Chapter 2435: Another Me 04

Lai Fendou's anxious heart finally settled.

Lai Fendou just knew, this little mute couldn't have that kind of guts! It must be Qiu Juan and Xiaoqiang seeing things or deliberately picking a fight!

Lai Fendou's impatient expression grew heavier, he waved his hand irritably, "Enough, enough! I said it couldn't be possible!"

"Dad! He's lying!" Lai Qiang got anxious, pointing at Lai Chi and shouting, "He really spoke yesterday, and even had a knife! He almost chopped me!"

"Yeah, Fendou! Absolutely!" Qiu Juan also echoed, "This little brat was fierce last night! Definitely pretending..."

"Shut up!" Lai Fendou, his head hurting from the noise, interrupted them, "Still not chaotic enough, where's the money? Do we still want the money?"

Qiu Juan thought of Lin Wan's upcoming living expenses, and gave Lai Chi a resentful glance, but ultimately said nothing more.

Lai Fendou turned to Lai Chi, "Alright, nothing's wrong. Hurry up and get to work! Your aunt told you to do chores, what are you dawdling for?"

Having said that, even looking another glance was annoying, Lai Fendou turned and walked out.

Qiu Juan unwillingly gave Lai Chi another glare, shoved the still indignant Lai Qiang, "Let's go! What bad luck!"

The door was firmly shut by Qiu Juan from outside.

Inside the door, Lai Chi leaned against the door panel, closed his eyes, chest slightly rising and falling.

Lai Chi walked to the corner sink, turned on the faucet, put his hands under the water flow, and scrubbed vigorously.

The icy water stimulated Lai Chi's skin, also somewhat alleviating his surging nausea.

Lai Chi sat up straight, picked up the old T-shirt hanging on the simple rack.

Just after taking off the thin-washed pajamas, the boy's overly frail body was revealed; in the sink mirror, the outline of his shoulder blades was clearly visible, his waist so thin it seemed a single hand could encircle it.

Jin Chen drew out his tone, lightly sighed, "Xiao Chi, you're too thin."

Looking at him made Jin Chen feel heartache.

Lai Chi's hand holding the T-shirt halted midair, his body exposed to the cool air.

Hearing those words, Lai Chi froze, a strange warmth surged up to his ears, tinging them faintly red.

Lai Chi seemed as if scalded, he left the mirror, quickly pulled on the T-shirt, his motion carrying a hint of flustered clumsiness.

Lai Chi's mind went blank, completely unaware how to respond to this sudden comment.

Lai Chi of course knew he wasn't very healthy.

But being told so bluntly by another self… this feeling, so unfamiliar it left Lai Chi at a loss.

"I… I will nurture… ours." Lai Chi said, the feeling in his heart grew more subtle.

Jin Chen chuckled again, "Good."

——

This afternoon, Lai Chi overheard through the door panel that Lai Fendou was going to take Lai Chi to some event, and Qiu Juan also went along.

Lai Qiang refused to go, staying home alone, the noise of gaming filled the living room, the keyboard clacked, occasionally interspersed with a few curses at teammates.

Lai Chi held the feather duster, lowered his eyelids, and walked to the living room.

"Xiao Chi," Jin Chen's voice sounded, "go to the study."

Lai Chi glanced at Lai Qiang, who was fully absorbed in the screen on the living room sofa, then walked toward the study door.

The door was ajar, Lai Chi pushed it open, then gently closed it behind him.

The light was somewhat dim, the air carried a mixed scent of old paper and cheap tobacco.

"Leave it to me." Jin Chen said.

Lai Chi relaxed his control over his body, once again feeling the sensation of falling from the clouds.

Jin Chen took over the body, casually set down the feather duster, and his gaze swept over this small space.

Desk drawers, file cabinets, bookshelves… Lai Fendou's method of hiding things was hardly sophisticated, or rather, he never thought he needed to guard against Lai Chi.

Jin Chen pulled open the bottom unlocked drawer of the desk, beneath a pile of messy receipts and old documents, found a hardcover folder.

Opening it, inside were partial proof documents related to Lai Chi's father's estate, plus several bank cards and transaction statements, showing regular and large overseas remittances deposited, the recipient being Lai Fendou's name.

Jin Chen took out all the originals from the folder, that crucial transaction statement, and those several obviously related bank cards, rolled them up, and slipped them into the inner pocket of Lai Chi's T-shirt.

"Don't worry," Jin Chen told Lai Chi, "these things rightfully belong to you, we're just taking them back."

Lai Chi quietly watched all this, a deeper palpitation quietly arose.

Lai Chi didn't expect that another self could be this brave, as if appearing just to protect himself.

Lai Chi naturally believed wholeheartedly.

Just as Jin Chen was about to close the drawer, he was suddenly drawn to an inconspicuous kraft paper envelope deep inside.

Jin Chen pulled it out and opened it; inside were several report sheets.

Jin Chen quickly scanned the contents above,

One was a prenatal checkup report from a few months ago, the name field was not Qiu Juan's.

Another was the conclusion page of a paternity test report, confirming Lai Fendou as the biological father of the fetus.

Jin Chen silently raised his eyebrows, told Lai Chi, "Lai Fendou cheated and even had a child."

The thing that would cause this family to stir up isn't it already here?

Jin Chen took out his phone, quickly snapped several clear photos of those pages, his gaze swept over the bookshelf, pulled out Lai Qiang's extracurricular workbook, and slipped the envelope inside.

After doing all that, Jin Chen patted his pocket to make sure everything was there, then picked up the feather duster and calmly opened the study door.

In the living room, Lai Qiang had just finished a game, angrily throwing the mouse, the floor littered with the chip bag he'd just tossed and the soda can.

Seeing Lai Chi come out, Lai Qiang immediately directed his anger at him.

"Hey! Stupid mute, where did you die off to, dawdling half the day, didn't you see the floor is dirty? Hurry up and sweep, are you blind?"

Jin Chen's steps stopped at the study doorway.

Jin Chen looked at Lai Qiang's punch-worthy face and the mess all over the floor, his gaze turned cold.

【Zero Egg, how much time left today?】

【There are still thirty-six minutes, enough for you to make a move~】 Ling Gun Gun instantly understood, patted his head and hung a virtual countdown in front of Jin Chen.

"Xiao Chi," Jin Chen said in his mind, voice laced with dangerous amusement, "Let me help you vent your anger, okay?"

A reply came from Lai Chi in the sea of consciousness: "...... Good."

Jin Chen's lips curled as his gaze swept over the Living Room and kitchen, looking for something he could use.

He walked toward the kitchen, fetched half a basin of water, and his gaze fell again on that bottle of strong kitchen detergent.

"Then let Xiao Chi call me big brother." Jin Chen teased him, a lazy smile playing on his lips.

Lai Chi's silence lasted a few seconds, his inner voice soft and low, trembling as it spoke.

"Big brother......"

Jin Chen's heart melted utterly.

He picked up the detergent, twisted open the cap, poured a generous amount into the half‑cup of water, and the clear liquid quickly dissolved.

【Oh~ Xiao Qiang is doomed!】 Ling Gun Gun instantly rushed out excitedly to watch the show.

Lai Qiang was shouting angrily, caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye, and without turning back he bellowed, "Get lost! Don't block me! Did you hear me tell you to sweep the floor?"

Jin Chen flung the half‑basin of water over.

Splash!

The entire half‑basin of liquid mixed with strong detergent was flung over his head and face, especially his eyes and mouth.

"Ah!!!"

Lai Qiang felt as if scalded by boiling oil and sprang up from the Sofa.

He instinctively clamped his eyes shut, but the detergent's strong irritation had already seeped through his eyelids.

His mouth and throat also felt as if pierced by countless needles.

He covered his face, letting out a pig‑squealing howl, as Tears and snot mixed with the detergent gushed out wildly.

"My eyes, my eyes! Ahhh! It kills me!!" Lai Qiang writhed on the spot, spinning like a headless fly.