

Was he here to scold him?

Luo Yunqing blinked, obediently calling, “Big brother.”

“I’ve said before, Xiao Xue is also a victim in this matter.” Song Moyan pondered for a moment, then coldly questioned, “Why did you do such a thing?”

“Such a thing?” Luo Yunqing was confused, “Big brother, what thing?”

“You know in your heart!” Song Moyan stepped closer, narrowing his dark eyes, “Xiao Xue is simple and doesn’t bother with you. If it happens again, I won’t mind teaching you a lesson on behalf of Mom and Dad.”

Luo Yunqing suddenly realized, “Big brother doesn’t think the ceramic last night was my fault, does he?”

“What else?”

“So big brother thinks I’m that kind of person… Ah! If big brother thinks so, then I have no choice.” Luo Yunqing let out a bitter hum, “After all, I’m not as close to you as Xiao Xue.”

“What do you mean? Are you saying it wasn’t you?”

Luo Yunqing didn’t explain further, bypassing him and heading downstairs.

After skipping a meal, Song Xuechen obediently came down for breakfast in the morning.

Seeing him, he instinctively wanted to avoid him, but unexpectedly, Luo Yunqing approached first, apologizing for last night’s incident, “It was my slippery hands, I didn’t hold it steady, I thought Xiao Xue gege disliked the ceramic I made, I’m sorry.”

“That was slippery hands?”

“Xiao Xue.” Just as he was about to retort, Song Jingguo and Lin Wenting walked in, hearing their conversation clearly. Song Jingguo said, “The matter is over, let’s not bring it up again.”

“But…”

Song Xuechen wanted to say more.

Seeing his father’s displeasure, Song Moyan quickly pulled him to sit beside him, answering for him, “Xiao Xue understands.”

Breakfast passed without incident.

Almost finished eating, Song Jingguo brought up Song Xuechen’s eighteenth birthday party, “Let’s hold Xiao Qing’s birthday party together, it’s a good chance for everyone to meet him.”

“Dad!”

The love and favoritism from his parents, now even his birthday party had to be shared with someone else.

Song Xuechen clenched his fists in anger, holding back, but couldn’t, and ran off after putting down his chopsticks.

When Song Moyan caught up, he turned and shook his slender waist, “It’s my birthday party, it’s for me alone, why does it have to be for him too!”

“Xiao Xue, Xiao Qing… shares the same age and birthday as you.” Song Moyan patiently coaxed, “Besides, the Pei family will be there.”

“I don’t care, I don’t care!”

Song Xuechen didn’t care about the Pei family, he only knew that everything of his was being taken by Luo Yunqing.

And the brother who always stood by him, even told him to “be good.”

“Go away! You’re not my good brother anymore, go find your Xiao Qing.” Song Xuechen angrily shut the door, refusing to open it for anyone.

He was losing everything, only…

*

Receiving a tearful call from Song Xuechen, Pei Hengzhi hurried out, almost crashing into a wheelchair at the garden corner.

“Sorry, Second Uncle.”

Pei Yanli was about to go to the hospital, shook his head at the apology, and watched him rush towards the garage.

“Where’s he rushing off to?”

Chen Zhao lazily glanced into the distance, sneering, “Where else but the Song family.”

“The Song family?”

Pei Yanli casually opened the latest hot news on his phone, Chen Zhao glanced over, sighing, “Who would’ve thought, even the prestigious Song family could have such a scandal. That real young master suffered a lot at the welfare institute.”

Every hot news about the Song family came with photos of the Song couple recognizing their son at the welfare institute, mostly focusing on the real young master.

The most iconic was the photo of Song’s mother hugging him, a tear naturally falling, dubbed the “tear of an angel.”

Especially after learning about his twisted and difficult life story, it evoked countless sympathies online.

Chen Zhao was one of them.

Who knew someone could have it worse than him.

“Now that the real young master is back, the fake young master must be panicking.” Chen Zhao was gleefully watching the drama unfold, “Look, our Pei young master is going to back him up…”

Before he finished, his phone returned to another hot news article.

Unlike others, this one focused on the Blue Sky Welfare Institute, with a photo of the real young master smiling cheek-to-cheek with a little boy.

Long fingers tapped the image, zooming in on the real young master’s face.

Chen Zhao raised an eyebrow, glancing at Pei Yanli.

“Boss.”

“Hmm?”

“Is he good-looking?”

Pei Yanli withdrew his hand, the image instantly returning to its original size.

He wasn’t flustered at being caught, instead, he nodded seriously, “Very pretty.”

And a bit familiar, like he’d just seen him somewhere.