Chapter 064

The airport, arrival gate.

Qiao Man sat atop a luggage cart, being pushed out by Maomao.

The fans waiting at the gate were sharp-eyed. The moment they spotted the people they were waiting for, they immediately hoisted their light boards: “Xingxing!”

“Baby Xiao Man!”

Pei Xiwang, who was also standing in the crowd waiting, felt his spirits lift at the sound. He looked up instantly and sure enough, saw a small child sitting high up, bundled up like a round ball. His eyes lit up and he waved toward them: “Master Xiao Man!”

Wearing his children’s sunglasses, Qiao Man gave a cool nod in his direction.

The Lu Jianxing fans standing nearby asked in surprise, “Pei Xiwang, did you come specifically to pick up Xingxing?”

“Are you two that close?”

“They went to the amusement park together last time, so they must be on great terms.”

Pei Xiwang: “…”

He and Lu Jianxing weren’t exactly friends; he was here to pick up Master Xiao Man… forget it.

Once Lu Jianxing finished saying his goodbyes to the fans, Pei Xiwang stepped forward to lead the way. “This way, the car is parked outside.”

Maomao pushed the luggage cart around a corner and followed behind him, his small eyes darting back and forth with intense curiosity.

He had heard that Baby Xiao Man had come back on a business trip at Pei Xiwang’s request, and word was it involved a massive scandal about a “real and fake young master.”

He loved high-society secrets and gossip more than anything. He had missed the action last time, and this time he didn’t even know which family the gossip belonged to, which made him itch with anticipation.

“Master Xiao Man, thank you for coming,” Pei Xiwang said. “My friend heard you were willing to come and is already waiting at his family’s Hot Spring Villa.”

Qiao Man took off his sunglasses and slowly tucked them into his pocket. His chubby little face was dead serious as he gave a cool nod. “Mm.”

Lu Jianxing looked over from the side. “…Still haven’t found him?”

It had been several days since Pei Xiwang’s last phone call.

After accepting the job, Qiao Man hadn’t set off immediately because his assistant, Xingxing, still had scenes to film. Fortunately, the shoot was nearing its end. Lu Jianxing was playing a supporting role with limited screen time, so his scenes officially wrapped a few days ago. When they contacted Pei Xiwang again, they learned that his friend’s problem had yet to be resolved.

Pei Xiwang’s friend also came from a wealthy family and had many resources at his disposal to find people.

Pei Xiwang shook his head. “It’s precisely because he can’t be found that we wanted to ask Master Xiao Man for help.”

The world was too big, with a population in the billions. No one knew where that real young master had ended up, and finding him wouldn’t be easy.

Since it involved high-society secrets and someone else’s family matters, he simply said, “Let’s get in the car first.”

The group reached the parking lot. Maomao helped hoist the luggage into the trunk and then said politely, “Brother Lu, Baby Xiao Man, I’ll head back now.”

Qiao Man looked at him in confusion. “Aren’t you coming with us?”

Maomao froze. “I can?”

“You said before that you wanted to soak in a hot spring,” Qiao Man said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Pei Xiwang added, “It’s fine, come along.”

Overjoyed, Maomao hurriedly threw his own suitcase into the car, pulled open the door, and hopped in, excitedly buckling his seatbelt.

High-society gossip, here he comes!

Pei Xiwang wasn’t driving himself. A chauffeur in a suit and white gloves sat in the driver’s seat, asking, “Young Master, are we ready to depart?”

Three pairs of eyes, shining like bright lightbulbs, fixed their gaze on Pei Xiwang.

Young Master Pei: “Let’s go.”

When Young Master Pei turned around and met their stares, he felt a bit self-conscious. “W-what? My family is rich, is this your first day knowing that?”

Maomao said enviously, “This is the first time I’ve been so close to a rich person…”

The heater in the car was running high. Lu Jianxing took off the child’s hat and earmuffs, tucked them into a backpack, and casually rubbed the boy’s small head. “Xiao Man, is your hair getting a bit long?”

“Is it?” Qiao Man touched his head. After being flattened by the hat, his hair was a mess, with several strands sticking up defiantly.

Wearing a hat every day, he hadn’t even realized when his hair had grown out.

“It’s fine, you can get it cut after we arrive,” Pei Xiwang said.

Maomao: “Huh? Is there a barbershop there?”

Maomao touched his own head. It just so happened his hair was getting a bit long too and needed a trim. The only problem was… “Will it be expensive?” He usually got a twenty-yuan wash-and-cut¹ deal from the shop at the entrance of his residential compound.

Pei Xiwang said matter-of-factly, “Of course we’ll have a styling team come to the house. Why would we go out?”

Maomao: “…”

You damn rich people!

The car drove for several hours, from daylight into darkness. Between the flight and the drive, Qiao Man was drowsy and yawning constantly. Halfway through, his head lolled to the side, leaning against Lu Jianxing as he fell into a deep sleep.

When they finally reached their destination, Lu Jianxing woke him up. Qiao Man rubbed his sleepy eyes. “Is it time to eat?”

“We’re here.” Lu Jianxing unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over, and carried him out of the car.

Qiao Man slumped sleepily against his shoulder, his small head nodding. But once he turned to see the scenery before him, he woke up completely.

This wasn’t just some Hot Spring Villa; it was practically a manor. The mountain behind it was part of the estate. A magnificent European-style building stood before them, brilliantly lit. The areas untouched by the lights were pitch black, making it impossible to see what lay beyond, but Pei Xiwang informed them that there was a large pasture and a lake nearby.

“If you’re interested, you can go horseback riding there,” Pei Xiwang said casually, pointing toward the pasture. “It’s just a bit cold right now. It’s better to come in the spring.”

Qiao Man’s eyes sparkled as he looked over, then sparkled even more as he looked back. “Xingxing, I want…”

Lu Jianxing said practicedly, “I can’t afford it.”

Qiao Man also practicedly promised him a bright future: “It’s okay, I’ll buy it for you later.”

Maomao thought to himself: You sure have a lot of things on your shopping list.

The villa was ablaze with lights. Pei Xiwang’s friend had been waiting for a long time and had already prepared a sumptuous dinner.

After the long journey, everyone’s stomachs were growling. Seeing the table full of delicacies, Qiao Man’s eyes lit up. He grabbed his chopsticks and began eating voraciously, looking as if he wanted to bury his entire head in his small bowl.

While everyone was eating, Pei Xiwang’s friend, Jiang Yucheng, told them what had happened to him.

He was Pei Xiwang’s childhood friend and came from a very wealthy background. The Jiang Family had started in the manufacturing industry and was well-known on the local rich list. Hearing about his background, the gossip-loving Maomao took a sharp breath, clearly impressed by such prominent family roots.

From childhood to adulthood, Jiang Yucheng had received an elite education. Unlike his childhood friend who went off to chase dreams in the entertainment industry, he had started working at the family company before even graduating, and by now, he had already achieved significant results. Discovering that he wasn’t the Jiang Family’s biological son had been an accident; not long ago, his physical examination results proved that he shared no blood relation with his parents.

Hearing this, Lu Jianxing interrupted, “It’s been so many years, and you’re only finding out now?”

Jiang Yucheng paused. “That’s right. Although it’s strange, it really was only discovered recently. Last month, my father’s health wasn’t doing well and he was hospitalized several times, so I went for a check-up. I never expected…” that it would reveal such a thing.

Having been the Young Master Jiang for over twenty years, suddenly learning he wasn’t the biological son of the Jiang Family took him a long time to process.

Madam Jiang only had him as a son and had raised him as the heir since he was a child. With Father Jiang’s health in a critical state, if the news broke that he wasn’t the biological son, public opinion would certainly cause the stock price to fluctuate. Therefore, this matter couldn’t be known by others for the time being. Of course, Father Jiang had already sent people to search for the whereabouts of his biological son.

“I asked Pei Xiwang to invite Master Xiao Man here specifically to find the real Young Master Jiang,” Jiang Yucheng said sincerely. “Although I don’t know why the babies were switched back then, I’ve lived as the Jiang family’s son for over twenty years and enjoyed so much wealth and privilege. I’ve already gained so much; the least I can do is let him know the truth. Moreover, my father’s health is failing, and I hope he can pass on without any regrets.”

Maomao couldn’t help but ask, “If you really find him, what will happen to you?”

Jiang Yucheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “I’ll be fine regardless. Even though I’m not the Jiang Family’s biological son, I’ve learned a lot from them. Even if I leave the family, I can use what I’ve learned to start my own business. There’s no need to worry about me.”

Maomao felt a surge of respect. “You really are a good person!”

Having watched too many melodramatic TV dramas about wealthy families, this was the first time Maomao had seen a “true and false young master” situation where they didn’t turn into bitter enemies!

Even Qiao Man couldn’t help but look up from his rice bowl to glance at him.

It was a sumptuous dinner, and both host and guests were satisfied.

Jiang Yucheng had originally arranged for the guests to visit the hot springs, but since they showed little interest, everyone moved to the drawing room after dinner.

On the way to the drawing room, they encountered a beautiful and elegant noble lady.

It wasn’t until Jiang Yucheng called out “Mother” that everyone realized this was Jiang Yucheng’s mother, Madam Jiang.

Madam Jiang glanced at the people beside him, her gaze lingering particularly on the small child. “Yucheng, who are they?”

Pei Xiwang took the initiative to introduce them. “They are…”

“Mother, they are my friends,” Jiang Yucheng cut in quickly. “Pei Xiwang came to visit me, and they came along with him.”

Pei Xiwang gave him a puzzled look but didn’t expose him. “…Right.”

He pointed at Qiao Man. “This is my friend.”

Then he pointed at Lu Jianxing and Maomao. “And the assistants he brought along.”

Madam Jiang: “…”

She looked down, her gaze falling on the child’s soft, chubby face. She met his dark, clear eyes for a moment before quickly looking away.

“I see. Then make sure to host them well,” Madam Jiang said.

She had no intention of interfering with her son’s choice of friends and walked in the opposite direction at the fork in the path.

“My mother and I have both been vacationing here lately,” Jiang Yucheng explained to the group. “But don’t worry, this place is very large. You won’t usually run into her.”

Soon, they arrived at the small drawing room. The hot spring resort had permanent staff, and a maid prepared drinks and snacks for them.

Qiao Man sat on the soft sofa, sinking into the cushions. Holding his cup of milk, his head began to nod as he grew drowsy.

“The situation is as I described earlier.” Jiang Yucheng didn’t waste words and got straight to the point. “To be honest, my father has sent people to look for his biological son, but it was so long ago that they’ve found nothing so far. I’m afraid my father’s health won’t hold out, so I thought of using metaphysical means.”

Jiang Yucheng continued, “I saw Master Xiao Man on Pei Xiwang’s variety show, and I’ve heard Pei Xiwang mention how capable Master Xiao Man is. I wonder if you can find that person?”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Qiao Man.

Qiao Man nodded. “I can.”

Jiang Yucheng’s eyes brightened. “Then…”

Qiao Man shook his head again. “I can find him, but there is one condition for finding someone.”

“What condition?”

“The blood of a biological relative,” Qiao Man said. “I need the blood of a blood relative to find that person.”

“Isn’t that perfect?” Pei Xiwang said happily. “Since Auntie Jiang is also here on vacation, we just need to ask her to come over and provide a drop of blood.”

What should have been a perfectly smooth solution instead caused Jiang Yucheng to hesitate. “…Does it have to be a blood relative? Is there no other way?”

Qiao Man nodded, then shook his head. “There are other ways, but this is the fastest. Aren’t you in a hurry?”

“This…”

Jiang Yucheng’s expression was conflicted. After thinking for a long time, he asked, “How long would the other methods take?”

Now it was Pei Xiwang’s turn to be confused. “Jiang Yucheng? What are you hesitating for? Master Xiao Man said this way is the fastest, and it’s not dangerous…” He paused, looking at Qiao Man to confirm uncertainly, “It’s not dangerous, right?”

Qiao Man nodded vigorously. “It’s very safe!”

Pei Xiwang immediately turned back. “See? Even Master Xiao Man says it’s perfectly safe, so what are you still worried about? Don’t you want to find the real Young Master Jiang as soon as possible? Master Xiao Man is here, and Auntie Jiang is here too. The timing, the location, and the people are all perfectly aligned². There’s no better time than now!”

“But…”

The hesitation and doubt on his face were so obvious that everyone noticed, and looks of confusion began to spread through the group.

Pei Xiwang prompted, “Jiang Yucheng?”

Jiang Yucheng gritted his teeth and confessed, “Actually… my mother doesn’t agree with searching for him. I’ve even kept it a secret from her that I invited the Master here to help. I haven’t told her the truth yet.”

That was why he hadn’t dared to reveal Master Xiao Man’s identity when they ran into Madam Jiang earlier; he was afraid she would figure it out.

Now, it was everyone else’s turn to be bewildered.

The son she had raised for over twenty years wasn’t her biological child. As a mother, she should naturally long to know where her own flesh and blood was. If Jiang Yucheng was even taking the initiative to look for him, why would Madam Jiang refuse?

Translator’s Notes