Chapter 65 Bad Examples Spread

Chapter 65: A Crooked Beam, a Crooked Shadow

Upon his return, Yang Yun denied putting the milk powder up there, questioning why anyone would place it so high.

The moment he spoke, his elder brother's expression darkened. Uncle Yangkuo handed Wang Wang to Shi Zai, saying, "Big Brother wants him gone." Shi Zai was utterly bewildered. It was late, Shen Fuxing had already retired, and even if he had erred, it hardly warranted dismissal.

Yang Yun gripped his elder brother's arm:

"Is he...?"

"...Perhaps."

Their cryptic exchange left Shi Zai even more confused, demanding a clear explanation.

Yang Yun, though suspicious, was unaware of the day's events. He asked his younger brother to recount them first. Such a reaction from their elder brother suggested something far more serious than a mere "perhaps." After hearing the story, Yang Yun burst into laughter—of course.

Indeed, the only thing that could provoke such outright disgust from their elder brother was this scenario: Shen Fuxing had developed a crush on him.

This "liking" wasn't serious, as evidenced by his younger brother's complete obliviousness. Yang Yun knew the backstory—their elder brother's past inclination to become a monk stemmed partly from this. Even after abdicating as crown prince to live as a carefree noble, he wasn't left in peace. People sent him men and women, all of whom he drove away with a sword. Eventually, exasperated, he avoided everyone. Recently, Yang Yun had noticed his elder brother seemed to be avoiding Shen Fuxing. He hadn't seen anything amiss with Shen Fuxing himself, assuming it was just his younger brother provoking him and their elder brother being jealous, so he hadn't given it much thought. But now, armed with this knowledge and hearing his younger brother's account, Yang Yun's suspicions were confirmed. Shen Fuxing's little game was exposed.

When their elder brother didn't eat the stuffed tofu, Shen Fuxing would.

When their elder brother ate the stuffed tofu, Shen Fuxing wouldn't.

To get the milk powder, Shen Fuxing would first call their elder brother. But when his younger brother went instead, Shen Fuxing wouldn't follow.

If Yang Yun hadn't placed the milk powder box up high, it must have been Shen Fuxing—just so he could ask their elder brother to fetch it every time.

Was he trying to become their elder brother's concubine, or did he want to replace his younger brother outright?

To prevent the kind-hearted Shi Zai from being too lenient, Yang Yun laid it all out plainly, revealing the inside story. To his surprise, Shi Zai still didn't believe it.

Shi Zai's reasoning was simple:

"...Oh, right!"

As soon as Yang Yun finished speaking, he noticed the gaze from beside him and slapped his forehead:

"Well, Brother Zheng is just average, but our elder brother has charm, you know?"

"...Hahahahahahaha!"

"What do you mean, Shi Zai?! You don't believe our elder brother has charm, do you?!"

Shi Zai laughed uncontrollably, patting the restless Wang Wang and shaking his head:

"Of course I know he has charm. Don't think I'm unaware of what happened between him and Zheng Yuan. But I'm quite satisfied. I warned him early on—if anyone else so much as glances at him, it's his fault. He handled it cleanly himself, so I didn't say anything. Now, I have to ask—"

He paused, narrowed his eyes at Shu Yangkuo, and said:

"Brother, why are you handling it in front of me this time?"

"...I couldn't get rid of him without you noticing."

"Oh—pretty quick on your feet. But aren't you the best at asking Zheng Yuan to handle this kind of thing?"

"...Brother doesn't understand what his wife is saying."

Tch—Shi Zai handed Wang Wang to Yang Yun and asked him to take the child to the living room to play for a while.

The door slammed shut. Shi Zai pulled up a photo on his phone and snorted, "What did the transferred young doctor say?" Shu Yangkuo's eyelids twitched, but he remained calm: "I transferred him to a better position. He even thanked Zheng Yu later—" Before he could finish, Shu Yangkuo shut his mouth.

Shi Zai burst into laughter. Did this guy think he could outsmart him? He wouldn't last three rounds!

He clapped his hands:

"Well, well! So you're the real master actor! You should've been an actor! After Yang Yun finished speaking, even I believed it!"

"..."

"Now, just tell me the truth!"

"...Brother is feeling a bit of postpartum depression."

At that, Shi Zai laughed again. This guy was now quite adept at playing the victim so effortlessly. He snorted:

"One thing at a time. Let's talk about the current matter first!"

"..."

Ten minutes later, a new version of the story emerged.

Shu Yangkuo was once bitten, twice shy. After the incident with Tan Xun, even though it hadn't been a big deal in the end, he was afraid that the kind-hearted Shi Zai would be too empathetic. He worried Shi Zai wouldn't be able to refuse people or risk hurting their feelings. So, he wanted to nip it in the bud.

His plan was to let Shen Fuxing work until the end of the month. He had brought it up several times, but Shi Zai always said to let him stay for two more months.

Two more months meant sixty extra days of uncertainty.

Especially after noticing Shi Zai staring several times at the little flowers and kittens Shen Fuxing was knitting.

So, he rehearsed a little with Shen Fuxing.

There was no other way—Shen Fuxing was too straightforward. When Shu Yangkuo offered to introduce him to another job and pay him for two extra months, Shen Fuxing said, "Mr. Shi will definitely try to persuade me to stay repeatedly, and I'd feel bad refusing him." He added, "Besides, even if I leave, Mr. Shi will still be thinking about hiring someone else."

After much thought, this was the only solution.

He couldn't use jealousy as an excuse anymore. For one, his wife's kindness toward others hadn't crossed any boundaries. For another, his wife would feel hurt and distrusted. The only option was to make himself the bad guy. After all, he'd already taken the blame multiple times. He just hoped his wife would be shocked enough to side with him and let Shen Fuxing go.

It wasn't like he hadn't tried being direct—he had brought it up several times, saying they didn't need a nanny. But his wife insisted that if they didn't hire anyone, he would stay home to take care of the child himself.

Still, today wasn't a complete failure. Shu Yangkuo paused, mustering his courage:

"Wife, I've really been feeling out of sorts lately, that's why…"

"Oh!"

"Please forgive Brother. Brother doesn't want outsiders around. Brother can handle it… Wife, Brother begs you."

Before Shi Zai could respond, the tall man bent down and buried his head in Shi Zai's shoulder. Shi Zai's heart softened instantly. But it was precisely because he felt sorry for his husband, who sometimes had to take care of the child alone during the day, that he had hired help. Yet, it had been bothering Shu Yangkuo.

Shi Zai thought it over for a while. It should be fine. If Shu Yangkuo got busy, he could always call Yang Yun or someone to come help. The main issue wasn't childcare—it was that Shu Yangkuo didn't want him interacting with anyone… Ah, he really was jealous. But it was also quite amusing. This man, who was usually reserved and dignified and had become a rising star in the antiques world, would resort to such tricks and schemes in front of him, going to great lengths to stage this whole act.

Well, he'd let it slide. If his husband really had postpartum depression, it wouldn't be worth the risk.

Seeing Shi Zai give in, Shu Yangkuo hugged him tightly and gave him a firm kiss:

"Wife, go to sleep first. Brother will talk to him."

"..."

I can't believe this.

He wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to the person. Shi Zai didn't go out but called Yang Yun in instead, since Wang Wang was already asleep. After placing Wang Wang in the crib and securing the guardrail, Shi Zai sat down with Yang Yun in the small living room outside the bedroom, tilting his chin up:

"Who moved the box?"

"..."

"All that smooth talk earlier, and now you're mute? Speak!"

"...Big Brother. Little Brother already knows anyway."

Shi Zai snorted:

"Yun Bao doesn't tell me anything anymore, whispering secrets to Big Brother instead..."

"No, no! Little Brother, let me explain everything to you properly!"

When the 6-foot-tall goofball wrapped his arms around him, clearly affected by what he'd said, Shi Zai quickly laughed and told him not to repeat it. What he really wanted Yun Bao to talk about was something else—his relationship with Qin Xihan.

Yang Yun blushed slightly, with his hands clasped between his knees:

"I only mentioned it to Big Brother once, just casual chat. I didn't mean to hide it from you, Little Brother."

"...Oh."

"Little Brother—it's just, well, I'm supposed to be a husband like Big Brother, and you're the wife. Some things are just awkward to talk about directly with you—Ouch!"

Shi Zai tapped him on the forehead, crossed his arms, and put on a stern look:

"So now that you want a wife, you've forgotten all about your Little Brother!"

"...Little Brother, I really didn't mean it! I was planning to talk to you in the next couple of days. Big Brother is no help—when I try to chat with him, he talks like he's evaluating a business deal, all cryptic. I've been trying to figure it out for days and still don't get it!"

"Hahahaha!"

"Little Brother, don't misunderstand me. I love you the most! It's him, you know, hehe. I just wanted to know how Big Brother managed to win you over. But asking him was pointless—turns out it was you who made the moves and he couldn't resist—Ouch!"

Yang Yun rubbed his head, pouted. He really couldn't ask Little Brother about it—he couldn't just make the first move, or he'd probably get beaten up by all three of them. But then! Yang Yun's eyes suddenly lit up:

"Little Brother, why don't you teach Qin Xihan instead? Tell him to make a move on me—Ouch! Stop hitting me, I'll get even more stupid!"

"...Strange. I raised you to be smart and cute, so how did you end up getting sillier?"

Earlier, when Shi Zai spaced out, he was thinking—What?! Qin Xihan needs to chase someone?!

Is this big oaf really that dumb?

Hearing this, Yang Yun made a face, scratching his ear:

"There's no smart left—just the kind of cute nobody wants."

"Hahaha, my Xiao Yunbao!"

Shi Zai pulled the big goofball into his arms, not knowing what to say. He and his brother had it easy, but these two were something else.

Still, the situation was different. After listening to Yang Yun talk about their recent interactions, Shi Zai laughed and sighed. Qin Xihan, huh? He understood Qin Xihan's hesitation—after waiting so long for things to fall into place, he was suddenly nervous. But it made sense—Yang Yun was still young, and Qin Xihan was afraid it was just a passing infatuation.

Since Yang Yun was already eighteen and serious about it, and Shi Zai had watched them grow closer over time, he figured he could help out.

Hehe, it felt like teaching the oldest kid how to pursue someone.

Shi Zai pinched Yun Bao's ear:

"You want Little Brother's help? Fine, but promise me one thing first."

"Mmhmm, go ahead!"

"Wait until you're twenty to... you know!"

"...Huh? Ah!"

This silly goofball—Shi Zai gave his ear a hard twist:

"You actually had something in mind? You're not even fully grown yet!"

"I am! More than yours! Oww, that hurts..."

"Twenty years old, got it?!"

"...I'm not that kind of person! I'm just curious why it has to be twenty."

Hearing this, Shi Zai coughed twice:

"Because I waited until I was twenty! If you do it earlier, I'll be jealous!"

"...You, you, you..."

You're really crazy. Yang Yun stammered "you, you, you" for a while but didn't dare say the last four words.

But even if Little Brother hadn't said anything, they wouldn't have... Besides, given how things were going, he felt like he'd be waiting until he was twenty-seven.

Seeing the silly goofball sighing with his chin in his hands, Shi Zai's eyes sparkled mischievously. Grinning, he pulled Yang Yun closer by the ear and whispered some advice.

After listening, Yang Yun hesitated, but seeing how confident Little Brother seemed, he decided to go for it.

The day before Mid-Autumn Festival, Yang Yun finally felt the timing was right—do or die... Wait, no. If it worked tonight, the next day's Mid-Autumn Festival would be a happy family gathering. If it didn't, it wouldn't ruin the holiday mood—Little Brother had said he hated unhappy holidays.

However.

That night, in the large living room, near the corridor wall, first one person went to face the wall in timeout, then another...

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

Shi Zai sneaked a glance backward. Tsk, so full of dad-energy, getting addicted to playing disciplinarian! If he's so capable, why not discipline the one in his arms instead!

Fifteen minutes before.

In the play area of the living room, Shi Zai was chatting with Qin Xihan. Shu Yangkuo had been half-lying on the sofa, patting Wang Wang's back to burp him. When the man took the little one to the kitchen to check on the food, Shi Zai immediately sent Yang Yun a message.

Soon, Yang Yun came down the stairs.

Qin Xihan had his back to the staircase. Shi Zai exclaimed "Wow!" Qin Xihan looked at him, confused, but Shi Zai ignored his questioning look and kept exclaiming, "Wow!" Only then did Qin Xihan turn to look behind him.

Tsk, tsk. That silly goofball actually looked pretty handsome, with a bit of Big Brother's vibe—no, more like a husband's vibe, hehe.

Wearing only a pair of blue sweatpants with the drawstring hanging loose, the pants hung somewhat loosely on him. Perhaps feeling warm, he fanned himself lazily with a hand-held fan while keeping his other hand tucked in his pocket. He bounded down the last two steps with a youthful, energetic vibe, yet still carried an air of cool detachment.

Most strikingly, he was eye-catching—his abs that made it hard to look away. Huh, Yun Bao actually has abs now, not bad at all. Shi Zai felt a sense of pride, like a proud parent watching their kid grow up. When he glanced at Qin Xihan, who also seemed stunned, Shi Zai secretly smiled, thinking this might just work.

Meeting Qin Xihan's gaze, Yang Yun paused briefly but quickly regained his composure, walking up to him:

"Xihan Ge, keep your eyes to yourself. Have some self-respect."

"..."

Qin Xihan abruptly turned his head away, his mouth twitching. He glanced at Shi Zai, smiled slightly, and didn't respond.

Shi Zai grinned—this was promising.

With his brother watching, Yang Yun leaned casually against the balcony railing. Seeing Qin Xihan bent over, adjusting the piano stand bought for Wang Wang, Yang Yun remarked, "Xihan Ge, you really like kids, huh? I like them too, but I like you even more—" Before he could finish, Qin Xihan suddenly looked up and asked, "What's gotten into you today? Why the sudden change?" Yang Yun immediately flicked his fan—just the opening he wanted. "Darling, I've changed this much all for you." Qin Xihan's eyelids twitched, and he glanced over at Shi Zai, who promptly hurried off to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Shu Yangkuo was instructing the chef on how to prepare their usual favorite noodles. Shi Zai played with Wang Wang, then took him into his arms. "Ge, could you make the noodles tonight? I really want some." Shu Yangkuo replied, "Sure," so Shi Zai carried Wang Wang out of the kitchen.

Back in the living room, it was unclear what Yang Yun had just said, but things between him and Qin Xihan seemed tense. Shi Zai walked over.

Yang Yun took Wang Wang into his arms. He'd said everything he needed to, yet Qin Xihan's reaction wasn't what he'd expected—instead, Qin Xihan seemed reluctant to stay near him, almost as if he was holding himself back. Strange. The moment he held the little one, Yang Yun suddenly remembered he had one crucial line left: "Xihan Ge, look how well I take care of Wang Wang." Qin Xihan glanced at Wang Wang, who gave him a gummy smile, so he nodded. Thrilled to finally get a response, Yang Yun beamed, "Hehe, when the time comes, you can carry a baby too—I'll give birth to it." After a pause, he added, "Do you love me even more now?" But as soon as the words left his mouth, Qin Xihan stood up, expressionless, nodded briefly at Shi Zai, and hurried back to his bedroom.

Two bewildered faces remained in the living room. Wang Wang, held a bit too tight, started crying loudly—his stomach, just starting to feel better, was upset again.

Shi Zai had just taken Wang Wang back and hadn't yet soothed him when Shu Yangkuo came marching in from the kitchen. With one glance, his face darkened. After taking Wang Wang, he asked what the two of them were doing, especially Yang Yun. Called out in a cold voice by his older brother, Yang Yun shrank back and quickly explained, "Ge was teaching me how to be a good husband and chase someone. I was just practicing—not sure if it worked." Shu Yangkuo took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, then looked down at Shi Zai, who was glaring at Yang Yun. He gave Yang Yun a light kick to the rear. "If you don't want to wear clothes, you can go out naked from now on!"

After Yang Yun went to his room to put on a shirt, Shi Zai chuckled:

"Ge, it probably worked—he got shy and went back to his room first."

"...Go face the wall."

"???"

"Stand facing the wall."

"...I know what it means! Shu Yangkuo, have you grown wings or something?..."

Before he could finish, under Shu Yangkuo's stern gaze, Shi Zai snorted but obediently went to stand facing the wall. It wasn't that he was afraid of him—he was just humoring him, humoring him! Wang Wang had been crying a lot lately, and Shu Yangkuo had grown somewhat irritable as a result. Though he soothed the baby patiently, the little one was in the "colic phase," and despite efforts to ease his gas and discomfort, he still cried frequently. Wang Wang spent almost 24 hours in his father's arms—one cried often, the other naturally felt heartache and frustration. To keep Shu Yangkuo from sinking into depression over parenting, Shi Zai and Yang Yun had been giving in to their older brother lately.

As a father, Shi Zai felt the strain too, but his optimistic nature kept him from getting too bothered. Besides, Yan Wei had said this phase would pass.

Soon after, Yang Yun came out, paused in surprise, and without waiting for instructions from his older brother, obediently stood next to Shi Zai against the wall.

Five minutes later.

Shu Yangkuo gently stroked Wang Wang's little back with two fingers while staring at the back of one of their heads:

"Learning from your ge? Wang Wang, be good... Then think about how your ge talks."

"..."

Yang Yun, who had been silent, suddenly snorted with laughter.

Shi Zai shot him a glare.

Shu Yangkuo turned his gaze to the other and said calmly:

"Did your wife love you more because you gave birth to Wang Wang?"

"..."

Shi Zai remained silent, followed by a snicker from beside him. Shi Zai shot another glare his way.

Shu Yangkuo's expression grew even colder:

"Was this what your husband was like from the start?!"

"..."

This time, Yang Yun didn't make a sound. Shi Zai thought for a moment and let out a hearty laugh, as if he had finally figured out where the problem lay. Reflecting on Yang Yun's earlier behavior, it was so cringeworthy! Yang Yun pouted and glanced at his older brother.

With a light sigh, Shu Yangkuo looked at Yang Yun again and said:

"Has Big Brother ever told you that you need the skill to make yourself needed?"

"...But he doesn't need me for anything!"

"That's because you don't have the ability yet!"

"..."

Yang Yun opened his mouth but closed it again, pondered for a moment, and then tears started falling.

Seeing this, Shi Zai hurried over, only to find Yang Yun wiped his tears away and muttered to himself, "Yeah, I have no ability."

The baby in his arms suddenly smiled, and Shu Yangkuo's expression softened as well. He said to Yang Yun:

"Why are you in such a rush?"

"I'm not in a hurry, but he likes me but still... I want him to feel at ease."

"He likes you but hasn't confessed—why?"

"..."

Silly kid, Shu Yangkuo continued:

"Because he isn't at ease. Liking someone isn't just about words."

"...But that's exactly what Big Brother does!"

"..."

"Oh, Big Brother uses both his words and his actions..."

Feeling two pairs of cold eyes fixed on him simultaneously, Yang Yun didn't finish his sentence and instead pouted.

Shu Yangkuo's eye twitched. What on earth had the older one been teaching the younger?!

"So the way you understand 'liking' is either saying it with words or...?"

"...I think I get it now!"

"Go apologize."

Shi Zai seemed to understand as well and added from behind, "Don't go chasing after him recklessly until you've matured a bit."

Turning around, Shi Zai knew his own matter wasn't settled yet. He simply turned and stood in front of the man. Unable to throw himself into his arms, he snuggled against Shu Yangkuo's free arm, still holding Wang Wang, lifted his eyes, and said, "I get it too, Brother. Their situation is different from ours—there's no instant spark... ah, no, I mean there's no moment where they both need to embrace each other, so it has to happen gradually. Heh heh, I was mistaken. I taught him what initially attracted me most about you, Brother, and what attracted you to me, and told him to blend them... but that's not right. Yun Bao needs to be himself for Qin Xihan to feel at ease liking him. Right, Brother?" Before Shu Yangkuo could respond, Shi Zai continued rambling on about how "What attracted me most about Brother wasn't just the physique," "I love all of Brother, I love Brother's silence, I love Brother's patience with me and all the quiet things you do for me..." What could Shu Yangkuo say to that? He could only forget about Yang Yun's awkward imitation earlier.

Stared at by a pair of smiling eyes—no, make that two pairs—Shu Yangkuo kissed each of them in turn:

"I'm a sucker for your style."

"Hehe, of course! I live for you, Bro!"

"..."

Suddenly, his ears turned red. Shu Yangkuo was about to walk away holding Wang Wang when the little one attached to him stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

After a light kiss, Shi Zai blinked, glanced at the little one who was staring at him with a smile, and said to Shu Yangkuo:

"Brother, we kissed right in front of Wang Wang."

"..."

Shu Yangkuo raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Shi Zai, on the other hand, couldn't help but blush, though he soon broke into a grin. Hehe, after all, they usually waited until Wang Wang was asleep at night.

While amusing himself, Yang Yun and Qin Xihan came out one after the other—they had made up, back to being regular buddies. That was fine too. Even as a younger brother, someone cherished for a lifetime, these were things he had to experience himself. It wasn't like some things could be handled by big bro. Thinking about it, if Shu Yangkuo acted like him but spoke like Yang Yun... Shi Zai couldn't help but shudder—that would indeed be terrifying. What Qin Xihan liked was Yang Yun himself, not some weird mix of big bro and little bro.

Shi Zai moved closer to Qin Xihan:

"Han Bao, I'm staying out of your business now. Honestly, whether it was what I said to you before or what I taught Yun Bao... it wasn't all for my brother's sake. I care about you too, and I like you. From the day you accompanied Yun Bao onto the bus, I thought you were good-looking with a good heart, and later, your quiet concern for him... At first, I thought Yun Bao was young, and I was also worried you might get hurt in the future. I wanted you two to be together because I hoped you could have a safe, stable little world. What's past is past—whether it's Yun Bao, me and his older brother, or you, let's all move forward. No matter what happens in the future, even if Yun Bao can't give you the stability you want, I can, this family can. We've got your back when you feel lonely, or treat this home as a place to start over..."

Before he could finish, Shi Zai felt a weight on his shoulder—Qin Xihan suddenly hugged him, buried his face in his shoulder, and cried.

Shi Zai understood instantly, his own eyes reddening. He patted Qin Xihan's back:

"If you're willing, you can call me 'Little Brother' and him 'Big Brother' like Yun Bao does from now on."

"Lit-Little Brother..."

"Hehe, I'm right here. From now on, you're my brother too. I'll protect you, love you just like I love them. You can tell me anything directly. Even if you have reservations about being with him, that's fine. Little Brother will be your little brother for life. Don't be afraid, don't panic. Life's long, real long—we'll take it slow. Qin Xihan will become the best Qin Xihan, the best you..."

The crying in his arms grew louder. Shi Zai said nothing more, letting him process and calm down on his own.

Regarding Qin Xihan's situation and the store-wrecking incident, both the older and younger brothers at home had already told him about it. While feeling sorry for his big and little brothers at the time, he also felt deeply for Qin Xihan, who had faced circumstances similar to, or even harder than, his own. How had he endured it? Qin Xihan was different from him—Shi Zai had learned to vent and console himself. His optimistic nature had allowed him to live happily even while feeling sad. But Qin Xihan was someone who kept everything bottled up, with many reservations. Even when his feelings were laid bare, he didn't dare to jump in feet first.

Sigh, what happened today was probably for the best. Otherwise, even without future hurdles, Qin Xihan's restraint would have kept him trapped forever.

At the restaurant entrance, Shu Yangkuo held Wang Wang with a blank expression, while Yang Yun, red-eyed and pouting, said dejectedly:

"Big Brother was right. I don't have what it takes."