The next morning at seven, Song Cheng and Qin Wunian sat across from each other at the dining table, both looking solemn.
The twins were due in half an hour.
Qin Wunian and Song Cheng’s schedules had synced closely. Influenced by Song Cheng, Qin Wunian no longer lingered in bed and could open his eyes around six. Song Cheng, in turn, no longer insisted on sleeping until ten—sometimes awake past eleven.
After breakfast, Song Cheng stirred his pumpkin latte and asked, “What kind of person is your elder brother?”
Without looking up, Qin Wunian said, “An idiot.”
Song Cheng: “…”
He thought, no way an idiot could run such a big family business…
He went silent, staring at his coffee. “It can’t be as exaggerated as you say. Who would send their own kids as spies?”
Qin Wunian glanced at him seriously. “It’s true. Wait and see. Those two kids aren’t ordinary—they’re little devils. Forget it, you won’t believe me until you see for yourself.”
Of course, Song Cheng didn’t believe it. Two five-year-olds causing chaos? Qin Wunian was clearly biased against his brother—and his nephews.
Worried more about the elder twin, Song Cheng asked, “Your brother doesn’t like me, does he?”
Qin Wunian looked at him oddly. “Why would you say that?”
Song Cheng: “Just… a feeling.”
Qin Wunian chuckled lightly. “Relax. If he truly didn’t like you, he wouldn’t have sent the twins and specifically asked you to take care of them. Honestly, my elder brother is a hundred percent an idiot. If you’re worried, worry about my sister-in-law instead.”
Song Cheng blinked. “But didn’t she already divorce your brother?”
Qin Wunian: “Who knows if they’ll remarry? Separated or not, it’s almost the same. Whenever she has time, she brings the twins to their dad’s place. She said she now sees him more often than before the divorce. Back then, he was busy with work. Now, he’s busy… boosting his presence.”
It sounded like they were still quite sweet together.
Song Cheng smiled knowingly. Halfway through, he remembered Qin Wunian’s previous comment and quickly asked, “Then what kind of person is your sister-in-law?”
Hearing the question, Qin Wunian pushed his half-drunk coffee aside and rested his arms on the table, taking a slightly formal posture. “Do you still remember anything from the animal kingdom?”
Song Cheng blinked. “A little.”
Qin Wunian nodded. “Do you remember the Arctic story? The polar bear goes out to hunt. When the seal sees it, it runs desperately, but it hasn’t gone two steps before the bear stands up and slaps it dead.”
Song Cheng froze, his face stiff. “I guess… your sister-in-law isn’t the pitiful seal in that story?”
Qin Wunian smiled with a hint of approval. “You’re far smarter than Qin Yinian.”
By seven-thirty, Xia Mi arrived with her twin sons and rang Qin Wunian’s doorbell. Through the door, she heard rapid footsteps, then a loud bang as the door swung open. Song Cheng was standing there. He glanced at the two children, who were barely thigh-high, before looking at her.
“Good morning,” Song Cheng said with a smile.
Xia Mi didn’t speak, only observing him with a teasing glint in her eyes. Song Cheng felt his hair almost stand on end. Then she looked past him at Qin Wunian, who was ambling toward the door.
In front of Xia Mi, Qin Wunian didn’t dare call her “sister-in-law.” Reluctantly, he greeted, “Sister Xia.”
He stood half behind Song Cheng, one hand on his shoulder. The gesture was both defensive and protective—a subconscious signal saying, “Song Cheng is under my care.”
Xia Mi chuckled, letting out a laugh that was simultaneously bemusing and slightly unnerving. She nudged her two sons forward. “Lights out by eight-thirty. No bedtime stories—don’t spoil them. Make sure they brush their teeth. If they argue over who goes first, call me immediately.”
Like a machine gun, she finished speaking and turned to leave. Song Cheng barely had time to react before she had opened her car door. The twins, calmer than him, clearly accustomed to their mother’s decisive style, followed her instructions without complaint.
Qin Wunian led the two boys inside. As Song Cheng closed the door, he asked in confusion, “What did she mean by the last part? Why would we have to call her?”
“Sometimes,” Qin Wunian explained, “they pretend to be each other. When there’s something they don’t like, one eats both portions while the other eats nothing. Next time they switch. They’re united and cunning—impossible to guard against.”
Song Cheng lowered his head, looking at the two little kids with car-shaped backpacks. They were identical, eyes wide and innocent, completely unaware of Qin Wunian’s warning.
Locking eyes with them, Song Cheng felt his heart melt. He nudged Qin Wunian’s leg with his knee to get him to stay put, then crouched down and asked with a smile, “Who’s Dabao and who’s Erbao?”
The twins tilted their heads. The one on the left raised his hand. “I’m Qin Xinghong—Dabao.”
The one on the right spoke softly, “I’m Qin Hengyi—Erbao.”
Song Cheng’s smile widened as he listened to their serious introductions. “Your full names are lovely, and your nicknames are cute. Did your dad give them to you?”
Qin Xinghong: “Mom gave us our full names, Grandpa gave us our nicknames.”
Qin Hengyi: “Grandpa said it’s tradition. When he was young, he was Dabao. My dad was Dabao, and after my brother was born, he became the new Dabao.”
Song Cheng nodded in understanding, then suddenly remembered something. He shot a glance at Qin Wunian.
The previous Qin Erbao: “….”
So that was why he didn’t want these little rascals moving in—one minute, and his dark history was already exposed!
Seeing Qin Wunian’s stormy expression, Song Cheng suppressed a laugh, determined not to let him lose face in front of the twins. He took Dabao and Erbao by the hand and led them to the guest room to drop their backpacks.
The guest room was Song Cheng’s old room. There were only two bedrooms in the house, so whoever came had to stay here.
The twins obediently followed Song Cheng’s arrangements: washing hands when told, eating fruit when told, and always smiling sweetly at him. Qin Wunian watched as Song Cheng, polite at first, quickly became “Qin Yinian’s second” in interaction—both subtle and gratifying.
Gratifying because Song Cheng got along well with the twins, delicate because they were unusually well-behaved—almost suspiciously so. But since the twins came from Xia Mi’s household, and she was strict with them, Qin Wunian found it odd but didn’t dwell on it.
Lunch was made by Song Cheng. The twins didn’t fuss over food, finishing everything neatly, then settled in the living room to watch cartoons. Song Cheng was amazed at how angelic they were.
Qin Wunian, finding the cartoons too childish, stayed at the kitchen bar to watch quietly, keeping an eye on the little rascals in the living room.
As he observed them like tiny adversaries, his ears picked up a teasing voice:
“Qin Erbao.”
“…”
“Qin Xiaobao.”
“…”
“Erbao-ge~”
Qin Wunian slowly turned his head, expressionless, staring at Song Cheng.
Yet Song Cheng, being looked at that way, wasn’t scared at all. He almost laughed uncontrollably. Were it not for the children, he would have laughed out loud.
Seeing Song Cheng’s brazen smile, Qin Wunian could do nothing but grit his teeth, watching him for a while—until, unexpectedly, Qin Wunian himself broke into a smile.
His smile turned mischievous, his voice dropping to a near whisper, like a wizard casting a spell: “By eight-thirty, they’ll be asleep. The whole night is just for us—save your voice. I have a feeling tonight’s going to take a long time.”
Song Cheng’s grin froze instantly. Just then, Qin Wunian’s phone rang—it was Ban Yunfang calling, saying a contract needed signing today and that he had to go to the office.
Had it not been for this interruption, Qin Wunian might have brought all three of them to the office. But thinking of Song Cheng’s earlier antics, Qin Wunian’s petty streak kicked in. Hmph. You want to mock me? Fine—take care of the kids yourself.
Song Cheng didn’t mind. In fact, he was more than happy to spend time with the twins. Back in the living room, he explained to the boys that their uncle would be gone for a few hours. The twins nodded obediently and waved together. “Bye, little uncle!”
Qin Wunian watched silently. Before leaving, he pulled Song Cheng aside and whispered, “Call me immediately if there’s a problem.”
“I got it. Don’t worry—everything will be fine,” Song Cheng reassured him.
After Qin Wunian left, Song Cheng returned to the living room, sitting between Dabao and Erbao. The twins looked up at him, and just as he lifted his cup to smile, innocent voices cut through the room.
Qin Dabao: “Are you our new little aunt?”
Song Cheng nearly dropped his cup, staring at Dabao in shock. Before he could answer, Erbao chimed in: “You’re living at Uncle’s house. Are you cohabiting with him?”
“I—I’m not, I—” Song Cheng stammered.
Qin Dabao corrected him: “That question isn’t important. Whether you’re a little aunt is.”
Erbao argued back: “Uncle already let you watch cartoons with us, so you must be the little aunt! And cohabiting is more important—like how Jing Can-can’s dad lived with a woman, she became his stepmother.”
Dabao interjected: “Jing Can-can’s stepmother was a mistress, you’re not a mistress.”
Turning to Song Cheng, he asked: “Little aunt, you’re not a mistress, right?”
Song Cheng froze. Several seconds passed before he carefully set down his cup. Picking it up again, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Where did you even hear this? Dabao, you can’t ask someone if they’re a mistress—it’s rude!”
Dabao looked puzzled. “Why not?”
Erbao replied: “Dummy, of course it’s embarrassing if it hits the truth.”
Dabao: “I’m not a dummy, I’m your big brother!”
Erbao: “You don’t even know something this simple, I don’t want a dummy brother like you!”
The scene erupted into instant chaos. Just moments ago, the twins had been united, now they argued perfectly in sync, their logic flawless. Song Cheng was dumbfounded, finally remembering to mediate.
“Stop it! You’re brothers—how can you fight?”
Hearing this, the twins fell silent—for a moment. Song Cheng relaxed, only to hear them speak together:
Dabao and Erbao: “So… are you really our little aunt or not?”
Song Cheng: “……”
Four hours later, Qin Wunian returned with dinner. Dabao and Erbao had gone upstairs to play with the models he’d collected. Song Cheng, listening to their laughter from above, stared blankly at the ceiling, utterly drained.
Seeing him like this, Qin Wunian quickly set down the food and hurried to his side, half-squatting with concern. “What happened? Why are you this exhausted?”
Song Cheng slowly turned to look at him. “After you left, their mouths never stopped moving.”
Qin Wunian: “……”
He rose and sat beside Song Cheng. “Yeah… ever since they could talk, our ears haven’t had a moment’s peace.”
Ruffling Song Cheng’s hair, Qin Wunian comforted him: “It’ll be fine once they sleep.”
Song Cheng shook his head. “I haven’t finished.”
Qin Wunian froze. Song Cheng sat upright, expressionless. “To keep them occupied, I tried playing animated movies—they wouldn’t watch. I made them nap—they wouldn’t. So, I bought some snacks and toys online. I told them these were little welcome gifts from me.”
A bad feeling spread through Qin Wunian. “You… bought toys?”
Song Cheng nodded.
“How many?”
He held up two fingers.
Qin Wunian’s unease deepened. “Were they the same?”
Song Cheng shook his head solemnly.
Qin Wunian: “…………”
Covering his face, Song Cheng began recounting his ordeal: “At first I asked what they wanted. They said anything was fine, as long as it’s a gift. So I bought each a toy car—one blue, one yellow. When they got them, their expressions changed. Dabao didn’t want blue, wanted yellow. Erbao refused to swap. They started fighting. I had to buy another yellow for Dabao. Then Erbao got upset again because Dabao’s was newer than his.
“So, I bought two more yellow ones—identical and brand new. Finally, when I handed them over, they made up, saying it wasn’t worth hurting their brotherly bond over a toy.”
He gestured to the corner of the living room. “All five cars… they’re right there.”
Looking at the extra miniature parking lot, Qin Wunian was silent for a long time before saying to Song Cheng, “It’s okay. Many people have made this mistake; you’re not the first. Just remember in the future to make sure the gifts you give them are exactly the same.”
Song Cheng nodded wearily. He would definitely remember that, and he had a feeling he might never give the twins any gifts again—it had really left him with a psychological scar.
Qin Wunian looked at Song Cheng’s expression. He really wanted to keep up the serious act, but before long, he burst out laughing.
Song Cheng: “……”
What goes around comes around; heaven spares no one. Song Cheng paused for a moment, choosing not to hold it against him. He simply sighed and rested his head on Qin Wunian’s shoulder. “Kids these days are so smart.”
Qin Wunian: “Kids used to be smart too. It’s just that back then, you were a kid yourself, so you didn’t notice.”
Song Cheng pouted. “I was so clumsy when I was little. I wasn’t anything like Da Bao or Er Bao.”
Hearing this, Qin Wunian turned his head slightly and looked at the whorl in Song Cheng’s hair. “Are you remembering things from when you were little?”
Song Cheng replied slowly, “No, I just have this feeling.”
Song Cheng didn’t speak again, nor did Qin Wunian. They were both lost in their own thoughts, though what they were thinking about was vastly different.
Song Cheng was thinking about the nightmare he’d had a few days earlier. In the dream, he hadn’t understood what was happening, but after waking up, he realized it seemed to be about his childhood—which was why everyone in the dream was so tall, and why he’d felt so dependent on his mother.
But upon waking, Song Cheng felt none of those emotions toward his mother; all that remained was a sense of strangeness.
Song Cheng didn’t tell Qin Wunian about the nightmare, so Qin Wunian was unaware of it. At that moment, he was simply wondering whether or not he should suggest to Song Cheng that he go find his family.
In all the years they’d known each other, Song Cheng had always been tight-lipped about his family, never mentioning them to Qin Wunian. The only time he’d ever brought them up was when he spoke of his mother, revealing a faint hint of longing—other than that, there was nothing.
Qin Wunian had a vague feeling that if he pretended not to know about Song Cheng mistaking someone for him—perhaps Song Cheng was just angry—but if he brought up the fact that he had investigated Song Cheng’s family without permission back then, Song Cheng would be furious and might never want to speak to him again.
Qin Wunian knew that Song Cheng didn’t have a good relationship with his family. Deep down, he didn’t want Song Cheng to have any contact with that person either. But Song Cheng’s car accident had changed everything. Under normal circumstances, he should have told the other party about it.
Ever since learning that Song Cheng had lost his memory, every day felt like a struggle for Qin Wunian. The person who should remember nothing couldn’t recall a thing, while he—the one who shouldn’t remember—remembered everything clearly. As a result, all these issues had shifted onto his shoulders. He couldn’t ignore them, because this wasn’t a poorly written script that he could simply send back. Once Song Cheng regained his memory, once he and Song Cheng truly reached that stage, these problems would still come back to haunt him.
*
At 8:30 p.m., Song Cheng and Qin Wunian managed to get the two overexcited kids into bed. Xia Mi had said not to tell them a bedtime story, but the two wouldn’t go to sleep without one. While Song Cheng and Qin Wunian were awkwardly playing the roles of doting dads, Qin Yinian had just woken up and made his way to the hotel’s buffet restaurant to have breakfast with his accompanying subordinates.
This time, he’d brought two subordinates with him: an assistant secretary and a long-time company employee who was also a loyal old comrade of his father’s. When there were no outsiders around, Qin Yinian called him Uncle Wang.
The three of them were eating and chatting when several Asian faces approached from across the room. Qin Yinian looked over but didn’t recognize them; Uncle Wang, however, seemed somewhat surprised: “They’re here too?”
Qin Yinian asked, “Do you know these people?”
Uncle Wang nodded. “The one in front, about your age—he’s the current acting head of the Shen family.”
Qin Yinian had heard of the Shen family, but since they were in different industries, there had been little interaction between them. Now that they’d run into each other, he took a curious look—and as he did, he realized the man was looking at him too.
Qin Yinian felt a twinge of unease but didn’t dwell on it. He turned his head back, and Uncle Wang was still staring in that direction. He gave a sarcastic smile: “They call him the acting head of the family, but he’s practically the real head already. You know, his surname is Ji. He was handpicked from an orphanage by that sickly weakling. Isn’t that a joke? Handing over a thriving family business to someone else like that.” ”
Qin Yinian knew Uncle Wang was the type who was very clear about his likes and dislikes. Discovering just how much he despised the Shen family, he was a bit surprised: “The term ‘sickly weakling’… isn’t that a bit much?”
Uncle Wang took a sip of water and shook his head: “Not at all. You don’t know what happened back then. Originally, the old patriarch of the Shen family had designated his daughter—that sickly one’s older sister—as his heir. But before anything could happen, the older sister died, and everything in the family fell to him. I’m not saying he did it, but don’t you think it’s a bit too convenient? That daughter of the Shen family was truly formidable. With her around, there’s no way that Shen Hanshu would have gotten his hands on it.”
Qin Yinian: “……”
“You say you’re not saying he did it, but you might as well be pointing your finger at him and calling him the murderer.”
Living in this social class, Qin Yinian knew that not every family was as harmonious as his own, but a charge of murder… that was simply too serious.
Qin Yinian: “After all, this is a society governed by the rule of law. It shouldn’t come to that…”
Uncle Wang tutted. He thought Qin Yinian was great in every way, but this tendency to refuse to see the worst in people was something he found rather unsatisfying.
He leaned closer to Qin Yinian, his face full of disappointment, “You can’t always think the best of people! “Do you think I’d make wild guesses without evidence? Shen Hanshu’s sister had a child—and that child even left with him later. But look who’s running the show now? Even a tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs. Shen Hanshu wiped out his entire family. He’d rather give the estate to outsiders than to his own nephew. Tsk, tsk, tsk. The utter extinction of humanity.”
Qin Yinian: “……”
Listening to Uncle Wang’s words, Qin Yinian found himself somewhat swayed. He turned his head again to look at the group at that table. Sensing his gaze, the man also lifted his head, placing his phone face-down on the table. The two stared at each other in silence for a moment, until finally, he was the one to look away first.
Author’s Note:
Uncle Wang said he wouldn’t make wild guesses without evidence, but the truth is, he was just guessing.
Don’t take everything at face value, okay?