Chapter 125: The Answer Sheet

Chapter 125: The Answer Sheet

Shen Xingzhuo wandered alone on the street.

Ever since Shen Xingran left that day, Shen Xingzhuo had also departed from the Shen family's villa.

He didn't return to his apartment.

Nor did he bother with his now chaotic studio.

Life seemed to have suddenly become extremely disordered, pressing down upon him without any rhyme or reason.

Shen Xingzhuo disliked this feeling.

When faced with such chaos, he instinctively wanted to escape, finding an isolated place where he could relax by himself.

Once all the turmoil gradually subsided, he would go back as if nothing had happened.

But this time, despite having fled far away, his mind remained in a jumbled mess.

Without closing his eyes, Shen Xingzhuo's mind echoed with Shen Xingran's words.

"You're the worst of the entire Shen family."

"You can't compete with Shen Xingyu in any other aspect, so you can only strive to surpass him as a brother!"

Each of these phrases caused Shen Xingzhuo's steps to pause.

He struggled and pondered, seeking something to prove that he wasn't as inadequate as those words suggested.

Something to confirm that he was genuinely trying to be a good older brother.

But Shen Xingran's words were razor-sharp. Despite Shen Xingzhuo's efforts to find counterarguments, reality seemed to consistently validate them.

Whenever Shen Xingran sought his help, he inevitably mentioned Shen Xingyu.

Upon hearing Shen Xingyu's name, he lost his cool. Without considering what Shen Xingran was asking for, he agreed to it all.

He couldn't bear to see Lu Ran working outside and being subservient to others.

Was it genuine concern for Lu Ran's plight, or simply the unwillingness to witness his own brother, Shen Xingzhuo, bowing and scraping to others?

If it was out of concern for Lu Ran, then why hadn't he truly altered Lu Ran's circumstances?

He could have easily funded Lu Ran's university education.

He could have arranged accommodations for him.

And he had more than enough capability to ensure Lu Ran lived like a regular college student.

So why hadn't he done any of that?

Each time, he would merely get angry upon seeing Lu Ran at work, but never took any action to change the situation.

He had done nothing.

Yet, he secretly grumbled in his heart why Lu Ran refused to call him 'brother.'

Shen Xingzhuo halted in front of a fast-food restaurant.

He stood there for a while, gazing through the glass door at the figure behind the counter.

Eventually, he slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Welcome," the staff greeted with a glance upward.

But it wasn't the young man Shen Xingzhuo remembered.

Shen Xingzhuo purchased a strawberry-flavored ice cream cone.

He hadn't eaten much in a day or two, so he devoured the cone swiftly.

The tangy sweetness of strawberries seemed to evoke a taste buried in his memories.

Shen Xingzhuo continued to wander aimlessly along the streets.

Gradually, he approached a fenced lawn.

A familiar yellow figure caught his eye.

The aging puppy was calmly sniffing the grass.

Shen Xingzhuo's eyes lit up.

The gloom of recent times faded away, and in that instant of seeing the puppy, a ray of hope for life seemed to shine through again.

Shen Xingzhuo squatted down, clapping his hands at the puppy on the lawn, calling out, "Big Yellow!"

Upon hearing the sound, the puppy looked at him through the fence.

It seemed to recognize him as a familiar presence.

The little dog wagged its tail and slowly ran towards him.

The fur around its mouth had already turned white.

Yet, it was in excellent health.

However, it moved rather slowly.

That was because one of the puppy's hind legs was lame.

With its injured leg dragging behind, it hobbled towards Shen Xingzhuo, who was crouching outside the fence.

The excitement and hope that had lit up Shen Xingzhuo's face gradually froze and dissipated as he watched the puppy's limp leg bounce with each step.

On the other side of the lawn, an old butler noticed the puppy's movement and called out, "Big Yellow, come back."

The puppy paused, casting a distant glance at Shen Xingzhuo before finally turning around slowly.

It hobbled back, still limping on three legs.

Shen Xingzhuo's outstretched hand hung suspended in mid-air.

Perhaps it was due to having crouched for too long, or maybe it was because he hadn't had a proper meal in a while.

Shen Xingzhuo felt a mild dizziness.

He couldn't recall how he managed to stand up or walk into the middle of the road.

It was the screeching of brakes and the driver's alarmed cry that snapped him back to reality: "Are you alright? Is there a problem?"

Sitting on the ground, Shen Xingzhuo's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Looking up at the car's front wheel not far away, an inappropriate thought crossed his mind:

This is what it feels like to be in a car accident.

The court had sent people to seize Shen Hongyuan's assets.

Not even the villa they were currently living in was spared, as they were ordered to vacate it.

Madam Shen never imagined that one day, she would be forced out of this very villa.

Ordinarily, Madam Shen would never have tolerated such a situation; she would have fiercely contested the authorities with logical arguments and made a scene.

But this time, it seemed as if all her vitality had been drained.

When the court officials arrived, she was alone in the villa.

The servants had already left.

Shen Xingzhuo and Shen Xingyu had yet to return.

Upon hearing the notice, Madam Shen merely nodded, then turned to pack her belongings.

Out of habit, she first went to gather her jewelry.

But upon entering, she realized that these items would be auctioned off to settle Hongyuan's debts.

Suddenly, Madam Shen was unsure of what else to pack.

She rummaged through the drawers aimlessly, eventually uncovering some old keepsakes at the bottom.

She opened the chest and found a photo frame placed face down on top.

Madam Shen picked up the frame, revealing a photograph within.

To be precise, it was a family portrait.

The backdrop seemed to be an amusement park, with a colossal Ferris wheel in the background.

At that time, she was still young, radiating vitality and grace, while her figure was impeccable.

Shen Hongyuan also appeared different from his current self. With his arm around her waist, he beamed at the camera.

They stood behind, while three boys of varying ages were positioned in front.

The eldest, around twelve or thirteen, wore a shirt and trousers, his expression stern as if posing for an ID photo, giving off an "approach with caution" vibe.

The younger boy, perhaps six or seven years old, was at that mischievous age. He wore a baseball cap backward, and sand speckled his pants, suggesting he'd been actively playing.

The youngest one, still a plump three- or four-year-old, was fair and tender.

He was the happiest, tugging on Madam Shen's dress with one hand while pointing at the camera lens ahead with the other.

His face beamed with an enormous smile.

Judging by their attire, it seemed to be summer.

All five family members held an ice cream cone in their hands.

Hers and Hongyuan's were vanilla-flavored, white and creamy.

The eldest, Shen Xingyu, held up a lemon-yellow wafer cone.

Shen Xingzhuo didn't look at the camera but was instead focused on licking a pink strawberry ice cream.

The child in front had his ice cream out of the frame, so its flavor was indistinguishable.

What surprised Madam Shen even more was that everyone in the photo appeared genuinely relaxed.

At least in this moment captured in the photograph, everyone was genuinely happy.

Mrs. Shen held the frame and sat down on the bed edge.

She tried her best to recall, vaguely remembering that it might have been during a summer vacation.

During that period, they had picked up their youngest son, who had been living with Grandpa Shen.

The family was finally reunited.

They went to an amusement park and had a great time with the children.

By then, Grandpa Shen's health wasn't in the best condition.

As a result, Shen Hongyuan was very busy.

This was a rare moment of relaxation for them.

The two younger ones played wildly.

There were moments of crawling around in the sandpit and nearly bouncing oneself sick on the trampoline. Even Shen Xingyu, who acted like a little adult, couldn't resist shooting balloons with a gun for a long time.

Madam Shen still remembered when she and Shen Hongyuan grew tired and sat aside to rest. Hongyuan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and suggested that they should consider buying a piece of land to build an amusement park, so the children could play however they wished.

This was one of the few cherished memories of "happiness" within the family.

But soon, such opportunities would no longer be available.

Grandpa Shen's health took a sharp downturn, with his blood sugar levels fluctuating wildly, causing multiple fainting spells. During that period, Shen Hongyuan became increasingly anxious.

Later, it was said that due to Grandpa's declining health, they sent the youngest son back home.

Yet, after just one day, the child was taken away once more.

After some time, Shen Hongyuan suddenly found himself with idle hours on his hands.

However, his temper only grew more volatile, leading to frequent arguments with his wife.

In his younger days, after an unprovoked outburst, Shen Hongyuan would feel guilt for a period of time.

As such, to make amends and seek solace, he suggested a vacation at their mountain villa.

But on the way there, they had another argument.

It was during that dispute that their youngest son went missing.

Madam Shen still vividly recalled those exceptionally gloomy days.

Summer was a rainy season.

The skies were perpetually overcast, weighing down on one's spirits with an oppressive humidity.

The journey to the villa was long, so for comfort and leisure, they prepared several motorhomes to form a convoy.

However, Madam Shen was far from pleased at that time.

It was supposed to be Shen Hongyuan's attempt to cheer her up by going on this vacation together.

But most of the time, Shen Hongyuan secluded himself in his own vehicle, occupied with unknown affairs.

Occasionally when he did come out, their conversations were distracted and lacked sincerity.

Madam Shen was infuriated by this behavior and, feeling stifled during the journey, she reprimanded Shen Hongyuan on the spot.

In response, Shen Hongyuan erupted in anger as well.

Madam Shen, in a fit of anger, locked herself inside the motorhome and wept.

Their youngest son came to console her but was pushed away by Madam Shen.

Despite this, Madam Shen was not overly worried.

The convoy consisted of three luxury RVs, and Shen Hongyuan had prepared an additional SUV for himself.

With the eldest son's heavy academic workload, he occupied one RV alone.

The second and youngest sons, due to their constant bickering, were assigned to another, under the watchful eye of an auntie.

In addition to these, there were drivers in each vehicle.

Ironically, it wasn't until they arrived at the mountain villa that everyone, stepping out of their respective cars, realized the youngest son was missing.

Mrs. Shen was instantly paralyzed with fear and promptly arranged for a search party.

However, the mountain roads were treacherous, and soon, a heavy downpour inundated the area.

A minor landslide occurred at the foot of the mountain, trapping them all atop it.

Madam Shen believed that was the darkest moment of her life.

Until they descended the mountain and returned to the Shen residence.

The news of their youngest son's disappearance could not be concealed, and her acquaintances came to inquire about it.

But something peculiar occurred.

Despite the many people who had been on vacation, each one, upon learning of the situation, would look at her with a blend of regretful reproach and ask,

"How could you have lost a child, being as grown-up as you are?"

"Isn't a mother supposed to be more attentive? Or do you expect the father to take care of the child?"

"You hired an nanny? What use is a nanny when she didn't give birth to him?"

"How could you leave such a young child alone?"

Criticisms flooded in like an unstoppable tide.

It was as if, with her presence as the mother, everyone else could fade into the background.

She had become the root of all evil.

This one incident made all of Madam Shen's actions seem wrong.

Everyone, from every angle, tried to prove that she was an incompetent mother.

The label weighed down upon her suddenly.

Madam Shen became disoriented.

Since marrying, her only identity had been "Madam Shen."

The virtuous wife and good mother of the Shen family.

When she went out, her conversations with others revolved around clothing, shoes, her husband, and her son.

Suddenly, this sole title shattered.

Until one day, Shen Hongyuan brought home a boy.

This boy was even younger than her youngest son by a few months.

He had grown up in an orphanage, frail and uncultivated, never having known the warmth of genuine love.

Madam Shen gazed at the boy.

She didn't see any resemblance to her youngest son in him.

But she saw a blank slate, an opportunity to be a "mother."

She intended to fill that slate with all her love, every meticulous care, and unconditional protection.

No one could interfere with her journey of "answering" this life's question, neither Shen Hongyuan nor her other two sons.

When Madam Shen first introduced her adopted son to society's stage, upon hearing the first praise from those around her, she smiled in satisfaction.

Through this newfound "Shen Xingran."

Madam Shen finally reclaimed her identity as the "devoted wife and loving mother."

With a creak, the door opened.

Madam Shen was abruptly pulled back from her thoughts. She turned her head to see that it was Shen Xingyu who had returned.

"You... You went to find... Lu Ran. What did he say?"

Madam Shen asked hastily.

Shen Xingyu didn't respond immediately but said, "My property has also been seized. A friend has offered us temporary accommodation, so we can move there for now."

As he spoke, he approached and noticed the photo frame in Madam Shen's hand.

Shen Xingyu paused for a moment before taking the frame to take a look.

He gently placed it back.

Addressing Madam Shen, he said, "These aren't heavy. Take them all."

The two were in the midst of packing when Shen Xingyu received a call – it was from the hospital.

They informed him that Shen Xingzhuo had been in a car accident.