Watching his mom drive toward the residential complex he had just left not long ago, Lin Zong was shocked inside.
Here it comes.
Is it a little brother or a little sister being brought out for a stroll?
Judging by now, it couldn’t be a biological child; Lin Zong guessed it was an adoption.
Or perhaps someone’s family was going through a hard time and looking for adoptive parents?
Due to extreme exhaustion, Lin Zong completely failed to realize that he had fallen into the bizarre mindset that there must be a child. He sat in the passenger seat and fell asleep the moment he closed his eyes.
This nap was exceptionally sound.
So sound that the moment he opened his eyes, he discovered they were home.
The car door was wide open, and someone was poking him with a stick.
This familiar awakening method.
Lin Zong’s sleepiness instantly vanished, and he abruptly turned his head to look.
His mom was truly awesome.
No transformation of a live fish.
Transforming a living person out of nowhere, on the other hand, was a breeze, transforming Huo You right into his house.
Lin Zong glared at him for a few seconds, then dropped his head back against the passenger seat.
It must be a dream.
Why would he see Huo You in his own house?
“Xiaozong, wake up and get out of the car,” his mom poked her head out from the back of the car. “Help your brother get his luggage.”
“Who?” Lin Zong sat in a daze for two seconds, leaped out of the car in bewilderment, and scanned his surroundings. “My brother?”
Where is he?
Could it be the tree by the entrance?
Did it turn into a spirit? Did it send a revelation in his mom’s dream?
The crucial thing is, is this tree older than him?
“Mhm,” Ms. Shen stepped forward, twisted his head around, and forced him to look at Huo You. “Didn’t you always want a brother? Your dad and I worked hard to make one.”
“Huo You?”
Lin Zong couldn’t help crying out, turning his head to look at his mom in disbelief. “You’re saying Huo You is my brother?”
“Uh-huh.” Ms. Shen completely failed to notice Lin Zong’s earthquake-like pupil dilation, still immersed in the joy of finally persuading Huo You to come over.
That way, she wouldn’t have to drive to Huo You’s house after work anymore, and she could constantly monitor Huo You’s health status, letting the helper cook some nutritious meals that aided recovery.
The most important thing was that she could fish in peace on the weekends.
“Isn’t it a surprise? Such a handsome brother.”
A surprise, my foot?
Lin Zong’s mind was in utter chaos, and he simply couldn’t understand how his parents had worked hard.
Worked hard to fight for someone else’s custody rights?
“Why work hard to get a brother for me?” Lin Zong didn’t understand. Although his parents were enthusiastic, they weren’t enthusiastic enough to be the Leshan Giant Buddha.
“Well…” Ms. Shen turned her head to look the other way, looking somewhat evasive. “This reason is a bit detrimental to the healthy growth of teenagers.”
“What,” Lin Zong’s eyes widened instantly, and he raised his voice to ask, “Did you guys get pregnant before marriage and then give the child away?”
“Hey, stop right there! What kind of weird thoughts do you have?” Ms. Shen glanced at Huo You, who was sitting silently in the wheelchair, and seeing that his expression hadn’t changed, she turned back to defend herself. “It was because I accidentally bumped into Xiaoyu, making his life so inconvenient, so I definitely have to take responsibility.”
Hearing this, Lin Zong’s active brain cells finally calmed down.
He had been to Huo You’s house twice, and it seemed he hadn’t seen anyone else.
Except for that brat, who was even ordered by his dad not to look for Huo You.
Does that mean there were no family members who could take care of him?
Lin Zong’s gaze drifted over Huo You, vaguely feeling that his current state looked somewhat lonely.
But his mom didn’t know how to take care of people either.
Lin Zong still felt it was inappropriate and suggested, “You could find someone to take care of him specifically.”
Ms. Shen smiled at him.
A few seconds later.
Lin Zong had a sudden realization: “No way, am I the person you found? You even want to save this bit of money?”
“You don’t even make money, you have no right to think I’m stingy,” Ms. Shen patted him on the back. “Go on, get the luggage. I’m going to call Jianbing out too, the two of you carry them together.”
Lin Zong: “…”
After finishing, Ms. Shen walked over to Huo You’s side.
Just as her hand rested on the wheelchair push handle, Huo You took the initiative to speak, a rare occurrence: “Auntie, you don’t need to bother with me. I’ll go inside with Lin Zong in a moment.”
“Alright,” Ms. Shen nodded. “Just call him if you need anything.”
Lin Zong acted like he didn’t hear, hauling a twenty-four-inch black suitcase out of the trunk.
His movements were very slow, dragging his feet as he waited for his mom to go in through the front gate.
“Huo You!” Lin Zong walked over to Huo You, bent down, and whispered, “Why didn’t you tell me my mom went to look for you?”
Huo You raised his head, the outer corners of his brows lifting slightly.
Although he didn’t speak, Lin Zong seemed to understand.
That look meant “Didn’t I say so?”
Lin Zong recalled carefully.
Unit 1, 301. I’m the one living there.
It seemed he had said it.
But it was said too implicitly, so it could still be blamed on Huo You.
Lin Zong dragged his feet back and reluctantly picked up the large cardboard box in the trunk.
“Zong’er!”
An exclamation came from behind, and Li Jianbing came running over in a whirlwind: “I heard from Auntie that she brought you back a brother, Huo You!”
Li Jianbing’s tone shifted too fast, his voice cracking.
Lin Zong gave a start from the shout, and the cardboard box in his hands shook along with it.
Li Jianbing hurriedly reached out to cup the bottom and catch it.
“Don’t faint, don’t faint,” Li Jianbing said. “Are you stupefied from sleepiness? We’re going to sleep after we finish moving things, so why is your new brother Huo You?”
“What new or old.”
The two of them carried the box toward the front door, temporarily forgetting that even if Huo You could come along, he would stop at the steps before the door.
Huo You sat in the wheelchair with no intention of moving forward at all. His gaze remained locked on the spot where Lin Zong’s and Li Jianbing’s shoulders touched, until the two of them disappeared from his field of vision.
They were standing too close. The scent on Lin Zong’s body was somewhat chaotic, and its attractive force had diminished quite a bit.
Huo You began to regret again why locking his phone in the bedside table couldn’t prevent his skin-hunger syndrome from acting up.
He imagined what his image must look like in Lin Zong’s mother’s eyes.
Very bizarre.
First, sending a message last night saying he was willing to come over to live, and then early in the morning past eight o’clock saying it wouldn’t be a trouble anymore.
Then just a little over an hour later, he said again that he was willing to come over to live.
And now, after actually being picked up, he wanted to go back on his word.
Being so fickle.
He might be disliked.
Huo You sighed, and silently reached out to spin the wheelchair forward.
His speed was very slow, wondering how he should get up the steps.
He should be able to hook onto the wall and pull himself up, but the wheelchair couldn’t go up.
“Huo You!”
The front door was pushed open violently, almost bouncing back the other way.
Lin Zong raised a hand to block the door and ran down the steps in a flurry.
“I forgot all about you,” Lin Zong came down to push him. “And you didn’t even yell out to me.”
Huo You had long known that Lin Zong was different from himself; he didn’t hide his thoughts at all.
Forgotten meant forgotten, and he wouldn’t make up excuses just to save face.
Such a transparent person, it seemed like he could be touched just by reaching out a hand.
If only he could really touch him.
“Come on,” Lin Zong pulled his arm and rested it over his own shoulder. “Hold on tight. I’m about to drop from sleepiness, so don’t blame me if you fall because you didn’t hold on.”
Huo You’s breathing turned light, his gaze sweeping past the dark circles under Lin Zong’s eyes.
The steps beneath his feet felt like a reward, allowing him to press closely against Lin Zong.
Even through their clothes, he could feel the warmth radiating from the other person.
“Stand properly,” Lin Zong turned his head back. “I am going to.”
Halfway through his sentence, his expression turned annoyed: “Huo You, why on earth do you keep rolling your eyes at me?”