Chapter 20: Laugh Out Loud! The Brother Who’s a Bad Copycat

Chapter 20: Laugh Out Loud! The Brother Who’s a Bad Copycat

The voice on the other end was loud, and Jiang Xingliu, sitting across, could hear it clearly.

His expression turned serious, and he carefully set aside the eager little spoon in his hand, asking, “Are you leaving?”

Shen Zhiyue patted Jiang Xingliu’s head. “No, sit still and finish your meal.”

Jiang Xingliu’s eyes brightened a little, and he hesitated before sitting back down.

In the past, whenever this call came, Shen Zhiyue would rush out, and when he returned, his face would be pale. During those times, he had to be extremely cautious because even the slightest sound would provoke anger.

Shen Zhiyue didn’t know much about the original backstory since, in the original story, he was just a minor character. It was only mentioned that his family wasn’t good to him, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been married off to Jiang Huizhou.

He spoke into the communicator, “I’m having a meal at a restaurant with my son right now. I’ll be there in an hour.”

“An hour? Do you want your brother to die?!” a woman’s shrill voice came through. “You ungrateful brat, you don’t even care about your brother’s life—worse than an animal!”

Soon after, a nurse’s voice came through, “Hello, this is the hospital. Other patients need to rest. Please do not shout in the corridors.”

The woman almost immediately retorted, “I was talking to my son, did that bother you? I’m a VIP client of this hospital. My son is staying in a luxury single room. He doesn’t think I’m loud, but those paupers are being pretentious?”

The nurse replied, “Madam, this is a private hospital, not a personal one. There are other patients here besides your family…”

“Great! How dare you speak to me like that? I’ll go complain to your director right away! You, a lowly nurse who earns a few thousand a month, dare to lecture me?! Pui!” The woman spat fiercely, and the nurse eventually shook her head and pushed the operating bed away.

Shen Zhiyue arched an eyebrow and ended the call.

Jiang Xingliu’s eyes were fixed on him without blinking.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Zhiyue said, “Are you hungry? Wait a little longer, the food will be served soon.”

Just then, a robot arrived with their dishes and placed them on the table.

Jiang Xingliu clutched his spoon nervously, hesitant to move, so Shen Zhiyue picked up some tender and juicy Dongpo pork and offered it to him. “Try it, is it delicious?”

This restaurant was a five-star Chinese establishment, highly rated and frighteningly expensive. Jiang Xingliu took a bite, his eyes instantly brightening, and he devoured the meat in his spoon ravenously.

Shen Zhiyue noticed that the child hadn’t yet reached the level where he could hide his emotions. When he was happy, his eyes would clearly brighten, and his watery eyes would slightly widen. Having been an actor in his previous life, Shen Zhiyue could easily catch the child’s micro-expressions.

The communicator kept ringing insistently, and Shen Zhiyue, annoyed, simply turned it off, then leisurely began eating, taking care of Jiang Xingliu while eating himself.

An hour later, Jiang Xingliu patted his little belly and let out a burp, looking like he couldn’t eat anymore, but his eyes were still on the remaining dishes on the table.

He noticed Shen Zhiyue ate very little and very slowly, hardly touching the meat, most of which had ended up in Jiang Xingliu’s own stomach. Shen Zhiyue elegantly finished a small bowl of vegetable salad.

Jiang Xingliu lowered his gaze, nervously fidgeting with the tablecloth.

Once Shen Zhiyue finished eating, he asked the waiter to box up the leftovers, then turned back to rub Jiang Xingliu’s head. “Do you like the food here, Xingliu?”

Jiang Xingliu nodded, and Shen Zhiyue pinched his cheek. “I’m glad you like it. Shall we come back next time?”

“No,” Jiang Xingliu frowned slightly and said softly, “It’s very expensive.”

“Since it’s so delicious, it’s understandable that it’s expensive,” Shen Zhiyue paid the bill, “But as long as you enjoy it, I can definitely cover the cost.”

Jiang Xingliu pressed his lips together: "Thank you... Mom."

Shen Zhiyue coughed, genuinely struggling with the term. He squatted down and gently negotiated, "Well... how about this? You don't have to call me Mom anymore. Just call me Shen Zhiyue, alright?"

Jiang Xingliu stared at him, his eyes slowly turning red.

Shen Zhiyue froze, then hurriedly reached out to wipe his tears. "Ah, why are you crying? Don't cry, okay? Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry, alright? Oh no, who’s this poor little one crying so heartbreakingly?"

Jiang Xingliu sniffled. "Don't... sell me, Mom."

Shen Zhiyue sighed; this kid was way too sensitive and insecure. Plus, this form of address really gave him the creeps.

"I'm not selling you; I just don’t like being called Mom," Shen Zhiyue scratched his head. "If calling me Shen Zhiyue feels too formal, you can call me Brother."

The child's tears kept flowing. "You’re my mom, why should I call you brother?"

Shen Zhiyue gritted his teeth. "Okay, not 'brother'... how about 'Zhi Zhi'? Many of my close friends call me that. We're close friends too, right?"

The child hesitated, then reluctantly nodded.

"Then don't cry, okay?" Shen Zhiyue wiped his face. "Come on, give Zhi Zhi a smile."

Jiang Xingliu tried to smile but ended up with a strained, awkward expression.

Shen Zhiyue said, "That's a good smile... well, it's my fault, let's go."

He grabbed Jiang Xingliu’s hand and turned to leave the restaurant, carrying several large bags of leftovers. They first went home, put the food in the fridge, and only then did Shen Zhiyue remember the phone call from his father.

Shen Zhiyue turned on his phone, which was almost bombarded to a crash by countless messages. His parents had called him countless times, the messages filled with unspeakable insults, as if he wasn't their biological son.

He put on his clothes, preparing to go out. Jiang Xingliu stood at the entrance, watching him with wide, dark eyes like a puppy about to be abandoned.

Shen Zhiyue sighed but ultimately decided to take Jiang Xingliu to the hospital.

As soon as they arrived, almost everyone's gaze fell on them. The tall and small pair were both strikingly good-looking, and Jiang Xingliu, dressed up by Shen Zhiyue, looked like a BJD doll—delicate and beautiful. Along the way, several medical staff greeted them. Jiang Xingliu received a pocketful of candy from well-wishers. Since people thought Shen Zhiyue was Jiang Xingliu’s parent, few approached him to chat.

When they reached the ward, Shen Zhiyue's mother saw him and immediately scowled. "You good-for-nothing, you came so late! If anything happens to your brother, I'll beat you to death!"

His father also stood by and shouted, "Since you're here, why are you just standing there? Go donate blood!"

Shen Zhiyue glanced at the pale man sitting on the bed.

The man wasn’t classically handsome, his eyes filled with the weak and sickly aura of someone who had been ill for a long time, making him look prematurely aged.

"Mom, don't blame my brother," the man coughed, covering his mouth. "I've dragged him down all these years. My brother probably hates me... It's all my fault for being so unwell. If I died, would you all be relieved?"