Chapter 1

As soon as Lin Langli was led into the Shen family's main residence by the servants, he heard someone throwing a tantrum and smashing things on the second floor.

He sat quietly on the sofa for a while before the Shen couple finally arrived.

"Xiao Li, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting so long." Mother Shen walked over quickly, her tone full of guilt. She gently reached out to touch his cheek, but Lin Langli turned his head slightly to avoid her.

Her outstretched hand froze in mid-air, then awkwardly twitched. "Your brother was throwing a tantrum upstairs," Mrs. Chen tried to ease the tension, explaining, "We just gave him a good talking to. Don't worry, he definitely won't be so naughty again..."

Lin Langli didn't reply. He turned his gaze down to his hand resting on his knee. On his slightly curled knuckles was a conspicuous bright red scar, the hand of the sleeping child who was still crying intermittently upstairs.

What a shameless wretch. A mocking thought crossed his mind; he had no interest in his true identity as the genuine young master of the Shen family, who had been mistakenly switched at birth.

No one could have imagined that what started as a minor conflict between students on campus would lead to such a fascinating story, like something out of a collection of tales.

The Shen family has been the subject of much discussion for a while now, with comments like, "No wonder the twins don't look alike, one of them is a fake," "The fake young master is even bullying the real young master," or "Is he really a fake? Could he be an illegitimate child?"...

Rumors flew all over the city, and it took several days for the paternity test results to come out before Lin Langli was finally brought back to his home.

The one who usurped the position, however, refused to show his face.

Lin Langli probably knew what the Shen family was thinking. The Lin couple had died in a car accident several years ago. Even if Shenmian were sent back, who would want her? Moreover, Shenmian had been raised by the Shen family. How could they just sever the bond of more than ten years?

Lin Langli's guess was correct.

In the south-facing master bedroom on the second floor, Chenmian was still sobbing in the blankets. Chen Ci was extremely annoyed. He tried to pull the blankets but couldn't, and he didn't dare to use too much force to make the delicate little thing inside feel unwell. He also couldn't stop Chenmian from crying anymore, so he could only sit on the edge of the bed and play games.

The messages in the group chat kept coming in one after another, and the game interface was covered up again and again. Finally, Shen Ci couldn't bear it any longer. He reached out and grabbed the corner of the blanket. With a little force, he lifted the blanket and exposed Shen Mian, whose eyelids were red and swollen and whose cheeks were covered with tears.

"What are you doing!" Chenmian couldn't snatch the blanket back, and could only watch helplessly as the other party crumpled the blanket up and threw it on the ground, covering the shards that he had smashed on the ground earlier.

Shen Ci pulled two sheets of paper from the bedside table, grabbed the still restless Shen Mian, and wiped her face haphazardly. His expression was cold: "You couldn't keep your act up when she came back today. You started making a fuss. Weren't you very disobedient the other day? You're so annoying."

“It’s no use being obedient,” Chenmian’s face was red from being rubbed with tissues, making him look even more pitiful, especially with his already red nose and eyes. He broke down and shouted on the bed, “If it were useful, why would Mom and Dad bring him back!”

Shen Ci looked at him strangely, quite puzzled: "Are you out of your mind? What does it mean that he's a member of the Shen family and isn't coming back? You fake thing are acting like you're the host?"

These words were so hurtful that Chen Mian was completely disarmed, but her expression remained calm as she retorted even louder, "But I'm the child raised by my parents. Who is he? Just give him some money, why bring him back!"

Shen Ci was speechless, his head was spinning from all the noise. He touched his temples to calm down, but then rubbed his eyebrow bone against the wound.

That spoiled brat was throwing things around like a madman. He wouldn't dare hit his parents, so he threw them at himself instead. The more I think about it, the angrier I get; I really want to punch him.

He endured it for a while until Shenmian pinched the back of his hand hard, then he let go of the person in his hand. Shenmian's hair was already a mess in the quilt, his pajamas were wrinkled, and a few buttons were undone, revealing one shoulder. He looked like a little madman.

The little madman was still babbling at him: "Could you please ask Mom and Dad to kick him out? I promise I'll never bully anyone again, and I'll eat properly, please, please?"

Shen Ci watched coldly, utterly exhausted: "It's about time I got rid of you."

He was about to cry again, but after all the commotion, the person on the bed finally nestled in his arms and fell asleep peacefully.

He gently placed the person back on the bed, and Shen Ci carefully picked up the blanket from the floor and shook it. But when he looked back at the person on the bed with tear stains, he automatically went back to his room to get a new blanket to cover him.

Ignoring the inquiries in the group chat, Shen Ci stood by the bed, quietly watching Shen Mian sleep soundly.

When he was asleep, he seemed especially well-behaved, showing none of his usual fierce and annoying nature. He was already quite handsome, with a somewhat androgynous appearance. When he was asleep, his long, curly, dark eyelashes were visible, and his eyelids had a pinkish-pearl luster. Because he had been crying for a long time, they were still trembling, making him very endearing.

Shen Ci felt that the reason why his family was so indulgent and doting on Shen Mian, such a fool, was probably because of his good looks.

There was a light knock on the door twice, and before Shen Ci could answer, the person outside pushed the door open and walked in. It was his older brother. Shen Ci breathed a sigh of relief and subconsciously turned his gaze back to Shen Mian, as if to make sure he hadn't been woken up.

"How long did he make a scene?" The older brother bent down and touched the forehead of the person on the bed with the back of his hand. "He cried like a little kitten."

“She started crying as soon as her parents came back, and she only just fell asleep.” After answering, Shen Ci paused, then couldn’t help but ask, “He’s here?”

In the end, the one downstairs is his real twin brother, and he has no blood relation to the person in bed.

But Shen Ci always felt a little awkward. After all, they had known each other for more than ten years. Although Shen Mian was pretentious and annoying, she was quite cute when she wasn't making trouble or doing anything naughty.

But he was also acutely aware of the conflicts and disagreements between the two. Lin Langli must hate Chenmian to the core; and Chenmian, on the other hand, was probably feeling guilty and afraid, afraid that this rightful owner would return and take everything away from him.

It's all so confusing no matter how I think about it.

The eldest brother remained expressionless, still smiling, and gently brushed the tear stains on his sleeping face with his fingertips: "Mom and Dad are chatting with him, do you want to go downstairs?"

Shen Ci was in a state of utter confusion: "Mom and Dad won't let Shen Mian leave, will they?"

"He bullied others at school, and that's how this got discovered. If he hadn't caused trouble for himself, who would have found out? In the end, he deserves it."

Shen Ci couldn't help but say, "You can't say that. He was also instigated by others."

"Stupid and wicked." The eldest brother laughed and withdrew his hand, glancing at him. "Go out, let's have a family meeting." Clearly, he had excluded Chenmian.

When he awoke from his deep sleep, the sky was already tinged with gray-blue, and the sun had almost set. The room was dimly lit, as the lights were off. The room was quiet, and so was the outside. His heart tightened, and he jumped out of bed.

She had barely taken a few steps after her foot touched the ground when a sharp pain shot through her. Looking down, she saw that the glass and ceramic shards on the ground hadn't been cleaned up yet, and there was a small cut on the outer part of the sole of her foot, from which thin lines of blood were seeping out.

Chenmian felt extremely wronged. Why weren't the servants coming in to clean anymore?

The thought of driving Lin Langli away that had been swirling in his mind before has now subsided. Lin Langli is his parents' biological son, while he is just a fake young master who was switched at birth. If they insist on driving him away, he simply cannot win the argument.

Thinking this, Chenmian became extremely frightened. Ignoring the wound on her foot, she pushed open the door and went out to look for someone.

The corridor was unusually quiet. He couldn't hear anything from Shen Ci's room across the way. He moved his feet and quietly hid at the top of the stairs, peering down the wall.

The living room was lit with warm yellow lights. Dad, Mom, Big Brother, Shen Ci, and Lin Langli, whom he hated with a passion, were sitting on the sofa talking.

His mother's expression was kind, just like when she had coaxed him before. Chenmian secretly stared at her, feeling extremely jealous!

Why is Mom so good to Lin Langli? The moment Lin Langli arrived, Mom and Dad forgot about him? Couldn't they just give him some money to get rid of him? Lin Langli can't do anything; he's definitely not as good as me!

They were a bit far apart, and Shenmian couldn't hear what her family members were saying, but the atmosphere was harmonious. Shenci was sitting next to Lin Langli, peeling an orange, while Lin Langli was looking down at the cup in his hand, his fingertips gently rubbing the cup. He seemed unwilling to pay attention to his family, but at this moment, he was the center of everyone's attention.

Chenmian glared fiercely at Lin Langli, looking him up and down and feeling that the other was inferior to her.

Lin Langli's clothes are so old-fashioned, all faded from washing, so cheap; his demeanor is also cold and unappealing; he doesn't resemble Shen Ci at all, perhaps he isn't the real one.

He thought maliciously, and then carefully examined the other person, trying to find something about him that was inferior to himself.

The gaze was too intense and filled with malice. When Lin Langli looked up, he met the figure at the top of the stairs. The two stared at each other, and Chen Mian's face turned ashen as if she had been burned. She subconsciously shrank into the shadows.

"Sleep, come down." The older brother followed his gaze and saw him, beckoning and calling out.

Chenmian had no choice but to emerge from the shadows, but he was barefoot and his pajamas were wrinkled, making him look completely out of place with the person below.

As expected, Chenmian saw her father frown.

Chenmian dawdled and refused to come downstairs, but in the end, Chen Ci got up, took three steps at a time, came up, grabbed his arm, and half-dragged and half-pulled him down.

"Why aren't you wearing shoes?" Shen Ci asked in a low voice. "Did you step on any of those crumbs?"

Chenmian remained silent. Chenci looked down and saw a trace of blood on the other person's foot.

Then I glanced at the expression on the person next to me; they looked so pitiful.

Is he just playing the victim again?

Chenmian carefully sat down next to her mother, facing Lin Langli.

Although the hatred in his heart was bubbling up, with the victim sitting right across from him, he no longer had his previous arrogance. He shrank back to a small size, looking obedient and docile.

Father Shen spoke first, instructing, "Shen Mian, greet your younger brother."

The word "younger brother" made Chenmian's eyes light up. Did this mean that his parents wouldn't kick him out? But then he thought that it also meant that Lin Langli was really going to stay.

I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.

"Brother..." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, but she couldn't bring herself to say those two words.

There was some disgust, but more than that, there was a sense of guilt.

He recalled how he used to bully Lin Langli. At first, it was just because he disliked the other party, but it eventually escalated into something else entirely.

The Shen couple carefully observed the expressions of the two, and when they saw that Chenmian was so obedient, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Langli, the son who had been neglected since Chenmian's arrival, finally spoke, uttering his first words since arriving at the Shen family: "Chenmian, you weren't like this when you were bullying me."

A note from the author:

New article started!

This book is much lighter than the previous two, less melancholic and dramatic, so I hope you all enjoy it! I love the main character, Sleeping Baby o3o; I was almost overwhelmed by his cuteness while writing it, hehe~

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