The group slinked away in a disheveled retreat, not daring to look back. Shen Lang watched his brother and sister with a sneer. "Don't flatter yourselves. I only stepped in because I was feeling a little bored. That's all." He dusted off his trousers and polished his shoes, as if ridding them of imaginary grime, then turned on his heel without a second glance. With a confident swagger, he joined Fan Jun, who was leaning smugly against the car, waiting for him. Together, they headed home.
Fan Jun waved at Shen Zheng and Shen Nan with a half-joking tone, clearly fishing for a bit of gratitude, before strolling off alongside Shen Lang.
Shen Zheng and Shen Nan exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter, the lingering fear and frustration evaporating. "That idiot, our dear third brother. Just wait! Hmph, as if I needed his fake sympathy? I could've handled it without him," Shen Zheng muttered, shaking his head at his sister. "Oh, give it a rest! He's our brother—why hold a grudge? If it weren't for him, who knows what might've happened today. Come on, let's go see if our little brother will cook us something special to help us recover!"
Inside the car, Ouyang Lan had been watching the entire incident unfold from her window. She had half-hoped that Shen Zheng and Shen Nan would get a harsh lesson, sparing her the sight of their smug, overbearing ways. But Shen Lang had stepped in, proving fiercer than she ever imagined. With one swift strike, he had split a brick in two. Startled, Ouyang Lan examined her own small, tender hands. Was his hand made of iron? And those boys—letting themselves get bossed around by Ye Wei, that stubby, overweight bully. She shook her head in disdain.
The driver, however, had caught on to something, and he remarked with a smile, "That was a little trick. He hollowed out the brick in advance, making it easy to break. Anyone with a bit of strength could do it, especially with red bricks, which are weaker than blue ones. Besides, I think he tampered with it beforehand."
"Oh, so he's a clever one," Ouyang Lan muttered, her interest piqued.
Meanwhile, Shen Nan glared at her brother with indignation. "Hmph! I'm still not happy about it. Hey, do you want to go to the Youth Palace with me?" She looked at her brother with a defiant glint in her eye, and Shen Zheng sighed. "Alright, but think carefully. If you make this decision, you can't go back on it."
Later that evening, when they returned from the Youth Palace, they found Shen Lang and their father, Shen Zui, having dinner together.
"Oh! Our little prince and princess are back!" their father called out warmly. "I heard you visited the Youth Palace. So, did you find anything interesting? Tell me about it!"
Shen Nan's eyes narrowed at Shen Lang, her irritation bubbling to the surface. She replied to her father with enthusiasm. "Yes, I looked around! I want to sign up for junior English, Taekwondo, and violin. Brother's interested in junior English and swimming."
Before Shen Nan could savor her moment of pride, Shen Lang nearly choked on his food, stifling a laugh and coughing into his napkin. Once he caught his breath, he cast his sister a look, shaking his head with a dismissive smile. He didn't say a word, but the gesture spoke volumes—it was clear he found her choices laughable.
Shen Nan wasn't about to let that slide. She pouted and threw herself into their father's arms. "Dad, look at him! He's mocking me; he thinks I'm ridiculous!" she whined, shaking her father's arm as if to force a fair judgment out of him.
Shen Zui gently tapped Shen Lang on the head. "Watch it, young man. Don't put down your sister's enthusiasm like that. Just because you have a few tricks up your sleeve doesn't mean you can act like you're better than everyone else. Understand?" Then, turning to his daughter, he smiled warmly. "Alright, go wash up so we can eat together! If we wait any longer, the food will go cold—and I made it myself tonight."
"Yay, long live Dad!" Shen Nan cheered, skipping toward the bathroom.
Shen Zui watched her go, then glanced at Shen Lang, who sat quietly eating his dinner. With a resigned sigh, he shook his head.
The following morning, Shen Nan groggily dragged herself out of bed, spurred on only by her father's gentle but persistent nudging. It was rare for her to get up early on a Saturday—she relished the opportunity to sleep in. But what really irked her was the look her brother gave her. His clear, alert gaze made her feel disheveled by comparison. Shen Nan glanced around, half-wishing she could grab a baseball bat or a stick to give him a good whack and wipe that look off his face. How could he be so annoyingly punctual, even on weekends? The guy was like an alarm clock personified.
The family left the house together, their father driving off while the three siblings rode their bikes. As they parted ways, Shen Lang casually pulled out his wallet, which immediately caught Shen Nan's eye. She nearly gasped at the sight of all that cash, her eyes glinting with envy.
Shen Lang pulled out a single fifty-yuan note and handed it over. "I won't be home for lunch, so you'll have to fend for yourselves. This should cover your meals for today and tomorrow. Use it however you like; it's none of my business." With that, he turned and rode off, leaving Shen Nan glowering after him.
"Stingy jerk! With all that cash, he couldn't spare a little more?" she huffed to Shen Zheng. "May his money multiply until it buries him alive! Hmph!" The siblings headed to the Youth Palace, where the weekend offered trial sessions free of charge, allowing them to explore their interests.
At noon, they found a clean café and ordered something simple, spending barely fifteen yuan. Each sipping on a bottle of probiotic drink, they ambled back toward the Youth Palace, only to spot Aunt Chen and Ouyang Lan heading in the same direction. Seeing Ouyang Lan, Shen Nan's spirits shot up, her frustration giving way to the thrill of competition.
Aunt Chen noticed the two of them and greeted them warmly, "Ah, little friends! Nice to see you here! Are you studying at the Youth Palace?"
Shen Nan flashed a bright, sunny smile. "Yes, Aunt Chen! Our family wants us to grow up well, so they encourage us to try different activities. My brother and I are excited to give it a shot. Auntie, are you new here? We could show you around."
"Oh, that sounds lovely!" Aunt Chen beamed at the two of them. As they strolled together, chatting amiably, Aunt Chen turned to Shen Nan. "So, where's your younger brother? I haven't seen him here today."
Shen Nan's face broke into a mischievous smile. "Oh, my brother's interested in other things. Our family doesn't force us to go if we don't want to. We're pretty free to choose what we like, as long as we don't do anything too wild."