The air was thick with tension as Ethan was dragged into the living room. Noah handed over a metal hanger as if it were a sword in battle.

Vivian slammed the hanger onto the coffee table. "Talk," she demanded. "Where have you been these last few days?"

Ethan stood frozen, caught off guard by the way Noah followed Vivian’s every word. "I—I went to work," he stammered.

"You went to work?" Vivian scoffed. "You left your brother here, and that’s supposed to be okay?" Her eyes darted to the thick stack of envelopes on the table. She picked them up and, after counting the contents, her eyebrows shot up. "What kind of job pays you four thousand a month? You didn’t..."

Vivian's face darkened as a realization hit her. "Ethan, if you’re involved in anything shady—"

Noah, ever the worrier, grabbed his brother’s sleeve. "Bro, you didn’t get mixed up in something illegal, did you?"

"No!" Ethan shook his head. "I—I'm tutoring. I’m teaching elementary school math in XY City."

Vivian’s skeptical laughter filled the room. "You? A middle school dropout? Teaching math? Do the parents even know who you are?"

Ethan, quiet but determined, pulled out a stack of certificates from his bag. "These are my awards from math competitions. I might have lost the originals, but I’ve got the copies printed from the website."

Vivian stopped cold, her gaze narrowing on the awards. She recognized the names of prestigious contests—Olympiads, the Hua Luogeng Cup. The old, quiet Ethan—he hadn’t just been a shadow in Blackwood’s house, he'd been a prodigy in his own right.

Her stomach churned with embarrassment as she realized how wrong she'd been. Ethan wasn’t just a boy with a troubled past. He was someone with real skill. She felt small in comparison. She was making seven thousand a month driving, while Ethan was raking in four thousand teaching kids a few math lessons. Her jealousy flared, and she couldn't help but sneer, "So you run off to work, and you come back with all this money? What’s your point, huh?"

Ethan, unfazed, lowered his voice. "This is for you. For taking care of Noah."

Vivian blinked, a little stunned. "For me?"

"Yes," Ethan continued, his voice steady. "I’m going to be working far from here, and I can’t take Noah with me. He needs time to rest and recover. I’ll send money every month, and Noah can stay with you."

Vivian narrowed her eyes, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "So now you're asking me to be his surrogate parent?"

Noah, not fully understanding, tugged on her sleeve. "Sister, please don’t send me away. You promised."

Vivian’s expression darkened. She was tired—so tired of pretending that everything was fine. But Ethan was right. He wasn’t asking her to be a saint; he was just looking for a way to survive.

Ethan’s voice was quieter, more genuine now. "Noah’s doing well here. He listens to you, and you’ve been a good influence. It won’t be hard. You don’t need to do anything more than what you already do."

Vivian crossed her arms, her face a mask of indifference. "He’s a good boy," she muttered. "But I’m not his mother. And once he's in a foster home, they'll like him just fine."

Noah, his eyes wide and full of confusion, stared at her. "Sister, don’t do this."

Vivian’s patience snapped. She shot a glance at Ethan, who was now playing the peacekeeper. "See? He doesn’t want to leave you. He’s attached to this home."

Vivian said nothing. The money was in her hand, the decision had been made. "Fine," she said finally. "You send the money every month. If you're late, or if you vanish again, I’ll throw your brother out."

It was as though a weight had been lifted off Ethan’s shoulders as he ended the meeting, a sense of relief washing over him. The icy chill of December’s night seemed to cut through him, but his sweat, though cold, was a sign of his victory.

Noah, with his usual wide-eyed innocence, shuffled closer to Ethan. “I thought you were never coming back,” he said in a soft, pitiful voice.

Ethan’s heart tugged. He knew how much Noah depended on him, how lost he must have felt in his absence. But some decisions, hard as they were, had to be made swiftly. He had no choice but to act on instinct. Deep down, he wasn’t sure whether Vivian would actually let him stay. But Noah... Noah had stepped up. He’d proved himself capable, and that was enough.

“I won’t.” Ethan’s hand ruffled Noah’s hair, gently brushing his forehead. “You stay here and behave. Don’t give Vivian any trouble, okay?”

Noah’s eyes were full of unshed tears. “Are you going to leave again?” he asked, his voice small, uncertain.

Ethan hesitated, his gaze shifting to Vivian, who stood there, arms crossed, studying them both. “I’ll be back next month,” he replied, a promise that felt uncertain, but sincere. He then motioned to Noah, his tone shifting to something more commanding. “Listen to her. If you don’t, she’ll make you listen.”

Vivian gave him an exasperated look. “I’ve raised him like a drill sergeant already. It’s not like I’m his mother. I can’t exactly hit him,” she said dryly, then glanced at Ethan with an arch brow. “You’re leaving now? It’s getting late.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Ethan glanced at the darkening sky. “I’ll leave tomorrow,” he muttered, “It’s too late tonight... I’ll find a place to stay.”

“You’re underage, don’t even have an ID. Who’s going to take you in?” Vivian’s voice carried an edge of disbelief. “How did you even manage in XY city?”

“There’s a shady internet café by the station. It’s cheap—fifteen yuan for a night. No ID required,” Ethan explained, his voice calm but with a touch of guilt, knowing exactly how dangerous such places were.

Vivian’s frown deepened. “Do you realize how reckless that sounds? It’s full of people with God knows what kind of backgrounds.” She sighed, rubbing her temples. “I’m serious, Ethan, can’t you do something legal for once?”

Ethan had no answer, his eyes flickering with discomfort. “I had no choice,” he mumbled, feeling exposed, yet unable to change his past actions. “Besides, I could find the tutoring place easily that way.”

Vivian didn’t hold back. “You think it’s not risky? What if someone just decided to drag you off and sell you for your organs?”

The weight of her words hit Ethan with full force. He stood silent for a moment, feeling a cold shiver that had nothing to do with the weather.

“Enough of that,” Vivian muttered, cutting through the awkward silence. “You’re not going back to places like that. Got it?”

Ethan nodded, feeling sheepish. “Got it.” Then, after a pause, he asked cautiously, “Where should I stay, then?”

Vivian didn’t hesitate. “You’re not going anywhere tonight. Just stay here.”

Noah’s face lit up instantly. He jumped up, smiling brightly.

Vivian’s gaze turned to the bigger picture. “If I’m going to be your legal guardian, we need to register at the street office. They’ll give you the benefits you’re entitled to. You two are still minors, after all.”

Ethan offered a smile, though it was tempered with an undercurrent of resignation. “I understand.”

Vivian shot him a pointed look. “I’m not here to coddle you, Ethan. But I have to admit... you’ve got a sharp mind. Don’t let that go to waste.”

Ethan’s smile faded slightly, his eyes flickering down. He wasn’t sure if he was being praised or scolded.

Vivian, however, gave him a gentle shove. “Come on. Let’s go out. You and Noah need some things.”

Ethan got up, wearing thin clothes, while Noah went to the room to put on the newly bought white down jacket.

Ethan noticed and asked, "Did you buy this down jacket for him? How much was it? I'll pay you back."Vivian waved him off dismissively. “It’s fine. We’ll deduct it from the benefits. Don’t worry about it.”

Ethan quickly caught on. "We don’t have a bank account, so just handle the Orphans' benefits for us."

"Fine," Vivian replied without missing a beat. "Let’s head to HZ Street later. I’ll get you a few decent coats. You can’t keep wearing clothes that look like they’re made of paper."

Noah was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement as they prepared to head out. He chattered nonstop, his energy infectious. Vivian knelt down to wrap a scarf around his neck, then pulled on his gloves and topped it off with a pair of fluffy bear ear muffs.

Ethan, ever the serious one, frowned. “Noah, calm down,” he said sternly.

Noah quieted for a moment, but his enthusiasm was barely contained.

Vivian, meanwhile, wasn’t dressed nearly as warmly. She had always been resistant to the cold. She pulled out a thick plaid scarf and handed it to Ethan.

“Here, wear this. Don’t catch a chill,” she said.

Ethan took the scarf and wrapped it around his neck the way he’d been taught years ago. Vivian clicked her tongue in disapproval. “If you wrap it like that, the wind’s just going to sneak right in,” she said, stepping closer. With a few quick motions, she bundled him up tightly, making him look as snug as a burrito—just like Noah.

“Your way looks nice, but it’s useless. All style, no substance,” she teased, her tone blunt but not unkind.

Vivian drove them to Zbai Market, where they stocked up on essentials: slippers, bedsheets, and blankets. When they reached Hankou Street, Vivian turned to Ethan.

“It’s been colder than usual in WH city this year. You’ll need a down jacket, thermal underwear, and some heavy pants. Oh, and do you need new underwear?”

Ethan’s face flushed crimson. He mumbled that he already had some, but Vivian insisted he buy a few more pairs. She led him into a men’s clothing store. “Just grab whatever you need. It’s wholesale here, so everything’s cheap but good quality.”

A sales assistant approached, asking Ethan what he was looking for. Ethan froze, suddenly self-conscious, standing awkwardly in front of the racks. Vivian rolled her eyes. She couldn’t understand why he was so shy. He was so skinny, like a little bean sprout—she half-considered taking him to the kids’ section, if not for his height.

Once Ethan finally picked out his clothes, Vivian paid and handed the bags to the boys to carry. After buying some winter boots, Noah stopped at a street vendor selling pets.

“Look, sis!” Noah held up a tiny puppy, his eyes wide with wonder. “It’s so cute!”

The little Samoyed had a pink nose, shiny black eyes, and a fluffy coat of cream-colored fur.

The vendor chimed in, “Isn’t it adorable? The kid loves it. Why not take it home for the New Year?”

Vivian wasn’t fooled. She smirked. “Sure, and then we’ll end up with a sick dog.”

“Hey, don’t say that! Our shop provides health certificates. This dog is perfectly healthy!”

“And if it gets sick after we take it home? Will you cover the vet bills?” Vivian shot back, her tone icy.

The vendor fell silent. Vivian called to Noah, “Let’s go. There’s nothing special about a dog.”

Noah hesitated, glancing back at the puppy as Ethan tugged him away.

“I told you not to cause trouble,” Ethan scolded under his breath. “Don’t waste money.”

“I was just looking! I wasn’t going to buy it…”

“It’s not about the money, and it’s not that I don’t want to buy it,” Vivian said without turning around. “I’ve done it before. Bought a puppy from a street vendor just like that. It seemed fine at first, but two days later, it was listless. Took it to the vet, and it had canine distemper.”

“What… what happened?” Noah asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“It died. We spent over four thousand trying to save it, but it didn’t make it.”

Noah fell silent.

“When I went back to the vendor, they said it was my fault for not taking care of it. They sell, but they don’t take responsibility.” Vivian’s voice was calm, but her eyes were hard as she pointed back toward the vendor. “That’s the same guy. He doesn’t remember me, but I remember him.”

As she spoke, her hands hung loosely at her sides. Noah hurried over and took one of her hands in his.

Vivian didn’t pull away. She let him hold her hand as they walked on. Ethan trailed slightly behind, feeling a strange tightness in his chest, as if his heart had been wrapped in a thick, suffocating cloth.

Vivian was their sister in name, but not by blood. She had her own life, her own past, her own emotions. They didn’t really know her.

That distance between them—it was always there, unspoken but palpable.

Tiny flakes of snow began to fall from the sky.

People around them gasped, looked up, and reached out to catch the snowflakes, their faces lit with smiles. It was WH city’s first snowfall of the year.

Snow didn’t always come in December here, and its arrival meant this winter would be a harsh one.

Vivian held Noah’s hand as they walked. Noah, bundled in his white down jacket, looked like a little snowball himself.

A snowflake landed on Ethan’s nose, already red from the cold. It melted almost instantly, leaving a faint, tickling sensation. It hit him then—this was his first winter in WH city.