Chapter 1 : Call Me Brother

In September, Aqua City had just experienced a rain shower. The weather had cooled down, and the air carried a slight, misty chill that clung to the skin.

"Herbert Drexel, what time do you think it is? Get out of bed already! Do I need to carry you out on a palanquin?" Heidi Walker stood at Herbert''s bedroom door, knocking loudly on the newly replaced mahogany door. Even the family''s little cat, Ivy, hurriedly skidded to a stop and hid under the sofa.

With her husband away on a business trip, Heidi was busy running around like a wind-up robot.

Years ago, benefiting from the times, Oscar ventured into business early and made a fortune. Since then, his business had grown, and business trips and social engagements had become routine—frequent, in fact. Naturally, the responsibility of taking care of the family fell on Heidi.

Fortunately, their child was in excellent health and had a great appetite, so she didn''t have to rush to the hospital in the middle of the night. For that, Heidi was grateful.

Outside, Heidi was fuming, while inside, it was quiet. A pair of slender, pale legs were exposed on the bed, moved slightly, and then retracted back under the covers as if feeling cold. After that, there was no more movement on the bed.

Ten minutes later, Heidi placed a freshly made sandwich on the table, took off her apron, and went back to the room. "Herbert, I''ll give you three minutes to get out here. If you miss Mr. Livingston''s car, you''ll have to walk to college registration!"

College... registration?

Herbert''s brain froze for a few seconds before he suddenly opened his eyes. Today was the registration day for new students at Aqua City University.

And he was one of the new students.

He reached for the alarm clock by the bed and glanced at the time. The next second, Herbert got out of bed, obediently opened the door, and with a messy bedhead and a charming smile on his handsome face, greeted, "Good morning, Mommy."

Heidi''s finger immediately poked Herbert''s fair forehead, leaving a few red marks. "How many times have I told you? Don''t stay up late and then sleep in. Are you planning to ascend to heaven or something..."

Herbert really didn''t want to listen to Heidi''s nagging. He skillfully dodged past her and went into the bathroom to shower and change clothes.

After getting ready, Herbert sat down at the table.

As a finance major, Heidi was very strict with time management. So, even though Herbert hurriedly got ready, he still had time to enjoy a nice breakfast.

Waking up too early, Herbert didn''t have much of an appetite. To be honest, ever since the college entrance exams, Herbert had been waking up later and later, practically skipping breakfast.

He took a few bites of bread and a sip of milk before getting up. "Mom, I''m full."

Heidi looked at Herbert skeptically, not believing her son''s words.

Herbert was tall and had a big appetite. Today, he ate less than the family cat, which puzzled Heidi. "Are you sure you''re full?"

Facing Heidi''s doubtful expression, Herbert''s eyes blinked twice, and his red lips moved. "Okay, I actually don''t have an appetite."

The next second, Heidi twisted Herbert''s ear and shouted with seventy percent of her strength, "I got up early to make you breakfast, and you only ate a few bites?"

Before Herbert could respond, there was a gentle knock on the door, and Christian''s voice came from outside. "Holly, my mom asked if you guys are ready and if you need help with the luggage."

Hearing the voice, Herbert frowned, opened the door before Heidi could, and crossed his arms, looking down at the person outside with a bad attitude. "We''re ready. No need for your help."

Christian smiled, not sure how much he had heard of the earlier commotion. He walked past Herbert and into the room to talk to Heidi. In just a few words, he had Heidi smiling and laughing, as if the person who had just twisted Herbert''s ear was someone else.

Herbert had no good feelings towards such a sycophant. After all, he had been smooth sailing for so many years, and his downfall began when he met Christian!

Eight-year-old Herbert was lying on his lawn, sunbathing with a lollipop in his mouth, looking harmless. A car roared by, followed by a series of clinking and clanging sounds.

Herbert heard his mom come out, her voice eager and warm with greetings.

A new neighbor had moved in next to their single-family home, and when Herbert looked up slightly, he saw Christian standing behind a middle-aged couple.

Seeing Christian dressed like a little gentleman in suspenders, smiling politely and greeting Heidi, Herbert felt a pang of unease.

He instinctively thought, "The ''perfect child'' has finally come to our doorstep."

As it turned out, Herbert''s intuition was spot on.

From the start of school, Christian was already a prodigy.

While others showed no signs of differentiation, he was already the top among S-class Alphas; Herbert, like most people, had yet to differentiate.

However, the Drexel Family had always been a top Alpha family, especially the men, who had never produced a Beta or Omega, so Herbert wasn''t worried at all.

Neither was the Drexel Family.

Herbert''s agile skills in climbing trees, catching birds'' eggs, and shrimping were sure signs he would be an Alpha.

Both boys, likely both Alphas, naturally led to a close relationship between the Drexel Family and the Livingston Family, each hoping their children would look out for each other.

But, the more similar they were, the more they were compared, and this started from a young age.

Christian memorized multiplication tables while Herbert climbed trees to raid bird nests.

Christian participated in competitions while Herbert led classmates in group fights.

Christian gave speeches as the top student while Herbert wrote love letters to the school beauty.

Christian was slightly better than Herbert in every way—academically, manners, everything. Though they attended different schools and didn''t interact much, Herbert, who caused endless worry, still fell behind.

Finally, during the college entrance exams, Herbert surpassed Christian by 0.5 points, finally having a moment of triumph.

However, both ended up attending Aqua City''s best university, studying the same major.

"Come on, Mom, am I your son or is he? Why are you more affectionate with him than with me?" Herbert leaned against the door frame, feeling a bit redundant as the atmosphere on the other side was warm and familial.

Heidi rolled her eyes, "If you were half as good as Christian, your dad and I would worry a lot less."

Herbert: "..."

Here we go again, he''s been hearing this for almost ten years.

It''s all Christian''s fault!

On the way, Herbert dozed off.

He had this quirk—whenever he was in a smoothly moving car, he would quickly get sleepy, even if, like now, he had just woken up not long ago.

"Christian, thank you so much for helping out. When Herbert gets home, let''s have a meal together."

"Sis, what are you talking about? We''ve known each other for so long. Besides, taking one or two kids is the same. They have a connection and can look out for each other," Jasmine Allen replied with a smile from the front passenger seat, and Randall chimed in, "Exactly, exactly."

Amid the adults'' conversation, Herbert closed his eyes and fell asleep, leaning on a soft cushion of unknown material. The cushion was high-end, automatically adjusting to a comfortable position for Herbert''s neck. For Herbert, it was just right.

Once adjusted, the cushion didn''t move again.

Looking at the sleeping Herbert beside him, his mouth opening and closing like a little fish blowing bubbles, Christian couldn''t help but take out his phone and snap a precious photo.

He then quietly put away his phone and looked out the window.

*

Aqua City University was located in the city center, just an hour and a half drive from their suburban villa.

The car stopped steadily at the university entrance, and Heidi slapped Herbert back to reality from his dreamland, saying disdainfully, "All you do is eat and sleep. We''re here, Your Highness!"

Herbert quickly sat up straight, covering his mouth with his fingers as he let out a long yawn, not forgetting to wipe away the drool that was about to escape.

Aqua City University is the best university in the entire city of Aqua City, ranking in the middle nationally. Although it''s not the top, it is still a key university supported by the state, and the facilities and decor are top-notch.

Under the trees along the road, there are many tents with a variety of activities, including club recruitment, phone card services, and some interesting sponsored events.

Herbert was bouncing around at the front, looking everywhere, with Christian following behind him, and their parents walking at the back, still chatting happily.

Since Aqua City University is not far from their suburban villa, they didn''t bring much for the two freshmen, just some daily necessities, one suitcase each was enough.

Aqua City University treats its students well, offering both dormitory and apartment options, with single and double rooms.

Herbert has always been a leader among kids and loves having company, so he chose a double room when he had the option.

What puzzled him was why Christian also chose a double room and ended up sharing it with him. Isn''t he the one who loves peace and quiet the most?

But people change, and Herbert didn''t bother to deal with these variables.

The boys'' dormitory is at the end of the main road, turning left, and their room is on the first floor at the corner, so they don''t have to climb stairs, which made Herbert breathe a sigh of relief.

Heidi and Jasmine helped the two kids make their beds, while Randall took the two boys to the door and gave them careful instructions.

"Herbert, you''re a month older than Christian, so you''re the big brother. You two need to take care of each other, understand? You can discuss things together and have more ways to solve problems when they arise..."

Herbert usually doesn''t like being nagged, but when he heard Randall say "big brother," he couldn''t help but feel a bit pleased.

He is the big brother, he is Christian''s—big brother.

Herbert nodded, holding Randall''s hand, acting like an adult, "Mr. Livingston, don''t worry, I will definitely take good care of my little brother Christian. We brothers will share our blessings and hardships."

Hearing this, Randall felt much more at ease.

Christian, on the other hand, looked at Herbert with a face full of doubt, as if he had heard something unbelievable, with "I don''t believe it" written all over his face.

The conversation between the men ended, and they prepared to return to the dorm. Randall walked in front, and Herbert, following behind, bumped Christian''s arm, winking playfully and teasingly said, "Call me big brother."

As expected, Christian looked at him with a dark expression and said flatly, "In your dreams."

Christian''s resistance was within Herbert''s expectations, after all, in many ways, Christian seemed more like the big brother.

But there was plenty of time ahead, and if not now, there would be opportunities in the future.

Thinking about the scene where Christian would call him big brother, Herbert felt a bit excited.

He eagerly looked forward to that day!