Chapter 1
It rained in the evening, but the sun came out in less than twenty minutes. The sunset was magnificent, spreading across the sky in layers from red to light purple, like a custom-made fondant cake. There was indeed a sweet smell in the air. The magnolias in front of the A1 teaching building of Shenhai International School were in bloom. The sweet but not cloying fragrance of the flowers mixed with the damp and cool smell of the soil after the rain to create a special fragrance.
A black Bentley was parked in front of the teaching building. The car window, which was covered with privacy film, slowly rolled down. A slender hand reached out to touch the ixora flowers in the round bushes. Raindrops still clung to the cluster of small yellow flowers. When the cold, white fingertips touched them, the water droplets fell in a soft patter.
The long, slender finger, like a cat's tail that had been splashed with cold water, immediately retracted.
Through the half-lowered car window, the young man's profile was handsome, with slightly upturned eyes that carried a hint of indifference and aloofness. His nose was straight but not rugged, with a superior and delicate curve.
He turned his gaze away from the flowers, pursed his pale lips, and looked down at the game loading screen on his tablet. A cute little character was running around on a miniature globe, leaving a small cloud of dust behind him.
From the car window, he looked as exquisite as an expensive piece of porcelain.
The junior high students finished class, and the boys and girls walked out of the school building to the sound of piano music. The school required uniform attire, and everyone wore short-sleeved shirts, boys wore trousers, and girls wore trousers and skirts. Although the school uniform was expensive, teenagers like to be different. Since everyone's clothes were the same, they could only make their own choices with accessories. Everywhere you looked, there were shoes that looked low-key but cost four figures, and backpacks with luxury brand logos.
Jiang Huaining said goodbye to her friends and skipped towards the Bentley parked by the flower bed. The diamond hair clip on her head was sparkling. Before she even got near the car, she called out "Brother" in a clear voice.
A flamboyant, lively, and sweet-looking rich girl is destined to attract attention wherever she goes. Some people couldn't help but whisper enviously to their classmates, "Isn't it said that cars can't be driven into the school? My nanny waits in the underground parking lot, so why is Jiang Huaining's family allowed to drive in?"
His classmate rolled his eyes at him: "The Jiang family is on the school board."
The privilege above privileges successfully silenced people.
Jiang Huaining opened the car door and got in. He very familiarly took a small bottle of juice from the mini-fridge in the back center armrest, took a big gulp, and then grinned as he approached the boy: "What are you doing? Hey? Bro, you play games too? What game is this? I thought you were doing a competition problem."
"A game set in a post-apocalyptic survival world." Jiang Huaiyu pushed the little head blocking the screen away slightly with one finger. His voice was clear and cheerful, with a hint of amusement: "Who told you I don't play games but always have competition problems in my hand? Was it Auntie?"
“Yeah! My mom said you got over 1,500 on the SAT. She said you make the most of every minute to study, every single second counts. My mom said…” Jiang Huaining imitated her mother’s tone, with a sense of pride, “Look at your cousin! Look at other people’s kids!”
Jiang Huaiyu laughed out loud: "My aunt might be suited to writing that kind of inspirational literature, like 'Harvard at 4:30.' This game doesn't take much time. If I don't log in before my exams, I might find someone to help me with the daily tasks."
"Oh, is that so... I was just saying that my mom gives me fake, toxic motivational quotes every day, and she herself is a Harvard alumna..." Jiang Huaining rolled her eyes, finished a bottle of juice, and then asked with a smile, "Brother~ can I have another bottle?"
Jiang Huaiyu is a picky eater and gets tired of many things after just a couple of bites. The nanny knew this when she prepared juice for him, and the juice in the small refrigerator was all in small bottles. Jiang Huaiyu was so thirsty that he drank it all in a few sips before he could even taste it, clearly still wanting more.
His academically gifted cousin was playing video games, but he simply raised his chin to indicate that he approved the extra meal, and Jiang Huaining immediately opened the small refrigerator again.
She was holding a phone with an oversized Stitch phone case, making the phone look even bigger. When the refrigerator lid slid open, she couldn't hold on to it. After struggling with her five fingers, Stitch still fell into the small refrigerator. In the process of struggling, she bumped into the screen, and the audiobook that was paused started playing automatically again.
The AI's overly dramatic intonation, due to being sped up, sounds like a tongue twister:
"Liu Anran never expected that her family would ask her to give one of her kidneys to Liu Miaomiao, the real heiress who had just been found. Even her fiancé was standing by Liu Miaomiao's side at this moment..."
“Anran, you have enjoyed Miaomiao’s doting love for twenty years. Now it’s time to give it all back to her.”
"In the pouring rain, Liu Anran shivered and retorted, trembling, 'I can give up everything, but I was just a child back then. Why should I give her a kidney? Even if everything I have was given to me by the Liu family, at least... my kidney is my own!'"
"Enough with the nonsense!" The fiancé's face contorted into a ghostly grimace in the wind and rain. He waved for the bodyguards to come forward and drag Liu Anran into the ambulance that had been prepared nearby.
"Liu Miaomiao had a cold smile on her lips. She huddled in the man's arms, trembling, and whispered that she was scared, but she was secretly very pleased with herself."
"Liu Anran, so what if you are exceptionally talented and beautiful? It can't change the fact that I am my parents' bloodline, and I am the true daughter of the Liu family. Today, I will take back everything that belongs to me!"
"A nurse suddenly rushed out of the ambulance, her hands covered in blood, and exclaimed in a panic: 'The patient's kidney can't be used!'"
Liu Miaomiao asked in surprise: Why not?!
"Nurse: The patient is pregnant, but it's an ectopic pregnancy! The baby is attached to her kidney!"
Jiang Huaiyu's hand trembled, and the game character fell into a bloody flash in the arena. At the same time, the ambient lights in the car turned red, and a warning popped up on the central control screen that the cooling had been stopped. Miss Jiang reached into the refrigerator and finally caught the "talking nonsense" Stitch among the rows of small glass bottles.
She slowly raised her head and chuckled, "Brother, this isn't actually my phone, do you believe me?"
Jiang Huaiyu put down the tablet and clapped her hands gently: "For a fertilized egg to implant on a kidney, it needs to pass through the uterus, fallopian tubes, abdominal cavity, perirenal fat capsule, and renal parenchyma... Even Tang Sanzang's journey to the West wasn't this difficult. Congratulations, her fiancé might be an alien parasite."
"Pfft..." The driver couldn't help but laugh out loud, but he quickly sat up straight and kept a straight face.
They were professionally trained so that he wouldn't laugh no matter how funny it was; he only thought of happy things.
Jiang Huaining, having just experienced a social death, covered his face in anguish: "Brother... this is like an old-fashioned romance novel, the kind where they gouge out each other's kidneys and eyeballs. I just want to see how outrageous it gets later... ugh~ will they really write an alien?"
Jiang Huaiyu chuckled, exited the game, found "AAA Game Boosting Xiaoming" on WeChat, and settled the wages for the diligent Xiaoming.
Their chat interface was very simple: Jiang Huaiyu transferred money, and Xiaoming replied with "OK".
On the other side, Jiang Huaining, having already been through enough, simply asked a silly question: "Brother, do you think this kind of thing could happen to me? Is it possible that I was switched at birth?"
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
The teenage girl, whose face seemed to say, "Life is too smooth; I need a little excitement," was eagerly anticipating discussing this issue with her cousin. Jiang Huaiyu looked into those clear, naive eyes and gave his answer after a moment.
"Almost impossible."
Jiang Huaining: "Why? I feel like my mom and I are nothing alike. She always talks about what she accomplished at my age, while I spend all my time reading silly articles and watching short dramas... She said I didn't inherit any of her intelligence. Last week, she argued with my dad and even said that the hospital might have switched the babies..."
The little girl became more and more frustrated as she spoke, and her head drooped lower and lower.
"...My aunt had her prenatal checkups and C-section at a private hospital, and this private hospital is even controlled by our family..." Jiang Huaiyu raised an eyebrow: "Pregnant women who can give birth at this hospital with my aunt must come from well-off families. Even if the babies were switched at birth, you'd still be a young lady from a wealthy family. Besides, my aunt had bodyguards, a nanny, and my uncle with her. The neonatal ward was under surveillance with no blind spots, and you had to swipe your wristband to enter and exit..."
"In this situation, do you think there's a high chance that you and a girl from an ordinary family would be switched at birth? If it was a premeditated baby swap... only an FBI agent could do that, right?"
Jiang Huaining was amused and laughed out loud, but after laughing, she sighed with a wistful expression, resting her chin on her hand.
Jiang Huaiyu turned off the tablet screen and patted the little girl's curly hair: "Ningning, you are not only your mother's daughter, but also the captain of the school volleyball team. You may become a professional athlete in the future and shine in your own way. This may not meet your mother's expectations, but as long as she loves you, she will see your brilliance."
Jiang Huaining felt that her mother still loved her very much. Apart from being a bit of a "tiger mom," she would try her best to spend time with her. She was already very easygoing, and she was comforted by her cousin's words. In the blink of an eye, she threw the "real or fake heiress" dilemma to the back of her mind and drank two more bottles of juice.
The vehicle had already entered the villa area, and the surrounding environment gradually became quiet. Rows of camphor trees cast deep shadows, and the outline of the main house could be vaguely seen through the swaying shadows.
Today is Jiang Huaiyu's maternal grandfather's birthday. Jiang Huaining's grandfather and Jiang Huaiyu's maternal grandfather are brothers, and all the younger generation members have come back to celebrate the old man's birthday.
Jiang Huaiyu took her mother's surname. Her father, Song Jingliang, was actually married into the Jiang family. However, Mr. Song never felt inferior as a son-in-law. He would tell everyone that being able to work for Ms. Jiang Lan was the greatest blessing of his life. When his rivals pointed their fingers at him and accused him of relying entirely on his in-laws, he would just laugh it off. When he got home, he would hug Ms. Jiang Lan and act all wronged. Fortunately, he was well-maintained and still had a charming appearance at his age. Otherwise, Jiang Huaiyu would really find it an eyesore.
Although Mr. Song has the air of a brothel owner, he is not a freeloader. He is very capable. Although his own business is not as established as the Jiang family's, it is still considered one of the top "rising stars" in Shanghai.
What's remarkable is that Song Jingliang's company is also controlled by Ms. Jiang Lan. He said that he owes his success to his father-in-law and is happy to work for his wife.
With loving parents, a comfortable family background, and her own outstanding abilities, Jiang Huaiyu's life seemed to be on a smooth road.
However, at this moment, inside the old house...
"Dad, do you know what you're saying?" The woman, dressed in a moon-white cheongsam and with a graceful figure, raised her eyebrows, but out of respect for her elders, she still restrained her anger: "You want me and Xiaobao to do a paternity test? Why did you suddenly have this idea? Xiaobao is so smart and sensitive. What will he think if he finds out about this one day?"
"What do you mean, 'what do you think'?!" Old Master Jiang slammed his cane on the floor. "If Huaiyu is your biological child, then our family can live as it is. But what if he isn't? Do you expect me to hand over our vast family business to an outsider?"
"Dad!" Jiang Lan stood up excitedly, her beautiful and gentle face flushed red. "You are simply unreasonable! The child was born from my belly. It would be understandable if you doubted that he wasn't Song Jingliang's child, but what gives you the right to doubt that he isn't my child?!"
Mr. Song, who dared not interrupt and wished he could simply remain a decorative figurehead: ...
Wife, there's no need to be so forgiving.
Author's Note:
It's open! I've been sneezing a lot these past few days, is someone calling me a puppy? Woof woof~ [doge emoji]
This post won't be very long, and I'll be updating every other day (once every two days). The update time will be a bit late, so please don't stay up late waiting! [heart emoji]
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