Since his relationship with his parents had warmed up slightly over the past few days, Wen Shaozhuo took the family car for his trip from the hospital to school today.

As soon as his exam finished, Wen Shaozhuo couldn’t wait to rush off campus. Along the way, he hurriedly checked his phone to see if there was any new news from the hospital.

No news.

That meant no unexpected incidents!

Wen Shaozhuo’s heart finally settled back into his chest.

However, there were two missed calls on his phone, both from Li Yunhui.

Wen Shaozhuo felt a bit nervous. It wasn’t until he got into the car and took a few calming breaths that he messaged Li Yunhui back.

He lingered on the message editing screen for several minutes.

He repeatedly revised the tone, wording, and punctuation of a single sentence. Only when he felt he couldn’t find fault with it anywhere, and that it wouldn’t make the other party feel his attitude was lacking, did he finally press the send button.

Wen Shaozhuo: [Brother Yunhui! [Loud Crying] I’m so sorry, I was taking an exam just now. I just came out and saw that you called me. Is there something you need?]

Replying to the message = Mission Accomplished.

Wen Shaozhuo breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was planning to exit the WeChat interface and go to various social media platforms to continue searching for the question “how to take care of someone who has just been in a car accident,” the WeChat page jumped back in front of him—

Li Yunhui called him back instantly.

Wen Shaozhuo: “…”

Ha, haha.

Sometimes he felt that Brother Li Yunhui’s extroversion was a bit terrifying…

Wen Shaozhuo mentally prepared himself for ten seconds, until guilt overcame him—thinking it was bad to keep Brother Li Yunhui waiting like this—before he mustered the courage to answer the phone.

Wen Shaozhuo greeted him politely and softly: “Hello, Brother Yunhui.”

A young man’s mature voice came from the other end. Li Yunhui cut straight to the chase: “Hello, Shaozhuo. Do you have time to come to the VR Game Expo this afternoon? ‘Angel Guide’ is very popular among beta testers. If you, the original artist, could come to the scene, it would definitely cause quite a stir.”

…VR Game Expo?

VR Game Expo!

Wen Shaozhuo’s mind went blank for a second, suddenly remembering that Brother Yunhui had indeed mentioned this to him before!

At that time, his brother hadn’t had the accident yet. Seeing that this afternoon coincided with the completion of his most difficult subject exam, he had agreed to Brother Yunhui’s request.

But once Brother Ah Heng had his accident, he had naturally… forgotten everything else completely!

Wen Shaozhuo panicked a little and apologized hurriedly: “I’m sorry, Brother Yunhui. My brother got into a car accident a few days ago. I… I’ve been taking care of him in the hospital and forgot about this…”

Li Yunhui originally wanted to say, “If you participate, it will be very helpful for building your reputation,” but upon hearing this, all his arguments got stuck in his throat.

…A car accident? His brother?

Wen… Wen Siheng?

Li Yunhui suddenly fell silent.

When a brother, connected by blood, suddenly meets with an accident—who could understand that feeling better than him?

“…So I, I probably can’t make time this afternoon. My brother just woke up last night, and he’s scheduled for a lot of checkups this afternoon. I have to go back and stay with him. I’m sorry, Brother Yunhui, I really didn’t mean to forget, I’m sorry…”

…He woke up.

Li Yunhui lowered his eyes, his fingertips gently stroking the cover of a precious notebook.

He interrupted Wen Shaozhuo’s apology and said, “It’s okay, no need to apologize. This event wasn’t mandatory anyway. If you can’t come, then forget it. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future; I’ll call you then.”

He paused for a moment: “‘Angel Guide’ is one of the most popular characters in the entire game. Once the game officially launches later, I plan to release a separate spin-off comic for him. If you have time then, I hope you can give it a try. After all, you are his original artist, and the image you drew is the closest to his soul.”

Wen Shaozhuo agreed cautiously: “No problem, Brother Yunhui. It’s my honor to work with you!”

Li Yunhui laughed at him: “Why are you being so polite? It’s not like we just met. Besides, your fame is growing now; you should have the aura of a celebrity artist! Alright, I won’t say more. Go take care of your brother. I wish him a speedy recovery.”

When Wen Shaozhuo hung up the phone, he was still a bit dazed.

In his impression, Brother Yunhui had always been the “child from the neighbor’s house” (the model child).

Every time his parents took him to a banquet, they would point to Brother Yunhui, who was chatting cheerfully with everyone in the distance, and tell him that this was the direction he should strive for.

And in terms of academics, brothers like Yunhui, Huanzhen, and Wen Yan—who had excellent grades and performance in all aspects since childhood—appeared in his ears almost every day.

Their names ran through his entire childhood… even on the night before he ran away from home, his parents were still chanting their names in his ears.

So much so that in his imagination, these brothers were all very impressive and distant people.

He never fantasized that someone like him could actually be acknowledged by Brother Yunhui. Brother Yunhui even gave him such a high evaluation, wanted to continue working with him, and called him a celebrity artist… Oh my god, that praise was way too exaggerated!

Holding his phone, Wen Shaozhuo gazed trance-like at the scenery flying past the car window, suddenly realizing that he seemed to have indeed changed a lot over the past year.

When did it start?

Right, it started when his brother barged into his life…

Thinking that his brother had finally woken up from the coma, and according to the doctor’s initial examination, his vital signs were basically stable with no life-threatening conditions, Wen Shaozhuo even felt a sense of rejoicing as if he himself had escaped death.

…That’s wonderful. Brother is okay.

Wen Shaozhuo closed his eyes and leaned back in the rear seat.

His mind couldn’t help but recall every minute of living with his brother since they met.

Every single minute was colorful to him.

…So, this is what it feels like to be truly alive.

Wen Shaozhuo watched the scenery outside the window, lost in thought all the way to the hospital.

The first thing he did upon returning to the hospital was, of course, to go to the ward to find his brother.

His brother was in good condition. Compared to when he left the hospital for the exam in the morning, his complexion was much rosier, and his spirit seemed to have recovered quite a bit.

He could even sit up with the nurse’s help!

Wen Shaozhuo sat by his brother’s bed, hugged him carefully and gently, and said happily: “Brother, I’m back!”

His brother returned the hug with smiling eyes. At this moment, Wen Shaozhuo finally let go of his worries completely.

Checkups, caretaking, staying with his brother every day—daily life seemed no different from before his brother woke up.

But the motivation and mood for doing all these things were worlds apart from when his brother was in a coma.

His brother recovered very well and very quickly.

Within a few days, his brother could get out of bed and walk on his own, eat on his own, and live independently. Naturally, there was no need to continue being hospitalized.

When processing the discharge, Mom and Dad were there too.

After his mom waited for him to finish the paperwork, she suddenly said, “You two have lived outside for so long; it’s time to come home and live.”

Wen Shaozhuo stiffened subconsciously and took a step back: “No, Mom, Brother and I…”

Wen Qingcai glanced at him and asked just one question: “Siheng has just been discharged. His body hasn’t fully recovered and is very weak. He needs a lot of nourishment. Living outside, who’s going to provide that nourishment? You?”

Wen Shaozhuo: “…”

Wen Shaozhuo thought for a moment and suddenly realized with dismay that, from the perspective of nourishing his brother’s body, living outside was definitely far inferior to living at home!

Wen Shaozhuo looked at his brother hesitantly.

His brother whispered, “It doesn’t matter! If Ah Shao doesn’t want to go home, then we won’t go back!”

Wen Shaozhuo: “…”

Wen Shaozhuo’s thoughts, which had been retreating and hesitant, suddenly became firm.

His brother was so considerate of him; how could he let his brother suffer grievances along with him just because of his own reasons?

Wen Shaozhuo was silent for a moment, then whispered, “Then… if I take Brother home to live, can you not restrict what Brother and I do?”

He mustered his courage to stand in front of his brother, trying to make his voice louder: “If Brother doesn’t want to take remedial classes, you can’t force him! Also, I need to draw a lot every day now, otherwise I won’t be able to keep up with Teacher Gong’s required progress. My room door… I need to change it to a security door, and I want to change the lock myself!”

Wen Yifeng, Wen Qingcai: “.”

Wen Yifeng turned his face away and turned around, feeling extremely aggrieved. Wen Qingcai took a deep breath and said, “Okay.”

Wen Qingcai agreed so readily that Wen Shaozhuo felt as if he had used all his strength to wind up for a punch, only to hit cotton, leaving him instantly bewildered.

Lin Chen thought for a while but didn’t say anything.

Anyway, with him watching at home for a month, he could see exactly how effective this order had been.

And so, Wen Shaozhuo brought his brother back home.

Having not been home for nearly a year, suddenly returning gave Wen Shaozhuo a strange sense of unfamiliarity.

…Strange. Even though it was the place where he had lived for more than ten years.

Having to return home, Wen Shaozhuo’s mood was naturally not as good as when he lived alone with his brother.

After returning home and settling his brother down, he hurriedly contacted a merchant on the delivery app to find someone to replace his bedroom door. He changed it to a door that couldn’t be violently disassembled from the outside, paying for the whole thing himself. The keys that came with the new lock didn’t pass through his parents’ hands for a single second.

Wen Shaozhuo wanted to change the door for his brother too, but his brother politely declined.

However, upon returning this time, Wen Shaozhuo discovered that his parents’ attitude had indeed changed significantly compared to before—

If nothing else, at least they seemed to have truly given up on developing him into an all-around child prodigy. Finally, they wouldn’t force him to learn things he didn’t want to learn anymore!

And when he drew at home, he finally didn’t have to act like a thief, afraid of being seen even a little bit.

…In that case, it wasn’t unlivable, he thought.

Drawing, taking care of his brother, and taking his brother out to bask in the sun became his main tasks during the winter break.

However, compared to the efficient and smooth recovery speed during the hospitalization a few days ago, after his brother was discharged, his physical recovery slowed down a lot.

This made Wen Shaozhuo a little anxious: “Brother, should we go back to live in the hospital? Your recovery speed in the hospital was much better than at home!”

Brother Ah Heng heard this and was immediately so scared he almost jumped out of bed: “Go back to live in the hospital? I don’t want to! Living there is too boring!”

Wen Shaozhuo kept a straight face: “…Confess honestly, Brother. Do you not want to stay in the hospital just so you can sneak out to the strawberry cake shop to eat cake?”

Brother Ah Heng blushed instantly.

Creak—

Just then, Mom came back.

Brother Ah Heng’s eyes lit up, and he immediately threw out a sentence: “I have something to say to Mom, I’ll come back to find you later, Ah Shao!”

Then he trotted out the door.

Wen Shaozhuo: “…”

Fine, at least Brother has fully regained his vitality now!

Wen Siheng found Wen Qingcai and entered the study with her, closing the door.

Wen Qingcai spoke a step before him: “Now Shaozhuo’s situation fully complies with the requirements of our contract terms. You can settle the order and leave early at any time. It’s a good chance to give you a vacation. You don’t need to tell your boss; take the vacation and go play wherever you want. How about it?”

Wen Siheng smiled: “Leaving work early? I couldn’t ask for more. But the Spring Festival is coming soon. I’ll wait until I finish spending the Spring Festival with Ah Shao before leaving. I’ve thought of a reason, too: just say I’m being sent abroad to recuperate. How does that sound?”

Wen Qingcai glanced at him, thought about it, and reluctantly said, “That works too. In the next two days, I’ll have my subordinates help find a suitable sanatorium. When the time comes, you go there first to check in and show your face. Take a few dozen more photos to save in your phone, don’t let Shaozhuo see any flaws.”

Wen Siheng nodded: “Professionals do professional things, don’t worry.”

Wen Qingcai worried about another thing: “But afterwards… how do you plan to wrap things up? You can’t just disappear or have an accident as soon as you go to the sanatorium. How should we explain it to Shaozhuo then? Or can you provide after-sales service and continue pretending in front of Shaozhuo?”

Wen Siheng smiled politely: “There is no need to worry about this point, Ms. Wen. Our studio has always had a variety of after-sales services to choose from.”

“If you are worried that a sudden loss of contact will overly stimulate Ah Shao, causing his physical and mental condition to revert overnight to pre-liberation times, you can choose our great value SVIP renewal service. We happen to be having an after-sales discount event these three days. Any after-sales project ordered and paid for within these three days gets a 10% discount! If you renew for more than three years at once, there’s an even better value discount of 20%!”

Wen Qingcai’s smile froze: “?”

Wen Siheng: “If you are interested, I can briefly introduce it to you here. The most important service content included in the SVIP renewal service is long-term, continuous tracking of the child’s status. Apart from maintaining long-term contact with Ah Shao so that he won’t be hit by the loss of a family member, we will also track his physical and mental health and capability development at all times. We will intervene promptly when the situation is poor to ensure Ah Shao grows up healthily.”

“If you want to upgrade to the Black Diamond SSSVIP service, during the after-sales period, we will also provide you with ample advice on getting along with Ah Shao. No matter what conflicts arise between you and Ah Shao, we will wholeheartedly help you maintain family relationships. Of course, Ms. Wen, you don’t need to worry that my existence will affect your interactive practice within the family. The after-sales service is not live-in; I will take care of my own room and board and only provide help when you need it.”

Wen Siheng smiled sincerely: “The price for the regular SVIP renewal service is 30 million a year. Purchasing three years or more allows you to enjoy the highest event discount, saving 6 million per year. The renewal price for the Black Diamond SSSVIP service is 40 million a year, with a savings of 8 million per year for a three-year purchase!”

“Order the renewal service now and enjoy the lowest price in history. Buying is earning; action is better than hesitation!”

Wen Qingcai: “…”

Wen Qingcai couldn’t bear it anymore and angrily chased Wen Siheng out of the study!

…

After three days of discussion, Wen Yifeng and Wen Qingcai, adhering to the idea of “if you’re going to buy, buy the best,” ordered three years of the SSSVIP renewal service.

Dropping 96 million in one go, Wen Yifeng and Wen Qingcai couldn’t help but wonder: did this studio owner start out as a scammer?

Wen Siheng didn’t care how reluctant Wen Yifeng and Wen Qingcai were when paying.

He very seriously prepared a whole box of small gifts for Wen Shaozhuo as New Year’s presents, intended to soothe his younger brother’s breakdown over his imminent departure abroad for recuperation.

This year’s Spring Festival was undoubtedly the most special one for Wen Shaozhuo in all these years.

Aside from spending New Year’s Eve at home, from the first day to the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, Wen Shaozhuo took his brother to many places every day—listening to concerts, visiting exhibitions, and even bringing his drawing board out to sketch his brother twice.

…Wen Shaozhuo felt that for someone who originally hated going out so much to become someone who went out every day like this, his brother definitely had to take full responsibility!

The Spring Festival passed in a blink of an eye.

His brother’s flight was scheduled for the morning of the eighth day.

When Wen Shaozhuo sent his brother to the airport, it was still snowing.

Wen Shaozhuo stayed with his brother in the special VIP lounge until his brother absolutely had to board the plane, only then standing up reluctantly.

He thought he had already mentally prepared himself over these days—

After all, his brother was just going out to recuperate and wouldn’t be gone for too long.

But… but why did his visa have to expire? He couldn’t even fly with his brother to the sanatorium to check the environment and come back!!!

Wen Shaozhuo thought this dejectedly, unwilling to let go of his brother’s sleeve for a moment.

His brain unconsciously began to worry: What if there was a sudden accident with his brother’s flight? What if everyone at the sanatorium bullied his brother because he was a foreigner? The environment in Country M was much more chaotic than in China; what if his brother encountered a gunfight?

Wen Siheng knew Wen Shaozhuo was letting his imagination run wild just by looking at him.

Laughing, he pinched Wen Shaozhuo’s cheek, squishing it into a round “°0°”.

Wen Siheng raised his eyebrows: “What nonsense are you thinking about? Don’t let your mind wander, Ah Shao. That car accident has already offset all my bad luck for this lifetime. Brother promises you, nothing will happen again, okay?”

“If the recovery goes well, maybe when you have your May Day holiday, I can take you around Country M!”

Wen Shaozhuo was still reluctant.

But he knew his brother was right.

He hugged his brother reluctantly and said quietly, “Then Brother, will you call me often? …Should I talk to Mom and Dad and ask them to hire a life steward for you over there too?”

Wen Siheng shook his head and said, “No. The sanatorium sounds restrictive enough already. If you add a life steward, I won’t be able to go out and play.”

Wen Shaozhuo widened his eyes and instructed his brother seriously: “Brother is not allowed to play with dangerous things!”

But seeing his brother’s eyes curving in a smile, he immediately followed up: “But because of Ah Shao’s instructions, Brother will take good care of himself over there and won’t touch dangerous things. Ah Shao, don’t worry!”

His brother smiled and rubbed his head, completely messing up the brother-style haircut he had kept!

Brother Ah Heng said, “If you miss me, Ah Shao, just send me a message.”

His brother was very free-spirited: “Anyway, it’s not a parting of life and death, just going abroad for a short time. Nothing to be sad about!”

Wen Shaozhuo was very sad, but felt that what his brother said seemed to make sense.

He hugged his brother once more and whispered, “Okay, Brother. Then, then if you miss me, remember to call me too.”

His brother agreed gently: “Of course.”

His brother was finally ready to board.

Wen Shaozhuo stood rooted to the spot, watching his brother’s figure gradually shrinking.

When his brother walked halfway, suddenly turned around, and waved vigorously at him, Wen Shaozhuo also waved back at his brother with all his might.

His brother turned away again and left. His figure shrank until it disappeared. Wen Shaozhuo’s tears finally couldn’t be held back and fell patter-patter onto the floor.

…Strange. It wasn’t like he would never see him again, so why was he crying?

Wen Shaozhuo hurriedly wiped his tears with his sleeve.

But somehow, the more he wiped, the more tears fell.

In the end, his sleeve was wet, and his vision was still blurred.

Amidst this teary blur, the plane took off.

The plane nosed upwards, piercing through the hazy heavy snow, becoming smaller and smaller in his vision.

After disappearing, it would inevitably pierce through the clouds and reach a higher and farther place.

Wen Shaozhuo gradually stopped his tears.

He looked at the place in the sky where his brother had disappeared and watched quietly for a long time.

It wasn’t until the phone in his pocket rang that Wen Shaozhuo reluctantly withdrew his gaze. He tried hard to wipe away the undried tears on his cheeks, answered the phone, and replied softly: “…Mn, I’m fine, nothing unexpected happened. My brother has already taken off. I’m going to the parking lot now. Sorry to keep you waiting.”