Chapter 148

When Zhou Shizhe arrived, he happened to catch a glimpse of the backs of the grandfather and grandson. It vaguely reminded him of how his own grandfather used to be when he was young.

Back then, he hadn’t been nearly as well-behaved as An An. He would throw tantrums at the drop of a hat, constantly crying and whining for his parents, and when he got upset, he’d lie on the ground and kick up a fuss.

Even now, when Zhou Shizhe thought about all the things he did as a child, he couldn’t help but sigh—he had been a textbook troublemaker.

If it had been him, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to resist smacking that kid. It was a miracle Grandpa had the patience not to do it.

To save himself the trouble, Grandpa had simply kept him by his side all the time, taking him along no matter what he was doing.

That sense of security had stayed with Zhou Shizhe to this day.

Originally, he’d been planning to snatch An An’s baby bottle just to see if the kid would cry, but his phone suddenly rang in his coat pocket. When he pulled it out, he saw it was a call from his mother.

Zhou Shizhe instinctively walked into the indoor elevator and headed to the second-floor balcony before answering.

“Hello?”

“Shizhe, are your grandparents with you right now?”

Hearing that, Zhou Shizhe glanced at the snowflakes drifting outside and replied softly, “No. If you have something to say, just say it.”

“Your little brother’s condition isn’t good. The doctor said that if we don’t start treatment soon, he might have to spend the rest of his life in a care facility. His mental state isn’t suited for school either.”

By the end, Mother Zhou’s voice was tinged with sobs.

The more she spoke, the deeper Zhou Shizhe’s frown became. When he heard her low, muffled weeping, he couldn’t hold back and directly cut her off.

“So? What is it you want me to do?”

The crying on the other end stopped instantly. At this point, Zhou Shizhe didn’t even feel disappointed anymore. All that remained was a cold indifference he couldn’t quite describe.

He had known it. If she didn’t have some ulterior motive, his mother would never have called him.

“Shizhe, we all know how much your grandparents love you. They’ll definitely listen to whatever you say. The doctor suggested that we should go along with Shitou’s wishes. I can send you the recording of what the doctor said. I’m not lying this time.”

“We didn’t raise you ourselves when you were little. We can’t let your brother go through the same thing, can we?”

“Shitou said he wants Grandpa to treat him like he treats An An, even if it’s just for a few months.”

“Your father and I can pay for a nanny to take care of An An. We promise he’ll be well looked after.”

The room wasn’t cold, but Zhou Shizhe felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. He took a deep breath to steady his emotions and asked rationally:

“So… you’re trying to make up for the guilt you felt toward me by giving it all to my little brother?”

“I’m still alive. I’m not dead.”

After emphasizing that fact, Zhou Shizhe suddenly felt ridiculous. Why did they think treating his brother better would somehow make up for what they’d done to him? He was still here.

There was a long silence on the other end before Mother Zhou stammered, “But Shizhe, you’ve already grown up. Your brother is still just a child.”

It was as if Zhou Shizhe had been transported back to his childhood, once again becoming a boy desperate for his parents’ attention.

His silence made Mother Zhou even more anxious, and her words became increasingly disjointed.

“Shizhe, do you really believe that fortune-teller’s nonsense? That thing about being fated to have Grandpa? Anyone can tell that’s just a scam to get money!”

“No matter what, he’ll never be as good as your brother. Your brother has the same blood running through his veins as you do.”

Zhou Shizhe could vaguely hear footsteps approaching—quick little taps, clearly the sound of short legs hurrying over. He pushed down all his emotions and replied:

“I’m going to pretend I never answered this call. Don’t bring it up again. I will never agree to it.”

He hung up right after saying that. As he slipped his phone back into his coat pocket, An An appeared in his line of sight.

An An was holding a fork in his chubby little hand, with a slice of apple skewered on it. After running all that way, his fair cheeks were tinged with pink.

“Big Brother, try this~”

He stood on tiptoe and held the apple up to his brother’s mouth. Zhou Shizhe took a bite, then simply scooped An An up into his arms.

At some point, he had developed a habit—whenever he was upset, he’d pick up An An and hold him.

Once he saw his brother start chewing, An An let out a giggle, rubbed his head affectionately against his brother’s, then said in his soft, childish voice:

“Big Brother, take me to eat fried chicken~”

Zhou Shizhe almost instinctively wanted to spit out the apple this little rascal had used to bribe him, but An An quickly reached out and covered his mouth. His big eyes blinked innocently, looking like he’d done nothing wrong.

“No.”

“Hmph!”

An An puffed out his cheeks in frustration and ground his little teeth. With that fierce expression, Zhou Shizhe seriously suspected this kid was planning to bite him any second now.

“It’s not a good time to go out. Grandpa will get suspicious.”

“Big Brother, work. Take me with you.”

Just to get his long-awaited fried chicken, An An had even come up with an excuse for him.

Seeing how stubborn he was being, Zhou Shizhe realized there was no way around it—fried chicken was happening. He sighed and leaned in to nuzzle An An’s cheek with the tip of his nose.

“Tomorrow. Not today.”

“Yay!”

After that, he carried An An to the playroom and spent some time building blocks with him. When the alarm on An An’s wristwatch went off, the little guy immediately jumped up.

“Big Brother, I’ll come back later.”

Last month, one of Grandpa’s friends had introduced Grandma to a descendant of a medicinal cuisine master, someone who specialized in therapeutic meals. They had invited the person to stay at their home.

Though it was called medicinal cuisine, it was essentially medicine, and it didn’t smell very pleasant.

Grandpa Zhou was a stubborn old man. Once he got in a mood, not even Grandma Zhou could talk him down. Only An An, hands on his hips supervising him, could make sure the food wasn’t wasted.

After An An left, Zhou Shizhe pulled out his phone and messaged a friend overseas to ask about his little brother’s current condition.

The response was pretty much what his mother had said. When a child’s brain hasn’t fully developed, being overly preoccupied with something isn’t good. In ancient times, there were even sayings about overly intelligent children dying young.

When someone becomes too fixated, modern medicine can’t cure it. The best they can do is advise the parents to fulfill the child’s wishes as much as possible.

If it hadn’t been for today’s events, Zhou Shizhe would never have realized that his mother had been harboring such thoughts all along.

Because she believed the fortune-teller’s reading was fake, she had always thought their kindness to An An was undeserved.

But in truth, Zhou Shizhe didn’t care whether it was real or not. All he knew was that the grandfather who had once been declared terminal by doctors had survived—and Grandpa firmly believed in that reading.

Even if it was just to make Grandpa happy, he was willing to spoil An An.

Besides, in all of this, An An had been the most innocent one from the very beginning.

He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet just because of Zhou Shi’s jealousy, he was supposed to be sent away. Anyone would find that absurd.

And even if the fortune-telling was nothing but superstition, the fact that An An’s biological grandfather had saved Grandpa’s life was undeniably true.

Zhou Shizhe had been raised well by Grandpa. Unlike his parents, he had never assumed that everything Grandpa had would one day belong to him.

He had no objections to Grandpa wanting to leave everything to An An. The guidance, connections, and resources Grandpa had provided him were more than enough for him to build a business empire of his own.

His parents had always seen Grandpa as an insurmountable mountain. They had never even entertained the idea of surpassing him.

He still remembered the first time he told his parents that he wanted to be better than Grandpa. Not only did they not support him, they even mocked him for being foolish.

Only Grandpa and Grandma had always believed he could do it, standing firmly by his side.

Zhou Shizhe picked up the building blocks An An had just scattered and helped him rebuild them. He was deeply grateful that during the formative years of his values, it was Grandpa who had taught and guided him.

And yet, despite knowing how much Grandpa now cherished An An—more than his own eyes, even—his parents still had the nerve to ask him to persuade Grandpa to send An An away and bring Zhou Shi back instead.

Was that really about sending An An away?

No, it was clearly about getting him kicked out of the house too!

He wasn’t some four- or five-year-old child anymore. When he was little and threw tantrums, Grandpa would coax him. But now that he was grown, Grandpa wouldn’t spare him any face if he acted out.

Not to mention, the doctors had repeatedly warned that Grandpa absolutely couldn’t be agitated. Yet his parents had never taken that seriously.

After finishing the building blocks for An An, Zhou Shizhe went downstairs. Grandpa Zhou was sitting at the dining table, shoulders slumped, face scrunched up as he stared at the medicinal meal in front of him.

The herbal scent was so strong that it wafted all the way into the living room. No wonder Grandpa didn’t want to eat it.

Tiny An An stood beside him with his hands on his hips, striking a fierce pose.

“Hurry up and eat!”

“An An, Grandpa’s not hungry yet.”

“Doesn’t matter. You have to eat.”

An An clambered up onto the chair with effort, scooped up a spoonful, and brought it to Grandpa’s mouth. Grandpa Zhou couldn’t stall any longer and could only grit his teeth and eat the medicinal food An An fed him.

Watching Grandpa’s bitter expression, Zhou Shizhe couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile.

Based on the past few days, Grandpa would probably throw a little tantrum after eating, and once An An finished his snacks, he would go coax him again.

Soon, it was time for the New Year. On New Year’s Eve, Zhou Father sent a video call from abroad.

It was a day for family reunions, after all, so Grandpa Zhou didn’t refuse. When he answered, he saw that their whole family was still in the hospital room even on New Year’s Day. It softened his heart more than before.

“Dad, have you… eaten yet?”

“Mm. What about you?”

“Not yet. We’re planning to eat later. Dad… about what I asked Shizhe to talk to you about—have you thought it over?”

“What thing?”

Grandpa Zhou instinctively glanced at his eldest grandson, who was being coaxed by his little grandson into peeling shrimp. He hadn’t mentioned anything related to them recently, which meant this matter had been kept from him.

“He didn’t tell you?”

“No.”

On the other end, Zhou Shizhe had a vague idea who the call was from and knew exactly what his parents wanted to talk about. He nudged An An lightly with his elbow.

Thanks to their brotherly bond, An An quickly ran over and hugged Grandpa’s arm.

“Grandpa, make me some milk.”

“In a minute.”

Grandpa Zhou was curious—what could be so important that his eldest grandson would hide it from him?

An An clung to Grandpa’s arm and gently shook it, mumbling softly:

“Grandpa, my tummy’s already growling.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll make it. Tell it to stop growling for now.”

Though Grandpa Zhou was curious about the matter, An An’s hunger took priority. He took An An’s little hand and led him to make milk.

After they left the living room, Zhou Shizhe walked over to the sofa and glanced at the screen. The call was still connected.

“Dad, it’s the New Year. Don’t say things that’ll upset Grandpa.”

With that, he took off his gloves and hung up the call. After a moment’s thought, he also set up call forwarding.

From now on, any calls his father made to Grandpa would be redirected to his own phone.

To this day, Zhou Shizhe still couldn’t understand why Zhou Shi harbored such deep malice toward An An.

If An An had done something, it would be understandable. But from beginning to end, they had barely interacted—just a few brief encounters, hardly even speaking.

No one wanted to bring up such a mood-dampening topic during the festive New Year celebration.

When it came time to hand out red envelopes, An An received not only a big red packet but also a bag full of golden bottle caps.

In front of Grandpa and Grandma, An An barely managed to maintain the image of a mature little boy. But the moment they left, Zhou Shizhe saw him gleefully rolling around on the sofa.

Hugging that bag of golden bottle caps, even the tips of his hair seemed to dance with joy.

After the New Year, Zhou Father and Mother returned to the country and tried to visit. But they didn’t even make it through the front gate.

The security guards stopped them, using the most polite tone possible to ask them to leave—after all, it was the homeowner’s request.

That evening, when Zhou Shizhe came home and heard about it from the guards, he reminded them not to mention it to Grandpa and Grandma.

As the weather gradually warmed, the flowers Grandpa Zhou personally tended in the backyard began to sprout tender shoots. Every morning after waking up, An An would go check on them, hoping they would grow quickly and bloom just for him.

In the backyard of the villa where Grandpa and Grandma lived, there was also a cherry tree. When it bloomed, it was especially beautiful. When the wind blew, petals fluttered down like snow, creating a breathtaking scene.

An An loved standing beneath it, reaching out to catch the falling petals, or practicing tai chi with Grandpa.

That summer, An An was just the right age to start kindergarten. Grandpa Zhou took him and moved into the villa in the Capital City. Zhou Father and Mother didn’t even know the exact address.

Of course, Zhou Shizhe didn’t share any bad news with Grandpa and Grandma. Worried they might ask about it out of concern, he would occasionally let slip a few things.

For example, Zhou Shi’s condition had been confirmed as incurable. They had visited every top hospital in the country, and every doctor gave the same answer.

They left the child at home with a dedicated nanny to care for him. Compared to before, Zhou Shi’s condition had actually stabilized somewhat.

Perhaps it was because even Zhou Father and Mother could no longer see Grandpa and Grandma, but Zhou Shi rarely brought up visiting them anymore.

When his parents weren’t home, Zhou Shizhe went to visit his younger brother once.

He promised that as long as he was around, he would help him. He hoped Zhou Shi would stop overthinking things, cooperate with treatment, and hopefully recover.

But Zhou Shi didn’t appreciate it. Instead, he glared at Zhou Shizhe with eyes full of resentment and said something no child his age should be able to say.

“You’ll help me? You’re just going to help him more. I don’t want a brother like you.”

Zhou Shizhe held back his temper only because he was still a child and continued explaining:

“Of course I’ll help you. I’ll help him too. I’m the big brother to both of you.”

“He’s already got all that inheritance from Grandpa. What help does he need from you? Or are you just trying to win him over so you can steal it all for yourself?”

His malicious accusation made Zhou Shizhe’s breathing go erratic. He abruptly stood up and walked out.

Just as he stepped out the front door, he ran into Zhou Father and Mother returning home. Seeing the grim expression on his face, they didn’t dare call him back. Instead, they chose to check the surveillance footage.

After Zhou Shi began showing signs of mental instability, they installed surveillance cameras in the places he usually frequented to ensure his safety.

When they saw Zhou Shi questioning Zhou Shizhe with that expression, accusing him of coveting Grandpa Zhou’s inheritance, the couple was so shocked they stood frozen for a long time, unable to react.

After a long pause, the two exchanged a glance. This could no longer be explained by mental illness alone.

The words Zhou Shi spoke, along with the expression on his face, looked especially jarring on the tender face of a child. It even sent a chill down their spines.

…

After successfully starting kindergarten, An An got along well with the other children. None of the situations that Grandpa Zhou and Grandma Zhou had worried about occurred.

Through the school’s surveillance system provided for parents, they could see that although An An wasn’t as lively and cheerful as he was at home, he didn’t reject the other children when they invited him to play.

The children who could attend this kindergarten were all raised with care from a young age, so major conflicts were rare.

And so, Grandpa Zhou accompanied An An as he grew up, watching him grow day by day.

The next time they heard news related to Father Zhou and Mother Zhou was when they sent Zhou Shi to a sanatorium.

Although Grandpa Zhou had been angered by Zhou Shi many times before, he did not agree with his son and daughter-in-law’s decision to send the child to a sanatorium.

The child was simply too young. No matter how professional the caregivers there were, they could never be as attentive as a nanny at home.

Grandpa Zhou and Grandma Zhou made a trip back themselves. When they arrived at the house, they learned from the servants that the two had gone to what was said to be the most effective temple in the city to offer incense.

These two had always scoffed at such things and had even repeatedly criticized them for indulging in outdated superstitions.

Now they were burning incense? The couple exchanged a look, both shocked and curious about what could have caused such a sudden change.

This time, Grandpa Zhou and Grandma Zhou had returned specifically for this matter, so they waited patiently. It wasn’t until night had fully fallen that they finally went home.

It hadn’t been long, but both of them looked utterly haggard, especially Mother Zhou, who seemed to have wasted away.

“Dad, Mom, why are you here?”

Father Zhou’s voice was slightly hoarse, and there were visible marks on his knees from kneeling.

“I heard you sent Zhou Shi to a sanatorium? That child is still so young. What were you thinking?”

It would have been better if they hadn’t brought it up. As soon as the topic was mentioned, Mother Zhou, who had just been calm, suddenly became agitated.

“That’s not our child! That’s a debt-collecting demon!”

In Grandma Zhou’s memory, her daughter-in-law had always had a good temper. But now her clothes were disheveled, her hair was a mess, and the dry, brittle strands showed it had been a long time since she’d had any proper care.

“What happened? What’s going on?”

Mother Zhou opened her mouth, and tears immediately began to fall. It was Father Zhou who, slightly more composed, began to explain:

“Not long ago, we both had the same dream. In it, a little boy was saying goodbye to us. The same dream, night after night.”

“Some time ago, Zhou Shi said he suspected An An had stolen his fate, which was why you and Dad didn’t like him. To ease his mind, we invited a master over.”

“But the master who originally read An An’s fortune said he wasn’t our son at all. He was a wandering ghost from who-knows-where!”

“He took over my son’s body, preventing him from reincarnating, and has been following us ever since.”

“The child came to us in a dream because he was about to disappear. He just wanted to say goodbye.”

Mother Zhou sat silently to the side, tears streaming down her face. By the end, her sobs had become so intense her body trembled uncontrollably.

These past few days, they had been constantly visiting Taoist temples to request rituals. Whenever they had time, they would go to Buddhist temples to burn incense, hoping that what they were doing could bring some benefit to that child.

“Dad, please don’t get involved in this. Sending him to the sanatorium was already a concession, only because it’s still my son’s body.”

“If not for that, I would’ve killed him with my own hands.”

Father Zhou didn’t want his father interfering. Grandpa Zhou looked at their stubborn expressions, opened his mouth to say something, but didn’t know where to begin.

It sounded absurd, but when he thought about the things that child had done, it somehow made a strange kind of sense.

At his age, Grandpa Zhou didn’t have the energy to worry too much. But before leaving, he still went to the sanatorium to see the child.

When he pushed open the door, he saw Zhou Shi curled up in a corner, muttering to himself.

He kept saying that if it weren’t for An An, he never would’ve been discovered, never would’ve been locked up in this place.

Even now, he was still blaming everything on An An.

This was Grandpa Zhou’s own grandson. More than anyone, he had hoped the Taoist master had made a mistake. Before coming, he had even tried to convince himself to abandon the beliefs he had held for so many years.

But unexpectedly, the boy had gone mad and admitted it himself. Supported by Grandma Zhou, Grandpa Zhou left the sanatorium without saying a word.

Grandma Zhou knew her husband was heartbroken, so once they got in the car, she brought up the idea of going home early.

“The nanny said An An was asking last night when we’d be back. Leaving him all alone at home like that, it’s really pitiful.”

“Mm. Alright.”

If there was anything that could pull Grandpa Zhou out of that state, it was An An.

After starting kindergarten, An An had clearly become much more sensible. He loved bringing books over to ask Grandpa questions.

Grandpa Zhou was also a lover of books. Though his eyesight wasn’t what it used to be, he would still put on his glasses and read slowly.

Not only could he answer An An’s questions from the books, he could also share knowledge that couldn’t be found in any textbook.

The fantastical worlds Grandpa described made An An want to cling to him and never let go.

Grandpa Zhou also enjoyed the look of admiration in his little grandson’s eyes and was enthusiastic about answering his questions. Occasionally, he would even talk about things he had experienced in the past.

All kinds of little stories kept An An completely hooked.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, An An graduated from kindergarten. He invited Grandpa, Grandma, and his Big Brother to attend his graduation ceremony.

Seeing An An in his school uniform, bouncing excitedly and waving at them, Grandpa Zhou walked over with his cane.

Every time he saw An An, Grandpa Zhou couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. This was the little one he had raised with his own hands, step by step.

The more outstanding An An became, the prouder Grandpa Zhou felt.

After the ceremony, when they were getting into the car to leave, the driver was Zhou Shizhe.

“Big Brother!”

An An shouted excitedly. The disappointment he had felt earlier from not seeing his brother vanished instantly.

Zhou Shizhe had just returned from abroad that day. As soon as he got off the plane, he rushed over to be their driver.

When the car arrived at the villa, An An jumped out with his little backpack, only to feel a pair of large hands cover his eyes.

Then, his brother’s voice, tinged with laughter, sounded in his ear.

“An An, I’ve prepared a surprise for you.”