"Brother, can't you sleep?" Chu Yigui's voice came from another bed not far from Wan Qiu, and it was particularly obvious in the quiet night. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm." Wan Qiu pulled his hands back into the quilt, feeling a little embarrassed at being caught not sleeping at night.

"Brother, do I need to read to you too?" Chu Yigui asked.

"I'm not a child anymore." Wan Qiu turned over and faced Chu Yigui. Under the dim moonlight, Chu Yigui's face was completely hidden in the shadows. "Brother, can't you sleep? Do you need me to read to you?"

Chu Yigui smiled.

The laughter in the middle of the night was very clear, and Wan Qiu could vaguely sense Chu Yigui's emotions through the laughter.

I am happy.

"Will I definitely be abandoned?" Wan Qiu suddenly asked.

Chu Yigui stopped laughing and asked softly, "What?"

"Will I definitely be abandoned if I get a serious illness?" Wan Qiu repeated his question.

Chu Yigui was silent for a moment this time and said, "Not necessarily."

Wan Qiu's eyes were shining faintly under the moonlight.

“There are also parents who love their children very much and do everything they can to treat their children, take care of their children, or accompany their children who can no longer survive until the end.

In this world, the love that everyone can receive is definitely unequal.”

Chu Yigui's voice narrated calmly.

My younger brother was also abandoned.

That's why I'm here.

Wan Qiu lay in bed, thinking about the future that appeared in his memory.

He will be abandoned again.

It was a long, long time later.

But this time, he didn't seem so scared.

He understands a lot now.

Maybe I can take care of myself, or maybe I can go to an orphanage.

He already has a lot of things, so he can give them to others.

Wan Qiu crawled out of his bed and stood beside Chu Yigui's bed wearing new slippers.

Chu Yigui seemed to understand and opened the quilt.

Wan Qiu crawled into Chu Yigui's bed, and Chu Yigui covered Wan Qiu with the quilt.

The two teenagers leaned against each other.

Wan Qiu leaned against Chu Yigui: "I will protect my brother."

When all the things that should be feared no longer bring fear, Wan Qiu is willing to pass this security to the people he loves.

Although only a little bit.

In that silent corridor.

He saw Chu Yigui's fear.

A faint smell, like a tiny bit leaking from a sealed box, was captured by Wan Qiu.

Don't be afraid, don't be afraid.

Wan Qiu's hands patted Chu Yigui's chest again and again.

My brother is here.

Chu Yigui seemed to smile.

It was still that happy laugh.

It seemed like he encountered something interesting and was amused.

Although Wan Qiu didn't think what happened was funny.

It's always good to smile more.

——

When Wan Qiu woke up in a daze, Chu Yigui had just sat up.

"Did you wake up brother?" Chu Yigui patted Wan Qiu's quilt, "If brother is sleepy, you can sleep a little longer."

Chu Yigui got out of bed and started to get dressed.

Wan Qiu tried hard to wake up his sleepy mind from his confusion and looked out the window at the darkness which was not yet bright.

At this time, it is not yet the time for Wanqiu to get up as usual.

"It's so early." Wan Qiu murmured, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"It's quite early, don't worry, brother. Just come down after you wake up."

"What are you going to do?" But Wan Qiu was already awake. He always woke up quickly.

"I have to make breakfast for many people, so I have to get up early." Chu Yigui put on his clothes and smiled at Wan Qiu, "My cooking skills are good, and the children always look forward to my cooking."

Wan Qiu thought of the food Chu Yigui made at home that was as good as that made by a chef.

Is this learning for the sake of these children?

"I want to help too." Wan Qiu went back to his bed to find clothes.

Chu Yigui took a look and waited for Wan Qiu on the side.

The place where they were staying was the staff dormitory, which had a bathroom for washing.

As Wan Qiu followed Chu Yigui, he looked through the glass in the corridor at the dark sky and the light that had been on all night.

The chef in the kitchen has already started preparing the ingredients for breakfast, and Wan Qiu has been assigned the task of washing the vegetables.

Wan Qiu tried to wash the vegetables with his hands as the water from the tap was icy cold at first, but was stopped by the chef.

"Hot water will be available soon. It's too cold now, don't let yourself get frozen." said the chef.

"Hmm..." Wan Qiu nodded, watching the water accumulate in the sink and the water level slowly rising.

"We have hot water now. Before there was no hot water, my hands would be cold and hot while cooking in the winter." The chef said to Wan Qiu.

The chef was a man with gray hair but a strong body. He was rather stocky and spoke in a loud voice.

"In the past, we didn't have such good conditions, the food wasn't good, and there wasn't so much social donations. It's only in recent years that things have gotten better because of the rapid development and more people who know how to do charity."

The chef was preparing the dishes skillfully while talking to Wan Qiu.

Wan Qiu imitated the chef's movements and quietly improved his efficiency in preparing dishes.

"What was it like when my brother was here?" Wan Qiu was curious.

The chef thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Chu was adopted about seven or eight years ago. I remember that Xiao Chu was thrown directly in front of the welfare home, right?"

As the chef spoke, he glanced at Chu Yigui who was cutting vegetables.

Chu Yigui didn't raise his head, but just replied: "Yeah."

"A dozen years ago, things weren't so good. My wife and I ran a welfare home, but there weren't many people there and the funding from above was limited. We all lived very tight. It was unrealistic to expect good food and good accommodation."

The chef said that he and the dean are husband and wife, and that the chef is not a professional chef, but just cooks ordinary home-cooked meals for everyone.

The chef said that life was very hard at that time and it was also very hard for the children.

"When my wife and I saw Xiao Chu, we thought he was a sick child. Generally speaking, no one would abandon a healthy baby boy."

Wan Qiu thought that in the orphanage, there were indeed more girls.

"But Xiao Chu's presence has really helped us a lot. This child has been well-behaved and sensible since he was young, and has always helped us take care of other children."

Wan Qiu sat on a small chair, watching the chef chattering on about Chu Yigui's past.

So to my younger brother, the chef and the dean are actually his father and mother?

Wan Qiu looked at the chef, who looked older than Chu Jianshu, but very kind.

Is that why my brother always comes back to visit?

Wan Qiu listened to the chef's chatter and looked at Chu Yigui.

Chu Yigui's hands and feet were quick and he had already started cooking. The aroma of food wafted in the air.

"Actually, many people have come to adopt Xiao Chu, but I don't know why they always send him back."

The chef's voice suddenly brought Wan Qiu back to consciousness.

Adopted, but sent back?

"Are the vegetables here ready? I may need to use them." When Wan Qiu wanted to ask, Chu Yigui stood in front of them.

Wan Qiu immediately busied himself with cutting and washing vegetables, and he was so busy that he forgot to think.

Once the dish was ready and the chef was about to serve it, Wan Qiu saw Chu Yigui washing his hands, and Wan Qiu immediately followed suit.

"I'm going to wake the kids up for dinner. Brother, do you want to join us?"

Wan Qiu followed behind Chu Yigui and saw Chu Yigui skillfully waking up every child, dressing some children who could not take care of themselves, and helping them wash.

When all the children were called up, the quiet winter day gradually brightened with the sky, and the noisy sounds echoed in the welfare home again.

Wan Qiu is not a professional caregiver. Most of the time he just stands by and does nothing.

What Wanqiu does most is playing with the children.

While playing games, Wan Qiu held the girls' hands and guided them in ballroom dancing.

Under the envious eyes of the other children, Chu Yigui also stood up, followed Wan Qiu and taught together.

Chu Yigui always gives more care to the children who sit aside and cannot participate.

Wan Qiu sat on the children's foam board and blended in perfectly.

Wan Qiu can understand the happiness that children can understand.

Wanqiu also finds the toys that the children find interesting novel.

Wan Qiu sat in front of a girl with a deformed face, and the two of them stacked blocks together.

There is no rule, like a convention, to see who can put the block that will make the already shaky building blocks fall down.

The girl kept her head down and didn't say a word from beginning to end.

The nurse on the side looked at this side with some surprise.

When the last building block Wan Qiu stacked up caused half of the tall building block tower to fall down, Wan Qiu was very confused.

His hands were still in the air, with a look of helplessness on his face.

But the girl smiled.

There was no expression on her deformed face, but her laughter was obvious.

After laughing, the girl placed another block on top of the remaining blocks that had not fallen off.

Wan Qiu also picked up a piece and started falling on it, and the game started again.

This game lasted a long time.

During dinner, the nurse said to Wan Qiu: "That child likes you very much."

Wanqiu was at a loss.

"When other volunteers came before, she always stayed in the corner and didn't play or talk to anyone."

The other nurse also nodded and said, "That child doesn't pay much attention to us. It seems that you are very likable."

"That child's face still looks a little scary at first glance, and volunteers will inevitably look at her with a different look, but you don't."

Wan Qiu raised his head.

Scary?

"Scary?" Wan Qiu looked at the girl in the corner again. Her thick black hair always hung down to cover her face.

That seemed to be a deliberate cover-up.

But it's not scary at all.

Wan Qiu's hand unconsciously touched his cheek.

He actually didn't remember what he looked like in the past. He had never looked in a mirror or seen his own face.

He only remembered the time when his hair fell in front of his eyes and he could barely see the lights.

At that time, he even felt pain in his eyes because of the light.

During that time, many people who saw him would say he was a monster.

Wan Qiu closed his eyes and thought about his past self. The lines in his mind seemed to be drawn in a mess with a watercolor pen. What he finally constructed was a terrifying monster hidden in the darkness, crawling on the ground, and emitting a foul smell.

"Could I be more scary?" Wan Qiu murmured unconsciously.

The nurses looked at each other and suddenly laughed.

"How could that be? You are very cute and very good-looking." The nurse smiled at Wan Qiu.

"Yes, you studied dancing? You have a good temperament too, right?"

The caregivers were talking to each other, and although they were speaking from the heart, there might have been some flattery in their words.

The Chu family now accounts for the lion's share of funding for the welfare home, and their current higher salaries are also due to the Chu family.

"Everyone likes you very much. You are worthy of being Xiao Chu's brother." said the nurse.

“Very patient, too.”

Wan Qiu suddenly received praise from the nurse and kept looking at the nurses who were chatting.

Wan Qiu pursed her lips, vaguely realizing that maybe she looked good now.

Just like what my elder brother said, I became good-looking through learning.

but……

Wan Qiu looked at his hands.

It seems that I can still recall those vague memories of the period when I was called a monster.

"Brother?" When Wan Qiu was in a daze, Chu Yigui's voice came from the side.

Coming back to his senses, Wan Qiu looked up.

Chu Yigui didn't know when he was standing beside him.

He didn't know whether he heard himself speak or how much he heard.

Wan Qiu felt that Chu Yigui probably had some questions to ask.

Even in the end, Chu Yigui said nothing.

Wan Qiu lay down at night and vaguely felt that the time had passed very quickly.

I watched the evening party with the children. The beautiful TV programs and the joyful atmosphere, the fragrance of candies and fruits, and the red New Year's lanterns and blessing characters decorated everywhere, all engraved the joy and happiness in Wanqiu's memory.

"Brother, it's time to go home tomorrow." Chu Yigui's voice rang out in the dark, from another bed.

"Will my brother be reluctant to leave?" If this is my brother's home, he will definitely be reluctant to leave, Wan Qiu thought.

"It will always come back." Chu Yigui replied.

"I will come with my brother." Wan Qiu turned over, wrapped in the quilt and looked in the direction of Chu Yigui.

"Yeah." Chu Yigui responded.

Wan Qiu feels that he is happy here.

But Wan Qiu also knew that not all the children here were happy.

Those unhappy emotions are secretly spreading in every corner.

Not all the children who have been surrounding Chu Yigui are happy.

During this period, Wan Qiu also saw other volunteers coming to the welfare home to celebrate the New Year with the children.

They brought beautiful clothes, stationery, books, and candies.

Wan Qiu could see that all the children were smiling happily and surrounding the people who brought gifts with their hands open.

Every child looks cheerful.

Everyone was smiling.

Joy surrounds them.

The look of joy when receiving a gift is so real.

It was so real that Wan Qiu began to wonder if the emotions he saw, which were not happy emotions, were just his own illusions.

Some children who always stay in the corner and don't care about anything can also express gratitude and happiness.

A bit like the former Chu Yigui.

Everyone seems to be better at dwelling on their 'unhappiness' but still smiling.

Why is this happening?

If he understood it, could he also understand Chu Yigui?

Wan Qiu was in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking about, and eventually fell asleep.

In his dream, he saw Chu Yigui.

More mature, more handsome, and his shoulders are broader.

But at first glance, she looks like a model with a perfect figure placed in a window.

Even those eyes seemed to be painted vividly with colorful brushes and superb painting skills.

Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui planned to leave the orphanage after dinner.

Wan Qiu carried a pile of bowls and plates and went to the kitchen carefully.

I heard the nurse's voice.

"The two children from the Chu family are leaving soon, right? Wan Qiu is quite cute, but she looks a little dull. Is it because of her personality?"

"I heard from the dean that he seems to have some psychological problems, but it's hard to tell. I've seen so many abnormal people, so I think he's quite normal."

"I think it looks much more normal than Xiao Chu."

The nurse's voice made Wan Qiu stop and look ahead blankly.

"Do you hate Xiao Chu?" said one of the caregivers.

"Xiao Chu is actually quite nice, but a little too nice. Sometimes he does feel quite creepy."

"I heard from the elders here that when Xiao Chu was sent back before, the adoptive parents said they couldn't get along with Xiao Chu normally. I guess they feel the same as you."

"Maybe, but it's really relaxing to have Xiao Chu around." The nurse said with a smile, "And he can bring a lot of things. I hope he comes often."

The sound of washing dishes was mixed in, and the crisp sound of iron dishes and chopsticks hit Wanqiu's nerves again and again.

"Are you leaving?"

"I'm going to miss you guys."

"Goodbye, brother."

A group of children surrounded the two and said goodbye one after another. Many of them were well-behaved and showed their reluctance to leave.

"Be good, come in quickly." Chu Yigui pushed a few children.

They were dressed and ready to go out.

The nurses dragged away a few children who were reluctant to leave, and finally only the director was left.

"Be careful on the road, the roads are slippery due to the snow. Remember to ask the driver to drive slower. Thank you so much for your help these two days."

The dean smiled gently, held Chu Yigui's hand, and patted Wan Qiu's shoulder.

"You don't have to go out with us." Chu Yigui stopped the dean from sending them away and held Wan Qiu's hand. "Dean, goodbye."

When the door was opened, the cool air suddenly blew away the warm air that was spreading over the two of them, and Wan Qiu narrowed his eyes.

Chu Yigui reached out and touched Wan Qiu's hat, then took Wan Qiu to the not-so-big courtyard.

Wan Qiu turned around and saw several little heads sticking to the glass to look at them under the bright light.

Noticing Wan Qiu looking back, he waved happily.

As Wan Qiu was watching, Chu Yigui also stopped.

At the door, the driver's car was still waiting there, with its lights flashing.

They stood under the light.

They must feel very awkward now, Wan Qiu thought.

Chu Yigui took another step forward, and Wan Qiu followed.

When getting on the car, Wan Qiu looked back, but he could no longer see the children here.

"Wan Qiu, have you had fun recently?" Suddenly, the voice coming from the front seat was Chu Jianshu.

Wan Qiu was surprised: "Dad?"

"See, you're still reluctant to leave." Chu Jianshu said.

"Yeah." Wan Qiu responded lightly.

"It's good that you didn't have a bad life." Chu Jianshu started the car. He was not a talkative person, but asking like this showed his concern.

Did you enjoy your time at the orphanage?

Wan Qiu didn't know whether he should summarize it with happy or unhappy.

The chores that Wan Qiu has been helping with are complicated and are jobs that Wan Qiu is very familiar with.

For Wan Qiu, the real gain was the time spent with Chu Yigui.

Wan Qiu looked at Chu Jianshu who was sitting in the driver's seat.

Chu Yigui was once adopted and then sent back.

But mom and dad have always been Chu Yigui’s mom and dad.

Does that mean that now mom and dad get along well with Chu Yigui?

"Dad." Wan Qiu murmured.

"Hmm?" Chu Jianshu was driving on the empty road at night, and he glanced at Wan Qiu in the rearview mirror.

"It's good to have a younger brother." Wan Qiu said.

Wan Qiu didn't understand what others said.

He also didn't know what "so good that it's creepy" meant.

He just thinks it's really nice to have a younger brother.

Really, really, very good.

Chu Yigui, who had been looking out the window, had a slightly shaken look in his eyes and lowered his eyes to look at Wan Qiu's reflection in the car window.

"Well, Yigui is a very good kid, and Dad thinks he is very good too." Chu Jianshu drove the car, looking straight ahead.

Chu Yigui listened, he was used to such comments.

I didn't feel like I was being praised for this.

but……

Chu Yigui shifted his gaze from Wan Qiu’s reflection to the real Wan Qiu.

After getting Chu Jianshu's affirmative answer, Wan Qiu's expression was filled with unconcealable joy.

Wan Qiu returned home and was greeted by his family.

Yang Xiaoyu gave Wan Qiu a warm and soft hug when he returned home.

Yang Ze was also in the living room, and there were two cups of calming tea on the coffee table.

There was still some time before going to bed, and Wan Qiu was in the living room, telling his family about his time in the welfare home in a disjointed manner.

For example, his skill in stacking blocks is unmatched.

For example, he learned how to dress a child.

For example, the caregivers always praised him for being attentive and patient.

"Why is our baby so happy to work for others?" Yang Xiaoyu didn't know whether to laugh or cry after hearing this. He reached out and knocked on Wan Qiu's head. "When will we let others work for our baby, and then the baby will be happier?"

Wan Qiu blinked his eyes, not thinking that there was any necessary connection between them.

"Did anything unhappy happen?" Yang Xiaoyu asked.

Unhappy things.

Wan Qiu thought about it.

"Some people say that sick children are scary," said Wan Qiu.

It was not the nurse who said this euphemistically, but the volunteers who came to the welfare home. Wan Qiu heard that it was their first time here.

In contrast to Chu Yigui, who was nimble and agile, he was clumsy but cautious.

"Baby, won't you feel weird?" Yang Xiaoyu still remembered the time when she went to the welfare home to adopt Chu Yigui.

Even though her mental state was very bad at the time, she still remembered many things clearly.

Indeed, those children are different from ordinary people.

"They are not weird." Wan Qiu shook his head and argued with Yang Xiaoyu very seriously, "They are not monsters."

Chu Jianshu frowned and suddenly asked, "How do you know the word monster?"

Wan Qiu would not think of an unfamiliar word out of thin air.

Chu Jianshu kept observing Wan Qiu carefully: "Someone told you this."

Wan Qiu subconsciously wanted to answer but suddenly stopped, as if he thought of something and didn't say anything.

Wan Qiu, who had not learned how to conceal his feelings, almost directly confirmed Chu Jianshu's guess.

Chu Yigui, who had been sitting not far away, had his eyelashes trembling slightly, as if he had thought of something.

"Who told you that?"

Chu Jianshu asked.

The voice was cold.