"They probably won’t be back anytime soon, but the New Year is coming up, and we’ll have to go back to our hometown for it."

After Qin Jiao spoke, Xiao Shi’s little face fell.

"Sis, I don’t want to go back to our hometown. I... I don’t like them."

Even though Xiao Shi was young, she could tell who was nice and who wasn’t. Her uncle and his family were not easy people to be around.

Besides, children are the most sensitive to favoritism from their elders. She had been taught from a young age that everything had to be given to her younger brother. She was just a girl, so school was useless. There was no need to buy her new clothes because, after all, once she grew up and got married, she would no longer be part of the Old Qin Family.

Her grandparents had even indoctrinated Xiao Shi with the idea that the money her parents earned working away from home would have to be given to her brother in the future. Because her immediate family had no son, it was only natural and right for them to earn money for her brother to spend.

Her aunt, Qin Na, had grown up in the exact same environment. Xiao Shi was simply following in her footsteps.

Qin Jiao reached out and gently stroked her sister’s soft hair. "If Mom and Dad don’t go back, then we won’t either," she said softly. "And if they do, and we go with them, the moment you’re unhappy, I’ll bring you right back home."

"Mhm!"

Xiao Shi’s mood brightened instantly. She showed her sister the little red flower she had received at school that day. Qin Jiao praised the little girl for a bit, then her gaze drifted to the balcony next door.

’I wonder if Shen Yi is feeling any better.’

Although it was late at night, in the Du family home just a wall away from the Qins’, three men were sitting in the living room.

An old man, a grown man, and a boy.

The three sat on sofas arranged in three different directions. In the middle, several photographs were laid out on the coffee table.

Shen Yi pressed an ice pack to his feverish cheek and leaned back. He had just taken cold medicine and should have been drowsy, but he was wide awake.

Shen Zhengfeng said, a little flustered, "Dad, why don’t I explain this to you? Xiao Yi, you’re sick and you have school tomorrow. You should go upstairs."

"I’m not leaving. There’s nothing I can’t hear. Besides, I’m not just sick—I was beaten." Shen Yi took the ice pack off his face, revealing his slightly red and swollen cheek.

In reality, Chen Feng had only punched him once, which wouldn’t have caused such severe swelling. But he had added a few punches of his own.

When he got home, he had taken a few pitiful-looking photos of himself with a camera.

He planned to get the photos developed to show his mother, Du Liya.

In his past life, Shen Yi hadn’t known how to show weakness. He had met every conflict head-on, and in the end, he was left battered and bruised without having accomplished a single thing.

This life... he wouldn’t be as reckless and foolhardy as he was in his last.

Sure enough, Mr. Du immediately looked over. "Who hit you?"

It had been dark earlier, and the boy had since been holding a towel full of ice against his face, so Mr. Du hadn’t noticed.

Shen Zhengfeng also looked over in confusion. He frowned and asked, "Did you get into another fight at school?"

There were many reasons why Shen Yi had transferred to Pingan Middle School, one of which was that he had injured someone in a fight.

Shen Yi stared blankly at his father. "This time, I was the one who lost the fight. I didn’t land a single punch, but he got me good. Dad, do you know who he is?"

A bad feeling instantly welled up in Shen Zhengfeng.

And just as he feared, Shen Yi said slowly in the next moment, "It was your other son. Chen Feng."

Shen Zhengfeng shot to his feet. He had already been on edge when he saw the photos, but then he’d thought he could just find an excuse to brush it off.

’It was just a hug. It didn’t mean anything.’

’But if the old man found out that he and Li Xiaomei already had a son...’

Mr. Du’s expression grew even colder. He was, however, a little surprised. What surprised him was that Xiao Yi hadn’t said anything about this before.

’Was the boy worried I would try to play peacemaker again, pushing for them to reconcile instead of separating?’

Mr. Du hadn’t wanted the boy to hear about these things either, but at that moment, he realized with stark clarity that his grandson was already grown up.

He understood everything.

Mr. Du said coolly, "Zhengfeng, why don’t you explain yourself. What exactly is going on?"