Bai Fang had a ton of energy. Everything was an adventure for him. The new apartment wasn’t fully furnished. The emptiness was perfect for sprinting in.

They played chance until they were out of energy and collapsed. Bai Fang had the energy to make it to the couch. Bai Li just hugged the floor.

“Why doesn’t my mommy like you?” Bai Fang was tired from running all around.

Bai Li lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. He was panting heavily. Kids saw much more than adults thought. “What do you think about it?”

Bai Fang had a serious expression. “I don’t think I should think about it. You have to judge people for yourself.”

That was a deep answer from such a young person. “Continue not to think about it. Adults have a lot to consider. Children just need to grow up.”

“So, do you like me, or don’t you?” Bai Fang wasn’t willing to let go until he got an answer.

Bai Li thought about how to answer. His feelings for Bai Fang were complex but simple. They didn’t interact other than as business rivals. “I don’t know you.”

Pulling on the edge of the couch, he mumbled in a small voice. “I don’t think you like me.”

Bai Li smiled. Intuitive little stinker. “My mother also told me not to like you. I am here to see and decide for myself.”

“My mother wasn’t like this.” He sounded sad. “She says that I have to grow up smart, or we will be left with nothing.”

“Did she?” Did he judge her wrong? That wasn’t something he thought Lee Shan would say to Bai Fang. She shielded him too well. It was no secret that she was fiercely protective of him.

“Grandma said it to her on the phone, and she repeated it. She didn’t say it to my face.” Bai Fang shrugged.

Lee Shan probably got cautious when Bai Li and Bai Tao’s relationship got closer.

“Do you like me?” Bai Li couldn’t help asking.

His brother shook off the melancholy he was feeling earlier. He nodded his head vigorously. “I like you.” His eyes were as big as saucers and so earnest.

Bai Li chuckled and looked away. He couldn’t manage such a straightforward look. “Why?”

“Cause of how you looked at me. You’re a nice person. When you care, you will do anything for them. If they are your enemy, you won’t spare them a moment.” Bai Fang nodded. His sage-like words were accurate. “If you trusted a person, you might not even guard against them. Our sister is so lucky.”

Bai Li had to look long and hard at Bai Fang. Was he the only one that reincarnated?

No wonder he struggled so much against this little brother of his. If BAi Fang was already this smart and forward-thinking at this age...he shuddered.

Their sister was indeed lucky, but she didn’t even notice or appreciate her luck.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“Do you want to meet our sister?” Bai Li asked, unwilling to continue with that conversation.

Bai Fang scrunched up his nose. He shook his head, his distaste at the thought apparent. “NO!”

This child would be fun to tease. Bai Wei was reserved, but another way to put it was that she was timid. People would like children like Bai Fang more. “Why?”

“I don’t like girls. They are yucky, and they cry a lot. They always want to hold my hand and think I should give them my snacks.” The maturity that he showed before was gone.

Laughing, he sat up. He pinched Bai Fang’s puffed-out cheeks. “You will change your mind when you get older?”

“I won’t.” Bai fang proclaimed. He brushed away his brother’s hand. Bai Li behaved like those aunties that always wanted to pat his head and pinched his cheeks. Bai Fang didn’t know why but his older brother appeared to be very sad all the time. He didn’t know how to cheer him up.

“What is Wen Shi?” Bai Fang asked.

“Don’t you know?” If Bai Fang knew, Bai Li doubted he would have asked that question. “Where did you hear about it?”

“Mom was talking to grandma.” Bai Fang looked guilty. He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop. It wasn’t his fault that he built his forte in that room. He couldn’t ask his mom because she would know he listened to her conversation.

Bai Li had to wonder how much Bai Feng knew about his birth. Bai Fang probably didn’t find out until he was older. Bai Fang behaved as if Wen Shi didn’t have anything to do with him. “What did you hear?”

“Mom said it was just as much mine, and I had a right to it. I didn’t understand. Dad doesn’t own the company he works at. I know because dad’s parents own a clothing store and mom’s parents are farmers.” Bai Fang said.

Bai Li would have to warn Bai Tao to be careful around Bai Fang. He was a lot smarter than the people around him were giving him credit for.

“Wen Shi is the company that our dad works at.” Bai Li didn’t plan to tell Bai Fang anything at this point. His brother might be smart, but he was entitled to a few more years before he had to grow up.

Bai Fang jumped off the couch and lay beside him. “Isn’t that your mom’s company?”

Lee Shan had a loose month. She needed to be more careful what she spoke of and to whom.

“Is my mom not my mom?”

Bai Li bolted upright and looked across at Bai Fang. “You!?” Being too smart was worse than being stupid. A dumb person could live a happy life without even noticing he was suffering. A smart person would suffer but have to pretend he was alright. It was even worse if you were smart enough to see the danger but too dumb to avoid it.

Could it be that Bai Fang knew but pretended not to? It would explain why he was so blatantly disinterested in their last life.

“Grandma said that mom was at a disadvantage because she couldn’t have kids. Grandma said it was a good thing that mom listened to her advice. If she didn’t use that Ping woman’s eggs, she would be at an even bigger disadvantage.” Bai Fang repeated what he heard word for word.

Three things were apparent. Bai Fang had a good memory and comprehensive ability. Lee Shan was being given bad advice. Bai Tao would need to be told about this.

Bai Li didn’t want to get involved in their relationship, but he wasn’t willing to leave things that could influence him and his brother up to chance. It was one thing if Bai Fang’s grandmother was ambitious and cunning. The situation was different if someone was whispering in her ear.

How many times did Lee Shan fall and get beaten up until she became the woman he met. He didn’t like her much now. He hated scheming women, but he hated dumb ones even more.

Was Lee Shan the first to bring up the subject of using Ping An as the donor? Bai Li didn’t guard against her, and he seemed convinced of her benevolence.

“That isn’t something I wanted you to find out yet. I don’t think your parents wanted you to know either.” Bai Li did his best to buy himself time to think a way out.

“But I already know. I wanted to ask mom, but I would be in trouble for eavesdropping. I was going to ask dad, but then you showed up.” Bai Fang carelessly tossed the active grenade his brother’s way without realizing it.

Bai Li thought about it and couldn’t find anything wrong with those words. “When did you hear this conversation?”

Bai Fang thought about it really hard. “About four months ago.”

Bai Li nodded. So it was before he approached his father. This was not something that his rebirth changed. That means Bai Fang would have approached and asked Bai Tao for clarification. He wondered what their father would have said?

“We are a really unlucky lot.” He said to his brother. “That Ping woman is my mother.”

“Doesn’t that make her sort of my mother?”

That was a dangerous thought for Bai Fang to have. If he sought out Ping An, she wouldn’t let him off. “My mother is a dangerous person. Your mother is Lee Shan. She is a nice person. That Ping lady provided an egg, but it was your mother who carried you and gave birth to you. She gave you all her love. That is what matters.”

Bai Fang didn’t have an interest in meeting Ping An. He was just curious about her. “Does that mean brother should have Wen Shi? Then I don’t want it. It is bad to steal other people’s things.” Bai Fang gave it more thought. “Does this means I have more grandparents? Grandparents give good presents.”

Bai Li flopped back. He laughed and laughed. His grandpa did give good presents. Bai Fang was a practical boy. “I don’t want it either. If you want it you can have it.”

He would have to adjust his plans. It was likely that both the boys of the Bai Family would run off to do their own thing. He would have to approach his grandfather about training both his younger siblings.

His grandfather’s luck was bad. Ping Zen needed to be careful, or he wouldn’t have anyone to inherit Wen Shi in this generation either.