Yu Yan put down his chopsticks and said, “Auntie, when you moved abroad back then, didn’t you consider that the house might also belong to Can Can?”

Perhaps Zhang Shujun also realized she had handled this poorly, as an awkward smile crossed her face.

“Technically speaking, this is a matter between you and your son, and I, as an outsider, have no right to interfere. But back then, you left everything behind, leaving Ah Chen to clean up the mess. He was the one who worked tirelessly to save the company from crisis. Now, if you’re coming back to claim a share for your daughter, doesn’t that seem a little inappropriate?”

Yu Yan didn’t know all the complexities, but he could see that Zhang Shujun was taking advantage of Shen Yuchen.

The house might be a small issue, and it hadn’t cost Shen Yuchen much effort, but the company was his blood, sweat, and tears—it was not something that could just be handed over.

Zhang Shujun looked confused and turned to Shen Yuming, seeking his opinion on the matter.

Shen Yuming didn’t say a word. Instead, he took the peeled shrimp from his small bowl and placed them all in Yu Yan’s bowl.

When did he peel so many?

Yu Yan felt secretly delighted but maintained a calm face, trying not to look too smug.

Zhang Shujun understood the gesture. “I don’t understand company affairs, but siblings supporting each other is always better than relying on outsiders.”

“But you never even gave them the opportunity to support each other. After Ah Chen’s birthday, you only remembered it was his birthday later. He traveled across the ocean to celebrate your birthday with a gift, only to find out that you and your family of three had gone on vacation. Where was the chance for sibling affection to grow?”

Life experiences had taught Yu Yan the importance of being unassuming and avoiding conflict. He was usually accommodating and didn’t argue with others. Yet, this was the first time he had quarreled so fiercely with someone, especially an elder.

But thinking about what Zhang Shujun had done, he couldn’t help but speak up.

Zhang Shujun’s expression darkened. “On my birthday… I’m sorry, Ah Chen. I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay. It’s all in the past,” Shen Yuchen replied calmly. Most of his attention, however, was on Yu Yan, and he didn’t seem to care much about the matter.

What Yu Yan had anticipated as a heated argument didn’t happen. Zhang Shujun didn’t pursue the topic further, nor did she mention the old house again.

It felt like punching a cloud—soft and without any satisfying impact.

“Xiao Yan, is it okay if I call you that?” Zhang Shujun asked, looking at Yu Yan.

Yu Yan nodded. “It’s fine.”

“Is Jiang Mo your mother?” Zhang Shujun’s gaze lingered on his features.

“Yes.”

He didn’t deliberately bring up the fact that he had been swapped with Yu Chen at birth, but Zhang Shujun would likely look into it later.

Zhang Shujun continued, “Were you the one who accompanied Ah Chen for his birthday before?”

“Yes, that was me.” Yu Yan nodded again.

Zhang Shujun looked a little embarrassed. “It was my failure as a mother. Thank you for being there for him.”

“…You’re welcome?”

Whether it was genuine curiosity or something else, Zhang Shujun seemed particularly interested in Shen Yuchen’s past, asking a lot of questions. Most of the time, Shen Yuchen answered them himself, as Yu Yan didn’t know much either.

Zhang Shujun awkwardly expressed concern for Shen Yuming, asking about his favorite foods and hobbies, even using communal chopsticks to serve him food.

The previously tense atmosphere gradually eased, and even Zhang Cancan put her phone away. However, she didn’t join the conversation. Instead, she held her small face in her hands, occasionally glancing at Zhang Shujun and Shen Yuming. Most of the time, though, her gaze rested on Yu Yan.

Yu Yan found the meal dull and tasteless, except for the bowl of peeled shrimp, which was somewhat enjoyable.

After the meal, Shen Yuming drove Zhang Shujun and her daughter back to their hotel, promising to contact a cleaning service to tidy up the old house. He assured them they could move in within a couple of days.

Yu Yan sat silently in the front passenger seat, not saying a word.

After dropping off Zhang Shujun and Zhang Cancan, Yu Yan asked curiously, “Are we going back to the company?”

“We’re going home,” Shen Yuming said after a brief pause, adding, “You’re coming with me.”

“Oh.” Yu Yan nodded slowly, gazing at the unfamiliar scenery outside the car window. He exclaimed in surprise, “You have another house?”

Shen Yuming chuckled, “First, let’s grab some snacks and fruit. You didn’t eat much at lunch.”

Of course, he hadn’t eaten much, too preoccupied with debating with Zhang Shujun.

But Zhang Shujun had been so calm and gentle that there was no real argument. The carefully prepared points he had wanted to make had gone entirely unused.

Feeling bored, Yu Yan connected his phone to the car’s Bluetooth system and started playing music.

Hearing a familiar language, Shen Yuming raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at the screen. Seeing that the playlist was full of Cantonese songs, he looked a bit surprised. “I thought you liked instrumental music.”

“Not at all—I don’t even understand it. I was just pretending before,” Yu Yan admitted candidly. “Back then, we weren’t close, so I played instrumental music to seem more refined. In reality, I prefer songs about love and romance.”

Shen Yuming couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “So, why aren’t you pretending now?”

“Well, what’s the point? Look at our relationship now—no need to keep up appearances.” Yu Yan hummed along with the tune, though mostly off-key.

“What relationship?”

“The kind where we can sleep on the same bed.”

Technically, he wasn’t wrong, but Shen Yuming, harboring some hidden feelings, overthought it and dared not answer.

After buying cake, snacks, and fruit, Yu Yan dragged Shen Yuming to pick up some duck dishes and spicy crawfish.

When they got home, Shen Yuming organized the snacks while Yu Yan sprawled out on the carpet, legs in the air, browsing through highly-rated recent movies.

It was unusual for Shen Yuming, a workaholic, to voluntarily skip work. The anomaly gave Yu Yan a sense that Shen Yuming had something to say, likely related to Zhang Shujun.

The gray double-layered curtains were tightly drawn, and a dim, warm orange light from a floor lamp by the sofa cast a cozy glow.

On the television, the latest comedy film, carefully chosen by Yu Yan, played on the screen.

The house was sealed off, with no airflow, making the air feel heavy and stifling.

Feeling inexplicably warm, Yu Yan casually took off his jacket and tossed it onto the carpet. Shen Yuming picked it up and placed it neatly on the sofa.

“Brother Chen, want a drink?”

He recalled that Shen Yuming had a wine cabinet full of bottles he couldn’t name.

Shen Yuming teased, “Not calling me Ah Chen anymore?”

Yu Yan cleared his throat awkwardly. “I was speaking too quickly in front of your mom earlier—didn’t think about it.”

“It’s fine. Call me whatever you like.”

Shen Yuming didn’t ask Yu Yan. Instead, he went to the wine cabinet, picked out a bottle of sweet wine, and grabbed two hammered glass cups.

Yu Yan studied the glasses. “They’re quite nice, but my mom prefers wine glasses with stems.”

“What about you? What do you like?” Shen Yuming poured him half a glass of sweet wine.

“I’m fine with anything. I’m not picky.”

After two glasses of sweet wine, Yu Yan felt his face getting even hotter.

He was waiting for Shen Yuchen to speak, but it was obvious that Shen Yuchen had more patience than he did.

“Brother Chen, do you have something you want to tell me?”

Shen Yuming hesitated slightly, responding with a slow and measured “Mm.” “Do you want to hear it?”

“Of course!” Yu Yan swayed a bit as he held up three fingers. “Don’t worry. I swear I won’t tell anyone. Otherwise… otherwise let me—”

Shen Yuming pressed down his three fingers. “I believe you.”

“Mhm, mhm, mhm.” Yu Yan nodded like a pecking bird.

Shen Yuming asked, “Do you think my mom treats me poorly?”

Yu Yan carefully chose his words. “Compared to Zhang Cancan, it’s not great.”

Shen Yuming agreed with the assessment. “When I was twelve, my mom discovered my dad was cheating on her. He had an illegitimate son who was six years younger than me. That’s when they started the divorce process. But at the time, my grandparents had already passed away, and my dad was the actual head of the company. My mom owned the majority of the shares, so the asset division was complicated. It took another three years before they successfully divorced.”

“My mom originally wanted to take me with her, but my dad was firmly against it. First, he was worried I wouldn’t come back if I went abroad. Second, he was afraid my mom would sell her shares in the company. Eventually, they reached an agreement. My mom left all her shares in the company to me, including the 5% of shares my dad held, which she forced him to transfer to my name. But I couldn’t take ownership until I became an adult. When my mom went abroad, she only took a suitcase with her, not a single cent. She left everything to me and even set up numerous insurance policies and funds in my name.”

The rest of the story was something Yu Yan could more or less piece together. After coming of age, Shen Yuchen took over the company, but the process hadn’t been easy—he had endured many hardships.

Once he successfully gained control of the company, his father naturally stepped down.

People are complicated, and Yu Yan found it hard to say whether Zhang Shuya truly loved Shen Yuchen. If she loved him, why didn’t she even know he was allergic to celery? But if she didn’t love him, why had she paved such a smooth path for his future? Even if the company went bankrupt, Shen Yuchen could still live well off the funds and shares she had left for him.

Shen Yuchen’s father was equally contradictory. He hadn’t hesitated to donate part of his liver when Shen Yuchen needed a transplant, but he also got angry when Shen Yuchen refused to let his half-brother join the company.

Shen Yuming concluded, “I don’t think she’s after the company shares. She probably just wants me to look after Zhang Cancan.”

Yu Yan bit his straw nervously. “Did I say something too harsh today?”

He’d practically pointed at Zhang Shuya’s nose and scolded her for trying to take credit for Shen Yuchen’s achievements.

“No.” Shen Yuming patted his head. “I’m really happy—happier than I’ve been on any day in the past twelve years.”

Yu Yan beamed. “Then today will be the least happy day of the next twelve years, or even the next 120 years, because you’ll only get happier and happier.”

Shen Yuming chuckled softly. “Okay.”

“After they divorced, my dad even took me to change my name,” Shen Yuming said, shifting the topic again. “When my mom first went abroad, we kept in touch frequently, but after Zhang Cancan was born, we talked less. I understand her. She’s always been someone who values her freedom, and I didn’t want her to feel trapped because of me.”

“Oh,” Yu Yan murmured. “So you lived with your dad?”

“Yes. My dad left the marriage with nothing. After the divorce, he didn’t have any property to his name. The four of us—me, my stepmother, and her son—lived in a small rented house.”

Shen Yuming paused for a few seconds and lowered his head. “Their divorce caused the company’s stock to plummet, and internal shareholders became restless. Some even tried to trick me into signing a proxy agreement for my shares. My dad was very busy during that time, so I spent most of my time at home with my stepmother and her son.”

Yu Yan’s eyelids twitched. His gut told him he wasn’t going to like what came next. He picked up his hammered glass cup and downed the rest of the sweet wine like it was beer.

“Although my dad was the de facto head of the company, we didn’t have much money during those years. Most of it had been used by my mom to buy me insurance policies and funds—twenty of them, to be exact.”

Yu Yan returned to the couch and sat next to Shen Yuchen. He asked an obvious question to keep the conversation moving.

“Having no money… was it tough?”

Shen Yuming hesitated for a moment. “Do you know children’s growth milk? A brand from over a decade ago.”

Yu Yan didn’t understand why he was suddenly bringing up this brand but nodded instinctively. “Yeah, sometimes people would donate near-expired cartons to the orphanage. I’ve had it before. It was pretty good.”

“There’s growth milk for ages 0–6 and for ages 6–12. The age range is printed on the cartons and milk boxes. Before my stepmother’s son turned twelve, all the milk at home was for 6–12-year-olds.”

Although it wasn’t explicitly stated that Shen Yuchen wasn’t allowed to drink the milk, the actions clearly conveyed that sentiment.

Yu Yan froze. He couldn’t help but feel that even if Shen Yuchen’s father left the marriage with nothing, the family couldn’t have been so poor as to not afford milk for a child.

The stepmother didn’t physically abuse Shen Yuchen, but her every action made it evident that she was excluding him from the family.

Shen Yuchen had only mentioned this one small incident, but it was clear there were countless similar occurrences that reinforced his feelings.

Yu Yan’s heart ached. His vision blurred as tears welled up.

Shen Yuchen reached out and gently wiped the tears from the corner of Yu Yan’s eyes. “Feeling sorry for me?”

“Yeah.” Yu Yan sniffled.

“It’s fine. After I became an adult, I moved out. At first, I stayed at my grandparents’ old house, but it felt too empty, and I didn’t like it. Later, I lived in the dorms for a while—your brother was my roommate back then. After I started working, I bought this small apartment.” Shen Yuchen lowered his gaze and added, “I don’t like the feeling of emptiness.”

Without realizing it, Yu Yan was drawn into the conversation. “It’s okay. I can come keep you company. I’ve got plenty of time.”

“Alright.” Shen Yuchen reached out and patted Yu Yan’s head, the corners of his lips lifting slightly into a barely noticeable smile.

The sound of a phone ringing broke the brief tranquility.

Yu Yan glanced at the time. “It’s already nine o’clock.”

As expected, Yu Chen’s call came right on time, even preceded by several messages.

Answering the call, Yu Yan immediately said, “Brother, I’m not coming home tonight. Please tell Mom and Dad for me.”

“What did you say? Staying out again? Where are you right now?” Yu Chen’s voice was sharp with concern.

“I’m out and still have something to do. Don’t worry, it’s really safe.”

“You need to—”

“Hello? Hello? The signal here’s a bit weak. Can you hear me? Gotta go now, I’ll bring you some cake tomorrow!”

Yu Yan hung up the call.