Rebirth from the Ashes - Chapter 294
Chapter 294: What Kind Of Brother?
Since it was New Year’s Eve, anyone flying back from abroad was picked up by someone, so the airport was very lively and crowded.
At a glance, Shen Xi already spotted her portrait with a few big red letters on it. “Daughter, Father’s here!”
Fu Qingxuan also saw the banner because Shen Xi was so pretty. The girl in the portrait was so vibrant and beautiful, like a beam of light that would attract anyone to her at one glance. However, the few words on the banner really ruined the beauty of the photo.
The man holding the banner was a slightly fat middle-aged man that looked very enthusiastic. He had a typical Chinese face with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a long squarish face. He was not exactly handsome, but decent-looking.
Fu Qingxuan had seen this man’s photo before in Shen Xi’s wallet. It was a family photo with three people. However, the man in the photo was much fatter than this man in front of him, yet his features could still be recognized.
Shen Zhangqing also spotted his daughter at once and happily waved the banner in his hands as he shouted excitedly, “Xixi, I’m right here! Father’s here!”
Shen Xi happily trotted over and pressed her head into the man’s arms, “Old Shen!”
Fu Qingxuan had never seen her this happy, like a little bird out of the cage. She was joyful and blessed, which alleviated his depressed mood from the flight.
Shen Xi was not loved by her biological parents.
However, her adoptive parents loved her and spoiled her, so she was quite lucky in a sense.
Fu Qingxuan hoped that his younger sister could be as blessed as Shen Xi to have such a good adoptive family who would raise her as their little princess.
Shen Zhangqing looked at his daughter, “Where’s your suitcase?”
Shen Xi turned around and pointed at Fu Qingxuan with curved eyes, “Right there!”
Fu Qingxuan had already walked up to them. He looked at the man in front of him and greeted him politely and respectfully, “Hello, Uncle.”
Shen Zhangqing glanced at Shen Xi, then looked at the handsome boy in front of him warily. “Who are you, kid?”
Fu Qingxuan was surprisingly nervous being looked at like that. His brain buzzed for a bit before he finally said, “I’m her brother!”
Shen Zhangqing frowned and became more alert. “You’re her brother? I’m her father!”
With his precious daughter growing older, Shen Zhangqing looked at men like they were all wolves. This little punk in front of him was also trying to steal his baby daughter.
Fu Qingxuan was rendered speechless.
**
Shen Zhangqing was driving.
Shen Xi sat on the passenger seat and told her father that Fu Qingxuan wanted to follow them home for the New Year.
Shen Zhangqing felt a little strange and glanced through the rearview mirror to look at the young man in the backseat. He thought to himself, “I guess he’s pretty good-looking and looks like an honest child.”
However, his family was a dealbreaker. The Fu family was a prestigious family with many rules. If his precious daughter married into that family, she would surely suffer, so no, absolutely not!
Shen Xi did not know what her father was thinking about with a frown on his face while he shook and nodded his head from time to time, “Old Shen, what’s wrong with you?”
Shen Zhangqing said loudly, “No, I don’t agree!”
Shen Xi was speechless.
Shen Zhangqing coughed awkwardly and immediately flashed her a doting smile. “Umm… Father was thinking about some things and was a little distracted. What were you saying earlier?”
“Nothing,” Shen Xi looked at him seriously. “Old Shen, you should focus on driving. Don’t get distracted.”
“Okay, I will,” Shen Zhangqing collected his thoughts and started talking to Fu Qingxuan. “Kid, why don’t you go back to your own home for the New Year?”
Fu Qingxuan always felt that meanie’s father kept looking at him with hostile eyes. He replied politely, “It’s boring to be at home every year. I heard Xixi say that New Year’s Eve in your hometown is very lively, so I wanted to see it for myself and join the fun! Uncle, do you not welcome me?”
Shen Zhangqing thought secretly, “You’re not welcome at all!” However, he kept an amiable front. “What are you talking about? How can I not welcome you? I’m glad you can come!”
‘Hmph! I would not welcome anyone who dared to hit on my baby girl!’
After one week, Shen Xi finally got home. When she got out of the car, she subconsciously glanced towards the next door, but no cars were parked at the door and the gate was locked. Brother was not at home.
Fu Qingxuan went to the trunk to get their suitcases. He caught the obvious disappointment that flashed across Shen Xi’s eyes and also looked next door. Somehow, he felt that meanie’s expression at the moment was similar to the time she was crying and looking for someone at the square back in Vienna.
Tomorrow was two days before New Year, so they had to leave for the airport early in the morning.
After dinner.
Shen Xi pulled Fu Qingxuan to write the Spring Festival couplets to be put up on her front door before leaving.
Shen Zhangqing made some orange juice for both of them. When he came out with the tray, he saw the two of them sitting at the table looking so focused and serious as they wrote the Spring Festival couplets.
Their sitting posture and the way they held the brush, down to their features and seriousness were uncanny, so much so that he conjured an absurd thought in his heart for a moment.
‘These two kids… why do they look like twins?’
“Old Shen, are you done?” Shen Xi shouted.
“Coming! Why are you in a rush?” Shen Zhangqing smiled and pulled himself away from that extremely ridiculous thought. How could it be? What was he thinking?
However, the Su family said that Xixi was their biological daughter. If it were not for the paternity test, he would not have acknowledged them.
The Su family were all scumbags. They certainly did not deserve his precious little girl.
“Thanks, Uncle,” Fu Qingxuan smiled at Old Shen.
Shen Zhangqing’s heart had that familiar feeling again. He looked at his daughter and thought that this smile was the same as his daughter’s.
They were done writing the Spring Festival couplets.
Shen Zhangqing was so happy that he could not stop talking and praising them both for their good penmanship. He even said that they wrote it better than the ones sold in the store and told them that he wanted them to write more couplets when they get back to their hometown the next day.
They put up the Spring Festival couplets on their front door.
Shen Xi called Fu Qingxuan and went next door with some stuff.
Fu Qingxuan asked her, “Whose house is this?”
She smiled and said, “The neighbor’s house.”
He looked at her with disdain. “Do you really have nothing better to do than to put up Spring Festival couplets for the neighbor?”
She glared at him. “Whatever, I like it.”
Fu Qingxuan watched as she carefully wiped the neighbor’s front door and put up the couplets. She did not allow him to help and did everything seriously and delicately like it was an honor to be doing this. All of the couplets were written by her. The only scroll that he wrote was chucked to the side by her.
After pasting the couplets, Shen Xi stood at the door and looked up at her own masterpiece. Her eyes were overflowing with happiness that Fu Qingxuan had never seen before.
Fu Qingxuan’s eyebrows were slightly knitted and felt conflicted for a while.
If he was not sure about her look earlier when they got out of the car, he was certain that this neighbor must be that man who she was frantically searching for in the square.
That guy’s caller ID on her phone was “Brother”.
‘What kind of “Brother” could make meanie so concerned about him? When she couldn’t find him, she was so sad and desperate and cried like a child. When she thought about him, she smiled so sweetly and happily.’
