Seeing the child, who stood still with one foot burdened by the resting kitten and hesitating to bend down and move it, as he found himself reluctantly bearing the weight. Shen Siwan had to stifle a laugh at the adorable scene.

The kitten was a long-haired cat and had been well cared for in the cattery, so it had a healthy weight. It was not exactly lightweight when held.

As the weather gradually warmed up, she had recently replaced Tang Mian’s slippers with lighter ones. After the kitten had been stepping on his foot for a while, it might indeed start to hurt.

Shen Siwan quickly lifted the kitten, which had curled up into a ball on Tang Mian’s foot, and placed it back in his arms.

The kitten wasn’t asleep but blinked its eyes and found a comfortable spot in his arms. It quickly curled up, and its small tail swept across his chest before curling against its body.

Tang Mian’s eyes curved into little crescents. With one hand holding the kitten and the other hand holding Fu Shizhao’s hand, they sat down on the couch together, discussing the name for the kitten.

Fu Shizhao considered himself a pure science and engineering person and admitted that he was bad at naming things. He suggested “Xiaobai” (Little White), but Tang Mian rolled his eyes and didn’t accept it. After that, he wisely refrained from making any more suggestions and instead listened as Tang Mian came up with one name after another, only to have each one rejected.

Tang Mian furrowed his brows in frustration, his hand continually petting the kitten’s fur.

“Meow.” The kitten, feeling spoiled by Tang Mian’s petting, comfortably nestled in his arms.

This was Tang Mian’s first time raising a pet, and the name had to be just right.

The kitten’s fur was pure white, with a soft, pale pink nose and paw pads, just like the little strawberry desserts that Fu Shizhao had brought. “Strawberry” wouldn’t work as a name since strawberries aren’t such a pristine white color and wouldn’t match the kitten’s appearance.

Desserts… what other dessert could be a fitting name for the kitten?

Out of nowhere, Tang Mian suddenly thought of “Cotton Candy.”

The cotton candy that Mu Zichen had given him before had a mix of white and a faint pink, fluffy like clouds, much like the kitten.

“Do you have a name in mind for the kitten?” Just then, Shen Siwan placed a tray of freshly cut fruits on a small table in front of the two children and asked with a smile.

Tang Mian hesitated before speaking, “How about calling it Cotton Candy?”

Shen Siwan’s gaze fell on the kitten curled up in Tang Mian’s arms, and she replied, “That’s a nice name. It does resemble cotton candy.”

Fu Shizhao also approved of the name. He had been thoroughly fed up with hearing Mu Zichen calling Tang Mian “Little Cotton Candy” every day. He didn’t want Tang Mian to have a special nickname from someone else.

He was quite possessive.

—

The newly-named kitten, Cotton Candy, officially became a member of the household and quickly adapted to its new surroundings. By the time Tang Sheng returned home from school in the evening, Cotton Candy had already explored the entire ground floor of the villa with Tang Mian.

“Cotton Candy.”

“Meow!”

Tang Sheng had just pushed the door open with his backpack on his back when he almost collided with his own little brother, who was holding hands with Fu Shizhao. Upon seeing Fu Shizhao beside his little brother, Tang Sheng was once again taken aback.

He had already learned about Fu Shizhao and Uncle Fu Yu leaving their home yesterday evening.

His little brother had cried for a long-time last night, and he had stood by, utterly helpless. He hadn’t slept well either, and today, he had been feeling drowsy all day at school.

Usually, Uncle Fu Yu would pick him up and drop him off at school, but today, he had taken the subway on his own, which was a bit unusual.

Dad had originally wanted to personally pick him up today, but Tang Sheng had declined. He knew that today was Tang Mian’s birthday, and due to the events of yesterday, Tang Mian’s emotions were quite unstable. Dad had taken a day off specifically to spend time with him.

After all, with Fu Shizhao leaving, Tang Mian must be feeling very sad, and it might take him some time to recover.

But… Fu Shizhao had unexpectedly returned today.

However, Tang Sheng understood in his heart that Fu Shizhao had come back to accompany his little brother on his birthday, and he would still have to leave after it was over. He wondered if his little brother would shed tears again when Fu Shizhao left.

But his parents had given Tang Mian a kitten, which should help distract him. Hopefully, the kitten could quickly fill the void left by Fu Shizhao and keep Tang Mian company.

On Tang Mian’s birthday evening, Fu Shizhao didn’t leave the Tang household. Instead, he stayed and spent the last moments of Tang Mian’s first birthday after rebirth with him.

Although most of Fu Shizhao’s belongings had been taken away by Uncle Fu Yu the day before, he was now roughly the same size as Tang Mian, and he could still fit into Tang Mian’s clothes.

After reluctantly placing the kitten back into its cage, Tang Mian finally got to enjoy the “warm bed service”from Fu Shizhao, just as he had wished. (More like bed-warming service, I know they’re kids but I couldn’t help myself, sorry for ruining your reading experience.)

However, the thought that he would have difficulty experiencing this in the future made Tang Mian feel a bit sad. Fortunately, when he woke up the next morning, Fu Shizhao was still there. They went to kindergarten together after having breakfast.

—-

As Fu Shizhao had “promised,” he didn’t leave the kindergarten. He continued attending classes and playing games with Tang Mian. However, since the afternoon of this day, he no longer needed to pretend to cry and act spoiled to get Tang Mian to nap with him.

Every day at noon, Tang Mian would cuddle up with a small pillow and slip into Fu Shizhao’s bed, like a cat, snuggling with him for a nap. He continued to treat Fu Shizhao as his human-sized pillow, resting his legs on him every day while sleeping.

—

However, on the second day after his birthday, as school approached its end, Tang Mian’s mood was still a bit low, even though he didn’t show it. Fu Shizhao could still sense it.

When school ended, it was time for the kids to go home, and Fu Shizhao couldn’t go home with Tang Mian anymore. He had a new home now.

Thinking about this, not even the little kitten waiting for him at home could cheer him up.

Just as Tang Mian was looking for his parents, Fu Yu, who was a bit far away, suddenly quickened his pace and cheerfully said, “Let’s go, Grandma had a lot of strawberries picked today to welcome Mian Mian.”

Then, Fu Yu’s gaze fell on the flower on Fu Shizhao’s ear, and a hint of helpless amusement flickered in his eyes. Clearly, this was the young master’s doing.

Tang Mian was momentarily stunned. Many strawberries were picked… to welcome him?

Fu Shizhao did mention yesterday that he wanted to invite him to his new home, and Tang Mian had agreed, as he wanted to see for himself where Fu Shizhao was living and put his mind at ease. But he didn’t expect Fu Shizhao to act so quickly, taking him there today. It had only been a day…

However, Tang Mian obediently held Fu Shizhao’s hand and followed Fu Yu towards the car.

It seemed that they had already contacted his parents, and his parents hadn’t come to pick him up, so he could only go along with them.

According to what Fu Shizhao said, the old lady lived alone in a very large mansion. There was only one maid and one butler inside, so he shouldn’t encounter any strange people there…

His impression of the other members of the Fu family was not very good, especially after yesterday’s incident when Fu Shizhao was secretly taken away from kindergarten. He wondered what happened to the people from the Fu family who were involved in that incident…

This was indeed a live case of “child abduction and deception,” and reporting it to the police would likely lead to serious consequences for the person involved. However, since it was a family matter related to the Fu family, that person might not face any consequences. Tang Mian couldn’t help feeling frustrated.

While Tang Mian was lost in his thoughts, Fu Yu opened the rear car door, and an elegant old lady appeared before them. Both children were stunned.

Fu Shizhao was the first to react and quickly called out, “Grandma.”

Tang Mian followed suit and obediently called out, “Grandmother.”

The old lady smiled and nodded at them, then her gaze fell on the flower in Fu Shizhao’s ear. Without showing any sign of surprise, she discreetly examined Tang Mian, who was standing beside Fu Shizhao.

So, this was the brother who was always on Shizhao’s lips?

He looked well-raised, delicate and cute, obedient and likable. Fu’s old lady’s gaze fell on the hearing aid in his right ear. According to the information provided by the butler, this child had a congenital hearing problem in his right ear and needed to wear a hearing aid.

He was indeed a child worthy of sympathy.

Seeing him reminded her of some of her own past experiences.

The old lady had her own share of problems since birth, as she was born with a cleft lip. Her family couldn’t afford perfect treatment, so the scar remained until she entered middle school. She even suffered from bullying during her school years because of it. However, she didn’t let it defeat her and instead developed a strong and resilient personality during those challenging times. Later on, people in the city circle knew her as a beauty-conscious lady who often received valuable jewellery gifts. This was partly due to her past experiences.

Seeing this, Fu Yu quickly placed the two children in the car and fastened their seatbelts.

The old lady seemed prepared and took out some candies from her pocket after closing the car door. She handed them to the two kids, one by one.

She had heard from Fu Yu that when he and the Tang family parents used to pick up the two children from school, they would often bring or buy them snacks. So, she had prepared some candies as well.

Staring at the strawberry-flavored candy in his palm and recalling what Fu Yu had said earlier about “picking a lot of strawberries to welcome him,” Tang Mian felt a warm feeling in his heart.

Summoning his courage, Tang Mian suddenly took out a flower from his jacket pocket. It was the same kind of flower that Fu Shizhao was wearing in his ear. He offered it to the old lady with a slight smile and said, “Grandmother, here’s a flower for you.”

The flower was picked from the kindergarten’s small garden. The teacher allowed each child to pick one, and Fu Shizhao had picked one to wear in his ear. Tang Mian originally wanted to bring this flower home to play with his kitten.

But now, he wanted to use it to try and build a good relationship with Fu’s old lady.

Tang Mian realized that building a good relationship with the old lady could potentially be helpful for Fu Shizhao as well. After all, they were on the same team.

The old lady was momentarily stunned but then reached out her wrinkled hand to accept the flower from Tang Mian. She lowered her head, imitating Fu Shizhao, and placed the flower in her hair with a soft smile. She asked, “Is it pretty?”

Tang Mian didn’t expect the old lady to actually wear the flower in her hair, and he was genuinely surprised. However, he nodded earnestly and said, “It’s beautiful.”

He wasn’t trying to flatter her or gain her favor; he spoke the truth. Despite her age, the old lady exuded a timeless elegance.

The old lady was delighted by his response. Clearly, living with Fu Shizhao had made Tang Mian just as pure and endearing as his brother. This flower looked much prettier than the jewellery she had received on her birthday a couple of days ago. Tang Mian continued the conversation, “Do you like flowers, Grandmother?”

The old lady nodded and replied, “I do. But taking care of them can be a bit troublesome. I used to have many, but I got impatient with them after a while and stopped.”

Tang Mian then offered, “My mom grows lots of flowers. When I go back, I’ll secretly pick some for you.”

This remark drew an even wider smile from the old lady. She playfully asked, “What if your mom finds out? Will she punish you?”

Tang Mian pretended to ponder for a moment, then held Fu Shizhao’s hand and said, “I’m not afraid. I can seek refuge with Zhao Zhao now.”

“Alright, if your mom finds out, you can come and live with Grandmother and Zhao Zhao for a while to avoid any trouble. When your mom calms down, you can go back,” the old lady suggested.

Being an only child could sometimes be lonely, and she hoped that Tang Mian would come over to play often.

“Hmm!” Fu Shizhao gently squeezed Tang Mian’s hand in response, a faint smile on his face. The young master was indeed very considerate of him.

The car proceeded smoothly to the old lady’s residence.

To their surprise, they encountered two familiar figures at the entrance: Fu An and Fu Chuming. Even though they were family, they were stopped at the gate.

“Come inside together,” the old lady said as she rolled down her car window, addressing the two.

“Hello, Grandma,” Fu Chuming spoke in a timid voice, hiding behind his father, only revealing half of his body and his little head. The old lady gave a soft acknowledgment, and the car slowly entered the garage.

Among the younger generation, there were many children of various ages. She had interacted with almost all of them but hadn’t found any that she genuinely liked. They were often taught by their parents to deliberately and awkwardly try to please her, a feeling she didn’t particularly enjoy.

This included Fu An’s son, whom she had been relatively lenient with. However, this child had health issues, lacked courage, and was somewhat afraid of her, often stuttering when speaking.

But…

The old lady’s gaze fell upon Tang Mian, who was excitedly wiggling his small feet and pressing his face against the window, as well as Fu Shizhao, who leaned in behind him and rested his chin on Tang Mian’s shoulder.

“This place is so big… much bigger than my home,” Tang Mian remarked.

“I almost got lost here yesterday,” Fu Shizhao added.

These two children are different.

When they arrived at the villa’s entrance, Fu An and Fu Chuming were already waiting there.

Seeing Fu Shizhao and Tang Mian holding hands and following the old lady, Fu An cleared his throat gently and said, “Grandmother, I’ve come to see Zhao Zhao.”

The old lady nodded and replied, “Come inside and talk. Stay for dinner tonight as well.” After all, Fu An was the son of her own grandson, so his visit was quite normal.

The day when Fu Shizhao was suddenly found and brought back during the birthday celebration, Fu An had been quite angry. He had even secretly played a few tricks on that illegitimate child, causing him to stumble badly. She had turned a blind eye to all of this.

It seemed that Fu An had known about Fu Shizhao’s existence for a while and didn’t want him to be found and brought back. Given the current situation of the Fu family, she could understand it.

If it weren’t for her decision to raise Fu Shizhao, he could have ended up in anyone’s hands, which wouldn’t have been a good outcome, even if it was her own son. It would have been better for him to continue being raised by Fu Yu and staying at the Tang family. At least in the interactions with these two children, she could see that the Tang family had raised them quite well.

In the villa’s living room, the old lady introduced Fu An to Fu Shizhao, saying, “This is your younger uncle.” Fu Shizhao obediently called out, “Uncle.”

He had met Uncle Fu An at Grandma’s birthday party, and he had even seen Fu An kicking someone when he was being pulled away by those people from the Fu family. He genuinely called him “Uncle.”

“This is your uncle’s son, Fu Chuming,” the old lady continued.

“Chuming is two years older than you, so you should call him ‘big brother,'” the old lady explained. However, Fu Shizhao remained silent this time, pursing his lips and lowering his eyelashes slightly.

Fu An was puzzled, and Fu Chuming was extremely anxious, not understanding why Fu Shizhao wasn’t calling him “big brother.” Just then, Fu Shizhao suddenly took Tang Mian’s small hand, tilted his little head up, and said to everyone, “I only have one big brother.”

Tang Mian, who had been casually watching the family dynamics, was completely stunned by this declaration.