Favoritism

Xie Qi Zhi didn't smile. His grey-blue pupils widened a little, then he asked a question out of the blue: "So, does it know how to skateboard?"

Ying Huai replied, "No, Poodles are considered intelligent, I don't understand why it never learns how to turn."

Xie Qi Zhi suddenly stood up, grabbed Ying Huai's arm, and tried to push him out. The force was unexpectedly strong, causing Ying Huai to stumble. He propped one hand against the doorframe, the other holding Xie Qi Zhi's shoulder, facing eyes that were particularly clear with anger, and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you suddenly so angry?"

Xie Qi Zhi glared with wide, round eyes, his lips pressed tightly together, not wanting to ask him whether there was a Qi Qi first or a little dog first. He brushed off the arm on his shoulder, pulled the room door shut with a loud "bang," closing it forcefully.

Ying Huai was locked outside. He didn't try to open it again, only knocked twice, slowly accusing: "You hit my leg."

Hopefully, he hit it hard enough to dislocate his nose. Xie Qi Zhi pouted, angrily saying, "If it's broken, go find my brother and make him pay!"

"Your brother broke a car window of mine and still hasn't paid for it." Ying Huai's voice echoed through the door. He asked with a puzzled tone, "You're this old, why do you always go to your brother whenever something happens?"

Who always goes to their brother whenever something happens? Xie Qi Zhi glared at the door, wanting to kick it but afraid that if he broke it, Ying Huai would really go find his brother to make him pay. He suppressed his anger and said, "None of your business!"

"I don't care," Ying Huai said, "I have no right to care about you."

With that, he left, his footsteps gradually fading, then disappearing into the living room carpet.

Xie Qi Zhi stood in the darkness behind the door, growing angrier the more he thought about it.

Ying Huai favored the white dog, which is why he brought Xiao Dao to play with him when he was little, felt that he was cuter when he was little, treated him better when he was little than now... Was it all because of that little white dog?

Xiao Dao was a bodyguard, not a substitute for the little white dog. He thought with great sorrow, was he the substitute for the white dog?

All day, Xie Qi Zhi was immersed in the great confusion of "Am I like a dog? In what way am I like a dog?!"

He couldn't focus on eating. Ying Huai also didn't bother him, quickly packed a small suitcase and a backpack, preparing to leave early tomorrow morning.

Xie Qi Zhi watched him walk back and forth a few times between the living room, study, and dressing room. His phone suddenly rang; his brother called, saying, "Qi Qi, come pick me up."

Xie Qi Zhi replied, "Okay."

He shook his head, casting aside all the sorrow and resentment filling his mind, and quickly ran downstairs to meet his brother at the apartment complex gate, got into the passenger seat, and directed him to the parking lot.

His brother's car turned out to be Ying Huai's car. The rear passenger window, though not shattered, had a large crack from the bottom right corner, covered in dense fissures. A light poke would make the broken glass fall.

Xie Qi Zhi turned his head to look behind, utterly surprised: "Did Li Yi really smash it?"

"Yes." Xie Zhi Lan also glanced, calmly saying, "Luckily it's the rear window, it's cheap to replace."

Xie Qi Zhi couldn't imagine what posture he used to create such an effect, and couldn't help but ask, "Did he dislocate his hand too? Was it from smashing the glass?"

"Not really." Xie Zhi Lan said, "When Ying Huai pinned him to the ground, he dislocated it struggling."

Xie Qi Zhi: "...He was there too?"

"Yes." Xie Zhi Lan said helplessly, "At that time, I didn't even know who to help. Since he's not my brother, Ying Huai really went hard. But it's his car after all. Li Yi's stubbornness, don't even mention Ying Huai, even I wanted to hit him a couple of times."

He parked the car and turned off the engine. Xie Qi Zhi got out of the passenger seat and walked to his side: "Brother, he might be your brother."

"I also feel he might be my brother." Xie Zhi Lan placed one hand on his shoulder, hugging him as they walked towards the elevator. "The agency told me that the fastest blood test results will take three days. We'll know whether he is or not once we get the results."

"So you'll stay here for these three days to wait for the results?"

"Does Qi Qi hope I stay?" Xie Zhi Lan asked, looking down.

Xie Qi Zhi nodded. Xie Zhi Lan suddenly smiled, rubbing Xie Qi Zhi's soft head, but shook his head and said, "No, I have a flight tonight. I don't have anything else to do now, so I came over to spend some time with you."

A faint sadness welled up in Xie Qi Zhi's heart, but he didn't show it, reaching out to press the elevator button.

Three in the afternoon, the sky was clear and cloudless, with full, heavy white clouds against the backdrop.

Ying Huai stood on the balcony looking around for a while. As soon as he turned around, he heard the door open, and Xie Qi Zhi and Xie Zhi Lan came out of the entryway one after another.

He pulled the glass door shut and walked in, expressionless, ignoring Xie Qi Zhi getting slippers for his brother, thoughtfully pouring water, waiting for his brother to hang up his coat, wash his hands thoroughly, and then return.

Xie Zhi Lan returned to the living room, glancing at Ying Huai: "Is that how you entertain guests?"

Ying Huai asked, "Do you count as a guest?"

Xie Zhi Lan said again, "When you have guests, doesn't Qi Qi also need to bring tea and pour water?"

"That's right." Ying Huai looked impatient, admitting: "He's been a little farm slave for a month now, working without pay. Otherwise, you can sue me to the labor bureau."

Xie Qi Zhi: "..."

What were these two arguing about again?

Xie Qi Zhi didn't want to hear them argue. He pulled his brother's arm, pressing him onto the sofa, accidentally knocking something over.

Xie Zhi Lan retrieved a big-eared Stitch from behind him, and asked with amusement, "Who bought this? Such a childish soul?"

Xie Qi Zhi hadn't said anything when he heard Ying Huai say, "His little green-haired friend."

Xie Qi Zhi watched blankly as his brother's smile froze at the corners of his lips, then disappeared. His gaze shifted from Ying Huai to him, an implied "Oh" escaping him, and he asked, "Your asthmatic kin, good-natured, sings well, outgoing, lively, very leadership-oriented, is You Ran, the one you helped clear of accusations, even arguing with me for him, right?"

Xie Qi Zhi: "..."

He should have just let them keep arguing.

Xie Qi Zhi snatched the Stitch, shoved it into Ying Huai's hand: "Brother Ying Huai, this is for you."

Ying Huai was silent for a moment, unhappily accepting it, pulling at Stitch's big ear, but not throwing it away.

After successfully handing over Stitch, Xie Qi Zhi faced his brother's half-smiling, half-not-smiling gaze and explained, "I bought it myself, it has nothing to do with anyone else."

"If you bought it yourself, why give it to him and not me?" Xie Zhi Lan looked a bit sad, supporting his head with his hand and saying mournfully, "There's no 'Brother's Day' for me, and Qi Qi hasn't given me many gifts."

"Aren't I moving to Sister Lin's place tomorrow? This is a small gift to thank him for taking care of me during this time." Xie Qi Zhi threw himself into his brother's arms, looked up, blinked, and softly said, "This is too cheap. If you want one, I'll buy you a more expensive, better one later!"

"Qi Qi is so good." Xie Zhi Lan lowered his eyes, pinched his cheek, and said with a squinting smile, "Using my money to buy a gift for him."

Xie Qi Zhi said "yes," pretending not to hear the sarcasm in his brother's words, and subtly tilted his head to look behind him.

Ying Huai was no longer in his previous spot. He was carrying Stitch by the leg, walking towards the living room, his figure disappearing into the darkness at the end of the hallway.

Xie Qi Zhi blinked softly, left his brother's embrace, and asked, "Did you take Li Yi back already?"

Xie Zhi Lan nodded: "Yes."

"So when the results come out, can we find him?"

"I kept his phone number." Xie Zhi Lan said.

Xie Qi Zhi thought to himself, then Li Yi might not answer, just like he refused his friend request.

Xie Zhi Lan guessed what he was thinking, and said, "I had someone briefly investigate Li Yi's family situation. His mother is blind, his father is an alcoholic with liver disease, his sister has been missing for a year, and he himself dropped out of school at a young age, without even a high school diploma. Now he has to support three people alone; what he lacks most is money."

Xie Qi Zhi asked, "Did you throw money at him?"

"You could say that. He's quite stubborn; throwing money directly at him probably wouldn't work." Xie Zhi Lan said, "So I told him that since he's very likely my biological brother, I also have an obligation to support him. As long as he cooperates, I will provide him with living expenses according to your standard for as long as we bother him."

Xie Qi Zhi vaguely felt something was off. He thought silently for a moment before realizing that from last night until now, his brother's reaction had been too rational, too calm, completely unlike the tearful family reunions after years of separation seen in missing persons news.

His brother was so calm it was almost indifferent, as if this search, which had lasted over ten years, ending didn't make him shed a single tear.

He couldn't help but ask, "Brother, don't you like Li Yi?"

"No, why do you ask?" Xie Zhi Lan was a bit surprised.

Xie Qi Zhi pointed out, "You met him without any emotion."

"I can't be emotional anymore. If it were Mom and Dad, they might be a little more emotional." Xie Zhi Lan smiled lightly, softly saying to him, "Qi Qi, I've done too much for them. The feeling now, compared to emotion, is more like thinking that it's finally almost over, and I can breathe a sigh of relief."

Xie Qi Zhi sat up straight, looked into his brother's eyes, and firmly asked, "Then do you like him?"

"To be honest, I don't know." Xie Zhi Lan leaned back on the sofa, stroking the soft lock of hair by his ear, slowly saying, "He's quite good. Although his upbringing environment was very bad, he's resilient, brave, not vain, and not afraid of power. Except for liking to curse and swear, which isn't great, it can be corrected. From a brother's perspective, I will do my best to compensate him for what he's lost, clear obstacles for him, get him back to school, let him continue his studies peacefully, and later he can do whatever he wants."

"But, Qi Qi, it's very difficult for me to treat him with the same devotion as I do you. Although it sounds cruel, I don't understand Li Yi, and he doesn't understand me. He grew up somewhere I couldn't see. It's impossible to develop affection and respect for me just because of a blood relationship." Xie Zhi Lan said with a smile, "He showed no respect for me today. So, Li Yi and I are more like strangers with a blood connection. Compensating him is Mom and Dad's responsibility. I can only say that I will try to treat you and him fairly, but I can't do more."

"I'm only telling you these words, don't tell anyone else. Besides," Xie Zhi Lan looked at him gently, admonishing, "After Dong Dong comes back, don't openly conflict with him. Try to resolve things privately, otherwise I'll be very awkward, understand?"

Xie Qi Zhi nodded as if he understood but didn't, asking, "Because you'll be very uncomfortable being stuck in the middle, right?"

"Are you silly?" Xie Zhi Lan lightly tapped his forehead, "Because I'm too biased towards you, I'll get scolded."