Chapter 296: Chapter 137: The Scummy Brother (5)

Lin Shixing never imagined in the first decade of her life that she would follow her brother, with whom she had always had a poor relationship, to a strange city.

The arduous journey they had planned became easy and reassuring with the presence of Lin Shiheng.

After 7 hours, they arrived at the city where the competition was being held. At this time, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

After getting off the bus, the two of them first found a safe hotel to stay in.

Lin Shiheng even ordered two delicious breakfasts that were both visually appealing and fragrant. After finishing their meal, the siblings, who hadn’t slept much the night before, began to catch up on their rest.

They were sound asleep when their parents called.

Lin Shiheng answered the phone and listened to his father’s furious roar. Impatiently covering his forehead with his hand, he responded with a thick and tired voice, “I’m just taking my sister out to play for a while, is that such a big deal?”

“I’m 19 and she’s 17. We’re not children anymore.”

Father Lin, on the other end of the line, almost screamed, “You’re still children!! How old are you? How dare you run away from home?”

He had put the phone on speaker, and Lin Shixing, who was sleeping on the other bed, woke up with a start upon hearing her father’s voice. She looked at her older brother with a frightened expression after realizing that their parents had found out they had run away from home.

Although she didn’t want to admit it, it had to be said that after Lin Shiheng skillfully led her through the city, buying bus tickets, booking hotels, and having breakfast, this was the first time that Lin Shixing had ventured so far from home and had already become somewhat dependent on him.

She was too afraid to make a sound and could only move her lips silently.

— What should we do?

Will our parents come over and catch us in a fit of anger?

“Wait a minute.”

Lin Shiheng yawned and got up from the bed. He made an “OK” gesture to his younger sister and stretched lazily in the golden sunlight. “Dad, do you know what running away from home means? Running away from home means leaving home without informing parents. We’re not the same. We left a note.”

“Okay, what do you want to say? I haven’t slept well all night, and I need to get a good night’s sleep,” he said, looking as if he had done nothing wrong, which made Lin Shixing, who stared at him wide-eyed, unable to imagine how he could remain so calm in the face of their angry parents.

“Lin Shiheng!!!"

Their father shouted angrily, “You have one day to bring your sister back home! How old are you both? Aren’t you afraid of something happening outside?”

“Listen to what you’re saying, Dad.”

Lin Shiheng remained unaffected, speaking lazily, “When you asked my sister to work, weren’t you afraid something might happen to her? How come we’re just going out for a trip, and you have such a big reaction?”

“How can they be the same?!!”

“How come it’s different now?”

Under the sunshine, the young man spoke nonchalantly, “Dad, you and Mom don’t have to worry. I promise to call you twice a day, in the morning and at night. Is that okay?”

“Nonsense! Come back immediately!”

“Dad, why are you like this? Can’t we negotiate? You see, no matter what you say, I won’t listen. It’s better for us to work together.”

“Screw working together! Wait and see, I’ll go catch you right now!”

Lin Shiheng shrugged, “It’s no problem for me, Dad. But do you know where the competition is held? Do you know when we’re going to compete? China is so big, as long as we want to hide, you won’t be able to find us.”

“I advise you, don’t waste your effort. Just think of us as going out to travel. We’ll be back in at most half a month.”

“Oh, by the way, Dad, if you’re worried, why don’t you transfer some money to my card? It’s rare for us to go out, and we want to enjoy ourselves. Love you, love you. How about I make a heart gesture for you and Mom?”

—Snap!

Lin Shiheng hung up the phone, shrugged at his sister who was looking at him nervously, and made a helpless gesture, “Hung up.”

Although her brother was communicating calmly with their parents, Lin Shixing, who was listening beside them, felt that her anxious heart was about to burst.

She held her heart and asked nervously, “Will Mom and Dad really come to find us? I heard Dad sounded really angry, and he’s never been so angry before.”

“Relax.”

Lin Shiheng yawned sleepily, “They’re only familiar with the local area. Old-fashioned people like Mom and Dad won’t easily leave their familiar city. If we run away without leaving any trace, they’ll definitely look for us. But as long as we could be contacted, even if they’re furious, they could only accept it.”

“But they are very angry, after we go back...”

“Let’s worry about going back when we get there. They won’t kill us would they?” The young man’s expression was indifferent.

“Lin Shixing, you’ve always been jealous that I’m more favored at home, haven’t you? Do you know why that is?”

Lin Shixing’s expression turned gloomy. Even though this topic had long passed, bringing it up again would only remind her of her previous sadness and despair.

She lowered her head, hiding her tears, “Because you’re a boy and I’m a girl.”

“That’s not all. It’s also because you don’t even know how to fight for what’s rightfully yours.” Lin Shiheng raised an eyebrow and gestured with his index finger. “When we were kids, Mom and Dad bought two popsicles. You had one, I had one. I ate mine faster, and when you were still eating yours, I wanted more, so I took yours. What did you do?”

Lin Shixing couldn’t remember such a long time ago and shook her head blankly, “I don’t remember.”

“You, when I took your popsicle, just hid in your room and cried. After I finished eating your popsicle, I told Mom that you had already finished and gone to sleep in your room. I was worried you would tell on me, but you didn’t say a word about me taking your popsicle until we finished dinner. What’s the point of hiding when you’re being bullied? You’re our parents’ daughter. If you cry and vent your grievances to them, it won’t kill you.”

Lin Shiheng was generous in teaching his little sister his trick.

“It was the same when we were in school. My deskmate, who was taller than me, took my stationary box. I just hit him, knocked out one of his teeth. When I saw someone call the teacher, I immediately rolled on the ground and covered myself with mud, looking pitiful. When the teacher came, I cried harder than anyone else. I kept saying that he bullied me, and I hit him because I was afraid. His parents thought I was more injured than their son and comforted me instead. Do you remember that?”

Lin Shixing looked at her brother with an indescribable expression. “In my memory, it was you who was being bullied, and Mom and Dad specifically bought you a lot of new toys to comfort you. You were only 8 years old at the time.”

“Right, when I was 8 years old, I was able to protect myself through my own skills and abilities, while you were still hiding and crying after being bullied.”

“As for you thinking that I was bullied, it’s because I found out that as long as I maintain that pitiful look, our parents would feel sorry for me and give me whatever I want. So, I didn’t tell them that it was all an act.”

He smiled brightly as he spoke, “I even acted depressed for several days, and our parents were so worried that they allowed me to play games whenever I wanted.”

Lin Shixing:

She wasn’t upset at all about losing to her brother in various things since childhood. People like Lin Shiheng, even if she were given another chance, she still wouldn’t be able to beat him.

“You see, sometimes I find it strange. We’re clearly siblings, so why am I the tiger, and you are the little white rabbit?”

“It doesn’t matter. Even if you’re a little white rabbit, I can train you to become a little fox. How about it? Do you want me to help you?”

Various experiences from childhood flashed through Lin Shixing’s mind.

In theory, she was the younger sister, she had good grades, and she was obedient and well-behaved. However, whether it was at home or at school, she had been bullied and had to bear various false accusations.

She felt bitter.

So, she decided to make a change.

Lin Shixing nodded firmly at her older brother.

Lin Shiheng grinned and reached out to pinch the left side of Lin Shixing’s face, kneading it like dough. “Alright, leave it to me. Even though you’re not my biological sibling and have different genes from me, it’s better than nothing.”

Still in shock at the fact that her brother was such a scheming boy and thinking to herself, ‘I want to become a cunning girl too,’ Lin Shixing’s body suddenly trembled as she looked at her brother in disbelief.

“What...what did you say?”

“Huh? You don’t know?”

The young man looked surprised, “I thought you knew you weren’t my biological sibling after you had that huge fight with Mom yesterday.”

Lin Shixing stared at him in disbelief, tears welling up in her eyes. She trembled for a moment before uttering in a hoarse voice, “I’m not their biological child?

I... I’m not?”

Ah...

Lin Shiheng looked visibly annoyed, patting his head and taking a deep breath. He reached out and grabbed his sister’s shoulder, “Shixing, don’t listen to me, I’m just talking nonsense. I... I was just trying to cheer you up.”

However, Lin Shixing couldn’t hear anything he said anymore. She shook her head and cried, “Explain it to me clearly, explain it to me clearly...”

“Okay.”

The young man sighed deeply and furrowed his brow. “Do you remember our uncle? Actually, you’re his sister’s child. They were poor and couldn’t afford to raise you, so they sent you to our family.”

Lin Shixing cried in confusion, “But... Mom said they paid a large fine for me...”

“Right, because of the one-child policy, they thought you were our biological child.”

“I don’t believe it...”

Lin Shixing shook her head and sobbed, “Our parents didn’t like girls, how could they adopt me? I must be their biological child, you’re lying to me... I don’t believe it...”

“Hey...”

Lin Shiheng sighed and touched his sister’s head, his eyes full of tenderness and compassion, “You should think about it. You have A-type blood, and I have B-type blood. How could we possibly be biological siblings?”

“Besides, you don’t look as good as me. And in our family, I don’t do well in school, and our parents only graduated from elementary school. You’re the only one who’s good at studying. Haven’t you noticed anything?”

Lin Shixing was already crying uncontrollably. She sat on the ground by the bed, completely defeated. “It’s impossible, it’s impossible...”

“You’re lying to me, aren’t you? Brother, tell me, you’re lying to me...”

“I’m sorry.”

Lin Shiheng also sat down, face to face with his sister, expressing regret and sympathy. He reached out and touched her head.

When the last glimmer of hope faded from her eyes, he sighed and lowered his head.

In the next second, he lifted his head, and a mischievous and arrogant smile spread across his face.

“Hahaha, of course I was lying to you, you fool!”

“Dad has A-type blood, and Mom has B-type blood, hahahaahaha!”

Lin Shixing stared blankly at her laughing brother, tears still streaming down her face. 2 seconds later, she jumped up, gnashing her teeth and threw a pillow at him with each hand.

“Lin Shiheng!!!"

“You bastard—”

“Hahaha, don’t be angry. I’m just teaching you how not to be bullied. Sometimes, necessary lies are still needed. If I lied to you and told you that you weren’t our parents’ biological child, wouldn’t you feel better about not being favored by them?”

“Get out!!!”

“Although lying isn’t good, if you meet someone who wants to harm you, it’s okay to tell a lie to get by. To be honest, sometimes, lies are more comforting than reality.”

Lin Shixing picked up the pillow that fell to the ground and threw it at him again, “Don’t use your shamelessness as an excuse. How could you lie to me like that? Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?”

“I’m not afraid.”

The young man caught the pillow that his sister had thrown at him and laughed triumphantly at her, “With benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness, if you abide by them, you’re a saint. But if someone bullies you and causes you pain, are they useful?”

“You’re completely unreasonable!”

“Yes, I don’t deny that.”

Lin Shiheng lightly tossed the pillow aside and walked step by step towards his sister, “Do you know why you feel bitter?”

“Because when you are hurt, even if you get angry, you worry that your anger will hurt others.”

Lin Shixing looked at her older brother, her eyes reddened and breathing heavily.

She knew he had always been like this; reckless and unbridled, doing whatever he pleased. He never considered whether his actions would hurt others, only what he wanted for himself.

Sometimes, it was because her brother didn’t know how to behave and made their parents sad, so Lin Shixing tried to be more obedient and comforting to them.

But now he was telling her that her previous behavior was wrong.

Lin Shixing didn’t understand and asked, “Was it wrong for me to be kind to them and care about them?”

“Of course not.”

The young man who had always acted like a fool patted his younger sister on the head, “But when they hurt you, you don’t have to be so kind or care so much about them.”

“When you care about them, who would care about you?”

“You are first and foremost yourself, then your parents’ daughter. You can be filial to them and be good to them, but you can’t let their demands suppress your own needs. Do you understand?”

“What was that saying again...?’

“Being kind doesn’t mean being foolish, tolerance doesn’t mean having no temper, forgiveness doesn’t mean being toyed with, and accommodating doesn’t mean being subjected to evil. You can be a good person, but you have to be yourself first.”

Lin Shixing’s tightly clenched hands gradually relaxed. She turned her face away, hiding her tearful face and wiping her tears with the back of her hand. But still, more tears flowed.

Her voice was choked up as she said, “I understand.”

“Why hide? If I were you and crying like this, I would make everyone see how miserable and uncomfortable I am. I would make them feel guilty and sorry for me, even if they don’t care. Are those tears that aren’t seen still tears?”

Lin Shixing listened and sobbed, turning her face back to him.

“Brother.”

Her voice was choked with tears as she spoke," I’m very sad.”

“I know.”

Lin Shiheng hugged his little sister and gently patted her back.

“You’ve actually been doing really well.”

“But I feel like you could do even better.”