Chapter 17 After the soul swap, I switched back.

Time flies, and two weeks have passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past two weeks, the experts at the research institute have been living like it's New Year's Day, completely immersed in a sea of ​​knowledge and oblivious to the passage of time. It was only the institute director who, amidst his busy schedule, snapped out of it and, reminded by his assistant, approached Si Qi and said, "Tomorrow is the college entrance examination."

The importance of the college entrance examination to every student is self-evident. Even if Si Qi is 100% certain of winning the top score and has no shortage of academic and social status, he might still want to take the exam so as not to leave any regrets in his life.

Si Qi shook his head and said, "I'm not going."

"..." The institute director's feelings were mixed: "Thank you."

Si Qi's decision not to take the college entrance examination was ultimately for their sake.

To prevent the news from leaking, everyone at the research institution, including the cleaning staff, was strictly forbidden from leaving the premises.

As the core figure of the entire research institution, Si Qi naturally tried to stay home as much as possible to prevent any accidents from happening.

From a rational point of view, this is the right thing to do.

However, from the perspective of an eighteen-year-old's emotional state, the director knew that doing so would be very unfair to Si Qi.

Since arriving here, Si Qi has been sacrificing his own well-being and even making sacrifices in his personal life. Now, he can't even take the college entrance examination and will be stuck in the research institution for a long time.

It makes me feel guilty no matter how I think about it.

Si Qi patted the director on the shoulder and comforted him, saying, "I didn't take it to heart."

The reason he got first place in the joint entrance exam was simply because he was too lazy to hide his abilities and didn't want to fake a bad score. Whether he got the top score or not wasn't important; he had received too many of these honors before, so one more or one less wouldn't make a difference.

The director understood Si Qi's words of comfort, but he only took it as Si Qi's kindness. He felt that Si Qi was too kind, considering how much he had given yet still caring about their feelings and comforting them in return.

How can there be such a good person...?

The director rubbed his sore eyes, his already overflowing affection for Si Qi reaching a new peak.

Those around him, because of the director's private ramblings, belatedly realized that Si Qi would miss this year's college entrance examination, and felt deeply sorry.

Considering how much importance they placed on the college entrance examination back then, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was a crucial turning point that determined the course of a person's life. And then to think that someone as talented as Si Qi couldn't even take the college entrance examination—it's incredibly heartbreaking for him.

Si Qi was helpless and had no way to explain. He could only let the people around him look at him with pity and regret, pretending not to know and not taking the initiative to bring it up.

On the other hand, Mr. Si realized that tomorrow was the day of the college entrance examination after his subordinate mentioned, "Mr. Si, your son is taking the college entrance examination tomorrow. He will definitely be able to come back as the top scorer this time."

When he got home, he saw that there were still only three people at the dining table. He frowned and said unhappily, "Xiao Qi is not back yet?"

Mrs. Si paused in her eating, and said nonchalantly, "If he doesn't want to come back, then he doesn't have to."

Si Nan kept her head down and didn't speak, her head looking as if it could fit into a plate.

Mr. Si retorted angrily, "Nonsense! Tomorrow is the college entrance exam, and you, as his mother, don't you even know to ask about it or show any concern for him!"

Mrs. Si, looking embarrassed and ashamed, said, "He's blocked me! What can I do?!"

Si Ding suppressed a laugh, feigning sympathy for his mother, and spoke up for her: "Dad, you can't blame Mom, it's all my fault."

As expected, Mrs. Si immediately retorted, "What does this have to do with you? He simply didn't want to come back!"

Mr. Si, feeling annoyed, interrupted, "Alright, alright, I can't be bothered to listen to your nonsense."

Every time Si Qi is mentioned, the mother and son immediately team up and take turns steer the conversation in a direction that is unfavorable to Si Qi.

Mrs. Si: "He's such a grown man, healthy and without any illness or disaster, and he has money in his hands. What could possibly happen to him outside?"

Back then, Si Qi was only six or seven years old, yet he endured a genetic disease and struggled his way to their doorstep as a poor man. Now, Si Qi, basking in the glory of being the eldest son of the Si family, idles away his time. Who in Qing Province dares to mess with him?

Mr. Si was furious: "Is that the problem? He's about to take the college entrance exam! And there are still many issues at the company that need his attention. What's the point of him not going to school or work? What's he doing out there all the time?"

Mrs. Si realized that the company really couldn't do without Si Qi. Even if Si Qi didn't want to see her and Si Ding at home, he still had to go to the company, right? After the college entrance exam, Si Qi no longer had to worry about his studies, so it was indeed time for him to go back to work at the company.

Despite their disagreements, Si's mother and Si Qi still kept their public and private matters separate. Especially since the group had invested so much money, and her own family was clearly planning to make this cooperation with the Si family a key investment for the next few years, she couldn't let Si's mother continue to be so stubborn.

After thinking for a moment, she softened her tone and said to her husband, "I understand. I will find a way to get him to come home."

Si Ding, who had originally thought his mother would side with him, changed his expression and suppressed his emotions, saying to his mother, "Speaking of which, I've always been curious about what the group has been busy with lately."

"Yes—" Mrs. Si was about to speak when Mr. Si interrupted her with a cold face: "Alright, why ask these questions? You just need to rest at home. There's no need to worry about anything else."

Si Ding's expression froze, and he unconsciously recalled what his parents had said to Si Qi when he returned home years ago.

Are they... giving up on themselves? Just like they did to Si Qi back then.

Mrs. Si looked conflicted, wanting to speak, but hesitated under her husband's glare.

Thinking about it, it really didn't seem necessary to bother my son by bringing this up. He's always been competitive and always strives to be number one. If he knew that Si Qi had accomplished something he could never achieve in his entire life, bringing huge profits to the group, he might feel resentful or even embarrassed…

Previously, when Si Qi got first place in the joint exam, Si Ding shouted in class, "Impossible! Why?" Now, if he knew that Si Qi had accomplished something that even first place in the joint exam couldn't do, he would probably feel even more uncomfortable.

So he comforted Siding, saying, "It's nothing serious, there's no need to worry about it."

"…………" Siding smiled bitterly.

It's not a big deal, so why would my father take it so seriously, and why would my mother be willing to say something conciliatory like "we'll find a way to get Xiao Qi home"?

They probably only tried to fool him because they knew he was dying and could no longer be the heir to the Si family. They didn't even bother to talk to him about the core affairs of the group.

Otherwise, why would Si's father treat him like a thief, not revealing even the slightest information to him?

Isn't it just that we're afraid he might retaliate against the Si family afterward and leak the news?

Having been father and son with Si's father for so many years, he could naturally guess what Si's father was thinking.

It's impossible not to feel hurt and heartbroken when your own father treats you like an outsider.

Back then, Siding was in such an environment, subjected to their passive-aggressive behavior for several years, which drove him to depression.

Does he have to watch helplessly as he gradually falls into that kind of situation?

For a moment, Si Ding even considered actually doing what his father wanted and leaking the company's secrets to avenge his father's abandonment of him.

Unfortunately, he was busy with his studies and distracted by many trivial matters in his life in the previous few years, so he didn't have much contact with the group's affairs and there really wasn't much he could leak.

Thinking about this, Siding felt somewhat discouraged and didn't know what to do.

If only Si Qi would really disappear from now on, if only he wouldn't go to school to take the college entrance exam tomorrow, and if only he wouldn't be in my way.

How could such a good thing happen out of nowhere?

At night, Si Ding tossed and turned in bed, thinking about Si Qi appearing at school the next day, and couldn't sleep because of his depression.

No matter how many lies you tell, they can never become the truth. Even if he brainwashes his classmates and says that he is Si Qi, once the real Si Qi shows up and listens to him tell the truth, everyone will understand what really happened back then and know that Si Ding is a slum dweller who is even worse than an illegitimate child, an outsider who has no relation to the Si family.

He'll definitely be embarrassed...

The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt. For a moment, Si Ding even considered pretending to be sick the next day so she wouldn't go to school or take the college entrance exam.

But if he doesn't go to school, wouldn't the public opinion at school be completely controlled by Si Qi, leaving him no room to argue back?

Si Nan definitely won't speak up for him.

Frustrated, Siding wiped his face with his hand, pulled the blanket over his head, and ostrich-like himself, refusing to think about or look at it.

And so the next day arrived.

Sting, who was in poor spirits and had dark circles under his eyes, boarded the flying car to school with Si Nan.

After getting off the bus, the brother and sister subconsciously looked up and around, trying to find that familiar figure.

But as the exam time drew ever closer, Si Nan, who was waiting at the school gate, still couldn't see Si Qi appear.

Siding sat in his classroom seat, overjoyed. When the exam bell rang, he covered his face and almost burst out laughing.

Si Nan's eyes dimmed, her head was down, and she kicked the ground with her toes, realizing that Si Qi probably wouldn't show up to take the college entrance exam this year.

When Si's parents received the news, they were incredulous. Their expressions turned grim, and Si's father immediately dialed Si Qi's number.

To their horror, Si Qi did not answer his father's call, and even blocked him when his father made a second call.

Now, both parents of the Si family are experiencing the same feeling they had when Si Qi's number was blocked by them back then, and they are both angry and anxious.

Si's father said to Si's daughter in a low voice, "Call your brother, quick!"

Si Nan didn't understand why her parents looked so upset. She just assumed that the elders had lost face because their child had blocked her, and she sadly dialed the number that had long been removed from the blacklist.

"I'm sorry, you're not theirs yet..."

Si Nan's face stiffened, and she felt quite uncomfortable. She forced herself to say to her parents, "My brother has also blacklisted me."

"You bastard!" Father Si kicked something aside and pointed at Mother Si's head, yelling, "This is all your doing!"

Si's mother's face was ashen, but she didn't forget to retort: ​​"Do you think he doesn't hate you?" Otherwise, why would Si Qi have blocked his father's number as well?

Si Nan looked completely bewildered, not understanding why her parents were reacting this way. Si's father said, "Impossible! How could he possibly give up such a large family business just to get revenge on me!"

What kind of idiot would do something like this? Is mere dignity more important than money and power? The combined revenge of so many families is no joke! Does Si Qi really not care about his life?

Si Nan's pupils contracted sharply as she finally realized the crux of the matter.

Mr. Si went berserk: "We must find him!"

There are so many technical challenges piling up in the group, all waiting for Si Qi to come and solve them. Without Si Qi, things will become very complicated.

What terrified him even more was that if Si Qi really loathed them so much, or even hated them so deeply, how could he have presented the blueprints to him with open arms, allowing the Si family to make a fortune?

Consider the manpower, resources, and enormous funds that the Si family has invested in the mecha project over this period, regardless of the cost; consider all the corporations he brought in to join this collaboration…

He didn't even dare to guess whether this was a carefully orchestrated scam by Si Qi, or a trap with huge implications that could cause his Si family to suffer a severe setback and never recover!

No, absolutely not, he can't let this happen!

Father Si's face was ashen, and he said fiercely to Mother Si, "Find him! Whether you beg him or kidnap him, you must bring him back!!"

Mrs. Si looked dejected: "But I don't even know where he is..."

Si's father paused, and his entire being was instantly enveloped in an icy chill.

Yes, it's been a whole month, and he hasn't even seen Si Qi's face!

A note from the author:

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Si Ding (forcing a smile): Si Qi is gone, I'm going to be in trouble too.

Si Fu and Si Mu & the Peng Hui Group, sharpening their knives: You have a good sense of self-awareness.