When others in the group chat received the address and rushed over, they found Song Yi happily eating a small cake while Hang Feng stood beside her with an exasperated expression, holding her milk tea.
Everyone: "..."
Something seemed off about this scene. Who was supposed to be comforting whom?
Murong Huan was the first to jog over. She glanced at Song Yi, then looked at Hang Feng, opening and closing her mouth hesitantly.
Miss Murong had never really comforted anyone in her life, so she didn't know how to begin.
Hang Feng stood up just as Quan Le came over, concernedly grabbing his arm and looking him up and down. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Hang Feng shook his head and handed the milk tea to Song Yi.
Song Yi had just finished her cake and tossed it into a nearby trash bin before coming back to take the milk tea.
Jiang Yiheng was the last to walk over. He glanced at Hang Feng and said, "We've booked a private room at the hotel next door. We still need to celebrate your birthday."
Hang Feng pressed his lips together, then nodded.
He had never celebrated his birthday with friends before, and had never even had friends.
This was his first time experiencing what it felt like to be cared for by friends.
It felt... not unpleasant.
However, Hang Feng's rare good mood didn't last long. When the hotel room door opened, everyone fell silent.
On the sofa—
Shen Yujing and another young man were wrestling on the ground. Shen Yujing seemed to have the upper hand, and in his hand he was holding... an Ultraman onesie.
They could only recognize Shen Yujing because his blonde hair was too distinctive.
After hearing the door open, Shen Yujing immediately let go and stood up, revealing the face of the person lying on the ground.
Well, it was Xu Che.
Wait... Xu Che???
Song Yi's eyes widened, and she instinctively glanced at Hang Feng, then used her eyes to question Shen Yujing: Why was Xu Che here?
Shen Yujing turned around with his bruised face and smiled at the door, saying, "Oh, you're here?"
Everyone who saw this scene felt very complicated emotions. Murong Huan was the first to ask, "What are you two doing?"
Shen Yujing answered matter-of-factly, "Fighting, can't you tell?"
Song Yi pointed at the onesie in Shen Yujing's hand and asked, "Why are you holding that?"
"Long story short," Shen Yujing proudly lifted his chin, "I just had a fight with Xu Che, and I won. According to our old rules, I get to make one request."
Jiang Yiheng pushed up his glasses and asked expressionlessly, "What did you request? Another fight?"
"No," Shen Yujing shook his head and waved the onesie in his hand, proudly declaring, "I invited him to wear cool Ultraman onesies with me! But because he refused, we started fighting again."
Song Yi: "..."
What an absurd and ridiculous thing, but considering it was Shen Yujing doing it, it somehow made sense.
By now, Xu Che had already stood up. He lowered his head to dust off his clothes, his gaze looking past the crowd toward Hang Feng.
The human barrier that was Shen Yujing also looked over and asked, "Why are you all being so weird, just standing at the door? Come in!"
Song Yi looked at Hang Feng, concern in her eyes.
If Hang Feng didn't want to be in the same room as Xu Che, it would be awkward for the birthday boy to just leave.
But fortunately, Hang Feng didn't say anything and simply walked in, pulling out a random chair to sit down.
Song Yi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and sat down next to Hang Feng.
Shen Yujing came over and pulled out the chair on Song Yi's other side, saying quietly, "How about that? On such an important day, I brought the brothers together for an honest conversation. Aren't I clever?"
Song Yi looked at Shen Yujing with a complicated expression and said, "You're such a genius."
Hearing Song Yi's praise, Shen Yujing smiled despite the bruise on his cheek.
Song Yi silently turned her head away and said, "Stop smiling."
Shen Yujing asked curiously, "Why won't you let me smile?"
"It's too ugly," Song Yi said, shaking her head in distress, and repeated, "It's really too ugly."
Shen Yujing: "..."
Suddenly feeling insecure, Shen Yujing, who had always been most proud of his handsome face, was being told he was ugly for the first time.
So Shen Yujing turned to Quan Le on his other side and asked, "Am I really that ugly?"
"Today you are," Quan Le said, then added as if to comfort him, "But Xu Che is just as ugly as you, so it's okay, you have him for company."
Shen Yujing: "..."
Thanks, but that wasn't comforting at all.
Xu Che and Hang Feng were seated facing each other, meaning they could see each other just by looking up, which was quite awkward.
So one looked down at his hands while the other stared at the tableware, both trying their best to be invisible.
This continued until the food was served and the waiter thoughtfully closed the door.
Shen Yujing couldn't stand it anymore. He looked at Xu Che and shouted, "Hey! Are you even a man? What are you hesitating about?"
Everyone turned to look at Shen Yujing at that moment.
Shen Yujing suddenly felt like a hero. Since he was the one who brought Xu Che here, he had to take responsibility!
Suddenly filled with a sense of mission, Shen Yujing looked at Xu Che and criticized him mercilessly, "You've always cared about Hang Feng, always wanted to see him, and considered him your brother, wanting to fulfill your duties as an older brother. Why are you glaring at me? Am I wrong? If that's how you feel, just say it! You keep it all bottled up inside, but Hang Feng isn't a mind reader, how could he possibly understand?"
After finishing, Shen Yujing turned to Song Yi, "Get up!"
Song Yi: "Huh?"
Shen Yujing stood up and put his hand on Song Yi's shoulder, "Get up, let me have this seat."
Although Song Yi was confused, she still got up and switched seats with Shen Yujing.
Shen Yujing looked at Hang Feng and said, "I've known your stubborn brother for many years now, and I can tell you his personality is even more difficult than yours, so he doesn't have many friends either and lives quite miserably. Don't hold it against him."
Song Yi: "..."
Really? But didn't you perform in a play with Xu Che's friends at the Saint Yu Academy's anniversary?
But Shen Yujing naturally ignored this point and continued rambling, "When your brother and I were in middle school, he would often disappear after class. I secretly followed him twice and found him at an elementary school. I didn't understand it then, but thinking about it now, that must have been your school, right?"
Hang Feng frowned slightly, his gaze still fixed on his hands, but he didn't stop Shen Yujing from continuing.
So Shen Yujing kept talking, bringing up all of Xu Che's strange behaviors from their years of friendship, embellishing them all as "concern" for Hang Feng.
But Shen Yujing didn't know that he had accidentally hit close to the truth, or rather, that most of Xu Che's care and special treatment over the years had indeed been directed at his brother Hang Feng.
Finally, Shen Yujing glanced at Xu Che again and said, "See that scar on your brother's forehead? Isn't it ugly? Let me tell you, that scar is—"
Xu Che cut him off sharply, "Shen Yujing, stop talking."
"Why?" Shen Yujing looked at Xu Che and said righteously, "I won today."
Implying that since he won today, Xu Che couldn't stop him from doing whatever he wanted.
Before Xu Che could say anything more, Hang Feng looked up at him, his eyes complex with emotion, and said, "Won't let him tell me? Then you tell me yourself."
The others sat on the side, their reactions evolving from initial amusement to being touched, and now they didn't dare move a muscle.
Xu Che remained silent for a long while before slowly beginning to recount what had happened years ago.
Hang Feng lowered his eyes again, but this time no one saw that his hands resting on his legs were slightly trembling.
From what Hang Feng knew of Xu Che, he wouldn't lie.
Which meant...
All these years, in places where he couldn't see, Xu Che had been protecting him well.
Xu Che had fulfilled his duties as a brother, but knowing that he was disliked, he tried his best to stay out of sight.
Perhaps it was because of losing their father today that the power of blood ties seemed to come alive in this moment, telling Hang Feng something while simultaneously drawing him in.
Now that Xu Yuanguo was dead, perhaps between him and Xu Che, they could...
At this moment, Shen Yujing's casual voice rang out again: "But do you know how Xu Che got that wound on his hand? It has nothing to do with you! He was bitten by a turtle he keeps at home! Haha! If I hadn't accidentally seen it today, I wouldn't have known that Xu Che actually keeps a turtle as a pet! Isn't that hilarious?"
After speaking, Shen Yujing was surprised to find that no one responded to him.
Really? No one's laughing at something this funny? What are they doing?
Shen Yujing raised his head, about to ask, when he noticed Murong Huan desperately winking at him, seemingly trying to hint at something.
Confused, Shen Yujing followed Murong Huan's gaze, only to see that Hang Feng beside him had also lifted his head again.
However, this time, Hang Feng's eyes were ice-cold, without any of the earlier hesitation and softening that had been like melting snow.
Huh? Something seems off here. Shouldn't they be reconciling as brothers and crying together now?
How strange, this script wasn't going the way Shen Yujing had imagined.
Hang Feng stared at Xu Che, spitting out each word through gritted teeth: "You stole my turtle?"
