Chapter 4: My Protagonist Bottom!

That evening, Shen Can gazed at his extraordinary father, his beautiful and gentle mother, his dignified and handsome eldest brother, his charming and elegant second brother, his striking and heroic third brother with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, and his dashing and energetic fourth brother.

With such a top-tier family, it was absurd that they were still being used as stepping stones for others. As Shen Can silently praised his family, they merely thought he was being modest.

He himself was no less handsome. Their aunt had once been a renowned beauty in City A, and their uncle a famous handsome man. The resulting Shen Can had inherited the best of both, with bright eyes, pearly teeth, and a face as radiant as the moon.

Once the entire family had gathered, they immediately departed. As soon as they entered the banquet hall, the crowd swarmed around the Shen family, leaving Shen Can with little to do.

After all, he had few friends in the country, unlike his brothers who were greeted by classmates and acquaintances. As Shen Can walked toward the family's reserved table to sit down, he noticed someone already occupying the seat next to them.

The man sat alone on the large leather sofa, the smaller sofas on either side empty. He leaned back, as if just opening his eyes at the sound of footsteps. His phoenix-like eyes, slightly narrowed as he looked at the newcomer, carried an air of imperious dominance, as if nothing in the world could catch his eye.

Yet his chiseled, sculpted features—a straight nose and thin lips—prevented anyone from feeling aversion. Moreover, his innate aura made his dominance seem natural and fitting.

Having not carefully examined the seating arrangement posted earlier, Shen Can didn't recognize the man. He quietly took his seat, figuring it didn't matter who it was.

A while later, the Shen family arrived. Shen Yu hadn't expected to see Huo Xi here. Rumors had circulated about someone from the Huo family returning to the country, but he hadn't thought it would be Huo Xi.

The Huo family was a century-old dynasty, their influence extending far beyond China to international business empires. Just last year, they had secured a major international project.

"Huo Xi, it's been a long time," Shen Yu said, approaching to greet him. He and Huo Xi had been classmates and studied together for several years.

Huo Xi! Holy shit, is that Huo Xi? The same Huo Xi who was in the same class as his 12-year-old eldest brother in middle school, the same Huo Xi who, at such a young age, already managed the massive, century-old Huo family—a titan among wealthy families.

Unlike our Shen family, even though we're also a wealthy family, we don't have the Huo family's centuries-old legacy of wealth and prestige. Our family isn't as complicated either, without all those branches and main lines.

Yet, despite all this complexity, Huo Xi commands the obedience of everyone in the Huo family, from the elders in their seventies to the toddlers.

Damn it, not only is he brilliant, but he's also ridiculously handsome. And not just handsome—he's tall too, a few centimeters taller than Eldest Brother.

Except for him and Second Brother, who are both 182 cm, Eldest Brother, Third Brother, and Fourth Younger Brother are all over 186 cm. Huo Xi must be nearly 192 cm tall. But what's the point of looks and height? He's just a hopeless sucker.

I wonder who's more unlucky: us, the whole family suffering together, or him, suffering alone but suffering so intensely.

The Shen family was accustomed to hearing Shen Can's thoughts, so even though they were surprised by what they heard, they maintained their composure.

Unbeknownst to them, two people nearby were equally astonished. One was Huo Xi, standing beside Shen Yu, and the other was Lu Shao, beside Shen Ze.

After shaking hands with Shen Yu, Huo Xi naturally said, "Won't you introduce me to your uncle, aunt, and the others?"

"Of course," Shen Yu replied. He led Huo Xi through the introductions, finally stopping before Shen Can. "This is my fifth younger brother, Shen Can—the youngest in our family. He just graduated from university abroad and returned a short while ago."

"Just graduated? Twenty-two?" Huo Xi asked, looking at Shen Can.

Shen Can nodded and greeted Huo Xi.

"I'm three years older than you," Huo Xi said casually. "Call me ge."

The voice matched what he had just heard, but he hadn't spoken a word. Did he just hear my thoughts? What a fool! He was curious whether Huo Xi was serious. If he was, how exactly was he such a fool?

"Brother Huo," Shen Can called out, then shifted his gaze to the person beside his second brother, scrutinizing him, Isn't that the Lu...

"Hello, Uncle and Aunt. Hello, Eldest Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother. I'm Lu Shao, your second brother's good friend. You haven't met me before, have you? Every time I visited the Shen family, you were at school. Later, you went abroad to study. I don't think we've ever crossed paths," Lu Shao said with a smile.

Wow, it really is Lu Shao. So this is the one who has those... 23 things with my second brother. They're still on the university's CP rankings, and my second brother even...

Before Shen Can could finish his thought, his second brother interrupted: "Cancan, someone's walking towards you. They're probably looking for you."

Shen Can looked up. The person was still quite far away, and they might not even be looking for him. Was his second brother worried he wouldn't see them later?

Shen Ze knew his interruption had been abrupt, but he felt the entire Shen family watching him. Still, he had no choice but to intervene.

After a moment, it turned out they were indeed looking for him. Shen Keke stood before Shen Can, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I accidentally bumped into you last time and made you slip and fall into the lake. I didn't mean to."

"Really? If you know you bumped into me, why didn't you call for help?" Shen Can asked, genuinely curious.

My poor Protagonist bottom! he thought. You knocked me into the lake and then kept arguing with the Protagonist top. If the park attendant hadn't spotted me falling in, Cancan might have lost his life.

The Shen family assumed Shen Can's fall was an accident. The lake's surveillance cameras had been damaged by a recent thunderstorm, so the attendant only saw Shen Can fall, not the cause. They were unaware he had been pushed.

Regardless of whether Shen Keke's initial collision was intentional, his subsequent failure to seek help after knowing he had struck someone was questionable.

Shen Keke froze at these words, surprised that Shen Can knew he hadn't called for help. He had clearly noticed Shen Can seemed lost in thought and deliberately bumped into him.

He hadn't intended to knock Shen Can into the lake; he just wanted to bump into him. After all, Shen Can was a member of the Shen family. They were family, yet their family was wealthy, while his was ordinary.

The Shen family enjoyed the best education and the best life, while he lived an ordinary life. They were supposed to be family, after all.

He rarely had contact with other members of the Shen family. That one time he managed to sneak into the banquet the Shen family held for Shen Can, he saw how doted on Shen Can was, and he felt a pang of jealousy.

Zhou Jingxuan had first brought another woman to the banquet and then argued with him. He felt hurt and wronged, and in a moment of confusion, he lashed out and shoved Shen Can as if venting his anger.

If Shen Can knew, he would surely say, "Brother, just because you're hurt and angry, does that give you the right to shove people? If that were the case, innocent bystanders would be unlucky every time you felt wronged."

"I didn't mean to ignore you. He kept interrupting me, one word after another, and it scattered my thoughts. I really didn't mean to," Shen Keke said, his eyes slowly filling with tears.