The air was quiet for a few seconds, and steady footsteps came closer. Jiang Chen looked over and saw Mr. He walking slowly towards him.
"Are you all here?" Mr. He stopped by the antique shelf connecting the living room and the middle hall, glanced at Jiang Chen and He Qianjian, and said lightly: "Since you are all here, come with me to the study."
Yang Yun pulled He Yanfeng's hand imperceptibly, and He Yanfeng said, "Dad, why don't we eat first?"
"The rice is not ready yet." Mr. He turned around and said, "Let's eat after we finish talking."
The most authoritative person in the He family spoke, and the others in the living room had no choice but to follow him upstairs one after another.
He Qianjian's knuckles turned white as he gripped the shoulder straps of his schoolbag. He lifted his legs several times before he stepped onto the stairs. He could hear the sound of footsteps of varying weights, and his head was buzzing.
"Qian Jian." Yang Yun patted his shoulder lightly with concern and asked softly, "What's wrong with you?"
He Qianjian's mind was in a mess. He could not hear any sounds from the outside world. He could only call the system in his mind again and again.
However, at least three minutes had passed since he saw Jiang Chen appear in the old house, and there was still no response from the system.
Recently, the system often does not respond to his exchanges. Every time he asks, it says it is looking for loopholes. If he continues to ask, it will turn into an argument.
——Every time, He Qianjian argued unilaterally, and the system was just indifferent and did not respond.
He Qianjian didn't believe that the system would have any loopholes. Just as the system said, it was high-tech from the future, possessing power that ordinary people could not imagine, and it was the most perfect intelligent program in the plane it was in. If that was the case, how could it have loopholes? If there were loopholes, why hadn't it been mentioned in the past ten years?
All this just means that the system may have gotten tired of him and is working passively.
Thinking about what he might face next, He Qianjian gripped the shoulder straps of his schoolbag harder and harder, causing his face and scalp to go numb. He wanted to turn around and run, to leave here immediately, but his stiff and heavy legs could only mechanically climb up.
“Qianjian, Qianjian?” Seeing He Qianjian’s grim expression and shaking hands, Yang Yun grabbed his arm and raised his voice, “Qianjian!”
The people walking in front turned around because of Yang Yun's suddenly raised voice, and saw He Qianjian suddenly raised his head, revealing a bloodless face with only a pair of dark eyes without any light, which looked a little scary at first glance.
"What's going on?" Old Lady He, who was closest to He Qianjian, reached out her hand and felt a cold sweat on He Qianjian's forehead. She asked distressedly, "Why do you look so bad? Are you sick?"
"I..." He Qianjian opened his mouth, his eyes passed through the familiar faces and found Jiang Chen at the top of the stairs. He seemed to be talking to He Qianmin just now, and when he heard the noise, he glanced over here casually, then withdrew his gaze without any care.
This expression, this look... He Qianjian hasn't seen it for a long time.
——Like a god high above, he doesn’t even have the interest to look at the ants under his feet.
Memories that he thought he had forgotten came crashing down on him like huge waves, like a mountain pressing down on his head, making it difficult for him to even breathe.
But why did Jiang Chen do that?
He is the eldest son of the He family. He is the eldest grandson and eldest son of the He family who has lived in the He family for eighteen years and is recognized and acknowledged by everyone!
Did Jiang Chen want to take everything from him? Why?
He Qianjian's breathing became heavier, his anger surged, and he looked at Jiang Chen as if he was the enemy who murdered his father.
The He family members took in He Qianjian's expression, and their faces changed for a moment. The only two who remained calm were He Yanjun and Jiang Chen.
"Qian Jian..." Yang Yun called him again, his voice even softer: "Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?"
Someone pulled his arm lightly, and He Qianjian suddenly came back to his senses. The first moment he regained reason, he saw the different looks of the He family members.
It's over.
These two words were the only ones left in He Qianjian's mind.
Seeing that He Qianjian was still in a daze, Mrs. He touched his forehead again. It was cold. She couldn't help but worry: "There has been something wrong with Dabao since he came back. Could he be possessed by something?"
He Qianjian's eyes flickered and the corners of his mouth twitched. Before he could open his mouth, a sneer suddenly came from above: "Don't say there are no ghosts in this world. Even if there are ghosts, they dare not possess him. Don't worry, grandma."
He Yanjun patted He Qianmin's head and said, "Stop talking."
He Qianmin curled his lips and stopped talking.
However, Mrs. He was very confident in her own speculation.
She had studied abroad for many years and respected religious beliefs in all countries. When she was studying abroad, she would occasionally go to church with her religious friends to worship. After returning to China, she would go to the mountain temple to worship when she went hiking. But she did these things more for fun, and she didn't believe in them. However, after knowing that Jiang Chen and He Qianjian had taken the wrong baby, her thoughts changed dramatically.
When He Qianjian was discharged from the hospital, the words the old Taoist priest he met at the hospital gate said were still ringing in his ears. Old Mrs. He had a good memory. Every word the old Taoist priest said was mysterious, but now they have all come true one by one. At first, she thought he was just a charlatan, but now she just wants to know what the Taoist priest meant by "there will be a major disaster within three years."
He Yanya went home often in the past few days and heard the old lady's nagging several times. When she saw the old lady's expression, she knew that she really felt that He Qianjian was possessed by something.
But... He Qianjian's expression just now was indeed strange. He Yanya suppressed her suspicion and comforted her mother, "Mom, Qianjian is probably just tired from a day of classes. Senior year has a lot of academic workload, so don't worry about it."
"Yes." Yang Yun continued: "Qian Jian has been under a lot of study pressure recently, and this happens often."
He Qianjian had just impulsively thought about pretending that he was possessed by something to cover up his previous gaffe, but He Yanya's words made him sober up. He had been walking on thin ice for the past 18 years in order to please the He family, and he knew the He family's temperament very well.
No one in the He family is easy to fool, and the system has been malfunctioning recently. His greatest reliance now is Mr. and Mrs. He. He absolutely cannot lie to the old lady just because she is confused for a moment, otherwise, by the time the old lady realizes, he will really have no foundation in the He family.
"Don't worry, grandma. I'm fine." After figuring it out, He Qianji smiled. He held the old lady's arm and said in a hoarse voice, "I've been sleeping late lately. I had a fever again some time ago. Maybe I'm not well yet. I'm always distracted easily."
"You have a fever?" The old lady touched He Qianjian's forehead and asked, "Are you feeling better now?"
He Qianjian raised his eyes and glanced upwards, his eyelashes drooping, and said in a sweet voice: "Much better."
"Drink more soup later, you've lost so much weight." The old lady said distressedly: "Even if you are in the third year of high school, you still have to take care of your health. Xiao Yang, you go back..."
"What are you all doing standing on the stairs?" Mr. He interrupted Mrs. He with a stern face and a deep voice: "Why don't you come up!"
The study was large, and ten people standing or sitting did not seem crowded at all. Mr. He sat on a red sandalwood armchair, his majestic and calm eyes swept over the people present, and finally fell on He Qianjian, and slowly said: "I called you all back today because I have something important to say, Qianjian."
He Qianjian met Mr. He's gaze and tried his best to control his facial expression to make himself look confused.
Mr. He said, "Due to some mistakes, you and Jiang Chen were taken by the wrong parents. In fact, you are not our He family's child, but Jiang Chen's parents' child."
"How, how is this possible?" He Qianjian's eyes widened in astonishment, and he couldn't believe it: "I'm not my parents' son? I don't believe it! It's impossible, it's impossible, I can't not be my parents' son, Grandpa, are you lying to me?"
The wrinkles at the corners of Mr. He's mouth deepened a little. He sighed silently without saying anything.
"Mom, Mom!" He Qianjian turned around and grabbed Yang Yun's hand: "Am I really not your son? I don't believe it, you tell me it's a lie."
Yang Yun saw He Qianjian's red eyes, and her heart ached: "Even if you return to the Jiang family, you are still your mother's child."
"Impossible!" He Qianjian looked at He Yanjun and He Yanya: "Uncle and aunt, tell me, is this true!?"
He Yanjun and He Yanya looked at each other, both feeling a little bit reluctant.
He Qianmin leaned close to Jiang Chen's ear and lowered his voice, "He didn't perform well today. His expression looked like he choked on mustard."
Jiang Chen was originally a little surprised at He Qianjian's ability to respond, but when he heard He Qianmin's words and looked at He Qianjian's open mouth and red eyes, he couldn't help but smile silently.
He Qianjian was about to cry, but when he saw Jiang Chen's fleeting smile, hatred flashed across his face. Before anyone noticed, he quickly lowered his head and murmured, "So that's how it is... No wonder Jiang Chen always appears in our house, no wonder he was able to make Qian Min and Qian Yu like him so quickly, no wonder he is better than me in every way... I didn't know anything before, it's normal that you don't want me because of him, it's because I can't compare to him in anything..."
"Dabao, come here." Old Madam He grabbed He Qianjian's hand and pulled him distressedly, saying, "Don't worry, as long as grandma is here, no one can drive you out. Don't be afraid, grandma will protect you."
He Qianjian whimpered and burst into tears in Old Lady He's arms.
After He Qianjian finished speaking, He Qianmin's face turned very ugly. Seeing that he was crying so falsely, he took a step forward to speak. Jiang Chen noticed his intention, grabbed his arm without leaving a trace, and shook his head gently at him.
Mr. He took everything in, sighed in his heart, and said in a deep voice: "Okay, why are you crying? You are already eighteen years old, can't you bear this little setback?"
He Qianjian remembered that Mr. He hated the cowardly and fragile character the most. His body stiffened. When he looked up, his eyes were red and he said in a hoarse voice: "Grandpa, I was just too sad just now. I'm sorry."
"Calm down now?"
He Qianjian nodded, his trembling voice made it hard to believe that he was calm, but Mr. He seemed not to notice and said calmly: "Let's get down to business. Since you two have taken the wrong baby, you must switch it back. Now our He family knows about this, but the Jiang family probably doesn't know yet, so we need to find a time to discuss this with the Jiang family. When do you two think is a good time?"
He Qianjian said in a tense voice: "Listen to Grandpa."
Mr. He looked at Jiang Chen, and Jiang Chen looked at him calmly and said, "Grandpa, I have discussed this with my father, and I hope to tell my parents about this matter in half a year."
He Qianjian looked up suddenly, almost unable to conceal the surprise and joy on his face. He Yanjun and He Yanya were also very surprised. They didn't expect Jiang Chen to push the time so far.
"Half a year?" Mr. He's face darkened slightly, his eyes carrying the oppression and majesty of a man who has been in a high position for many years: "Give me a reason."
"My mother is pregnant." Jiang Chen looked at him and said without avoiding, "I can't let her be stimulated in any way."
Mr. He stared at him closely, and after a while he looked away at He Qianjian and said in a deep voice, "What do you think about postponing your return to the Jiang family for half a year?"
He Qianjian cursed Jiang Chen inwardly for being an idiot, suppressed the sudden ecstasy in his heart, pretended to hesitate for a moment, and then stammered: "Old pregnant women really can't be stimulated, Grandpa, I have no objection."
"You have no objection?" Mr. He narrowed his eyes and said in an ambiguous way, "Don't you have any idea of when to recognize your biological parents?"
He Qianjian froze, thinking that Mr. He didn't like people without opinions, so he decided to give it a try: "I want to stay in the He family! Just like Jiang Chen has no feelings for the He family, I have never met the Jiang family, and I have no feelings for them either. So as long as I can stay with you for a little longer, even for one more day, I'm willing to do it."
"Don't tell me you won't recognize us anymore after you return to the Jiang family?" Mr. He looked at him with a dark look. Seeing the deep uneasiness in He Qianjian's eyes, he sighed deeply in his heart and raised his hand and said, "You all go out first. Jiang Chen and I will talk alone."
There were only two people left in the study, and Mr. He softened his tone: "Tell me what you think."
"My mother finally has her second child. I don't want her to be disturbed or have any mishaps. This child is what our family has been looking forward to for a long time. I hope you can understand."
Looking at the boy's clear eyes, Mr. He said in a deep voice: "Have you ever thought that you were also the child your parents had been waiting for for a long time. Now that they know that their own flesh and blood are unwilling to recognize them, aren't they sad?"
Jiang Chen pursed his lips and was silent for a while before saying, "I will try my best to make up for it."
Mr. He shook his head. He had only met Jiang Chen twice, but at his age, he had some experience in judging people. Jiang Chen seemed gentle and polite, but in fact he was distant. To put it bluntly, this kid would not listen to any tricks.
It is impossible to play the emotional card, and it is also difficult to use other aspects. Jiang Chen is good enough. The money, power and status that the He family can give him are enough for him to stand higher than the He family. And his only weakness is his adoptive parents. If something really happens to the He family, I am afraid that he will not recognize his biological child, but will become an enemy.
Mr. He said, "I can promise you that I will tell your parents your identity in half a year, but during this half year, you must come back here for two meals a month, and after your identity is revealed, you must change your surname back to He."
Jiang Chen pondered for a moment and nodded: "Okay."
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