It’s Exciting to Snatch the Supporting Male Lead and Run Away [Quick Wear] - 44

 

IETSTSMLARA | It's Hard Being an Uncle | 44

Lin Su's thoughts focused on the words System 06 said, They look exactly the same? Are they twins?

Before the world's memories could be sorted out, Lin Su attempted to speak, "Don't, don't cry..."

This tender voice, like that of a little bird, really challenges his bottom line as a top.

Just as Lin Su uttered these words, Xiao Ran beside him threw himself onto Lin Su, crying so hard that he was almost out of breath, "Wu... Wu, brother, brother, mom, dad..."

"You're awake."

Just as Lin Su was at a loss, a cold voice came from the door. With the sound of the door opening, a doctor came over to examine Lin Su. Among the white surroundings, the man who grabbed Little Douding by the collar and lifted him onto the bench seemed like a white crane standing among chickens.

There was nothing else, he was just too good-looking. His eyebrows and eyes were exceptionally charming, seemingly attracting countless people with every move. Yet, because of his overall icy and restrained demeanor, the temperature of the entire room seemed to drop.

The doctors only asked about his condition without any extra words. Xiao Ran, who was lifted and sitting on the side, seemed to be frightened as well, trying hard to control his tears as he sniffled, looking pitiful.

While Lin Su was being examined, although answering the doctor's questions, his eyes were fixed on the man. His eyes were full of scrutiny and curiosity, prompting the man who had been standing quietly to speak, "Doesn't it hurt? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Who are you? You're so handsome," Lin Su praised with his tender voice.

System 06 understood. At this moment, the host was attracted to someone.

Xiao Ran beside him looked at Lin Su in surprise, forgetting to cry.

Facing such a cute host, the man's coldness did not melt in the slightest. On the contrary, it seemed to have covered him with another layer, "When can he be discharged?"

"After waking up, there shouldn't be any major issues. We'll observe for another half month, and then he can be discharged," the doctor stood up straight, respectfully answering.

"Take care of them, I'm leaving," the man turned and left, not even saying goodbye.

【System 06 issued tasks: Task One, survive as the original host

Task Two, change the fate of the supporting character Wei Yuan.】

While the doctors were discussing something, Lin Su was receiving memories of this world.

The protagonist, Lin Ran, lost both parents at the age of five, then was adopted by the supporting male lead Wei Yuan. Lin Ran grew up safely, met and fell in love with the protagonist, Liang Heng. If it went like this, it would be a happy ending. 

However, unfortunately, Wei Yuan, his adoptive uncle, confessed his feelings to Lin Ran when he turned eighteen.

One is the person he loves, the other is the one who raised him. Lin Ran didn't want to hurt either, but Wei Yuan was strong and overbearing. He sent Liang Heng abroad to study, separating the two and causing misunderstandings. 

Even after Liang Heng succeeded in business and returned to resolve the misunderstanding, their relationship was irreparably damaged. In the end, his old enemy seeked revenge on Lin Ran, and Wei Yuan died protecting him.

The man just now was Wei Yuan, who is barely twenty-three this year. He chose to adopt Lin Ran after Lin Ran's parents passed away, as Lin Ran's father had saved him years ago.

Lin Ran's parents' deaths weren't caused by anything else, but because Lin Su's current body needed to rush to the hospital due to a high fever, they encountered a drunk driver on the way. If not for the system, Lin Su's body would have died with his parents, leaving only little Lin Ran to face that iceberg of a man.

Although Lin Su could see that Wei Yuan was indeed an exceptionally high-quality diamond-level husband, his love is unreasonable. 

Judging by the way Little Douding was scared into not even daring to cry, it's likely that what Lin Ran will experience when he grows up won't be love, but rather a sense of awe similar to that of an elder, an absolute psychological shadow. If he manages to win someone over with that, it would be a miracle.

After all, not everyone can see the flames wrapped in the iceberg. 

【There’s no Tang in his name this time,】Lin Su sighed inexplicably.

System 06 pretended to be dead silently, pretending to be offline.

After the doctor finished examining him and praised Lin Su's good behavior, he touched his head and left. Lin Su raised his hand and patted his hair. There was still warmth there. When the car accident happened, the original owner was held by his mother. There were no injuries on his body, but the fatal injury was in his head. Even with rescue efforts, it was beyond help.

Because it was midnight, the car accident happened while Xiao Ran was sound asleep. Almost all of his relatives were gone silently, leaving only Lin Su lying in bed.

With everyone gone, the nurse guarding outside, Xiao Ran finally raised his head. Carefully climbing down from the chair, he walked to Lin Su's side and held his hand. "Brother..."

No matter what happens to him in the future, he is just a five-year-old child now. His only relative is Lin Su lying in bed at the moment, even though this body has changed souls.

Lin Su knew his physical condition. He moved over in the hospital bed and patted the space beside him. "Let's sleep together."

He had experience with children and knew that even the wildest child would seek dependence at such a young age, longing for a sense of security.

Xiao Ran blinked his eyes, moist with tears, wiped them with the back of his hand, and crawled into Lin Su's blanket, using both hands and feet. He tightly hugged Lin Su's body and softly called out, "Brother."

"Mm." Lin Su responded softly.

Xiao’s Ran eyelashes were still wet. "Brother, you're so amazing."

"How am I amazing?" Lin Su asked gently.

"Not afraid of pain," Xiao Ran’s eyes were filled with admiration, "You even dared to speak to such a fierce uncle."

A child's admiration is simple like that. Lin Su tilted his head and said, "Because brother needs to protect Xiao Ran, so I'm not afraid of anything."

"Brother... you're the best..." Xiao Ran mumbled a couple of times, his breathing becoming steady.

He was still too young. Having suddenly lost his family and gone through various upheavals and tension, it was no surprise that once he let down his guard in front of a relative, he fell asleep.

Lin Su gently patted the soft body beside him, the breath still carrying a hint of milky fragrance, allowing him to quietly think about how to survive in the future.

A child's life is full of uncertainties, unlike an adult's more convenient existence. According to the technological level of this world, he wouldn't be able to have his own independent account until he was at least sixteen, making earning money difficult.

The only solution was to hold on tightly to the current golden opportunity. Wei Yuan was young, wealthy, and principled. With Lin Su's abilities, building a good relationship shouldn't be hard.

However, Wei Yuan later liked Lin Ran's type, which meant he liked innocent and cute ones?

During the few days Lin Su was in the hospital, there was always someone taking care of him. The nurse was diligent, but that man had never appeared, seemingly demonstrating his dislike for children with his absence.

It wasn't until the day Lin Su was discharged that the man reappeared. Lin Su hadn't noticed yet, but Xiao Ran, who was looking at a picture book, quickly hid behind Lin Su and whispered, "Brother, he's here again."

At his current age, Xiao Ran probably couldn't understand the significance of his parents' death, hence his strong wariness towards Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan noticed the brothers' actions. He scrutinized the almost identical pair. People say twins look alike and are hard to distinguish, but he could tell at a glance.

The one who was scared upon seeing him was the younger brother, while the one who not only wasn't scared but was also curious was the older brother.

Despite being identical twins, their temperaments were so different. "Let's go," Wei Yuan said to his assistant behind him, clearly not intending to carry the two children himself.

The assistant stepped forward to pick them up, causing Lin Ran to become even more frightened. Clinging tightly to Lin Su, he cried out, "Brother, there are bad people! They're bad people! Call the police uncle!"

"Don't touch my brother!" Lin Su slapped the assistant's hand, adopting a fierce expression that a five-year-old should have, his face full of defiance.

Although this fierceness, paired with his chubby face, looked more adorably fierce than truly threatening.

System 06, unable to resist, snapped a series of photos with a mechanical hand.

One child was crying while the other was protecting, making the assistants feel as if they were playing villains in a drama, bullying two recently orphaned children, which left them at a loss.

Wei Yuan frowned slightly, checked his watch, and stepped forward. "Today you're being discharged to attend your parents' funeral. From now on, you are my adopted sons. No crying, be obedient."

His words were cold and stiff, causing Lin Ran to tremble in fear and Lin Su's eyes to well up with tears.

Finally, the two little ones hugged each other and started sobbing.

"I want mommy..." said Lin Ran.

"Mommy... mommy..." echoed Lin Su.

System 06 sighed, noting that the host had finally let go of his pride.

Back in the day, when the host wasn't dating, he was the most well-behaved and trouble-free child in the world. Crying? That was unheard of. He was the epitome of the ideal child—someone else's perfect kid. Now, he was his own.

The two little brothers, looking soft and adorable, crying really tugged at the heartstrings. Under the halo of cuteness, even the assistants cast reproachful glances at their boss.

The great demon king was being too harsh on these kids. Could he really take good care of them after adopting them? They were genuinely worried.

Wei Yuan had initially thought the other child wasn't afraid. He hadn't expected that a single sentence would make him cry too.

"Mr. Wei, what should we do now?" the assistant asked, seeking guidance.

Wei Yuan's cold, beautiful face revealed no emotion. After a moment, he turned and said, "I'll go out first. Let the nurse bring them out." Then he left directly.

【Aren't you going to ask for a hug?】 System 06 asked.

【Today isn't suitable for that.】 Lin Su replied.

Today was the funeral for Lin Ran's parents. It had been specifically delayed until Lin Su's discharge from the hospital. Out of respect for the parents who had sacrificed their lives to protect their child, Lin Su decided to put other matters aside for now.

The Lin family had no relatives left, but many friends attended. The couple was cremated and buried in a cemetery, laid to rest side by side in a neatly arranged plot.

At first, Lin Ran thought he was going to see his parents. But after walking around holding Lin Su's hand and hearing everyone tell him not to be sad because his parents were gone, he started trembling and crying.

"It's really pitiful..."

"Fortunately, Old Lin did a good deed back then. Having Mr. Wei adopt these two children is better than sending them to an orphanage."

"Who knows what it's like in a wealthy family? Once Mr. Wei marries, their position will be awkward."

"True..."

"Ranran, don't cry. Brother is here." Lin Su hugged him, trying to comfort him, but his own tears wouldn't stop flowing.

He didn't feel sad because the Lin couple were strangers to him. He was crying because this body was crying. The lingering memories of witnessing his parents fall in a pool of blood during a life-and-death moment made the tears unstoppable.

Just this once, he needed to cry.

Wei Yuan stood a bit away from the crowd. Or rather, people didn't dare to get too close to him. He watched the two children, so much smaller and more fragile compared to the adults, and naturally heard the conversations around him.

Even if he married, with his capabilities, he could take good care of these two children. They wouldn't lack anything, nor would he mistreat them. What was there to worry about?

The children's bodies couldn't withstand prolonged fatigue, and after crying, the two little ones fell asleep in each other's arms like two small animals huddling together for warmth, looking very pitiful.

This time, when the assistants picked them up, it was much easier. Each assistant carried one child, and as they saw Mr. Wei walking ahead with his ice-cold, unapproachable demeanor, one assistant impulsively asked, "Mr. Wei, would you like to hold one?"

The other assistant quickly turned his head, giving him a look that said, Are you crazy?

Wei Yuan glanced at the two soft faces sleeping on the assistants' shoulders. His fingers twitched slightly, but he ultimately refused, "No need."

If they woke up, they would start crying again.

They say women are made of water, but why did these children seem to be made of water too?

The children only woke up groggily when the car drove into the Wei family's villa. When they were placed in a row on the sofa, they looked very confused. They didn't wake up because they were sensitive to the environment, but because they were... hungry.

Lin Su's stomach rumbled. He rarely experienced hunger, and waking up from hunger was indeed unpleasant.

"Brother, I'm hungry..." Xiao Ran, unfamiliar with the environment, clung to Lin Su's arm.

One person's stomach rumbling might go unnoticed, but with both rumbling together, it was quite noticeable.

Wei Yuan took off his coat and draped it over his arm. A middle-aged woman wearing an apron emerged from the kitchen. 

When she saw Lin Su and Lin Ran, she smiled warmly, "These must be the two children from Mr. Wei's friend's family. They look so good-looking. Are you hungry? Dinner will be ready soon. What else would you like to eat? Aunt Jiang will make it for you, okay?"

Her kind demeanor made her much more approachable than the icy Mr. Wei. Lin Ran, still timid, looked at Lin Su. Lin Su hesitated for a moment and said, "We're not picky."

His voice still carried a hint of a sob, soft and tender, making people want to comfort him.

"These two children are so endearing. It will be ready in a bit, alright?" Aunt Jiang was clearly very affectionate and turned back to the kitchen immediately.

The house was spacious, a two-story duplex with plenty of rooms, but it was evident that Wei Yuan lived alone. The only housekeeper was Aunt Jiang. After she returned to the kitchen and the assistants left, only the two children and the big ice cube were left in the living room, making the atmosphere feel frozen.

Despite the awkwardness, Wei Yuan decided he couldn't let the children speak first. He tentatively began, "You two..."

The cold air drifted over, and the two children huddled together instinctively trembled, looking like two frightened little rabbits. Wei Yuan tried to soften his tone, but their reaction made it clear he had failed completely.

Although Lin Su had to act cute and innocent, he didn't intend to let the man feel completely defeated. Tentatively, he spoke with a soft, tearful voice, "Uncle, uncle, what do you want to say?"

Wei Yuan found it much easier to continue, giving Lin Su an appreciative look. "Do you want to live upstairs or downstairs? Do you want to live together or separately?"

Aunt Jiang was bringing out the food. The aroma made Xiao Ran finally lower his guard a bit and he cautiously said, "I... I want to live with my brother."

Although Lin Su was quite satisfied with Wei Yuan's appearance, he didn't plan to do anything unexpected at this age. After all, he was still very young, and anyone who showed interest in him at this age would be a pervert.

Clearly, Wei Yuan wasn't one. In the original timeline, he didn't develop feelings for Lin Ran until he was at least sixteen.

"I want to stay with my brother," Lin Su said, looking up with his chubby face.

The memories of a five-year-old wouldn't last long. It wouldn't be too late to separate them once Lin Ran had mostly forgotten about their parents.

When the food was served, Lin Su held the still timid Lin Ran's hand and led him to the table. He picked up his chopsticks and said, "Thank you, Aunt Jiang."

"Thank you..." Xiao Ran echoed, "Aunt Jiang."

Seeing the two identical faces thanking her so earnestly was incredibly adorable. Aunt Jiang couldn't stop smiling. After sitting down, she used public chopsticks to serve them some food and brought out two cups of hot milk. 

Once the two little ones were quietly eating, she asked, "Sir, where do you plan to have these two children sleep?"

Wei Yuan looked at the two cups of milk and finally picked up his own coffee. "Arrange a room for them downstairs."

"Not upstairs?" Aunt Jiang seemed immune to Wei Yuan's cold demeanor.

"Downstairs will be more convenient for now," Wei Yuan replied, maintaining his composed expression.

“They’re too young,” Wei Yuan said succinctly.

Given how small they were, with such short legs, it would be risky for them to navigate the stairs. Staying downstairs was safer.

“You’re very considerate, sir,” Aunt Jiang said. She sat down late but ate quickly, and halfway through the meal, she got up to go prepare the room.

As soon as Aunt Jiang left, Lin Ran began to get nervous again. Wei Yuan noticed this and finished his coffee, standing up. 

However, he was stopped by a young, innocent voice from the other side of the table: “Uncle, I can’t reach that.”

The table wasn’t too large, but for Lin Su’s small arms and legs, trying to reach the dish on the other side was an impossible task. So he had to ask the only adult present for help.

Although Lin Su didn’t plan to do anything surprising, fostering a good relationship was necessary. Whether this bond would remain affectionate or evolve into something else as he grew older was something only time would tell.

Wei Yuan looked over to see that Lin Su was pointing at a plate of stir-fried bean sprouts with meat, mixed with slivers of red pepper, making it look quite appetizing.

He looked like a little bunny but was clearly a carnivore.

Wei Yuan picked up the serving chopsticks and began to dish out the food for him, scooping one portion after another until it seemed he was ready to dump the entire plate into Lin Su’s bowl, like a worried grandmother afraid her grandchild wouldn’t eat enough. It wasn’t until Lin Su used his small hands to shield his bowl and said, “Enough, enough,” that Wei Yuan stopped.

“Eat up,” Wei Yuan said coolly.

Lin Ran, initially wary of Wei Yuan, gradually shifted to watching him with curiosity.

Lin Su knew that if he actually ate all this food, he’d likely suffer from indigestion tonight. He glanced at Wei Yuan and, as the man was about to leave, cautiously tugged at his sleeve. “Uncle, I can’t eat this much.”

Wei Yuan looked at the small hand tugging at his sleeve and then at his own lowered hand, puzzled by how such small hands could exist.

If he had voiced this question, he would have found that Lin Su shared the same wonder.

Lin Su had experience raising children, but becoming a little kid himself was a different matter. Despite having gone through life and death, he found it quite amazing to go from having tiny hands to potentially carrying heavy loads with those same hands one day.

“If you can’t finish it, just leave it,” Wei Yuan acknowledged that he had served too much.

“But Daddy and Mommy said not to waste food,” Lin Su said, his little face earnest and his voice sweet.

System 06 mimicked the host’s expression: Hello, I am the host’s face, and my master has abandoned me.

Wei Yuan’s eyebrows twitched slightly, surprisingly continuing the conversation, “Then what should we do to avoid wasting it?”

“I can share half with you, Uncle. You didn’t eat much earlier, so you must still be hungry,” Lin Su said innocently, his words filled with genuine concern, effectively delivering a powerful emotional punch.

Wei Yuan glanced at the small bowl. He typically disliked sharing utensils with others. Normally, he would refuse such a request without hesitation, but the child's clear, hopeful eyes made it hard for him to say no.

“Brother, I can help you eat,” Lin Ran eagerly offered to relieve his brother’s burden.

Wei Yuan’s initial agreement caught in his throat, “Hmm, let your brother…”

“But Ranran doesn’t like bean sprouts,” Lin Su interjected, looking at Lin Ran. “Right, Ranran?”

Lin Ran looked confused, but if his brother said he didn’t like bean sprouts, then he didn’t like bean sprouts. He nodded emphatically, “Ranran doesn’t like bean sprouts.”

Are the bean sprouts those red things?

Wei Yuan stood there, unsure whether to stay or leave. He could only watch as the little boy carefully pushed half of his food onto Wei Yuan’s plate, and then stared at him expectantly until he ate it.

As Wei Yuan actually ate the food, it wasn’t as hard to accept as he had imagined. Watching the little boy’s earnest, clumsy efforts with the chopsticks was… rather endearing.

Children are indeed different from adults. Little did Wei Yuan know that the small, adorable child next to him was actually an adult adept at playing innocent and manipulating situations. 

After completing his task and feeling much more relaxed, Wei Yuan headed upstairs. He thought that if these two children remained so well-behaved, taking care of them wouldn’t be difficult.

However, after Wei Yuan left, the previously well-behaved and cute little dumpling began to explain things to the genuinely well-behaved little dumpling.

“We need Uncle to take care of us as we grow up, so we have to be good to him. That way, he won’t feel comfortable being mean to us,” Lin Su explained authoritatively.

“Oh!!!” Lin Ran’s eyes lit up. He was very happy to hear that Uncle wouldn’t be mean to them. After all, the stern look on Wei Yuan’s face was quite frightening.

But the fact that Uncle had served food to his brother earlier showed that his brother’s method worked.

“I will be good to Uncle too,” Lin Ran said in his soft, childish voice.

“Good, good,” Lin Su felt reassured.

Though a child who cries and acts cute often gets treats, an overly timid child can sometimes be annoying. In the original timeline, because Lin Ran was shy and timid, he avoided Wei Yuan for a long time. Wei Yuan, not being someone who initiates closeness, led to Lin Ran’s severe lack of security later on.

After drinking their milk and being bathed in warm water, even if Lin Su wanted to stay awake, he couldn’t resist the lure of sleep. Holding his soft little brother like a plush doll, he drifted into a deep sleep.

System 06 eagerly recorded videos and took pictures, capturing precious memories for its host.

In the following days, the brothers stayed at home. It wasn't that Wei Yuan didn't want to send them to school, but Auntie Jiang felt that the children, having just lost their parents and moved to a new home, needed to familiarize themselves with their new environment first. 

Raising children is like raising pets, Wei Yuan agreed to this.

During this time, Lin Su and Lin Ran became well-acquainted with Auntie Jiang. However, Wei Yuan's early departures and late returns meant that when he left, the children were still asleep, and when he came back, they were already in bed. This left no time for him to bond with them.

It wasn't that Lin Su was lazy; the body of a small child is different from that of an adult. Sleepiness would come suddenly, without warning. Lin Su wanted to grow taller in the future and couldn't afford to ignore the importance of regular sleep.

System 06 dared not laugh at this predicament.

"Brother, I don't like drinking milk," Lin Ran said, holding his cup, his face appearing even more delicate and white than the milk.

With such a face, it's no wonder he would attract many admirers when he grows up.

Lin Su pinched his little brother's cheek and said, "Ranran, be good. If you don't drink milk, you'll become a little shorty who can't even reach others' knees."

The threat of being short worked well on boys. Lin Ran reluctantly drank the milk, wrinkling his face and complimenting his brother, "Brother is amazing. You can drink all of this yucky stuff at once."

When the brothers were about to be sent to kindergarten, Wei Yuan finally found time. The two little dumplings, dressed in small shirts and carrying matching backpacks, stood at the door, looking adorable.

Wei Yuan put on his coat and opened the door. The assistant came forward, intending to carry the children down the stairs. But Lin Su extended his arm, looking at Wei Yuan with hopeful eyes, and said, "Uncle, carry me."

Wei Yuan paused while buttoning his sleeve cuffs, looking down to meet Lin Su's gaze. In the assistant's astonished expression, Wei Yuan coldly bent down and picked Lin Su up. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Uncle is a good person," Lin Su naturally put his arm around Wei Yuan's shoulder and snuggled against his face. Feeling the slight stiffness, but didn't stop.

Wei Yuan, with his face covered in the scent of milk, found himself unexpectedly not disliking the soft touch. Instead, he found it rare for someone to dare to be so close to him.

Children are indeed adorable creatures.

Lin Ran was carried by the assistant, lying on the shoulder and looking at his brother with admiration. Brother dared to ask Uncle to carry him, which was amazing.

In the car, Lin Su sat close to Wei Yuan. The assistant, witnessing this rare sight, initially wanted to place Lin Ran on the other side of the "big demon king," but Lin Ran hurriedly went to sit with his brother.

Even though Uncle wasn't scary, sitting together was still intimidating. Being with Brother felt much safer.

Since they were transferring in after the kindergarten term had already started, Lin Su and Lin Ran naturally attracted attention. At five years old, Lin Su couldn't start elementary school yet, so they had to spend another year in kindergarten.

The two identical, good-looking kids were warmly welcomed by their peers. Although not all children are adorable and some bullies exist, Lin Su easily neutralized any hostility with a bag of milk candies.

Wang Ning, the chubby tyrant of the Bohai Kindergarten's "Little Red Flower Class," declared, "From now on, you're my little brothers."

"Hello, Big Brother," Lin Su led Lin Ran in greeting the new boss obediently, showing no signs of feeling embarrassed.

"Don't worry, anyone who dares to bully you is asking for trouble!" The chubby kid proclaimed confidently.

"Brother, he looks so fierce," Lin Ran whispered to Lin Su, understanding it wouldn't be wise to say such things out loud.

"Ranran, you can't judge people by their appearance," Lin Su taught his brother earnestly.

System 06's mechanical voice chimed in, 【Host, you need to practice what you preach.】

Lin Su corrected himself, "Ranran, you shouldn't judge friends by their appearance."

"But, Brother, aren't those two things the same?" Lin Ran asked, puzzled.

"They're different, and you'll understand when you grow up," Lin Su patted his brother's head.

Lin Ran obediently nodded, focusing on finishing his homework. After a while, he turned to Lin Su with another question, "But, Brother, you haven't grown up yet, and you understand."

"That's because I'm older than you," Lin Su replied smoothly.

Lin Ran, though still puzzled, accepted his brother's explanation, believing that it made sense. Brother was indeed very smart!

Lin Su's conquest of kindergarten was relatively smooth, as all he needed to do was be obedient and well-behaved.

After a peaceful year in kindergarten, although Lin Ran's relationship with Wei Yuan remained distant, at least he no longer trembled in fear at the sound of his voice.

On the other hand, Lin Su's relationship with Wei Yuan progressed rapidly. Even with few opportunities to meet, Lin Su managed to earn his approval by contributing his little red flowers and receiving a tablet in return.

Although the tablet Wei Yuan gave Lin Su was equipped with various safety features and only contained educational games, for Lin Su, bypassing such security systems and accessing forbidden content was child's play. And he was adept at covering his tracks afterward.

He needed to understand this world. As a five or six-year-old child, opportunities to explore the world were few and far between. 

After all, Lin Ran spent most of his days watching cartoons like "Tom and Jerry," and any exposure to other types of programs was sporadic and superficial.

"Jerry is so clever," Lin Ran exclaimed, clenching his fists after watching an episode. "Brother, I want to be a clever little mouse like Jerry in the future."

Lin Su found it difficult to respond to this statement. The thought processes of a disguised child and a genuine child sometimes didn't align, and it was troublesome when they did.

"If Ranran is a little mouse, what am I?" Lin Su asked.

Lin Ran didn't hesitate to answer, "Brother is also a little mouse."

"And what about Uncle?" Lin Su continued.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Ran replied, "Uncle is... a big mouse."

Lin Su: "..."

So, am I now in the rat's nest?

When Wei Yuan entered the room and heard the conversation, he couldn't help but ask, "What mouse?"

Lin Ran tried to report the earlier conversation, but Lin Su quickly covered his mouth. In Wei Yuan's slightly surprised gaze, Lin Su spoke up: "Ranran said Uncle is a big tiger."

"That's not true, Brother is lying. Uncle is clearly a big mouse!" Lin Ran insisted earnestly. "It's not right to lie, Brother."

Wei Yuan couldn't contain the slight chill that crept over him. Lin Ran felt the coldness coming from him, his words softened, but he didn't understand what he had done wrong as tears welled up in his eyes.

Lin Su wanted to facepalm but had to rescue his brother from distress. "Uncle, we are all little mice. Uncle is a big mouse. We are family."

The innocence in their childish words struck a chord, despite the flawed analogy.

Wei Yuan initially thought he was mocking or insulting him, but now he realized that such a young child wouldn't understand sarcasm. They simply said what they saw and thought.

Family?

Approaching them, Wei Yuan lifted Lin Su and placed him on his arm. "Then why did you say Uncle is a big tiger?"

"I was afraid Uncle would be angry," Lin Su blinked innocently. "The teacher said little mice climb up to the lamp, steal oil, and can't come down. They're bad. Uncle is not bad."

"Uncle is not bad," Lin Ran echoed, standing up from the sofa, a hint of envy in his eyes as he watched where Lin Su had been sitting.

Dad used to love holding Lin Su, and Uncle loves holding Lin Su too.

As Lin Su was put down, he tugged at Wei Yuan's clothes and pointed to Lin Ran. "Ranran wants to be held too. The teacher said it should be fair."

The teacher took the blame.

But since Little kid’s words didn't carry much authority, the teacher's burden would continue for a long time.

Facing their pleading eyes, Wei Yuan felt more pressure than he did during his meeting. He bent down and cautiously lifted Lin Ran. "Okay, fair."

Time flew by quickly. When the television shows changed from "Tom and Jerry" to "Armor Heroes," Lin Su and Lin Ran excelled and entered junior high school.

Though they were twins with nearly identical faces, Lin Su managed to grow half a head taller than Lin Ran and wore school uniforms two sizes bigger. 

The reason was that since the third grade of elementary school, Lin Su had actively joined the sports club, running laps around the playground every day. He went from being clumsy at the start to running as swiftly as the wind in just three months. 

While Lin Ran tried to follow his brother's footsteps, excelling in academics but lacking in sports, Lin Su was exceptional in both. They always tied for first place, each scoring full marks.

"Brother, call me to run with you in the future," Lin Ran felt a bit downcast comparing their heights.

"I remember this is the 351st time you've said that to me," Lin Su buttoned his school uniform.

They attended a private junior high school with strong faculty and distinctive uniforms. The slim-fit black uniforms, though simple, accentuated the youthful figures of the students.

Lin Su's face had matured considerably but still fell within the category of attractiveness. While his body's height could be trained, his bone structure was innate. Perhaps in adulthood, he would have a slender and lean physique, relying on muscles to refine his contours.

Though Lin Ran was envious, he wasn't jealous. He knew how many times his brother had protected him from childhood to now, and he was accustomed to his brother always outshining him. Lin Su's excellence wasn't innate; it was the result of hard work.

Moreover, without his brother, he might not have adapted so quickly to this seemingly cold but actually warm home.

With his brother, Aunt Jiang, and Uncle.

"Good morning, Uncle," Lin Ran sat down at the table after tidying up.

"Good morning, Uncle," Lin Su's tone was even more affectionate towards Uncle.

"Morning," Wei Yuan nodded, signaling the start of the meal.

As they boarded the car, Lin Su still sat close to Wei Yuan, while Lin Ran remained on the side next to Lin Su. It wasn't that he didn't want to sit next to his Uncle, but being too close to the iceberg would indeed freeze one to death. Lin Ran wondered how his brother had managed to endure this for so many years.

According to the principles of reasoning, if his brother hadn't frozen to death all these years, then his brother wasn't human... umm... .

"Have you decided which room you'll take since you mentioned sleeping separately?" Wei Yuan asked.

Lin Ran looked at Lin Su, who spoke first, "I chose the room on the east side upstairs, it's closer to the study."

It was also closer to Wei Yuan's room, just next door.

Although Lin Ran was somewhat dependent on Lin Su, living under the same roof didn't make much difference. Although they were twins, they also wanted their own personal space. "I'll still take the room downstairs. I'm used to it."

"Is it really not because you're too lazy to move your stuff?" Lin Su teased with a laugh.

"No," Lin Ran replied without confidence. After not being fond of exercise, he also disliked moving things around. One was due to sentimentality, the other due to fatigue.

Wei Yuan watched them banter and laugh, feeling as if the little bean sprout he used to carry in his arms had grown into a laughing and loving teenager.

With a smile in their eyes, inheriting the good looks from their parents, although the two children looked alike, Wei Yuan unconsciously paid more attention to Lin Su.

This child was intelligent, beautiful, and incredibly hardworking. Compared to Lin Ran's hesitant steps, Lin Su seemed like a young eagle spreading its wings, ready to take flight at any moment.

When they arrived at school, Lin Ran got off the car first, but Lin Su didn't rush. Instead, he grabbed Wei Yuan's arm and smiled, "Uncle, it's our first day of junior high today. How about we have dinner together tonight when we come back?"

Seeing this child, who was only coaxing for a meal together, Wei Yuan suppressed his previous thoughts and sighed, "Sure, what do you want to eat? I'll ask Aunt Jiang to make it."

"No rush, we'll talk about it tonight.", Lin Su winked at him and then quickly got out of the car.

Wei Yuan was momentarily stunned by that wink, but a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, showing signs of thawing ice and snow.

Actually, raising children isn't bad at all.

As Lin Su got off the car, Lin Ran was still waiting there. Seeing Lin Su take a while to get off, he curiously asked, "What did you say to Uncle?"

"I asked if we could have dinner together tonight. Do you want to come?" Lin Su asked.

"Can I not go?" Lin Ran countered. Every time he had dinner with Uncle, it felt like having dinner with the headmaster. It's not that he disliked Uncle, but he was genuinely nervous.

Lin Su nodded.

"In that case, I'll go to self-study. You guys enjoy your meal," Lin Ran said with a smile.

"Okay, we won't take you then," Lin Su smiled and walked hand in hand with him into the school gate.

In this campus, Lin Ran would bump into his main protagonist, study hard together... and break the previous notion of fairness derived from Wei Yuan.

Previous TOC Next