I Only Have a Brother

"Qianqian," the man managed a smile upon seeing Gu Qianqian.

"What do you need from me?" she would have turned around and walked away if it were not for the school staff in the administrative office.

"Qianqian, please, save my son," the man didn't have a chance to finish speaking.

A middle-aged woman next to him instantly knelt down.

The teachers nearby hurriedly helped her up.

"What is happening here? Didn't you claim to be Gu Qianqian's relatives and here just for a visit?"

The Dean of Education, Teacher Wang, looked disquieted; things were not as they explained when he had initially allowed them inside.

It was then Gu Qianqian noticed another young man in the room, seated in a wheelchair.

She recognized these people of course, the pain they caused her was unforgettable.

"Qianqian, only you can save your younger brother now," undeterred by Teacher Wang's attempts to stop her, the woman insisted on her knees.

"I don't have a brother," Gu Qianqian's frosty reply came.

"Qianqian, after all, you two are siblings by blood," the man finally spoke out.

"That’s enough, what are you doing?” Teacher Wang stepped in.

He shielded Gu Qianqian behind him.

He was aware of Gu Qianqian's situation– her mother had passed away early.

She now lived with her former employer.

"Qianqian, I was wrong to have wronged you and your mother back in the day, but now only you can save him,"

She stared at the young man in the wheelchair silently recalling how he and his mother had tormented her.

"Oh? How do you suppose I save him?"

Gu Qianqian was suddenly curious. What was it they needed from her that drove them to seek her out?

The man was named Li Huan, Gu Qianqian's biological father.

The middle-aged woman was named Lu Ying, the mother of the young man in the wheelchair.

Their story dated back some time.

Not long after Gu Qianqian was born, Li Huan started an affair with Lu Ying.

Thus began their blatant relationship.

Soon, the affair took a turn when Lu Ying demanded to be made an official wife.

Gu Qianqian's mother initially refused to divorce, considering their daughter's young age.

After giving birth to Gu Qianqian, her mother had quit her job and was momentarily without any other source of income.

However, when Lu Ying bore him a son, Li Huan became more relentless in his pursuit.

His main objective was to give his son a legitimate status.

He constantly tormented Gu Qianqian's mother.

To make matters worse, he even rented an apartment for Lu Ying, just upstairs their apartment.

At that time, Gu Qianqian was still too young to understand why her father didn't like her and always went to hold her little brother upstairs.

And why the lady upstairs always came to bully her mom.

Her father would often come home drunk and belt her mother.

After dragging their situation until Gu Qianqian started elementary school, her mother finally filed for divorce.

The divorce didn't get them much financial aid either. Mother and daughter faced severe hardship.

The promised living and tuition expenses from Li Huan never arrived.

Regardless of how Gu Qianqian and her mother pleaded, it was futile. The young man had even slapped her mother once.

Remembering these events still sent shivers down Gu Qianqian's spine.

Fortunately, they later met Lin Feng's father, which gave them a ray of hope.

"Qianqian, your brother is seriously ill and requires a kidney transplant.

We both tried to be the donors, but we weren’t matches.

"I discussed your situation with the doctor. He said there's a significant chance of a successful match, according to blood relations,"

(PS: This is a unique kidney disease in this world, different from transplantation matching on earth. Don't pay attention to this detail... )

"As long as you're willing to save your younger brother, I can offer you 200,000... no, 500,000..." Li Huan said with some excitement.

He clearly understood Gu Qianqian's current living conditions, cohabitating with Lin Feng in a small elevator apartment.

And Lin Feng was disabled.

"I can also help Lin Feng find a job, perhaps set him up with someone. Otherwise, considering his circumstances, he might not be able to find someone in this lifetime," Lu Ying added.

They had planned it out before they came, to pull at her heartstrings. They had to get Gu Qianqian to agree to get tested, no matter what.

Their son’s disease can't be dragged on any longer.

"What is this about. She is just an 18-year-old girl. Her guardian isn't here, do you plan to seduce her with money? Please leave,"

Teacher Wang was getting angry, this couple was pushing it too far.

What were they treating this school like?

"Do you think 500,000 is very important to me? Maybe it was once, but not anymore.

As for Lin Feng's condition, even if he is disabled forever, I will take care of him all my life.

As for the life or death of your son, what does it have to do with me? I don't want to see you two again,"

Gu Qianqian looked at them and said calmly.

She wasn’t a saint in the least.

If it was for Lin Feng, whether it was kidney transplantation or whatnot, she would be okay with it.

But to help the person who had hurt her mother, she would never agree.

"How can you be so cruel, he is your younger brother!" The woman suddenly broke down, lurching towards Gu Qianqian.

"Sis, please save me, please save me," The young man started crying.

If he can't get a new kidney within 2 months, he would undoubtedly die.

"Teacher Wang, may I leave now?" Gu Qianqian asked.

"Of course, why don't you go back to the dormitory and rest first. I'll handle things here,"

"Wait" Li Huan stretched out his hand as Gu Qianqian started to leave.

To his surprise, Teacher Wang's hand was faster, grabbing Li Huan’s arm.

"What are you thinking, even if Gu Qianqian agrees, I don't!"

Although Teacher Wang is usually strict, he had a good impression of Gu Qianqian.

She was a promising student at Imperial Capital University, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to jeopardize her future.

(Speaking of Teacher Wang, he reminds me of Charlotte's homeroom teacher)

Leaving the guidance office,

A weight that had been pressing on Gu Qianqian’s heart seemed to lift.

She lowered her head, looking at the faint blue glow emitted from the Soul-Calming Pendant.

Despite everything, she felt calmer.

"Brother, I will take good care of myself and not worry you!"

In Gu Qianqian’s world, the only family left was Lin Feng.

Nothing else mattered to her.

.....

Next Day

The ingredients Lin Feng needed were already prepared. He started getting busy in the kitchen early in the morning.

Qianqian was to be back today.

Lin Feng's hands moved swiftly, even an old pro of thirty years couldn't match his speed.

At this speed, he could probably roll an iron rod into a needle.

Whether it’s slicing or dicing, he took it to the extreme.

His work was simply a perfect work of art.

Lin Feng even thought that with his current cooking skills, he could easily become a head chef at any star-rated hotels.

.......

"Later on, speak less. If you make a slip of tongue, you'll have to pay for it," Ye Chuyin cautioned Xiang Hui.

"I handle things well, you can be assured. It's just a meal with an online friend, I thought it would be some SS-grade Monster fight," Xiang Hui finally understood Ye Chuyin's intentions.

Apparently, he's supposed to pretend to be a lothario to meet Ye Chuyin's online friend...

"Your necklace seems a bit too thin?"

Ye Chuyin assessed for a while before suddenly suggesting.

"No good, it should be a large gold chain, at least as thick as a thumb, go get a different one..."

Xiang Hui was somewhat speechless...

"What? Not working?"

"Of course not. As you say, I will get a large gold chain right away," Xiang Hui said, speechlessly.

He was becoming increasingly curious about Ye Chuyin's online friend...