This was Jian Xingsui's first visit to the Shen family.

In his memory, families like the Jian family would hire several live-in nannies, but the Shen family, a large family, was surprisingly quiet. Upon entering, he found it wasn't a magnificent living room filled with precious antiques, cold marble, and leather sofas, but rather a very warm and inviting hall. The house was mainly decorated in warm colors, with wooden tables and chairs, hand-woven feather decorations on the walls, and storage compartments filled with bottles, jars, and fresh flowers.

On the far left is a wall, which is quite amusing to see several crooked paintings hanging on it, along with some certificates and awards. There are also some handicrafts displayed in the glass and wooden cabinet. The sofa is made of white fabric leather with fluffy cushions on it. Next to the cushions is a half-knitted scarf and gloves. On the coffee table are two plates of fruit and a book that is half-read.

This home is filled with the warmth of daily life, yet it also has a strange...warmth.

Shen Xingchen whispered from the side, "My mom loves doing crafts, don't be offended."

Jian Xingsui shook her head: "No, no."

This luxurious manor didn't employ many servants. When they returned, an elderly woman came over, took Shen Minglang and the others' coats, and asked respectfully, "Madam, young master, the master just called to say that his flight is delayed. There's been some trouble at the company, so he probably won't be back for another two days."

Xu Enzhen said, "It's okay, Aunt Wu. You're still up so late. You must be tired."

Wu Ma glanced at Jian Xingsui, but remained very polite. Since the master hadn't explained, she didn't ask. She simply said, "Young Master is coming back today. It's too late, so he must need to eat. I have to stay here and watch over him. The kitchen has prepared some food. See if there's anything else you'd like to eat. I'll arrange for someone to make some more."

Xu Enzhen smiled and nodded, then turned to Jian Xingsui: "Suisui, you and Xingchen go upstairs to find a room to rest and wash up first, then come downstairs for dinner."

Shen Xingchen stretched and said, "Okay, I'm exhausted. Let's go."

Xu Enzhen came over, took Jian Xingsui's hand, and said gently, "If you need anything, just say so, okay?"

Jian Xingsui was deeply moved, and no matter how many times she was touched by the woman's kindness, she said, "I don't need anything, thank you."

Xu Enzhen finally smiled with relief.

Jian Xingsui was pulled up the stairs by Shen Xingchen. When they got to the second floor, they found that it was also very cozy. There were many paintings on the stairwell, most of them were photos of the two children of the Shen family and their growth photos. There were also photos of the Shen family couple in between. These photos seemed to be hung according to time. After walking a few steps, there were gaps in the middle.

Jian Xingsui couldn't help but voice a question.

Shen Xingchen, who was walking beside him, could tell what he was wondering at a glance and asked, "Are you wondering why there were several years missing in the middle?"

Jian Xingsui nodded gently.

Shen Xingchen explained, "Because something happened to my family at that time. My mother was pregnant with my younger brother when I was about three or four years old, but my brother didn't make it and passed away in the hospital."

If it were a fetus that was miscarried and died while still in the womb at two or three months old, it might not have cast a shadow on this mother that she could not get over for years. But that child was conceived for ten months, and it was a fetus that Xu Enzhen had worked very hard to keep. When he was born, Xu Enzhen even saw him and touched him.

A smile appeared in Shen Xingchen's eyes as she said, "You know, once I heard my mom say that the baby was completely different from me and my brother. Other babies would cry with their eyes closed when they were born, but he didn't. In fact, he opened his eyes after the nurse brought him out. Isn't that amazing?"

Jian Xingsui said, "How can that be? Do you think a newborn baby can open its eyes?"

“Yes, my mom said that when she was still on the operating table, the baby opened his eyes. My mom reached out to touch him, and he even reached out and grabbed her finger. The nurse had to pry it open.” Shen Xingchen said, scratching her head, her eyes darkening. She whispered, “Was it because he knew it was the last time he would see him, so he couldn’t bear to part with him…?”

Perhaps it was precisely because of that brief contact in the operating room that a seed fell into my heart, took root, sprouted, and grew wildly.

This incident left Xu Enzhen unable to let go of the matter or accept it in the years that followed.

Even though it was just a brief farewell, she couldn't accept the news that the child had suffered cardiac arrest. The heavy blow caused her to develop severe postpartum depression. At first, no one noticed anything unusual about her until one day she started constantly saying things like the child hadn't died. The doctor judged that she might have a mental problem.

As Shen Xingchen spoke, she led Jian Xingsui to the guest room: "The doctor said that my mother was too sad and unwilling to face reality. Those hallucinations were her body's self-protection mechanism, but she was the only one who kept believing that they were not hallucinations. But once a person is dead, they are dead. How can they be brought back to life? Although sometimes I wish I really had a younger brother."

Jian Xingsui asked curiously, "Why?"

"It would be so great to have a younger brother to protect you." Shen Xingchen gave him a look that said, "You don't understand. My older brother scolds me all the time, and so does Brother Fu. They're more experienced and knowledgeable than me in every way. These people are such chatterboxes. If I had a younger brother, I'd be the one nagging him, right? I'd be so awesome then!"

"..."

Jian Xingsui was unable to refute it.

After arriving at his room, he began to take a shower.

He came out wearing a bath towel. After tidying himself up, there was a knock on the door. He quickly went to open it and was somewhat surprised to see Wu Ma standing outside.

Aunt Wu bowed and said, "Hello, Mr. Jian."

Jian Xingsui quickly returned the greeting: "Hello."

"Madam asked me to bring this to you." Aunt Wu handed him the tray. "These are Xingchen's pajamas. They're not the newest; they're from the last couple of years, but they're all clean and in good condition. Also, Madam said she wasn't sure if you'd like them, so she prepared an eye mask and earplugs for you. Oh, and this is…"

A series of things left Jian Xingsui dumbfounded.

He knew that he was just an unknown person. Not to mention that he had no connection with the Jian family now, he had failed the talent show and his family had no advantages whatsoever. To a prestigious family like the Shen family, he was nothing more than a clown. However, no one in the Shen family looked down on him and was even so kind to him.

Jian Xingsui accepted the items with great gratitude: "Thank you, thank you, Madam."

“No need to be so polite.” Wu Ma smiled and said, “I can tell that you are a good friend of the young master and that the madam likes you very much. You don’t need to be reserved here. Just tell me what you need.”

Jian Xingsui responded, but did not actually treat the person as a servant. Instead, she politely said goodbye.

After changing into his pajamas, he went downstairs. As soon as he got downstairs, he smelled a faint aroma of food. He saw Xu Enzhen serving noodles on the table downstairs and quickly ran over to her, saying, "Let me help."

Xu Enzhen looked at him with some surprise: "You're done so quickly?"

Jian Xingsui smiled and said, "I'll go downstairs as soon as I'm done. Are you serving the noodles? Let me do it."

Xu Enzhen said, "This is very hot."

"It's alright." Jian Xingsui skillfully took the bowl and then slowly put the noodles into it with a spoon and chopsticks, saying, "I used to help out in a restaurant, and I'm tough enough not to be afraid of getting burned. But you, stand back a bit, so you don't get splashed with the soup."

Xu Enzhen watched Jian Xingsui serve the noodles. When he served the noodles, he made a point of avoiding the oil on the noodle soup. So she asked curiously, "Why do you avoid it like that? Are you afraid of gaining weight?"

When asked, Jian Xingsui said, "No, this bowl is for you. I thought you probably didn't eat much since you were here all night, so I thought I'd serve you noodles. As for avoiding the soup, it's because I noticed your skin is very well-maintained, so you probably wouldn't touch anything oily. I'm sorry, did I take the liberty of serving you some noodles? I'll serve you some more."

Xu Enzhen was slightly taken aback at first, and then when she saw that Jian Xingsui had really put down the bowl, the child's sensitive and cautious appearance made her heart ache. She quickly stopped him and took the noodles from Jian Xingsui's hands. The bowl was still warm, and her heart was also warm. She said softly, "I'm glad that you can think of me like this without taking matters into your own hands."

Jian Xingsui relaxed and saw Xu Enzhen smiling at her. She stammered and replied, "It's nothing, it's what I should do."

She was so good to him, so of course he wanted to do something for her.

Jian Xingsui continued serving rice. Wu Ma, who was not far away, wanted to come over, but Xu Enzhen stopped her with a look. She stood quietly to the side, watching the boy do things beside her. After serving the noodles, he helped set out the chopsticks. After serving the rice, he even took a rag and carefully wiped the noodle soup that had accidentally dripped from the spoon on the table.

Xu Enzhen wasn't a stupid woman. She could see that Jian Xingsui was nervous about coming here, so she kept trying to help him relax. But it seemed that for a grateful child like Jian Xingsui, doing something would make him relax even more.

"Mom! Sui Sui! Are you all done?" Shen Xingchen's voice came from the stairs. He had just finished showering and hadn't even dried his hair yet. His spiky hair was now flat. He jogged over and said, "Today is going to be special! Mom, you actually cooked noodles yourself. We don't get to eat noodles like this unless it's a big day or we have special guests."

Shen Xingchen smiled sheepishly at Jian Xingsui: "You're so lucky, brother! Let me tell you, although my mom's cooking skills aren't great, her egg noodles are absolutely amazing. You can't usually get to eat them!"

Xu Enzhen rolled her eyes at him: "You're such a chatterbox."

Aunt Wu also called Shen Minglang down from upstairs.

At the dinner table, Shen Xingchen practically wolfed down his food. Jian Xingsui took a bite of the noodles and was amazed by the delicious broth and the perfectly cooked noodles. Although he had eaten many delicacies before, this bowl of noodles wasn't exactly a masterpiece, but it gave him a very satisfying feeling. After finishing one bowl, he actually wanted to eat some more, but looking at the large bowl of noodles not far away, he was too embarrassed to stand up and ask for more. Being a guest in someone else's house, he couldn't be too presumptuous.

Shen Minglang sat opposite him. The man, who always looked serious and earnest with his gold-rimmed glasses, slightly shifted his gaze and said, "Aunt Wu."

Wu Ma, who was standing not far away, came over and asked, "Young Master?"

"I'm finished eating, could you give me some more?" Shen Minglang handed her the bowl that she had barely finished eating, and then casually added, "They're all hungry too, so please fill the pot with some more."

Aunt Wu responded.

Shen Xingchen also muttered, "Yeah, yeah, I'm starving."

Aunt Wu came over and added some more food for Shen Minglang, then asked Jian Xingsui softly, "You seem to have finished eating, shall I add some more for you?"

This proactive question was like a lifeline for Jian Xingsui, and he nodded, smiling shyly, "Okay, thank you."

Aunt Wu took a great liking to this polite child, and she could tell that Jian Xingsui was not the kind of person who would curry favor with the powerful and wealthy. Sincerity begets sincerity, and she was also happy that her young master had made friends. She filled the bowl and handed it to him with a smile, saying, "You're welcome. There's more if you need it. Madam cooked a lot."

Shen Minglang, sitting opposite, glanced at the child again to make sure the quiet boy had already served himself his rice before looking away.

Xu Enzhen's eyes were also full of tenderness as she softly said, "Sui Sui, if you like to eat this, you must come and play often. Auntie can make it anytime."

Shen Xingchen protested, "Mom, why didn't you say this when I wanted to eat it?"

Shen Minglang across from him said in a low voice, "Even if you ate something else, I can tell you ate just as much."

Shen Xingchen grumbled and expressed her dissatisfaction.

Jian Xingsui quietly observed the family eating, feeling a faint envy in his heart. This family was really nice; they chatted and laughed while eating, without the strict rule of not speaking while eating. The table was filled with the warmth of home cooking. They occasionally bickered, but the intimacy was palpable, a stark contrast to the atmosphere at his own home.

After dinner, Shen Xingchen said, "Come with me, I'll take you to my room to see something."

Jian Xingsui was pulled away by him.

Xu Enzhen called out from behind, "It's already past four in the morning! You two aren't allowed to stay up too late! Shen Xingchen, if you're not going to sleep, don't keep Sui Sui from sleeping. He still needs to grow!"

Shen Xingchen was about to run upstairs when she said dismissively, "Okay, okay, Mom, you're so nagging!"

After going upstairs, Shen Xingchen led Jian Xingsui to his room. The room was even smaller than Jian Xingsui had imagined, but it was surrounded by cabinets with shelves for figurines and toys. He said to Jian Xingsui, "Let me show you my collection!"

Jian Xingsui was curious when she saw Shen Xingchen pull a large VR gaming pod out of the cabinet: "Hurry, hurry, this is a limited edition gaming pod, not everyone can get one, it's priceless and unavailable. I couldn't get one even at a high price back then, it was Brother Fu who had connections, it was a birthday gift for me! And, and this too..."

Jian Xingsui's eyes flickered slightly when she heard Fu Jinxiao's name.

Shen Xingchen pulled him along: "Okay, okay, I'll show you the functions..."

When Xu Enzhen returned to the room half an hour later, she only saw two people sleeping side by side on the carpet. The floor around them was full of Shen Xingchen's usual rare items, which she probably couldn't resist sharing with her friends.

Xu Enzhen sighed softly and took a blanket from the side to cover Jian Xingsui.

Shen Xingchen was lying sprawled on the floor, with Jian Xingsui sleeping beside him. Their profiles looked so similar under the light that Xu Enzhen felt a little dazed, as if the two of them were originally supposed to be such close brothers.

...

early morning

Jian Xingsui was woken up by her own cell phone ringing.

He picked it up and was surprised to find that it was a call from the Zhang couple. Somewhat puzzled, he answered, and it was Zhang's voice on the other end: "Hello, Sui Sui?"

Jian Xingsui was still sleepy, her eyes glazed over: "What's wrong? It's me."

Zhang's voice sounded a little strange: "You, didn't you finish recording? Why haven't you come back?"

Jian Xingsui honestly said, "I'm at a friend's house. What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

On the other end, Zhang seemed to finally be unable to hold back any longer, and almost burst into tears from her grief: "Xiangyang, your father, last night he was out, I don't know what happened, he was distracted while driving on his way back and had a car accident, he is still in the hospital now."

Jian Xingsui was taken aback: "A car accident?"

Zhang nodded: "Sui Sui, do you want to come back soon? I really..."

Although Jian Xingsui had no feelings for the Zhang couple, she wouldn't let a woman be left alone and helpless, so she said, "Okay, I'll go back right away. Send me the address and keep your phone on."

Zhang quickly replied, "Okay, okay, I'll wait for you."

Jian Xingsui got up after hanging up the phone. It was only seven in the morning, and he hadn't slept for more than a few hours. Shen Xingchen, on the other hand, was sleeping like a log.

Jian Xingsui sighed, but still got up, slipped back to his room, took out some casual clothes from his suitcase, and changed. When he went downstairs, he ran into Wu Ma, who was still sleepy-eyed as she came out of a room in the manor and said, "Mr. Jian? I heard some noise on the second floor and came out to see what's going on."

"Excuse me, Aunt Wu, I have to go back home first because something has come up." Jian Xingsui smiled at her, "Please let her know for me when you get back."

Wu Ma then nodded.

Then, seeing Jian Xingsui's tired face, her thoughts changed again. It was already six or seven in the morning. Anyone with a brain in the family would know that their group formation night didn't end until two or three in the morning. Even if they came back and washed up quickly, it would be four or five in the morning. The child was already tired and needed to rest. Whatever happened at home, why call and wake him up so early in the morning? How could they not care about him at all?

On the other side

Jian Xingsui took a one-hour drive and finally arrived at the hospital.

Zhang had been waiting outside the hospital bed. She burst into tears when she saw Jian Xingsui arrive: "Suisui, your father has come out of the operating room. He hit his head. The doctor said he's only temporarily out of danger. We don't know how he'll fare now."

Jian Xingsui comforted her, "It's okay, as long as the surgery was successful, we can take care of the rest of the treatment slowly."

Zhang was still wiping away tears, and said, "The surgery alone cost tens of thousands of yuan, and the doctor said that after examination, Xiangyang's health has never been very good, and now his kidney disease is even more serious. He might need to have another surgery. What are we going to do? It costs so much money..."

Although Jian Xingsui had some dissatisfaction with the couple, she softened when she saw the woman crying pitifully in front of her, exhausted: "It's okay, money can be earned, medical treatment is the most important thing. Don't worry, take out all the savings in the house first, human life is more precious than anything else."

At this point, Zhang paused suspiciously for a moment.

Jian Xingsui had a bad feeling: "Could it be that the family... has no savings?"

Mrs. Zhang quickly replied, "No, no, of course there are costs, but not too much. The surgery alone has already taken up a lot of money. Your father's lungs are still undergoing tests. I'm just worried that the expenses will be even higher later on..."

Jian Xingsui asked doubtfully, "I heard from the barber shop owner near the rice cake shop that you and your father have saved up a lot of money over the years. You can spend it if you need it. If all else fails, I will go out and find a job to see if I can contribute some money."

Zhang felt a little guilty when she heard him say that.

Over the years, she and Zhang Xiangyang have certainly accumulated savings. The problem is that when An Ran left home, they were worried that she might be mistreated in the Jian family. So, they gave most of their savings to An Ran before she left. Although they still have tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan left, wouldn't they be short of money if Zhang Xiangyang really had something going on?

“What savings could we possibly have? That’s all just nonsense that boss made up,” Zhang muttered, but then looked at Jian Xingsui earnestly and said, “Suisui, you’re our only child now, we can only rely on you.”

Jian Xingsui said, "I will try my best to find a job, but I don't have much money on me right now."

Zhang was not happy: "How could that be? Aren't you on good terms with the young master of the Shen family? You can ask him for money. Also, I saw on the show that Actor Fu treated you well. You can try to build a relationship with him too. Oh, those rich families don't lack money, they won't care. You don't want anything to happen to your father, do you?"

"..."

Jian Xingsui's heart suddenly filled with mixed feelings of displeasure.

“My father’s matter is one thing, and my relationship with my friends is another. I only consider them friends and haven’t thought about anything else,” Jian Xingsui said. “Let’s go see my father first, and we can talk about these things later.”

Zhang felt a little annoyed, but ultimately didn't say anything more.

When Jian Xingsui entered the ward, he saw Zhang Xiangyang, who was surrounded by various machines and had fallen into a coma. He didn't know what had happened to cause this usually cautious and meticulous man to have a car accident on his way home at night because he was distracted.

Zhang has been here since last night and is a little tired now. She said, "Sui Sui, can you stay here and watch over things for me for a while? I'm going to lie down over there."

Jian Xingsui was also tired, even more so. He hadn't rested well, and the matter of forming a group had left him mentally exhausted. But all he could do for now was nod and say, "Okay."

...

After a while, another doctor came in from outside.

The doctor came to examine Zhang Xiangyang's condition. After the examination, he asked Jian Xingsui, "Are you a family member of the patient?"

Jian Xingsui stood up: "Yes, that's me."

"Okay, here's the thing, the patient's paperwork isn't done yet, you'd better go and get it sorted out now." The doctor put his hands in his pockets. "Also, regarding his kidney disease tests, our scans are ready. If it's convenient, you can come over in a bit, and we can discuss it in detail."

Jian Xingsui was a little worried when she saw the doctor: "Is the result not very good?"

The doctor led him out of the room and said, "This patient has been a heavy smoker for many years. He already has some kidney problems. After our scans came back, we initially suspected he might have kidney failure. You need to be prepared. He has also been in a car accident, which will definitely affect his treatment."

Jian Xingsui said softly, "Please do your best to treat him, we will cooperate."

"I'm telling you this so your family can be prepared and plan for the future. If his lungs don't get better, he might need an organ transplant, and we'll need to find a good kidney donor. These are all problems," the doctor said. "So you must be mentally prepared for this."

Jian Xingsui said, "Find a kidney donor?"

He didn't expect Zhang Xiangyang's condition to be so serious this time.

Before this, he had felt that Zhang Xiangyang was somewhat neglecting his health. He always seemed preoccupied and under a lot of pressure. It was as if he was trying to relieve some kind of pressure by constantly smoking, to an alarming degree. But he never expected that Zhang would actually go to this point.

The doctor nodded and explained to Jian Xingsui, "Yes, it's not easy to find one. If you are his child, you can do a compatibility test later if it becomes unavoidable to see if your blood and other aspects are compatible."