Back to my parents when I was seventeen

They walked in silence all the way to the alley and arrived at where Xu Chu Ning lived.

It was pitch black all around and the alley was long and narrow.

From the moment he stepped into the alley, Shen Yubai's frown never relaxed. He had been here before with Shen Sinian, but it was during the day and they did not go deep into the alley, but just waited outside. He did not know that the place where Xu Chuning lived would be so dark at night, and the alley was so narrow that people coming from the opposite side had to turn sideways to pass smoothly.

There were street lamps higher up in the alley, but they were far apart and some had long since broken down.

The weak light coming from the densely packed houses was completely unable to illuminate the path.

He looked around, and the person next to him suddenly spoke, a pleasant voice entered his ears, "Shen Yubai."

Shen Yubai glanced sideways, his eyes moved slightly, "What?"

Xu Chu Ning stood still, looked at him and said, "I'm here."

Shen Yubai was stunned for a few seconds, then he looked up at the staircase in front of him. He nodded slightly, "Is there a light on the staircase?"

Xu Chu Ning was stunned for a moment, then hummed, "Yes, there was before."

"…It's gone now?" Shen Yubai was surprised.

Xu Chuning: "No."

She said slowly, "It's broken."

The tenants who rented here had already reported this to the landlord, but he said he was busy and never came to change the room. Over time, everyone got used to going upstairs in the dark to go home.

Hearing this, Shen Yubai frowned, "The landlord doesn't know?"

"I didn't have time to change it." Xu Chu Ning said frankly.

Shen Yubai lowered his eyes and looked at her. The light around them was dim, making it difficult for them to see each other's expressions clearly.

After a moment of silence, Shen Yubai turned away and said, "Let's go. I'll take you upstairs."

"No thanks." Xu Chu Ning refused: "I live on the second floor and will be there soon."

Shen Yubai: "..."

He glimpsed Xu Chu Ning's determined expression in the dim light and said in relief: "Okay, then... go to bed early."

Xu Chu Ning: "Go back and be careful."

Shen Yubai put one hand in his pocket and said calmly, "Don't worry."

Shen Yubai looked away as he watched Xu Chuning walk into the stairwell and up the stairs. He took a few steps back, raised his head slightly, and heard Xu Chuning calling You Shuzhen "Mom". The houses in the urban village were not very soundproof, so he could hear their conversation clearly from downstairs.

After making sure Xu Chu Ning had entered the room, Shen Yubai stood there for another half a minute before turning around and leaving.

Passing through the narrow alley, Shen Yubai saw bright lights.

If he hadn't sent Xu Chuning back today, Shen Yubai might never have known that there was such a shabby, dirty, and cramped place in the city center. There were even many people living in such a place.

The driver who was picking up Shen Yubai stopped the car on the side of the road. Seeing him bending down to get in the car, driver Uncle Wu turned around and called out, "Master, are you going home?"

Shen Yubai hummed, "Let's go back."

Uncle Wu nodded.

The car was quiet. Uncle Wu looked back and saw Shen Yubai looking out the window, wondering what he was thinking.

It was rare to see him with such an expression. Uncle Wu thought for a moment and asked softly, "Master, what happened?"

Shen Yubai pulled back his thoughts, closed his eyes and asked, "Uncle Wu, have you ever been in there?"

Uncle Wu was stunned for a moment, "Where does your classmate live?"

"Well," Shen Yubai said sullenly, "I didn't even know there was such a place in Jiangcheng."

Hearing the surprise in his words, Uncle Wu smiled to himself and said slowly, "There are many places like this in Jiangcheng."

But Shen Yubai is the eldest son of the Shen family. If he hadn't met Xu Chuning, he would never have set foot in a place like the urban village in his life.

Hearing this, Shen Yubai did not respond.

Uncle Wu looked back at him and asked, "Do you find it hard to accept?"

Shen Yubai: "I know the environment where she lives is not very good. I have been there before during the day, but it looked okay during the day. At night, there are no street lights, and some are broken."

Uncle Wu understood. "It's like this at night. There may not be many people taking care of this area, and the landlord is not willing to spend money. As for the tenants, most of the tenants who rent here are poor, and they are not willing to spend money to change them."

Shen Yubai frowned: "No one cares?"

Uncle Wu smiled and said, "I can't manage it."

Shen Yubai understood and said nothing more.

Uncle Wu saw that he was lost in thought, so he tactfully stopped talking.

It was quiet all the way home. Sang Menglan was sitting in the living room watching the costume drama she had recently been following. Hearing the noise, she turned around and asked in surprise, "Why are you back today? Didn't you say you'd be back tomorrow?"

Shen Yubai went to North City this time because his father called him over to help. Although he had not yet graduated from high school, the Shen family would not keep a useless person. Since the beginning of his first year of high school, Shen's father had let Shen Yubai gradually get involved in some of the company's affairs. Occasionally, when there was something to deal with, he would be called if he was useful.

There was a financial summit in North City a few days ago. Shen's father wanted to attend the summit and asked Shen Yubai to help out as an assistant for a few days.

After the summit ended this afternoon, Sang Menglan called Shen's father, who also said that Shen Yubai would return home tomorrow.

Shen Yubai hummed, "The ticket has been changed."

Sang Menglan raised her eyebrows: "Are you in such a hurry to come back?"

Facing Sang Menglan's gossipy eyes, Shen Yubai looked around and asked, "Shen Sinian hasn't come back yet?"

After the summer vacation, Shen Sinian returned to the old house and stayed there for two days. But because the old house was too far from where Shen Sinian went to train, Shen Yubai also knew that he was not very free at the old house, so he told the old man to let Shen Sinian live with them.

It would be more comfortable to be with people of the same age. Although the old man wanted to get closer to Shen Sinian, he did not reject Shen Yubai's suggestion.

Therefore, Shen Sinian has been living with them recently.

Sang Menglan: "Not yet. He won't be back until about ten o'clock."

Shen Yubai frowned: "The class is so late."

"Yeah," Sang Menglan muttered as she watched the TV, "If you ask me, why would Si Nian go through that hardship? Our family doesn't need him to work so early to earn money."

Shen Yubai: "He likes it."

Sang Menglan glanced at him resentfully, "Mom knows he likes it, so I won't say anything. I just feel a little sorry for this child."

He had suffered a lot outside since he was a child. After finally returning to the Shen family, he had not yet enjoyed the comfort and ease that the Shen family brought him, and he went to suffer again.

Shen Yubai understood: "Then please be nice to him, mom."

Sang Menglan: "You don't have to tell me that."

She liked Shen Sinian very much. She couldn't tell why, but Sang Menglan felt that Shen Sinian was very considerate. Whenever she saw him, she always felt a sense of closeness.

Furthermore, Shen Sinian has a sweet mouth. He is better at talking than Shen Yubai and can often make Sang Menglan smile, which makes her very happy.

As the mother and son were talking, Shen Sinian came back.

Seeing Shen Yubai, Shen Sinian was as surprised as Sang Menglan, "Why did you come back early?"

Shen Yubai raised his eyes: "I came back if nothing happened."

He looked at him sideways, "Are you tired?"

Shen Sinian was silent for a few seconds, then whispered, "A little bit, but I can hold on."

Shen Yubai's lips curled slightly, his eyes showing approval: "Not bad."

The two chatted for a while in front of Sang Menglan, and Shen Yubai said, "Mom, let's go upstairs first."

Sang Menglan waved her hand: "Go ahead, go to bed early, Si Nian, you still have classes tomorrow."

Shen Sinian: "Okay, auntie, you should also go to bed early."

Watching the two men walking upstairs one after the other, Sang Menglan inexplicably had the illusion that these two men were not like brothers, but rather like father and son.

As soon as this thought flashed through her mind, Sang Menglan raised her hand and knocked her head. She must have watched too many time-travel dramas to have such a ridiculous idea.