My sworn brother and I were the notorious "Twin Devils" of the orphanage.
I had a sharp tongue that could make anyone cry, while he was the kind who solved problems with his fists—"reasoning" through brute strength.
No one in the entire orphanage dared to mess with us. Even the guard dog would tuck its tail and slink away when we walked by.
When we were eight, the director came over one afternoon with a well-dressed couple while we were squatting in a corner, poking at an anthill.
They said my brother was the long-lost young master of the wealthy Watson family, and they'd come to take him home. But my brother refused to leave without me.
He threw a tantrum right there on the ground, kicking his legs and crying, "If it weren't for Lenon, I'd have been bullied to death years ago! If you won't adopt him too, I'm not going anywhere!"
I quickly tossed away my stick, stood up, and flashed my brightest grin. "Hello, Uncle! Hello, Auntie! I'm the most well-behaved, obedient kid in the whole orphanage! You definitely won't regret adopting me~"
The director's face twitched so hard it looked painful—like he'd just swallowed something foul.
Bullied?
Obedient?
Did we even hear ourselves talking?
Probably terrified that these two little devils might actually stay behind, the director gritted his teeth and made a decision that betrayed generations of moral integrity.
——
"Indeed, Mr. and Mrs. Watson! Noah and Lenon are our best-behaved children. They're extremely close, and they hate being apart. Why don't you take both?"
The rich couple hesitated.
"It's not hard to raise another child," said Mrs. Watson, "but we already have an adopted son at home..."
My brother and I immediately exchanged wary looks.
An adopted son?
A fake young master?
Absolutely not! There was no way I would let my brother go alone. What if that fake young master turned out to be some manipulative pretentious boy? My brother would be eaten alive!
"Uncle, Auntie," I said quickly, "Noah gets depressed easily in new environments. If you take me with you, I'll keep him company and take care of him!"
The couple froze in surprise, and Noah instantly played along, bursting into tears.
"Yeah! If you don't agree, I'll hang myself at your front gate tonight—waaah!"
That did the trick. The two adults exchanged panicked looks and nodded.
Aunt Mariz turned to me gently. "We can take you home too, but we already have another boy living with us..."
I straightened up, smiling earnestly. "Don't worry, Mom! I'll get along with my new brother just fine!"
The director's eyes filled with tears of joy—mostly relief. He looked like he wanted to wave a flag to send us off.
"Wonderful! Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Watson, on gaining two fine young sons!"
After the couple went off to finish the paperwork, I clutched my brother's hand, eyes shining with emotion.
"Bro, you're loyal to the bone! You didn't forget our oath to share wealth and glory!"
He rolled his eyes. "I'm just worried you'll get yourself killed once I'm gone with that mouth of yours."
I grinned. "Thanks, Bro! That fake young master didn't even show up today—probably doesn't want you to come back. If he really is some scheming little brat, I'll deal with him for you!"
In the orphanage, our unbeatable combo was legendary—I handled the verbal warfare, and he handled the physical.
Against a fake young master, he might lack experience... but I certainly didn't.
My brother squeezed my hand, looking touched. "Bro, our future wealth and fortune all depend on you!"
"Relax," I said, smirking. "Leave it to me."
When the Watson couple returned, they saw us still holding hands and smiled warmly.
"You two really are close. That puts our minds at ease."
Once in the car, Aunt Mariz began explaining the family situation.
Besides the fake young master, Felix, my brother also had a sister—two years older.
We soon learned he'd gone missing at the age of three... because of her.
And since she hadn't even bothered to come pick him up, it was clear she wasn't thrilled about his return.
Sure enough, when we arrived at the villa, the first thing we saw was a gloomy-looking girl standing at the gate with her arms crossed—waiting for us with an expression colder than the mountain wind.
