After becoming a widow, I became the apple of a rough man's eye.

When Li Dongye ran back to the ward, he felt like his lungs were about to explode. He leaned against the door frame, panting heavily, his chest heaving. His already tattered shirt was now a mess, covered in dust and blood.

On the hospital bed, Lin Qingqing was trying to sit up.

When she saw the man at the door who looked like a beggar, her eyes instantly welled up with tears, but she didn't cry.

"Fourth Brother," she called out, her voice still hoarse.

Li Dongye wiped his face haphazardly, forced a smile that looked worse than crying, took a few steps to the bedside, wanted to reach out and help her, but was afraid that the dirty things on his hands would touch her, so his hand hovered in mid-air for a long time before finally just vaguely protecting the edge of the bed.

"Why are you moving around like that? Don't you want to get better?" He wanted to be stern, but his tone was too soft to be convincing. "Does something hurt? I'll go call the doctor."

Lin Qingqing shook her head, her usually watery peach blossom eyes fixed on him.

"I want to be discharged from the hospital."

"What the hell?" Li Dongye was about to curse, but when he met those eyes, he swallowed the swear word back. "You've been smoking so much, the doctor said you need to be observed."

"I don't want to stay here." Lin Qingqing grabbed the hem of his clothes.

The tip of her uninjured finger was white, and she was clenching her fist tightly. She whispered, "I want to find my older brother."

Li Dongye stared at her silently for a few seconds, then gritted his teeth, took her hand in his own, and said, "Okay, let's go."

He hurriedly completed the discharge procedures, then picked Lin Qingqing up and carried her out.

He parked his truck at the back gate of the hospital that morning.

Li Dongye lifted Lin Qingqing into the passenger seat, reclined it slightly, and then pulled out a thick, military-green blanket from the back seat, wrapping her up tightly like a silkworm cocoon, leaving only her small, palm-sized face exposed.

"Take a nap." Li Dongye patted her head. "We'll leave the province when you wake up."

Lin Qingqing was indeed exhausted; those few words had drained all her energy.

The familiar smell of engine oil and tobacco in the car, though unpleasant, made her feel safe. She buried her face in the blanket and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Li Dongye jumped into the driver's seat, inserted the key, and started the engine.

He shifted gears, released the clutch, and stepped on the gas. The truck spewed out a plume of black smoke and rushed out of the hospital's back gate.

Once he left the city and got on the road, he never wanted to come back to this wretched place.

He felt both frustrated and relieved, thinking that thankfully, his biological parents didn't only have him as their son, and that they would have someone to take care of them when they got older.

Li Dongye gripped the steering wheel, and the car headed west. Just as they were about to cross the high bridge at the city's exit, a car suddenly appeared in front of them.

It was a military green jeep, parked straight across the middle of the road, completely blocking the already narrow road.

"Hold!"

Li Dongye cursed and slammed on the brakes.

The truck's tires screeched on the asphalt, the truck shook violently, and it came to a stop less than half a meter in front of the jeep.

The inertia propelled Li Dongye forward, his chest slamming into the steering wheel, causing him to wince in pain.

He immediately turned to look at the passenger seat.

Fortunately, Lin Qingqing was sleeping soundly and was wrapped in a blanket. She just tilted her body slightly and didn't wake up.

Li Dongye breathed a sigh of relief, but then his anger surged to the top of his head.

He pushed open the car door and jumped out, grabbing the pipe wrench from under the seat.

"That blind fool..."

The curse was only halfway out when it got stuck in his throat.

The jeep door opened, and a pair of gleaming military boots stepped onto the ground. Next came a pair of straight military trousers, and above that, a meticulously tailored military uniform.

Mu Wenbin stood there, his face expressionless, like a demon.

Li Dongye looked at him, tightening his grip on the pipe wrench, a cold smile playing on his lips: "What? Is the eldest young master here to avenge the third young master? You think you lost out by not killing him earlier?"

Mu Wenbin glanced past Li Dongye and looked at the passenger seat of the truck.

"How is your fellow villager doing?" Mu Wenbin asked.

"None of your business." Li Dongye blocked his way, weighing the pipe wrench in his hand. "A good dog doesn't block the way, get out of the way."

Mu Wenbin withdrew his gaze and looked at his younger brother, who was in a disheveled state.

"Let's chat," Mu Wenbin said.

"There's nothing to talk about with you." Li Dongye didn't want to waste words with him, turned around and was about to get into the car. "Either you have someone arrest me and shoot me right now, or you can get the hell out of here."

"Clouds rise."

Mu Wenbin's voice wasn't loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear at the empty intersection.

"I'm here to apologize."

Li Dongye paused for a moment while gripping the car door.

He turned around, as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world: "Apologize? Young Master Mu, are you alright? You're apologizing to me now? For whom? For that beast who tried to burn people alive?"

"It's not on his behalf." Mu Wenbin took a step forward.

Li Dongye immediately took a step back, looking wary.

Mu Wenbin stopped in his tracks, and a faint trace of weariness flashed across his usually cold and hard face.

"I failed to keep Hongying in check, and he became a scoundrel. It's my fault as the eldest brother." Mu Wenbin looked into Li Dongye's eyes. "It's also my fault for not protecting you and letting you suffer."

Li Dongye was stunned.

He had considered that Mu Wenbin might come to arrest him, might come to scold him, or might even bring troops to surround him.

But he never expected that this older brother, who had always been aloof and full of rules, would bow his head and admit his mistake.

The fire in my heart felt like it had been doused with a bucket of warm water; I couldn't let it out, and it was suffocating.

"Don't give me that." Li Dongye turned his head away, his Adam's apple bobbing. "That's your brother, I'm an outsider. It's your duty to protect him, why are you apologizing to me?"

"You're also my brother," Mu Wenbin said calmly. "My own brother."

Li Dongye scratched his hair in frustration, making his already messy short hair even messier. "Are you going to move or not?"

Mu Wenbin did not move.

"Where are you going?" Mu Wenbin pointed behind him. "I have a private residence in the south of the city, and nobody knows about it. If you don't want to go back to the mansion, you don't have to; nobody's forcing you."

"I'm not going," Li Dongye refused decisively.

"You absolutely have to leave?"

"We have to go."

"Where to?"

"Go find my older brother." Li Dongye raised his chin, his eyes shining. "I have a family, I have brothers."

Mu Wenbin frowned: "Here too..."

"There's nothing here." Li Dongye's expression darkened. "No one here will care whether I live or die."

Mu Wenbin remained silent for a while, looking at Li Dongye's unruly appearance, and suddenly felt a little unfamiliar with him, yet also a little envious.

This vibrant vitality is something that can never grow in the Mu family.

Mu Wenbin suddenly reached out and pulled his sidearm from the holster at his waist.

Li Dongye's pupils contracted, and he instantly raised the pipe wrench in his hand, his entire body tensing up.

"What are you doing!"

Mu Wenbin deftly removed the magazine, glanced at it, put it back in, then turned the muzzle upside down and handed the gun handle to Li Dongye.

"Take it."

Li Dongye didn't answer, giving him a look as if he were crazy: "Are you fucking insane?"

"You were at home just now, and you didn't manage to kill the third brother, so you're still holding a grudge." Mu Wenbin's hand was very steady, and the butt of the gun was almost pressed against Li Dongye's chest. "If you don't get over this, you'll never get over this in your life."

"I failed to manage the family well, I failed to protect you." Mu Wenbin stared at him. "If you hate me, come at me. Give me a shot, and this matter will be over. After this shot, we'll still be brothers. Whether you stay or leave, I won't stop you."

Li Dongye looked at the black pistol in front of him.

It was a Type 54 rifle, freshly serviced, gleaming with a cold, oily sheen.

All he has to do is take it and pull the trigger to make a hole in this so-called "elder brother".

"You think I wouldn't dare?" Li Dongye gritted his teeth and snatched the pistol.

The heavy lump of iron pressed against my palm.

He raised his hand, the muzzle of the gun pointing directly at Mu Wenbin's chest.

"Fire," Mu Wenbin said.

Li Dongye's finger was on the trigger.

With just a little force...

The arrogant face of Mu Hongying flashed through my mind, as did the image of Lin Qingqing dying in the fire, and the look in Liu Shuyan's eyes when she protected her youngest son.

Li Dongye's hands were trembling.

He'd killed chickens and pigs, and he wasn't afraid to fight with knives. But this was, after all, his own brother. Even though there was no affection between them, blood ties were a truly strange thing, making him feel at this moment that the gun weighed a ton.

"What? You don't dare?" Mu Wenbin suddenly took a step forward, his chest almost touching the muzzle of the gun.

Mu Wenbin knew that Li Dongye had murderous intent towards Mu Hongying. If he didn't vent his anger, Li Dongye would never forgive his family and would never be able to get over this hurdle in his heart.

Mu Hongying was spoiled rotten; even if she caused a huge mess, her family would always bail her out. But clearly...

Mu Wenbin looked into Li Dongye's eyes. Even the year Mu Yunqi was lost, he was still that annoying little tagalong by his side, often clinging to his arm and acting cute, calling him "brother" just to play with him for a while.

Mu Wenbin suddenly felt exhausted, and he didn't know what to feel.

"Don't force me!" Li Dongye roared, his eyes bloodshot.

Before he could finish speaking, Mu Wenbin suddenly reached out and grabbed Li Dongye's hand that was holding the gun.

Before Li Dongye could react, he felt a tremendous force pressing his hand down. Then, Mu Wenbin's fingers clamped onto his and he slammed the trigger.

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out at the empty intersection.

Li Dongye felt a numbness in his hand and a buzzing in his ears.

He instinctively dodged to the side, but it was too late.

The bullet grazed Mu Wenbin's shoulder, kicking up a cloud of blood, and then dented the hood of the jeep.

Mu Wenbin groaned, and blood instantly stained his green military uniform, dripping down between his fingers.

Li Dongye was completely dumbfounded.

He was still clutching the gun in his hand, wisps of smoke rising from its muzzle.

"You...you fucking..." Li Dongye's lips trembled as he looked at the blood on Mu Wenbin's shoulder. "You're a complete madman!"

"It's not like no one at home cares about you." Mu Wenbin took a breath and leaned against the jeep. "Does that calm you down? If not, I'll shoot you again."

"Go to hell!"

As if he had been burned, Li Dongye shoved the gun back into Mu Wenbin's hand.

"Your whole family are crazy! They're all mentally ill!"

Li Dongye cursed and turned to rush onto the truck. He didn't want to stay there for another second; these people were all crazy, and any normal person would go crazy if they stayed with them for too long.

He scrambled onto the driver's seat, not even bothering to close the door properly, and immediately shifted gears and started driving.

"boom--"

The truck roared, its tires kicking up a cloud of dust, and swerved around the jeep blocking its way, speeding onto the high bridge as if it were fleeing for its life.

In the rearview mirror, the figure in military uniform grew smaller and smaller.

Mu Wenbin remained standing there, watching the direction the truck had gone.

Li Dongye slammed his fist on the steering wheel.

"Hold!"

He cursed, but tears involuntarily streamed down his face.

He wiped his face and floored the accelerator.

The wind howled in through the car window, drying the tear stains on my face.

Lin Qingqing was still asleep when she frowned, startled by the gunshot, and turned over.

Li Dongye took a deep breath and rolled up the car window halfway.

Go to the southwest.

Go find your older brother.

That damn J City, that damn Mu family, I'm never coming back in this lifetime.

……

Mu Wenbin felt a pang of sadness.

The younger brother is going to find his older brother, but the older brother is not me.