Another New Older Brother? - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Hello, This Is Baby

Near the Bai family villa, in another estate that occupied an even larger area.

A blonde, dark-eyed beauty reclined on a leather sofa, holding a book and reading quietly. Radiant light and shadows danced across her profile—a face favored by the Creator, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere.

Just as she was about to turn a page, the thumping sound of footsteps from the stairs interrupted her.

A young boy with exceptionally long legs ran down from upstairs, glaring huffily at the beauty on the sofa as he began his daily fuss.

“Mama! You must compensate me with a pretty little brother! You must!”

Tan Jingmeng didn’t even lift her head. She leisurely flipped a page and said casually, “Wait until I call your dad and tell him to come home early. We’ll strive to manufacture a little brother for you as soon as possible.”

“I don’t want an ugly brother born by you! I want the pretty little brother I picked up!” Zong Yue’s little face was tense with anger, his eyes practically spitting fire.

Tan Jingmeng rolled her eyes hard. “Son, let’s consider the laws of genetics, shall we? Your dad is handsome and I am beautiful; how could we possibly produce an ugly brother?”

Zong Yue didn’t want to get entangled in that argument. “Anyway, I don’t want a brother you give birth to. I want the brother I picked up.”

That day, by the time they ran back to the pavilion, the little brother was already gone. He felt heartbroken every time he thought about it.

“Little brother is so small and so pitiful, and now he’s lost. What if he was tricked away by bad people?”

“Didn’t we check that day? The footprints were normal. It’s highly probable the kid’s family came to pick him up.”

Tan Jingmeng picked up her unfinished book and waved Zong Yue away with utter disdain. “Go, go, go, go play by yourself. You’re home loitering every day instead of going to school. Tell me, whose child gets expelled from kindergarten, huh? Is there a second one?!”

The more Tan Jingmeng spoke, the angrier she got. “I finally endured through the junior class and caught my breath, only for you to get expelled two days into the middle class. You won’t stop until you’ve thrown away all the face your father and I have, will you…”

A phone notification interrupted her tirade. She took a deep breath, calmed her emotions slightly, and picked up the phone. It was a message from her husband, Zong Jin.

Tan Jingmeng was being driven crazy by Zong Yue, so she immediately started venting to her man.

“Ah—!”

Just as she was venting, a loud shout from Zong Yue made her hand jerk. The phone slipped out and fell with a clatter onto her thigh, making her hiss in pain.

Tan Jingmeng rubbed her leg and cursed, “You brat, what are you yelling for!”

Zong Yue swiftly snatched the phone from her lap. Pointing at an emoji sticker she had sent, his eyes erupted with a strange brilliance as he clamored, “Pretty little brother! Mama, pretty little brother!”

Tan Jingmeng looked at the adorable toddler emoji, then at Zong Yue, in disbelief.

“No way, is it really such a coincidence?”

The little boy her son met that day was Jiang Youyou?

Jiang Youyou was extremely famous in the “adorable kid” circle. A while ago, Tan Jingmeng had taken a milk powder commercial, and the brand’s original plan was to hire Jiang Youyou as the child actor. However, because he doesn’t accept commercial deals, the collaboration didn’t happen.

“Mama, why do you have photos of pretty little brother? Do you know him?” Zong Yue leaned over the sofa, acting coquettishly for a rare change.

Tan Jingmeng watched her son’s uncharacteristic behavior in silence.

“I don’t know him. But I know who he is.”

Zong Yue’s eyes lit up.

Tan Jingmeng said, “I can help you find his information, but on one condition.”

“Mmh! I’ll agree to anything.”

“Tomorrow, you go to kindergarten.”

Zong Yue, who had just said he’d agree to anything, immediately bolted away.

Watching her son, who disappeared like a released husky, Tan Jingmeng was thoroughly infuriated. “Whose child doesn’t go to kindergarten! Zong Yue! Stop right there!”

Zong Yue had already thundered back to his room and locked the door.

He wrinkled his face, feeling very indignant. “Kindergarten, kindergarten. It’s not like I haven’t been there. Everyone in kindergarten is so stupid; I don’t want to go!”

But thinking of Youyou, his lips curled into a tiny arc.

So, little brother’s name is Jiang Youyou.

Hmph, if Mama won’t help him find little brother, he’ll find him himself!

Zong Yue muttered as he quickly tossed the matter of kindergarten to the back of his mind.

Golden sunlight filtered through the treetops, playfully skipping past the glass window to sprinkle swaying dots of light onto the soft, large bed.

Most of the child’s face was pressed against the pillow. His eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he sat up in a daze, staring blankly at the half-closed bathroom door.

The sound of water in the bathroom suddenly stopped.

Youyou rubbed his eyes and looked at his Big Brother wearing pajamas, immediately breaking into a huge smile. “Big Brother!”

After greeting his brother, Youyou slowly looked around. He blinked and asked in surprise, “Eh? Why is Baby sleeping in Big Brother’s room?”

Bai Wenjin reached out and mussed the little curls—already messy from sleep, even further. “Now that you’re awake, go brush your teeth.”

Youyou was a carefree child. Being gently rubbed on the head by his brother made that tiny bit of doubt vanish instantly. Like a friendly puppy, he pressed his cheek firmly into the palm of the hand, wiggled his toes, and acted spoiled on purpose: “Hehe, Big Brother, put on Baby’s shoes.”

After being held by Bai Wenjin and having his shoes put on, Youyou went back to his own room to wash his face and brush his teeth.

Auntie Li was already waiting in the room with the clothes he needed to change into.

“Baby do it him-self.” Youyou hugged the clothes and ran into the bathroom. He familiarly dragged out the small step stool bought specifically for him from under the sink, stepped on it, took his Big Frog toothbrush, squeezed some toothpaste, and brushed his teeth and washed his face.

Today, he finally wasn’t alone in the dining room, and Youyou was very happy. While eating, he kept looking at his brother; with every glance, he took a giant bite of his fried egg, eating with a bobbing head.

Bai Wenjin felt something was slightly off, but since he couldn’t pinpoint the problem, he didn’t say anything and just told him to eat faster.

After breakfast, Bai Wenjin prepared to head to work.

“Big Brother, are you coming back to eat-eat at noon today?” Jiang Youyou squatted by his legs, watching him change his shoes.

“I have dinner engagements for both lunch and evening today. I won’t be back to eat.”

“Oh, only Baby eating by him-self then.” The light in Youyou’s eyes dimmed bit by bit. He lowered his volume and his head hung low.

Bai Wenjin looked down at the child beside him—a tiny ball, looking so pitiful.

Seeing his brother’s expression, Youyou immediately looked up, his voice sweet and obedient. “Big Brother, don’t worry about Baby. Baby is at home, missing Mama, missing Big Brother.”

“How about…” Bai Wenjin’s tone was hesitant.

Youyou tilted his head and blinked slowly, waiting for him to continue.

“No, it’s nothing.” Bai Wenjin withdrew his gaze and silently swallowed the words “How about coming to the company with me?” The office was a place where a child would get bored. Besides, it wasn’t appropriate.

“I’m leaving.”

“Oh. Bye-bye Big Brother! Come back early, okay~”

“Goodbye.” Bai Wenjin walked out the door without looking back, so he didn’t see the little person hugging the cat plushie, staring blankly in the direction he had left, pouting his lips.

Ignoring a slight strange emotion in his heart, Bai Wenjin continued walking. Just as he was about to get in the car, he suddenly turned around and strode back toward the yard.

He walked to the window. With a tilt of his head, he could see the chubby child sitting on the sofa, holding a life-sized cat plushie, staring intently at the TV.

And here I thought the little brat couldn’t bear to let me go.

Tsk, I was being sentimental.

Bai Wenjin watched for a little longer before heading back to the parking lot.

In the living room, Youyou stared blankly at the TV, his mind entirely on his Big Brother.

Sigh, Baby wants to eat-eat with Big Brother too.

Because Bai Wenjin didn’t let the child watch too much TV, the television had been set to children’s mode long ago; after two episodes, it automatically shut off.

With no TV to watch, Youyou didn’t fuss. He took his blocks and sat in the living room playing by himself.

Seeing the child all alone made Auntie Li feel quite bad. She put down her chores and stayed with him, playing for the entire day.

Because someone was playing with him, Youyou’s daytime was quite full. Though he missed his brother, it wasn’t overly obvious.

However, once dinner was over and the sky outside began to darken, Youyou couldn’t sit still. He kept asking Auntie Li when Big Brother would be back and why he wasn’t back yet.

“Little Master, the Eldest Young Master said this morning that he has social engagements tonight and will be back a bit late.”

“But, but Baby misses Big Brother.” His tone was full of grievance.

Big Brother isn’t back yet; Baby misses him to death.

“The Eldest Young Master usually returns around nine o’clock. If there’s an issue, he’ll call home.” Auntie Li checked the time; it wasn’t even 6:00 yet. “Let’s go for a walk first, then come back and take a bath. By the time you’re done bathing, the Eldest Young Master will probably be home.”

Youyou reluctantly agreed.

Having finally endured until after 7:00, Youyou could no longer stay still. While Auntie Li wasn’t looking, he put on his little backpack, intending to “go to the company to pick up Big Brother.”

Auntie Li intercepted the stubborn child at the entryway as he was trying to run out. Just as she was lecturing him about not going out alone, her phone suddenly rang.

As she was about to answer, the little fellow squeezed into her arms first, reaching for the phone. “It’s Big Brother’s call! Baby answer!”

“Alright, you take the call.”

Youyou pressed his face against the screen and said “Hello” twice toward Bai Wenjin’s profile picture.

“Hello? Big Brother, this is Baby.”

“Hello, hello? Big Brother, why aren’t you talking?”

Auntie Li watched the child fiddle with the phone and, between laughter and tears, swiped the answer button for him. “It hasn’t been picked up yet.”

The call connected, and Bai Wenjin’s morbidly raspy voice came through the receiver.

“Youyou, are you ready to rest?”

Hearing a voice so different from usual, Youyou immediately grew tense. “Big Brother, your voice is so strange.”

He seemed to sense something. His voice trembled and even took on a hint of a sob: “Big Brother come home, Big Brother come home. Baby misses Big Brother.”