Taylor often talked about his parents. From the way he spoke, it was obvious—his parents loved him dearly. Taylor was their treasured son. Arthur envied that. Hearing Arthur bring up this topic, Taylor immediately broke into a wide grin. "Of course! Next time we have a chance, I’ll take you home to meet our parents! From now on, my parents are your parents too!" Taylor didn’t mind at all. He knew about Arthur’s childhood, and after learning about everything Arthur had been through, he had come to truly appreciate how great his own parents were. This time, Taylor hadn’t told his parents what had happened, afraid they’d worry too much. But back at the hospital, he had called them multiple times. Back in that abandoned warehouse, the people he missed most were his parents. Before taking that knife for Arthur, he had honestly never thought he was in real danger. After all, Finley was just a student. He probably wouldn’t have the guts to actually kill someone. Murder came with consequences. But then, when the warehouse door opened and he saw that person fling a knife without hesitation, he realized these people weren’t afraid of spilling blood at all. He had been terrified. But in that moment, he didn’t even think—he just threw himself in front of Arthur. The second the blade pierced his body, guilt flooded his heart. He felt sorry for his parents. But he didn’t regret it. Arthur’s chest warmed at Taylor’s open-hearted response. So this is what it feels like to have a brother. Arthur’s smile was unusually genuine as he said with a hint of amusement, "Since they’re my parents too now, then this money… is just my way of showing filial respect."As he spoke, he pulled out his phone. Taylor blinked in confusion and looked at Arthur’s screen. A transaction record. Arthur had just transferred him money. Taylor instinctively counted the digits. Holy crap. A million? His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he jumped back, pointing at Arthur with a trembling finger. "You…" He stammered for a while, but nothing coherent came out. Arthur calmly pushed his hand down. "Relax. This is nothing to me. Just take it as a token of appreciation for our parents." Arthur sounded like it was the most natural thing in the world. Taylor finally snapped out of his shock. "What do you mean, our parents? They’re my parents! They don’t need anything from you—no way, I’m not taking it!" He shook his head furiously and grabbed his phone, ready to send the money back. His family wasn’t rich, and a million was a huge amount. If he ever won a million in the lottery, he’d probably be so happy he’d shoot straight into the sky. But Arthur’s money? No way. Everybody worked hard for their money—he couldn’t just accept Arthur’s like that. Even if he could ignore his own conscience, his parents would definitely track him down and beat him senseless. Nope. No chance. Just picturing the scene sent shivers down Taylor’s spine. His mom’s been practicing that dog-beating stick technique for over ten years.Taking a hit from that wasn’t just about pain—it was a life lesson. Arthur’s face fell. But instead of stopping Taylor, he just lowered his head and said in the saddest, most pitiful voice, "I really thought… when you said your parents were my parents too… you actually meant it." His voice was low, filled with disappointment. Taylor froze, his hands hovering over his phone. Panic set in. He immediately realized—he had said the wrong thing. Flustered, he rushed to explain, "No, no, no! That’s not what I meant! I wasn’t trying to say that! Of course my parents are your parents! We’re blood brothers, aren’t we?!" He even emphasized the last sentence, afraid Arthur wouldn’t believe him. But Arthur just kept his head down and stayed silent. Taylor’s panic doubled. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to slap himself twice. How could he be so careless with his words? He had basically just told Arthur his parents weren’t Arthur’s parents. Arthur had spent his whole life longing for family. And now, after finally having the chance to share his parents with him, Taylor had gone and crushed him with one stupid sentence. Arthur had been so happy when he first said it. Taylor had seen that smile on his face. And then, he poured cold water all over it. He had stabbed Arthur right in the heart. Taylor felt like the worst person alive. He was so desperate to fix things that, after a long struggle, he suddenly blurted out, "How about… you be their son, and I’ll back out?"