TOTWV CH4

Chapter 4: Second Brother

“It’s my fault. My heart softened, so I didn’t give Li-Li his medicine these past two days.” Xiang Xiaoying sat on the chair outside, covering her face. “He said he didn’t want to take it, so I…”

She took a deep breath, unable to continue.

Hearing this, Sister Fang couldn’t help gasping in shock. She had originally thought Sister Ying brought Li-Li to the clinic today as part of a routine visit; although a bit sudden, Li-Li’s unexpected situations weren’t uncommon in the past. Who could have guessed it was for this reason?

“You were so confused!” Sister Fang tossed her bag onto the chair and sat down next to her. After a long moment, she put an arm around Xiang Xiaoying’s shoulders. “It’s alright. Didn’t you bring Li-Li to Dr. Chen in time?”

“Let’s listen to the results first. Don’t worry so much.”

Xiang Xiaoying stared at the tightly shut clinic door, took off her sunglasses, and revealed the exhausted eyes underneath. “I just received a call from Teacher Liang. She said Li-Li hasn’t been paying attention to anyone at kindergarten these past few days.”

“She asked Li-Li why he wouldn’t play with the others, and Li-Li just said he prefers staying by himself.”

Xiang Xiaoying looked at Sister Fang. “I don’t know if I’m overthinking, but Li-Li has been very obedient at home these days. Even so, I still want to tell him…” She paused. “…he doesn’t need to be so good.”

He didn’t need to be so well-behaved; he could trouble her a little more, rather than appearing as if he could handle everything on his own without needing any help from his mother.

Li-Li was still so tiny.

Xiang Xiaoying felt completely at a loss. “I’m afraid if this continues, Li-Li won’t want to stay with me either.”

Sister Fang patted her shoulder. “He won’t.” Just then, the clinic door opened. Sister Fang glanced over, saw Dr. Chen stepping out, and continued, “I won’t interrupt. Go talk to Dr. Chen first.”

“Don’t overthink it.”

Sister Fang gave her a gentle push.

Using that momentum to support herself, Xiang Xiaoying stood up, her high heels clicking heavily against the marble floor. “Dr. Chen, how is Li-Li’s condition?”

Dr. Chen motioned for her to take a look inside the room.

Xiang Xiaoying stood by the doorway and peeked in.

The white bundle—not even as tall as an adult’s thigh—was buried inside a pile of sofa cushions with his short legs crossed. He held a palm-sized, chibi-style cotton doll in his hands, surrounded by a pile of doll clothes. Little Shi Li was meticulously styling outfits for the doll.

The cotton doll looked small, but it was almost larger than his face. Holding it with both hands, he dressed it bit by bit.

Dr. Chen thoughtfully closed the door and lowered his voice. “That’s called a cotton doll. Young people nowadays seem to like them. I didn’t quite understand, so I just bought a few to place here.” He led Xiang Xiaoying away from the door. “Li-Li saw them and liked them, so I let him play.”

“Shi Li’s mother, did you notice? When Li-Li styles the clothes, he isn’t just messing around randomly. The color palettes and styles are completely coordinated. He has his own ideas.”

Xiang Xiaoying froze, her voice raspy. “What do you mean?”

Dr. Chen smiled. “He said just now that the games at kindergarten were too silly, and the other kids were too noisy. He prefers reading books, which is why he always stays alone.” He spoke deliberately, delivering a clear conclusion: “Li-Li is a very intelligent child.”

Although switching to a new body had made Shi Li’s memories and thoughts fuzzy and slow—to the point where he couldn’t even recognize all his characters—he was undeniably smart compared to other three-year-olds his age.

Dr. Chen continued, “Perhaps his condition isn’t worsening, but rather getting better step by step.”

Xiang Xiaoying took two steps back in disbelief. “What did you say?”

Dr. Chen said, “According to standard procedure, Li-Li should undergo a thorough examination, but he has always resisted those machines. For the sake of his mental state, I suggest observing him for a few more days.” He thought for a moment. “He doesn’t need to take that batch of medication anymore. Once his condition improves a bit, bring him in for an evaluation, and I’ll adjust his prescription.”

“Okay, okay.” Xiang Xiaoying repeated the word several times before asking anxiously, “Then what about his issue at kindergarten?”

Dr. Chen said, “Move him up to the senior class, or just let him play at home.” He sighed. “Talk to him more, take him out to play. If you’re busy with work, let other family members help take care of him.”

Xiang Xiaoying had starred in many hit dramas, so Dr. Chen naturally recognized her. Understanding that her career was currently peaking and she couldn’t spare much time, he refrained from criticizing her and simply offered a few tactful suggestions.

Xiang Xiaoying took a deep breath, indicating she understood.

Dr. Chen checked his watch. “I have another patient coming up, so I won’t keep you. It’s fine to let Li-Li play here a bit longer.”

Xiang Xiaoying hurriedly said, “Thank you so much, Dr. Chen. I’ll pay the extra fees in a moment.”

Dr. Chen waved his hand. “No charge.” He smiled. “Li-Li is just too cute.”

Long after Dr. Chen left, Xiang Xiaoying remained lost in thought. Sister Fang walked up behind her. “Sister Ying? Sister—”

Xiang Xiaoying grabbed Sister Fang’s hand. “Sister Fang, did you hear that? Dr. Chen said Li-Li is getting better.”

Having stood nearby while they talked, Sister Fang naturally understood. She let out a sigh of relief along with Xiang Xiaoying, her mind starting to spin with ideas. “I heard, I heard! Now you can finally put your heart at ease, right? Since today’s set was already prepared, how about I tell the director to hold off until tonight?”

Sister Fang asked, “Will you rush to the set after dropping Li-Li off at home?”

Xiang Xiaoying waved her hand. “There’s no one at home right now, and Li-Li needs company.”

Sister Fang pondered for a moment. “Sister Ying, then… are you still interested in that script?”

Xiang Xiaoying recalled, “That parent-child variety show?”

Sister Fang nodded, turned around to rummage through her bag, and pulled out a bound folder. “Take a look. These are the guests who have been invited.”

“The first little girl just made a big impression at a poetry competition two days ago. The next two kids aren’t as small as Li-Li, but they’re quite sensible. Finally, there’s the kid from the Gu family, around four or five years old—he’s a bit rowdy, but the rest are fine.”

“Doesn’t Li-Li dislike going to kindergarten? Letting him make some friends on the show would be great, and you’d also get to spend more time with him.”

Sister Fang had put a lot of thought into this. Learning that parent-child shows were trending, and considering Li-Li’s condition, she had managed to extract a guest list from the director.

Regardless of whether Xiang Xiaoying would agree, her goal was to lay out the details first and let Sister Ying decide for herself.

Xiang Xiaoying gripped the papers tightly. “Let me think about it.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go, but managing both acting and a variety show meant she would be completely overwhelmed.

As if reading her thoughts, Sister Fang added, “If you’re really unavailable during filming, anyone from your family can step in for a couple of days. The contract specifies that any legal guardian is fine.”

“By the way, didn’t that kid Shi Cheng come home for his break today?”

Remembering this, Sister Fang stopped pushing Xiang Xiaoying to catch up on filming tonight, telling her to spend time with her family instead while she called a taxi for herself.

Inside the clinic room.

After changing the cotton doll into several outfits, Shi Li realized sluggishly that he had been sitting here alone for a very long time without anyone coming for him.

It felt like he had been forgotten.

Little Shi Li lowered his eyelids, carefully folding the dozen or so doll clothes one by one. He arranged them neatly on the sofa and placed the cotton doll right on top of them.

Then he turned around, attempting to climb down from the sofa.

Because he was still too short, Li-Li could only kick his short legs and slide down bit by bit, landing on the floor with a soft thud like a little dumpling.

The floor was covered with a plush carpet, so it didn’t hurt.

Little Shi Li patted his hands, picked himself up from the ground, and walked slowly to the door. Reaching high up, he barely managed to touch the doorknob. He bounced on his feet, jumped, and pressed it down.

Click—

The door opened.

Hearing the sound, Xiang Xiaoying turned around.

Li-Li stood at the doorway, looking at her quietly. He took the initiative to walk over and hold his mother’s hand, his milky voice light and soft: “Mom.”

Xiang Xiaoying squatted down halfway. “Why didn’t Li-Li play a little longer?”

Little Shi Li shook his head. “I don’t wanna play.” He pursed his lips, his dark eyes round and bright. “I missed Mom.”

That was why he came out on his own and held her hand so obediently.

Xiang Xiaoying’s voice rasped slightly. Unexpectedly, she said, “I’m sorry, Li-Li. Mom won’t leave you alone for so long next time.”

Li-Li’s eyes lit up, and he nodded gently.

On the way back, Shi Li took a nap in the car. By the time he woke up, he was already carried back into the Shi residence.

He threw off the small blanket covering him, sat up, and looked around.

He seemed to have been placed on the sofa bed in the main hall. The first floor was completely empty, with only him present. Little Shi Li raised his head to look at the clock hanging on the wall.

It wasn’t dinnertime yet.

However, Shi Li glanced at his own little belly, patted it, and whispered, “Don’t rumble anymore, there’s no food for you.”

Li-Li had been awakened by hunger.

He sat back on the sofa and tried to endure it, but couldn’t withstand his stomach’s insistent rumbling. He slowly climbed down. Clearly having mastered the technique, he skillfully tumbled onto the carpet, stood up groggily, identified his direction, and walked toward the kitchen.

The moment he reached the doorway, he froze.

There was someone in the kitchen.

It wasn’t Auntie Liu, but a teenage boy in his mid-teens wearing a loose school uniform with the zipper undone. With messy black hair, he was leaning over, searching for something in the fridge.

Shi Cheng rummaged for a long time before letting out a dissatisfied “Tsk.” The downside of not living at home often was that the snacks he brought back every weekend would be cleared out by the time he returned next week.

In the end, he settled on a can of iced Cola, opening it with one hand while using his foot to kick the fridge door shut. Turning around, he locked eyes with a tiny bundle staring at him blankly with his head tilted up.

Shi Li pondered for a moment and remained quiet.

He couldn’t quite remember which brother this was.

Only when he saw the other party raise an eyebrow coldly did he confirm: this was definitely the expression his second brother would make.

Shi Li had never seen his second brother this young. His last impression before dying was of Shi Cheng as a researcher who spent all year buried in a scientific institute.

As an Omega, he had to maintain a distance even from family members who were Alphas, not to mention the large age gap between Shi Li and his older siblings.

Aside from being blood brothers, their relationship could be summarized in two words: not close.

While Shi Li was reminiscing, his soft cheek was suddenly pinched. Snapping back to reality, he saw the handsome teenager squatting before him.

After confirming that only he and Shi Li were here, Shi Cheng raised his other hand to cup Shi Li’s face, rubbing it directly while letting out a “Tsk.” “Little brat, you won’t even call me ‘Brother’?”

Pitched and squished, little Shi Li felt dizzy. He raised his short hands to pat Shi Cheng’s arms. Because his cheeks were being pinched, his words came out distorted, yet he still called out obediently:

“Er goggo.”

Second Brother, Shi Li corrected in his mind.