Chapter 2

"Mom, we're back!"

"Ah, Jaetan is back. Where's your brother?" Hearing Liu Zaitan's loud voice, Liu's mother came out of the kitchen but only saw Liu Zaitan wandering around in the living room.

"Brother was called by Dad, it seems there's something to talk about." Seeing his mother come out, Liu Zaitan took a few steps forward. His small body only reached his mother's waist. He directly hugged his mother and, with his completely childish tone, started to act cute, "Mom, I'm hungry."

To be honest, sometimes Liu Zaitan didn't know what was wrong with him. Although the combined age of his past and present life was already in his thirties, when facing his parents who raised him, a strong sense of dependence constantly drove him to act in a way that was entirely fitting for a child.

Perhaps, he was making up for the family affection he never experienced in his previous life as an orphan!

"Be good, Zaitan. Dinner will be ready soon. You can watch TV for a while. There's your favorite braised pork belly today!"

For Liu Zaitan's affectionate behavior, Liu's mother also enjoyed it immensely. She gently played with Liu Zaitan's hair and comforted him softly.

In South Korea, due to limited land resources, the price of meat has always been high. Koreans also adhere to the principle of 'body and soil being inseparable,' showing a particular fondness for domestically produced food. Liu Zaitan, as a Chinese person who lived on Earth in his previous life, had almost become accustomed to various meats.

Therefore, to satisfy Liu Zaitan's love for Chinese cuisine and meat, Liu's mother specially learned how to make braised pork belly and would make it every so often to satisfy his appetite.

It's also worth mentioning that the planet Liu Zaitan is currently on is not the original Earth, but a place called 'Blue Water Star.' However, from Liu Zaitan's perspective, this place is essentially a replicated Earth.

The same countries, the same history, the same development trajectory, the only difference being some minor details. (This sets the stage for the protagonist's future life of plagiarism, (*^__^*) hehe...)

At dinnertime, Liu's father and Liu Zaisuk finally came out of the study and sat down at the dining table.

"Wow, braised pork belly! We're really in for a treat today."

Seeing the dish placed in the center of the table, Liu Zaisuk, who was already quite hungry, immediately had stars in his eyes.

"Go away, this is for your brother. You're a grown man, just eat your own food." Liu's mother, with a completely disapproving look, shooed Liu Zaisuk to the side and then immediately smiled and set the table for Liu Zaitan. This series of actions left Liu Zaisuk speechless.

Liu Zaitan, looking at the scene before him, found it quite amusing. It seemed his brother's comedic talent had a genetic basis.

Dinner officially began.

Although this dish of braised pork belly was specially prepared for Liu Zaitan, he wouldn't eat all the meat by himself, so...

"Mom, have some meat. The braised pork belly you made today is especially delicious!" Immediately, a large piece of braised pork belly was placed in Liu's mother's bowl.

She looked at him with complete approval and satisfaction.

"Dad, have some too. See if Mom's cooking skills have improved." Another large piece of braised pork belly was placed in Liu's father's bowl. Liu's father also nodded and smiled, then slowly chewed it.

Finally, facing Liu Zaisuk's longing gaze, Liu Zaitan also picked up his chopsticks, "Brother, try it, it's really delicious!" After saying that, a particularly large piece of meat, but mostly fat, was placed in Liu Zaisuk's bowl.

Faced with this, Liu Zaisuk was once again speechless.

But soon, a piece of lean meat suddenly appeared in his bowl.

Seeing this, Liu's father and mother both smiled lightly. Although a bit mischievous, it was harmless and only proved that the two brothers had a good relationship, which made them even happier.

After dinner, because it was so cold outside, the whole family gathered to watch a variety show on TV. Although these shows didn't particularly attract Liu Zaitan, the warmth of the family watching TV together made his heart feel very attached.

Thus, although he was watching TV, with no other thoughts in his mind, Liu Zaitan slowly leaned against Liu Zaisuk and fell asleep.

Feeling that Liu Zaitan had fallen asleep, Liu Zaisuk didn't move but waited until he was sure Liu Zaitan was completely asleep before he began to act.

"Mom, Zaitan is asleep. I'll take him back to his room first." Seeing Liu Zaitan sleeping soundly in his arms, Liu Zaisuk quietly greeted his parents and slowly picked up Liu Zaitan's small body, heading towards their room.

Since Liu's father and mother were just ordinary salaried workers and Liu Zaisuk hadn't earned much money since his debut, the house they lived in wasn't very large. Therefore, Liu Zaisuk and Liu Zaitan had always shared the same room.

"Okay, be careful, don't wake Zaitan up."

"Got it, Mom and Dad, you two should also rest early."

...

As night deepened, snowflakes as large as goose feathers fell outside the window. Under the illumination of the streetlights, the ground was transformed into a world of shimmering silver.

"No wonder Zaitan likes snowy days so much. This scenery is indeed very beautiful."

After another lingering glance at the scene outside the window, Liu's mother pulled the bed curtain closed and lay down on the bed.

The lights were already off, and the room was only illuminated by a bedside lamp, making it slightly dim. In this dim light, Liu's father leaned against the headboard, a cigarette in his mouth, slowly smoking.

"Really, didn't you say you were going to quit? Why are you smoking again?" Faced with this situation, Liu's mother's brows immediately furrowed, and she was about to reach out to take the cigarette from Liu's father's mouth.

But the next moment, Liu's mother froze at Liu's father's words.

"That guy came to see me again today..."

After a moment of stunned silence, Liu's mother's eyes flickered. After a while, she no longer cared about the cigarette in Liu's father's mouth and slowly sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard.

In the darkness, her blurry eyes gazed at the window, which was now covered by the bed curtain. After a long time, she finally spoke, "Nine years. Leaving Zaitan behind and suddenly disappearing, then reappearing after nine years and showing up in our world again and again. What does this guy want?"

"Still the same thing. He wants to take Zaitan to America. He's made it big now, he has money. As Zaitan's biological father, he wants Zaitan to have the best education, the best life, and inherit his estate..." Liu's father extinguished the cigarette in his mouth and, after a while, slowly spoke.

"I don't care. Zaitan is my child. If you let him take Zaitan away, I won't forgive you!"

"But, no matter what, that guy is Zaitan's biological father. We are, after all, just his adoptive parents..."

Instantly, Liu's mother fell silent.

After a while, a faint sobbing sound came from where Liu's mother was. A moment later, Liu's father could only sigh helplessly again.

At this time, in the adjacent room, Liu Zaitan, who was already sound asleep, unconsciously turned over, mumbling something, and then resumed his steady breathing.

Lying next to Liu Zaitan, Liu Zaisuk slightly shook his head and smiled, covering Liu Zaitan with the blanket he had kicked off, and then continued reading his book under the dim light of the bedside lamp.