This was the first snow of the year in Chongcheng, and itch was not particularly cold.
Xu Yiwen stood at the entrance of the Xu family courtyard, a layer of pale ash settling on his plaid scarf.
He reached out to brush off the accumulated snow, crushing out a cigarette that had been hard to finish amidst the fluttering snow.
A bitter taste lingered in his mouth, his throat burning slightly. It was his first time smoking, and the experience was far from pleasant.
Frowning, he pressed his fingertip against the spring-loaded trash can flap, which had its original color hidden beneath layers of fresh snow, and tossed the half-smoked cigarette inside.
Xu Baoan, whom Xu Xiangchuan and Jiao Qin had found a month ago, was only being allowed to meet him today.
The corners of his cool, detached eyes lifted slightly.
That was fine, really. This was the strongest sense of presence he had ever felt after all those years of trying to please his parents.
The entire family had been keeping his background a secret, hiding the very existence of Xu Baoan.
Slowly pushing open the cast-aluminum courtyard gate, carved with a traditional ruyi pattern, Xu Yiwen habitually put on a warm, genial smile.
“Xiao Wen, you are here? Come over here quickly.”
Amidst the lively front yard, Qiu Yao’s aged and feeble voice was not particularly loud, yet it carried through the snowflakes, drifting straight into his ears. Xu Yiwen could recognize the tone instantly.
Walking along the bluestone path that had just been cleared of snow, Xu Yiwen ignored the noise coming from the two people building a snowman nearby.
Reaching the leisure area carved out on the west side of the front door, he headed straight for Qiu Yao, who was sitting in a wheelchair.
“Grandmother,” Xu Yiwen bent down into a half-squat, his slightly reddened hands gently pulling and adjusting the cashmere blanket over Qiu Yao’s legs. “It is cold outside. Why did you not go inside to rest?”
Qiu Yao’s wrinkles crinkled with smiles as her weary, warm hands lightly gripped Xu Yiwen’s. “Grandmother is not cold. Seeing our Xiao Wen makes my heart warm right up.”
“And look at you, Xiao Wen,” Qiu Yao began rubbing the chill from his hands. “Why are your hands so cold?”
Xu Yiwen smiled and shook his head, the sound of footsteps crunching through the snow overriding his smile.
“Xiao Wen-ge,” said the man wearing a colorful striped woolen hat, his tone carrying a trace of provocation, “you would not happen to have come so late just because you were scared to meet Baoan-ge, would you?”
“We have all already finished lunch,” the man said, reaching out to give a gentle tug to the man beside him, who was wearing a little bear hat and gloves. “Right, Baoan-ge?”
“Yeah.” Xu Baoan breathed out a puff of hot air, his voice tiny.
Xu Yiwen bit his jaw imperceptibly, smiled as he stood up, and turned to face the two of them.
Xu Baoning, wearing the rainbow hat, was the only son of his second uncle, Xu Yichuan. He had a cute face that won him endless favor from the elders, yet he always wore this arrogant, haughty expression whenever he looked at Xu Yiwen.
He used to not understand why, but now he did.
Probably because Xu Baoning did not want to call an adopted orphan his brother.
Xu Yiwen’s gaze shifted horizontally to the man who was about the same height as Xu Baoning.
He was the same age as Xu Yiwen, yet possessed an even more obedient and adorable appearance than Xu Baoning. This was Xu Xiangchuan and Jiao Qin’s biological son, the true eldest grandson of the Xu family, Xu Baoan.
“Some students stopped me after class to ask questions, so I was running late,” Xu Yiwen explained evenly, neither fast nor slow, before politely extending his hand. “Hello, Xiao An. Nice to meet you. Welcome home.”
“Y-you are welcome.” Xu Baoan flurriedly pulled off his glove and grasped Xu Yiwen’s slender, jade-white fingers.
“What do you mean, welcome home!” Xu Baoning yanked Xu Baoan’s hand back, snapping at the man opposite him, “What are you even implying? This has always been his home!”
“Baoning!” Qiu Yao clutched her chest, coughing as she pointed a trembling finger at Xu Baoning. “Why are you yelling at your brother!”
Xu Yiwen hurriedly turned back around, bending down to gently pat Qiu Yao’s back to help her catch her breath. “Grandmother, it is fine. Please do not get upset.”
A disgruntled hiss sounded by his ear. Xu Yiwen glanced sideways at the two figures who had already pushed open the door and headed into the living room.
Ever since his grandfather passed away, Xu Baoning had stopped putting on an act in front of Qiu Yao, slowly growing bold enough to hurl malicious words at Xu Yiwen right to her face.
As far back as he could remember, Xu Baoning had competed with him over everything.
It started small, like a piece of dessert or a piece of clothing, and scaled up to company shares and career choices.
Yet in the end, big and small alike, every conflict had ended with him making concessions.
The desserts and clothes had all gone to Xu Baoning, and he had given up the shares and the chance to develop a career within the company, choosing instead to become a university lecturer.
The only thing Xu Baoning did not rush into with a stress-induced reaction was the arranged marriage with the younger son of the He family.
The He family was one of the most illustrious and prominent dynasties in Chongcheng, their corporate empire spanning the globe with industries covering finance, technology, energy, and beyond, possessing unfathomable wealth.
The heads of the family, He Jing and Wang Congmeng, had three children.
The eldest son, He Xiqi, had differentiated as an S-class Alpha and was currently serving in the Fifth Army District, unmarried.
The second daughter, He Xiyou, had differentiated as an S-class Omega, served as the director of an authoritative research institute in Chongcheng, and was already married with children to her childhood sweetheart.
The youngest son, He Xihuan, had differentiated as an S-class Alpha and was the only child to enter the He Group.
With an older brother devoted to the military and an older sister infatuated with experiments, he naturally became the group’s heir.
A family with such a prestigious background and no internal fighting was one that countless people would break down doors to enter, desperately trying to climb aboard.
Yet Xu Yiwen had never wanted to attach himself to them.
Before his grandmother and parents spoke the name “He Xihuan,” he had no idea who this person even was.
Even now, a year into their marriage, he still did not know how he had ended up being chosen.
Was it because he looked like He Xihuan’s first love? But He Xihuan rarely missed a chance to mock him for looking old.
Was it because of their pheromone matching rate? But their compatibility was only a normal 80 percent.
Xu Yiwen exhaled a breath of mist, his gaze shifting to Qiu Yao’s white hair.
Though his marriage to He Xihuan was not a normal one, it was still better than surviving miserably on the margins of the Xu family.
Over the past year, he rarely returned to the Xu house.
He only came back when Qiu Yao missed him, or when his parents and second uncle needed him to contribute something.
Xu Yiwen’s fingertips brushed against Qiu Yao’s white hair, fluttering in the wind and snow, his dense eyelashes trembling slightly.
Now that Xu Baoan was back, his twenty-odd years of ingratiating himself had been completely and silently swept away by this snowstorm.
No matter how much he compromised, no matter how much he gave, he, the adopted son, was destined never to receive a shred of love from his parents.
“Grandmother, let us spend Chinese New Year together this year, okay?” Xu Yiwen’s dark brown pupils held only Qiu Yao. “I will take you to Chuncheng. Just the two of us.”
“What are you saying?” Regaining her breath, Qiu Yao gently clasped Xu Yiwen’s left hand, continuing to warm it for him. “You and Xihuan just got married a year ago. If you want to go to Chuncheng, go ahead, but do not worry about me.”
Snowflakes drifted onto the old, withered back of her hand, pausing for a few seconds before slowly melting, leaving behind a droplet of water rounded like a tear.
Qiu Yao’s physical condition grew worse by the day, and there was no telling when this harsh winter might take her away.
He would not let this cold season take away the only person who truly cared about him.
Xu Yiwen flipped his left hand over, his fair palm covering that droplet of snow as he tightly gripped Qiu Yao’s hand. “Grandmother, Xihuan is quite busy at the end of the year, so he probably will not have time to go. The two of us can go together. Chuncheng is warm, and the flowers are still blooming at the end of the year. I will take you to see them.”
Qiu Yao narrowed her smiling eyes in hesitant contemplation, but the voice from behind the door cut her off.
“You really are full of bad intentions! Do you not know your grandmother’s health is poor?”
Xu Yichuan’s round eyes widened even further as he grabbed the handles of the wheelchair, lecturing him while pushing her toward the house. “Mom, look at you, insisting on waiting around for him! Your real grandson is already back, why bother caring about an adopted son!”