Chapter 5

No one wants to admit they are a monster, even if they really are.

Sang Nian asked Qiu Yang more than once why he was different from others, but Qiu Yang didn't know either. He could only hug him tightly and keep comforting him, saying, "It's okay."

It doesn't matter, as long as no one else discovers his secret.

He did it; he grew up away from people and on his own. He did a great job.

But when he returned home to his biological parents, he didn't feel a single bit of their heartfelt concern. Instead, he was scolded as a "monster who is neither male nor female."

These words came from his own mother.

But this wasn't something he could choose. Just like Sang Ke said, it wasn't his fault. But why did Tao Wanru make it seem like everything was his problem, so he had to silently endure her estrangement, her dislike, or even her hatred?

He didn't know why Tao Wanru would treat him this way.

His fingers kept tapping on the phone screen, but in the end he didn't ask the question, "What is the psychology of a mother who hates her own child?" Instead, he asked another question.

How far is Dingzhou from Haishi?

The striking numbers stung his eyes.

"The total distance from Dingzhou to Haishi is 310 kilometers, and it is estimated that it will take about four hours to drive there."

310 kilometers, four hours. Given the Sang family's status in Haishi, would it really take them eleven years to find one person?

And this person wasn't very far away.

A terrible thought suddenly popped into my head, combined with Tao Wanru's last words, "If it weren't for Ningning's illness..."

He was able to return to the Sang family because his twin brother was sick and needed him.

Is that so?

A chill ran down Sang Hou's back, and tears welled up in his eyes. Although he didn't want to admit it, the truth was undeniable: he wasn't the young master the Sang family had searched for eleven years; he was just a monster with a modicum of use.

No wonder they were so cold to him; no wonder he told Sang Yu he was going to study and Sang Yu told him to wait; no wonder he didn't do anything after he came back but was instead given a full physical examination, inside and out.

It turns out he was just a clown.

A clown who is overjoyed to be returning home and looking forward to reuniting with his family.

Sang Nian threw down her phone and collapsed onto the soft bed.

The bed was soft, but he didn't sleep comfortably, waking up with back pain every day. The clothes in his wardrobe were beautiful and of good quality, but they weren't his size, so he had to roll up his trousers several times before going out. His meals were delicious and visually appealing, but no one noticed that he never ate shrimp because he was allergic.

Two days ago, Sang Nian would comfort himself by saying that it was because he had just returned and everyone was still unfamiliar with him, so no one noticed. But today, he seemed to have no reason to deceive himself anymore.

He was never someone who was expected to succeed.

but……

On what grounds?

He couldn't choose whether he was born healthy; this neither-male-nor-female body was given to him by his parents, and he couldn't refuse it, only passively accept it. Like Sang Ning, he was the child of Sang Yu and Tao Wanru, a member of the Sang family bloodline. Why should he have to accept such unfair treatment?

Sang Ning grew up under his parents' wings. He had everything: he lived in a mansion, had a chauffeur, wore custom-made clothes, and attended the most expensive private high school in Shanghai. Meanwhile, he was left to wander, with no one looking for him. He lived in a dark basement, ate expired bread, and spent his nights in smoky karaoke bars, all in an effort to make his life a little better.

Thinking deeper, was he really abducted by human traffickers back then? Qiu Yang found him by a trash can at the end of an alley. He was unconscious at the time and didn't remember anything after waking up. He remembered that Qiu Yang took him to the police station, but why did the matter end there?

Qiu Yang went to the police station several times to inquire about information. At first, they would make up some pretense with him, but later they realized that Qiu Yang treated him like he was invisible and didn't even bother with the pretense anymore.

If that wasn't their passive resistance, then someone must have coerced or bribed them into keeping quiet.

Sang Nian didn't want to speculate like that, but his thoughts were completely out of his control. Those wicked ideas made Sang Nian feel extremely terrified in the cold night.

If that's the case, then he probably won't be able to escape unscathed this time.

A gust of wind howled outside, making the curtains sway. After returning home, Sang Nian had locked himself in his room, but finding it too stuffy, he'd slightly opened the window. Now, lying in bed, his back was drenched in cold sweat, and the biting wind made his hands and feet feel frozen. But instead of getting up to close the window, he wrapped himself tightly in the down comforter.

Like an ostrich burying its head in the sand when faced with danger, he didn't know how to face this hypocritical family and could only silently await his fate in this room that seemed to belong to him.

Illness strikes like a landslide. Perhaps it was the cold wind blowing all night, or perhaps it was the change in environment after being under intense stress, but Sang Nian fell ill and didn't even have the strength to open her eyes.

It was only when Sang Ke noticed he hadn't come downstairs for dinner and asked the housekeeper to come up and check on him that she discovered it. At that time, he had a fever, his face was flushed, and he was wrapped tightly in the blanket.

There was no one else at home. Sang Ke was originally going to the hospital after breakfast, but Sang Nian suddenly fell ill, so she had to stay and take care of him. However, her duties were limited to preparing his medicine and administering his IV drip, and telling Sang Yu and Tao Wanru about the situation.

Unsurprisingly, Sang Yu replied, "Thank you for taking care of him," while Tao Wanru asked, "Will his illness affect Ningning's surgery?"

Sang Ke rolled her eyes, didn't reply, and after explaining the family doctor's matters, went to work.

Admittedly, she felt some sympathy for her nephew, but since his parents had never cared for him, she could only stop there.

After four IV drips, Sang Nian finally opened his eyes, trembling. The room was pitch black. He moved slightly and realized that he had an IV drip in his left hand.

His mind wasn't as sharp as usual because he was sick, and it took him a while to realize that he was ill.

His mouth was very dry, and he murmured someone's name.

"Qiu Yang".

elder brother.

But Qiu Yang wasn't there, and realizing this, Sang Nian felt a pang of sadness. In the past, when he was sick, Qiu Yang would always stay by his side, and when he woke up, Qiu Yang would always give him a sip of warm water as soon as possible.

Qiu Yang and he are not related by blood, yet Qiu Yang is so kind to him. But now he is sick at home and no one cares about him.

Sang Nian chuckled self-deprecatingly, finally confirming once again that he was dispensable to everyone in the Sang family.

But this does not include Sang Ning.

Sang Nian still doesn't know what illness Sang Ning has, but it must be very serious, so serious that even with the Sang family's wealth, it can't be easily resolved.

As Sang Ning's twin brother, he was connected to him by blood, and when no one else could solve the predicament, he was the last hope.

Sang Nian recalled a few disease names that flashed through his mind, and after summarizing them, he concluded that they were probably related to organ transplantation.

So, are he and Sang Ning a good match?

Sang Nian wanted to know.

If he is matched, then he will definitely be forced to undergo surgery under the control of Sang Yu and Tao Wanru. He has no choice. Although he thought about escaping, the Sang family can easily find him anywhere in the world.

If he doesn't get a match, what will he face next?

His mind felt like a complete mess, a dull ache shooting through him. Sang Nian took a breath and raised his right hand to rub his throbbing temples.

The phone beside his pillow suddenly lit up. Sang Nian turned his head and immediately saw that familiar name. He struggled to turn to the side, picked up the phone, and unlocked it to check the message.

"Qiu Yang: It's raining again in Dingzhou today. Is it raining in Haishi? Remember to bring an umbrella when you go out. The rain in late autumn can be cold. Be careful not to catch a cold if you get wet."

Qiu Yang remembered what they said when they parted, and texted him every day. They didn't have much to talk about; it was mostly Qiu Yang doing all the talking, saying things like "Be good when you get home," "Get along well with your classmates at the new school," and so on, and always ending with that one sentence—

“If you’re unhappy or someone bullies you, you must tell them. You have family now, and they will help you. You don’t need to bear it all alone anymore. If they don’t help you, tell your brother, and your brother will immediately rush to Haishi to teach them a lesson for you.”

Whenever Sang Nian sees a sentence like this, her heart is always filled with warmth and joy.

But looking back today, Sang Nian only feels irony.

It was all because of Qiu Yang's words, "You have a family now."

He has a family, but they never care about him and treat him even colder than they would a stranger on the street.

"It's raining, and it's so cold. I brought an umbrella, so don't worry about me, brother. I'm a grown man, so please give me some face."

After typing, Sang Nian clicked send and then collapsed weakly onto the bed.

With a "click," the door was opened from the outside, and the person who came in turned on the light. The moment the light came on, Sang Nian closed his eyes in distress.

"Do you feel any better?"

The person who came was Sang Yu.

Sang Nian opened his eyes and glanced at him, but didn't say anything. Perhaps because he was too uncomfortable from being sick, Sang Yu didn't pay much attention to Sang Nian's unusual reaction. Instead, he slowly walked to his bed and looked down at him from above: "Nian Nian, you have to take good care of yourself. I hope that things like sleeping with the window open will never happen again."

It sounded like she was full of concern for Sang Nian. If Sang Nian didn't know those things, he might have been moved to tears. But now he only heard the reproach in Sang Yu's words, as if she was saying, "Sang Nian, your body is not just yours. You can't joke around with Sang Ning's health."

See, this is so easy to understand. How come Sang didn't realize just a few days ago that his seemingly gentle and refined father was so selfish and self-serving?

Sang Nian turned his head to the side, not intending to look at Sang Yu anymore. Sang Yu didn't say anything either, but gave a few instructions and left.

Later that evening, the housekeeper brought him food, but Sang Nian had no appetite and only ate a few bites. Sang Ke also came to visit him after she returned, and touched his head, saying, "The fever has gone down."

Sang Nian felt a slight fondness for this aunt; she was probably the only person in the family who was kind to him, making him unconsciously want to rely on her. So when Sang Ke was about to leave, Sang Nian gently tugged at the hem of her clothes.

Sang Ke glanced back at him but didn't say anything.

Sang Nian looked up and stared intently at Sang Ke's face. Three seconds later, the smile on Sang Ke's face completely disappeared, replaced by the same impatience as Sang Yu.

So Sang Nian let go.

Goodnight, Auntie.