Chapter 11: Biological Younger Brother Comes to Visit

Chapter 11: Biological Younger Brother Comes to Visit

Because of that failed phone call,

Lu Hechi was feeling really down.

He wanted to call back and ask for clarification.

But every time he called, it just rang busy.

Shen Lanxue said the other person had blocked him.

Lu Hechi was about to blow a gasket. He lowered his head, his thumb practically burning a hole in the phone screen as he dialed another number.

This time, the call went through right away.

"Hello, who is this?" Lu Yongjun's booming voice came through the phone.

Lu Hechi: "Dad, did you and Mom secretly scold Chen Jiadong behind my back?"

Lu Yongjun paused for several seconds on the other end, stunned.

Unsure, he asked, "Is that you, Xiaochi?"

"Yeah, Dad, you can't even recognize your own son's voice?" Lu Hechi said, sounding urgent: "Did you two scold Chen Jiadong or not?"

Lu Yongjun was confused by the question: "Why the heck would I scold Xiao Chen for no reason? Did you two get into a fight?"

Lu Hechi denied it. "No."

Lu Yongjun went "oh": "Xiaochi, your sister's studying alone in Qingjing, and it ain't easy for her. Look after her when you get the chance."

"Got it, Dad, don't worry." Lu Hechi didn't want to bring up his car accident and worry his parents. Now that he'd gotten the answer he wanted, he said: "I've got stuff to do, gotta run. We'll catch up later."

Before Lu Yongjun could even ask how he'd been doing these past few years, the call got cut off, just like that.

"What are you spacing out for? It's your turn." Wang Erma, who was playing cards next to him, called out.

Lu Yongjun's head was still spinning, and he absentmindedly played a one of bamboo.

"Kong on the flower!" Wang Erma grinned from ear to ear, picking up the tile and asking him: "Who was that? You look like you're in another world."

Lu Yongjun said, "My son."

Wang Erma recalled: "Oh, Xiaochi. Didn't his biological parents take him away seven years ago, and he never came back? Why'd he suddenly call you?"

Lu Yongjun frowned automatically: "That's nonsense. Xiaochi was sent abroad by his... parents, and he doesn't even come back once a year. How could he come visit me?"

"Fine, fine." Wang Erma saw his face sour and immediately shut his trap, drawing a nine of bamboo and tossing it out.

"Peng——"

"..."

"Bang——"

Lu Hechi had just poured himself a glass of water, but his mind was all over the place. His grip slipped, and the glass shattered.

Shards went flying across the marble floor.

Hearing the noise, a servant rushed over: "Mr. Lu, are you okay?"

Lu Hechi glanced at the broken glass on the floor and said, "I'm fine."

"Be careful. I'll take care of this."

Lu Hechi nodded and said, "Don't cut yourself."

Shen Lanxue was in the room with Shen Yixing, working on a puzzle. Lu Hechi left the living room to go find them.

When he pushed open the door, the big one and the little one were sitting on the carpet, both looking up at him at the same time.

"Daddy," Little Star said, holding a puzzle piece in his hand, eyes sparkling: "Are you done with your call?"

Lu Hechi closed the door and walked over to sit down across from them.

"Yeah, all done."

Little Star's face lit up right away: "Then can you do the puzzle with Papa and me?"

Shen Lanxue was holding a red puzzle piece, also looking at him, waiting for an answer.

Lu Hechi smiled. "Sure."

He pushed those doubts aside for now.

Around four o'clock, Lu Hechi and Shen Lanxue were walking the dog in the garden with their son.

A butler came over and whispered to Shen Lanxue: "Young master, Master Xiuran is here."

Shen Lanxue was caught off guard and instinctively looked at Lu Hechi.

"?" Lu Hechi met his eyes and asked, "Do I know this guy?"

Shen Lanxue nodded and said, "He's your little brother."

Xiuran? Lu Hechi racked his brain, but nothing came to mind.

He shot back instinctively: "Where the heck did I get a younger brother from?"

Lu Yongjun and Su Ru only had him and Lu Wentang.

Shen Lanxue looked at him, like he wanted to say something but held back.

"...Lu Xiuran isn't from your adoptive parents' family." Shen Lanxue chose his words carefully: "He's your little brother from your biological parents' side."

Lu Hechi went stiff.

The words "biological parents" hit him like a rock thrown into a still pond.

Chen Jiadong's weird comments, Lu Wentang's cold, half-dead attitude toward him—

It all made sense now with that one sentence.

Lu Hechi couldn't wrap his head around it. Everything he'd known for eighteen years seemed flipped upside down. His throat tightened. "Brother, what are you talking about?"

Shen Lanxue hadn't expected that after his amnesia, he'd be missing this many memories.

He'd even forgotten how his biological parents had found him and brought him back.

He reached out on his own, covering Lu Hechi's hand, warmth seeping through bit by bit.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Just four words, and Lu Hechi's heart suddenly settled.

Shen Lanxue told the butler, "Let him in."

The butler, whose surname was Feng, was in his fifties, with his hair slicked back neatly, wearing a black tailcoat and gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

He nodded. "Very well."

In the sitting room.

When Lu Hechi and Shen Lanxue walked in hand in hand, Lu Xiuran was already there.

He had a baby face, wearing a loose, casual oatmeal-colored knit sweater with dark brown wide-leg pants.

He was idly fidgeting with his fingers, looking bored.

Hearing the noise, he looked up, his gaze landing on their intertwined hands.

He suddenly smiled, drawling lazily: "Brother, after being sick, you've gotten this close to sister-in-law?"

Lu Hechi looked at his face, but his memory was still a blank.

Hearing him talk, he immediately frowned, annoyed.

"None of your business," he shot back.

Lu Xiuran smiled, his tone casual: "I'm just here on behalf of Mom and Dad to check on you. I heard you lost your memory, but I didn't expect your temper to change this much too."

Lu Hechi frowned, feeling no fondness for this so-called biological younger brother.

Shen Lanxue gently squeezed Lu Hechi's fingers and led him to sit across from Lu Xiuran.

Lu Hechi forced down the rising irritation.

He figured, no matter what, this guy was at least his younger brother—they'd never met, but blood was blood, so he shouldn't make things too tense.

A servant brought in tea.

"How old are you?" Lu Hechi took a sip of tea, putting on his big-brother airs.

Lu Xiuran blinked. "Twenty. What, bro, you've even forgotten my age?"

Lu Hechi smiled. "Sorry, I don't even remember you existing at all."

Lu Xiuran wasn't the least bit angry, saying thoughtfully, "Is that so? You don't remember Mom and Dad either?"

Shen Lanxue cut him off. "That's enough."

Lu Xiuran glanced at him, one eyebrow raised slightly.

Shen Lanxue said, "He's just temporarily lost his memory. Once the blood clot in his brain dissolves, he'll get his memory back soon."

Lu Xiuran smiled. "Sister-in-law, if my brother really gets his memory back, would you be happy?"

Shen Lanxue's expression went cold. "I only hope Hechi stays healthy."

Lu Hechi's heart warmed, and he squeezed his hand even tighter.

Lu Xiuran stood up from the sofa. "Alright, I'm just here on behalf of Mom and Dad to check on you. Since everything's fine, I'll head out now."

"Bro," Lu Xiuran said, looking at Lu Hechi, "when you have time, go back to the old house and visit Mom and Dad."