Wen Siheng paused for a moment, his eyes widening in shock and displeasure: “Confiscated? Without your permission? How could they do that? When I lived in the orphanage, even our dean wouldn’t treat us like that!”

Wen Shaozhuo lowered his head, hands twisting together uneasily.

He didn’t know if it was appropriate to tell Wen Siheng these things, nor did he know what use it would be… After all, even if he said it, what could be done?

Wen Shaozhuo spaced out quietly.

The orphanage where his twin brother grew up sounded so good… Being able to play basketball freely (though he didn’t know how), having no one confiscate things, and judging by Wen Siheng’s appearance, the adults there probably wouldn’t barge into their bedrooms at will either.

However, while having these thoughts, he soon felt guilty again.

He felt guilty for having such thoughts—his growing conditions were clearly so much better than the other’s, yet how could he, how could he be so unsatisfied??

It was clearly because he couldn’t do anything well that Dad and Mom disliked him. It was clearly because he didn’t know how to cherish and utilize all this…

“Ding-a-ling~”

A bell sound suddenly rang in front of him.

The strange and rare sound of the bell snapped Wen Shaozhuo back to reality.

He looked up in confusion and bewilderment, only to see Wen Siheng holding a red string with an old small bell hanging from it. There were many faint fine scratches on the bell, looking very old.

The sound of this bell wasn’t crisp and loud with a long aftertaste like ordinary bells.

Its sound was just a “ding” and a “dong”, short, barely crisp, not loud, sounding a bit muffled.

One listen and you’d feel this must be an old cheap item from ten or twenty years ago, maybe even ripped off from some trinket costing only one or two yuan total.

But Wen Siheng’s expression seemed like he didn’t care about this at all.

He held the red string of the bell between two fingers and shook it in front of Wen Shaozhuo. The bell jingled. Seeing him come back to his senses, he contentedly gripped the bell into his palm like a treasure, then tucked it back into his pocket.

While putting away the bell, his twin brother asked him: “Why did you space out? Did you hear what I just said? I asked you, do you know where your painting collection was confiscated to?”

“…Confiscated to where?”

Wen Shaozhuo didn’t know why Wen Siheng asked this. He said uncertainly: “Maybe… maybe thrown directly into the trash can.”

He lowered his eyes dejectedly, voice inevitably a bit hoarse: “Last time… that’s how they threw it.”

Last time.

Wen Shaozhuo wasn’t sure how long ago that was.

Maybe yesterday, maybe last year, maybe even earlier.

He didn’t remember what kind of day it was, only remembering that Dad and Mom were in a very bad mood then, and he happened to finish his school homework and was secretly painting in his room.

That was a work he was most satisfied with. Inspiration, state, everything was just right. However, just as the painting was completed, Dad and Mom discovered him. They were very angry and tore up his easel along with the painting on the spot, then threw them into the trash can.

…Strange. He clearly didn’t care that much about it. He clearly never thought about it again after crying then.

But strange, so strange… Now talking about it, why were the scene and emotions from back then all so clear?

“Ding-a-ling~”

Another cheap and short bell sound.

Wen Shaozhuo was called back to reality again.

His twin brother rested one hand on his knee, bending down to look at him with great concern: “A’Shao, what’s wrong? You look very pale.”

Wen Siheng reached out, back of his finger gently wiping the corner of his eye.

“Why are you crying?” Wen Siheng asked worriedly.

Wen Shaozhuo raised his hand blankly and touched his eye, only to find he indeed shed tears.

Not only shed tears, he didn’t even realize he failed to stand straight—one hand resting on the desk, whole body curled into a ball, no wonder the other had to bend down like this.

…Ah. So terrible. So embarrassing.

Wen Shaozhuo propped himself up flusteredly, stammering: “Sorry, sorry, I was just… I was just thinking of some things. I, I couldn’t control it, sorry, sorry…”

He said he hated interacting with others.

Accidentally he would do something wrong in front of others like now, losing all face.

And this was even his twin brother; today was even their first meeting! …He didn’t even last a day!

Just as feelings of annoyance, inferiority, and breakdown were about to rise, a pair of warm hands suddenly gently cupped his face.

These hands used a bit of strength to lift his cheeks from his chest, making him raise his head, then meet his eyes.

Wen Siheng looked at him seriously and asked earnestly: “A’Shao, what are you unhappy about?”

Wen Shaozhuo blinked blankly and slowly twice, forcing a hoarse voice to say: “I… am not unhappy.”

Wen Siheng spoke slowly, stating definitely: “You are. You were unhappy just now. Did I do something to upset you?”

Wen Shaozhuo panicked instantly: “No, no. No! Siheng you, you are very good!”

Wen Siheng tilted his head in distress and confusion, asking him: “Then why would you be unhappy?”

But this question obviously couldn’t get an answer at this time.

Wen Siheng changed the subject, immediately turning to another question, asking him: “Why are you still calling my name?”

Wen Shaozhuo looked at him blankly.

Wen Siheng thought to himself: “Mm… I call you A’Shao, then you can call me that too. A’Si doesn’t sound good, call me A’Heng. We agreed today, I am the older brother, you are the younger brother, so you should call me Brother A’Heng!”

Wen Siheng blinked briskly twice, saying: “Come, call once to hear.”

Wen Siheng’s smile seemed to have some magic.

Facing this smile, Wen Shaozhuo’s mood and emotions were slowly soothed.

So unfamiliar, so abnormal a feeling.

Wen Shaozhuo’s voice trembled slightly, whispering: “Brother A’Heng…?”

Wen Siheng’s eyes instantly curved in a smile.

Wen Siheng: “Yes, exactly, call me that!”

He happily pulled Wen Shaozhuo to sit on the bedside. Before Wen Shaozhuo could react, his hands were clasped in Wen Siheng’s palms.

Wen Siheng turned his body, facing him directly, and said very seriously to him: “Since you called me brother, then I will definitely take responsibility for you. Don’t worry, A’Shao, leave the matter of your confiscated painting collection to me. Don’t be unhappy, wait for my news. I will work hard to help you find it back!”

Wen Shaozhuo murmured softly: “Find… back?”

Just at this time, footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

Wen Shaozhuo’s shoulders and back tensed reflexively. He swiveled his head to stare tightly at the door, whole body extremely tense.

Wen Siheng looked at his brother confusedly, looked at the door, and shouted directly to the outside: “Who is it?”

A strange voice sounded; it was the Wen family butler’s voice.

Butler: “Young Master, Teacher Jin has arrived. You should come out for class.”

Wen Siheng asked confusedly: “Teacher Jin? Who is that?”

Only then did the butler realize who was speaking, tone surprised: “Young Master Siheng? Why are you in Young Master Shaozhuo’s bedroom? Teacher Jin is the etiquette teacher. Mr. Wen specially instructed today that you also have to attend class with Young Master Shaozhuo.”

Wen Siheng pouted, shouting to the outside: “Etiquette class? I won’t attend such a boring class!”

He turned back, asking Wen Shaozhuo: “A’Shao, do you want to attend?”

Wen Shaozhuo tensed his voice: “I…”

Outside the door, the butler waited for a long time without an answer, knocked again, and called patiently: “Young Masters, time to come out. Teacher Jin is already waiting in the living room; can’t let people wait too long.”

Wen Shaozhuo deflated instantly.

He lowered his eyes dejectedly, clutching the hem of his clothes tightly, saying in a very, very low voice: “I… I’ll attend.”

Wen Siheng said “Eh?”, voice obviously a bit disappointed.

But he didn’t say anything. Wen Shaozhuo stood up and opened the door, and he followed Wen Shaozhuo out of the bedroom. But once out of the bedroom, no matter what the butler said, he refused to go downstairs together.

The butler couldn’t persuade this new young master. having no choice, he had to take Young Master Shaozhuo downstairs. Wen Shaozhuo followed the butler, gaze uncontrollably looking back at Wen Siheng by the upstairs corridor.

How he wished he could also bravely say he didn’t want to attend like Brother A’Heng, but…

Wen Shaozhuo arrived at the living room, tried hard to greet Teacher Jin politely, then followed the butler with him to the room commonly used for class.

He hated etiquette class.

Very, very much hated it.

This was his least favorite among all courses.

Usually at this time, he would recall the overly terrible emotional experiences during past classes over and over again. All these terrible emotions would make him more disgusted and desperate about today’s class.

However, today, at this moment, when Wen Shaozhuo entered the room with Teacher Jin, his thoughts still lingered on his interaction with Brother A’Heng just now.

He couldn’t help recalling what Brother A’Heng said to him, “leave it to him”.

Brother A’Heng… wanted to help him find the painting collection back?

Would he really go find it for him?

Don’t know. Maybe that was just a casual remark from the other? Maybe Brother A’Heng himself didn’t remember this matter? Maybe it was just him keeping this matter in mind again…

Wen Shaozhuo’s emotions swayed back and forth in this struggle.

One moment expectant, one moment dejected, so much so that no attention was placed on the class at all. Unknowingly, half the etiquette class passed.

Just then.

An annoyed female voice suddenly shouted loudly outside the room as if to lift the roof: “Wen! Si! Heng! What are you doing here? Are you a beggar on the street who can’t afford food? Who taught you to rummage through trash cans here?!”

Clatter, clatter sounds rang out; that was the sound of someone jumping and running on the wooden floor.

Wen Siheng shouted back lazily: “Don’t blame me for this, Mom. Don’t know where a rat came from, stole brother’s beloved things and threw them into the trash can. I just wanted to find A’Shao’s things back for him, that’s all. What, only allow rats to steal things, not allow me to snatch things back?”