Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Do You Like Your Brother?

[I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I just wanted to help them!]

"Don’t be in such a hurry to see the finale, everyone. Maybe there’s a twist in the road, a light at the end of the tunnel."

"Xiao Ya, what’s that noise? Are you on the phone with someone?" Zhu Yawen asked, looking at his sister in confusion.

Zhu Ya wiped her tears. "I forgot. I’m connected to Doctor Wen’s stream."

"Doctor Wen? Xiao Ya, what’s wrong? I’ll take you to the hospital right now. It’s all my fault for not noticing!"

As Zhu Yawen scrambled around in a panic, Zhu Ya suddenly laughed. "Brother, I’m fine! Doctor Wen is just a psychiatrist."

As she spoke, Zhu Ya showed the live stream to Zhu Yawen. The young man sighed in relief when he saw it.

’As long as she’s okay.’

Zhu Yawen didn’t react much upon seeing the beautiful Wen Ying. Clearly, his heart already belonged to someone else.

"Brother, Doctor Wen is amazing."

Then, right there in front of everyone in the live stream, Zhu Ya told Zhu Yawen what had happened.

Zhu Yawen’s expression was a bit strange. He took a serious look at the live stream, at the beautiful host who called herself a psychiatrist, and at the online counter showing over six hundred thousand viewers.

[Is it just me, or is this the first time a stream has felt this weird? Did we just get caught eavesdropping???]

[This is strangely funny! Does the brother think this is a scam stream? That Doctor Wen is some kind of charlatan?]

"I’ve seen the trending topics, actually," Zhu Yawen suddenly said, answering the bullet comments’ questions.

"Doctor Wen, thank you for your trouble with my sister." As he spoke, Zhu Yawen sent Wen Ying a gift worth a thousand yuan. "I’ll handle things from here. I won’t trouble all of you any further."

Just as Zhu Yawen was about to disconnect, Doctor Wen said, "Patient-friend, please wait a moment."

Zhu Yawen’s expression shifted slightly at the term ’patient-friend.’ "You paid, so you are my patient," she continued. "As a doctor, I’m obligated to warn my patient that your plan is dangerous."

Zhu Yawen’s expression changed noticeably when he heard this.

’He’d never told anyone about his plan. Was she bluffing?’

"You’re putting too much faith in the safety of blood ties. To them, a child who never grew up in their home is nothing more than an ATM. And when you try to stop people who are addicted to gambling, they’re likely to retaliate with deadly force. Especially when they think you have money but refuse to give it. This excuse you have now about buying a car—do you think they’ll believe it a second time?"

"Doctor Wen, what plan do you think I have?" Zhu Yawen asked, his voice impassive.

"The setup." Those two words made Zhu Yawen’s expression shift again.

After a minute of silence, he spoke. "Then, Doctor Wen, do you have any better suggestions?"

"Tell your adoptive parents about your plan. Their love for you has never been fake. You’ll understand."

After the connection was cut, the bullet comments flew. [So what was the plan? Isn’t Doctor Wen going to tell us?]

[I’m curious too. Is the brother going to get hurt? Is it a fatal injury? At the hands of that family?]

[What kind of family bond can you expect from parents who abandoned him as a child? Sometimes blood ties are a joke! A prison!]

"Weren’t you all hoping he would escape his bloodsucking biological parents? This time, your wish should come true."

Zhu Yawen took Zhu Ya home, his mind heavy with thoughts.

Their mother was home, but their father was at the company for a board meeting. Zhu Yawen was supposed to attend as well, but he had to take the day off when his biological parents showed up.

"Xiao Ya, what’s wrong?" Seeing her daughter’s red-rimmed eyes, Mrs. Zhu immediately got up and went to her side, asking with concern.

"Yawen, what happened to your sister?" When her daughter didn’t answer, she could only ask her son.

"Mom, there’s something I need to tell you and Dad."

The three of them sat on the sofa. Zhu Yawen held nothing back, telling Mrs. Zhu every last detail: about his biological parents coming to find him, asking for money, and even their plot to have him usurp the Zhu family’s fortune.

The reaction he expected didn’t seem to happen. Mrs. Zhu remained calm, listening quietly as her son spoke. Her daughter would interject from time to time, but only to defend her brother.

After he finished, Zhu Yawen looked at Mrs. Zhu. "Mom, I originally planned to handle this myself. But now that Xiao Ya knows, I don’t want her to get hurt, and I don’t want you and Dad to be completely in the dark."

Zhu Yawen watched his mother with an uneasy heart, ready to accept whatever decision she made.

He had told the truth, but he hadn’t revealed all of his thoughts. First, it wasn’t necessary. Second, saying too much might sound like he was trying to make excuses, since he had, after all, given them over a hundred thousand yuan.

If his mother and father were to ask him to leave, he would accept it completely. He might even feel relieved.

Zhu Ya watched her mother nervously, afraid she would say something that would hurt her brother.

In this family, although her father was the head of the household, he deeply respected and cherished her mother, and he always listened to her on family matters. Therefore, her mother’s attitude was crucial.

But Mrs. Zhu simply reached out, taking Zhu Ya’s hand with one of her own and Zhu Yawen’s with the other. "Xiao Ya, Yawen, you are both our children. I’m so glad you told me about this. You did the right thing. We are a family. When you encounter a problem you can’t solve, we should all be there to help you."

"Regarding your biological parents, your father and I actually knew about them. We just figured you would tell us when you were ready. We were also prepared for what you told us today. Your... older biological brother has indeed... Do you want us to help them?"

Mrs. Zhu looked at her son earnestly. Ever since he was little, she had always treated him as her own flesh and blood.

"No, that’s not necessary. I tried to reason with them, but not only did they refuse to listen, they kept going. That’s when I knew they only came to me for money. I feel much more relieved now that I’ve said it. It’s not that I never had any expectations for them, but now... my heart has grown cold."

"But they’re not likely to let you go so easily."

Mrs. Zhu’s words made Zhu Yawen hesitate, because it was the truth.

"If you trust us, can you let your father and me handle this for you?"

Zhu Yawen agreed. He left soon after receiving a call from the office.

Left alone with her mother, Zhu Ya cuddled up to her. "Mom, what are you and Dad going to do? I really can’t stand those... my brother’s biological parents. Their attitude was just awful! I was right there watching. They didn’t treat him like their own son at all! All they thought about was themselves and getting money! They’re really... the worst!"

Zhu Ya vented angrily, indignant on her brother’s behalf.

When she had finished her tirade, her mother held her close, stroking her long hair. Her voice was gentle, her eyes full of affection. "Xiao Ya, are you in love with your brother? The kind of love that makes you want to be with him forever."