Lin Yuan returned home to find the house brightly lit.
Although S Province was often criticized for lacking nightlife, its nights were never truly dark— the heavy academic burden meant that household lights rarely went out before midnight.
Scenes like this, however, were rarely seen in Lin Yuan’s home.
Due to the work commitments of his parents and older brother, the spacious, luxurious two-story apartment usually only housed him and the live-in housekeeper.
Today, unusually, there was a young man present— about 1.8 meters tall, with sharp, striking features that radiated a sense of dominance, exuding an overwhelming presence.
Anyone with even a slight knowledge of the entertainment industry would instantly recognize this man: a former idol who later debuted as a solo artist, whose OSTs were wildly popular across the land, then transitioned into acting, collecting awards one after another.
Now, he was undoubtedly one of Hua Xia’s top-tier actors— Lin Shen, Lin Yuan’s elder brother by twelve years.
“Back already?” Lin Shen, who usually kept a cold, aloof celebrity facade, softened his expression on seeing his seldom-seen younger brother after months.
He spoke gently, “Tired, huh? Aunt Zhou made some soup. I tasted it— it’s really good. Want me to serve you a bowl?”
Lin Shen’s schedule was usually packed, and having four full hours of sleep a day was a luxury.
When he had time to rest at home, he would gladly sleep a full twenty-four hours. He typically retreated to his room around eight or nine in the evening.
That he was waiting in the living room until nearly ten was clearly for someone.
Faced with such unabashed goodwill from his own brother, Lin Yuan, who might have hesitated before his transmigration, now calmly sat opposite Lin Shen.
He accepted the bowl of soup Lin Shen handed him and took a sip, his eyes lighting up in surprise. “This is really good!”
Because it contained magical energy, Parnaki’s high-end ingredients were tastier than Earth’s, but ordinary ingredients fell short compared to Earth’s crops and livestock, refined over thousands of years of careful selection.
At their time of transmigration, Parnaki had been ravaged by constant wars, and no country was wealthy.
For the common folk, simply having enough to eat was a problem, let alone developing cooking techniques or researching gourmet foods.
The Western fantasy world had clothing and styles reminiscent of Europe’s Middle Ages, and its cooking methods were similarly basic.
Nobles who could improve their meals pursued the natural flavors of high-quality food but cared little for elaborate culinary techniques.
After they transmigrated, as devoted food lovers, they simply could not tolerate food being “ruined” by such simple cooking.
They carried out drastic reforms, bringing systematic culinary methods to Parnaki for the first time.
However, lacking the spices and ingredients from Hua Xia, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t replicate the tastes from memory.
Even though Parnaki’s cuisine had become comparable to Earth’s, it could not quell their yearning for the flavors of home.
The amber-colored soup in the bowl steamed gently as Lin Yuan stirred it with his spoon. Ignoring the burn to his lips, he raised the bowl and drank it all in one go, as if he hadn’t eaten for a week.
Setting the empty bowl down, his eyes fixated on the clay pot beside Lin Shen, shining with longing. “Why don’t you just give me the pot? That would save the trouble.”
Lin Shen: “……”
He forcibly took the empty bowl from Lin Yuan’s hands and served him another full bowl. Watching his brother happily bury himself in the soup, he furrowed his brows with concern.
“You used to complain about your school meals being so bad, huh?”
Seeing his brother devour the soup like a starving wolf, how many days had it been since he’d eaten his fill? Poor kid!
“Huh?” Lin Yuan looked up, soup dribbling slightly at the corners of his mouth, eyes dazed. “I think it’s okay. It’s not that bad.”
After eating foreign dishes for centuries, he no longer criticized the school cafeteria’s food, instead finding its flavor unique. Whether delicious or not became a secondary concern.
Sadly, Lin Shen only saw his brother’s act of pretending not to care as a façade born out of stubbornness and a desire not to worry them.
His affection for Lin Yuan doubled instantly, though he sighed inwardly: if only he would let himself be spoiled when wronged.
Though their parents and Lin Shen had loved Lin Yuan dearly from childhood, the boy was naturally mature and had never taken the initiative to show affection, always maintaining a certain distance— even if he thought he was hiding it well.
Lin Shen couldn’t understand why Lin Yuan was this way, so he poured his love on him again and again. But the more he cared, the more Lin Yuan retreated.
Eventually, even their parents became overly cautious with him, fearing any misstep would drive Lin Yuan further away.
Yesterday, Lin Yuan unexpectedly contacted him, hoping for a small favor. Overjoyed, Lin Shen rushed overnight from S City to Y City, thinking his brother was finally willing to get closer.
Now, it seemed he had only been imagining things…
“By the way, bro, why are you home today?” Lin Yuan’s voice snapped Lin Shen out of his worries.
Being a skilled actor himself, he quickly composed his emotions, lightly brushing aside his grievances to show only pure warmth to Lin Yuan.
“Work’s been exhausting lately, so I gave myself a break,” Lin Shen said casually, omitting that, worried his brother needed help, he had his agent cancel three days of jobs.
Lin Yuan responded with an “Eh?” and then asked, “So, how long will you be resting?”
“Is there something you need help with?” Lin Shen didn’t answer directly. “Go ahead and tell me. I’m completely free this month.”
Lin Yuan: “……”
He looked at his brother with complex eyes. “Your studio isn’t having problems, is it?”
Lin Shen chuckled bitterly. “What are you talking about? I’ve got trophies in hand. There’s no need to overbook myself for exposure or to maintain my position.”
Lin Yuan chuckled sheepishly. “Our school is putting on a Mid-Autumn Festival Gala. Our class is directing and performing a play ourselves. Since no one has experience, I wanted you to find a playwright to guide us.” He put down his soup bowl, his gaze earnest but slightly embarrassed. “I just wanted to ask if you’d like to come watch our performance.”
Lin Shen was stunned by the unexpected news, frozen in place. “…You want me to watch your performance?”
“Well, Mom and Dad can’t make it, and the school requires parents to attend.” Lin Yuan rubbed his nose. “I just wasn’t sure if you’d have time…”
“Of course I do!” Lin Shen cut him off without hesitation, completely ignoring his packed schedule for the next two weeks. “I’m pretty free recently! If you need someone to coach during rehearsals, I can help with that too!”
The normally unshakable Lin Shen was now overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude at his brother’s invitation.
After agreeing immediately, he quickly hesitated, his expression troubled. “Xiao Yuan, maybe it’s better if I don’t… Didn’t you say before you hate being chased by paparazzi? If I go, you won’t be as free as you are now.”
Lin Yuan had expressed disdain more than once for his brother’s public status as a celebrity.
Because of this, Lin Shen had worked hard to protect their family’s privacy, even reducing his trips home, so as not to affect Lin Yuan’s daily life as a student.
Seeing Lin Shen’s hesitation, Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow. “You’re my brother. It’s only natural you’d come to my school’s event. Why hide it?”
He looked ready to argue with anyone who dared question it.
Lin Shen was so moved by this unexpected reply that he stood there dumbfounded, staring at his brother, overwhelmed with emotion. “Xiao Yuan, hearing you say that makes me really happy!”
“Bro…” Lin Yuan was about to say more, but Lin Shen suddenly stood up with a “whoosh.” “Anyway, Xiao Yuan, it’s late. I’m going back to my room now. Get some rest.”
As if afraid Lin Yuan would change his mind, he quickly strode back to his room, abandoning any image of a “noble son” beloved by fans or the media.
When the door shut crisply, Lin Shen’s excited yet feigned calm voice drifted back into the living room.
“Hey, Dad, did you know? Xiao Yuan invited me to his school event. He’s acting in a play… Didn’t you get an invite? Haha, looks like I’m the only one! Don’t worry, I’ll record it for you!”
“Hey, Mom, I have news— Xiao Yuan asked me to go to his school event… What? You didn’t get an invite either? Ah, he’s performing in a play! He and his classmates wrote and directed it themselves… Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to film it!”
“Hey, Brother Li, what about the recording and camera gear at the Studio? Get it ready—I want to film my brother’s play… Actually, can you contact his school tomorrow? I’ll sponsor them to upgrade the stage equipment under my name…”
Lin Yuan: “……”
Should he tell his brother that the door wasn’t properly closed?
Watching the gala approach and his brother’s money flow like a river, Lin Yuan sighed and smiled helplessly.
After all, this was all his fault. As long as his brother was happy, it was worth it.
Thinking back on his old self, Lin Yuan wanted to tap his own head and ask: Are you an idiot?
If only he had opened up sooner.
His inferiority complex, born from his parents’ and brother’s achievements, had pushed him to withdraw, living in a dream of his own making.
Knowing that his family only wanted him to be happy, he still fell into a vicious cycle— enjoying their abundant care while simultaneously tormenting himself for not being good enough to repay their love.
In the end, not only did he fail to find salvation, but he also dragged his family into suffering, living cautiously and timidly.
Compared to his formerly sensitive, overthinking self, after living for over a hundred years, he was now as carefree and happy as a fool.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too late to make amends.
However, no matter his reasons for inviting his brother, Lin Shen’s appearance as a parent at the event would inevitably spark rumors of marketing schemes once it trended on major platforms.
He was no longer at an age to be angered by gossip. Seeing through the manipulations and turning them into usable resources was now the task of his years.
Not only his mentor but many students in his class had already begun new rounds of hard work.
Even Rui Teacher was busy with various tasks beyond teaching. Naturally, Lin Yuan couldn’t afford to remain idle, living off past achievements.
Recalling familiar faces in his mind, a plan gradually took shape within Lin Yuan’s heart.