Chapter 3
However, some things are just that unrealistic.
This is the second day after the competition ended. Tomorrow is Ms. Jiang Lan's birthday.
Jiang Huaiyu, who had originally planned to spend two days in Beijing before returning, was now standing outside his father's study, holding a bouquet of flowers carefully selected from a florist in one hand and a gift bag in the other. Inside the bag was a necklace he had bought for his mother with the prize money from this competition.
The study door was ajar, and light streamed into the hallway. On the wall hung a painting by Jiang Lan depicting a seascape under the night sky, and the light flowing through the crack in the door perfectly matched the light of the lighthouse.
Jiang Huaiyu stood under the lighthouse, but felt somewhat lost.
A minute ago, he overheard fragmented conversations in the study.
"...The Lu family, whose children were switched at birth with ours, is indeed not well-off."
"But that child looks so much like you, Jingliang. You can tell by the naked eye that you're related by blood."
"Xiao Bao's biological parents... refuse to accept our financial assistance..."
“The climate there is bad, and they have to burn coal for heating in the winter. Look at that child, his hands are calloused, that’s our child…”
Finally, there was a sigh:
How should I tell Xiaobao?
Then came a long silence.
Jiang Huaiyu silently processed this conversation, which was enough to overturn his life, for a minute, and then slowly pushed open the door to his study.
In the study, Song Jingliang and Jiang Lan were both sitting on the sofa under the window. When they saw the handsome and upright figure of the young man, both of them panicked for a moment, but then forced out a smile to try to cover it up.
Song Jingliang stood up and took two steps toward Jiang Huaiyu: "Son, you're back early? Oh? Is this a birthday present for your mother?"
Jiang Lan's eyes reddened slightly. She hurriedly turned her head away to wipe them, then turned back, a gentle smile appearing on her beautiful face: "Xiao Bao, congratulations on winning the championship again. What reward do you want?"
Jiang Huaiyu glanced at Song Jingliang, who was walking with his arms and legs moving in unison, then stuffed the flowers into his arms. She then walked past him, took a long stride into the study, squatted down next to the low table in front of the sofa, and opened the necklace box: "Mom, happy birthday, this is a gift I chose for you."
It wasn't a luxury necklace; compared to the jewelry in Jiang Lan's jewelry box, it was quite inconspicuous. But Jiang Lan smiled with delight and reached out to touch her son's soft, dark brown hair.
"Thank you, Xiaobao. Mommy loves it. This pendant is shaped like a magnolia flower? You must have spent a long time choosing it, right?"
Jiang Huaiyu took out the necklace, wrapped it around Jiang Lan's slender neck, and put it on her.
“Mom, it’s all worth it to spend so much time and effort on you. You’re my mother.” He put the necklace on Jiang Lan, then leaned down and gently hugged her shoulders. “In my heart, your happiness is the most important thing, and that won’t change because of our blood relationship. So, please don’t cry.”
Jiang Lan's shoulders trembled even more noticeably. She grabbed Jiang Huaiyu's hand and squeezed it hard.
This hand has grown from a chubby little lotus root to its current slender and strong shape. She has poured countless efforts into it. Being switched at birth is not Jiang Huaiyu's fault. She is only afraid that her child will be distressed and confused because of this.
However, this matter could not be kept from Jiang Huaiyu.
...
"...In short, that's it." Song Jingliang explained the whole story, his face unusually serious: "Huaiyu, your mother and I have been to your biological parents' home. The conditions are indeed...not very good. Your mother and I think it would be best if both of you children stayed with the Jiang family to receive better resources and education. The Lu family agrees to this, but you should also maintain close contact with the Lu family. After all, they are your biological parents, and they raised Lu Mingxiao for sixteen years..."
Lu Mingxiao...
That's the child's name.
Jiang Huaiyu remained silent for a moment before nodding slightly: "I understand... Dad."
Jiang Huaiyu felt as if a damp wad of cotton was stuffed in her chest, heavy and sore. Yet the whole story was so clear, so clear that Jiang Huaiyu didn't even have a chance to ask questions and could only accept it in silence.
Song Jingliang breathed a sigh of relief and patted his son's shoulder: "Xiaobao, listen to Dad. Nothing will change for you. You just have an older brother... We checked, you were born ten minutes apart, so he is indeed the older brother."
This is truly a half-brother.
Jiang Huaiyu slowly exhaled: "I'm sorry, Dad, I... I need some time to accept this. Do you... have information about my biological parents? I'd like to see it..."
He displayed a composure beyond his years, which made Song Jingliang both gratified and heartbroken. He looked at Jiang Lan, who nodded slightly.
Song Jingliang took a few thin sheets of paper from his desk.
"Although their family isn't well-off, they are all very good people. Your dad... cough, your Mr. Lu is afraid that contacting them abruptly might disrupt your studies and life, but they care about you a lot..."
Jiang Huaiyu looked at the documents in her hand, which included photos.
Lu Chuan and Li Qing.
These are his parents.
The man in the photo was pale and thin, while the woman next to him, laughing heartily, seemed more vibrant. She had short, neat hair, healthy tan skin, and a row of white teeth when she smiled. As Jiang Huaiyu's fingers traced her features, he was surprised to find that she actually looked a lot like his biological mother, Li Qing.
But their temperaments were completely different...
Until you turn to the next page, a rebellious young face comes into view.
It was a boy about the same age as Jiang Huaiyu, with short hair that didn't go past his eyebrows or ears, one hand in his school uniform pocket, his face slightly turned to the side towards the camera.
This is probably a candid photo. The boy is looking at the camera with his brows slightly furrowed. He has prominent brow bones and deep, handsome features. Although he still has some of the naivety of a young man, the sharp and ruthless spirit beneath his youth is already beginning to show.
In short, he's handsome, but he has a face that doesn't look like someone you want to mess with.
He bears a striking resemblance to Song Jingliang.
Seeing Jiang Huaiyu looking at the photo, Jiang Lan said softly, "This is Lu Mingxiao, your brother."
Jiang Huaiyu didn't want to admit it, but the moment he saw Lu Mingxiao's photo, a base jealousy welled up inside him. This was his parents' biological child, looking so much like his father. The power of blood would bind them tightly together, but what about the future...?
Is he an outsider in this family?
Should he go back to his biological parents?
He spoke, his voice a little hoarse: "When will he be back?"
Jiang Lan hesitated for a moment, then shook her head: "It's not certain yet. He said he doesn't want to come back for the time being."
Lu Mingxiao didn't want to come back. On the day of the family reunion, he rejected the olive branch offered by his biological parents. The Lu family couple also tried their best to persuade him to return to the Jiang family, but the boy was very stubborn. When asked why he didn't come back, he refused to say. His stubborn neck was exactly the same as Jiang Lan's when he ran away from home.
At night, Jiang Huaiyu couldn't sleep. Anyone would have trouble sleeping after something like this happened.
He was surprised by Lu Mingxiao's refusal to return, and this aloofness from power seemed to make him even more despicable, because he had genuinely considered that losing the inheritance of the Jiang family would also change his future life plans.
But more than anything, he was afraid of losing Song Jingliang and Jiang Lan.
Those were his family members whom he had loved for sixteen years.
After tossing and turning all night, Jiang Huaiyu announced a decision at breakfast the next day, with dark circles under her eyes.
"Dad, Mom, I want to go there during summer vacation."
Song Jingliang and Jiang Lan didn't react for a moment. After a while, Jiang Lan softly said, "Ah: You want to go see him... Of course you can. So, Xiao Bao, how many days do you plan to stay?"
Jiang Huaiyu said, "Maybe three or four days..."
...
On the first day of summer vacation, Jiang Huaiyu boarded a plane to embark on another chapter of her life.
That small northern city certainly didn't have an airport, so Jiang Huaiyu took a high-speed train for a while. When she arrived at her destination, it was 3 p.m. The summer in the north was just as hot as ever, making people feel dizzy and nauseous. The high-speed train only stopped at the small station for two minutes. Before Jiang Huaiyu even reached the exit, the high-speed train sped off into the distance again, bringing with it a warm summer breeze.
This was the first time in his sixteen years of life that Young Master Jiang had ever seen such a small platform. One of the wheels of his suitcase had been knocked off during the check-in process, so he had to carry it by hand. When he got to the exit, he felt like the sky had fallen—the elevator was broken.
As he carried his luggage down the stairs and walked out of the train station, sweat beaded on his nose. There were six or seven people at the station entrance, all asking him where he was going. Jiang Huaiyu cautiously took a step back to avoid the hands reaching for his suitcase. With a stern, fair face, he said someone was coming to pick him up.
His biological mother, Li Qing, said she would come to pick him up, so he wandered around the crowd but did not see the healthy-looking woman in the photo. A black cab driver saw this and persuaded him to take a ride, and even reached out his black hand to help him with his suitcase.
Suddenly, a long, slender arm reached out from the side and took the suitcase back from the person's hand. The boy's voice, which had just passed puberty, was a little hoarse.
"Excuse me, sir, this person is riding in my car."
Jiang Huaiyu turned her head and met a face that seemed to be smiling but not smiling.
The boy was wearing a white sleeveless T-shirt, black athletic shorts, and a pair of...slippers.
He was a bit taller than Jiang Huaiyu, probably over 1.8 meters tall. His exposed arms had well-proportioned muscles and smooth lines. Because of his broad shoulders and long legs, his casual clothes also exuded youthful vitality.
Lu Mingxiao.
The photo even softened his aggressiveness a bit. He just stared at Jiang Huaiyu, his deep brown pupils reminding Jiang Huaiyu of a racehorse he owned. That wild gaze scoured the young master from head to toe, finally raising his long eyebrows: "Jiang Huaiyu?"
Since this person was so impolite, Jiang Huaiyu didn't need to be polite. He returned the gaze with the same look, his pale lips moving slightly: "Lu Mingxiao."
The unlicensed taxi driver, still not satisfied, leaned over to break the tense atmosphere: "Hey kid, are you an adult? Can you drive?"
Lu Mingxiao lazily glanced at the man, then raised his long, slender finger and pointed to a car parked in the shade of a tree...
Blue tricycle.
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
He looked at the unlicensed taxi driver: "Brother, let's go."
Lu Mingxiao: "Tsk, what a spoiled young master."
Jiang Huaiyu took a deep breath, but still couldn't hold back.
"Ha, hopeless legal ignoramuses."
Author's Note:
Pre-order now! Cute pets, heartwarming story~ Super sweet~
The Mission of Two Little Dogs
(one)
Shao Yudi has a secret: he can hear the thoughts of dogs.
He adopted a retired military dog named Jinwu. Jinwu usually considers itself the "leader of the pack," and this brave dog's biggest dream is to expand the pack.
For this reason, Jinwu would drag Shao Yudi out for a walk every day and persistently scrutinize every passerby. Whenever this happened, Shao Yudi could hear Jinwu's inner thoughts.
“Man, I will find you the strongest mate, and you will have a litter of puppies, growing your family strong.”
Shao Yudi: ...
First of all, humans can't give birth to puppies.
Secondly, his sexual orientation is unconventional, so he is unlikely to have children with children who are not good people.
Golden Crow: "Woof~ Target spotted!"
(two)
When Shao Yudi first met her neighbor Bo Hewen, he was a typical domineering CEO: 1.9 meters tall, handsome, dressed in a suit, with broad shoulders and long legs, perfectly fitting Jinwu's standard of "strongest".
The Golden Crow was shouting "Mating!", and Shao Yudi silently pinched the Golden Crow's beak.
When Shao Yudi saw her neighbor Bo Hewen for the second time, the community manager placed a large package at Bo Hewen's door. Bo Hewen was signing for it when a long, grayish-white tube suddenly emerged from the vent of the package, accompanied by a loud wolf howl.
The dog inside the box: "Woof~ woof~ That's it? We could take ten more! The Icefield Wolf King has arrived! Tremble, you fools!"
The Golden Crow was shouting "Mating!", and Shao Yudi silently pinched the Golden Crow's beak.
When Shao Yudi saw her neighbor Bo Hewen for the third time, he was wearing tattered slippers and a torn nightgown, with one arm in a sling, being dragged out of the house by the "Icefield Wolf King".
The wolf king sped past: "Awooo—he slipped on soybean oil! I'm only one fire away from killing my master!"
The Golden Crow was shouting "Mating!", and Shao Yudi silently pinched the Golden Crow's beak.
Later, the destitute General Bo came to their door begging for shelter. Shao Yudi wanted to seek the leader's opinion, but then she looked back—
The golden crow is riding on the wolf king's back, trying to give birth to puppies.
"To strengthen the tribe, it still depends on the leader himself."
Shao Yudi: ...
Boss, is it possible that within our tribe...
They're all male!
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