Little Terrified Bun

That day, the sun shined brightly in the sky, and a warm, light breeze filled the air.
The smog clogging the sky had finally disappeared, revealing the azure blue and cute little white clouds underneath.

Wei Zhe had remembered that the child ate only takeout and ramen for a big half of the month, and especially asked the kitchen to make a light corn spare-rib soup and a nourishing five-grain congee, without any spice, to put in front of Wei Jing.

Wei Jing scooped the congee up with a spoon, delivering it into his own mouth bit by bit, but his gaze would drift occasionally towards Wei Zhe’s side of the table.
His favorite sweet and sour ribs – big brother was such a meanie – he put that dish right where he couldn’t reach it! He definitely did that on purpose, for sure! It made him so angry!

　　 “What are you looking at? Eat your food properly.” Wei Zhe gave an easy smile, “A good boy can’t be a picky eater!”

Wei Jing: *exploding anger*

“Second brother, did you want to eat this?” Suddenly, the silent Wei Min opened his mouth.
As he spoke, he pushed the sweet and sour ribs towards Wei Jing.
He smiled cutely, a hint of flattery in his grin, and said “If second brother ever wants to eat anything, you can just tell me.
I can help you out.”

Wei Jing’s grip tightened around the spoon in his hand.
The expression on his face relaxed instantly, and surprisingly revealed a cold indifference reminiscent of Wei Zhe.
“No need to, brother, I actually don’t like to eat this.”

　　 　　 “Oh really?” Wei Min’s face paled.
He seemed to be a bit angry, but then also a bit upset.

　　 Wei Min’s life during this time did not go so well.
He’d finally been taken back to the old family house, only to realize everything here was controlled by Wei Zhe – especially since father made his attitude on the matter clear.

And even if Wei Zhe didn’t say anything, or do anything?

Those people working in the old family house that wanted to please Wei Zhe would turn around and make things difficult for him secretly.
It was no use telling the butler, because these things they did….
were all permitted by him.

His originally muddled brain suddenly cleared up.

　　 　　 Wei Zhe was already confirmed to be the next patriarch of the Wei family.
So why did Wei He choose to keep him here? To keep him… a child whose mother almost killed Wei Zhe, here? Was he a stepping stone? A punching bag? Or even a bit of both?

He… he already got abandoned by father.

That’s why he began acting friendly towards Wei Jing now.
They were both similarly abandoned; if they could band together and fight their common enemy, Wei Zhe – wouldn’t that be for the better?

In the following moments, Wei Jing didn’t touch that plate of sweet and sour ribs at all.
And it wasn’t just him – even Wei Zhe, who’d picked some ribs up with his chopsticks earlier, didn’t get any more.
It was like the two had a mutual agreement, and were working together to exclude Wei Min.

Wei Jing sympathized with Wei Min in some ways – after all, it was his mother who was in the wrong, and he was a child that didn’t know anything.
But even so, whenever he remembered that barely a month ago big brother was lying in the hospital emergency room on the brink of death, his survival uncertain, or whenever he thought of that hideous, bulging scar…

He….
he couldn’t sympathize after all.

Instead he felt… so angry!

After lunch, Wei Min went back to his room to rest.
He was six-years-old this year, just the age for first grade.
Afternoon classes didn’t start until 2 PM, so he could take a nap before going back to school.
(*Translator Note: many Chinese schools have a lunch/nap break where students can return home to eat and sleep)

Feeling full from eating, Wei Jing laid down on the sofa like a boneless sponge.
The TV was showing the story of the squishy Spongebob and his halfwitted ~good~ friend Patrick Star.
The voice acting of the two characters … really was quite brainwashing.
(*Translator Note: term “jiyou” used for good friend can also mean gay friend)

Wei Zhe sat right next to his younger brother, and stared sternly at the show.
Right when Wei Jing began to wonder when his big brother had started enjoying fun, silly cartoons like this one, the young man pointed at the TV screen and said, “I’ll buy you one?”

Wei Jing replied, “Huh?”

　　 Wei Zhe gave the final word, “Do you want a Spongebob pillow or plushie?”

Wei Jing made a face as if he was going ballistic.
He grabbed his big brother’s wide wrist swiftly, and asked through gritted teeth, “Why are you buying it? If you buy it, use yourself, I don’t like these childish things.”

　 “Understood,” Wei Zhe nodded, “Let’s buy both!”

He remembered that in his past life, Wei Jing went through a phase when he really liked this yellow rectangle, and when he brought back a plushie of it, his cute little brother had hugged him happily, and said endearingly things like, he liked big brother the most, or that big brother was the best.

Now he could use this to comfort his hurt little brother.
As he imagined how excited the child would be, a loopy smile spread on Wei Zhe’s face uncontrollably.

Wei Jing: *Confused Nick Young meme face*

　　 Whatever, perhaps he and his older brother now had a generational gap in understanding.
After all, one of them was “twenty-one years old” while the other was thirteen.
This situation was completely normal.
Not a problem at all, old pal.
(*Translator Note: Old pal is from a popular Chinese phrase on the internet, it doesn’t really fit here but I basically just translated directly)