Chapter 9: Dream

Chapter 9: A Dream

The daylight was radiant, the sun casting a distinct summer heat.

Shen Xingzhuo felt himself leap down from the steps and dash into the yard.

The steps seemed unusually high, as did the grass beneath his feet.

The layout of the yard was eerily familiar yet strangely foreign.

After a moment of observation, Shen Xingzhuo vaguely recognized it as the old family residence of the Shens.

He had lived there until he was seven years old.

Later on, it seemed that due to Old Master Shen's illness, he was sent to a nursing home, and the Shen family moved into their current villa.

Shen Xingzhuo landed on the grass and skillfully made his way to the backyard, heading straight for a specific spot.

By the fence of the yard, a little boy was crouching.

The little boy was about three or four years old, wearing a white T-shirt with a Doraemon print on it, and paired with a blue denim overalls.

His raven-black hair, fine and soft, cascaded against his fair and tender skin, creating an image of a delicate, white, and fluffy rice ball from afar.

The child's two small hands were firmly gripping the railing in front of him.

Beside him lay a small yellow bucket and a shovel, but his attention was entirely elsewhere, not on the toys.

Curiosity also prompted him to lean against the railing, seemingly engrossed in observing something unknown.

As Shen Xingzhuo approached, he deliberately softened his footsteps.

He crept up behind the little boy and then suddenly reached out to ruffle the child's hair.

The youngster jumped in surprise.

But upon turning around and recognizing him, those large, luminous black eyes instantly curled up at the corners.

The child had big eyes, with their corners ever so slightly downturned, reminiscent of a puppy's.

Looking up, his dark eyes were filled with Shen Xingzhuo.

Instead of being startled by Shen Xingzhuo's prank, he mysteriously beckoned to him.

A slightly slurred yet adorable voice whispered, "Shh! Big Brother, look!"

Following the boy's gaze, Shen Xingzhuo saw a pack of stray dogs passing by outside the courtyard wall.

The mother dog was sniffing at food on the ground in front.

Behind her, four puppies that could already run were causing mischief.

The litter of strays came in various colors – black, yellow, and spotted.

They rolled around on the ground with their tiny legs.

"Big Brother," the boy beside him asked softly, "Can I touch the dogs?"

Shen Xingzhuo also wanted to pet them.

Given his nature, he was tempted to rush out and catch one for himself.

But upon hearing the muffled "Gege," Shen Xingzhuo made an effort to compose himself and said, "You can only pet the ones we raise ourselves."

The little boy looked slightly disappointed but hopeful as he asked, "Can we raise one then?"

"We'll ask Grandpa later!" Shen Xingzhuo replied.

"Okay!" The boy nodded vigorously.

His attention quickly returned to the dogs outside the fence.

Pointing at the black puppy, he said, "I want to raise that little black one. It's small and might get bullied by the others."

Shen Xingzhuo felt it didn't matter which dog they raised.

However, a mischievous urge to tease the child emerged in his heart, so he deliberately countered, "Let's raise that yellow one. It's the biggest and we can call it Big Yellow!"

"We want to raise Little Black!"

"Raise Big Yellow!"

The voices of the children arguing faded away.

Shen Xingzhuo, who had been sleeping, stirred awake.

He sat up and rubbed his forehead.

His palm still seemed to hold the warmth of the sunlight from his dream, along with the soft touch of a child's arm.

Shen Xingzhuo wiped his sweat, got up, and walked over to draw the curtains aside.

Outside the window, the morning light was bright, indicating that it was already quite late.

After a brief freshening up, Shen Xingzhuo descended the stairs.

The second floor was spacious, with a living room.

Shen Xingran was having breakfast in the living room.

Ever since that day...

They hadn't set foot in the dining room on the first floor again.

"Didn't you have classes today? Why are you up so early?"

Shen Xingzhuo strolled over effortlessly and picked up a fried egg from the plate.

Shen Xingran scowled. "Did you wash your hands, Brother?"

Due to the dream he had that night, Shen Xingzhuo was in a great mood.

He paid no attention to Shen Xingran's scowl and playfully devoured most of the food on the plate.

Hearing the word "Brother," he even chuckled. "When we were kids, your pronunciation was so unclear that you couldn't even say 'brother' properly. You'd keep calling me 'guo guo guo guo.' People might have thought I was a wok!"

Shen Xingran didn't understand what he was talking about and ignored him.

Satiated with food, Shen Xingzhuo scanned the second floor and asked, "Why are you the only one home?"

"Mom and Dad haven't returned yet," Shen Xingran replied, poking her fork into her plate. "If you're asking about Lu Ran, he took his yellow dog out early in the morning."

At this, she looked up at Shen Xingzhuo. "Brother!"

Shen Xingzhuo immediately grasped the meaning behind her words.

He found it amusing. "Alright, I'll take care of it today."

Recalling the dream from the previous night, he was curious. "Didn't you used to love dogs when you were little? You even said you wanted a little black puppy. Why do you dislike them so much now?"

"Who said I like dogs?" Shen Xingran looked at him in confusion.

Shen Xingzhuo's eating paused abruptly.

Ever since the dream involving the child, Shen Xingzhuo had assumed that the child was Shen Xingran.

Awakening from the dream, he descended the stairs.

Having breakfast and conversing with Shen Xingran.

It was only now that Shen Xingzhuo suddenly realized that Shen Xingran had come to the Shen family when she was already five or six years old.

Far beyond the age of slurred speech.

They had also moved out of the old family residence by then.

So...

Who was that child in his dream?

A mix of anxiety and awkwardness surged up within him.

Shen Xingzhuo suddenly found the food in his mouth tasteless. His stomach was inexplicably churning, voicing its protest.

Seeing him in a daze, Shen Xingran asked curiously, "What's wrong with you, big brother?"

Hearing the term "big brother" again, the usual joy and relief still lingered.

Yet, it was also tinged with a vague sense of confusion.

"Oh, I just remembered that I have something to attend to." Shen Xingzhuo turned around to grab his coat from the armrest of the sofa.

Putting on his coat, he gave Shen Xingran a small smile. "I'll be out for a while."

Shen Xingzhuo drove out of the villa.

He didn't actually have anything to do that day.

Due to the revelation of the wealthy youngsters' hit-and-run incident, his studio had suffered some repercussions. It wasn't doing well financially to begin with, and now it was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

However, such trifling matters didn't bother Shen Xingzhuo in the slightest.

Ever since he reached adulthood, he had inherited a portion of the family company's shares. The dividends alone were enough to ensure that he never lacked for anything.

Shen Xingzhuo didn't head anywhere specific. He simply drove around aimlessly.

After a while, he gradually regained his composure.

It was merely a dream, not necessarily a genuine memory.

Shen Xingzhuo knew that his recollection of events began rather late.

His elder brother, Shen Xingyu, possessed an exceptional memory, vividly recalling even events from when he was one or two years old.

In contrast, Shen Xingzhuo's memories of his primary school days were hazy at best.

Thus, he truly had no affection for Lu Ran.

Even with the knowledge that Lu Ran was his long-lost biological younger brother, Shen Xingzhuo still prioritized protecting Shen Xingran, who had shared a life with him for over a decade.

This resulted in him harboring a certain level of displeasure towards Lu Ran.

He constantly felt that upon reaching adulthood and reuniting with the family, Lu Ran would somehow encroach upon Shen Xingran's share of the benefits.

In a family like theirs, any change in its composition could be a complicated and perilous affair.

After all, the name "Shen Xingran" originally belonged to Lu Ran.

As the elder brother, Shen Xingzhuo naturally stood on Shen Xingran's side.

He couldn't recall when it had started, probably since Shen Xingran first arrived at the Shen family. Shen Xingzhuo had developed an obsession.

He must protect his younger brother at all costs.

Lost in thought, Shen Xingzhuo only realized he had driven to the old Shen family residence when he came back to his senses.

The stately manor, having stood for many years, appears overly antiquated in this era.

Despite the dedicated care, the house seemed to grow increasingly dilapidated and desolate in the absence of its owner.

Shen Xingzhuo sat in the car, hesitating, unsure whether to step out.

He couldn't quite pinpoint the source of this hesitation.

It was just that he couldn't bring himself to open the car door for a long while.

Yet, after only two seconds of hesitation, Shen Xingzhuo alighted from the car.

He had always been impulsive.

Only when Shen Xingran was around would he hold himself back a little.

Upon stepping out, he realized that there was nothing apparent from the outside.

The mansion was regularly maintained by staff every year.

However, the gap between them was rather extensive, and weeds flourished in the courtyard.

Vines, identified and unidentified, twined around the outer railing in countless loops.

Behind the thick wall of overgrown grass, one could not catch a glimpse of what lay within.

Shen Xingzhuo wandered about outside for a while, finding it all rather dull.

He couldn't fathom why he was wasting his time here.

All because of that ridiculous dream?

Shen Xingzhuo turned to head back to his car, the door already ajar.

Suddenly, he froze, turning his head towards a path beside the courtyard wall.

The path was narrow.

The concrete pavement was cracked.

In the middle of it lay a familiar manhole cover.

In last night's dream,

He and that little boy had been crouched right in front of this very wall, watching the stray dogs leap one by one over that very manhole cover.

That small black dog had even stumbled during its jump.

A surreal sensation of the boundary between illusion and reality blurring washed over him.

Shen Xingzhuo stood by the manhole cover, his gaze fixed on the railing entwined with ivy.

Suddenly, he strode toward the railing.

With bare hands, he plucked away all the vines wrapping around it.

Thorny stems scratched his wrists, leaving red marks behind.

As he moved, grass seeds took flight and adhered to his clothes and hair.

Shen Xingzhuo paid no heed.

He grasped the rusted iron fence and climbed over it quietly, stepping into the yard with a light landing.

Beneath his feet were soft soil and withered leaves.

The yard was deserted, devoid of lush green lawns, scattered toys, or the soft white ball that once crouched in a corner.

Shen Xingzhuo let out a self-deprecating laugh.

He strolled around the courtyard.

Just as he was about to leave, his steps inexplicably led him towards a corner.

Shen Xingzhuo wasn't sure why he had come over.

But his body moved on its own accord.

He squatted down and randomly swept the weeds in the corner aside with his hand.

He continued to dig into the soil.

Soon, his palm brushed against a slightly hard wooden plank.

The board was on the verge of decaying, its color blending with the earth, and its texture had become brittle yet soft.

There were even small insects crawling within the crevices.

As Shen Xingzhuo moved, the insects scurried in all directions.

Shen Xingzhuo brushed the dirt from his palms and, upon feeling a latch, lifted the wooden plank upward.

The latch was rusted and broke off halfway through.

With some effort, Shen Xingzhuo finally pulled the wooden plank completely open.

There was a clicking sound.

The door, sealed for over a decade, was now fully opened, though thoroughly worn out.

Beneath the plank lay a tiny "storeroom."

Inside were a few blocks and two identical rubber balls.

In the corner, a small yellow plastic bucket and a matching shovel stood quietly, having been forgotten in this corner for a long time.