Junior Brother Pays Respect to You: Chapter 55 - Unforgettable Family Affection
Chapter 55: Unforgettable Family Affection
Lin Sui’s words inexplicably irritated Qin Zheng.
That attitude from earlier was already bad enough, and now—despite having met him face-to-face—he was still speaking so harshly.
If they were at the Tianque Sect, Qin Zheng would have already cursed him out.
However, they were now in front of their mother, and he couldn’t bring himself to create a scene between brothers.
He had already caused their mother so much worry over the years—if they started arguing the moment they met again, wouldn’t that only upset her more?
Since he was only staying for three days, he would prioritize his mother’s feelings and do what would make her happy.
But then Qin Zheng realized that he didn’t seem to have anything on him to prove his identity.
Before he could even begin to explain, the Princess Consort glared at Lin Sui in response to his words.
“Would a mother not recognize her own son?” she said sharply. Then, gazing fondly at Qin Zheng’s face, she added, “I’ve seen this face in my dreams countless times—it’s exactly like this!”
She suddenly turned toward Lin Sui angrily, as if something had dawned on her. “So Sui’er, you were trying to drive your brother out of the house just now?”
“If I hadn’t come back just now, would I never have seen my Zheng’er again?”
Seeing how angry their mother was getting, Lin Sui didn’t dare talk back. He lowered his head in frustration and muttered, “Your son knows he was wrong.”
Qin Zheng also stepped forward just in time to ease the tension. “Mother, don’t be angry. I’m right here, aren’t I?”
Just as the Princess Consort was about to speak again, noise erupted from the gates of the manor.
Everyone in the courtyard turned their heads toward the sound.
A luxurious carriage had stopped at the entrance, and a servant stood at the front waiting for the passenger to alight.
The Princess Consort smiled and said, “Zheng’er, look—your father is back.”
“If he sees you’ve returned safe and sound, he’ll be overjoyed.”
At that moment, the person inside the carriage stepped out, their attention drawn by the crowd gathered in the courtyard.
The Princess Consort waved and called out, “My lord, come quickly!”
When the Prince finally walked over, the Princess Consort hurried to meet him, excitement evident in her voice. “Our Zheng’er is still alive—he’s come back!”
“He’s finally returned safe and sound!”
Her words made the Prince frown slightly. He comforted her while turning to look at the young man behind her.
Upon seeing Qin Zheng, he froze in place.
The Princess Consort had mistaken many people before, but even if he saw this person in the middle of a busy street, the Prince would still recognize him as his son.
Not only did they look alike—there was also an undeniable instinct within him telling him this was his Zheng’er.
Still, years of political life had taught him to hide his emotions.
At that moment, Qin Zheng knelt before his parents and bowed deeply.
“Your unfilial son has returned, and has caused much worry for Father and Mother.”
“Silly child, why are you kneeling? Get up quickly,” the Princess Consort said as she hurried to help him to his feet.
The Prince helped support her and said, “Let’s talk inside.”
He led the Princess Consort into the residence.
Qin Zheng tugged at Qin Su, ready to follow, but when he turned around, he saw Lin Sui staring at him darkly.
For a moment, Qin Zheng felt like a villain who had finally gotten the upper hand.
Smirking, he glanced at Qin Su and winked.
They all followed the Prince into the main hall.
The Prince took the head seat, and the Princess Consort sat beside him.
Qin Zheng and Qin Su sat to the left, while Lin Sui sat across from them, glaring the whole time.
But at this point, no one seemed to care about his attitude.
After the servants finished serving tea, the Prince dismissed them.
Once the hall was cleared and only five people remained, the Prince glanced at Qin Su.
Sensing this, Qin Zheng quickly said, “This is my junior brother, someone I grew up with—no need to treat him as an outsider.”
Since it wasn’t a big deal, the Prince made no objection.
The Princess Consort couldn’t hold back any longer and eagerly asked, “Zheng’er, have you been well all these years?”
Qin Zheng nodded. “I was fortunate to be taken in by the Tianque Sect and have been cultivating there ever since. My illness has also been cured.”
Since he had already decided to lie, he would make sure the lie was watertight.
“Then why didn’t you send word all this time?” she asked tearfully.
“I thought something had happened to you…”
Qin Zheng immediately replied with guilt, “It was wrong of me to let Father and Mother worry.”
“Only recently did I learn from a Daoist named Wei Feiluan that I wasn’t an orphan.”
“I finally found time to come down from the mountain to Nanchuan and see you, just to let you know I’m safe.”
Hearing this, the Princess Consort smiled through her tears. “See? I really am getting old—I forgot that Zheng’er was only two when he left. He probably has no memories of us.”
However, the name “Wei Feiluan” made both the Prince and Princess Consort exchange a look. “So Wei Qing really didn’t lie to us after all?”
“But why did he never return to the palace?”
Qin Zheng smiled. “Wei Feiluan is a rogue cultivator. Who knows what matters he’s busy with—maybe he just hasn’t had time.”
With that, the Prince was fully convinced that this was his son.
During the conversation, Qin Zheng unintentionally glanced at Lin Sui and saw that he was clenching his teeth in frustration, not daring to speak up. It was somewhat amusing.
Did he really look like he was here to fight for the title of heir?
But then again, it made sense—years later, when Lin Sui became the heir and Qin Zheng came to see him, he had the same guarded, unfriendly expression.
The day was already getting late, and though the Prince was a serious man, he still said: “Today happens to be Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for reunion.”
The Princess Consort quickly nodded with a smile and said, “Yes, yes! I went to the temple to pray today, and I was still thinking about Zheng’er. I never thought he’d come back today.”
“Tonight, we’re finally having a true reunion dinner!”
Everyone moved from the sitting room to the dining hall.
That evening, joining them at the table was a woman and a young child.
Qin Zheng remembered that this was Lin Sui’s wife and child.
The child looked to be around two years old and was quite adorable.
The Prince said, “Today is a family dinner. For Zheng’er’s sake, no one needs to stand on ceremony. Let’s all just enjoy the meal peacefully.”
Just as Qin Zheng sat down at the table and looked up, he saw the child being held by Lin Sui’s wife.
The child had big round eyes and stared at Qin Zheng with fascination.
Qin Zheng got goosebumps from being stared at like that.
Why are there children everywhere?
After everyone had sat down and started eating, the child was finally handed over to the nursemaid.
Qin Su, as usual, sat next to Qin Zheng.
The family quietly ate their meal.
There were buns on the table.
Qin Zheng couldn’t help glancing at Qin Su and noticed he wasn’t eating anything. Then it struck him—Qin Su’s cultivation had already reached a level where he didn’t need to eat anymore.
Forcing him to eat would probably make him uncomfortable.
At that moment, the Princess Consort noticed something odd and asked with concern, “Zheng’er, is your junior brother feeling unwell?”
Qin Zheng quickly shook his head and said, “No, he’s just a little shy.”
Then he got up and placed a bun on Qin Su’s plate, intending it as a token gesture before trying to steer the conversation away to stop his mother from worrying about him.
Qin Su glanced at Qin Zheng, then at the bun in front of him—and surprisingly, picked it up and started eating.
Qin Zheng looked at him with amusement, wondering why his junior brother liked buns so much.
After dinner, it was time to admire the moon.
The weather was pleasant, and a full moon hung in the sky.
But no one had time to appreciate the moon—they were all admiring Qin Zheng instead.
When the Princess Consort learned that Qin Zheng would be leaving in three days, she clung to him and asked him all sorts of questions.
The Prince didn’t say much, but from how he quietly listened to the conversation between Qin Zheng and the Princess Consort, it was clear he cared deeply.
Knowing Qin Su disliked such an environment, Qin Zheng allowed him to return to his room to cultivate.
The Mid-Autumn conversation finally ended under the Prince’s gentle urging.
Qin Zheng felt like he had never talked this much in his life.
To make things convenient, Qin Su’s room had been arranged next to Qin Zheng’s.
As Qin Zheng passed by his junior brother’s room, he quietly leaned in to listen, hoping to hear any sounds from within.
He felt he owed Qin Su some sort of explanation.
But just as he leaned close, Qin Su’s voice came from inside.
“Come in.”
Qin Zheng grimaced. Since he’d been found out, he simply opened the door and walked in.
Inside, Qin Su was sitting cross-legged on the bed, apparently just finishing cultivation.
He looked straight at Qin Zheng.
Qin Zheng wanted to explain himself but didn’t know where to start. After hesitating a bit, he asked, “Aren’t you going to ask me why?”
Fine then—whatever Qin Su asks, he’ll answer.
But Qin Su looked at him a little confused and replied, “As long as you’re you, I don’t care who they are.”
Qin Zheng was taken aback, then looked at Qin Su with growing interest. For some reason, his junior brother was becoming more and more attractive?
Was it because he’d grown up?
Come to think of it, he was already seventeen this year—he was indeed an adult.
***
Even though the Tianque Sect’s accommodations were better than the prince’s manor, Qin Zheng had the sweetest, most restful sleep he’d ever had.
He woke up the next morning feeling completely refreshed.
There were even maids to help him dress.
When Qin Zheng stepped out of his room, he glanced at Qin Su’s door and instructed the maids, “Don’t wake up my junior brother. He needs the rest.”
Though the maids were puzzled, they still nodded.
Qin Zheng left them behind and strolled through the prince’s residence.
The osmanthus flowers had bloomed, and the entire manor was filled with their fragrance.
Looking at the vast estate, Qin Zheng couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.
He was of noble blood—how had he ended up in such a wretched state?
He stopped in his tracks, rare melancholy flickering in his eyes as he gazed around the estate.
Suddenly, he felt something latch onto his leg.
Qin Zheng froze. Looking down, he saw a little toddler clinging to his leg and smiling up at him.
After a whole night of peaceful sleep, he’d forgotten that such creatures existed in the residence!
Qin Zheng stiffened completely.
Behind him came laughter. “Sir, the young heir really likes you!”
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