Wan Qiu returned home and sat in his huge bedroom.
At his feet was the suitcase he brought back, but Wan Qiu did not start immediately today.
Wan Qiu was in a daze and had not yet come to his senses from having left Chu Zhang's side.
But his phone suddenly rang. It was Yang Xiaoyu.
"Mom?" Wan Qiu's voice rang out in the empty room.
"Baby, are you home yet?" Yang Xiaoyu asked Wan Qiu.
Yang Xiaoyu called back from abroad just to confirm that Wan Qiu had arrived home safely.
"Yeah." Wan Qiu responded, and before Yang Xiaoyu was about to speak, she asked, "Mom, do you like your brother?"
Yang Xiaoyu answered without hesitation: "Of course I like it, baby, why do you ask?"
Wan Qiu said, "Isn't my younger brother a substitute?"
Yang Xiaoyu was stunned for a moment, then said, "Mom will never be able to differentiate between Yigui and my baby."
"Isn't it true?" Wan Qiu asked.
"Of course, I believe mom. Yigui is Yigui and baby is baby. Mom knows the difference very well."
Wan Qiu felt much happier because of Yang Xiaoyu's affirmation.
Wan Qiu said: "My eldest brother told me that my parents never abandoned me."
Yang Xiaoyu's voice sounded a little breathy from the other end of the line, and Wan Qiu couldn't tell whether it was a chuckle or a sigh.
"Yes, we are always looking for treasures."
Wan Qiu sat on the bed and looked at the room.
He has two rooms, one here and the other next to his parents' room.
It is said that these two rooms were prepared for him and belonged to him from the beginning.
"Thank you, Mom." Wan Qiu said.
Yang Xiaoyu on the other end of the phone also smiled and said, "Thank you too, baby."
After Yang Xiaoyu hung up the phone, his smile faded but never disappeared.
Although Chu Zhang is always cunning in doing things, he is always serious when facing Wan Qiu.
You should also praise her eldest son occasionally.
Yang Xiaoyu thought.
Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui spent the summer vacation together. Wan Qiu entered the sixth grade, while Chu Yigui entered the third grade of junior high school.
Although it was only a junior high school, it was a school that placed great emphasis on education and academic performance. Chu Yigui became extremely busy starting from the third year of junior high school.
Chu Yigui's schoolwork is becoming more and more demanding. Even though Chu Yigui learns quickly, he still has to prepare and review every day.
When Jiang Chengfeng was tutoring Wan Qiu in sixth grade, he couldn't help but sigh: "Obviously, no one else is forcing him to pursue perfection. Chu Yigui is really the most self-disciplined student I have ever seen."
Wan Qiu listened to Jiang Chengfeng's words and felt that Chu Yigui was really working very hard.
There were a lot of exams in the third year of junior high school, and Wan Qiu also looked at Chu Yigui's test paper, which basically showed full marks.
Even though Wan Qiu had Jiang Chengfeng's tutoring, he could only pass the test.
His younger brother is really amazing.
"I wonder what high school he will go to. Judging from Chu Yigui's grades, he should go to a very good high school."
When Wan Qiu looked up at him, Jiang Chengfeng also asked Wan Qiu.
"When Chu Yi returns to high school, he may not be in this school anymore. Will Wan Qiu feel disappointed?"
Wan Qiu was stunned.
"Will we not be together?" Wan Qiu realized this for the first time.
"There are several high schools in the city. Your current school only has elementary and junior high school departments. You must go to other schools for the high school department." Jiang Chengfeng said to Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu lowered his head and held the pen in his hand. The tip of the pen unconsciously rotated in circles on the exercise book, but he could not write a word.
Most of his homework was blank.
Chu Yigui's homework is very different from his.
Clean, beautiful, and filled to the brim, it was homework he couldn't understand.
He is different from his brother.
He is so stupid, stupider than anyone else.
His younger brother is very smart, smarter than anyone else.
Will he and his brother be separated because of this?
"You two must be very happy to be together every day."
Jiang Chengfeng also felt a little emotional.
"As we grow older, we always go our separate ways from our childhood playmates."
Jiang Chengfeng was just lamenting his past.
I didn't notice that after hearing this, Wan Qiu's handwriting became a little messy compared to his usual seriousness.
Wan Qiu thought a lot.
He took the initiative to find Chu Yigui and talked about further studies.
Chu Yigui said: "I will go to the high school that my eldest and second brothers attended."
After all, it is a high school arranged by the Chu family, so it must be the best.
What's more, Chu Yigui's grades allow him to choose any high school.
Wan Qiu counted on his fingers: "I am in the sixth grade, and my younger brother is in the third grade. When I go to junior high school, my younger brother will be in high school. When I go to high school, my younger brother will go to college..."
Wan Qiu looked up blankly at Chu Yigui.
Doesn't that mean we can't be together forever?
"Even if we don't go to the same school, we will still live together, right?" Chu Yigui said without any grudge, "I have never planned to separate from my brother."
Wan Qiu asked eagerly, "Really?"
Chu Yigui smiled and said, "I never lie to my brother."
"What about college?" Wan Qiu asked, "Teacher Jiang said that the college we chose is in another city. Will we not be together then?"
"I plan to apply to a local university and stay with my brother."
Wan Qiu hesitated, a little confused.
Chu Yigui said it easily.
It seems like a good thing.
But Wan Qiu felt that this might be a bad thing.
Jiang Chengfeng said that with Chu Yigui's grades, he would definitely be able to get into a very good university. Although the local universities were good, they were still far behind other famous universities.
Wan Qiu couldn't clearly understand the difference between ordinary and famous.
But he knew that when buying vegetables, if he had enough money, he would definitely choose fresh and good ones.
What my brother is doing now is choosing not-so-good dishes?
I don't know why.
There is a feeling of blockage in the heart.
During Jiang Chengfeng's extracurricular tutoring in the evening, Wan Qiu told Jiang Chengfeng about Chu Yigui's plan.
Jiang Chengfeng was also surprised: "If Chu Yigui can keep up this performance, it would be a waste of talent for him to go to a local university."
Wan Qiu opened his mouth.
Jiang Chengfeng confirmed his guess.
"This is my choice." Suddenly Chu Yigui's voice suddenly broke into their conversation.
Jiang Chengfeng and Wan Qiu turned around together and saw Chu Yigui, who was standing at the door with a calm expression.
Jiang Chengfeng also had some adult thoughts: "But don't you want to go to a higher education institution for further study? The better the school, the better the resources."
Chu Yigui said: "I don't have such big ambitions. This is the best choice for me."
Jiang Chengfeng felt a little complicated and asked, "Did your family ask you to do this?"
Chu Yigui did not answer.
Jiang Chengfeng glanced at Wan Qiu and couldn't help asking, "Could it be for Wan Qiu?"
Wan Qiu was stunned.
However, Chu Yigui said: "This is my personal problem, Mr. Jiang, please don't ask too much about my privacy."
Jiang Chengfeng hit a snag and touched his nose embarrassedly.
This may not be a very important conversation, it's very brief.
But Wanqiu thought about it for a long time.
Finally one day, Wan Qiu took the initiative to find Jiang Chengfeng and said that he wanted to study hard so that he could skip a grade.
Jiang Chengfeng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Wan Qiu's idea of skipping a grade was probably just something he could only think about.
However, after Jiang Chengfeng told Chu Jianshu about this, he unexpectedly got a different answer.
"As long as he can get half the score, let him skip a grade," said Chu Jianshu.
However, Jiang Chengfeng felt that this was not a good idea.
"Wanqiu is not very smart and is slow to absorb learning content. Homework already fills up Wanqiu's evening time. Adding new courses will be too stressful for Wanqiu."
"Let him do what he wants to do. As long as he is willing to work hard at something, let him try it." Chu Jianshu said, "It doesn't matter whether he succeeds or fails."
Jiang Chengfeng couldn't refute.
Wan Qiu is a child of the Chu family, and the Chu family can protect him for his entire life.
Chu Jianshu indulged Wan Qiu even more.
But considering the academic performance requirements, there should be some expectations.
After this discussion, Wanqiu added several new teachers. In addition to dance classes, Wanqiu also added courses that teach junior high school content.
Chu Yigui was very calm after seeing the home classroom hired by Chu Jianshu on the first day.
But on this day, when Wan Qiu was studying, Chu Yigui was always by his side. He did not do his homework, nor did he preview or review.
After the tutor left, when Wan Qiu was organizing today's learning content, suddenly a hand pressed on his textbook.
Slender and beautiful fingers, on the white paper covered with words.
The fingers clasped the textbook tightly, and the pressure left indentations and wrinkles on the paper.
Wan Qiu's gaze followed the arm, raised his head, and looked at Chu Yigui.
Under the light of the desk lamp, Chu Yigui's face seemed a little unclear.
"Why does brother suddenly want to learn junior high school content in advance?" Chu Yigui asked.
Wan Qiu answered honestly as always: "I want to be in the same grade as my brother, so we can be together in high school and college."
Chu Yigui lowered his eyes and looked at Wan Qiu under the light of the desk lamp.
Even without Wan Qiu saying it, Chu Yigui already knew that this must be the reason.
Chu Yigui's silence made Wan Qiu think that he did not answer Chu Yigui to his satisfaction.
"I should be in the same grade as my brother, or even a grade higher than him, but I'm just too stupid."
"I could have gone to school with my brother."
"My younger brother can also get into a better university."
Chu Yigui listened to Wan Qiu telling his inner thoughts intermittently.
He withdrew his hand that was holding Wan Qiu's book, and quietly curled it into a fist in the shadow where the desk lamp could not reach.
"Brother, even if you are promoted to the third year of junior high school right now, we may not go to the same high school or the same university." Chu Yigui said.
Wan Qiu looked up, unable to find the words for a moment.
"Brother, there is no need to force yourself." Chu Yigui said.
In Wan Qiu's pupils, Chu Yigui was reflected in the darkness, observing and gazing at him.
Chu Yigui finally softened his voice: "Do you want to come with me?"
"Yeah." Wan Qiu responded honestly.
"Me too."
Chu Yigui lowered his eyes, and when the desk lamp shone more clearly on Wan Qiu's face, he just stared at him and described it.
"So I'll find a way, brother."
Chu Yigui didn't want Wan Qiu's efforts for him anymore.
It's like a basket that is already full and can't hold any more sweet oranges.
But when he saw that the fresh, plump and colorful oranges could not be collected, he became extremely anxious.
"I'll try to find a solution too." Wan Qiu lowered his head. "It's always my brother who comes up with the solution."
Chu Yigui opened his mouth but said nothing.
Wanqiu is gradually developing self-awareness and habits, and he cannot deny Wanqiu.
Wan Qiu just didn't understand what these unintentional care and small actions were bringing him.
"Brother..." Wan Qiu raised his eyes tentatively, "Why are you unhappy?"
Chu Yigui sighed.
In the end, he just smiled and said, "I just hope that my brother can relax a little. The courses in junior high school are much more difficult than those in elementary school. I'm afraid it will be difficult to skip a grade."
"I know." Wan Qiu said as a matter of course.
Chu Yigui did not ask any further questions.
The topic finally ended like this, and Chu Yigui returned to his normal state.
But instead of studying alone all the time, Chu Yigui would occasionally attend Wan Qiu's tutoring courses to guide Wan Qiu.
Unexpectedly, once Chu Yigui was in charge, Wan Qiu's learning progress was very fast.
It seemed as if Chu Yigui naturally knew how to make Wan Qiu understand, and Chu Yigui also said that this method could consolidate his learning content.
Although Jiang Chengfeng has basically lost the opportunity to tutor Wan Qiu, he would often come here to assist other teachers.
As he watched from the side, Jiang Chengfeng suddenly realized that Chu Yigui seemed to have been tutoring Wan Qiu for longer than the private tutor.
They are two children who love to study.
By the time Wan Qiu really went to junior high school, his mission was over.
A little... a little reluctant.
During this year, Jiang Chengfeng witnessed Wan Qiu's rapid growth.
People are always changing through continuous learning and changes in the environment, and Wan Qiu is the same.
When the winter vacation came, Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui discussed spending the entire winter vacation studying junior high school knowledge.
Jiang Chengfeng, who was not going to come during the holidays, also came for unknown reasons.
Sixteen-year-old Wan Qiu seemed to be taller than during the summer vacation.
Her already beautiful eyebrows and eyes now look even more heroic.
Wan Qiu's voice also changed secretly.
From the original childish androgynous voice, it has developed into a more gentle voice.
Maybe she's still in the voice change period, it sounds a bit itchy to the ears.
The doctor told Wan Qiu to take good care of his throat and speak as little as possible.
Jiang Chengfeng looked at Wan Qiu. God knows why he felt like he was watching a young baby suddenly grow up.
Chu Yigui didn't seem to have changed much. He had been like this from the beginning.
Since Chu Yigui was already very tall and hadn't grown much, Jiang Chengfeng felt that this was a normal growth for him.
Wan Qiu is growing too fast, probably because he is in a good mood and has taken good care of himself.
Even though he was studying during the winter vacation, Chu Yigui was not as hardworking as he was during the winter vacation. He spent most of his time with Wan Qiu.
Chu Yigui seemed to enjoy learning everything, and even learned the teaching methods of Wan Qiu's tutor.
Chu Yigui kept his eyes on Wan Qiu, while Wan Qiu was focusing on his studies.
And one day, Chu Yigui suddenly received a call from the director of the orphanage.
"Yigui, I haven't seen you contact us for a while." The dean said to Chu Yigui in a soft female voice with a hint of smile.
Chu Yigui smiled and responded: "I have contact, but less."
The dean usually chats more with Chu Yigui, but today, after greeting him, he suddenly became silent.
"What's wrong? Dean, what happened?"
Chu Yigui didn’t care too much about it. He guessed that the man might need money, so he was reluctant to ask.
"Yigui, is there no one around you now? Are you alone?" asked the dean.
Chu Yigui lowered his eyes, stood up, and took his phone to a farther place where no one could hear his voice. "It's time now."
The dean sighed deeply, while Chu Yigui frowned slightly.
"Yigui, are you doing well now?" asked the dean.
"I'm living a good life." Chu Yigui responded.
"It's the third year of junior high school now. Is the workload heavier?" asked the dean.
"It's not that difficult."
The dean hesitated for a long time, and Chu Yigui noticed something and said, "I will go and see it during the New Year this year."
If there is anything I can help you with when you get back, just tell me now.
The dean understood Chu Yigui's subtext, and then he said hesitantly: "A man came to our orphanage and said he wanted to find a child."
When Chu Yigui heard these words, his expression subtly darkened.
"What he said was very similar to the situation when we picked you up that year," said the dean.
"Are you saying that he could be my biological father?" Chu Yigui asked directly.
The dean also let out a long sigh, and Chu Yigui felt relieved.
"You were adopted through formal procedures. He shouldn't have come looking for you at this point, but he said that someone else lost you. He didn't know you existed back then. Now he really hopes that father and son can recognize each other."
The dean's voice came from the phone, as gentle as ever.
Chu Yigui leaned against the wall, looking a little cold.
"If he is really your father, would you like to come to the orphanage to see this man?" the dean asked hesitantly.
Chu Yigui asked back, "Did the dean tell him about me?"
"Well, I had no reason to hide it, but I didn't tell him where you were. After all, you are now..." The dean's voice paused briefly, "You already have a good family now."
Chu Yigui's voice still sounded calm. He continued to ask, "Have you told my parents about this?"
"I was going to tell them directly, but after thinking about it, I decided to ask you first."
"Director, please don't tell my parents about this for now. I will consider whether to go to the orphanage during the New Year based on the situation. I will contact you later."
"You are a child with strong ideas. Don't be too stubborn."
After knowing this sentence, the dean implied that he would consider whether to meet.
"Thank you, Dean." Chu Yigui responded.
Chu Yigui hung up the phone and looked out the window.
In winter, the street lights outside the villa are on, illuminating the snow piled on the edge of the road, making the whole night appear very bright.
The weather is very good tonight, no snow and no cloudy weather.
Chu Yigui pushed open the window, and the cold air instantly invaded his whole body, wantonly sweeping away his temperature like a demon devouring warmth.
Chu Yigui stood in the cold air and exhaled a puff of white mist.
Suddenly a hand held his, warm, which was out of place on the cold winter night.
"You'll catch a cold." Wan Qiu's voice came from behind.
Chu Yigui turned around and saw Wan Qiu’s tutor was still not far away.
Chu Yigui closed the window and said, "It's getting late today, it's time to send the teacher back home."
"Yeah." Wan Qiu said.
"If you still want to learn, I can teach you."
"Okay." Wan Qiu responded.
Chu Yigui knew that Wan Qiu was looking at him.
But in the end, Chu Yigui said nothing.
Chu Yigui did not go to the orphanage during the Chinese New Year.
They spent a happy and lively year together.
A few days before school started, Chu Yigui called the dean.
When Wan Qiu heard that Chu Yigui was going to the orphanage, he naturally thought that he would go too.
With the experience from last time, I learned how to pack my own luggage this time.
Chu Yigui looked at the small box that Wan Qiu had already packed and showed a somewhat amused expression.
He told Wan Qiu that he would not be gone for long this time and there was no need to pack so much.
Wan Qiu was very confused and took out a lot of things.
When the dean learned that Chu Yigui was going to an orphanage, he specifically asked Chu Yigui whether he wanted to notify his biological father.
Chu Yigui also asked why the dean mentioned that man so repeatedly.
The dean said that the other party looked very sincere.
Chu Yigui couldn't judge what the so-called "earnestness" meant.
While sitting in the car, Chu Yigui instinctively looked at Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu didn't know who he would meet this time.
He looked no different from usual, and was even reciting the text he was required to memorize in junior high school in a low voice.
Chu Yigui would occasionally remind Wan Qiu of some parts that he had not remembered, and the atmosphere in the car was no different from usual.
Arriving at the orphanage, Wan Qiu greeted the familiar director and nurses.
Everyone was happy about their arrival, including the children.
They brought candies, toys, new clothes that the children liked...
Wan Qiu noticed that there seemed to be a few fewer children and more unfamiliar faces.
The extra faces are lost.
The few missing children...
"Was he adopted?" Wan Qiu murmured.
Chu Yigui knew which children were missing.
We also know which ones were adopted and which ones died from the disease.
But Chu Yigui didn’t intend to tell Wan Qiu.
The dean quietly leaned close to Chu Yigui's ear and said, "He will be here today. Does your brother know about this?"
Chu Yigui shook his head: "I don't know."
"Are you planning to let your brother know?" the dean thought. "If your brother knows everything, then tell your parents too."
"Just give me some space to talk to that person alone." Chu Yigui said.
The dean looked at Chu Yigui's back with some worry.
Chu Yigui looked too calm.
Any child will always have some complicated emotions when facing his or her biological parents.
The dean doesn't think Chu Yigui is an exception.
When Chu Yigui was playing with a child nearby, he noticed the look in Wan Qiu's eyes.
Those eyes, like mirrors, seemed to be digging out the emotions buried beneath his calmness.
Chu Yigui did not escape, he smiled at Wan Qiu.
He would not escape Wan Qiu, nor was there any need to escape.
Chu Yigui, who was playing with the children, heard the dean calling him.
Chu Yigui stood up and walked towards Wan Qiu.
While Wanqiu and other children were building blocks, he squatted down next to Wanqiu.
Wan Qiu turned around and looked at him.
Chu Yigui rested his shoulder on Wan Qiu's shoulder.
Wan Qiu blinked, turned his head and leaned on Chu Yigui's shoulder.
Chu Yigui also leaned on Wan Qiu's head.
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