Brother Dong Dong, Welcome Home

The next day, Xie Qizhi went to the airport with his brother to pick up Li Yi.

Li Yi opened the car door and sat inside, raising an eyebrow to greet Xie Qizhi. It was only then that Xie Qizhi realized that after knowing each other for nearly half a year, this was the first time all three brothers had gathered.

Xie Zhilan asked while driving, "Your school has been on break for a whole week. Why are you only buying a ticket home now?"

Li Yi took off his backpack and replied, "There are only two weeks of break in total. I have to spend some time with Mom and Sis, right? I only bought the ticket after Sis came home."

"In front of Mom and Dad, remember—don't say 'my mom' or 'my sis' anymore," Xie Zhilan reminded him.

"I don't know about that." Li Yi lay lazily on the seat playing games on his phone. "Even if the sky falls, they're still my mom and my sister. I'm not changing how I call them."

His brother scolded him with "stinky brat" and then ignored him. To ease the atmosphere, Xie Qizhi leaned in and patted Li Yi's bulging backpack, asking, "What did you bring that's stuffed so full?"

Unexpectedly, he hit Li Yi's sore spot. He put down the game he was playing and said with a miserable face, "My winter break homework."

Xie Qizhi immediately felt a surge of sympathy. He said softly, "I'll help you do two pages."

Li Yi turned his head, his eyes lighting up. "Really?"

Xie Qizhi nodded. "Anyway, I'm free lately and have plenty of time."

Li Yi: "Good brother, so loyal!"

Unexpectedly, his brother sitting in front heard them. He glanced through the rearview mirror, called Xie Qizhi's name, and asked, "Do you think your own trouble is over?"

"Not at all." Xie Qizhi immediately put on an obedient look and said meekly, "Brother, I'm very good now. I absolutely won't see him before the Lunar New Year."

Li Yi asked, "See who?"

Xie Qizhi said softly, "Ying Huai, the one who picked us up from the police station."

"Oh, him." Li Yi had been busy studying lately and had missed this part. He asked confusedly, "Why can't you see him? Xie Qizhi, are you getting married next year?"

Xie Qizhi: "Cough, cough."

Xie Zhilan: "..."

"Brother, Brother—" Xie Qizhi felt the car's speed suddenly increase and hurriedly looked up to remind him, "This section has a speed limit. You can't speed!"

He used his eyes to signal Li Yi: *I'm begging you, Second Brother, don't talk nonsense anymore. It's the New Year; if you anger him, neither of us will have a good ending!*

Li Yi blinked, finally realizing something was off from their strange behavior. He asked puzzledly, "Did you only just find out? I reminded you long ago."

Xie Zhilan had a cold face and didn't want to answer him.

Li Yi added, "Who told you not to take my words seriously? Now you know the consequences. Xie Qizhi is about to get married, and only now do you regret it—"

Xie Qizhi glanced through the rearview mirror and saw his brother's ice-cold expression. He wished he could shrink his presence to the minimum. But Li Yi beside him didn't read the atmosphere at all, still dancing like he was doing the hula in front of a tiger about to snap. He hurriedly interrupted him, asking:

"Brother Dong Dong! Which subject are you best at? Which one is your worst?"

Li Yi was finally cut off from his passive mockery skill. He thought for a moment and said, "My science subjects are okay. My English is a bit poor; I get a headache as soon as I see the letters."

Xie Qizhi nodded and said, "I see. Then I can help you with your English homework."

"Great!" Li Yi said. "From now on, you're my biological younger brother. Thanks!"

Thanks for what? Xie Qizhi thought to himself. Thanks to the heavens for granting a free younger brother?

"Xie Qiqi," his brother in front suddenly spoke, "If you dare help him with one page, I'll make you do a whole book. I'll keep you so busy you won't be able to leave the house until school starts."

Xie Qizhi immediately shut his mouth and sat silently in the back seat.

Li Yi pleaded, "Don't, Big Brother, don't—"

"Xie Yudong," his brother turned the gun on him, "Which science subject did you pass that gives you the face to say you're 'okay'? After the New Year, I'll find you a comprehensive tutor. From now on, go to extra classes on weekends. If you don't study well, prepare to repeat the 12th grade."

Li Yi felt miserable as soon as he heard "extra classes" and "12th grade." Finding joy in hardship, he asked, "Who did you find? Do I know them? Are they pretty? Are they gentle? Is it a genius beauty?"

Xie Zhilan gave a cold laugh. "Especially pretty."

Xie Qizhi knew as soon as he heard that tone that things were bad. He stole a glance at his second brother. Li Yi didn't hear it and frowned, saying with a bit of distress, "Only pretty but not gentle? Sigh~ Oh well, I'll settle for a genius beauty then."

Bringing the two troublesome younger brothers home, Xie Zhilan suddenly remembered neither had brought clothes. He transferred money and told them to go to the mall themselves to buy new things.

"I'm unfamiliar with this place," Li Yi asked him. "Just me and Xie Qizhi? You're not coming?"

"I'm not in the mood to go window shopping with you two." Xie Zhilan pressed down on each of their heads, let out a yawn, and said, "I'm going upstairs to sleep. Don't be noisy when you get back."

His brother went upstairs. Xie Qizhi greeted the maid and pushed Li Yi out.

By the time they returned with bags big and small, it was almost noon. They went to their rooms to put their things down and saw the maid pasting spring couplets, so they joined in to help.

Only then did the maid have time to look at Li Yi. Seeing his facial features, she repeatedly said "good," patting his arm and saying, "Good child, it's good that you're home."

Li Yi wasn't familiar with her and was too awkward to know how to reply. He hurriedly winked at Xie Qizhi, but Xie Qizhi was busy applying glue to the couplets and didn't notice.

Li Yi had to smile at the maid, wiped his hands, and took the initiative to hold the horizontal scroll, stepping onto the ladder to paste the "Good Things Coming to the Door" couplet on the main entrance.

After lunch, Xie Zhilan found Li Yi playing Chinese chess in Xie Qizhi's room. He told him that tomorrow night was New Year's Eve and many people would come to the house, reminding Li Yi to be mentally prepared.

Li Yi placed a pawn down and asked casually, "Who are they?"

"Relatives and friends," Xie Zhilan replied. "Generally, they're all coming to see you."

"What's there to see?" Li Yi leaned against the bed, asking with goosebumps, "They won't hug me and cry, will they?"

Xie Qizhi patted his head and said with a beaming smile, "I don't know about others, but Grandma definitely will."

Li Yi was most afraid of people crying in front of him. He rubbed his face miserably. "It won't come to that, right?"

In Xie Qizhi's impression, Grandma was an eccentric old lady who spoke without logic. Every time they met, she liked to hold his hand, repeating over and over that he should be content and grateful. She would cry while talking, making the young Xie Qizhi very afraid whenever he saw her.

Xie Zhilan lowered his eyes, looking at the innocent faces of his two younger brothers, and said slowly, "Because she was the one who took you out to play and lost you by not watching carefully."

That muddled and careless old lady had caused the disaster back then. Regretting it too late, she had pushed for Xie Qizhi's adoption, hoping Buddha would forgive her mistake.

But after learning that Xie Qizhi's medical expenses were astronomical, she couldn't bear to see such a large sum of money go down the drain. She hoped her son's business would prosper and he would help his brothers more, rather than spending money on an outsider...

It took Xie Zhilan a long time to find out these things. He almost laughed in anger, asking his mother why she had to listen to Grandma.

His mother replied coldly, "Do I want to? She's your father's biological mother!"

She couldn't do anything to make up for the past. Now, if the old lady wanted to hug Li Yi and cry, Xie Zhilan couldn't stop her. Blood ties were deep in the bone; they couldn't be cut just because one wanted to.

He thought for a moment and then said to Li Yi, "Anyway, it's the New Year. If Grandma secretly pulls you into a small room to talk and stuffs a red envelope into your hand, just open it and count it in front of her. If it's not more than the amount I gave you, tell her to give more, including the shares for those cousins, Zihao and Xiaobin. Since she's in debt, she definitely won't dare not to give."

Li Yi asked skeptically, "How much did you give?"

Xie Zhilan said a number. Li Yi mentally counted how many people were in the Xie family and estimated a bit. His eyes immediately lit up, feeling like he was about to achieve his life's ideal of becoming wealthy.

Xie Zhilan knew what he was thinking just by looking at his expression. He kicked his heel, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Starting to look forward to it now?"

Li Yi giggled. Xie Qizhi urged him to play chess. Li Yi was no longer in the mood to play and hurriedly made a move that fell right into Xie Qizhi's trap, getting wiped out in just a few moves.

Li Yi lost too quickly, and it wasn't fun anymore. Xie Zhilan urged him to do his homework and take time to review. Li Yi covered his ears, not wanting to hear. The two younger brothers egged Xie Zhilan into playing "Fight the Landlord" with them, teaming up to empty the eldest brother's wallet before they were satisfied.

Xie Zhilan finally realized their intention. Too lazy to scold them, he stood up and left with a speechless expression.

Xie Qizhi texted Ying Huai, reminding him:

【Remember to come over for the New Year tomorrow!】

After texting, he put the phone down and looked up to see the floor covered in cards. Li Yi was hugging a pillow, leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window, squinting his eyes while drinking soda. The sunset flooded in, turning his black hair into a brilliant golden color.

Xie Qizhi walked over, lowered his head to gather the cards, and stacked them neatly. The silhouettes of the two of them sank into the hazy twilight together.

After cleaning up, Xie Qizhi finally raised his head, looked at the dozing Li Yi, and asked, "How does it feel to be home? Is it fun?"

Li Yi opened his eyes, tilted his head to think for a while, and said slowly, "It's okay. Not to the point of hating it."

Xie Qizhi couldn't help but laugh, leaning in to give him a hug. "No one has said this to you today, right? Brother Dong Dong, welcome home."