Chapter 2
The atmosphere in the living room froze instantly.
Shenmian could no longer maintain his docile demeanor, and tears welled up in his eyes. He simply could not tolerate Lin Langli, that bastard, being so greedy and aggressive at this moment!
He tried to move closer to his mother, seeking some comfort, but she subtly moved away, avoiding his touch. Realizing his predicament, Shenmian's face gradually lost its color.
Lin Langli continued, "You haven't forgotten what you did to me before, have you?"
Chenmian didn't want to answer this, but everyone was silent, clearly indicating they didn't want to deal with him. He stammered for a while, then reluctantly argued, "I didn't do it."
"..." Lin Langli was so angry he laughed. He was greatly shocked by Chen Mian's shamelessness. He took a deep breath before speaking: "Does ordering others out mean it doesn't count as you doing it?"
What was said was true, and Chenmian didn't know how to respond.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, it was finally Shen Mian's father who spoke up: "Shen Mian, apologize to your brother. Look at what you've done!!"
Mother Shen followed closely behind: "Xiao Li, this naughty child has gone too far. Your parents will teach him a lesson for you. Please don't be angry, okay? It's not worth getting upset over him."
No one spoke up for him. Being questioned in public, even though they were all family, Chenmian still felt humiliated and embarrassed.
He was sobbing inwardly, but he forced himself not to let the tears fall and refused to apologize to his father.
His parents were cold and indifferent to him, but spoke to Lin Langli with gentle words and coaxed him. Is blood relation really that important?
Turning my head, I saw Shen Ci still casually eating an orange, seemingly uninvolved.
Shen Mian couldn't help but feel angry. He and Lin Langli had already fallen out like this, and Shen Ci was still acting like it was none of his business. He was really disheartened.
Lin Langli could not fathom the shamelessness of Chenmian. Even when the victim was in front of him, Chenmian had countless reasons to believe that he was not wrong.
And the Shen family? They were just as rotten as anyone else.
The dismissive conclusion, intended to be "mischievous," was met with Lin Langli's forceful closing of his eyes. His anger burned within him, refusing to subside.
The young man clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white. He glanced at the crowd before him, a mocking look on his face: "Is one word 'mischievous' enough?"
Father Shen's face darkened, and the eldest brother, who had been silent all along, suddenly stood up, smiled, and patted Lin Langli on the shoulder: "Xiaoli, how can we be so calculating among family members? Shen Mian is young and doesn't know any better, and he's been spoiled. We'll teach him properly in the future and won't let you suffer any more grievances."
In the end, it's all just an excuse. They even brought up the excuse that they're "too young to understand," even though they're clearly the same age.
Lin Langli's lips curled up, and he didn't say anything more, but the sarcasm in his eyes deepened.
Hearing this, Shenmian felt extremely wronged, and tears were about to fall again. He knew he was in the wrong, but seeing his parents surrounding Lin Langli, his older brother trying to smooth things over, and even Shen Ci, who always protected him, being indifferent at this moment, he could no longer hold back his tears, which fell onto his knees in a series of pats.
He clutched his mother's clothes, his voice trembling, "Mom, I didn't do it on purpose. Look at him, he's always targeting me..."
Shen's mother ignored him.
"You all favor him!" Shen Mian held back for a moment, but couldn't help but blurt out the accusation, "I'm the one who's been with you for over ten years. He just came back, and you're all doting on him and ignoring me!"
As he tugged at her clothes, Chen's mother didn't know what to do. After all, he was the child she had loved for over a decade, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh or be as cruel as she wished to her own son.
She knew she was biased. If it had been Shen Ci who did this, she might not have hesitated so much, but it was Shen Mian!
When he was a child, Shenmian was so sick that he had to stay up all night, seeking medical treatment everywhere and taking meticulous care of him. Even after growing up, he didn't become a particularly strong and brave boy. He was so clingy and liked to act spoiled. When you add up the time he spent with his other two sons, it's not even half the time he spent with Shenmian.
How can I not be biased?
Mother Shen couldn't help but sigh, feeling very soft-hearted. But as she looked down, she caught a glimpse of Shen Mian's bare feet on the carpet, with blood seeping from the edges of her feet.
The wound, dusty, stood out starkly against her fair skin.
"Mianmian, what happened to your foot?" Mother Shen exclaimed in surprise as her attention was diverted.
Mr. Shen looked over as well: "Did you step on some broken pieces? Look at you, throwing things around like that, doesn't it hurt?"
The couple's attention immediately fell on Shen Mian's wound, and their previous apology and guilt towards Lin Langli completely disappeared.
Chenmian leaned against his mother, on the verge of tears. He noticed that his parents had started paying attention to him again, while Lin Langli stood to the side with a cold face. Suddenly, a hint of smugness rose in his heart, and his devilish little horns popped out again, but he didn't show it on his face. His voice became more and more aggrieved: "None of you care about me. After I woke up, I stepped on something, and it hurts every step I take."
Chen's mother was heartbroken, her eyes filled with pity.
Shen Ci coldly observed the scene before him, which was utterly pretentious, and let out a cold snort.
All you do is cry!
I don't understand how someone with such a small wound could be made to look like they have a terminal illness while in a deep sleep.
On second thought, the fact that Chenmian used the pitiful act so skillfully must have been learned from him.
How many times did he fall for Shen Mian when he was a child?
"Stop crying, it's no big deal." Shen Ci couldn't stand it, but although he threw out the words harshly, he pulled open the drawer under the coffee table and took out a first-aid kit. "Stop howling, the wound will heal if you keep crying."
Lin Langli, standing to the side, felt only irony as he watched this harmonious family scene unfold before him.
He, the real victim, was left out in the cold, while the bully, who only suffered minor injuries, was surrounded by his whole family, showering him with concern and care.
Chen's mother was still comforting her: "Mianmian, don't cry. What if you can't breathe? It's Mommy's fault. Mommy neglected you."
"Mom." Chen Mian sobbed, secretly glancing at Lin Langli with a hint of smugness in her eyes. Sure enough, her parents still cared about her the most!
Shen Ci opened the medical kit, took out iodine and cotton swabs. His movements weren't gentle, but they didn't hurt Shen Mian: "Shut up. Didn't I just ask you? And you still ignored me."
While cursing, his hands moved slowly and methodically, grabbing the sleeping man's leg and placing it on his knee, carefully picking out the bits of flesh from under the skin, and then gently wiping it with iodine.
Lin Langli watched, finding it all laughable. He slowly stood up, his voice completely calm: "Since you're all busy taking care of Chenmian, then I won't disturb you any longer."
“Oh,” Mother Shen paused for a moment, then quickly got up to stop him: “Xiao Li.”
Lin Langli didn't turn around and was about to leave when someone grabbed his shoulder. His older brother laughed and said, "Mianmian is just spoiled by the family. Just treat him like a child and don't take it to heart."
Seeing that Lin Langli was still leaving and had no intention of staying, the eldest brother sighed: "Lin Langli, you are the one who is the most important in the family. If you really leave, wouldn't that be letting Mianmian have her wish?"
Upon hearing this, Chenmian angrily looked up and glared at his elder brother, only to meet Lin Langli's gaze sweeping back at him. He couldn't help but deflate and shrink back.
The Shen couple also came to their senses and repeatedly advised, "Xiao Li, you are your father and mother's biological child."
Lin Langli stayed behind.
The farce in the hall ended in a muddle. Chenmian was about to win a great victory, but in the end, the eldest brother kept Lin Langli behind with just a few words.
Not only would he stay, but he would also have to live in the room next to hers. Upon hearing this arrangement, Chenmian lost his appetite for dinner and stormed upstairs.
He also heard his father behind him saying, "He's really spoiled! He's throwing a tantrum again by refusing to eat. He's not allowed to eat tonight!"
Back in his room, which was also in a mess, Chenmian leaned against the door, hugged his knees, and squatted down. He felt lonely and helpless in this house, with no one to support him, and he couldn't stay there any longer.
Lin Langli would definitely get revenge on him. He had never been a particularly bright person since childhood. His older brother and Shen Ci could easily get into top universities without lifting a finger and also learn other talents and skills, while he had to pursue art, donate buildings to the school, and finally barely became classmates with Shen Ci.
Lin Langli, whose family was so poor that he certainly wouldn't have had the opportunity for private tutoring, still got into the same school as him and worked part-time in addition to attending classes.
And what about him? Shen Ci often said that he had exchanged ten lifetimes of intelligence for good looks, and his health was also poor; he was born purely to collect a debt.
Why is God so unfair? Are genes really that important?
Enraged, Chenmian rushed out of her room and barged into Lin Langli's room next door.
Lin Langli's parents had long ago instructed people to prepare everything for him, with exquisite decorations and furnishings, even surpassing his previous treatment.
Chenmian felt a surge of anger rising within her. She plucked a flower branch from the vase and poured the water from the vase onto Lin Langli's bed.
After quickly emptying several vases, Chenmian calmed down. Although she was still stubborn, a sense of unease finally crept into her heart.
What if Lin Langli wants to hit him?
—
After finishing his meal, Shen Ci said goodbye and returned to his room to find someone curled up on his bed. He clicked his tongue and wanted to shoo Shen Mian away.
But Chenmian looked pitiful at this moment. He was good at pretending to be innocent and pure. He hugged his younger brother's leg and said in a cute way, "I'm so scared that he lives next to me. What if he hits me?"
Shen Ci said coldly, "Just let him beat you up a few times. What's the point of constantly provoking him?"
Chenmian stammered, "Are you still my brother? How can you say something like that?"
Shen Ci glanced at him expressionlessly, then chuckled, "No, that's not it."
Chenmian is furious.
So he started acting unreasonably, clinging to the headboard and refusing to let go: "He definitely won't let me go tonight, so how about I sleep here for one night? I can sleep on the floor or on the sofa."
Shen Ci glanced at him, thought for a moment, and realized that if they started making a ruckus in the middle of the night, there would definitely be no peace. She reluctantly agreed: "If you dare to get into bed, you're dead. Go sleep on the sofa."
Chenmian nudged him: "Then bring me my pillow and blanket. I'm too scared to go back."
Shen Ci really wanted to scold him, but seeing Shen Mian's cowardly and frightened appearance, he didn't say anything.
After taking a shower, Shen Ci was still a little damp when Shen Mian pushed him out and urged him to go to his room to get a blanket.
The room was just as messy as when he left. The mess he made during the day wouldn't be cleaned up until the maids came to work tomorrow. Shen Ci turned on the light, glanced at the mess, and, as Shen Mian had instructed, took out pillows, blankets, pajamas, underwear, bath towels, and his ever-present Abebe teddy bear.
As he carried the pile of things back, he ran into Lin Langli, who had been left downstairs to talk with the Shen couple for a while before coming upstairs.
The twin brothers finally met at this moment.
Shen Ci stared at Lin Langli, thinking for a long time but not knowing what to say. In the end, he could only say dryly, "Don't worry about him."
Lin Langli glanced at him, said nothing, and went inside.
"..." Shen Ci felt that he was a bit like the husband in the conflict between his mother and daughter-in-law.
Back in the room, Shen Ci found that Shen Mian had climbed onto the bed again while he was away. Fortunately, she was relatively well-behaved and only took up a small part of the bed. When she saw him enter the room, she gave him a flattering smile and lifted the blanket next to her to signal him to get on. She was even more virtuous than the wives in the stories.
never mind.
Looking at Shen Mian's cautious demeanor, Shen Ci recalled how bad-tempered and willful Shen Mian used to be, always causing trouble for others at the slightest provocation.
He felt uneasy: Chenmian has always been like this since he was a child, and he has caused trouble more than once or twice, so why keep harping on it?
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