The Useless Stepmom Brings Her Kids to Reality TV Shows to Photograph Them

188 Exactly Like You

“Do you guys want to rest a bit before we reach?” Lin Wan felt that Li Zexin and Li Zekai’s constant prattling was giving her a headache.

Furthermore, Li Zexuan was not saying anything. It was clear that he had something on his mind. As for Li Yanchen, he probably needed some time to himself as well.

“Let’s all shut up.” Li Zexin made a zipping gesture across his lips.

Assistant Qin drove the car directly to the entrance of the waiting room at the airport. There were still forty minutes left before takeoff after they boarded the plane. Li Zexin leaned on the glass window and looked outside at the tarmac. This was the place from where his father usually traveled.

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Daddy!” Li Zekai hung on Li Yanchen’s leg. “When will we get there?”

“An uncle will pick us up from the airport and drop us to the hotel.”

Lin Wan stood beside Li Yanchen. This was the first time she had arrived at the Yun City Airport. Li Yanchen had gone to country H for countless business trips, and this was the place from where he took off.

“Wanwan, I often sit here.” He led her to the comfortable seat.

“Jiejie, go and sit with your brothers. I want to rest a while.” Li Yanchen sat down beside Lin Wan.

“Alright,” he said. Li Zekai let go of his father and ran to his brothers.

“Mr. Li, how do you feel taking your family along this time?” asked Lin Wan, with her arms wrapped around her knees.

“Quite noisy,” he said with a straight face.

Lin Wan raised an eyebrow and looked at Li Yanchen in disdain. “Just that? Is it that unpleasant for you?”

Li Yanchen chuckled. “It is noisy, but I am happy.”

In country H, at the May Day airport, Zheng Gong parked his car and waited at the exit. Just a little before noon, he saw five people who were lined up in a row.

He waved and approached them. “Mr. Li. Is this Ms. Lin? It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” he greeted them.

“Engineer Zheng, you work the same way as Assistant Qin.” Li Yanchen introduced Gong Zheng to Lin Wan.

“Hello,” said Lin Wan.

“And these three must be Xuanxuan, Xinxin, and Jiejie! Mr. Li always has a lot to say about you. He always praises you to the sky.” Zheng Gong smiled warmly.

The children were stunned. “Dad praises us?” said Li Zekai.

“Let’s go. Let’s go!” Li Yanchen urged.

The May Day airport was not very big. It wasn’t as fancy. Lin Wan was confused. This place didn’t look as developed and prosperous as Yun City.

After the car left the airport, Lin Wan looked out of the window. The road was lined with criss-crossed electrical wires. The houses were not as tall as the Lin family’s old mansion and the road was not as wide as Yun City’s.

“Dad, where is Chenxin located?” Li Zexin was a little disappointed.

“This place is so downtrodden! Daddy, you should shift the company back. This place isn’t very good,” said Li Zekai.

Li Zexuan wasn’t in the mood to look at the scenery. He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

Soon, Zheng Gong brought them to a hotel. After checking in, they went upstairs together.

In the Presidential Suite, Li Zekai leaned on Li Zexuan’s shoulder. “Brother, we are here already. Do you still feel like you can’t believe this?”

Li Zexuan pushed his brother away. “I didn’t sleep well last night. I am a little tired.”

“Jiejie, let your brother rest. Let’s go to the living room.” Li Yanchen held his youngest son’s hand and led him to the living room.

“Xinxin, Uncle Zheng will take you to dinner later. I’m going to the office with Auntie Lin. I’ll come to pick you all up in the afternoon.” Li Yanchen lied. He wanted to go to the hospital with Lin Wan first to prepare himself.

“Aren’t you guys going to eat?” Li Zexin asked.

Li Yanchen gave Zheng Gong a call and asked him to come up and look after the children. He then took Lin Wan to the hospital.

The hospital and the Chenxin branch office were in two opposite directions.

“We are going to the hospital?” Lin Wan had already guessed it.

“Yes.”

The taxi stopped in front of the hospital. Li Yanchen pulled his mask up a little. “Wanwan, this is the first time I’ve brought someone else to see my brother.”

“Thank you for trusting me,” Lin Wan said. She held his hand.

Li Yanshi had been bedridden for seven years. Other than the doctors, nurses, and Li Yanchen, no one had seen him before.

In the VIP ward of the hospital, the nurse was wiping Li Yanshi clean. When he saw Li Yanchen, he wrung the towel dry. “Mr. Li! You’re here! Who is this?”

“This is Lin Wan, my wife.” Li Yanchen and Lin Wan’s fingers were intertwined. “How’s my brother doing?”

“Hello, Ms. Lin. He might not make it past this autumn,” said the nurse. “You must visit him more in the next two months.”

Li Yanchen understood what the nurse was trying to say.

“I will get going and leave you to chat,” said the nurse as he closed the door behind him.

Li Yanchen tugged at the white blanket covering his brother. “Brother, I’m here. Wanwan, say hello.”

Lin Wan leaned down to look at the patient. Li Yanshi laid there quietly. His face was pale. He looked much thinner than Li Yanchen, but it was clear that they looked very similar.

“Hello,” said Lin Wan, even though she knew he would not respond.

“He looks exactly like you.” Lin Wan turned around and looked at Li Yanchen. She instinctively reached out and touched his face. “You look like that when you are asleep.”

“Wanwan, sit down,” he said and pulled a chair over.

“Big brother, I’ve brought the children here. They’ll come to see you later. I hope you won’t blame me for this.” Li Yanchen held onto his brother’s hand.

…

Lin Wan sat at the side and looked at the two people in front of her. One talked while the other was silent. Although she had never seen the person on the bed open his eyes, she could imagine how Li Yanshi would look if he was awake and standing beside Li Yanchen.

The two brothers were very good looking. They must have attracted a lot of attention before on the streets of country H.

‘If not for the accident, would Li Yanchen have ever left country H to settle down in Yun City?’ wondered Lin Wan.

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Li Yanchen kept apologizing to his brother for not being able to fulfill his promise to his sister-in-law and keeping all this a secret.

Lin Wan saw tears in his eyes. Li Yanchen knew that he was in a sorry state in front of Lin Wan but he was not afraid. Years of stress and fatigue burst through, and he could not hold it in anymore. He felt as though he had aged by decades.

Lin Wan wrapped her arms around him. She held him close as though she could give him her strength instead.

Li Yanchen looked at Lin Wan. “Wanwan, I want to take my brother back to Yun City. Even if my identity is exposed, I don’t want him to die here in a foreign country without his family by his side.”

“If he can’t make it past this autumn, he should be buried with sister-in-law. I want him to spend his last days with us.”

Lin Wan nodded. “I remember you saying that your sister-in-law made you replace your brother. You said it was a legal agreement on paper? Even if you are exposed, you will have proof that you were only following her request.”