Everything Bai Mingzhen had asked Bell to prepare for Bai Huan consisted of daily necessities—clothing, food, and other things he would need for everyday life. Cheng Yueqing had refused to let him take even a single coin with him, so even his electric toothbrush had to be replaced.
Wang Caiyi helped Bai Huan unpack and organize the things the beautiful assistant had delivered.
She knew nothing about brands. She only felt that every piece of clothing had an unusual texture when she held it in her hands. Some were as light as feathers, while others were as heavy as lake water.
She grew even more careful as she hung the clothes and trousers in the wardrobe one by one, arranged several backpacks meant for different purposes along the bottom of the cabinet, and carried three or four pairs of shoes outside. Everything the boy owned seemed utterly out of place in this home, just as he seemed out of place beside his parents.
Returning to Bai Huan's side to continue unpacking with him, Wang Caiyi couldn't help sighing. "Your eldest brother really does treat you well."
"He raised me. Our relationship is different." Bai Huan lowered his head and unwrapped a Chanel crocodile-leather wallet. Irritated, he tossed it aside. He didn't like this style. What on earth had Bai Mingzhen been thinking?
Wanting to learn a little more about him, Wang Caiyi asked, "What about your adoptive mother?"
"She has to work. Looking after children is the nanny's job, but when she's home, she plays with me too."
Bai Huan picked up a navy-blue shawl. Wang Caiyi couldn't figure out what this thing was supposed to be. It didn't quite look like clothing, but it didn't look like a scarf either.
"How are you supposed to wear this?"
Bai Huan demonstrated for her. "When you're wearing a shirt, you can drape it over your back and tie a knot in front."
"Not very practical," Wang Caiyi said.
Bai Huan glanced at her and fell silent.
Wang Caiyi hurriedly added, "It really suits young people like you."
Only then did Bai Huan respond. "You look very young yourself."
Wang Caiyi said, "Oh, hardly. I'm already forty this year."
This reminded Bai Huan of Cheng Yueqing's age.
Cheng Yueqing had given birth to three children. Her eldest, Bai Mingzhen, was already twenty-eight, and she had just celebrated her fifty-second birthday in the first half of the year. Yet she looked considerably younger than Wang Caiyi, whether in the lines on her face or the brightness in her eyes.
Although the passing years had worn down the people around him, he remained unmoved. All he hoped was that this miserable life would show him a little mercy.
Finally, Bai Huan took two paper boxes from the very bottom of the shopping bag. Each had a sticky note attached, one reading "For Mr. Chen" and the other "For Ms. Wang."
Bai Huan handed both boxes to Wang Caiyi.
"Bai Mingzhen gave these to you."
Wang Caiyi was overwhelmed by the gesture. "How could we possibly accept these?"
She still instinctively regarded Bai Huan as a member of the Bai family and tried to refuse several times. Only under Bai Huan's calm gaze did she realize that they were mother and son now, and there was no need to be so polite.
She finally accepted the boxes and carefully opened them.
"Oh, this is too generous. He really shouldn't have spent so much."
The gifts for the couple were identical Hermès wallets, considerably more understated than the one Bai Huan had been holding, except that one was a men's style and the other a women's.
Wang Caiyi guessed that the gifts must be extremely expensive.
"Then you absolutely must help your dad and me thank your eldest brother properly," she told Bai Huan.
Then she added, "Actually, your adoptive mother gave us gifts when we first met, too."
Bai Huan asked, "What did she give you?"
Wang Caiyi got up and went to the master bedroom to fetch the two items.
One was a pale-green formal dress, and the other was a dark-gray suit. Both were covered with dust bags, and it was obvious that Wang Caiyi treasured them.
Bai Huan merely glanced at them, and his expression became rather difficult to read.
He could tell that the two outfits Cheng Yueqing had given them had previously been worn by her and Bai Mushan. But Chen Yuanyuan and Wang Caiyi knew nothing about such things and had carefully stored the clothes away as though they were treasures.
Bai Huan wasn't about to stand up for them over this. He simply thought his mother had made her intentions a little too obvious.
"They're quite nice. They suit you," he said.
Wang Caiyi hung the clothes back up, then returned to collect the packaging scattered across the floor.
"They are beautiful, but they're too expensive and flashy. We don't really have many opportunities to wear things like this."
"You could wear them to work," Bai Huan said.
"Oh, I wouldn't dare. If I suddenly turned up at work wearing such expensive clothes, my colleagues would gossip about me behind my back."
Wang Caiyi went on to tell Bai Huan just how annoying some of her colleagues at school were.
Although Bai Huan listened, the words went in one ear and out the other.
When Wang Caiyi finally stopped, he asked thoughtfully, "Mom, when school starts in September, will I have to transfer?"
Wang Caiyi's relaxed expression disappeared, and her gaze turned serious.
She crouched beside Bai Huan and said softly, "About school, here's the situation. The tuition at your private school is far too expensive. Your dad and I can't afford it, so we'll definitely have to transfer you to a public school here in Lanshuitang."
Seeing that Bai Huan remained silent, Wang Caiyi moved a little closer to him.
"Taimi, I know having to adjust to a new family and a new school at the same time must be very difficult. But your dad and I will do our best to help you gradually get used to living here."
"The public school in Lanshuitang is very good, too. There are several bus routes connecting it to the city center, and you can get there in half an hour. There's even a bus that passes right by the entrance to Taohua Lane, so you won't have to rush to get to school."
"Quite a few famous people graduated from that school, and its university admission rate isn't low either."
"Besides, I happen to work there. Mom will be one of your teachers, so I'll be able to look after you at school, too."
Bai Huan's gaze grew unfocused.
"Is that all?"
Wang Caiyi didn't understand what he meant.
"What did you say?"
Bai Huan shook his head.
"Nothing."
The boy made no attempt to conceal his dejection.
Wang Caiyi didn't know exactly what had upset him, but she could guess a little.
She raised her hand, intending to straighten his collar, but the boy instinctively dodged her touch.
For a moment, she didn't know what to do with herself.
She let out a long sigh, then spoke even more gently.
"Taimi, I know the conditions here aren't as good as they were at the Bai family's home. But your dad and I will definitely work hard to give you a better life. If there's anything you're uncomfortable with, or anything you want, you must tell us. We'll take things slowly, all right?"
Bai Huan continued arranging the shopping bag in his hands.
Only after a long while did he nod and say quietly, "Okay, Mom."
Wang Caiyi felt somewhat relieved.
After telling Bai Huan that she was going to prepare dinner, she left the room.
It wasn't until he heard the soft sound of the door closing that Bai Huan raised his head.
His face was utterly calm, completely devoid of emotion.
After a dinner that had left him with absolutely no appetite, Bai Huan took a shower and returned to his room to lie on the bed.
Holding two phones, he thought about how he didn't have a penny to his name and decided to sell one of them.
The courier came to collect the package the very next day.
Chen Yuanyuan and Wang Caiyi were both at work, so neither was home.
Bai Huan stood at the doorway and cooperated with the courier as his information was entered into the system.
Thinking that he would probably have ten thousand yuan in his account the day after tomorrow, he finally felt a little better than he had yesterday.
He closed the door.
After taking just two steps, he reached the dining table.
A sticky note from Wang Caiyi lay on top of it.
"The food is in the refrigerator. Just take it out and heat it up before eating."
A moment later, Bai Huan appeared in the kitchen.
He opened the refrigerator.
Everything inside was neat and clean. The prepared dishes were sealed with plastic wrap.
Bai Huan leaned closer to examine them carefully.
There was salted pork with edamame, sweet shrimp, and rice cakes with pork ribs. The dishes had even been arranged carefully on their plates.
Unfortunately, he had no appetite.
He found a disposable paper cup in the cupboard, poured himself some water, and called Bai Mingzhen while drinking it.
Bell answered.
"Can I get next month's allowance in advance?"
Bell told him he couldn't.
Damn it.
Bai Huan hung up.
He threw the empty cup into the trash can, then went back to his bedroom to sleep.
This counted as an afternoon nap.
He slept until after three in the afternoon.
The curtains were half-drawn. Outside his window stood a towering, enormous camphor tree, its leaves swaying against the glass like green waves.
Having just woken up, Bai Huan stared blankly at the fluttering leaves.
—This was the most boring day of his entire eighteen years of life.
Without a penny to his name, he couldn't do anything or go anywhere.
The boy took out his phone and called Cheng Yueqing.
Not to ask for money.
Cheng Yueqing answered very quickly, and she sounded pleasantly surprised.
"Taimi?! How are you doing at their place?"
"I've only just arrived, so I can't really say whether it's good or bad. But they're quite nice people."
Hearing Cheng Yueqing's voice, Bai Huan couldn't help feeling a sting in his nose.
He heard Cheng Yueqing give a cold snort, just as she had countless times before when dealing with people she considered petty and small-minded.
But with him listening, she restrained herself considerably.
"How good could they possibly be? No matter how nice those two are, if they'd had any ambition, they would've moved out of Lanshuitang long ago! You know, Mr. Chen studied at Peking University back in the nineties, and Ms. Wang studied that... what was it? Sculpture, at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Goodness, and after all that, look how they've ended up! A family like that, and they still insisted on taking you away. I really don't know what they were thinking."
Bai Huan gave a long, quiet hum of acknowledgment and pulled down the air-conditioning blanket.
"But I'm already an adult. Actually, they can't force me to stay with them."
The woman on the other end of the phone fell silent for a long time.
When she finally spoke again, she changed the subject.
"Mom happens to be out shopping right now. I've seen a couple of outfits. How about I have someone send them over to you?"
"Are you with Bai Chen?"
"Bai Chen is two or three hours older than you. You should call him Little Brother."
"Then what about Bai Xing?"
"How about calling him Second Brother?"
"Whatever."
Bai Huan sat up and leaned against the headboard.
The old wooden bed, custom-made by a carpenter years ago, creaked beneath him.
He frowned.
"Mom, did they tell you they're transferring me to a school in Lanshuitang?"
"They did, they did. Our two families discussed it less than two days after we got in touch."
Cheng Yueqing didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with the transfer.
Her voice sounded quite cheerful.
"That school in Lanshuitang isn't bad. The facilities are just a little poor. Luckily, you've already mastered all your coursework at your private school. Otherwise, if you suddenly transferred to a public school, you might have trouble adjusting and end up at the bottom of the class."
Bai Huan couldn't think of anything to say.
He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
"You don't need to send me any clothes. Bai Mingzhen already prepared some for me."
"He's always meddling in everything. Mom still has things to do, so I'll stop here. If anything comes up, give me a call. Whatever happens, Mom won't abandon you."
Although she sounded eager to end the conversation, Cheng Yueqing still waited for Bai Huan to hang up first.
Unless he had absolutely no other choice, Bai Huan wouldn't resort to crying, throwing tantrums, or making a scene to solve his problems.
Especially when he knew perfectly well that the problem couldn't be solved that way.
He put down his phone and thought for a while.
In the end, he decided to make the best of his circumstances.
At least the Bai family had no intention of abandoning him.
That meant he could simply regard the Chen family's home as a temporary place to stay.
He only needed to spend one year here, finishing his final year of high school.
Once he entered university, he could say goodbye to this place—to backward, impoverished Lanshuitang.
Meanwhile, after ending her call with Bai Huan, Cheng Yueqing asked a sales assistant to take Bai Chen to look at this year's new autumn collection.
She herself remained in the empty reception room, where she began making one phone call after another without the slightest restraint.
She called Bai Mingzhen again.
"Did you buy clothes for Taimi?" she demanded.
"...Ms. Cheng, this is Bell. Lawyer Bai is in a meeting."
"Put him on the phone."
Bell was just about to refuse her request when the door to the conference room opened behind her.
Bai Mingzhen was the first to emerge.
Seeing Bell holding his phone, he casually took it from her and answered as he walked toward his office.
"Hello."
"Eldest, I heard from Taimi that you bought him clothes?" Cheng Yueqing repeated her question.
Bai Mingzhen entered his office.
"Did he tell you that himself, or did you ask him?"
Cheng Yueqing said, "I brought Bai Chen shopping today. He likes Prada clothes the most. I picked out a few outfits and was planning to buy them for him, but he said you'd already bought him clothes and he didn't want mine. That's why I'm asking you."
"His name was already registered with those brands. Every season, they were supposed to deliver boxes of clothes, bags, and accessories directly to the house. This time, when they called the housekeeper, the housekeeper passed on your instructions that the name Bai Huan would no longer be used and should be replaced with Bai Chen."
"They couldn't figure out what was going on, and they couldn't reach you, so they had no choice but to ask Bell. Bell couldn't make the decision herself, so she came to me for a solution. I simply bought him a few VIC memberships with brands he frequently uses. What, is there a problem?"
"Why didn't you tell Mom about it?" Cheng Yueqing complained. "Buying several VIC memberships must have cost nearly ten million yuan altogether. What a waste! It would've been so much more convenient to let the two brothers share one account. But no, you just had to show off your wealth and throw money away."
"Would he be able to stand sharing an account with someone else? If he found out, he'd throw another fit." Bai Mingzhen laughed.
"Then don't let Little Chen find out that you opened new accounts for Taimi. If he learns that Taimi has already moved out of the family home and you're still spending huge sums of money on him, he'll feel it's unfair," Cheng Yueqing warned.
Bai Mingzhen didn't seem concerned.
"You treat Bai Chen well, and I look after Taimi. What's unfair about that?"
Cheng Yueqing was left speechless for a moment.
Her face turned livid with anger, and she began attacking him in a shrill voice.
"Little Chen has been living away from his real family all these years! I'm treating him well to make up for what he's suffered! But what about you? You're his eldest brother, and at your age, you can't even manage to keep up appearances! Instead, you turn around and mock your own mother! I've spent all these years looking after someone else's son, and I've had enough!"
"I haven't," Bai Mingzhen said calmly.
"W-What did you say?"
Cheng Yueqing thought she had misheard him.
"It's nothing more than blood ties. If you want to care about them, go ahead. But the fact that I'm Bai Huan's brother is something no one can ever change. As his elder brother, of course I'll look after him for the rest of his life."
Bai Mingzhen leaned back in his chair.
"As for Little Xing and Bai Chen, having their mother is enough for them."
Cheng Yueqing took a deep breath.
She laughed twice, then smoothed her hair and picked up her coffee for a sip.
"Right now, you're simply used to having Taimi as your younger brother. Once Taimi changes his name back, acknowledges his biological ancestors, and returns to his rightful family, you'll realize just how ridiculous the things you're saying today are."
After finishing her complaints about the younger boys, she asked another question.
"Oh, right. As for those girls your grandfather and I picked out for you, if there's anyone you like, you should take the initiative to contact her. Go out for a meal or have some tea together. You're not getting any younger. It's time you started thinking about settling down and starting a family."
Cheng Yueqing rattled on at length.
But when she finally stopped talking, she discovered that the call had been disconnected at some point.
Her instincts prompted her to call someone else.
After making some inquiries, she discovered that shortly after she had canceled all of Taimi's club memberships, foreign-language training courses, and lessons in musical instruments, philosophy, and financial management, transferring everything over to Bai Chen instead, the fees for Taimi's original arrangements had been paid again.
When she asked who had done it, the answer was Bai Mingzhen once more.
She was so furious that she nearly threw her phone across the room.
Bai Huan barely touched the food in the refrigerator.
He merely stirred it around a few times to make it look as though he had eaten some.
When Wang Caiyi returned from work, she was surprised to find that so much food was left.
She hurried to his room and asked, "Why did you eat so little?"
Bai Huan was leaning against the headboard, decorating the new scrapbook Bai Mingzhen had bought him.
This time, he was creating a beautiful European-style manor.
He was so absorbed in his work that he couldn't be bothered to look up.
"I didn't wake up until the afternoon, so I didn't eat much. I'll eat with you and Dad later."
"Your dad has to work overtime tonight, so he won't be coming home for dinner. It'll just be you and me. I'll heat up the food, so come out and eat."
"Mm."
Bai Huan and Wang Caiyi ate a quiet, boring dinner together.
After putting down her chopsticks, Wang Caiyi clearly wanted to chat with the boy a little longer.
But Bai Huan pretended not to notice.
He stood up, gathered the bowls and chopsticks, and headed toward the kitchen.
"Mom, I'll wash the dishes."
The boy insisted on washing dishes for the first time in his life.
Rapeseed oil and rendered pork fat were pushed toward the edges of the sink by rings of snow-white dishwashing foam.
Thick layers of greasy residue clung to the rim of the stainless-steel basin.
Mixed with the leftover rice and vegetables soaking in the water, they made the sink resemble a sewer.
He still lacked experience in dealing with the world and didn't yet understand whether he was voluntarily lowering himself or silently lying low, waiting for his chance.
All he knew was that the confident comeback he'd been envisioning that afternoon was already on the verge of collapsing.
Halfway through washing the dishes, Wang Caiyi came in holding his phone.
"The eldest son of the Bai family is calling you."
Bai Huan hurriedly dried his hands and took the phone.
Wang Caiyi naturally took over the remaining work in the kitchen.
He stood beside her to answer the call, without leaving immediately.
"Come downstairs."
Those were the only two words that came through the phone.
Bai Mingzhen's voice was low, slightly cold, and, as always, lacking in emotion.
Bai Huan told Wang Caiyi he was going out, changed his shoes, and ran downstairs.
On his way, he even greeted Grandma Xiangxiu, who was leaning against her balcony, fanning herself to cool off.
There was no sign of Bai Mingzhen downstairs.
Bai Huan ran out of Taohua Lane, passing through several winding alleyways.
It was a midsummer night, and by the time he reached the street, his forehead was covered in sweat.
A Volkswagen was parked by the river.
A man wearing only a T-shirt and suit trousers was leaning against the car, smoking.
The glowing tip of his cigarette flickered in the darkness.
When he saw Bai Huan, he stubbed it out.
With his heart full of sadness and grievances, Bai Huan rushed forward and threw his arms around him.
Bai Mingzhen froze for a moment.
Then he wrapped one arm around the boy's shoulders and gave him a brief hug before pushing him away.
In a rare display of gentleness, he lowered his head and asked, "Who bullied you?"
"I washed the dishes."
Bai Huan spread out both hands for him to see.
"..."
Bai Mingzhen was speechless for a long moment.
When he finally spoke, his tone had returned to its usual coolness.
"The Chen family isn't rich. Washing a few dishes is nothing."
No sooner had the man finished speaking than he noticed a glistening streak on his younger brother's face.
Then came a second, and a third.
He touched one with the back of his finger.
It was warm.
Tears.
The distant streetlights illuminated the tear tracks on the boy's soft, downy face.
He didn't look particularly pitiful.
If anything, he looked even more beautiful.
"I barely ate anything all day. The salted pork was too salty, and it didn't even look nice. The pork ribs weren't baby back ribs, and they smelled fishy. The sweet shrimp were tiny little things with no flavor at all. The only thing that was remotely acceptable was the edamame the grandma who cuts hair downstairs gave us."
Bai Huan suppressed his sobs and looked up at his eldest brother.
Then, in a perfectly calm voice, he declared, "Bai Mingzhen, my life is over."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Bai Mingzhen frowned and pulled him into the car.
He placed two food containers on his lap.
Bai Huan wiped away his tears and opened them.
Inside were dishes from the restaurant he often ate at: fried rice with seasonal wild greens and eggs, sliced abalone with lily bulbs, dressed raw beef, and a serving of old duck soup.
Unlike many people around him, some of whom worshipped Japanese cuisine while others adored Western food, Bai Huan had no interest whatsoever in foreign dishes.
He only liked Chinese cuisine.
No matter which region of the country a dish came from, he could appreciate its distinctive qualities.
Bai Huan shoveled mouthful after mouthful of rice into his mouth.
He cared about etiquette and rarely ate in such a ravenous manner.
Bai Mingzhen watched silently beside him, his expression unreadable.
"Can you have someone deliver food to me every day?" Bai Huan asked.
"No."
Bai Mingzhen refused without hesitation.
"They're your parents. You should live with them and eat the food they cook."
Bai Huan hadn't gotten what he wanted.
His grip tightened around the spoon.
The resentment he'd been suppressing for two days finally erupted.
He flung the beef from his spoon straight onto the man's crotch.
"If that's how it is, then you and I have nothing to do with each other! I won't eat your food either!"
Bai Mingzhen lowered his eyes.
Slowly, he removed his glasses.
With a smile that wasn't quite a smile, he muttered, "You little bastard."
The next second, he grabbed the beef from his crotch and forcibly stuffed it into the boy's mouth.
Bai Huan made as though to spit it out, but Bai Mingzhen immediately covered his mouth with his hand.
All Bai Huan could do was glare at him furiously, his eyes wide open.
Even the outer corners of his eyes, which usually drooped slightly, had lifted in anger.