Just from the sound, Rong Zhenqiao knew his brother must be holding the phone between his shoulder and ear while working again. He frowned slightly. "You’ve been working too hard. Remember to rest."
Rong Zhijian pushed his silver framed glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Just say what you need. I’m busy."
Rong Zhenqiao: "..."
None of his younger brothers were remotely pleasant to deal with. He silently picked up the broken pieces of his big brother pride.
"The notes you left at home, the fifth brother wants to look at them. I gave them all to him."
Rong Zhijian paused for a moment. "That’s fine. I made those notes for the fourth brother anyway."
The third and fourth brothers were twins, but they couldn’t have been more different.
Rong Zhijian had been a prodigy, famous across the capital before he even turned fifteen and he already graduating from his master’s program early. Meanwhile, the fourth brother had always struggling, he skipping classes, failing exams and never taking studying seriously.
Most of the study materials at home were organized by Rong Zhijian for his twin to use.
"Did the fifth brother move out?" Rong Zhijian asked.
Rong Zhenqiao hummed in agreement and briefly told him what had been happening recently.
"I’m thinking maybe the fifth brother was hit too hard by all of this..." Rong Zhenqiao said, his expression complicated as he thought about Rong Xingyu’s sudden changes.
After a moment of silence, Rong Zhijian replied, "I’ll be done with this project in a couple of days. I’ll come home and stay for a bit."
Rong Zhenqiao understood immediately. "The fourth brother’s abroad for his competition, he won’t be back."
"What about the second brother?"
"He just left for a filming trip."
Rong Zhijian’s tone was calm. "Alright. Then it’ll just be you and me. Let’s call the fifth one home for dinner."
And then, click.
The line went dead.
Rong Zhenqiao stared at the phone for a long second.
"...Who’s supposed to be the big brother here again?"
...
Rong Xingyu had just placed the dishes into the dishwasher, his hands still covered in soap bubbles.
At that moment, his phone started ringing.
He quickly rinsed and dried his hands, then picked up the phone.
When he check the caller ID and saw his eldest brother’s name his lips pressed together nervously.
"Hello, Mr. Rong," he said softly.
There was a long pause on the other end.
Rong Zhenqiao: "..."
Why were all his younger brothers such a headache?
Now this one didn’t even call him brother anymore?
Rong Zhenqiao took a deep breath, forcing his tone to stay calm. "Call me big brother."
Rong Xingyu hesitated. "...B-big brother?"
"Mm." Rong Zhenqiao nodded. "Come home for dinner this weekend."
Home...
When Rong Xingyu heard that word, his fingers tightened around the phone. His grip was so strong that his knuckles turned pale.
Did he... still have a home?
Hearing only silence from the other side, Rong Zhenqiao assumed that his brother was being stubborn again, refusing to come back.