For several consecutive days, Yi Pin had been taking care of Shen Yu and Zi Qi in the hospital.
He was watching the current affairs news on TV while holding an apple in his hand.
"According to the latest report, the couple in Fengmen District, Jiangcheng City, who abused children have been verified. They also have a criminal record and had long - planned to harm Li Moumou. As the net of justice is wide and allows nothing to slip through... They have now been captured and are waiting for the court session!"
The beautiful anchor on TV spoke in fluent Mandarin.
Yi Pin lowered his head to peel the apple, but this man who had never done any housework in his life was suddenly at a loss. No matter how he held the knife, it felt wrong.
"Can't you just eat the apple with the skin on? They say all the nutrients are in the skin."
Yi Pin said helplessly, looking blankly at the red apple in his hand.
Shen Yu couldn't help laughing. "Give it to me. I'll peel it myself!"
Yi Pin glanced at Shen Yu in front of him and sighed helplessly.
"That wouldn't be good. People would say I'm heartless if they saw this!"
Yi Pin shrugged and held the knife awkwardly, trying to peel the apple.
Zi Qi beside them was looking out of the window, lost in thought.
Yi Pin smiled and ruffled Zi Qi's hair. "What's wrong?"
Zi Qi shook his head and forced a smile. After all, he was just a child, and his hidden sadness was so obvious.
Shen Yu took a bite of the apple and looked at Zi Qi in front of him, smiling. "A little brother is coming today. I'm sure you'll become good friends!"
"Is Xiao Shan coming?" Yi Pin asked excitedly. He hadn't seen Xiao Shan for a long time.
Shen Yu nodded with a smile.
Looking at the confused Zi Qi and the excited Yi Pin, Shen Yu shook his head helplessly.
Looking at the two of them, Zi Qi hooked the corners of his mouth into a smile. Especially Yi Pin, who always did some cute things. He seemed like a person with his own style, indulging in his own world.
"But what if I don't have mom and dad in the future? I won't have a real home." Zi Qi suddenly said sadly.
His eyes were filled with disappointment and a hint of sadness.
"Although they always beat and scolded me, sometimes I even wished they would disappear from this world immediately. But... Grandpa used to say that they are still my parents after all, and family members have a special meaning to me."
Zi Qi was talking to himself. His words didn't sound like those of a child at all, but rather like those of a mature adult.
Yi Pin and Shen Yu were stunned. They looked at each other.
"Zi Qi, don't worry. From now on, your brothers will protect you. We will never let you suffer any more grievances. And I can find a little brother for you to play with." Shen Yu smiled and ruffled his hair.
The two of them knew that parents had a special meaning to a child. No matter how good others were or who was used as a substitute, they could never replace parents.
But they couldn't bear to see him so sad.
"Then if the brothers have a little brother, they won't need me anymore. Where will I go then? Grandpa doesn't want Xiao Qi, and mom and dad don't want Li Zi Qi either. What should I do in the future? Who will I live with? Will I really be sent to sleep under the bridge with that uncle?"
As Zi Qi was talking, he suddenly felt his throat tighten.
Tears unconsciously streamed down his cheeks.
Yi Pin frowned, feeling heart - ache.
Maybe every child with a traumatic childhood lacks a sense of security and is afraid of being the first one to be abandoned.
"No, your brothers will always be with Zi Qi!" There was a glint of tears in Yi Pin's eyes.
He didn't know why, but as he got older, his tear - point became lower. As long as he heard something touching or something that made his heart flutter, the tears would flow uncontrollably.
Although a real man shouldn't always cry, sometimes he just couldn't help it.
He wondered why Zi Qi could still calmly forgive his parents for everything they had done.
"Really? Brother Shen Yu?"
Zi Qi looked at Shen Yu in front of him with a pleading look in his eyes.
He was just staring eagerly, as if waiting for a definite answer. His eyes were full of expectation.
Shen Yu looked at Yi Pin, who had turned his face away, and frowned.
He was not Yi Pin. He was not so emotional. Or rather, in the past, his thinking had always been rational. He would always think things through from every angle before making any decision.
But this question left him at a loss. He didn't know how to answer it.
In just a few seconds of thinking.
Zi Qi's eyes gradually dimmed.
Yi Pin glanced at Shen Yu and frowned. Why did he need to think for so long just to say such a simple sentence? The child's eyes were so pleading. Why couldn't he just comfort the child and instead had to deliberate so much?
Seeing that Shen Yu didn't seem to be answering and was just standing there stuttering.
"Zi Qi, your brother said he would protect you, and he will. Even if the sky falls, your brother will cover you." Yi Pin quickly stepped forward, grabbed Zi Qi's shoulder and smiled.
Then he looked back at Shen Yu, frowning tightly.
Just then, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door.
Then they saw Xiao Shan running in excitedly.
"Are you okay? You're such a grown - up, but you always end up in the hospital. But this time, since you were so heroic, I won't say much. You should be more careful in the future."
Xiao Shan was like a little adult, with his hands folded across his chest, speaking sternly.
Hearing this, Shen Yu couldn't help laughing and ruffled Xiao Shan's hair. "You little rascal, how dare you lecture your uncle!"
"You should learn to reflect on yourself. And... when someone points out your mistakes, you should accept them with an open mind. Correct them if you have them, and if not, then take it as a warning. And here you are threatening me."
Xiao Shan said seriously. Then he noticed Yi Pin beside him and his eyes instantly lit up. "Brother Yi Pin!"
Yi Pin smiled, nodded at Xiao Shan's mother, picked up Xiao Shan and spun him around. "Does Xiao Shan miss brother?"
"Yes, I go to the park every day to wait for brother, but brother never comes. Mom won't let me call either. She always says brother is very busy and I shouldn't bother him."
Xiao Shan said aggrievedly, pouting at Yi Pin in front of him.
Yi Pin couldn't help laughing. Looking at the aggrieved Xiao Shan in front of him, he pinched his face.
"Call him uncle. What do you mean by calling him brother!"
Shen Yu hooked the corners of his mouth into a smile, with a mischievous look on his face.