Pei Ruo heard his words, and a mix of emotions surged in her heart. Her eyes grew wet, and she couldn’t help but murmur, “Brother…”
Pei Che responded with a low, raspy voice, then raised his hand to gently press the back of her head, pulling her into his arms. He patted her back softly, comforting her like a child.
“Don’t cry, little Tangyuan…”
When she was younger and would start crying, tears streaming down her face, he never knew how to handle it. He wished he could trade all his toys just to stop her from crying.
After a while, when her emotions had calmed down a bit, Pei Che gently wiped her tears with a tissue. “No more crying. Let your second brother carry you to the hospital.”
Pei Ruo put on her coat, and Pei Che fetched a hat and scarf for her, wrapping her up like a little bear, afraid that she might catch a cold again.
She got out of bed, and the boy crouched down in front of her.
“Hop on.”
Pei Ruo clumsily leaned onto his back, and Pei Che lifted her up steadily, carrying her out of the room. Pei Ruo rested her head on his shoulder, and after a moment, she poked her face out from the scarf and spoke in a nasal, muffled voice:
“Second Brother, can you still carry me? Am I too heavy?”
“Do you even know how light you are? Heavy?”
She rubbed her nose and said softly:
“But you dropped me once when you carried me before…”
“…”
When Pei Che was younger and not as strong, he once carried Pei Ruo on his back but accidentally dropped her. She ended up with a big bump on her forehead and cried miserably. Pei Che felt guilty, and ever since then, he hadn’t carried her again.
Pei Che laughed, “Afraid I’ll drop you again?”
“No…”
He adjusted her weight slightly and spoke in a deep voice, which carried on the wind to her ears:
“Don’t worry, I won’t drop you again.”
Hearing this, Pei Ruo lifted her head to look at the boy’s handsome, sharp jawline. Suddenly, she realized how time had flown by—her brother had grown up and could now carry her securely on his back.
Once they stepped outside, a bitterly cold wind howled around them.
Pei Ruo wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. No matter how cold it was, she felt completely safe.
Pei Che had already booked a taxi. After getting in, he planned to send a message to Pei Su about the situation, but the girl suggested waiting until his tutoring session was almost over, so he wouldn’t worry unnecessarily.
As for Liang Zhiyi and Pei Chen, Pei Ruo also insisted on not telling them.
There was no point in worrying their parents, who were far away overseas. It would only cause them unnecessary concern, and she didn’t want to affect their work.
Tonight is New Year’s Eve. The streets are bustling with traffic, and there are traffic jams everywhere. It took them forty minutes to get to the hospital. Once they arrived, Pei Che found her a place to sit and then went to register.
Registering at the hospital is now very convenient and smart. Pei Che rarely visits hospitals and was a bit unsure about how to operate the system. Fortunately, there was a diagnostic robot to assist. He glanced at the robot’s label; it was from Chengzhi Tech.
Chengzhi Tech products are now commonly seen in everyday life, so it wasn’t surprising.
Over the past decade, under the leadership of Pei Chen and a few partners, Chengzhi Tech has become a leading company in China, penetrating cities big and small. The company has now launched a series of artificial intelligence technologies, including facial recognition and medical imaging recognition, and holds a leading market share in several fields.
Their business now extends beyond smart healthcare to include smartphones, internet entertainment, smart cities, education, finance, real estate, and more. They have branches across many parts of the country and even abroad, and they have established in-depth collaborations with several major companies.
After registering, Pei Che returned to find Pei Rou and took the girl to the emergency room. She had her temperature taken; it was close to 39 degrees Celsius. The doctor prescribed some medicine and directed her to get an IV drip.
The girl had been afraid of pain since she was little. When it was time to get the IV, she nervously clutched the corner of Pei Che’s shirt, her eyelashes trembling slightly, showing how scared she was.
Pei Che stood in front of her, raised his hand to gently hold the back of her head, and told her not to look at the nurse’s actions. His deep voice carried a soothing tone:
“Getting an IV isn’t as painful as an injection. You’ll just feel a light prick, so don’t be so nervous.”
“Really?”
“Really,” he said, patting her head. “You’re so grown up, and still this scared.”
She rubbed her nose and muttered, just as she felt the sting of the needle piercing her hand. Fortunately, the nurse was skilled, and the pain was brief.
Finally, the nurse handed the IV bottle to Pei Che, who held it high as he led her to the adjacent infusion room and found a place to sit down.
“Sit here for now. I’ll go get some hot water for you.”
“Okay…”
Watching the young man leave, the bitterness that had weighed on her heart all day was replaced by warmth. She felt that even though she had a fever, it wasn’t so unbearable anymore because her heart felt much lighter.
After a while, Pei Che returned with a cup of hot water. Seeing her staring blankly at the floor, he knelt down in front of her and handed her the water. “Here, drink some water and take your medicine.”
As she took the medicine, Pei Che asked her why she suddenly got a fever. She said she had felt unwell since she woke up that morning.
“I just called Pei Su. He’s done with his class and is on his way from school.”
“Is big brother very worried?”
Pei Che smiled slightly, “Given how much he usually dotes on you, what do you think? And here we are, getting all worked up on New Year’s Eve.”
She touched her head apologetically.
After finishing the water, she looked up at Pei Che, moved her lips slightly, and softly said, “Second Brother…”
“Hmm?”
“This morning, big brother told me why you didn’t agree to let me go out for New Year’s Eve yesterday. I just realized that it was because you were worried about me. Actually, I should be the one apologizing…”
The young man’s heart softened when he heard this. “It’s okay, I didn’t handle it well either. I should have explained things to you properly. That’s on me.”
She pouted, “Yeah, so it’s your fault, right?”
Pei Che: ?
He couldn’t help but smile, “Even with a fever, you still have the energy to tease me? You’re pretty good at taking advantage of the situation, huh?”
She pressed her lips together, “Mmm…”
In the IV drip, the liquid fell in steady drops. The TV mounted on the wall of the infusion room was playing Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, a show popular with children. In the corner where the two of them sat, the atmosphere grew a bit quieter.
Pei Che looked at her for a while before speaking in a low, hoarse voice:
“So, do you still want your second brother?”
Hearing this, Pei Rou’s eyes stung with tears, and she choked up slightly, “Second Brother, what I said yesterday was out of anger. I didn’t really mean it…”
She had never compared her two brothers in her heart, trying to decide who was better. They both cared for her deeply, just in different ways. She knew that what she said yesterday—that she didn’t want him as a brother—was the most hurtful thing she had ever said.
“Yeah, I know you didn’t mean it.”
He patted her head. “Just don’t say things like that again, okay? It really hurts your second brother.”
She nodded, and he added, “Oh, by the way, I bought you a New Year’s gift.”
“A gift?”
“When you called me earlier, I was at the mall. The gift is in the living room at home. You can check it out when we get back.”
Her face immediately lit up with a smile, “Thank you, Second Brother. You’re the best.”
He chuckled, “Just buy you something and your mouth turns sweet. I’ve got you figured out.”
She laughed, “I’m just telling the truth…”
Seeing the little girl happy again, Pei Che felt at ease.
He realized that when their parents decided to have another child, it wasn’t to trouble anyone else; it was to trouble him.
After Pei Rou had been on the IV for a while, Pei Su arrived from school.
Seeing him, the girl smiled, “Big Brother—”
Pei Su walked over and looked at her slightly pale face, his brows furrowed in concern, “How are you feeling? Are you any better? Is it still uncomfortable?”
“Not too bad.”
“It’s my fault for not noticing you had a cold this morning. Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling unwell all day?”
“I was wrong. I thought it was just a minor cold…”
Pei Su asked Pei Che, “What did the doctor say?”
“The fever should go down after the IV drip.”
Pei Su sat down next to the girl, and Pei Rou reassured him that she wasn’t seriously ill. Finally, Pei Su was relieved. “Was it Second Brother who brought you to the hospital?”
“Yeah.”
Pei Su teased, “So, you two made up?”
Pei Che lazily sat down in the empty seat opposite, a faint smile on his face. “Who has the time to argue with her every day?”
Pei Rou playfully lifted her leg and lightly kicked him. “I’m just magnanimous and don’t hold grudges against him.”
“Oh, so you’re really that magnanimous…”
The two of them started bickering again, and Pei Su listened with a helpless smile.
Well, as long as they’ve made up.
In the end, Pei Che stopped teasing her and got up to fetch more water. After he left, Pei Rou looked at Pei Su and said quietly, “Big Brother, I was really upset today, but I’m glad I made up with Second Brother. I was so scared he wouldn’t want me as his sister anymore…”
Pei Su smiled and replied gently, “Silly, how could he not want you? Even though he can be a bit harsh sometimes, he still cares a lot about you.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“And,” Pei Su added with a soft chuckle, “sometimes you cling to me too much, which makes him feel a little off-balance.”
More often than not, the girl was closer to Pei Su. Although Pei Che never said anything, he would occasionally feel a bit “jealous.” But being the proud and carefree person he was, Pei Che would never express such childish feelings.
Fortunately, the bond between the twin brothers had always been strong—after all, they had grown up together in their mother’s womb. Having a younger sister wouldn’t change that.
Pei Rou was surprised by this and smiled. “Does he really feel that way? I never thought about that.”
Pei Che really is a bit childish, she thought.
Pei Su smiled. “So when you said what you did yesterday, it hurt him even more. He might feel like he’s not as important to you as I am. You should try to comfort him more often.”
Pei Rou was stunned for a moment, then nodded.
Finally, she leaned her head on Pei Su’s shoulder and smiled sweetly, “Big Brother, you’re the best.”
Pei Su was always gentle and soothing, like a calming presence, acting as the big brother to both her and Pei Che, making her feel incredibly warm and comforted.
Pei Su smiled and patted her head.
When Pei Che returned, she drank some more water. Just then, they received a video call from Liang Zhiyi. On the other end, Pei Chen and Liang Zhiyi had just finished their work and returned to the hotel to rest. The time there was slightly behind Beijing time. Seeing that it was almost New Year’s for them, they decided to call.
Both Pei Che and Pei Su greeted them. Seeing the background of the three on the call, Pei Chen was surprised, “Where are you? Aren’t you at home?”
Pei Rou hesitated for a moment before telling the truth, “Mom, Dad, I have a fever. Big Brother and Second Brother are with me at the hospital, getting an IV.”
“A fever??”
“How did you suddenly get a fever?”
The two on the other end were very worried, but Pei Rou quickly reassured them that it wasn’t anything serious. Pei Su also assured them that he would take good care of her.
Pei Chen gently gave a few instructions, saying that they had a flight back the next afternoon and that they would spend New Year’s together then.
The three of them agreed, and after chatting for a while, Liang Zhiyi smiled at them and said, “Happy New Year, my three treasures.”
“Happy New Year to you too, Mom and Dad…”
After the call ended, Pei Su and Pei Che told Pei Rou to rest well. She leaned back in her seat and dozed off for a while, with both of them staying by her side.
As the medicine took effect, the girl’s discomfort gradually eased.
Around eleven at night, she finally finished the IV, and her fever had mostly subsided. They were able to leave the hospital.
At the hospital entrance, the three of them got into a taxi and arrived at Haian Yunhua half an hour later.
After getting out of the car, Pei Su asked Pei Rou, “Can you walk?”
She glanced at Pei Che and playfully said, “I still want Second Brother to carry me.”
Hearing this, Pei Su knew that Pei Rou was deliberately trying to make Pei Che happy and smiled silently.
“You really are a handful.”
Despite his words of complaint, Pei Che still crouched down in front of her and securely hoisted her onto his back.
Pei Rou wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes crinkling in a smile as she sweetly said, “I love Second Brother the most. I’m so happy to have such a wonderful brother.”
“Alright, that’s enough. You’re laying it on a bit thick.”
Pei Che said this, but the corners of his mouth still turned up in a smile.
The three of them walked into the residential area, and Pei Rou, with a mischievous grin, called out to Pei Che, “Little Niangao—”
Pei Che paused mid-step. “……”
“Little Niangao.”
He ignored her, so she called out a third time. Pei Che’s face darkened, “If you call me that again, I’ll drop you.”
“Why? You call me by my nickname, so why can’t I call you by yours? How can you be so mean to someone who’s sick?”
As she spoke, she put on a pitiful tone, almost as if she was about to cry. Pei Che had no choice but to give in, “Alright, alright, you can call me that.”
She giggled, “Little Niangao.”
“……Fine.”
All grown up, yet she was the only one who dared to be so cheeky with him, and he could only indulge her.
“Tomorrow is New Year’s Day, and I want to eat your sweet and sour ribs.”
“Alright, but you need to focus on getting better first.”
She nodded and looked over at Pei Su, who was walking beside them, and smiled, “Little Doubao.”
Pei Su rubbed his forehead helplessly, but he responded with a smile, “Okay.”
“I want to eat spicy crabs.”
“Sure.”
Pei Che laughed, “You’re really making the most of being sick to order us around, huh?”
The girl’s eyes curved into crescents, and the dimples in her cheeks deepened, “What can I say? I’m lucky to have two such wonderful brothers…”
Under the streetlights, the warm, yellow light stretched out ahead as the three of them walked slowly, chatting and laughing.
Above them, the night sky was brilliantly lit, and in the distance, fireworks bloomed, signaling the end of the old year and the imminent arrival of a new one.
Pei Rou looked at Pei Su and Pei Che, feeling warmth in her heart.
Although she didn’t know what the coming year would bring—whether it would be smooth or rough, joyful or sorrowful—she knew that no matter where life took her, her two brothers would always be by her side.
They, along with her parents, were her greatest support.