“Brother, then what should I say…”
Want to go?
Of course he wanted to go.
Su Tang’s eyes suddenly lit up, but he quickly lowered his eyelashes and whispered, “Grandpa won’t let me go to far places.”
Li Xingchuan pinched his fingertip: “That means he won’t let you go alone.”
“If an adult accompanies you, he will agree.”
Su Tang thought Brother was truly amazing—he really guessed it right!
When Uncle Li went personally to tell Grandpa that he would take responsibility for watching him and ensure his safety, Grandpa thought about it and actually nodded in agreement.
Su Tang had never participated in any lively occasions, nor had he ever thought he would have such an opportunity. In the past, he had only seen what a “party” looked like on television.
Throughout this entire week, he would lift his small face from time to time, looking eagerly at Li Xingchuan and asking:
“Brother~ Will there be a small waterfall made of chocolate?”
“There will be.”
“Then, that kind of sparkly, colorful wine, will there be that too?”
“Yes. But you’re only allowed to smell it.”
“Why~”
“Children don’t drink alcohol.”
“Oh, okay… Then, then can I drink as many beverages as I want until I’m full?”
Li Xingchuan smiled lightly: “Not eating desserts?”
Su Tang’s pretty eyes suddenly widened into round circles, shining brightly like fallen stars: “Oh right! You can’t just drink beverages!”
“You have to save room in your stomach to eat lots of delicious things!”
He shook Li Xingchuan’s arm, his voice soft and mushy, unable to hide his jubilation: “Brother~ I, I’m so happy!”
Li Xingchuan also hooked the corners of his mouth.
He was in a pretty good mood too; he was about to have money soon.
To Su Tang, a week’s time felt as long as a century.
Yet in the blink of an eye, the days passed.
The little suit hastily tailored for Su Tang by the butler’s order was finally delivered at the very last moment.
Naturally, it was paid for with Li Shenglan’s money.
—That clause stating, “When Party B accompanies Party A to attend special occasions, they may bring companions. During this period, all reasonable expenses incurred by the accompanying personnel shall enjoy the same reimbursement rights as Party B,” was something Li Xingchuan himself had added with his own hands when negotiating the contract. And now it came in handy.
Su Tang’s little suit was put on him by Grandpa.
At that time, it was 7:30 in the morning, which counted as waking up very early for Su Tang.
The morning light filtered through the door, not intense, but softly spreading inward, sprinkling over Su Tang’s pink suit.
The moment Su Tang turned around and smiled, Grandpa Su felt as though the time around them had frozen.
—He was shocked by the unfamiliar beauty before his eyes.
He had always known his precious grandson was good-looking, but until this moment, he suddenly realized: when dressed up just a little, this child could actually appear a hundred times, a thousand times prettier than usual.
And this “prettier”… was not something he had provided.
The pretty darling standing before him now—how could he still look like the little grandson he had raised single-handedly?
This noble yet soft temperament made him look more like a precious, deeply pampered young master from some prestigious aristocratic family.
His eye sockets grew hot for no reason. He felt he owed his grandson too much.
And for the first time, he faintly realized that although Li Shenglan’s son was unruly and unpredictable in his ways, the people of the Li family seemed to genuinely treat his grandson well.
—At least up until now, they had never treated him shabbily.
When the car drove over to pick them up, Li Xingchuan was already sitting inside.
He pushed the door open, got out, and walked toward Su Tang.
The moment he saw Su Tang, he, just like Grandpa Su, froze for several seconds.
Until Su Tang let go of Grandpa’s hand, trotted over to hug his arm, and softly called “Brother, Brother~,” Li Xingchuan’s gaze finally moved away from that outfit and fell back onto that upturned little face.
Li Xingchuan gave a soft “Mn,” took Su Tang’s hand, turned to Grandpa Su, and said stiffly, like reciting a script: “Grandpa, I will take care of him.”
When Grandpa nodded in response with “I’m really troubling you both,” he muttered “No trouble” before turning to lead Su Tang toward the car.
Once Su Tang was placed in the back seat by Li Xingchuan, he widened his eyes and stared fixedly at the starlight ceiling inside the car with his small face tilted up.
Covering his mouth as if afraid of disturbing Uncle Driver, he whispered in astonishment to Li Xingchuan: “Brother, stars~”
Li Xingchuan fastened the seatbelt for Su Tang: “Mn, stars.”
He patted Su Tang: “If you’re sleepy, sleep a little longer.”
“It’s not going to be that fast.”
Su Tang clung to Li Xingchuan’s arm and looked out the window.
He saw the sunlight spilling across the earth and the familiar scenery receding backward, and asked softly, “Where is Uncle Li?”
Li Xingchuan said: “Never mind him.”
“He’s in another car.”
Su Tang’s heart was overflowing with jubilation; how could he possibly sleep? Along the way, his little mouth chattered incessantly. Many things that seemed completely ordinary in Li Xingchuan’s eyes became novel discoveries here with Su Tang.
Li Xingchuan didn’t find it annoying; he even slightly curved the corners of his mouth and took the opportunity to teach Su Tang a few simple English words.
Su Tang was long used to the smiles Brother occasionally revealed. But the driver in the front seat, glancing at this scene through the rearview mirror, felt a hidden shock in his heart—
He had driven for the young master for so many years.
Ever since Madam passed away, this was the first time he had ever seen the young master smile.
The fun of a charity gala naturally lay in the gala itself.
However, the institution tours and panel discussions before the gala were also indispensable.
In the past, Li Xingchuan would have found these procedures boring to the extreme just by thinking about them.
Yet today, these extremely tedious arrangements became Su Tang’s happy new world.
His ears were filled with Su Tang’s chattering, soft gasps of surprise, so Li Xingchuan didn’t find the time dragging either.
When the gala segment arrived, Su Tang simply turned into a cheerful little sparrow.
He circled around Li Xingchuan, calling out softly, “Brother, Brother,” without stopping. One moment he would tilt his head up to ask if he could hug that plush toy, and the next moment he would blink his damp, big eyes and whisper that the dessert counter was too high for him to reach.
In this massive, shimmering, child-themed food paradise, Li Xingchuan didn’t eat anything, nor did he look at anything; he simply followed by Su Tang’s side, acting as an on-call exclusive bodyguard and a mobile encyclopedia with answers to every question.
—Until Li Shenglan’s assistant came over and softly invited him to his father’s side to meet several elders of family friends.
Li Xingchuan had no choice but to go.
He instructed the assistant to stay put and watch over Su Tang, specifically telling him: don’t let him touch alcohol, and not even liquor-filled chocolates. Beverages must only be warm ones, such as milk, oatmeal, or hot cocoa.
Su Tang didn’t want to cause trouble for Uncle Assistant, so he stopped running around and obediently sat back down on the sofa in his original spot, holding that cup of hot cocoa and sipping it in small, dainty sips.
Not long after, a pair of brightly colored shoes suddenly stopped in front of him.
Holding his cup, Su Tang lifted his small face to look up.
He saw a child a bit older than him, wearing a colorful suit but failing to button it up properly, standing before him.
Seeing Su Tang look over, the boy raised his chin slightly and asked casually as if nothing were the matter: “Hey, what’s your relationship with Li Xingchuan? How can you actually boss him around?”
“He’s my brother~” Su Tang put down the hot cocoa, sat up straight, and answered cautiously.
Seeming to sense that Su Tang’s attitude was soft and very easy to manipulate.
The other party stepped forward.
His gaze shifted from cautious probing to unbridled scrutiny: “Who are you trying to kid?”
“Li Xingchuan doesn’t have a younger brother.”
—Not even an illegitimate one. Given Li Xingchuan’s ghostly temper, if he dared to have a cheap younger brother, wouldn’t he tear both his dad and his brother apart?
“I’m not lying…” Su Tang picked at his fingers, lowering his dense, curly eyelashes, and didn’t want to talk anymore.
The other party smiled: “If you say so, then it is.”
“However, don’t you know Li Xingchuan is a little lunatic? Aren’t you afraid of him?”
Su Tang blinked his eyes: “I’m not afraid at all, I like little lunatics the most!”
The other party scratched his head and sat down next to Su Tang: “Uh…”
Su Tang whispered: “I don’t play with people who aren’t crazy~”
The other party rubbed his chin: “Whatever. Let’s not talk about Li Xingchuan.”
“Hey, do you see that person in black over there?”
“That’s my brother, I have a brother too.”
Su Tang let out a “wow” in the direction of his pointing finger, showing appreciation.
The other party let out a proud, hehe laugh.
Finding that Su Tang wasn’t talking to him, he added: “You talk so little.”
“I only came to play with you because you’re as pretty as me.”
“Don’t put on such an act.”
“I’m sorry, then I’ll talk a bit more, I didn’t mean to.”
Su Tang sincerely apologized: “Your brother looks awesome.”
The other party glanced at Su Tang, his tone suddenly turning competitive: “Actually, my brother is a big lunatic!”
Su Tang clapped his little hands: “Wow, your brother is so amazing!”
The tips of the other party’s ears turned red as he said proudly, “If my brother and your brother get into a fight.”
“My brother won’t lose as quickly as other people.”
“My brother is also very amazing.”
“——My brother is a ruthless person!”
Su Tang’s face was full of sincere praise.
He deeply cherished this little partner who was willing to take the initiative to play with him.
In order not to make his partner feel left out again, he clapped his hands and went “wow-oh-wow” to praise how amazing his brother was.
Su Tang felt that being good partners meant giving and taking.
The other party had shared so much with him, so he had to share a little too.
Thus, Su Tang said mysteriously: “——My brother is a werewolf!” [T/N: “Werewolf” sounds like “extra ruthless/badass” when punned in Chinese slang.]
The other party froze for a second.
Suddenly turning angrily sullen, he puckered his lips and pointed at Su Tang: “You are really competitive!”
Su Tang was startled by the other party.
He thought the other party would play along just like he did, going “wow-oh-wow” to praise his brother…
But the other party didn’t, and even got mad.
Su Tang’s brain crashed for a split second, leaving him flustered, anxious, and filled with trepidation.
The assistant originally didn’t want to meddle in children’s conversations; as an adult jumping into this kind of scenario, it was very easy to cause displeasure between the two families’ adults.
—He didn’t dare much.
But at this moment, feeling somewhat unable to watch any longer, he intended to speak up and voice support for Su Tang.
However, Su Tang picked up a small cream cake from the table and handed it to the other party: “Don’t be mad…”
“I’ll give you a little cake to eat~”
The other party glanced at Su Tang, then glanced at the little cake, and suddenly stopped being mad.
—When Su Tang held the cake and looked at him with those bright, watery, big eyes, it instantly made him unable to summon even a shred of anger.
He suddenly said: “You’re really interesting, pretty, and so cute.”
“If I were Li Xingchuan, I wouldn’t hit you either.”
“How about you make friends with me too?”
“Yay~” Su Tang said.
“I’m in the third grade at Chengguan First Primary School, what about you?”
“I’m studying with my brother’s private tutor at his house~”
“How can a private tutor be as fun as a school? Come to Chengguan First Primary School to play with me. Our school is great! If you want to come, I can even have my dad help you!”
“Is it really fun, but isn’t a school a place used for classes?” As soon as Su Tang finished speaking, a gust of wind suddenly swept in from behind him.
With a flash before his eyes, Li Xingchuan had already squeezed in and sat down between him and the boy. The small cream cake that the boy had just received and hadn’t yet had time to touch was snatched away by Li Xingchuan in one swift motion.
Staring at the boy, Li Xingchuan spoke in a voice that wasn’t loud, yet exuded chilliness: “Get lost back where you came from.”
The boy stubbornly retorted: “I won’t.”
“I won’t make a move here,” Li Xingchuan’s voice deepened further, “but once we step out this door, that might not be the case.”
The boy bit his lower lip, glaring at Li Xingchuan as his eye rims gradually reddened. Intimidated by that gaze, he finally wiped the corner of his eye and ran away with his head turned.
Expressionless, Li Xingchuan swallowed that tiny piece of cake in one bite.
Disregarding his new partner being scared away, Su Tang happily hugged Li Xingchuan’s arm: “Brother, you’re back~”
Looking at Su Tang, Li Xingchuan’s initially gloomy and cold expression softened involuntarily. He said in a low voice, “No more giving small cakes to others from now on.”
Su Tang whispered: “I, I just said the wrong thing and made him mad.”
“I didn’t know what to do, so I gave him the little cake~”
Li Xingchuan picked a chocolate cake from the table, forked off a tiny piece with a small fork, and fed it to Su Tang’s lips: “If he gets mad, let him stay mad.”
Su Tang asked: “But when other people get mad because of me, I get scared…”
Li Xingchuan wiped the cream from the corner of Su Tang’s mouth with the pad of his thumb: “What’s there to be scared of?”
Su Tang curled his fingers unconsciously, his voice very low: “I don’t know… I’m just very scared.”
As he spoke, it was as if he suddenly remembered many things, many panic-stricken, helpless moments. He remembered himself in countless pasts who would get beaten the moment he made Father angry.
Su Tang couldn’t swallow the cake all at once. He didn’t want to cry in this public, happy occasion, but his tears simply refused to listen. By the time he noticed, his throat was already choked up, and large teardrops were falling down one by one.
Fortunately, the surrounding people were loud and bustling with noise, and no one paid attention. Otherwise, he would truly hate himself to death for ruining Brother’s good mood.
Raising his hand to wipe his eyes, his wrist was gently grasped instead.
Raising his damp eyes, he saw Brother looking down at him.
Reaching out, Li Xingchuan gently wiped away his tears with the pad of his thumb and said in a low voice, “Tangtang, angry people are not scary.”
“Are they not scary?”
“Of course. People get angry because they are incompetent and cannot solve problems.” Li Xingchuan’s tone was calm and resolute, “Trash who can’t even solve problems—what’s there to be afraid of?”
Su Tang was stunned for a moment, and actually let out a sudden “pfft” laugh, with tear tracks still lingering at the corners of his eyes. He asked in a small voice: “Turns out… it’s like this?”
Li Xingchuan nodded: “Just say whatever you want to say. If he gets mad, it’s because he has a narrow mind. He has a narrow mind and even ruins your mood; he’s the one in the wrong. Next time you run into something like this, don’t spoil them.”
“Brother, then what should I say?” Su Tang sniffled, his eyes full of anticipation.
Looking at him, Li Xingchuan said word by word: “You just say—’Get out of the way, don’t get in my sight.'”
“Did you remember?”