Chapter 93
"Hey, isn't that Cheche?"
Through the gaps in the crowd, Xu Yirou saw a blurry but familiar figure not far away.
Bubble glanced up from the signature: "It really is him."
As soon as he finished speaking, the boy glanced over with a cold gaze, paused slightly, showed a hint of surprise, and walked over unhurriedly with his hands in his pockets.
"Meatball, so you're in this kindergarten too."
"Yes, that's right," Xu Yirou said with delight. "How come I've never seen you before?"
"Because he just transferred here today," Bubble scoffed. "Are you doing this on purpose? Deliberately getting close to my succulent?"
Xu Cheye skillfully evaded the question, saying indifferently, "It was all arranged by my family."
"What a pure and innocent little white flower," Bubble thought to herself.
He probably thought he was keeping it a secret, but during the last month of summer vacation, he came to visit every few days. Although it was said that Uncle Xu brought him, the clever and witty girl had already figured out that this guy was only there for her great-grandmother.
Just from the way he would steal glances at his grandmother every now and then, she could tell that he absolutely, definitely liked his grandmother!
This is also why Bubble doesn't give Xu Cheye a friendly look. She treats Xu Cheye as a friend, but Xu Cheye wants to be her grandfather!
This is way too much!
Bubble glared at Xu Cheye with annoyance. Her little grandma was only four years old, and four-year-olds couldn't date. She wouldn't allow any of her children to have any improper thoughts about her little grandma.
So the kid she hates the most is Xu Cheye.
Xu Yirou had no idea that Bubble had so many secrets hidden in her little head. She loved every cub who liked her equally.
Of course, my favorite is still my little granddaughter, Bubble.
"Meat."
The world of the three children was too lonely, so Xia Xiaoshan joined in at the right time, and a handsome, exotic prince came from the other side.
Xu Yirou: !!!
Her round eyes opened slightly, and her clear, childlike eyes reflected Xia Xiaoshan in his school uniform.
"Xiaoshan, didn't you go back to America?"
Xia Xiaoshan gave a shy smile: "My parents want me to stay in China to finish kindergarten before going back."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yirou was overjoyed. Wouldn't that mean she had another playmate?
"Yay!" Xu Yirou happily took a step forward. "Xiaoshan, we can play together."
Xu Cheye: "Rou Rou, why didn't you invite me?"
Didn't they know each other longer? The aloof lone wolf awkwardly extended an invitation.
Xu Yirou looked bewildered: "Cheche, we're already good friends, um, do we have to be so polite?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Cheye felt a surge of joy. At five years old, he was still at an age where he couldn't keep secrets, and he straightened his lips and slightly curled them up.
Bubble rolled her eyes in exasperation; she had so many little schemes up her sleeve.
Then he couldn't help but feel secretly pleased, thinking that his grandma was destined to be his number one simp when she grew up.
A group of toddlers were jumping and playing on the playground, chasing and frolicking back and forth. The toddlers in Xu Cheye's class were quite surprised to see him having fun.
Classmate A: "I didn't expect him to be a fan of rourou (a type of meatball) too."
Classmate B: "He didn't talk to anyone or smile all day. I thought he just didn't like playing..."
Classmate C: "Didn't you guys watch the live stream? He likes Bubble, and he doesn't even get angry when Bubble is mean to him."
Classmate A: "No, no, he definitely likes meat."
Bubble Fan C: "In no way is Bubble inferior to Rou Rou. Bubble knows martial arts and can earn lots of money. Of course Che Che likes Bubble!"
I love meat!
In a secluded corner, two little fans, Rou Rou and Pao Pao, started bickering.
On the first day of school, Xu Yirou inevitably attracted attention because of her status as a child star, causing a large number of children to come and chase after her.
Fortunately, the kindergarten had made the necessary preparations before the start of the school year, and with the cooperation of teachers, security personnel, and parents, no one was injured at the fan meeting.
The adults all understand that cubs are naturally curious creatures, and the more you try to stop them, the more counterproductive it will be. In addition, they prefer cubs that are their own age, and they have watched the live stream themselves, so they know that Rou Rou is a responsible, hardworking, cute, and smart cub.
Compared to those big stars in the entertainment industry, he is definitely a high-quality idol.
With idols around, as time goes by, their mystique will eventually fade, and once the novelty wears off, everything will return to normal. That's why no parents interfere with their children's idol-chasing behavior.
A month passed like this, and the children, who were used to the bright little stars in kindergarten, gradually calmed down and started playing as usual.
*
In contrast to the relaxed attitude of other parents, things were not so peaceful for the three siblings.
"...Brother, Xia Jianming said you're his son?"
"No wonder you've been so restless lately; it turns out the Xia family has been harassing you."
"That brat Xia Chuan is asking for trouble, daring to mess with the Xu family's porcelain!"
In the study of the Xu family villa, Xu Niancheng and He Nianzhu recovered from their dazed state after being struck by lightning.
He Nianzhu flew into a rage and slammed her fist on the table: "How dare the Xia family? Do they think we're fools?"
Xu Niancheng suppressed her disgust and calmly asked, "Big brother, did the Xia family make any demands on you?"
Xu Qingyan's deep, dark eyes were as cold as ice, but when he looked at his sister, his eyes warmed slightly. He said calmly, "Xia Jianming hopes that I will join Xintai and become the next person in charge of Xintai."
He Nianzhu and Xu Niancheng's pupils trembled.
Xu Niancheng blurted out, "Has the Xia family gone mad?"
Shouldn't a normal person's reaction be to verify the parent-child relationship before discussing the inheritance?
He Nianzhu sneered: "The Xia family doesn't think they can tempt you with a piece of meat the size of a mosquito, does they? I bet there must be some internal strife in the Xia family that made that old bastard Xia Jianming take such a risky move and come up with such a bad idea to win over our Xu family."
They're simply asking for trouble.
No, you've got it wrong.
Xu Qingyan's next words were like a thunderclap, shocking He Nianzhu and Xu Niancheng so much that they almost died on the spot.
“I did a paternity test with Xia Jianming, and he is indeed my biological father, while Xia Chuan is indeed my half-brother.”
...
The room was deathly silent.
He Nianzhu's ears were ringing. At this moment, he finally understood why, when he first met Xia Chuan, even though he disliked him, he could always feel a sense of familiarity from him for no reason.
It turns out that everything stemmed from the resemblance between him and his elder brother, Xu Qingyan, in their eyebrows.
He Nianzhu gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, so Xia Chuan knew about the relationship between his older brother and him from the beginning. He deliberately approached his mother, provoked him time and time again, and inquired about his older brother's news, all in order to recognize his relatives!
In the end, he even made outrageous remarks on the show, demanding the help of his elder brother. Everyone thought it was just him talking nonsense in a fit of anger.
But in the end, they were the ones who were kept in the dark the whole time! What idiots!
He Nianzhu was furious. How dare that bastard make fun of him like this!
His chest rose and fell with heavy breathing.
"Brother, calm down." A gentle hand patted her shoulder, and her younger sister, Xu Niancheng, stood on tiptoe and said softly, "No matter what, you are still family. I believe you will make your own decision. What we should do is cooperate and support you as much as possible. Don't be angry."
A few words sealed all of He Nianzhu's dissatisfaction. He silently looked at Xu Qingyan and met his stunned face.
Xu Qingyan rarely showed his emotions, but even for a second, He Nianzhu could still see a fleeting moisture in his dark eyes.
"Twenty-five years ago, Xia Chuan's mother, Qin Yuan, married Xia Jianming..."
Qin Yuan was physically weak from a young age and had difficulty conceiving. The Xia family patriarch and patriarch only had one son, Xia Jianming. Therefore, after the young couple got married, Qin Yuan had been under pressure from her in-laws to have a child.
Five years have passed in the blink of an eye. By the deadline given by her in-laws, Qin Yuan still had no sign of pregnancy and did not want to suffer the ordeal of IVF.
So the elderly couple in the Xia family decided to go all the way and took it upon themselves to find a woman from outside to carry on their son's family line. Unexpectedly, the woman became pregnant immediately.
When the woman was in her fifth month of pregnancy, a miracle suddenly happened: Qin Yuan was pregnant.
In the fourth month of her pregnancy, Qin Yuan passed a gender test and it was confirmed that she was carrying a boy. At this time, it was less than a month before Xu Qingyan's mother was due to give birth.
Qin Yuan then threatened the Xia family with the benefits of the family marriage alliance, demanding that they send the woman and child away and sever ties with the Xia family, otherwise she would make the matter public knowledge.
Firstly, Qin Yuan's child is a legitimate son born in wedlock, a true descendant of the Xia family.
Secondly, families like theirs value face highly. Favoring a concubine over a wife would be a laughing stock in their social circle, and abandoning a legitimate child for an illegitimate child would also be looked down upon. It's obvious which is more important, an illegitimate child or a legitimate child.
After weighing the pros and cons, Xu Qingyan became an abandoned child. His birth mother was unable to raise the child and did not love him. After receiving compensation from the Xia family, she disappeared completely.
The place where Xu Qingyan was abandoned was less than 500 meters from Xu Yirou's home. It was a remote rural area farthest from the city, an impoverished region that hadn't produced a single talented person in decades.
Children born here have virtually no chance of success.
"Is this something a human could do?"
"How dare you ask me to acknowledge you as your brother after all this!" He Nianzhu was furious, pacing back and forth in the room, cursing and swearing.
If it weren't for my mother, my older brother would probably be picking up cow dung on some dirt slope right now!
Once the truth about Xu Qingyan's background is revealed, the doubts buried deep in his heart for many years are resolved and dissipated.
Xu Niancheng was equally furious, her fair cheeks flushed red: "Brother, the Xia family is utterly shameless, you absolutely cannot go back."
"I won't reply."
"This is my home." Xu Qingyan's cool voice was firm.
"It's enough for the three of us to know about this," he solemnly instructed. "We can't let Mom know."
Since he had no intention of having any dealings with the Xia family, there was really no need to involve his mother and make her worry.
The three siblings agreed to keep the secret.
Meanwhile, the Xia family, which had been repeatedly refused entry by Xu Qingyan, was in complete chaos.
In the Buddhist hall scattered with porcelain shards, Qin Yuan, his eyes bloodshot and his body trembling, was confronting two men opposite him.
"One is my husband, and the other is my son! What have I done to deserve this from you? Why are you going against me like this!"
Xia Jianming's wrinkled face was full of helplessness as he patiently reasoned with his wife: "This was not my own decision. It was Achuan who told me that Qingyan was the child. You have seen the results of the paternity test. He is indeed a member of the Xia family."
"So what!"
"Don't you know that A-Chuan's ambitions lie in business?" Xia Jianming glared at Xia Chuan, who was sweeping the floor with a broom, with a look of exasperation. "He has no business acumen and no talent for managing a company. If you insist on having him inherit the company, you might as well declare it bankrupt now."
"Who said he didn't have it? He—"
"Mom," Xia Chuan decided to say something that would definitely get him scolded, "I really have no interest in a nine-to-five job. You know my grades better than my dad do."
The memory of that five-point math test that almost made his mother faint with anger is still vivid.
Qin Yuan choked, then snapped, "Shut up! Is this the time to talk about these things?"
"If you don't say it now, when will you? When I bankrupt the company? You might as well just beat me to death now, so you don't harm others."
Good heavens, how could she have given birth to such a lazy, good-for-nothing brat!
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