I deliver food in a bizarre world

"Um."

He didn't say anything, just nodded and took the notebook in his hand.

Grandpa must have talked to him beforehand, so he didn't need to explain anything.

"I originally wanted you to be an ordinary person, to stay away from these things..."

"Your mother and I kept this from you not for any special purpose, but to keep you out of it."

Although he spoke vaguely, Chen Mo was no longer a child and naturally understood the reasons and the implications.

If it were something they should tell him, they would definitely tell him, but the feeling of being treated like a stranger still bothered him.

Chen Mo nodded: "Understood."

Chen Jingming didn't say anything more, but glanced at him again and said, "Be careful. Some things are better done within your capabilities; you can't be reckless in these matters."

Having said that, he seemed to have nothing more to say. He straightened the non-existent wrinkles in his collar and walked towards the door.

"I'm leaving now, I have things to do at the company. Xiaoxing will be back from school soon, take him with you when you leave, I won't take him to your place. Remember to take him to school on Sunday... Don't let him know about these things."

"Okay," Chen Mo replied.

The door closed gently, and Chen Mo stood alone in the living room, holding the notebook in his hand.

Stroking the rough cover of the notebook and fiddling with the USB drive, my thoughts were in turmoil.

Not long after, the doorbell rang.

Chen Mo walked over and opened the door. Standing outside was a tall boy wearing a school uniform and carrying a backpack, his face showing the excitement of being on vacation.

It was his younger brother, Chen Xing.

Chen Xing is a few years younger than him and is currently in his second year of high school.

My maternal grandfather gave me this name.

The character "星" (Xing) can be broken down into "日" (Ri) and "生" (Sheng), representing a new day, hope, and light. It also means that the family doesn't want him to get involved in these family matters.

He resembled Chen Mo in his features, but was a bit shorter, around 1.75 meters tall. He was quite sturdy and had a more outgoing personality than Chen Mo.

"Hey! Bro, what brings you here today! Where are Mom and Dad?"

When Chen Xing saw the door open and Chen Mo was inside, he grinned and squeezed in. He threw his schoolbag onto the sofa from a distance, his movements very practiced, clearly those of a habitual offender!

"Mom went out shopping, Dad just left..." Chen Mo ruffled Chen Xing's hair, somewhat helplessly, "What's wrong with you? Throwing your schoolbag like that, Mom's going to beat you again!"

"He's not here! Come on, let's grab a bite to eat together since we're on the way!"

"What's the rush? You're not going to starve!" Chen Mo suppressed his inner turmoil for the time being, smiled, and put his arm around Chen Xing. "What do you want to eat?"

Chen Xing's eyes lit up instantly: "Hot pot! There's a new place that just opened outside the neighborhood. My classmate said the food there is really good!"

"Hot pot in the middle of summer? Okay, let's go!"

Every Friday, if Chen Xing gets out of school early, he will usually come to Chen Mo's place to eat, drink, and play games, enjoying some free time without his parents nagging him.

If school ends late, I'll eat dinner at home, and Shen Xuan or Chen Jingming will bring it over.

Since Chen Mo moved out, the two brothers have been doing this every week.

After leaving the house, I walked to the hot pot restaurant near the residential area.

The restaurant was decorated in a vibrant red, and because it was lunchtime, the rich aroma of butter filled the air, and the place was bustling with activity.

They found a booth by the window and sat down. Immediately, a waiter came over.

Chen Xing, holding the menu, chattered away and ordered a whole bunch of things.

Chen Mo let him make his choice, while he poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it slowly.

After Chen Xing finished ordering and handed the menu to the waiter, his excitement subsided slightly. Chen Mo looked at his younger brother's still somewhat childish face across from him and casually spoke.

"Xiaoxing, how have you been lately?"

"It's fine, same as always." Chen Xing picked up his chopsticks and unpacked the food, wondering why his brother was suddenly asking about school.

"The math teacher is a bit of a weirdo, always doing surprise attacks..."

"That's not what I'm asking," Chen Mo interrupted him. "I'm talking about when you were... well... a long time ago, did you see anything... strange?"

Chen Xing paused in unpacking, looked up, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.

He forced a smile: "What are you talking about, bro? What strange thing? I can't see anything strange..."

Chen Mo was all too familiar with his guilty behavior!

His reaction, of course, did not escape Chen Mo's notice.

Just as he was about to press for more information, the waiter came over with a huge tray filled with all the dishes they had ordered.

Bright red beef rolls, tender duck blood, vibrant green vegetables, and pristine white tofu were piled high on the tray.

"Hello, all your dishes have been served. Please enjoy your meal."

The waiters skillfully placed dishes on the table, and the hot pot broth began to bubble and boil, emitting an even more enticing aroma.

Chen Xing immediately picked up his chopsticks, eagerly grabbing a piece of fatty beef to put into the pot.

"I'm starving! Let's eat meat first!" The arrival of the waiter saved Chen Xing.

Chen Mo's words were stuck in his throat.

He looked at his younger brother's face, which appeared exceptionally vibrant in the steam of the hot pot, and then at the dishes spread across the table. Finally, he picked up his chopsticks and temporarily swallowed the question that was about to come out of his mouth.

"Eat," he said.

Amidst the rising steam, the brothers' conversation temporarily ceased, leaving only the sound of the boiling hot pot and the noisy chatter of the surrounding diners.

The scalding hot red oil broth was boiling in the pot, and the rising steam blurred the windowpane and also the unnatural look on Chen Xing's face.

He picked up a large piece of fatty beef with his chopsticks and dipped it back and forth in the bubbling spicy soup, his eyes darting around, not daring to look at his brother across from him.

Chen Mo didn't touch his chopsticks, but just smiled and looked at Chen Xing.

The younger brother's little thoughts couldn't be hidden from him at all.

He waited until Chen Xing stuffed the fatty beef covered in sesame oil and minced garlic into his mouth, sizzling and laughing from the heat, before slowly speaking again.

"I remember when you were little, probably in elementary school, Mom said you had trouble sleeping for a while, and would mutter to yourself in your room late at night. What happened?"

Chen Xing slowed down his chewing and mumbled, "N-nothing, it's just that I'm under a lot of academic pressure, so I was talking in my sleep."

"Talking in your sleep?" Chen Mo leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table, and lowered his voice.

"I've heard that people under a lot of stress are more likely to see... unclean things. Like dark shadows, or hear strange noises..."

"Pfft—cough cough!" Chen Xing choked on his saliva and coughed violently, his face turning bright red.

He grabbed the chilled plum juice next to him and gulped down a large mouthful before he could finally catch his breath. The panic in his eyes was no longer concealed. "Brother! You... what nonsense are you talking about! There's no shadow at all!"

Chen Mo didn't speak, just quietly looked at him, as if he had seen through everything.

The hot pot was still boiling, and the surrounding noise seemed to be shut out at that moment.

Seeing that Chen Xing was still stubbornly refusing to speak, Chen Mo sighed helplessly.

He reached out and affectionately ruffled his hair: "You...you've lied to your parents so many times since you were little, and every single time I've covered for you. You always react like this. You can't even fool your parents, and you think you can fool me?"

Chen Xing felt extremely uncomfortable under his brother's gaze. His fingers nervously gripped his chopsticks, and his lips moved as if he wanted to explain, but he didn't know what to say.

He lowered his head, staring at the glistening red oil in the bowl, and after a long while, muttered in an almost inaudible voice:

"It was Dad... Dad told me not to tell you..."