COMPLETED | My Heiress Girlfriend Pretends to Be Poor for Me -But I Am Actually a Noble Young Master

0:00My wealthy girlfriend deliberately

0:01pretended to be poor to be with me. Her

0:03goal was to test if I was after her

0:04money, but her final test was to spend

0:07all of my money, the 100,000 yuan I

0:09saved to save my grandmother's life.

0:11Looking at the maxed out bank card in my

0:12hand, I was stunned. I couldn't recover

0:15for a long time. I suppressed my anger

0:17and spoke, "What did you use the money

0:18for? Can you get it back?" On the other

0:21end of the line, Shen Xiaowei was silent

0:23for a long time. Suddenly, she uttered a

0:25sentence, "Jiang Chen, if I said I've

0:27spent all the money and can't get it

0:29back, what would you do?" Hearing Shen

0:31Xiaowei say she had spent all the money,

0:33my first thought was that the money was

0:34gone. Grandma couldn't have her surgery

0:36anymore. I was about to lose my last

0:38relative. Shen Xiaowei saw that I wasn't

0:40saying anything, so she spoke in a

0:41casual tone. "I know I was wrong for not

0:43telling you first, but the money's all

0:45spent now. You won't blame me, right? It

0:47wasn't that much money anyway. When I

0:49earn money in the future, I'll make it

0:51up to you." I didn't wait for Shen

0:52Xiaowei to finish. I just hung up the

0:54phone. After that, I stood like a lost

0:57soul in front of the hospital's payment

0:58counter, motionless. Suddenly, my phone

1:01vibrated with a text message. Shui Mo

1:03Bar, room 602. There's a surprise. An

1:07unknown number. The message was

1:09confusing, but for some reason, a sense

1:11of unease rose within me. After

1:12hesitating for a few seconds, I left the

1:14hospital. I took a taxi straight to the

1:16bar. Meanwhile, to test me, Shen Xiaowei

1:19had gathered her bad friends to

1:21celebrate our 1-year anniversary in

1:22advance. At that moment, the door to the

1:25private room was slowly pushed open.

1:26Everyone looked towards the sound, only

1:28to see a thin figure standing quietly at

1:30the door. When she saw clearly that it

1:32was me at the door, Shen Xiaowei

1:34suddenly stood up. She quickly walked to

1:35the door, her face full of confusion and

1:37panic, not understanding why I had

1:39suddenly appeared here. Jiang Chen. Shen

1:41Xiaowei's face was filled with panic.

1:43She reflexively reached out to take my

1:45hand, but I avoided it. Shen Xiaowei's

1:48heart sank. She hurriedly grabbed my

1:50hand to explain, "Jiang Chen, it's not

1:52what you think. Let me explain." I

1:54looked at my girlfriend and suddenly

1:55gave a gentle smile, saying, "Shen Qiao

1:58Wei, let's break up." My voice was very

2:00gentle, but it was incredibly firm. Shen

2:03Qiao Wei was stunned for a moment, then

2:04she shook her head desperately. "No. No.

2:08No.

2:08No, I won't break up, Jiang Chen. I can

2:11explain. I really can explain."

2:13I forcefully shook off Shen Qiao Wei's

2:15hand. My voice remained gentle, but very

2:17firm. "Shen Qiao Wei, let me go. I only

2:20have one request. Give me back my

2:22money." After a year together, Shen Qiao

2:24Wei knew that I always meant what I

2:25said. Once I made a decision, no one

2:28could change it. If I said I wanted to

2:29break up, I would definitely not look

2:31back. But, Shen Qiao Wei didn't want to

2:33break up with She had gone through so

2:34much to be with me forever. She pleaded,

2:36"Jiang Chen, I am begging you. Can we

2:39not break up?" My gaze swept over

2:41everyone in the room. Finally, it landed

2:43on Song Jin Nian. Song Jin Nian was

2:45sitting in a corner that Shen Qiao Wei

2:47couldn't see. He gave me a mocking

2:48smile, his mouth moving, as if to say,

2:51"You can't compete with me." I ignored

2:52him and looked at Shen Qiao Wei. I

2:54slowly spoke. "Fine. We don't have to

2:57break up. Then give me the 100,000 yuan

2:59right now. I just need the 100,000. Shen

3:02Qiao Wei's expression became a bit

3:04troubled. She bit her lip. "Jiang Chen,

3:07can you wait one more day? Tomorrow, I

3:09can give you as much money as you want.

3:11Please." I looked at her, disappointed,

3:14and uttered weakly, "Shen Qiao Wei, I

3:16just want the money for my bank card.

3:18Give me back my money." Shen Qiao Wei

3:20still tried to step forward and hold on

3:21to me, but at that moment, my phone

3:23rang. The moment I saw the caller ID, I

3:25answered without hesitation. I don't

3:27know what was said on the other end. My

3:28face instantly turned pale. I turned to

3:30leave, but my wrist was grabbed by Shen

3:32Qiao Wei. She pleaded miserably, "Jiang

3:35Chen, I won't break up. Stay until

3:37tomorrow. He'll give you however much

3:39money you want." I turned to look at

3:40her, then slapped her hard across the

3:42face. "Shen Qiao Wei, we are completely

3:45over." With that, I shook her hand off

3:47and walked straight out without looking

3:48back. I rushed out of the bar. It was

3:50already late at night. The streets were

3:52empty and taxis were pitifully few. The

3:54call just now was from the hospital. The

3:56doctor said my grandmother's condition

3:57had worsened. He told me to come to the

3:59hospital quickly. When I heard this

4:01news, I felt like the sky was falling. I

4:03desperately wanted to get to the

4:04hospital. I had absolutely no time to

4:06think about my situation with Shen Chao

4:08Wei. But after waiting for more than 10

4:10minutes, there wasn't a single car on

4:12the road. Only a Maybach slowly

4:14approached from a distance. I was in a

4:15hurry to get to the hospital. I gritted

4:17my teeth and ran into the middle of the

4:19road. A piercing screech of brakes

4:20echoed through the quiet street. I

4:22slowly opened my eyes and saw the

4:23Maybach had stopped less than 5 cm away.

4:26It almost sent me flying. I didn't have

4:28time to be scared.

4:30I rushed to the car and banged on the

4:31driver's window. The car window rolled

4:33down. The driver looked at me with a

4:35tense expression and asked, "Young man,

4:37are you okay?" I replied, "Ma'am,

4:40I beg you. Can you give me a ride to the

4:42hospital?" The driver looked awkwardly

4:44towards the back seat. An elegant woman

4:45was sitting there. I understood the

4:47driver had to obey the woman in the

4:48back. So, I went straight to the back

4:49seat and knocked on the window. "Miss,

4:52could I trouble you for a ride? My

4:53grandmother is in critical condition. I

4:55am rushing to the hospital. Please help

4:57me." The driver heard what I said. She

4:59couldn't help but feel a bit moved. The

5:01woman nodded slightly. The driver was

5:03overjoyed and quickly told me to get in

5:04the front seat. As soon as I sat down, I

5:06smelled a pleasant fragrance. It

5:08gradually calmed my anxious mood. The

5:10car sped down the road. Half an hour

5:12later, the car stopped steadily in front

5:14of the hospital entrance. I hurriedly

5:15thanked Bai Luo Yan. Then I got out of

5:17the car immediately and ran straight to

5:19the operating room. The driver watched

5:21my retreating figure. She turned to look

5:22at Bai Luo Yan in the back seat and

5:24asked, "Miss, now shall we?" Before the

5:26driver could finish, she saw Bai Luo Yan

5:29in the back seat open the car door and

5:31walk into the hospital.

5:32The driver didn't dare to delay. She

5:34also got out and followed. The two of

5:36them quickly found me standing in front

5:38of the operating room door. Grandma had

5:40been taken into the emergency operating

5:41room. I hadn't been there long when a

5:43nurse rushed out. She told me to go pay

5:44the the fees. I clutched the payment

5:46slip. My fingertips were almost white,

5:48but I had no money at all. Just then,

5:51Bai Luoyan's voice came from behind.

5:53Tingting, go pay the hospital fees. The

5:56driver, Yang Ting, immediately stepped

5:58forward, took the payment slip from my

5:59hand, and went straight to the payment

6:01counter. I stared blankly at Bai Luoyan,

6:04my eyes slightly red, and said, "Thank

6:06you. I really thank you." Bai Luoyan's

6:09expression didn't change. She just took

6:10a clean handkerchief from her bag and

6:12held it out to me. It's nothing. I took

6:14the handkerchief. My throat felt like it

6:16was blocked by something, very

6:17uncomfortable. At this moment, all the

6:19grievances penned up inside me exploded

6:21because of this stranger's kindness. Bai

6:23Luoyan looked at me, but didn't say a

6:25single word of comfort. She just stood

6:27quietly beside me. Yang Ting returned

6:29very quickly. She first glanced at Bai

6:31Luoyan, then she came over to comfort

6:32me. Don't cry anymore. The fees have

6:34been paid. Your grandmother will surely

6:36be fine. My tears fell drop by drop,

6:38showing no signs of stopping. Seeing

6:40this, Bai Luoyan walked over to Yang

6:42Ting. The two whispered a few words, and

6:45Yang Ting left with a smile. 10 minutes

6:46later, Yang Ting returned with a bag in

6:48her hand. She ran back quickly and

6:50placed a cup of hot milk tea in my

6:52hands, saying, "Drink some milk tea to

6:54warm up." I looked at Yang Ting with red

6:56eyes, about to thank her, when I heard

6:58Yang Ting say, "My boss told me to buy

7:00all this." I looked back at Bai Luoyan

7:02and said, "Thank you." I don't know how

7:03many times I've said thank you tonight.

7:052 hours later, the operating room doors

7:07finally opened slowly. The doctor walked

7:09out. I looked at him nervously and

7:11asked, "Doctor, how was my grandmother?"

7:14The doctor's face was full of sorrow.

7:15"Mr. Jiang, I am sorry. We did our

7:18best." My legs went weak,

7:20and I almost fell. Yang Ting immediately

7:21stepped forward to support me. My tears

7:24fell again. The doctor seemed used to

7:25this scene and said sympathetically,

7:27"The old lady still has a little time

7:28left. Go say your goodbyes." Not long

7:31after, Grandma was wheeled out. I

7:33followed her back to the ward. Bai

7:34Luoyan followed behind. Yang Ting

7:36naturally came along, too, but neither

7:38of them entered the room. They I stood

7:40at the door. In the ward, I pressed

7:42Grandma's chapped hand to my face. I

7:44held her hand tightly as if I was afraid

7:46that if I didn't hold on tight enough,

7:48she would leave me the next second. But

7:50I knew this was just self-deception.

7:51Grandma, my voice was choked. The old

7:54woman on the hospital bed was pale.

7:55Hearing my voice, she slowly opened her

7:57eyes. After seeing my red-rimmed eyes, a

7:59kind smile appeared on her face. She

8:01gently stroked my face like she used to.

8:04Why are you crying? Did someone bully

8:05Xiao Chen? Tell Grandma. Grandma will

8:07get justice for you. My tears were like

8:09broken strings of pearls. I couldn't

8:11stop them. I sobbed and said, "Grandma,

8:14please don't leave me." Her eyes also

8:16grew a little moist. She struggled to

8:18raise her hand. She gently stroked my

8:19head. "Grandma can't stay with you

8:21anymore. Grandma, I am begging you,

8:24please don't go." Hearing my cries

8:25coming from the hospital room, Yang Ting

8:28outside couldn't help but get red-eyed,

8:30too. But Bai Luoyan's expression didn't

8:32change. However, her gaze remained fixed

8:34on me. "Take the straw for testing." Her

8:36voice echoed in the quiet hallway. Yang

8:38Ting was stunned for a moment. Then she

8:39immediately composed herself and said,

8:41"Yes, miss." Yang Ting took the milk tea

8:44cup I had just drunk from and left. Bai

8:46Luoyan looked at me in the hospital room

8:48as if whispering. In the room, I held my

8:50grandmother's hand tightly. It seemed

8:52she had realized something. She let out

8:53a sigh. "If you're not happy, then just

8:56break up. I just want you to be happy."

8:58I burst into tears. I threw myself into

8:59her arms and cried for a while. It was

9:01Grandma who calmed down first. She

9:03gently wiped my tears with her hand. "I

9:05don't have much time left. There are a

9:07few things I want to tell you. I was

9:08crying too hard to speak, but I still

9:10tried to hold back my tears. Go on.

9:13Grandma, I am listening. After I am

9:15gone, you have to take good care of

9:17yourself. Find someone who loves you.

9:19Someone you love is even more important.

9:21That's the only way I can rest in

9:22peace." I nodded while crying. "I will

9:24definitely live a good life. There's a

9:26small box under my bed. All my savings

9:28are inside. You take it. The thing I

9:30regret the least in this life was

9:32finding you by the roadside. I am very

9:34happy. Thank you. Grandma, if you hadn't

9:37taken me in, I wouldn't have survived

9:38until now. She gently stroked my face.

9:41Her cloudy eyes carefully looked at me

9:43again and again, then slowly closed. The

9:45hand stroking me also slowly fell away.

9:47I froze for a moment looking at her

9:48closed eyes. I was too sad to speak.

9:51Tears blurred my vision. I gently rested

9:53my head on her. My voice unconsciously

9:55softened. Grandma, I will definitely

9:57live a good life. You can rest in peace.

9:59Outside the room, Yang Ting walked over

10:01hastily. She was about to speak when Bai

10:03Luo Yan cut her off. Yang Ting looked

10:05into the hospital room and immediately

10:07understood what had happened. She

10:08immediately stood quietly to the side.

10:10Bai Luo Yan looked at me in the hospital

10:12room. Ripples formed in her beautiful

10:14eyes. I came out and saw the two of them

10:16were still there. I couldn't help but be

10:17a little surprised. Miss, you haven't

10:20left yet. Do you need help with the

10:22funeral expenses? Bai Luo Yan's voice

10:24interrupted me. I looked at Bai Luo Yan

10:26for a while before speaking softly.

10:28Could you lend me some more money? I

10:29want to give my grandmother a proper

10:31send-off. Bai Luo Yan slowly said,

10:33"Okay." Then she took out a business

10:35card and handed it to me. "I'll be in

10:36Shan Cheng for the next few days.

10:38Contact me if you need anything." I took

10:39the business card and looked at it. The

10:41name suits her well. Thank you. Miss

10:43Bai, I will repay the money I owe you.

10:46Hearing that, Bai Luo Yan nodded. She

10:48said nothing. I received the money and

10:50began to arrange the funeral for my

10:52grandmother. She had no relatives in

10:53this city, so I decided on my own to

10:55have her cremated, then find a place

10:57with green mountains and clear waters to

10:58find her a piece of land to rest in

11:00peace. From the crematorium, receiving

11:02her ashes from the staff, I held them

11:04tightly in my arms. I whispered softly,

11:07"Grandma,

11:08I am taking you home." I called a taxi

11:10and brought the ashes back to the small

11:11house I shared with her. But at the

11:12doorstep, I met someone unexpected. Shen

11:15Xiaowei today was no longer the person I

11:17had seen for the past year. Now she was

11:19dressed in designer clothes and carrying

11:21an expensive LV bag, looking like a true

11:23second-generation rich kid. Shen Xiaowei

11:25saw me get out of the taxi from a

11:27distance, but she didn't notice what I

11:28was holding. When she got closer, she

11:30finally saw that I was holding an urn.

11:32On the urn was clearly a portrait of my

11:34grandmother. She Shen Qiao Wei froze on

11:36the spot. After a long moment, she

11:37finally spoke, "Grandma." I didn't look

11:39at her, but walked straight past her

11:41into the house. Shen Qiao Wei snapped

11:43out of it and immediately followed. Her

11:45expression was a bit frantic, her face

11:47slightly pale. So, "I couldn't find you

11:50these past few days. Was it because your

11:51grandmother passed away?" I still said

11:53nothing. I took out my key, opened the

11:55door, and walked in with the urn. Shen

11:57Qiao Wei hesitated for a second, then

12:00followed me inside. She followed me

12:02awkwardly, watching me carefully place

12:03my grandmother's urn on the table. The

12:05portrait on the urn was facing her. Shen

12:07Qiao Wei felt guilty and didn't dare to

12:09look directly at it. I turned around and

12:11looked at Shen Qiao Wei with a blank

12:13expression. My tone was distant and

12:15cold, "Miss Shen, is there something you

12:17need?" Hearing how I addressed her, Shen

12:19Qiao Wei's heart felt like it had been

12:21stabbed. With a panicked look, she

12:22reached out to grab my hand, but I

12:24bluntly pushed it away.

12:26"Shen Qiao Wei, don't force me to hate

12:28you." Jiang Chen, Shen Qiao Wei was

12:31heartbroken and sad, as if I had done

12:33something to wrong her. "Shen Qiao Wei,

12:35don't act like a victim. From beginning

12:37to end, the one who was hurt was me,

12:39wasn't it?" Shen Qiao Wei composed

12:41herself. She wanted to act cute like

12:43before to get me to forgive her, but

12:45after seeing my cold gaze, "Jiang Chen,

12:48I am sorry. With Grandma's passing, you

12:50must be heartbroken. I am sorry that

12:52when you were at your lowest, I couldn't

12:53be by your side." My expression remained

12:55unmoved. I watched her quietly.

12:57Suddenly, a mocking smile appeared.

12:59"Shen Qiao Wei, you truly disgust me."

13:02In my memory, I had never raised my

13:04voice at her like this. So,

13:06Shen Qiao Wei was stunned for a long

13:08time. Shen Qiao Wei, "Leave. I never

13:11want to see you again." Shen Qiao Wei

13:13came to her senses and frantically

13:14grabbed my wrist. She pleaded humbly, "I

13:17really know I was wrong. Can you forgive

13:19me this one time? I know Grandma's death

13:21was a huge blow to you." Shen Qiao Wei,

13:24"Do you know why that night I insisted

13:25you pay me back?" The topic changed too

13:27quickly. Shen Xiaowei was a bit slow to

13:29react. There was still confusion in her

13:31eyes. I emotionlessly shook her hand

13:33off, just as decisively as that night.

13:35Because you spent my grandmother's

13:37life-saving money. If she could have had

13:38the surgery a little sooner, maybe she

13:40wouldn't have left me. These words were

13:42like a bomb exploding in Shen Xiaowei's

13:44heart. Her eyes widened in shock. She

13:46looked at me in disbelief. After a long

13:48moment, her face crumpled. Jiang Chen,

13:51you're lying to me, right? I looked at

13:53the self-deceiving Shen Xiaowei and

13:55coldly shook my head, dropping another

13:57bomb. Shen Xiaowei, the night you left

13:59the bar, you went to a hotel with

14:01another man, didn't you? Hearing this,

14:03the color drained from Shen Xiaowei's

14:05face. Her eyes darted away. It was

14:07obvious she was guilty. Actually, on the

14:10day my grandmother died, I received a

14:12photo. In the photo, Shen Xiaowei was

14:14leaning against a man, her neck covered

14:16in hickeys, sleeping soundly. At that

14:18moment, I was completely disappointed in

14:20Shen Xiaowei. When I saw the photo, my

14:23heart felt no ripples. Shen Xiaowei knew

14:25she had completely lost all hope, but

14:27she still didn't want to give up on me.

14:29I was the only man who had ever moved

14:30her heart. How could she bear to give

14:31up? Jiang Chen, I really can't be

14:34without you. Can you forgive me this

14:35once?

14:36Even though grandma's gone, you still

14:38have me. I'll treat you well from now

14:40on. I will definitely treat you well.

14:42With that, Shen Xiaowei took a few steps

14:44forward, reaching out to hug me. I

14:46quickly dodged to the side. I turned to

14:48run.

14:48But Shen Xiaowei grabbed my wrist with a

14:51little force. She threw herself into my

14:53arms. After several days of running

14:55around, I was exhausted to my limit. For

14:57a moment, I couldn't break free from

14:59Shen Xiaowei's embrace. Shen Xiaowei

15:01looked at my lips, so close to hers. Her

15:04eyes filled with infatuation. She slowly

15:06stood on her tiptoes, intending to kiss

15:08me. I realized Shen Xiaowei's intention.

15:10Shen Xiaowei's action paused slightly,

15:12then a crazed look filled her eyes.

15:14Jiang Chen, I really love you so much.

15:17If I just let you have me, you won't

15:18leave me, right? I didn't react in time

15:20and was pushed to the ground by her.

15:22Suddenly, a figure rushed in from the

15:24door and and pulled Shen Xiao Wei, who

15:26was on top of me, away with one hand.

15:28Before Shen Xiao Wei could react, a hard

15:31slap landed on her face. I got up from

15:33the sofa. I was a bit surprised to see

15:34Bai Luo Yan suddenly appear. Miss Bai.

15:37Bai Luo Yan forcefully pushed Shen Xiao

15:39Wei to the ground. The air around us

15:41began to turn cold. Shen Xiao Wei looked

15:43at the suddenly appeared Bai Luo Yan,

15:45then at the familiar way the two of us

15:47acted. Immediately, she felt a rush of

15:49blood to her head and spoke without

15:51thinking. Jiang Chen, so you were in

15:53such a hurry to dump me because you

15:54found someone new. This woman is richer

15:56than me.

15:57Isn't Shen Xiao Wei was a second

15:59generation rich kid. Of course, she

16:01could tell that Bai Luo Yan's clothes

16:03were incredibly expensive. I looked at

16:05her angrily. Shen Xiao Wei,

16:07get the hell out. Shen Xiao Wei also

16:09felt a bit of regret, but words spoken

16:11cannot be taken back. She glanced at Bai

16:13Luo Yan, then back at me, and could only

16:15leave unwillingly. Only Bai Luo Yan and

16:17I were left in the house. Although I had

16:19lost all hope for Shen Xiao Wei, my

16:21heart still felt a little uncomfortable

16:23because of her thoughtless words just

16:25now. Bai Luo Yan held a handkerchief out

16:27to me and said softly, "Why is it that

16:29every time I see you, you're crying?" I

16:31didn't answer, just roughly wiped my

16:33tears and said, "It won't happen again.

16:36I'll never cry again." Bai Luo Yan gave

16:38me a deep look, but said nothing. She

16:40just quietly put the handkerchief away.

16:42I composed myself and looked towards Bai

16:44Luo Yan. "Miss Bai, is there something

16:47you need me for?" Bai Luo Yan didn't say

16:49much, just motioned with her eyes

16:51towards the door. Yang Ting walked in

16:52holding a file. Bai Luo Yan took the

16:54file and handed it directly to me. I

16:56took it doubtfully and opened it. Inside

16:58the file was a DNA test report. The test

17:00results showed that the two parties had

17:02a 99.99%

17:04probability of being related by blood.

17:06This means that I and the other person

17:07tested have a parent-child relationship.

17:09I stared blankly at Bai Ai Luo Yan. "So

17:12you're trying to tell me that I am your

17:13long-lost brother?" Bai Bai Yan was

17:15stunned for a moment, then the corners

17:17of her mouth curved into a beautiful

17:18arc. In that instant, I felt as if a

17:21thousand flowers were blooming before my

17:23eyes. I never expected this cold and

17:25noble girl to be so beautiful when she

17:27smiled, but that beauty was just for a

17:28moment. Bai Luo Yan quickly retracted

17:30her smile, but her brow softened

17:32slightly. To be precise, you're the

17:34long-lost younger brother of my best

17:36friend. My family and yours are old

17:38family friends. I see. I get it. Bai Luo

17:41Yan and my biological sister are best

17:44friends. So, she was just helping to

17:46find someone. But, how did she know that

17:47I was her best friend's biological

17:49brother? Bai Luo Yan looked at my face.

17:52You look a lot like my aunt when she was

17:53young, so I guessed you might be the

17:55lost son of my best friend's family. I

17:57looked at the file in my hand. For a

17:58moment, it was still a bit hard to

18:00digest. The news that I had found my

18:02birth parents. Seeing my reaction, Bai

18:04Luo Yan slowly apologized. As soon as

18:07the DNA test results came out, I

18:08disclosed the news to your family. They

18:10should be on their way now. They'll

18:11probably come find you tomorrow. Hearing

18:13my birth parents were coming, to say my

18:15heart wasn't moved at all would be a

18:17lie. Grandma never hid the fact that I

18:19was an adopted child. She once said she

18:21reported it to the police when she found

18:23me, but the police couldn't find any

18:24family that had lost a child. There was

18:26also no news about my birth parents.

18:28After searching for a while, Grandma

18:30gave up on helping me find my birth

18:31parents and chose to adopt me herself. I

18:33am sorry. I took matters into my own

18:35hands. Bai Luo Yan's cold voice

18:37interrupted my thoughts. I shook my head

18:39gently. It's okay. You didn't do

18:41anything wrong. Bai Luo Yan continued.

18:44So,

18:45do you want to meet them? I was silent

18:46for a moment and gently shook my head. I

18:49don't know. Grandma just passed away. My

18:51mind is a bit of a mess. Bai Luo Yan

18:54nodded. I know it's difficult to

18:55suddenly make you accept all of this.

18:57You can take your time to think. They're

18:59coming tomorrow, anyway. I replied, can

19:02you give me one night to think about it?

19:03The corners of Bai Luo Yan's mouth

19:05lifted slightly. That's your right. Then

19:07I won't disturb you any longer. I walked

19:09Bai Luo Yan to the door. Before she got

19:11in the car, I called out to her, "Miss

19:13Bai, thank you." Bai Luo Yan turned and

19:16nodded. Then she ducked her head and got

19:17into the car. Yang Ting turned and

19:19smiled at me, then drove away. I went to

19:21the table and picked up my grandmother's

19:23urn. I walked towards the bedroom and

19:24placed the urn on the headboard. My

19:26fingers gently traced the bottom of the

19:27box. My eyes lowered, lost in thought. I

19:30took out a small box from under the bed.

19:32It was an old iron cookie tin. I

19:34carefully wiped the dust off it and

19:35gently opened the iron box. There wasn't

19:38much inside. A stack of not-so-new cash,

19:40neatly wrapped in a handkerchief, a few

19:42photos, a red pouch, and an envelope.

19:44Seeing these things, my eyes

19:46involuntarily welled up. I picked up the

19:48photos. It was one of the few pictures

19:50of me and my grandmother together. In

19:52the photo, Grandma had a kind face and I

19:54was smiling happily. My finger gently

19:56traced her face in the photo. A teardrop

19:58fell onto the picture. More and more

19:59tears fell. I wiped them away and

20:02carefully wiped the photo clean before

20:03putting it away. I picked up the

20:05envelope again. Grandma was illiterate.

20:07She probably couldn't write. That's

20:08right. Why was there a letter in the

20:10box? I slowly opened the envelope.

20:12Inside, there was indeed a letter.

20:14Grandma had asked someone who could

20:15write to pen it for her while she was

20:16alive. In the letter, Grandma said she

20:19knew she couldn't be with me for too

20:20long. She hoped that after she was gone,

20:22I could use the things in the red pouch

20:24to find my birth parents. Grandma also

20:26mentioned in the letter the details of

20:27how she found me that year. And the

20:29things I had on me then were all kept in

20:31the box. After reading the letter, I

20:33picked up the red pouch and opened it.

20:34Inside the pouch was a longevity lock.

20:36It was exquisitely crafted. The

20:38longevity lock was on my neck when

20:40Grandma found me and a name was carved

20:42on the back. Coincidentally, Grandma's

20:44surname was also Jiang. So, she named me

20:46Jiang Chen. The next day, I made a

20:48decision. Since Grandma hoped I would

20:49find my birth parents and reunite with

20:51them, I would listen to her. Weren't my

20:53birth parents coming soon? Then I'll go

20:55meet them. But I've also thought it

20:57through very clearly. As long as my

20:58birth parents show the slightest bit of

21:00not wanting me, I won't go back with

21:02them. I'd rather live alone than go home

21:04with a group of relatives who don't

21:06accept me. The next noon, I was just

21:08about to go out when someone knocked on

21:10my door. I just opened it and saw

21:12several people standing outside. Among

21:14them was a middle-aged couple whose

21:15faces felt very familiar to me,

21:17especially the middle-aged mother who

21:18looked a bit like me. As soon as she saw

21:20me, she stepped forward and hugged me

21:22tightly. Mom finally found you. My body

21:24stiffened for a moment, unconsciously

21:26rejecting physical contact with a

21:27stranger, but Mother Jiang's crying in

21:30my ear moved me a little. I intended to

21:32push her hands away, but I hesitated and

21:33didn't act. Mother Jiang cried more and

21:36more heartbrokenly. Her hot tears wet my

21:38shoulder. I hesitantly raised my hand

21:40and gently patted Mother Jiang's back.

21:42Don't cry anymore. That one sentence

21:44made Mother Jiang cry even louder.

21:46Father Jiang beside her also had red

21:47eyes, but he was a bit more restrained

21:49than Mother Jiang. Sensing my

21:51discomfort, Father Jiang took a step

21:52forward and pulled Mother Jiang into his

21:54All right. All right. You're scaring our

21:57precious son. Hearing that, Mother Jiang

21:59immediately wiped her tears.

22:01Right. Right. Right. We can't scare our

22:03son. Only then did I remember to invite

22:05everyone inside. Then I went to the

22:07kitchen to boil some water. Father Jiang

22:09and the others stepped into the small

22:10house. Looking at the simple

22:11surroundings, Mother Jiang's tears fell

22:13again. The small house,

22:16though old, was kept clean. It was clear

22:18that her son didn't have to suffer these

22:20hardships. In the hearts of the Jiang

22:22family, they almost all thought the same

22:24thing at the same time. This time, the

22:26entire Jiang family came. Father Jiang,

22:28Mother Jiang, and their two children

22:30were all here. Hearing that their

22:32long-lost younger brother had been

22:33found, my biological brother, Jiang

22:35Yiyang, and my biological sister, Jiang

22:38Wanru, both put aside their work and

22:40followed their parents to Beicheng. Just

22:42now, when the door opened, the two

22:44siblings saw my face and could confirm

22:46that the young man before them was

22:47indeed the long-lost treasure of the

22:49Jiang family. Because my face and Mother

22:51Jiang's, when she was young, were just

22:53too similar. Plus, with the DNA test

22:55report from Bailuoyan, the matter was

22:57already settled. Now, seeing the place

22:59where their younger brother had lived

23:00for so many years, the two siblings

23:02started to feel sorry for this lost and

23:04found younger brother. In the kitchen, I

23:06stared blankly at the kettle for a long

23:07time. Although I had mentally prepared

23:09to meet my biological parents, when they

23:11were actually standing in front of me, I

23:13felt a sense of unease and anxiety. My

23:15house doesn't usually have many guests,

23:17so I don't have a full tea set. I

23:18rummaged through the cabinet to find a

23:19few cups. After making tea, I went out.

23:22Mother Jiang saw me come out and hurried

23:24over. Jiang Yiyang was very perceptive.

23:27He stepped forward to take the tray from

23:28my hands. Let me. Meanwhile, Mother

23:31Jiang pulled me down to sit on the only

23:33small sofa in the house. The others very

23:35consciously found their own chairs to

23:36sit on. There was no look of disgust for

23:38the shabbiness of the place on anyone's

23:40face. Instead, their eyes were full of

23:42heartache. I awkwardly touched my nose.

23:44I am sorry, my house is very small.

23:46Mother Jiang saw my polite and distant

23:48manner towards her and couldn't help but

23:50get red eyes again. It's Mom's fault for

23:52not taking good care of you, letting you

23:53suffer so much hardship. I saw that

23:55Mother Jiang was about to cry again and

23:58I felt a bit sad. It must be the deep

23:59bond between mother and child. I reached

24:01out and gently patted Mother Jiang's

24:03back. Mom. Don't cry anymore. That one

24:06word, Mom, made Mother Jiang forget to

24:08cry. She looked at me with a joyful

24:10expression. Jiang Chen, you're willing

24:12to call me Mom. The surrounding Jiang

24:14family members were also very happy.

24:16Father Jiang didn't care about anything

24:17else either. He sat down next to me,

24:19pointing to himself. I am Dad. Looking

24:22at Father Jiang's expectant eyes, I

24:24couldn't bear to disappoint him in the

24:25end, so I also called out, Dad. Father

24:28Jiang was a big man and hearing me call

24:29him Dad, his eyes reddened. He turned

24:31his face away to wipe his moist eyes.

24:33Jiang Yiyang smiled elegantly at me. I

24:36am your older brother. Jiang Wanru also

24:38smiled gently.

24:39I am your older sister. I looked at my

24:41brother and sister, who were so kind to

24:43me, and a sincere smile appeared on my

24:45face. Mother Jiang saw how quickly I

24:47accepted them and joyfully wanted to

24:48pull me into her arms, but as if she

24:50suddenly thought of something, she

24:52hesitated. Seeing this, I took the

24:54initiative to hug Mother Jiang. Her

24:56tears were like a flood as she held me

24:57and sobbed. Looking at Jiang Yiyang

24:59beside us, he was also crying directly.

25:02Jiang Wanru blinked as she saw this

25:03scene. She turned her head and saw that

25:05from beginning to end, Bai Luo Yan was

25:07standing silently by the side. She was

25:09also silently looking at me on the sofa.

25:11Although her expression was very faint,

25:13you could see that she was emotional for

25:14her best friend, Jiang Wanru, who had

25:16found her lost younger brother, Luo Yan.

25:19"Thank you so much this time." Jiang

25:20Wanru said sincerely. Bai Luo Yan

25:23withdrew her gaze and suddenly patted

25:25her on the shoulder twice. After crying

25:26for a while, Mother Jiang held my hand

25:28tightly, asking in detail about my life

25:31over the past 20-something years. I

25:32didn't hide anything. I told her how I

25:34was found by my grandmother and then

25:36raised by her with great difficulty. I

25:37only spoke of the good times, not the

25:39sad ones, recounting my life with my

25:41grandmother over the years in a

25:42light-hearted way. But in reality, even

25:44if I didn't say it, the Jiang family

25:46knew that for all those years, my

25:48grandmother and I depended on each

25:50other, and life certainly wasn't easy.

25:52Fearing that I wouldn't be able to

25:53accept my identity right away, they

25:54didn't bring it up further. The Jiang

25:56family was still very grateful to

25:57Grandma Jiang for finding me. She was

25:59the one who gave me a new life, "and she

26:01raised me very well." Father Jiang said

26:03emotionally. "We really owe the old lady

26:05so much." I thought of my grandmother,

26:07and my heart started to ache again.

26:09Seeing this, Mother Jiang patted my

26:10back. "Don't be sad. We will find her

26:12the best burial plot." Hearing that, I

26:15was a little pleasantly surprised.

26:17"Really?" Mother Jiang nodded and

26:18continued speaking. "Come back to the

26:20capital with Mom, Dad, your brother, and

26:22your sister, okay?" I had already

26:25prepared to leave with my biological

26:26parents. Now that I knew they wanted me

26:28to come home so much, I no longer

26:30refused to leave with the Jiang family

26:31because this place no longer had any

26:33people or things for me to hold on to.

26:35"Yes, I'll go home with you all."

26:37Hearing me agree to go with them, the

26:39Jiang family was undoubtedly the

26:40happiest. Jiang Wanru immediately took

26:42out her phone and started making

26:44arrangements. Mother Jiang and Jiang

26:45Yiyang helped me pack my few belongings.

26:48While we were packing, my phone kept

26:49ringing. I just glanced at it and then

26:51quietly put my phone on silent. I plan

26:54to change my current phone number before

26:55leaving this place as a final farewell

26:57to the people and events here. An hour

26:59later, I took my grandmother's ashes and

27:01my belongings, my few belongings, into

27:03the Maybach to go to the airport. Just

27:05as I and the Jiang family left, Shen

27:07Chiawei arrived at the door. As soon as

27:10she got out of the car, Shen Chiawei

27:12knocked on my door, but no matter how

27:14she knocked, no one opened it. Jiang

27:15Chen, Jiang Chen, it's me. Open the

27:18door. Can we talk properly? Jiang Chen,

27:21I really know I was wrong. Can you

27:23please not ignore me? I don't want to

27:25break up. Shen Chiawei said to herself

27:27at the door, but the house remained

27:28silent. Song Jinian also arrived soon

27:31after. Seeing Shen Chiawei's unchanging

27:33love-struck appearance, he lightly bit

27:35his lip. In his heart, he was clearly

27:37jealous of me to the point of madness,

27:39but on his face, he still had to

27:40maintain that kind and generous look. A

27:42clap of thunder sounded in the sky, and

27:44heavy rain poured down instantly. Shen

27:46Chiawei was soaked to the bone. Seeing

27:48this, Song Jinian took an umbrella from

27:50the driver's hand and held it over Shen

27:52Chiawei's head. Chiawei, it's raining.

27:55Let's get in the car and take shelter

27:57first.

27:58I don't need you to care about me.

27:59Today,

28:00I must get Jiang Chen's forgiveness.

28:03Song Jinian lowered his eyes.

28:05Shen Chiawei,

28:07I just Shen Chiawei turned her head and

28:10glared at him. Don't you get it? If it

28:12weren't for you, Jiang Chen wouldn't

28:14have left me. It's all because of you.

28:16All because of you.

28:17But Shen Chiawei, I am already your

28:19fiance. We are the ones who are getting

28:21married. Shen Chiawei suddenly seemed to

28:23be triggered by something. She turned

28:25around. Her eyes bloodshot, and stared

28:27at Song Jinian. I will never marry you.

28:30Song Jinian was frightened by Shen

28:31Chiawei's current appearance. He

28:33suddenly threw the umbrella in his hand

28:34away and stepped forward to hug Shen

28:36Chiawei. On the other side, after the

28:38car arrived at the airport, I threw my

28:40old phone, along with the SIM card

28:42inside, into a trash can at the airport.

28:45Without looking back, I took my

28:46grandmother's ashes and boarded the

28:48flight to the capital with the Jiang

28:49family. This was my first time on a

28:51plane and everything felt new. Seeing my

28:54reaction, the Jiang family felt

28:56heartbroken again. Their precious child

28:57had never traveled far, nor had he ever

28:59been on a plane. No, we have to treat

29:01him better. I didn't know what the Jiang

29:03family was thinking. I just sat quietly

29:05in my seat. The Bai family and the Jiang

29:07family are both wealthy families, so

29:09they naturally travel in first class. If

29:11it were before, I wouldn't even dare to

29:13think about it. My 20 years of frugal

29:14living made me unconsciously a bit

29:16restrained. In contrast, the Jiang

29:18family and Bai Luoyan seemed very calm,

29:20as if they had long been accustomed to

29:22such treatment. I pursed my lips. This

29:24made me feel like I They were not the

29:26same in a very real way. Jiang Wanru was

29:28a girl and she noticed my somewhat stiff

29:30state. She immediately realized that I

29:31was probably not used to it. So, Jiang

29:33Wanru got up and sat down next to me.

29:35Xiao Chen, are you not used to it? I

29:38didn't expect Jiang Wanru to notice my

29:40abnormality. I hesitated for a moment,

29:42but still nodded. I am indeed a little

29:44unused to it. Did I embarrass everyone?

29:46Jiang Wanru smiled gently and held my

29:48hands tightly. Not at all. Don't feel

29:50embarrassed. Our Jiang Chen is great.

29:52It's just that you're not used to it

29:53yet. Take it slow. You'll get used to it

29:55later. They'll teach you. I looked at

29:57the gentle Jiang Wanru. My heart warmed.

30:00So, this is what it feels like to have

30:01an older sister. Jiang Wanru's heart

30:03softened. So, this is what it feels like

30:05to have a younger brother. A few hours

30:07later, the plane landed safely at the

30:09Jing Cheng Airport. I naturally followed

30:10the VIP exit with the Jiang family. It

30:13was already evening when we arrived in

30:14Jing Cheng. I curiously looked at the

30:16completely unfamiliar city before me,

30:18but I wasn't nervous at all. This is the

30:19place where I was supposed to grow up.

30:21Outside the airport's VIP exit, several

30:23luxury cars were already waiting. A

30:25middle-aged man who looked like a

30:26butler, upon seeing the Jiang family,

30:28immediately smiled and came forward to

30:30greet them. Master, Madam, eldest young

30:33master, young miss, second young master.

30:35This was the first time I was called

30:37second young master. The feeling was

30:38quite novel, but I still smiled politely

30:40at the butler. The butler was stunned.

30:42He clearly didn't expect the newly found

30:44second young master to be such a polite

30:46person. As expected, the Jiang family's

30:48genes are truly strong. Even though the

30:50second young master was lost for so many

30:52years, the excellent genes etched deep

30:54in his bones would not change. The space

30:56inside the luxury car was large enough,

30:58but no one in the Jiang family wanted to

30:59ride in a separate car, so they all

31:01squeezed into one car. Bai Luoyan also

31:03consciously got into the Jiang family's

31:05car. There were clearly many empty cars.

31:08Since meeting the Jiang family in the

31:09morning, I hadn't had a chance to talk

31:11to Bai Luoyan. At this moment, Bai

31:13Luoyan was sitting opposite me. I smiled

31:15and said, "Miss Bai, thank you." This

31:18thank you carried a lot of meaning.

31:19Thanking Bai Luoyan for helping my

31:21grandmother. Thanking Bai Luoyan for

31:22helping me find my family. Before

31:25to gather enough money for grandma's

31:26surgery, I had borrowed quite a bit of

31:28money from neighbors. Before leaving

31:29Beicheng, I originally intended to go to

31:31each house to pay back the money, but my

31:33biological brother, Jiang Yiyang,

31:35told me that all those debts had been

31:37paid off. To thank those people for

31:38their help, the Jiang family even gave

31:41some thank you gifts. When I found out

31:43about this, I once again felt how much

31:45the Jiang family valued me. I looked up

31:47at Bai Luoyan. It was still that cold,

31:49noble face, but I saw a hint of

31:51gentleness. No need to be polite. It's

31:53what I should do. I felt my heart beat

31:55two beats faster. I shyly lowered my

31:57head, not daring to look at Bai Luoyan

31:59anymore. Seeing this, Mother Jiang, who

32:01was beside me, exchanged a look with

32:03Father Jiang. They understood the

32:05meaning in each other's eyes. The two

32:06looked at each other and smiled, looking

32:08at me and Bai Luoyan with even more

32:10gentle and loving eyes. Jiang Wanru

32:12watched the interaction between her best

32:14friend and her younger brother and

32:15silently smiled. I don't know how long

32:17we had been driving, but the scenery

32:19outside the car gradually became more

32:20remote. The busy streets were gradually

32:22replaced by forests. I doubtfully turned

32:24my head to look at Jiang Wanru. Jiang

32:26Wanru smiled, patted my head, and said,

32:29"From here on, this mountain is all the

32:31property of the Bai family. The old

32:33houses of the Jiang and Bai families are

32:34both built on it." I opened my mouth in

32:36surprise. Although I knew the Bay and

32:38Jiang families had money, owning an

32:40entire mountain seemed a bit much. But

32:41in reality, this was just the tip of the

32:43iceberg. Being a top-tier family wasn't

32:45just empty words. The car drove up the

32:47mountain for another half an hour. From

32:48a distance, I saw a tall, large iron

32:51gate. As the car approached, the iron

32:53gate slowly opened. Two luxurious villas

32:55appeared before my eyes. To be precise,

32:57they were two courtyards. Luxurious

32:59Chinese-style courtyards stood side by

33:01side. Small bridges overflowing water,

33:04rockeries arranged closely together.

33:05After getting out of the car, I looked

33:07at the exquisite architecture in front

33:08of me and was completely stunned. Mother

33:10Jiang held my hand and smiled gently.

33:12Jiang Chen, this is your home. The one

33:15on the left is the Bay family's old

33:16house. The one on the right is our Jiang

33:18family's old house. I looked at the two

33:20nearly identical houses and silently

33:22marveled at the Bay and Jiang families

33:24were indeed friends for generations.

33:26Living so close was one thing, but even

33:28their old houses were identical.

33:29Suddenly, a few people ran out from the

33:31house on the left. The person in the

33:32lead was a gentle and elegant old lady.

33:34My family's grandmother was wearing a

33:36red cheongsam. She hurried towards us.

33:38Behind her was a couple, middle-aged,

33:40and a few maids. Slow down. If I am any

33:43later, I won't get to see my

33:45grandson-in-law. I was confused. My

33:47brother, Jiang Yiyang? My gaze fell on

33:50Bai Luoyan and Jiang Yiyang beside her.

33:52The two of them looked really good

33:53together. Noticing his younger brother's

33:54gaze, Jiang Yiyang immediately took a

33:56few steps to the side, distancing

33:58himself from Bai Luoyan. I was wondering

34:00when I saw the Bai family's grandmother

34:02run straight up to me. She looked me up

34:04and down again and again. My

34:05grandson-in-law is so handsome. My head

34:07was full of question marks. So, the

34:09grandson-in-law the old lady mentioned

34:11was me? I thought since she's an elder,

34:12it wouldn't be wrong to greet her

34:14proactively. Grandma. Unexpectedly, as

34:16soon as the word grandma left my lips,

34:18the Bai family's grandmother's eyes lit

34:20up. She boasted to everyone, "My

34:22grandson-in-law called me grandma." At

34:24this moment, the Bai couple caught up.

34:26Hearing what the Bay family's

34:27grandmother said, they shook their heads

34:28helplessly. I was a bit stunned by this

34:30scene. What is the situation now? Do I

34:32have an arranged marriage from

34:33childhood? The Bai family's grandmother

34:35was about to say something else when Bai

34:37Luoyan suddenly spoke slowly. Grandma,

34:39Jiang Chen just got back. Don't scare

34:41him. The Bai family's grandmother looked

34:43at her granddaughter, then at her

34:45grandson-in-law.

34:46Bai

34:47Luoyan turned and said to the Jiang

34:50couple,

34:50Uncle Jiang, Auntie Jiang, I'll take my

34:53grandma and parents back first. Okay.

34:56Okay. You've had a hard time these past

34:582 days. Let's have a meal together in a

34:59few days. After saying that, Bai Luoyan

35:02turned and supported her grandmother's

35:03arm, leaving with the Bai couple. Poor

35:05Mr.

35:06and Mrs. Bai didn't even have a chance

35:08to say a word to their son-in-law before

35:10being forced away by their daughter.

35:11Mother Jiang led me by the hand towards

35:13the house on the right. From a distance,

35:15I saw two rows of people standing at the

35:16main gate. As soon as we got close, the

35:19two rows of people said in unison,

35:20"Welcome home, young master." I was

35:22startled by this scene. After

35:23recovering, I felt a little emotional.

35:26Until this moment, I finally had a real

35:28feeling of being home. Father Jiang and

35:30Mother Jiang each took one of my hands

35:32and walked into the house. Jiang Yiyang

35:35and Jiang Wanru followed and also

35:36entered the house behind us. The butler

35:38had already prepared a late-night meal,

35:40just waiting for the Jiang family to

35:41return. I stepped into the Jiang house.

35:44Everything around me was very

35:45unfamiliar, but everywhere exuded a

35:46sense of luxury. As expected, the life

35:49of the rich is truly different. Even the

35:51dining table was especially large.

35:53Although she didn't intentionally

35:54investigate, Mother Jiang still asked

35:56about my preferences beforehand,

35:57ensuring that the late-night meal

35:59prepared by the maids were all dishes I

36:01liked. After eating, Mother Jiang

36:03excitedly pulled me to my room. The

36:04Jiang couple's room was on the second

36:06floor, while the rooms of the three

36:07Jiang siblings were arranged on the

36:09third floor. Among them, my room was the

36:11one with the best lighting on the third

36:12floor. Mother Jiang pushed open the

36:14door. After I clearly saw the room's

36:16layout, my eyes were filled with

36:18sparkling light. Jiang Chen,

36:20I didn't know your preferences, so for

36:22your room, I took the liberty of

36:24arranging it for for If there's anything

36:26you're not satisfied with, just say so.

36:28I'll have someone change it right away.

36:29I don't have any special requirements

36:31for my living environment. Compared to

36:32the small house I grew up in, this place

36:35is just too comfortable. Not to mention,

36:37the room also has such a large

36:38floor-to-ceiling window. Stepping

36:40outside, you can take in the entire

36:41beautiful mountain scenery. Mom, there's

36:43no need to change anything.

36:45I like it very much. This place is much

36:47better than where I lived before.

36:48Hearing this, Mother Jiang's eyes

36:50reddened again. It felt like ever since

36:52she met me, Mother Jiang had been

36:54shedding tears. I felt a little

36:55heartbroken and took Mother Jiang's

36:57hand. I am not very good at comforting

36:58people. Mom, don't be sad. I am back by

37:02your side now. Mother Jiang stopped

37:04crying and smiled. She wiped her tears.

37:07Mm, my Jiang Chen is right. You're back.

37:10You're back by my side. Jiang Chen, from

37:12now on, Mom will treat you doubly well.

37:14The mother and son talked for a while

37:16longer before Mother Jiang reluctantly

37:18left. After Mother Jiang left, I looked

37:21at the completely unfamiliar environment

37:22and decided to take a simple tour of my

37:24new room. My new room was very large,

37:26even larger than the small house I

37:27shared with my grandmother. Taking a

37:29walk around, the level of luxury here

37:31was truly beyond my imagination. Then I

37:33explored the other places in the room

37:35and discovered that the room was

37:36connected to an adjacent room. It was a

37:38study, decorated in a classical style,

37:41making me feel as if I had time

37:42traveled. In the study, there were two

37:44rows of very tall and large bookshelves

37:46filled with all kinds of books. The

37:48study also had a floor-to-ceiling

37:49window. Pushing it open revealed a long

37:51suspended corridor. The end of the long

37:53corridor also connected to a room. I was

37:55really curious, so I tiptoed along the

37:57long corridor. Standing in front of the

37:59identical door, the floor-to-ceiling

38:01window of the study, I peeked inside. It

38:03was pitch black inside with no light. I

38:05hesitated for a moment. I pushed it

38:07lightly and found that the door was

38:08unlocked. I gently turned the handle and

38:10opened the door. At the same time,

38:12someone opened the door from the other

38:13end of the room. The lights turned on.

38:15Bai Luoyan and I, wearing bathrobes,

38:18stared at each other. Clearly, we had

38:20both just finished showering. We were

38:22both stunned. Then my eyes unconsciously

38:24fell upon the fair chest of Bailuoyan,

38:26which was exposed to the air. After a

38:28moment of surprise, Bailuoyan regained

38:30her composure. Seeing me staring at her

38:32chest, the corner of her mouth lifted

38:34slightly. Is it beautiful? Sorry. Sorry.

38:37I slammed Bailuoyan's study door shut. I

38:39frantically ran back along the long

38:41corridor to my own study and slammed the

38:43study door shut. I leaned against the

38:44door panting, but in my mind, the image

38:47of Bailuoyan in her bathrobe kept

38:49replaying. Along with her fair skin, my

38:52cheeks burned. I used my hand to fan

38:53myself continuously, trying to reduce

38:55the heat on my face, but the image of

38:57Bailuoyan kept lingering in my mind,

39:00refusing to fade, making it impossible

39:02for me to calm down. The study in my

39:03room is connected to Bailuoyan's study

39:05next door. Are our rooms that close to

39:07each other? I felt like I couldn't keep

39:09thinking about it, or I would really

39:10boil over. So, I found my clothes in the

39:12dressing room and went straight to the

39:14bathroom. After coming out, I carefully

39:17lay down on the large bed in the room.

39:19The bedding had probably just been

39:20washed and dried. It not only smelled

39:21fresh, but also had the scent of

39:23sunshine. At first, I thought that being

39:25in an unfamiliar environment, I would

39:27definitely be sleepless until morning,

39:29but I don't know if it was because I was

39:30too tired or because this bed was too

39:32comfortable, but I fell fast asleep not

39:34long after lying down.

39:36In my dream, I saw my grandmother. She

39:38stood not far away, looking at me

39:40kindly. I hurried towards her and threw

39:42myself into her arms. Grandma,

39:44I miss you so much. She kindly patted my

39:46back. Good boy. This way, I can leave in

39:49peace. Hearing her say she wanted to

39:51leave, I couldn't help but hug her

39:53tighter. After a long while, I

39:55reluctantly let go. I gave her a bright

39:57smile. Grandma, you must be happy in

39:59your next life. She nodded. Her figure

40:01gradually turned into specs of light and

40:03disappeared before my eyes. I reached

40:05out, wanting to grasp something, but in

40:08the end, I caught nothing. Early the

40:10next morning, the maids heard a

40:11clattering sound. The maids looked at

40:13each other and quickly went to the

40:14kitchen to see. They saw only the second

40:16young master who had just returned home

40:18yesterday, now wearing an apron and

40:19cooking. Hearing the noise, I turned my

40:22head and smiled at the maids. The maids

40:24were stunned on the spot. After

40:25recovering, they immediately went

40:27forward and snatched the spatula from my

40:29hand. Second young master, why are you

40:31up so early? Yes, yes. Just leave these

40:34things to us. Second young master, if

40:36the master and madam find out, we'll be

40:38in big trouble. I immediately

40:40interrupted them, smiling and saying,

40:42"I'll talk to my parents about it. I

40:43woke up early, so I just made some

40:45breakfast." The maids looked at each

40:47other again. Second young master, if you

40:49take our jobs, what will we do? Before,

40:52I only thought about personally cooking

40:53breakfast for the Jiang family, but I

40:55didn't think about this issue. I smile

40:57apologetically at them. I am sorry. I

41:00just wanted to personally make breakfast

41:01for my parents. Today is the last time.

41:04From now on, I'll still let you all do

41:06it. The maids immediately breathed a

41:07sigh of relief. I really felt a bit

41:09embarrassed. It seems I almost stole

41:11someone else's livelihood. After Mother

41:12Jiang woke up, the first thing she did

41:14was come to my room. But after knocking

41:16for a long time, there was no sound

41:18inside. She thought I wasn't awake yet.

41:20As a result, she, Father Jiang, and my

41:23siblings, the Jiang siblings, just came

41:25downstairs and saw me bringing out

41:27breakfast. I heard footsteps and looked

41:28up and saw the four members of the Jiang

41:30family standing there, stunned. A bright

41:32smile appeared on my face. Mom, Dad,

41:35brother, sister, I've made breakfast.

41:38Come and eat. The four Jiang family

41:39members came to their senses and quickly

41:41came downstairs, standing by the dining

41:43table. There was both Chinese and

41:45Western-style breakfast. Jiang Wanru

41:47blinked her eyes at me. Jiang Chen, did

41:49you make all of this? I nodded shyly,

41:51but had no intention of taking credit. I

41:53woke up early, so I just made a little

41:55something. Everyone, try it and see if

41:57you like it. Whether they liked it or

41:58not, the Jiang family would definitely

42:00finish the breakfast. Mother Jiang held

42:02my hand with a pain heart. My dear, you

42:04woke up early to make breakfast. I

42:05nodded. Suddenly, as if I thought of

42:08something, I quickly said, "I just

42:10couldn't sleep in the morning, so I got

42:11up to make breakfast. From now on,

42:14just let the maids handle these things.

42:16I can sleep in a little more. Father

42:18Jiang and Mother Jiang knew I was

42:19worried. They would blame the maids for

42:21not being diligent. When Mother Jiang

42:22heard that, she also couldn't help but

42:24breathe a sigh of relief. The way of

42:26living together still needs to be slowly

42:27harmonized. Father Jiang reached out and

42:29hugged both mother and child, pushing us

42:31to sit down at the dining table. Let's

42:33hurry and taste our son's cooking. It

42:35won't be good if it gets cold. Mother

42:37Jiang nodded with a smile. All right,

42:39you'll have a taste. I made this

42:40breakfast on the table with my own

42:41hands. Even if it's not delicious, they

42:44would eat it all. Besides, my cooking

42:46skills really aren't bad. The breakfast

42:47was simple, but the flavor was no worse

42:50than the chefs at home. Moreover, when I

42:52was making breakfast earlier, I had

42:53intentionally asked the auntie in the

42:55house about the Jiang family's tastes,

42:57and then made it according to their

42:58preferences to make a special breakfast

42:59for everyone. After the four members of

43:01the Jiang family tasted the breakfast

43:03before them, everyone showed a satisfied

43:05expression. Father Jiang praised it as

43:07delicious while eating. Our Jiang Shen's

43:09cooking skills are really good, on par

43:11with the chef at home. Mother Jiang

43:13chimed in. It's really delicious. Older

43:15brother had a look of surprise. Little

43:17brother, have you learned this before?

43:19Seeing my family eating happily, I also

43:21felt very happy inside. During my high

43:23school summer break, I used to work

43:25part-time at a breakfast diner. The

43:27breakfast at that diner was delicious.

43:28Every day before dawn, there was already

43:30a long line. When I spoke of this, my

43:32tone was very calm, with no intention of

43:35playing the victim. But to the ears of

43:36the Jiang family, it didn't sound like

43:38that at all. Their little brother had to

43:39work during his high school summer

43:41break, going out to work for money

43:42before dawn. Jiang Yiyang and Jiang

43:45Wanru recalled their own high school

43:47summer breaks were either spent

43:48traveling or at home, occasionally going

43:51out to eat and shop with friends.

43:54With such a comparison, Jiang Yang and

43:56Jiang Wanru suddenly felt a bit ashamed.

43:58Even more ashamed were Father Jiang and

44:00Mother Jiang. It was their negligence

44:02that caused them to lose their young

44:03son, making him suffer so many

44:05hardships. Father Jiang and Jiang Yiyang

44:07were truly father and son. I saw both of

44:09them simultaneously take out a black

44:11card from their pockets and shove them

44:13straight into my hands. Son, take it.

44:15Buy whatever you want. Just spend

44:17freely. My older brother beside me also

44:19took out a black card. Little brother,

44:21take it. Buy whatever you want. Just

44:23spend freely. I stared blankly at the

44:25two black cards in my hand. It took me a

44:27long time to come to my senses. Jiang

44:29Wanru reacted a bit slower and was about

44:31to take a card out of her bag, but I

44:33quickly stopped her. Sister, don't take

44:35it out. Jiang Wanru pouted, looking a

44:37little wronged, annoyed at herself for

44:39not reacting as fast as her father and

44:41older brother. I pushed the two black

44:42cards back towards them. You all can

44:44take these cards back. In that moment,

44:46the expressions of everyone in the Jiang

44:48family looked a bit hurt. They wanted to

44:50make it up to their son, but they didn't

44:51know what I liked. So, they thought of

44:53just giving me money directly so I could

44:54buy whatever I liked. After all, the one

44:57thing the Jiang family didn't lack was

44:59money. Even if I spent lavishly, they

45:01could afford it. But, I refused to

45:02accept their black cards. This made my

45:04father and older brother a little

45:05heartbroken. Mother Jiang saw what her

45:07husband and son were thinking. She took

45:09the two black cards and placed them back

45:10in front of me. Your father and older

45:12brother just want to make it up to you.

45:13Just accept it with peace of mind. I

45:15looked at Mother Jiang, then at my

45:17father and older brother with their hurt

45:18expressions, and finally took the two

45:20cards. It's not like I have many places

45:22to spend money anyway. They're just two

45:24cards. If I have to accept them, I will.

45:27Just then, a few figures walked in

45:28through the main door. It was the four

45:30members of the Bai family. Actually, the

45:32Bai family has another daughter, but she

45:34is currently studying abroad and

45:35couldn't come back. Grandma Bai hadn't

45:38even arrived, but her voice already had.

45:40Grandson-in-law, Grandma's here to see

45:42you. Everyone in the Jiang family stood

45:43up to welcome them. Grandma Bai saw the

45:45table full of breakfast and asked

45:47doubtfully, "Little Jiang, did your

45:49family change breakfast chefs?" Father

45:51Jiang looked at me with a proud

45:52expression. It was Jiang Shen who woke

45:54up early to make it. Grandma Bai, have

45:56some. As soon as the Bai family's

45:58matriarch heard her grandson-in-law made

45:59it, she immediately sat down at the

46:01table, picked up her chopsticks, and

46:03started eating. Seeing this, I spoke up.

46:06Grandma Bai, please wait a moment. The

46:08Bai family matriarch's chopsticks

46:10stopped mid-air. I was seen running

46:11quickly into the kitchen and bringing

46:13out a few other lighter dishes, placing

46:15the breakfast in front of her. Seeing

46:17everyone's eyes on me, I felt a bit shy.

46:19I heard Grandma Bai might be coming, so

46:21I specially made these lighter dishes

46:23for you. It's better for the elderly to

46:24eat something light in the morning.

46:26Everyone from the Bai and Jiang families

46:28knew that the Bai family matriarch had a

46:29preference for strong flavors and hated

46:31light-tasting dishes the most. Bai Luo

46:33Yan was about to speak when she saw

46:35Grandma Bai cheerfully pick up and eat

46:37those light breakfast dishes. On her

46:39face, there wasn't the slightest hint of

46:41dislike or reluctance. This time,

46:43everyone was a little surprised. The Bai

46:45family matriarch ate while smiling at

46:46me. My grandson-in-law is still the one

46:48who cares for me most. The Bai couple

46:50looked at each other helplessly. How

46:51could they not care for the Bai family

46:53matriarch? Hadn't they advised her

46:54before to eat lighter meals? But had

46:56Grandma Bai ever listened? As a result,

46:59I just said that, and Grandma Bai ate it

47:01happily. Indeed, people are treated

47:03differently by different people. Father

47:05Jiang smiled and invited the Bai family

47:07to sit down. Actually,

47:09I had also prepared a separate breakfast

47:11for the other three. With one meal, I

47:13had directly won the affection of the

47:15Bai family. When I brought the breakfast

47:17to Bai Luo Yan, I suddenly remembered

47:19last night's awkward incident. My cheeks

47:21immediately flushed red. But Bai Luo Yan

47:23acted as if nothing had happened.

47:25Looking at the breakfast in front of her

47:27and that cup of black coffee, a small

47:29glint appeared in her deep eyes. Thank

47:31you. Her clear and pleasant voice rang

47:33in my ear. My heart skipped a beat.

47:35You're welcome. Everyone saw the

47:36interaction between the two of us and

47:38exchanged a knowing glance. At the

47:40dining table, the two families were

47:42cheerful and harmonic. The conversation

47:43was very pleasant. I am not a very

47:45outgoing person, so I just listened

47:47quietly on the side. After the meal, a

47:49clear voice suddenly sounded beside me.

47:51Want to go for a walk outside? As soon

47:53as I looked up, Bai Luo Yan and already

47:55standing beside me, just looking at me

47:57quietly. Hearing this, Mother Jiang and

47:59Mother Bei smiled and looked at the two

48:01of us. A walk would be nice. Seeing both

48:03mothers say so, I felt that if I refused

48:05now Bai Luo Yan's offer, it wouldn't be

48:08very appropriate. So, I stood up and

48:09followed her out of the living room.

48:11Mother Jiang and Mother Bei looked at

48:12the two of them and smiled with

48:14satisfaction at the same time.

48:16Mother Bai chuckled. It seems the two

48:18kids don't dislike each other. Mother

48:19Jiang also had an excited expression. It

48:22would be great if they really hit it

48:23off. In the courtyard, I looked at the

48:25meticulously cared for flower beds and

48:27felt that walking in such an environment

48:29improved my mood quite a bit. Bai Luo

48:31Yan didn't say much. Walking side by

48:33side with me on the gravel path in the

48:35Jiang family's courtyard, I felt that

48:37just walking like this without saying

48:38anything, so I wondered what topic we

48:40should talk about. But, Bai Luo Yan and

48:42I weren't close and I didn't know what I

48:43could talk to her about. Suddenly,

48:46Bai Luo Yan spoke. Jiang Shen, such an

48:49intimate form of address made me a

48:50little unaccustomed, but Bai Luo Yan

48:52seemed very casual. She lightly parted

48:54her red lips. You know our families have

48:56been friends for generations, right? I

48:58nodded. I know that. Right after, I

49:00heard Bai Luo Yan say, "Then do you know

49:02that since you were born, you've had a

49:04childhood betrothal to me?" I turned my

49:06head in astonishment to look at Bai Luo

49:07Yan, blinking blankly a few times. I

49:10really couldn't react for a moment. I

49:11really didn't know about this. Whether

49:13it was my parents or my older brother

49:15and sister, none of them had ever told

49:16me this. They probably just hadn't

49:18gotten around to telling me. But, seeing

49:19Grandma Bei's attitude yesterday and how

49:22she kept calling me grandson-in-law, I

49:24had actually guessed a little. It's just

49:26that I had always been ignoring this

49:27speculation before. Now that Bai Luo Yan

49:29brought it up so frankly, I felt like I

49:31couldn't continue to play dumb.

49:32Arranging childhood betrothals among

49:34wealthy families is a very normal thing.

49:36The elders of both families know each

49:38other and have a very close

49:39relationship. Wanting their children to

49:40become even closer is also a very normal

49:42thought. Bai Luo Yan stopped, turned her

49:45head, and leaned slightly close to my

49:47face. The corners of her mouth slightly

49:49raised. So, what are your thoughts? Bai

49:51Luo Yan's sudden closeness made me a bit

49:53flustered. I instinctively wanted to

49:55step back, but my legs wouldn't obey.

49:57Seeing Bai Luo Yan staring at me, I felt

50:00a bit shy. I awkwardly averted my gaze.

50:02I haven't thought it through yet. Bai

50:04Luo Yan straightened up, her tone

50:06somewhat relaxed, not rejecting it

50:07outright. I was stunned.

50:09Then my cheeks felt a bit hot. I felt

50:11that what Bai Luo Yan just said was a

50:13bit ambiguous. Moreover, Bai Luo Yan's

50:15words could make people misunderstand

50:17that she likes me. I tried to calm my

50:19mood and looked up at Bai Luo Yan. What

50:21about you? What are your thoughts on

50:23this betrothal? I didn't feel like I was

50:25the type of person who could make Bai

50:27Luo Yan fall for me at first sight. When

50:29the elders of both sides arranged the

50:30betrothal, they didn't ask for Bai Luo

50:32Yan's and my opinion. Maybe Bai Luo Yan

50:34was very against this betrothal. Bai Luo

50:37Yan didn't think for long. Her tone

50:38still as gentle as before. I don't

50:40dislike it. So, that means you like it.

50:42Right? I felt my heart start to beat a

50:44little faster. Even the air around us,

50:46because of Bai Luo Yan's recent words,

50:48seemed to be filled with pink bubbles.

50:50It felt like Bai Luo Yan was saying she

50:52liked me. I tried to calm my fluttering

50:54heart. So, do you accept the betrothal

50:56arranged by the elders? Bai Luo Yan

50:58glanced at me and suddenly reached out

50:59to pull my arm saying, I can wait for

51:01you to agree. I froze, looking up at her

51:03face. Bai Luo Yan's stunningly beautiful

51:06face. I stared and stared. I

51:08unconsciously became entranced. Bai Luo

51:11Yan saw my love struck expression and

51:13the corners of her mouth curved up

51:14slightly. It seems you're very satisfied

51:16with this face of mine. Coming back to

51:18my senses, I needed to calm down a bit.

51:20Then I suddenly remembered my

51:21ex-girlfriend. After thinking for a long

51:23time, I slowly spoke. Bai Luo Yan,

51:26there's something I have to be honest

51:27with you about. Bai Luo Yan seemed to

51:29know what I was going to say. Her red

51:30lips pursed slightly.

51:32You want to tell me about you and your

51:33ex-girlfriend. I was stunned, then

51:35nodded honestly. Bai Luo Yan looked

51:37straight into my eyes and asked, how far

51:39did you two go? I didn't expect Bai Luo

51:41Yan to be so direct. I was stunned for a

51:43few seconds before I recover. We only

51:45dated for a year. We held hands and

51:47hugged, but we never kissed. She and I

51:49have already broken up. It's completely

51:51over. I won't look back in the future.

51:53Hearing that, the corners of Bai Luo

51:55Yan's mouth curved up slightly. She

51:56seemed to be in a very good mood. She

51:58reached out and gently placed her hand

52:00on my shoulder. Her tone light, but

52:01incredibly gentle. Can I kiss you? I

52:03thought I might be having an auditory

52:05hallucination. What did you just say?

52:06Bai Luo Yan patiently repeated herself.

52:09So, can I kiss you? I stared at her,

52:12stunned, my mind a complete mess. Seeing

52:14me stand there frozen, she tilted her

52:16head up slightly and moved closer to me.

52:18I watched her face get closer and

52:19closer.

52:20Swallowing nervously, Bai Luo Yan

52:22stopped 5 cm away from me and chuckled

52:24softly. Jiang Shen,

52:26you should close your eyes now. I

52:28obediently listened and closed my eyes.

52:30Without my sight, my other senses became

52:32sharper. I could clearly feel a pure,

52:34rich fragrance wafting past my nose. It

52:36was Bai Luo Yan's scent. Feeling Bai Luo

52:39Yan getting closer and closer, I tensed

52:41up and furrowed my brows slightly. Bai

52:43Luo Yan took in my small action and

52:45sighed inwardly. Her warm, gentle lips

52:48placed a kiss on my cheek. Having my

52:49cheek kissed, I opened my eyes in

52:51surprise. Bai Luo Yan smiled gently. I

52:54don't want to scare you too soon. After

52:56saying that, she let go of my shoulder,

52:58increasing the ambiguous distance

52:59between us. I immediately felt the scent

53:01fade significantly. For some reason, I

53:03felt a little disappointed. Bai Luo Yan

53:05didn't miss the fleeting look of

53:06disappointment in my eyes. She quietly

53:08composed her expression. Let's go. I'll

53:11show you around a bit. After that,

53:13neither I nor Bai Luo Yan mentioned the

53:15kiss in the courtyard just now. After

53:17walking for a while longer, I couldn't

53:19help but think of my late grandmother

53:20again. Bai Luo Yan saw that my mood had

53:22dropped a little, so she naturally

53:24changed the subject. I've helped find a

53:26place with very good feng shui for

53:28Grandma Jiang. Tomorrow is an auspicious

53:30day. Do you want to see her off on her

53:32final journey? I nodded hastily. I

53:34brought my grandmother's ashes thousands

53:36of miles to Jing Cheng, choosing to let

53:38her rest here. Of course, I have have

53:40see her off on her final journey. I was

53:42just a little surprised that the task of

53:43finding a burial place fell to Bai

53:45Luoyan. Luoyan, you haven't you been

53:48busy these past few days? In my

53:50impression, the richer people are, the

53:52busier they are. Such a large company,

53:55so many businesses to manage. They must

53:57be swamped every day.

53:58But looking at her now, Bai Luoyan

54:00didn't seem at all like the CEO of a

54:02large corporation. Bai Luoyan also

54:05didn't intentionally explain her work

54:07matters.

54:08It's fine. I am the boss. I can be lazy.

54:10I looked at Bai Luoyan in surprise. I

54:13used to think she was cold, but I didn't

54:15expect her to know how to joke. In the

54:17evening, I had just finished showering

54:18and came out of the bathroom when there

54:20was a knock on my door. I went to open

54:22it and saw my mother standing there.

54:24Mom, please come in. Mom came in, pulled

54:26me to sit on the sofa beside her, and

54:28held my hand. My dear son, is there

54:30anything you're not used to since coming

54:31home? If there's anything, you must tell

54:33me. I nodded. There's nothing I am not

54:36used to. The food is good and the living

54:38conditions are great. After chatting for

54:39a while, Mom finally got to the main

54:41purpose of this conversation. Jiang

54:44Shen, actually, before you were born,

54:47your grandmother and grandma Bai next

54:48door arranged a betrothal for you and

54:50Luoyan. Before, we were afraid you

54:52wouldn't be able to accept it right

54:54away, so we haven't told you. But I see

54:56that you and that girl get along very

54:58well, so My cheeks turned slightly red,

55:01but I always had a question in my heart.

55:02Why wasn't the betrothal for my older

55:04brother? He was born before me. Mother

55:06Jiang smiled. Actually, at first, the

55:09elders of both families did want to

55:10arrange a betrothal for Luoyan and Jiang

55:12Yiyang, but the two of them didn't like

55:14each other. It just so happened that I

55:15was pregnant with you at the time, so

55:17the betrothal was arranged for you and

55:18Luoyan. But whether you two can be

55:20together or not still depends on your

55:22and Luoyan's wishes. So, Jiang Shen,

55:26what are your thoughts? Mom also wanted

55:27to know my thoughts. She felt she had

55:29wronged this son too much. If I clearly

55:31said I didn't like Bai Luoyan, they

55:33wouldn't force me to marry Bai Luoyan. I

55:35suddenly remembered what happened in the

55:36courtyard during the day. I don't

55:38dislike it. Hearing that, Mom quickly

55:40spoke up. "Jiang Chen, you're not

55:42rejecting it outright, which means

55:43there's still a possibility, right?" I

55:45nodded. During the day in the courtyard,

55:47I didn't outright reject Bai Luo Yan, so

55:50tonight, I wouldn't reject it in front

55:52of Mother Jiang either. Besides,

55:54I felt that I had a good impression of

55:56Bai Luo Yan. This feeling was different

55:58from when I liked Shen Xiao Wei. It

56:00seemed more natural. It's just that I

56:01just broke up with Shen Xiao Wei.

56:03Although I've completely lost hope in

56:05her, my heart isn't completely empty

56:07yet. Being with Bai Luo Yan right now

56:09would be unfair to her. Mom, I don't

56:11intend to be in a relationship for the

56:12time. Hearing that, Mom was stunned,

56:14then looked at me with a puzzled

56:15expression. "Jiang Chen, I can see that

56:18you have a good impression of Bai Luo

56:19Yan." I hesitated for a moment, but

56:21still recounted the story of me and Shen

56:23Xiao Wei. After Mom learned what Shen

56:24Xiao Wei had done, she was so shocked,

56:27she couldn't speak for a long time, and

56:28hugged me with heartache. "If only we

56:30could have found you a few days earlier,

56:32then you wouldn't have had to go through

56:33such a terrible thing. My poor son,

56:35you've been wronged." After that, Mom

56:37talked with me for a while longer before

56:39returning to her room. The next day, I

56:41still woke up early in the morning.

56:42Today, I had arranged with Bai Luo Yan

56:45to take my grandmother's ashes to the

56:46cemetery, so I woke up very early on

56:48purpose. I wasn't sure when Bai Luo Yan

56:50would arrive, so I just waited in the

56:52living room. I originally planned to

56:54contact Bai Luo Yan by phone, but then I

56:56remembered that I had thrown away my old

56:58phone and SIM card in a trash can at the

56:59Beijing Airport. I still hadn't bought a

57:01new phone and SIM card. No wonder it

57:03felt unusually quiet these past 2 days.

57:05Bai Luo Yan also arrived very early.

57:08When she came, she was carrying a bag. I

57:10was a little puzzled when I saw the bag.

57:11Then I saw Bai Luo Yan hold the bag

57:13straight out in front of me. I pointed

57:15to myself. "For me?" Bai Luo Yan smiled

57:18and nodded. "Yes, a gift for you. Hurry

57:21and open it. See if you like it." I

57:23curiously took a box out of the bag.

57:25Inside the box was the latest model of a

57:26phone. Bai Luo Yan had even prepared a

57:28new SIM card for for as well. I looked

57:31at the phone with a pleasant surprise.

57:32Just now, I was thinking about buying a

57:34new phone, and it turned out Bai Luo Yan

57:36had already bought one for me. I fiddled

57:38with the latest model phone in my hand,

57:40a smile on my face. Yeah,

57:42I like it. I was just about to buy a new

57:44phone. After saying that, I put the new

57:46phone in my and left with the urn of my

57:48grandmother's ashes and Bai Luo Yan. At

57:50this time, the four members of the Jiang

57:51family were not awake yet, so I informed

57:53the butler at home that Bai Luo Yan and

57:56I were going out and asked the butler to

57:57tell my parents my whereabouts after

57:59they woke up. Seeing me with Bai Luo

58:01Yan, the butler was very relieved to see

58:04his young master leave. Ling Shan

58:06Cemetery, the car stopped steadily at

58:08the cemetery gate. I got out of the car

58:09holding the urn. With Bai Luo Yan

58:12walking beside me, we followed the staff

58:14to the burial plot. The staff helped

58:15place the urn inside the grave. Bai Luo

58:17Yan and I stood aside, watching

58:20silently. The rims of my eyes were a

58:21little red, but I didn't cry. Grandma

58:24wouldn't want to see me crying all the

58:25time. I spoke for a while in front of

58:27her grave, then left with Bai Luo Yan.

58:29After interring my grandmother's ashes

58:31at the cemetery, I felt like I had

58:32completely settled a weight on my mind.

58:34It's just that I had just returned to

58:35the Jiang home with Bai Luo Yan when my

58:37brother and mother took me out again,

58:39and Bai Luo Yan, who hadn't had a chance

58:41to leave yet, was drafted as a driver to

58:44go out with us. I turned my head to look

58:45at the two people sitting in the back

58:47seat and asked, "Mom, Brother, where are

58:49we going?" Mom smiled and said, "I just

58:51see that you're too thin, so I thought

58:53I'd take you for a full physical checkup

58:55to help you build up your body. Right

58:57now, nothing is more important than your

58:58health." Her tone left no room for me to

59:00refuse. Even Bai Luo Yan, who was

59:03driving, nodded in agreement. What else

59:05could I say? She slowly spoke, "Jiang

59:08Shen, Auntie Jiang is also worried about

59:10your health. Be a good boy and go for

59:12the checkup. Everyone will feel at

59:13ease." "Does everyone include you?" My

59:16mind suddenly wandered. I spoke this

59:17sentence without thinking. The

59:18atmosphere in the car immediately fell

59:20silent. After a long moment, only Bai

59:22Luo Yan's soft chuckle could be heard.

59:24"Yes, it includes me, too. So, Jiang

59:26Shen, be good. I heard Bai Luo Yan use a

59:29tone like she was coaxing a child. I

59:31didn't say I wasn't going. I didn't

59:33intend to refuse in the first place. My

59:34brother raised an eyebrow and then

59:36turned his head to look at Bai Luo Yan

59:38driving. Bai Luo Yan, did you hear that?

59:40My little brother isn't doing it for

59:41you. Bai Luo Yan chuckled and spoke, "M,

59:45well, he'll keep trying next time." With

59:46the two of them bantering back and

59:48forth, I could only shut my mouth. They

59:50took me to the private hospital owned by

59:51the Jiang family. Since it was our

59:53family's hospital, there was no need to

59:55wait in line at all. We could start the

59:56checkup as soon as we arrived. I just

59:58didn't expect to get stuck on the very

1:00:00first test item. The first item was a

1:00:02blood draw, but the problem was that my

1:00:04veins were too small. The nurse pricked

1:00:05me several times, but couldn't

1:00:07accurately find a vein. This made Mother

1:00:08Jiang, who was watching from the side,

1:00:11and Jiang Yi Yang's hearts ache

1:00:12terribly. My brother has a hotter

1:00:14temper. Seeing that the nurse had missed

1:00:16the mark again, he said unhappily, "Do

1:00:18you even know how to draw blood? Are you

1:00:20treating my little brother like a test

1:00:21subject?" The young nurse was also

1:00:23sweating bullets with anxiety. She had

1:00:24worked hard to get a job here and didn't

1:00:26want to lose it because of this. I saw

1:00:28the anxiety in the young nurse's eyes

1:00:30and said softly, "Brother, it's okay.

1:00:33It's my problem. My veins are too

1:00:35small." Seeing his little brother say

1:00:37this, my brother couldn't say anything

1:00:38more to the young nurse. The nurse was

1:00:40anxious and the more anxious she got,

1:00:42the harder it was to find the spot.

1:00:43Seeing that my arm had already been

1:00:45pricked several times by her with no

1:00:47more room to prick, she was about to cry

1:00:49from worry. Suddenly, Bai Luo Yan's

1:00:51voice came from the side. "Let me."

1:00:53Several pairs of eyes simultaneously

1:00:55turned towards Bai Luo Yan. I saw that

1:00:58she had started to seriously sterilize

1:01:00her hands and the needle. I looked at

1:01:01her with a doubtful expression. "Bai Luo

1:01:03Yan, can you do it? Maybe we should just

1:01:05leave it to the professional if you

1:01:06really can't." I hadn't finished my

1:01:08sentence when I saw Bai Luo Yan

1:01:10skillfully take the sterilized needle,

1:01:12first carefully observing the vein on

1:01:14the inside of my arm for a moment, and

1:01:16then accurately inserted the needle. I

1:01:17didn't expect Bai Luo Yan to succeed on

1:01:19the first try. I was also a bit dazed. I

1:01:22stared blankly as Bai Luo Yan calmly

1:01:24removed her gloves. Did you study

1:01:25medicine before? Bai Luo Yan shook her

1:01:28head, her tone nonchalant. It looked

1:01:30quite simple. One sentence was a direct

1:01:32slap in the face to the other nurse. The

1:01:34corner of Jiang Yan's mouth twitched.

1:01:36That really sounded like a humble brag,

1:01:38but Bai Luo Yan had the right to say it.

1:01:40Look at how accurately she inserted the

1:01:41needle just now. I held the cotton ball

1:01:43on my forearm with one hand, my eyes

1:01:45twinkling as if filled with little

1:01:46stars. Luo Yan, you're amazing. Bai Luo

1:01:49Yan chuckled and said, "I just wanted

1:01:51you to get pricked a few less times." I

1:01:53shook my head, indicating it didn't

1:01:55hurt. After passing the first difficult

1:01:56hurdle of the blood draw, the subsequent

1:01:58tests went much more smoothly. It's

1:02:00great to have a hospital owned by my own

1:02:01family.

1:02:03After a series of tests, only 2 hours

1:02:05had passed. My mother and brother

1:02:06insisted on staying at the hospital to

1:02:08wait for the test reports. As for me,

1:02:10because I had to get my blood drawn

1:02:11earlier, I hadn't eaten anything. So,

1:02:13Bai Luo Yan took me to a nearby private

1:02:16restaurant. I asked curiously, "Is this

1:02:18private restaurant also your family's

1:02:19business?" Bai Luo Yan shook her head

1:02:21and said it was my family's. Oh. Well, I

1:02:24felt I shouldn't have asked that

1:02:26redundant question. The waiter led Bai

1:02:27Luo Yan to her usual private room. As

1:02:29soon as we sat down, before I could even

1:02:31look at the menu, Bai Luo Yan had

1:02:33already skillfully ordered several

1:02:35dishes.

1:02:36Then I was surprised to find that among

1:02:38them were several of my favorite dishes.

1:02:39The waiter left after taking the order.

1:02:41I turned my head to look at Bai Luo Yan.

1:02:43How did you know I like to eat those

1:02:44dishes? Bai Luo Yan acted as if it was

1:02:46nothing. If one wants to know, one will

1:02:48naturally find out. I was stunned for a

1:02:50long time. Suddenly, I thought of Shen

1:02:52Xiaowei. I knew her for a year. I knew

1:02:55all of her preferences clearly, but Shen

1:02:57Xiaowei often couldn't remember what I

1:02:58like to eat. A few times, Shen Xiaowei

1:03:01took me out to eat. She always ordered

1:03:02the dishes I disliked the most. At the

1:03:04time, I didn't think anything of it and

1:03:06even made excuses for Shen Xiaowei. I

1:03:08felt that she probably just wasn't

1:03:10paying attention. Comparing her with Bai

1:03:11Luo Yan, I feel that before

1:03:14the rose-colored glasses of love I had

1:03:16for Shen Xiaowei were really too thick.

1:03:18This private restaurant serves food very

1:03:20quickly. I hadn't waited long before the

1:03:22server brought the dishes we ordered.

1:03:23While we were eating, Bai Luo Yan's

1:03:25phone rang. She took it out, looked, and

1:03:27calmly answered, "Sister Luo Yan, I

1:03:29heard you're back from Beichang. Are you

1:03:31free tonight? Let's go hang out." Bai

1:03:33Luo Yan glanced at me eating and said,

1:03:35"No, I'm not free." "What are you busy

1:03:38with?" "I am with my fiance." I was so

1:03:40startled by Bai Luo Yan's words that I

1:03:42spat out all the soup in my mouth. The

1:03:44other end of the line also fell silent.

1:03:45Then came a woman's piercing scream. "Oh

1:03:47my god. Oh my god. You found my

1:03:50brother-in-law. Sister Luo Yan,

1:03:52is brother-in-law with you right now?

1:03:53Don't you dare deny it. I heard him."

1:03:55Bai Luo Yan calmly handed me a tissue. I

1:03:58took it and wiped my mouth, but my

1:03:59attention was still on Bai Luo Yan.

1:04:01"Mhm, I found him a few days ago. Sister

1:04:04Luo Yan is finally getting married.

1:04:06Bring brother-in-law out to meet us. We

1:04:08all want to see him. Bring him out to

1:04:09hang out." "No means no." After saying

1:04:12that, Bai Luo Yan didn't wait for the

1:04:14other person to reply. She just hung up.

1:04:16I waved my hand and looked at Bai Luo

1:04:18Yan sheepishly. "I just choked by

1:04:20accident just now." "Mhm, I know."

1:04:23Seeing Bai Luo Yan go along with what I

1:04:25said, I, in turn, didn't know what to

1:04:27say. "Was the person on the phone just

1:04:29now your friend?" "Mhm, a childhood

1:04:31friend. She's also your sister's

1:04:33childhood friend." "Oh, they asked you

1:04:35to hang out. Why didn't you go?" Bai Luo

1:04:37Yan looked up at me, her eyes gentle. "I

1:04:39just said it. I have to be with my

1:04:41fiance." My cheeks flushed. Bai Luo Yan

1:04:44calmly nodded. "Mhm, then just consider

1:04:46it me unilaterally clinging to you." I

1:04:48feel like Bai Luo has completely

1:04:50crumbled in front of me. Is this still

1:04:51the cold, noble woman who sat in the

1:04:53back of the Maybach when we first met a

1:04:55few days ago? After eating, we returned

1:04:57to the private hospital. Mother had also

1:04:58gotten my full-body checkup report. The

1:05:00report showed that everything in my body

1:05:02was normal, just a little anemic and

1:05:04malnourished. Besides that, my body was

1:05:06a bit weak, but there were no major

1:05:08illnesses. When mother saw the test

1:05:09results, the great weight in her heart

1:05:11was finally lifted. She pulled my

1:05:12brother over and started planning how a

1:05:14a nutritionist would help me build up my

1:05:16body. It was already dark when we got

1:05:17home. Exhausted from the day, I fell

1:05:20straight onto the bed and slept soundly

1:05:21until the next morning. The second day

1:05:23after getting the full body checkup

1:05:25results, the Jiang family's private

1:05:26nutritionist had drafted a meal plan and

1:05:28sent it to Mother Jiang. Along with it

1:05:30was a workout plan created based on my

1:05:32physical condition. A reasonable diet

1:05:34combined with exercise, I believe my

1:05:36body would quickly recover. Knowing this

1:05:38was all my family's care for me, I

1:05:39didn't refuse. Every day, I seriously

1:05:42followed the schedule for exercise and

1:05:44rest on it. On the first day of my

1:05:45morning run, I ran into Bai Luo Yan, who

1:05:48was also preparing to run. Seeing me at

1:05:50the main gate, Bai Luo Yan didn't seem

1:05:52surprised at all. Let's go together.

1:05:54With Bai Luo Yan accompanying me, I felt

1:05:57that the morning run didn't seem so hard

1:05:59to accept after all. As soon as I

1:06:01entered the house after the run, I heard

1:06:03the complaining voices of my brother and

1:06:05sister coming from the living room. The

1:06:06two of them were fighting over who would

1:06:08run with me tomorrow. As a result,

1:06:10Mother, who was calmly drinking coffee

1:06:12nearby, extinguished their flames of

1:06:14hope with a single sentence. If you two

1:06:16can wake up as early as Luo Yan, I won't

1:06:18object. Hearing that, my brother and

1:06:20sister looked at each other. They

1:06:21silently lowered their heads, their

1:06:23faces showing that all hope was lost.

1:06:25They both have their own careers now.

1:06:27It's just that they've been relatively

1:06:28free lately because I just came back.

1:06:30Later, when they get back to work,

1:06:32waking up early would truly be torture.

1:06:34So, they really can't wake up early

1:06:35every day, let alone running with their

1:06:37younger brother. Just thinking about how

1:06:38their little brother would be lovingly

1:06:40jogging with Bai Luo Yan every morning,

1:06:42they couldn't stand the jealousy. Who

1:06:43can handle so much work every day and

1:06:45still go to bed early and wake up early?

1:06:48Bai Luo Yan can. Who can still wake up

1:06:50and consistently go for a run in the

1:06:52morning even after working very late?

1:06:54So, in short, the Jiang siblings could

1:06:56only say they couldn't compare. They

1:06:58couldn't compare at all. In the blink of

1:07:00an eye, a month had passed since I was

1:07:02brought back to the Jiang family. In

1:07:03this 1 month, I had adapted to life in

1:07:05the Jiang family. The changes were also

1:07:07very significant. The menu, designed by

1:07:09the nutritionist, plus the professional

1:07:11workout plan, and the various nourishing

1:07:13supplements from the Jiang family, my

1:07:15body became visibly healthier. At the

1:07:16dining table, father announced it was

1:07:18time to officially introduce me to

1:07:20everyone. Everyone in their circle knew

1:07:22that the Jiang family had a youngest son

1:07:24who was taken away not long after he was

1:07:26born. For over 20 years, the Jiang

1:07:28family had spent a lot of manpower and

1:07:30resources, but couldn't find their son

1:07:31who was lost out there. Now that I had

1:07:33been found by the Jiang family, my

1:07:35parents had long wanted to announce the

1:07:36news to the public. I nodded, "You and

1:07:38mom can decide. I will fully cooperate."

1:07:40Hearing that I agreed to hold a party,

1:07:42the whole family was very happy. Their

1:07:44eyes were filled with excited and

1:07:45agitated light. The party was scheduled

1:07:47for the evening in 7 days in the banquet

1:07:49hall of the hotel, Jiang Hao, the most

1:07:51luxurious hotel in city A. Mother and my

1:07:53sister excitedly dragged me to a

1:07:55high-end shopping mall to choose a suit.

1:07:57There, we ran into my high school

1:07:58classmate, Xian DuoDuo. "Are the suits

1:08:01here

1:08:02something that a dirt-poor guy like you

1:08:04can afford? A random suit here costs

1:08:06over 100,000. The expensive ones are

1:08:08several hundred thousand, even a

1:08:10million. If you damage it, can you

1:08:12afford to pay for it?" After scolding

1:08:13me, Xian DuoDuo still felt it wasn't

1:08:16enough. His gaze shifted to the

1:08:17salesperson. "When your store chooses

1:08:19customers, can't you screen them first?

1:08:21Don't just let any cat or dog in. What

1:08:23if they damage the clothes here? Can he

1:08:24afford to pay for it?" The salesperson

1:08:26was stunned into silence on the spot.

1:08:28Xian DuoDuo saw that both I and the

1:08:30salesperson were silent and thought his

1:08:32words had intimidated us. A sense of

1:08:34superiority welled up in his heart. His

1:08:36eyes fell on the suit in the

1:08:37salesperson's hands. His eyes lit up and

1:08:40he reached out to snatch it. With quick

1:08:41reflexes, I also grabbed the suit. Xian

1:08:44DuoDuo saw me fighting him for it and

1:08:46used even more force to snatch it. The

1:08:48salesperson beside us watched in terror.

1:08:51With a ripping sound, the suit was torn

1:08:53right down the middle. Xian DuoDuo, the

1:08:55villain, was the first to tattle. He

1:08:57pointed at me and said to the

1:08:58salesperson, "You saw it. He's the one

1:09:00who ruined the suit. Make him pay for

1:09:02it. After speaking, he intended to

1:09:05leave. I took a few steps forward and

1:09:06grabbed Qian Duo Duo's wrist. We ruined

1:09:08the suit together. Don't even think

1:09:10about leaving. Qian Duo Duo's face was

1:09:12filled with disbelief. Mother and my

1:09:14sister heard the argument and rushed

1:09:15over. Qian Duo Duo looked my mother and

1:09:18sister up and down. Seeing that their

1:09:19clothes didn't have any obvious brand

1:09:21logos, his expression immediately turned

1:09:23disdainful.

1:09:24Jiang Chen, why didn't I know you had a

1:09:26mother?

1:09:27Aren't you an orphan that your grandma

1:09:29picked up and raised? After speaking,

1:09:31Qian Duo Duo put on a disdainful

1:09:32Sweeping his eyes over Mother Jiang from

1:09:34head to toe. Looks like your birth

1:09:35mother is also a poor ghost. Just as

1:09:37expected. A perfect match for you. My

1:09:40eyes gradually grew cold. Qian Duo Duo's

1:09:43two sentences directly crossed my two

1:09:45boundaries. One was my grandmother, the

1:09:47other was my birth mother. I rushed

1:09:48forward and punched Qian Duo Duo in the

1:09:50face. Qian Duo Duo was knocked to the

1:09:52ground. Qian Duo Duo came to his senses

1:09:55and looked at me in disbelief.

1:09:57Jiang Chen, you dare to hit me? I got on

1:09:59top of him and punched him two more

1:10:01times. Mother and my sister were stunned

1:10:03beside me. After security came and

1:10:04pulled us apart, I finally regained some

1:10:06of my senses. Mother comforted me saying

1:10:08it was okay. My sister stepped forward

1:10:10and slapped Qian Duo Duo. Is my little

1:10:12brother someone you can hit? Qian Duo

1:10:14Duo was hit by me before.

1:10:16And now he was hit by my sister. He was

1:10:18already full of anger. His tone was

1:10:20naturally impolite. So, what if I hit

1:10:21him? I used to bully him all the time in

1:10:23high school. He didn't even dare to

1:10:25fart. Hearing Qian Duo Duo confess to

1:10:27bullying me in high school, I silently

1:10:29lit a stick of incense for him in my

1:10:30heart. Warriors are always brave enough

1:10:32to confess. My mother's and sister's

1:10:34expressions turned cold. My sister had

1:10:36learned self-defense since she was

1:10:37young. She stepped forward and kicked

1:10:39Qian Duo Duo. Qian Duo Duo was sent

1:10:41flying. He slammed hard into the wall

1:10:44and the pain immediately contorted his

1:10:45face. My sister's face was completely

1:10:47cold. The aura around her almost able to

1:10:50freeze people. She no longer had the

1:10:52image of the gentle and kind sister she

1:10:54was in front of me. HMH, offending our

1:10:57Jiang family and being stupid enough not

1:10:59to know it. Who gave you the gall to

1:11:00bully my Jiang Wan Ru's little brother?

1:11:03Qian Duo Duo was about to curse, but

1:11:05after hearing the words Jiang family and

1:11:08Jiang Wan Ru, he was immediately

1:11:09stunned. At that moment, several

1:11:11bodyguards in black suits rushed in.

1:11:13Jiang Wan Ru, with an indifferent

1:11:15expression, pointed at Qian Duo Duo on

1:11:17the ground. "Gag him and take him away

1:11:19from me." The bodyguards acted quickly,

1:11:21gagging Qian Duo Duo. Ignoring his

1:11:23struggles, they took him away.

1:11:26My sister let out a breath. She turned

1:11:27her head, her expression changing back

1:11:29to that of a sister. Gently, "Mom,

1:11:32little brother, I am going to take care

1:11:33of something." After speaking, she left.

1:11:36After the incident with Qian Duo Duo,

1:11:38mother was no longer in the mood to

1:11:39shop. She took me to the private

1:11:40hospital affiliated with the Jiang

1:11:42family for a mandatory checkup. After

1:11:44returning home, my father and brother

1:11:46heard about this and were very angry.

1:11:47"Who is it who has such big guts to dare

1:11:50bully my Jiang family's son?" At this

1:11:51time, my sister returned and handed a

1:11:53folder in her hand to father. My brother

1:11:55also leaned over to take a look. The

1:11:57father and son only got angrier the more

1:11:58they looked. The anger in their eyes

1:12:00vaguely seemed uncontrollable. A hint of

1:12:02guilt flashed across my sister's face.

1:12:04"Little Chen,

1:12:05I am sorry. I had people investigate

1:12:07what happened in your high school." She

1:12:08didn't finish her sentence, but I

1:12:10already understood. My high school

1:12:11matters were exposed to the Jiang

1:12:13family. This time,

1:12:15Qian Duo Duo's entire family couldn't

1:12:17hope to live in peace. At this point, my

1:12:19sister handed me another folder. After

1:12:21reading that folder, I was shocked. I

1:12:23never expected the Qian family to have

1:12:24secretly done so many bad things.

1:12:26Compared to a prestigious family like

1:12:28the Jiang family, the Qian family could

1:12:30only be said to have some petty cash,

1:12:32but I never expected that the Qian

1:12:33family's money all came from such

1:12:35activities. The Qian family still didn't

1:12:37know that because of Qian Duo Duo, the

1:12:39entire Qian family was implicated. At

1:12:41night, I had some trouble sleeping. So,

1:12:44I decided to go to the study to find a

1:12:46book to kill time. Suddenly,

1:12:48the door connecting the study to the

1:12:49eight sky corridor was knocked on. As

1:12:51soon as I turned my head, I saw Bai Luo

1:12:54Yan standing outside the door. I quickly

1:12:56put down the book in my hand and opened

1:12:58the door. Then, before Bai Luo Yan could

1:13:00speak, I pulled her into my study. "It's

1:13:03so cold outside. Why aren't you wearing

1:13:05more clothes? What if you catch a cold?"

1:13:07Bai Luo Yan looked at me, the corners of

1:13:10her mouth slightly raised. "Are you

1:13:11worried about me?" "I am not worried

1:13:13about you." "No, I am worried about

1:13:15you." "That's not it, either. Anyway,

1:13:17you get what I mean, right?" Bai Luo Yan

1:13:20looked at my panicked attempt to

1:13:21explain. The curve of her lips grew

1:13:23wider. "Mhm, I understand you're worried

1:13:26about my health." She hit the nail on

1:13:27the head, and I felt a little

1:13:29embarrassed. "Bai Luo Yan." I was about

1:13:31to say something. Suddenly, there was an

1:13:33intentional cough from outside the room.

1:13:35Then, my brother's voice sounded,

1:13:37"Little brother, are you asleep yet?"

1:13:39Instinctively, I used my other hand to

1:13:41cover Bai Luo Yan's mouth. Then, I

1:13:43shouted to my brother outside the door.

1:13:44"Brother, I was just about to sleep." My

1:13:47brother at the door was at a loss for

1:13:48words. After a moment of silence, he

1:13:51still spoke. "Then, get some rest. I am

1:13:53going back to my room." "Okay. Good

1:13:55night, brother." As soon as I turned my

1:13:57head, I met Bai Luo Yan's teasing gaze.

1:14:00I realized I was still covering Bai Luo

1:14:02Yan's mouth, so I immediately pulled my

1:14:03hand back. "Sorry about that. Are you

1:14:05that scared of your brother finding me

1:14:07in your room?" I had the flustered

1:14:08feeling of being seen through. I pushed

1:14:10Bai Luo Yan out of the study. I closed

1:14:12the door and immediately ran back to my

1:14:14room. I silently recited a calming

1:14:16mantra, trying to hypnotize myself to

1:14:18sleep quickly, but the more I wanted to

1:14:19sleep, the more I couldn't. I turned

1:14:21over. Through the floor-to-ceiling

1:14:23window of my room, I could clearly see

1:14:25Bai Luo Yan's room opposite mine. Her

1:14:27room was dark now, but the light in the

1:14:29study next to it was still on. I took

1:14:30out my phone to check the time. It was

1:14:32already 11:00 p.m. I quietly got up

1:14:34again, went downstairs, and snuck into

1:14:37the kitchen. Bai Luo Yan was handling

1:14:39company documents. Suddenly, the door

1:14:41behind her was knocked on lightly. She

1:14:43instinctively turned her head. Then, she

1:14:45immediately stood up and went to open

1:14:46the door. I was holding a tray. On it

1:14:48was a bowl of hot noodles, clearly just

1:14:50made. Bai Luoyan looked at the bowl of

1:14:53noodles. A light seemed to flash in the

1:14:54depths of her eyes. Did you make this

1:14:56for me on purpose? Although it was a

1:14:57question, Bai Luoyan's tone was very

1:15:00certain. I placed the bowl of noodles on

1:15:01her desk and pulled Bai Luoyan to sit

1:15:04down. Work is important, but you still

1:15:06have to pay attention to your health. I

1:15:07don't know if it's to your taste. You

1:15:09should try it. If you don't like it,

1:15:11tell me what you want to eat. He'll make

1:15:13it for you next time. Bai Luoyan reached

1:15:15out and hugged me. I was so scared I

1:15:16didn't dare to move. Bai Luoyan took a

1:15:19deep breath, suppressing the emotion in

1:15:21her heart, but she didn't let go of me.

1:15:23Sorry. I lost control a little just now.

1:15:26After a pause, Bai Luoyan continued.

1:15:28Jiang Chen, I am very happy. I was

1:15:31stunned for a moment. Then I felt that

1:15:32my in Bai Luoyan's current posture was a

1:15:36bit ambiguous. I pulled her away a

1:15:38little. You should eat quickly. I'm

1:15:39going back to sleep. After saying that,

1:15:42I quickly opened the door to Bai

1:15:43Luoyan's study. I ran along the long

1:15:45corridor back to my room. Bai Luoyan

1:15:47watched me leave. Shen Xiaowei's face

1:15:49was expressionless. She instinctively

1:15:51wanted to shake off Song Jinnian's hand.

1:15:53Suddenly, as if thinking of something,

1:15:56she stopped her movement. Seeing this, a

1:15:58smug look flashed in Song Jinnian's

1:16:00eyes. Weiwei,

1:16:01my parents said that this Jiang family

1:16:03banquet is extremely important. They

1:16:05told us we must treat it seriously. Mhm,

1:16:07I know. Song Jinnian saw her impatience,

1:16:10but didn't dare to say more. Silently

1:16:12following Shen Xiaowei into the car that

1:16:15picked them up from the airport to go to

1:16:16the hotel. As soon as she got in the

1:16:18car, Shen Xiaowei took the opportunity

1:16:20to pull her hand back. She turned her

1:16:21head to look at the unfamiliar city

1:16:23outside the car window. In the evening,

1:16:25I followed my father to the Junhao

1:16:26Hotel. The Junhao Hotel is an asset of

1:16:28the Luo family. Bai Luoyan had prepared

1:16:31a luxurious lounge for me. Not long

1:16:33after, a bodyguard came to announce that

1:16:35the banquet was about to begin. Father

1:16:37led my brother and me towards the

1:16:38banquet hall. On the way, I suddenly

1:16:40felt a bit unwell and wanted to go to

1:16:42the restroom. So, my father and brother

1:16:43went to the banquet hall first. I was in

1:16:45a bit of a hurry and didn't choose to go

1:16:47back to the lounge to use the restroom.

1:16:49Instead, I went straight to the restroom

1:16:51at the end of the corridor. After taking

1:16:52care of my physiological needs, I

1:16:54planned to go to the banquet hall. As a

1:16:56result, just as I stepped out of the

1:16:57restroom, I came face-to-face with an

1:16:59acquaintance. When Song Jin-nian saw me

1:17:01appear here, his eyes nearly bulged out

1:17:03like bronze bells. Jiang, Jiang Chen.

1:17:06Why are you here? I frowned, recognizing

1:17:08Song Jin-nian. He was the one from the

1:17:10bar last time. The guy sitting next to

1:17:12Shen Xiao-wei in the private room. I

1:17:14remembered the way Song Jin-nian looked

1:17:16at Shen Xiao-wei. It wasn't pure at all.

1:17:18He definitely liked Shen Xiao-wei. I

1:17:20said softly, "Let me pass." I didn't

1:17:22want to get too involved with Song

1:17:24Jin-nian here. I had a vague feeling

1:17:25that if Song Jin-nian was here, then

1:17:27Shen Xiao-wei would definitely appear as

1:17:29On such a good day, I didn't want to see

1:17:31these two unlucky people. Seeing that I

1:17:33was about to leave, Song Jin-nian

1:17:35immediately blocked my way. Song

1:17:37Jin-nian recognized the suit I was

1:17:38wearing. It was a high-end custom-made

1:17:40designer brand, the kind you can't buy

1:17:42even with money. Instinctively, Song

1:17:44Jin-nian thought that I must have lashed

1:17:46onto some rich woman. Jiang Chen, I

1:17:48can't believe it's been over a month.

1:17:50You've managed to find such a rich sugar

1:17:52mommy. It seems your sugar mommy treats

1:17:53you pretty well. My eyes grew cold. I

1:17:56advise you to watch your mouth. Before I

1:17:58could even say the word move, Song

1:17:59Jin-nian gave me a hard shove. I lost my

1:18:02balance and fell straight to the ground.

1:18:03My white suit was immediately dirtied. I

1:18:05glared at Song Jin-nian angrily, but I

1:18:08didn't intend to let this kind of trash

1:18:09ruin today's event. I intended to walk

1:18:11around Song Jin-nian to leave, but as I

1:18:13looked up, I came face-to-face with Shen

1:18:15Xiao-wei who had appeared here at some

1:18:17point. Shen Xiao-wei looked at me. Her

1:18:20eyes filled with unconcealable joy.

1:18:22Jiang Chen, I finally found you. I

1:18:25coldly withdrew my gaze. Miss, you have

1:18:27the wrong person. I am not the Jiang

1:18:29Chen you're talking With that, I

1:18:31intended to walk past Shen Xiao-wei. As

1:18:33a result, the moment we passed each

1:18:34other, Shen Xiao-wei forcefully grabbed

1:18:37my hand.

1:18:38No.

1:18:39Jiang Chen, I can't be mistaken. You are

1:18:41my Jiang Chen. Looking at Shen Xiaowei's

1:18:43unchanging, deeply affectionate

1:18:45appearance, I only felt disgust and

1:18:47revulsion. I forcefully shook off Shen

1:18:49Xiaowei's hand. Song Jin Nian could only

1:18:51glare fiercely at my back. Jiang Chen,

1:18:54you still dare to think about seducing

1:18:55Wei Wei? I'll beat you to death. With

1:18:57that, Song Jin Nian rushed forward to

1:18:59hit me. I nimbly dodged to one side. If

1:19:01you're not using your eyes, go donate.

1:19:03Which of your eyes saw me seducing Shen

1:19:05Xiaowei? If you want her, just take her.

1:19:07I don't want her. I just hope you two

1:19:09stay away from me. Shen Xiaowei was

1:19:11stunned on the spot by my words. She

1:19:13looked at me in disbelief, her eyes

1:19:15filled with emotions that swirled

1:19:16unspoken. Jiang Chen, don't call me

1:19:19Jiang Chen. Shen Xiaowei, you and I have

1:19:21no relationship anymore. Don't call me

1:19:23that. It disgusts me. Shen Xiaowei was

1:19:26hurt by the deep disgust in my eyes,

1:19:28and her body staggered. She took two

1:19:30steps back. I paid no attention to Shen

1:19:33Xiaowei and looked at Song Jin Nian,

1:19:35speaking fiercely, "Control your woman

1:19:37properly. Besides, I don't go back for

1:19:39leftovers." While Song Jin Nian and Shen

1:19:41Xiaowei were stunned, I calmly walked

1:19:43away. As I passed the corner, I bumped

1:19:46straight into a warm embrace. A

1:19:47familiar, pure scent reached me. I

1:19:49lowered my head and met Bai Luo Yan's

1:19:51deep eyes. Bai Luo Yan, why are you

1:19:53here? Bai Luo Yan looked down at my

1:19:55clothes. It's dirty. Bai Luo Yan's eyes

1:19:58darkened. She took my hand and led me to

1:20:00the lounge. The clothes are dirty. I had

1:20:03no choice but to change into the other

1:20:04splendid suit that mother and my sister

1:20:06had prepared for me beforehand. Bai Luo

1:20:08Yan waited outside. The moment I stepped

1:20:11out, Bai Luo Yan's gaze was glued to me.

1:20:13Her cheeks flushed as she complimented,

1:20:15"Very handsome." This was the first time

1:20:17I had worn this kind of clothing, so I

1:20:19was a little unused to it. Bai Luo Yan

1:20:21linked her arm with mine, and we left

1:20:22the lounge together. We appeared in the

1:20:24banquet hall under everyone's attention.

1:20:26Everyone in the hall in the brilliant

1:20:27spotlights shone precisely on us at the

1:20:29same time. The moment the spotlights hit

1:20:31me, I felt a little nervous. Bai Luo Yan

1:20:34said softly, "Don't be nervous. Just

1:20:36think of them as cabbages and

1:20:38vegetables." Bai Luo Yan's comfort

1:20:40actually made me less nervous. With my

1:20:42appearance, the banquet officially

1:20:43began. The first dance of the banquet

1:20:45was danced by Bai Luo Yan and me. The

1:20:47lights in the banquet hall immediately

1:20:49went out. Only a single, brilliant

1:20:50spotlight remained in the center. I made

1:20:52a gentlemanly gesture towards Bai Luo

1:20:54Yan. Bai Luo Yan slowly placed her hand

1:20:56on my palm. I enveloped Bai Luo Yan's

1:20:59hand, but it was she who led me, slowly

1:21:01walking under the spotlight. Melodious

1:21:03music began to play. Bai Luo Yan, as if

1:21:06she had practiced many times before,

1:21:08gently placed her hand on my shoulder.

1:21:10My hand wrapped around Bai Luo Yan's

1:21:12slender waist. While I was still in a

1:21:13daze, Bai Luo Yan had already led me

1:21:16into the dance. I quickly caught up to

1:21:17Bai Luo Yan's rhythm. The two of us

1:21:19danced gracefully in the middle of the

1:21:20grand banquet hall. After dancing for a

1:21:22while, I gradually forgot about the

1:21:24surrounding guests. My eyes only saw Bai

1:21:26Luo Yan. We coordinated perfectly. The

1:21:29final move ended perfectly. Immediately,

1:21:31thunderous applause erupted in the

1:21:33banquet hall. Bai Luo Yan and I looked

1:21:35at each other and smiled. We bowed to

1:21:37thank the surrounding guests. The lights

1:21:38in the banquet hall came on again. My

1:21:40father took the microphone from the MC's

1:21:42hand. "The purpose of today's banquet is

1:21:44to announce to everyone the news of our

1:21:46Jiang family's youngest son's return."

1:21:47Father Jiang looked at me gently. I took

1:21:49a step forward and stood beside him.

1:21:51"Jiang Chen is the biological son of our

1:21:53Jiang family who was lost. From today

1:21:55on, he will officially return to the

1:21:57Jiang family." As soon as he finished

1:21:59speaking, all the guests present began

1:22:01to applaud. Next, my father led me

1:22:03around the banquet to build connections.

1:22:05Suddenly, Bai Luo Yan walked over.

1:22:08"Excuse me for interrupting, Uncle

1:22:09Jiang. Could I borrow Jiang Chen for a

1:22:11moment?" My father looked at me. "Of

1:22:13course, you can."

1:22:15Bai Luo Yan nodded gently, then reached

1:22:17out, took my hand, and led me to the

1:22:19dessert area. I looked at her

1:22:20gratefully, as I had been starving for a

1:22:22long time. Bai Luo Yan told me to sit

1:22:25down while she went to get food for me.

1:22:26Suddenly, a voice I despised sounded in

1:22:29my ear. "Jiang Chen, what is your

1:22:31relationship with her?" I just turned my

1:22:33head, and sure enough, I saw Shen

1:22:35Xiaowei. "Does it have anything to do

1:22:37with you, Shen Xiaowei? You and I are

1:22:39over." Shen Xiaowei's eyes were red, and

1:22:42in her gaze towards me was a deep

1:22:44emotion that I couldn't understand.

1:22:46"Jiang Chen, as long as you agree to get

1:22:48back together with me, I will

1:22:49immediately abort my child with Song Jin

1:22:51Nian." Hearing her words, I couldn't

1:22:53help but laugh scornfully. "Shen

1:22:55Xiaowei, the biggest regret of my life

1:22:57is having ever loved you. Get lost."

1:22:59Shen Xiaowei's eyes were empty, her face

1:23:02full of hurt. I was afraid that when Bai

1:23:04Luo Yan returned, she would

1:23:05misunderstand, so I prepared to leave.

1:23:08Suddenly, the voice of Shen Xiaowei

1:23:10sounded from behind me. "Jiang Chen, do

1:23:13you know who the woman who was just with

1:23:14you is? That's the young lady of the Luo

1:23:16family." "What does an orphan have to

1:23:18marry the young lady of the Luo family?"

1:23:20There was no expression on my face. Shen

1:23:22Xiaowei probably didn't hear the part

1:23:24where my father announced my identity.

1:23:27Seeing that I didn't say anything, Shen

1:23:28Xiaowei thought that I had taken her

1:23:30words to heart. "So, you Shen Xiaowei,

1:23:33what do you want to say?" The light in

1:23:34Shen Xiaowei's eyes grew brighter and

1:23:36brighter. "Jiang Chen, leave Bai Luo

1:23:38Yan. Come back to me, okay?" I turned

1:23:40around and looked at Shen

1:23:42Xiaowei. "Shen Xiaowei, in your eyes,

1:23:45what are Song Jin Nian and I?" "Jiang

1:23:47Chen, of course, you are the one I love

1:23:50the most." Shen Xiaowei stopped

1:23:52deceiving your "You never took me

1:23:53seriously from the beginning." The light

1:23:55in Shen Xiaowei's eyes gradually faded.

1:23:57"Jiang Chen, what do you mean?" My voice

1:23:59was calm, with no expression on my face.

1:24:02"You said you wanted to test me. That's

1:24:04why you got to know me, but were you

1:24:05really serious about this relationship?

1:24:07You only saw your own sacrifices for me.

1:24:09Feeling that my heartless breakup with

1:24:10you betrayed your true feelings.

1:24:12But what about you?" The more I spoke,

1:24:14the paler Shen Xiaowei's face. "Just be

1:24:16with Song Jin Nian. He truly loves you."

1:24:18"Jiang Chen, but I still love you." "But

1:24:21I don't love you anymore. Shen Chiaowei,

1:24:23listen carefully. I don't love you now,

1:24:25and I won't love you in the future

1:24:27either. I took a few steps closer to

1:24:28Shen Chiaowei. My eyes cold. Ever since

1:24:31you toyed with and spent my

1:24:32grandmother's life saving money, there's

1:24:34no longer any possibility between us.

1:24:36The last glimmer of light in Shen

1:24:38Chiaowei's eyes completely vanished. The

1:24:40phone in her pocket rang. It was a call

1:24:42from Song Jin Nian. And I had already

1:24:44left, walking towards Bai Luoyan, who

1:24:46was returning with a cake. Bai Luoyan

1:24:49looked up. Her gaze quietly swept over

1:24:51the spot where Shen Chiaowei had just

1:24:52stood. Why did you come out here? I said

1:24:55vaguely. Um, I was in a hurry to eat.

1:24:57The atmosphere in there isn't great. Can

1:24:59we find another spot? Okay. Let's go

1:25:01then. Let's find another place to sit.

1:25:04Bai Luoyan looked at me. A gentle smile

1:25:06playing on her lips. You've met her,

1:25:08haven't you? My hand, holding the cake,

1:25:11paused. Then I forced a smile. Yes.

1:25:14I was waiting for you to come back. She

1:25:16showed up uninvited, so we exchanged a

1:25:18few words. I've made things clear with

1:25:20her. Made it very clear. I promise this

1:25:22is the last time. From now on, even if I

1:25:24see her on the street, I'll treat her as