CHAPTER 133: 133: DEEP BROTHERLY LOVE (EXTRA CHAPTER FOR MONTHLY TICKET)

"I shouldn’t have hit you that day!"

Zhan Jingmo realized what he was referring to—the incident when he hit him...

Hmph! He shouldn’t have hit him in the first place!

Zhan Jingmo pursed his lips and turned his head to the side.

Just when he thought his elder brother would say something more, he simply patted his head.

He could clearly feel it, his brother’s hand was so warm, a warmth he had never felt before, it instantly touched the depths of his heart.

"B-brother..." Zhan Jingmo was surprised again, but this time it wasn’t fright, it was warmth.

"When you were born, you were just a tiny bit," Zhan Jingwen gestured with his hand, "like a piece of tofu, that would crumble with a touch. At the time, I didn’t dare to touch you. Although it was a bit disappointing you weren’t a sister, I thought having a younger brother wasn’t bad either, I could take care of our sister with him..."

"Brother..." Wasn’t his brother supposed to dislike him?! Zhan Jingmo found it hard to believe, usually, his brother couldn’t be bothered with him, he always thought his brother didn’t like him.

"You know, you were mischievous as a kid, always breaking my things. As soon as you entered my room, something would inevitably get broken. It gave me a headache. So I had to hide the important things, but still, you would somehow find them like a detective..."

As his brother spoke, Zhan Jingmo recalled, that one time when his brother participated in a speech contest and won first place, their father had rewarded him with a pen.

That pen held significant sentimental value; it was the first thing their mother bought with her earnings and had given it to their father as a token of love.

But he, consumed with jealousy, secretly broke the pen that night and was caught red-handed by his brother.

The consequence was, he got spanked by his brother.

Although it hurt, it hurt more emotionally, and Zhan Jingmo cried: "You actually spanked me? That’s too much!"

His brother gave him a cold look: "If you want something, just say it. If you do something sneaky like this again, I’ll spank you again."

The next day, his brother was beaten by their father.

Not because he hit him, but for a reason he used to think was stupid—his brother had gone to their father and confessed he broke the pen by accident.

But thinking back now, the feeling is complicated. Although he thought his brother was foolish for offering himself to get punished by their father, it turns out he took the blame for him...

Damn!

How foolish was he to not see that his brother was protecting him?

The pen wasn’t anything valuable, but because it was a keepsake from their mother to their father, their father treasured it, keeping it in pristine condition for so many years.

It was obvious how important it was to their father. And yet, it was ruined in one night. If it had been him, the punishment wouldn’t have been so simple, since he was always the "troublemaker" in their father’s eyes.

But his brother, since he was known as the "model child" praised by everyone, their father couldn’t bear to lay a heavy hand on him even if he was upset.

Sigh... How foolish he was!

"I was so thoughtless back then..." Zhan Jingmo said, a bit embarrassed.

"You’ve never been thoughtful." Zhan Jingwen, usually so serious, teased for once and laughed, "I can’t even remember how many times I’ve taken the blame for you. And you, all you remember is the spanking, not the reason why. You still caused trouble after, which made me afraid you’d cause a catastrophe someday, one that even I couldn’t cover up for..."

Hearing this, Zhan Jingmo was displeased: "What kind of catastrophe could I cause? Just some drinking, chasing women, getting into fights..."

Well, stealing someone else’s woman wasn’t honorable, especially losing fights over such matters.

"You think stealing women is honorable?"

"I’m the second young master of the Zhan Family; when I’m out, I represent the Zhan Family’s reputation. If someone else takes my woman, it’s not just my honor at stake, but the Zhan Family’s. How could that be allowed?"

"Oh, so winning a woman brings honor to the Zhan Family? Is that how it works in our family?" Zhan Jingwen was amused.

"That’s not what I meant; women are a small matter. But letting others think the Zhan Family is easy to bully, that would mean anyone could step on our family’s dignity."

Although Zhan Jingmo would get into trouble outside, he was still quite conscious of the Zhan Family’s reputation.

Zhan Jingwen was at a loss for words. There was some truth to his words, but something felt off.

"If you have time, instead of spending it on women, why not contribute your time and effort to the company? That would earn the Zhan Family true honor."

"Isn’t that what you’re for?" Zhan Jingmo retorted awkwardly.

"I am me, and you are you."

Zhan Jingmo retorted irritably: "Yes, I am me, and you are you. Our younger brother is our younger brother. Whenever there’s any trouble, you rush over as if afraid the wind or rain might harm him. But I’m left outside like a weed, enduring every storm as long as I survive it."

Zhan Jingwen sighed: "I admit, compared to our younger brother, I spend less time on you. But there’s a reason for that, you know our younger brother has always been unwell..."

At the mention of Zhan Jingshu’s unusual illness, Zhan Jingmo couldn’t help but interrupt angrily: "Younger brother, younger brother, all you know is younger brother. He’s your brother, am I not too? Just because his health isn’t great doesn’t mean he’s about to die. You’re all so worried about him, can’t you spare a bit for me? Or am I some outsider, or just a freebie?"

Zhan Jingwen fell silent for a while.

"What, cat got your tongue? Feeling guilty?"

"Our younger brother’s eighteenth birthday is approaching." Zhan Jingwen suddenly said.

"I know, you’re planning a grand coming-of-age ceremony for him, right? I don’t care, I guess I’m just the adopted son." Earlier Zhan Jingmo had felt moved, but now he looked dejected, unwilling to talk about anything.

Not just his brother, the whole family was like this. As long as it didn’t concern their younger brother, everything was negotiable. But when it did, everything had to revolve around him.

Thinking back to his own eighteenth birthday when he wanted to celebrate at an advanced club with his friends, but his brother had flatly refused.

"If he can live past eighteen, it wouldn’t be just a ceremony. I’d donate the entire Zhan Family if needed."

And then his brother said something like that, leaving Zhan Jingmo stunned: "Brother, are you crazy?!"

Wait a second, his brother said if their younger brother could live past eighteen, does that mean...