CUB - 1

From the moment he was born, Niannian had a weak constitution, plagued by serious illnesses and frequent minor ailments. He was a child born without expectations, his parents had little patience for him. Providing him a place to live and food to eat was considered enough to raise him. Only occasionally, when they were in a good mood, would they pay him any attention.

Niannian was a highly intelligent child. He could speak before he turned one, walk without stumbling by the age of one and a half, and learned to take care of himself by the time he was just over two. He quickly learned to read his parents' moods and act accordingly, always pretending to be an obedient and sensible child. Yet, no matter how well he behaved, he never received their care.

That evening, a heavy rainstorm began. His mother had gone out again to look for his father, who was likely in some woman's bed. Niannian was locked inside the house. 

Before leaving, his mother had forgotten to prepare dinner for him. Standing on a small stool, he skillfully filled the kettle with water. While waiting for it to boil, he took out the last cup of instant noodles from the cupboard and opened it.

Suddenly, a familiar sharp pain shot through his heart. The seasoning packet slipped from his small hand, and his vision blurred instantly. As he fell to the ground, everything went dark before his eyes.

The kettle continued to work, the gurgling sound of boiling water growing fainter and fainter in his ears until he could hear nothing at all. Yet, the trembling of his heart grew louder and louder.

Storybooks often say that people see a "life flash before their eyes" before they die. Niannian didn't know what that meant, he imagined it must be like the colorful lanterns he saw during the New Year. But unfortunately, he didn't see any lanterns. In his final moments, he still didn't understand what the "life flash" truly was.

He thought perhaps his life was too short, with too few memories to fill such a flash, which was why it never appeared.

The moment the pain in his heart stopped, he pursed his lips in grievance and whimpered softly, "Wah... Mom... Niannian hurts..."

***

When Niannian opened his eyes again, he saw an intricately patterned ceiling above him. A crystal chandelier refracted sparkling light under the warm sun. The air carried a faint scent of disinfectant and medicine, identical to the smells that had accompanied him throughout his childhood. This brought a sense of comfort to Niannian, who had just arrived in this new place.

The moment he woke, a flood of memories that did not belong to him poured into his mind.

At the moment of his death, he had transmigrated into a dramatic, wealthy-family novel, becoming Su Younian, the youngest child of the prestigious Su family.

Like him, Su Younian had been frail and sickly since birth. By the age of three, he had already been to the hospital dozens of times, a child raised in a world of medicine, just like Niannian.

Su Younian had three older brothers. The eldest, Su Yanheng, unwilling to inherit the family business, had entered the entertainment industry at twenty. Within just two years, he became a top idol. Now twenty-eight, he had successfully transitioned into acting and, half a year ago, won the Golden Palm Award for Best Actor, enjoying unparalleled fame at the time.

The second brother, Su Xingcheng, became the main player for Team OAO at eighteen, winning the world championship three years in a row. He was the most renowned professional player in the country, a true esports legend.

The third brother, Ji Sui, took his mother's surname and was only two years older than Su Younian. At five years old, he was already a household name as a child prodigy, able to recite hundreds of ancient poems backward at three and mastering sixth-grade knowledge by four.

Behind this seemingly glorious and limitless family lay many sorrowful secrets, long since riddled with holes.

Su Younian's parents came together through an arranged family marriage, and it took many years after their wedding for feelings to slowly develop between them. Both were proud and stubborn individuals, and even trivial matters could escalate into conflicts because neither was willing to back down.

Before Su Younian was born, the couple could still converse calmly most of the time. In recent years, however, they would argue whenever they met, pushing their relationship to the brink of divorce.

The eldest brother suffered from severe insomnia due to overwork, the second brother was trapped in severe anxiety from nonstop competitions, and the third brother developed mutism after achieving fame too early.

Scenes of reality flashed rapidly through his mind, and Niannian saw the fate of each person, 

His parents divorced, the Su family declined, the eldest brother died suddenly from severe insomnia, the second brother was framed and had his hands crippled, ending his career, and the third brother took over the mess left by their parents at a young age. Due to his withdrawn personality, he remained alone until his later years, dying in solitude.

Life was already hard enough, and Niannian disliked tragic stories the most. Fortunately, most fairy tales ended sweetly and happily. Witnessing the tragic fate of the Su family firsthand, Niannian couldn't help but tear up. The endings of each member of the Su family seemed even more miserable than his own life, where he had been unloved by both parents.

Now, he was Su Younian, and every member of the Su family was his relative.

Given a second chance at life, he didn't want to live as lonely and aggrieved as he had in his previous life.

He wanted to change the fate of the Su family. If the Su family could improve while also giving him a little care, that would be enough. He only needed a little, not too much.

After sorting out the chaotic timeline and everyone's information, Niannian finally sat up. As soon as he moved his left foot, a sharp pain shot through his ankle, and another memory flooded into his mind, 

Just the day before he transmigrated, Su Younian had accidentally fallen down the stairs and injured his left leg. The family doctor had rushed over immediately to examine him. The injury wasn't serious, but he needed to rest in bed.

His parents couldn't stand each other. His father had moved out of the old mansion half a year ago and was now living in an apartment closest to his company. His mother often traveled to vent her anger. When she was at main house, she would take care of Su Younian, but when she was away, the servants were responsible for his care.

After Su Younian was injured, the butler immediately informed his mother, who was abroad. However, she was in the mountains with no signal, so the call couldn't go through. His father was on a plane for a business trip and couldn't be reached either.

The butler finally contacted the eldest brother, Su Yanheng, who had just started his vacation. Su Yanheng was 25 years older than Su Younian, if he had put in a little effort, he could have had a child Su Younian's age. 

Su Yanheng would often be away on film sets for months at a time and had only met his younger brother a few times since his birth. Though they were related by blood, they were far from close and didn't even know each other's preferences.

Due to his parents' strained relationship, Su Yanheng had disliked returning to main house since high school. He could still consider his second brother, who was closer in age, as a sibling, but the other two younger brothers felt like strangers to him.

When he received the butler's call, Su Yanheng initially didn't want to return to see Su Younian. With so many servants at main house and a family doctor on standby, he wasn't worried about Su Younian's safety. It wasn't that he didn't care about his younger brother, he just didn't know how to interact with a child.

He had indeed tried to get closer to this youngest brother, but Su Younian would hide behind the servants as soon as he saw him. The slightest approach would make the child burst into tears. Sensing that his little brother seemed to dislike him, he eventually gave up on the idea of building a good relationship with him.

After much hesitation, Su Yanheng decided to visit his brother again. Just like before, as soon as he approached the child, the little one burst into loud, frightened sobs, as if he were a ghostly reaper come to claim a soul.

Su Yanheng had no choice but to keep his distance. He didn’t return to his usual residence and instead planned to stay at the old house for a few days, waiting until his brother’s injuries improved before leaving. This way, he could at least give the elders some peace of mind.

Once Su Yanheng started filming, his schedule would become completely reversed. In recent years, his insomnia had grown increasingly severe, and this time he hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep for an entire week. His manager, noticing his poor condition, arranged a half-month break for him as soon as the drama wrapped up, even suggesting various methods to help him sleep.

Su Yanheng tried them all, but none worked.

Last night, he went to bed before ten o’clock but tossed and turned until three in the morning before finally falling asleep. Not long after, he woke up startled, his head feeling as if it had been split into pieces. The pain made it impossible to sleep, and forcing himself to rest felt even worse than staying awake, so he simply gave up on sleep altogether.

Just as Su Yanheng entered the dining room and was about to sit down, a servant hurried in. "Young Master, the little master wants to see you."

"See me?" Su Yanheng looked surprised. That little rascal usually couldn’t wait to stay as far away from him as possible, why would he want to see him now?

Driven by curiosity, Su Yanheng turned and headed upstairs. As he reached the door of Su Younian’s room, he slowed his steps, unable to help but recall the child’s fearful expression and the piercing cries that seemed capable of shattering the ceiling.

Many people described Su Yanheng as approachable and amiable. He got along well with his co-stars and was popular among the younger actors on set. Yet, when it came to his own little brother, he repeatedly hit a wall, which left him feeling deeply frustrated.

Afraid of seeing his brother’s frightened expression again, Su Yanheng prepared himself to retreat at any moment. He gently pushed the door open, only to find the family doctor had arrived before him and was examining Su Younian’s foot.

The child was half-buried in soft cushions, his fair little face flushed red from the fever, glowing with a delicate pink hue that made him look especially adorable.

Su Yanheng’s father had been handsome in his youth, and Mrs. Ji was famously known as a beauty in S City. Naturally, their children inherited good looks. 

When Su Yanheng was born, half the hospital’s doctors and nurses had gathered to see him. While most newborns looked wrinkled and red, he was born fair and lovely. As he grew older, the cuteness faded, leaving only striking handsomeness.

Su Younian took after his beautiful mother, but his large eyes were identical to Su Yanheng’s when he was young, almost as if they were carved from the same mold. Anyone who didn’t know better might have mistaken Su Younian for Su Yanheng’s illegitimate child.

Because of this, no matter how noisy Su Younian was, Su Yanheng always found himself a little more tolerant.

Now, the child widened his dark, grape-like eyes, staring straight at him, his mouth slowly opening.

Instead of the expected heart-wrenching wails, the child called out in a soft, milky voice, "Big Brother."

Su Yanheng froze, instinctively glancing behind him. Su Xingcheng and Ji Suize weren’t there, Su Younian could only be calling him. This was the first time Su Younian had ever called him "Big Brother" on his own. In the past, he would only do so reluctantly under the coaxing of the elders, his face clearly showing resistance.

Has the fever made me so delirious that I've even forgotten to be afraid of him?

Niannian had long grown accustomed to his parents' indifference. Out of ten times he called for them, only two or three would receive a response. But that was okay, as long as they responded even once, he was content.

Struggling against his weak body, Niannian sat up and called out again to the stunned Su Yanheng, "Big Brother."

Su Yanheng snapped back to reality and stiffly replied, "Hmm."

A spark of light flashed in Niannian's eyes. Just then, the doctor pressed on a spot and asked, "Young master, does it still hurt?"

The sudden pain was like touching a freshly boiled kettle with a finger. Once, when his mother hadn't returned for several days, he was so hungry that he boiled water to make instant noodles. 

Back then, he was much smaller and weaker, unable to hold the kettle steady. Before it tipped over, he quickly let go and stepped back, avoiding the danger of being scalded by hot water. Still, his finger was burned by the scorching kettle.

Compared to the pain now, that was nothing. Niannian could endure it, but the memory brought tears to his eyes. His gaze remained fixed on Su Yanheng's face, his lips trembling as he said pitifully, "It hurts."

Su Yanheng's heart tightened instinctively. A thought he hardly dared believe crossed his mind, was his little brother saying this for his sake? Was his brother relying on him?

But how could that be? It was already a miracle this kid hadn't burst into tears at the sight of him.

Just as Su Yanheng was dismissing the idea, Niannian stretched out his little hands toward him and said in a childish voice, "Big Brother, can you give Niannian a hug?"

Su Yanheng: "...Are you sure you want me to hug you?"

Niannian nodded his small head, his flushed face breaking into a bright smile. "If Big Brother hugs Niannian, Niannian won't hurt anymore."

Niannian tried his best to show his most genuine and radiant smile, though his heart was filled with anxiety.

Once, the young child had been startled awake by a nightmare. The bedroom was pitch dark, and the bedside lamp had broken at some point, no matter how many times he twisted it, it wouldn't light up.

The darkness magnified his fear. Clutching his worn-out teddy bear, the child silently began to cry. "Niannian is scared. When Mommy comes back, can she hug Niannian?"

He fell back asleep in fear and unease. When dawn finally came and his mother returned home, the exhausted woman pushed away the child who had rushed to her side, saying irritably, "Don't touch me. Can't you see I'm tired?"

The woman didn't notice the child's swollen eyes or the fading smile. The child obediently apologized and turned to the kitchen to help heat up the food his mother had brought back.

Ever since he outgrew infancy, his mother had rarely hugged him. In hopes of earning a rare embrace, he sometimes pretended to be sick or in pain. But after a while, that trick stopped working, and it had been a long time since anyone had held him.

How could a child of just three not yearn for the warm embrace of an adult?

His mother would refuse him. Would this newly appeared Big Brother refuse him too?​