Assistant Tao was busy organizing documents when he caught a glimpse of someone passing by the car out of the corner of his eye. Instinctively looking up, what he saw startled him.
It was that beautiful young man, more accurately, Hiiragi Yu.
After the accident, Assistant Tao had quickly investigated Hiiragi Yu’s background and presented the file to his boss as soon as Cheng Shenzhi regained consciousness.
It was a melodramatic plot, but even as an outsider, Assistant Tao couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. A striking Omega raised in an orphanage, Hiiragi Yu’s mother had been passionately pursued by a moderately wealthy Beta. She fell in love and married him, only for their first child to be born a Beta.
Desperate to fulfill her husband’s desires, she quickly became pregnant with a second child. Before she could fully recover and deprived of her husband’s comforting pheromones, she suffered a miscarriage. Her health plummeted, leaving her bedridden. Meanwhile, her husband was out indulging himself, eventually bringing home an Alpha’s illegitimate child to raise under their roof.
Assistant Tao had sighed after reading the report. Cheng Shenzhi, however, had stared at the file far longer, remaining quiet all the way up until now.
Assistant Tao watched his boss cautiously, trying to gauge his thoughts. Knowing Cheng Shenzhi as well as he did, he knew it was impossible for him to act as if nothing had happened after an accident like that. Still, he couldn’t read what was going through Cheng Shenzhi’s mind.
“Should we…” Assistant Tao began tentatively.
Ostensibly, they had come to see Professor Li. The professor’s patents were the envy of countless corporations, but every attempt to acquire them had failed, even their own company’s previous representative had returned empty handed.
Cheng Shenzhi didn’t answer. He simply withdrew his gaze from the window, lowered his eyes, and quietly turned to the next page of the document in his hands.
Hiiragi Yu walked briskly with a clear destination in mind, but as he passed the central leisure garden of the residential area, a cheerful shout caught his attention.
“Higher!”
He stopped in his tracks and looked over.
It was a weekday afternoon, leaving the garden almost deserted save for two people. A little girl in a pretty dress sat on a swing, laughing heartily. With every rise, she kicked her legs, making her skirt flutter like a butterfly among flowers. Behind her, a tall Alpha stood patiently pushing the swing.
Hiiragi Yu stared at his sister’s radiant smile, momentarily stunned.
It was Hiiragi Hanqing who noticed him first.
The two men exchanged a silent, heavy look before being interrupted by the child’s joyful calls. As the swing came to a rest and Hiiragi Satoru eagerly asked for another push, Hiiragi Hanqing spoke up.
“Xiaoxiao, your brother is here to pick you up.”
Initially pouting at the interruption, the little girl’s eyes lit up the moment she caught the key word. She spun around, searching left and right until her gaze landed on Hiiragi Yu. The small figure nimbly leaped down from the swing before Hiiragi Hanqing could even try to catch her.
Hiiragi Satoru dashed toward him, pulling up abruptly just two steps away. Her brother wasn’t in good health, and she knew better than to bump into him.
With sweat glistening on her forehead and her cheeks flushed, her bright eyes looked up at him. “Brother! You’re back!”
Hiiragi Yu gazed at his little sister. She looked well cared for, full of life, and was wearing a brand-new dress he had never seen before. Sequins adorned the hem, catching the sunlight as she moved.
The weight that had been pressing on his chest ever since receiving Pan Wang’s message finally lifted. Squatting down, Hiiragi Yu gently wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Hiiragi Satoru stood patiently through his care, then snuggled straight into his arms. “Where have you been the last few days?”
Hiiragi Yu hesitated, glancing up at Hiiragi Hanqing standing a short distance away. Seeing that his uncle didn’t seem to be paying close attention, he quickly signed to her.
[Pan Wang tried to pick a fight, but I ran away.]
Hiiragi Satoru’s eyes widened. She pulled back a few steps to inspect him from head to toe, ensuring he wasn’t injured. Satisfied, she snuggled back against him, balling her tiny hands into fists. “Good job running away!”
She paused, then lowered her voice to a cautious whisper, mimicking his tone. “He tried to bully me too, but I ran away as well!”
Hiiragi Yu let out a silent laugh and held out his palm for a soft high-five. Xiaoxiao is the best!
Flustered by the praise, Hiiragi Satoru hummed shyly and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Footsteps approached, stopping beside them. Hiiragi Yu met Hiiragi Hanqing’s gaze, awkwardly pulled his sister back, and stood up straight. Bending his index finger, he tapped his cheek twice and silently mouthed the word towards his uncle.
Uncle.
The formal address seemed unfamiliar to Hiiragi Hanqing. He frowned slightly, pausing before giving a stiff nod. “Where have you been these past few days?”
Hiiragi Yu signed back: [Something came up.]
Hiiragi Hanqing squinted as he tried to read the movements. He had only learned after returning to the country that his sister’s surviving son was physically frail and speech impaired. Though he had hastily started learning sign language, he hadn’t memorized much yet and found it difficult to follow.
Realizing this, Hiiragi Yu pulled out his phone and typed quickly.
[Something came up, but it’s resolved now.]
Hiiragi Hanqing didn’t press further, simply noting, “Xiaoxiao was very worried about you.”
[I’m sorry. Xiaoxiao and I have caused you a lot of trouble.]
Reading the screen, Hiiragi Hanqing fell silent. Hiiragi Yu kept his eyes lowered, unable to read the man’s expressions or guess his thoughts.
Hiiragi Satoru, however, peeked at the screen. Seeing the message, she immediately flared up in defense of her brother. “You’re not allowed to scold my brother!”
Completely forgetting who had bought her new dress and pushed her swing, she glared fiercely at Hiiragi Hanqing before grabbing Hiiragi Yu’s hand. “Let’s go… let’s go home!”
Hiiragi Yu stood firm.
Remembering her brother’s lessons on manners, Hiiragi Satoru reluctantly stopped, pouting and staring pointedly at the sky to avoid looking at her uncle.
Hiiragi Hanqing felt an unusual sense of helplessness. He let out a heavy sigh. “That’s not what I meant… Never mind.” He turned to Hiiragi Satoru. “I bought you two some clothes and left them at home. Come over whenever you want.”
Hiiragi Satoru instantly remembered the new clothes sitting in her uncle’s house and felt a sudden pang of guilt, her eyes darting around nervously.
“Would you two like to stay over tonight?” Hiiragi Hanqing added. “I have rooms ready for both of you.”
Hiiragi Yu shook his head gently. [I’ll take my sister home.]
Hiiragi Hanqing stared at him for a long moment. Expressing neither agreement nor refusal, he turned and walked away.
As Hiiragi Yu watched him leave, he felt a gentle tug on his shirt. He collected himself and looked down at his sister, who suddenly looked quite bashful.
“Uncle bought me three new dresses this morning…” she whispered. “Can I take them?”
Hiiragi Yu squatted back down and stroked her head softly. [Do you like them?]
Her eyes instantly lit up, and she nodded vigorously.
Hiiragi Yu smiled back. As long as his sister was happy, nothing else mattered.
Relieved by her brother’s reaction, Hiiragi Satoru cast her worries aside and began chatterbox mode, recounting everything that had happened over the past few days.
When Pan Wang had stormed back home in a rage, Hiiragi Satoru had been hiding behind the sofa, anxiously waiting for her brother. Having lived in that environment for so long, she had developed a sharp sense of danger. Recognizing Pan Wang’s explosive mood, she had immediately slipped into her room and locked the door. By the time Pan Wang remembered her existence the next afternoon, she had already snuck out.
Hiiragi Yu’s heart ached as he typed. [So you didn’t eat dinner or breakfast the next day?]
The little girl fidgeted guiltily before puffing her chest out. “Uh-huh… but Grandma made me eat a huge meal later! I ate every bit!”
Hiiragi Yu pinched her cheek affectionately, letting the matter go.
[Do you still want to play on the swings?]
She certainly wanted to, but she knew her brother wasn’t feeling well. Remembering her mother’s words to take care of him, she shook her head obediently. “No, it’s too hot out.”
It was true. Though autumn was approaching, the afternoon heat lingered. Hiiragi Yu wiped the sweat from her forehead once more.
[I’ll take you to get ice cream.]
A popular food street sat near the back gate of University A, known for its affordable snacks and student-friendly atmosphere.
Hiiragi Satoru chattered away at Hiiragi Yu’s side, her eyes darting greedily between the food stalls. Even so, her small hand held tightly onto his shirt. “Can I really have some?” she whispered.
Hiiragi Yu let out a quiet laugh, patted her head, and used his phone to order a hot milk tea and a chocolate sundae.
The clerk handed over their order shortly after, and the siblings found a nearby bench to sit down. Before Hiiragi Satoru could finish her treat, dark clouds gathered on the horizon. Within half a minute, a light drizzle began to fall.
The rain was gentle, but with the evening rush approaching, vendors were busy propping up large umbrellas to stay open.
Hiiragi Yu hesitated. Going back home now meant risking a confrontation with Pan Wang, but bringing his little sister to his university dorm wasn’t ideal either.
As he pondered his options, an umbrella suddenly tilted over his head, blocking out the rain.
Hiiragi Yu looked up and met a pair of deep, narrow, dark eyes staring down at him.