Chapter 22 (End of Arc 1)

This unfamiliar middle-aged woman, judging by her attire, seemed to come from a decent family background. However, the words she spoke were completely incomprehensible to Xie Shi’an, leaving him confused.

“Hello, you may have mistaken me for someone else. Sorry, I’m in a hurry.”

Just then, the bus arrived at the station. Xie Shi’an quickly pushed away the hand that the woman had placed on his arm and ran aboard the bus.

Yesterday, his mother had texted him, saying that his father had gone to the countryside to buy an old hen to make soup for him, preparing his favorite old hen noodle soup, a dish he loved when he was a child.

At home, there was dinner prepared by his mother waiting for him, so Xie Shi’an ran as if his butt was on fire.

The minor incident of being mistaken for someone else didn’t leave any impression on Xie Shi’an. He continued with his usual routine until three days later, when he encountered that woman again.

“I am truly your biological mother. I’ve been looking for you all these years. Child, will you call me ‘Mom’?”

When Mrs. Xie said this, she stared at him with a nervous face, her eyes red with emotion, her hands trembling slightly. She looked like an ordinary mother who had longed for her child.

Xie Shi’an instinctively hugged his book tightly, retreating a few steps, and immediately turned to run back to school. Mrs. Xie tried to chase him but was stopped by security and could only watch helplessly as he grew farther away.

Xie Shi’an almost ran all the way, stopping only when he reached a quiet little grove on the school grounds. Covering his rapidly beating heart, he took out his phone and called his mother.

On the other side, Fan Chunxiang was busy in the kitchen, preparing some pan-fried buns to go with noodles. When the phone rang, she nudged Li Datao with her elbow.

“Hello, Mom. Can you come pick me up? I’ve got a lot of stuff.”

Usually, Xie Shi’an preferred texting, and when Li Datao’s business had grown, they had also started using phones for easier communication.

He had been too panicked just now, not daring to leave alone for fear of encountering that woman who claimed to be his mother.

After the call ended, a message quickly came through.

【Okay, I’ll go with Mom to pick you up. Stay at school and wait for us.】

【Mm, Dad, I miss you.】

Xie Shi’an squatted down, gripping his phone tightly, sniffing, feeling a bit pathetic.

He could handle many things with ease, but when it came to family matters, he struggled.

When his biological parents came looking for him, he wasn’t happy at all. He feared that once his parents knew about this, they might not want him as their son anymore.

“Host, the plot is about to progress, so be careful. Your biological parents aren’t really concerned about bringing you back. It’s because your twin brother is sick and needs a kidney transplant. The doctor says it’s easier to match among family members.”

In the original plot, Xie Shi’an despised his biological family. After they came looking for him, he didn’t hesitate to go back with them.

Later, after the kidney transplant, he was abandoned again and was eventually taken back by the adoptive parents he had always looked down on, who cared for him just like when he was a child, meticulously looking after him. The identity of ‘parent’ seemed to trap Fan Chunxiang and Li Datao for life.

“I won’t go back with them.”

Xie Shi’an took a deep breath, suppressed the chaotic emotions inside, adjusted his breathing, and walked toward the school gate. He glanced at his wristwatch, estimating that he would likely meet his parents near the gate.

When he first understood the situation, Xie Shi’an knew that he wasn’t born to his adoptive parents. The alley was full of onlookers, and the cheapest form of entertainment for them was to make children cry.

“Don’t be sad, child. Your dad and mom really love you.”

A gust of wind blew sand into Xie Shi’an’s eyes, making him squint and blink. The discomfort brought tears to his eyes, which made the system feel heartbroken.

If it had a physical form, it would definitely fly out and punch that scumbag father and mother.

“I know,” Xie Shi’an sniffed, replying. Even though the sand was uncomfortable in his eyes, no matter how big the issue was, he wouldn’t cry in public.

When he arrived at the school gate, the familiar car was already waiting there. After getting in, Xie Shi’an quickly closed the door. Li Datao gestured to him, asking what had happened.

“Nothing.”

Before he was certain, Xie Shi’an didn’t want to tell his parents, not wanting them to be upset along with him.

Fan Chunxiang’s gestures indicated that she didn’t believe him, hoping An’an would speak up so they could solve the problem together as a family.

Since An’an had become sensible, he hadn’t been clingy, and it was rare for him to express missing his parents. He couldn’t imagine any other situation, except when something went wrong.

“Mom, studying is so tough. At school, I suddenly miss you both.”

Fan Chunxiang reached out and let him rest his head on her shoulder, gently patting his arm. Given An’an’s age, what he was dealing with was indeed a lot of pressure.

When they returned home and opened the door, the smell of chicken soup filled the air. Xie Shi’an put down his things and went back out. He saw his parents both busy in the kitchen.

Fan Chunxiang was putting the wrapped pan-fried buns into the electric griddle to cook, while Li Datao was adding noodles to the chicken soup. This scene was so beautiful, so beautiful that An’an didn’t want to ruin it.

Unfortunately, that incident wasn’t something he could keep hidden. When he returned home and opened the door with his keys, and saw the familiar middle-aged woman sitting on the sofa, his face instantly turned pale.

“All these years, you’ve taken good care of my child, and I’m very grateful. Here’s 500,000 yuan, a token of my appreciation.”

“You’ve seen the child grow up, and you must understand a mother’s longing for her child.”

“I hope you’ll allow the child to come with me. But don’t worry, even if he comes with me, you’ll still be his godparents. I’ll bring him back to visit you when I can.”

On the other side, Fan Chunxiang and Li Datao reacted more strongly when they saw An’an.

“As parents, wouldn’t you be so heartless?”

Li Datao and Fan Chunxiang couldn’t refute her. After Xie Shi’an put down his things, he sat between them, took a deep breath, and said:

“Hello, madam, I know very well what you’re here for. I don’t want to embarrass you by exposing it, so I hope you can stop here.”

Xie Shi’an had already anticipated this moment when he first saw her, and had prepared a way to handle it.

The reason he hadn’t acted yet was to minimize the impact on his parents.

When Mrs. Xie heard the child say these words, her face became somewhat unpleasant. In her eyes, she was still his biological mother. She had nearly died giving birth to him, but now he showed her no respect.

She had abandoned him because their family was in such a poor condition at the time, too poor to feed themselves, let alone raise two children.

She had been holding the weaker one, thinking that the other could survive longer in the snow, maybe even be picked up by someone.

She had always doted on the younger one, who had been sickly from birth. Mrs. Xie had even once resented the child she abandoned, blaming him for taking the nutrition she could have given to the younger one.

To put it more harshly, he owed his brother!

Later, when her husband succeeded and became wealthy, Mrs. Xie regretted her actions, but by the time they met again, all her regret had been exhausted.

“How can you speak to your mother like that?”

Her voice had a tinge of reproach, and she no longer bothered to disguise her frustration. The natural authority of being a mother seemed to make whatever Xie Shi’an said feel wrong.

Xie Shi’an took a deep breath, forcing a polite smile at the corner of his lips and said:

“Mother? A mother who never took care of me for even a day?”

If it had been an accident, it could be forgiven, but the original owner had clearly been abandoned on purpose.

Before abandoning the child, this woman hadn’t considered that in such a place, a fragile newborn might have died there.

“At least i carried you for ten months. Don’t you feel any affection?”

When Mrs. Xie realized his strong rejection, she suddenly realized that her approach was wrong. Her tone softened instantly.

“I know what you came here for. I won’t agree to it. Please leave.”

“This child… I just wanted to see you and make up for my guilt.”

Xie Shi’an’s knowing look made Mrs. Xie uneasy, but she barely managed to stay calm, secretly resenting that he had returned too early.

If he had come back a little later, the other two wouldn’t have said anything, and she would have had control of the situation.

Before she came, she had already inquired and knew that this child valued his foster parents greatly. If they agreed, even if he wasn’t very willing, he would definitely comply.

As for the remark made by Xie Shi’an, Mrs. Xie was reluctant to believe it. She had kept that matter well hidden. Her son had been abroad in a hospital, so Xie Shi’an couldn’t possibly know this information.

Xie Shi’an stood up and pushed the bank card back on the table. After clearing his throat, he said:

“We won’t accept your money. Since I was a child, my father has been doing charity work every year to accumulate virtue, and it’s far more than this amount.”

The monks at the temple said it was fine, but there was a year when Xie Shi’an frequently fell ill, which had scared Li Datao quite a bit. Once his career started to gain some ground, he began engaging in various charitable activities.

In several public interviews, his assistant also spoke on his behalf, acknowledging that he had built bridges and roads in remote areas, helped out-of-school children return to school, all in the hope that his own children would grow up healthy.

“Your child abroad needs a kidney transplant and has been unable to find a suitable donor. You are here because the probability of matching within a family is higher”

These words instantly made Mrs. Xie panic and lose her composure. She wanted to deny it, but her reaction had already given the answer away.

“And the letter you and your husband left when you abandoned me, my parents have kept it well. If you interfere with our lives again, I will sue you for the abandonment you caused.”

Things were not as simple as Mrs. Xie thought. Abandoning a child couldn’t just be covered up with an apology now. The law had clear regulations regarding such behavior.

Once the truth was revealed, Mrs. Xie became calmer.

“Child, since you know about this, why don’t you go and save your younger brother? All these years, he’s been the one taking your place, accompanying our parents and fulfilling their expectations.”

“It’s just a kidney. Even if the matching donation goes through, you still have one, and it won’t affect your daily life.”

“Our family is well-off. After the donation, you can do whatever you want. How about I give you 50,000 yuan a month as pocket money?”

This time, before Xie Shi’an could respond, Fan Chunxiang stood up, walked in front of her, and slapped her hard. Grabbing her hair, she dragged her out.

These words made Fan Chunxiang imagine her beloved child, whom she raised, now having a bloody wound in his body, lying pale on a hospital bed. Just thinking about it made her heart ache terribly.

Mrs. Xie had never seen someone as rough as Fan Chunxiang. She had seemed mild-mannered before, but now she turned hostile in an instant.

“What are you doing? What are you trying to do? Do you believe I’ll call the police?”

At this moment, Fan Chunxiang’s eyes turned red. She kicked Mrs. Xie forcefully. Just then, Xie Shi’an, who was about to calm his mother down, suddenly heard a rough voice.

“Get out, get out!”

Xie Shi’an instinctively rubbed his eyes after hearing this, confirming that the voice was coming from his mother. He stood there in a daze.

Only after closing the door did he snap back to reality and rush to his mother’s side, nervously speaking:

“Mom, I think I just heard you speak?”

“Huh?”

Fan Chunxiang instinctively replied, still dazed herself.

Li Datao was the fastest to react among them. He sent a message to the driver to come and pick them up, intending to take Fan Chunxiang to the hospital to have a look.

They lived close to the hospital. Xie Shi’an calmly explained everything, and after a detailed examination, the doctor couldn’t give a scientific conclusion.

Back when their family’s situation had improved, Li Datao had gone with Fan Chunxiang to get checked, but the answer was that it couldn’t be treated.

This time, it was said that the miracle occurred due to the immense emotional shock.

In this world, miracles due to love were never rare.

When Fan Chunxiang had just learned to speak, she was very clumsy. Li Datao, overjoyed, went to find a teacher to teach her slowly. The family went out to celebrate, and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Mrs. Xie’s younger son abroad was in very poor condition, which is why she came looking for someone without verifying the facts. After returning, she had people investigate their family’s situation carefully.

It was then revealed that if Li Datao hadn’t left at that time, he would definitely have a place on the wealthy person list now.

Even now, if he stopped his business, his accumulated connections weren’t to be taken lightly. Their family only had one son abroad, and the business was still in the country.

If things escalated, their family didn’t care about not doing business, but the harm to the Xie family would be real.

After Mr. Xie found out, he personally brought his wife to apologize to them. However, that day Xie Shi’an was at school and wasn’t at home, so he didn’t even get to meet the son they had abandoned.

Mr. Xie’s love for his two children was very limited. He only cared about benefits. He had a mistress and an illegitimate child outside and never insisted that his unhealthy younger son live.

During that time, both Fan Chunxiang and Li Datao kept a close eye on Xie Shi’an, fearing that he might agree to make a rash decision.

At first, Xie Shi’an didn’t realize it, but later he understood their thoughts and couldn’t help but laugh. He promised in front of them that he would never do anything that would harm his body.

His parents had worked so hard to raise him. How could he not cherish his own body after all the years they spent on him?

Xie Shi’an had kept the memory of his time from the beginning. He vividly remembered how his mother had made vegetable porridge for him in winter, scraping snow to pick vegetables, her hands turning bright red from the cold.

He also remembered how his father, in order to ensure he was fed, had hands covered in sores, aching and itching, as he fidgeted in a warm room.

With parents like this, he cherished his own body more than anyone else.

Li Datao didn’t care about his own matters, but if anyone tried to harm his wife or son, he would never go easy. He had built his business empire not only on luck.

He prepared a gift and went to visit his former business friends, asking them to help him keep an eye on the family that had abandoned his son.

Xie’s company was initially found to have substandard raw materials, and later the company began to face operational problems.

While Mr. Xie was busy, news about his affair with the mistress and his illegitimate child was exposed.

Work was not going smoothly, and Mrs. Xie, who knew about the incident, was also unwilling to let him be comfortable in life. After the bankruptcy, many people had a good laugh at his expense.

Xie Shi’an did not care about blood relations. He felt that the bond of kinship had already been severed the moment they threw the original owner into the trash. What mattered to him was the parents who raised him.

He was very talented and became a direct disciple of one of the most outstanding professors in the country. At first, he was taught by the elderly professor and in his second year of college, he joined the laboratory alongside his teacher.

His research goal had always been very clear from the beginning—he wanted to discover the secret to human longevity. He hoped to extend the time he could spend with his adoptive parents, just a little longer.

This topic had been studied by many scholars, but something that went against the laws of nature was inherently difficult, not to mention that current technology had not yet advanced to that level.

When the system saw many people mocking its “cub” for being delusional, it calmly crossed its legs.

As long as it was something he wanted to do, something he was willing to do, there was an 80% chance of success.

When Xie Shi’an started his Ph.D., Wu Jingyu finally got into the university. The two old friends, who had been separated for so many years, could now meet every day. Their research directions were also quite similar.

In the face of a possible hope, who wouldn’t want to see their loved ones live longer?

Fan Chunxiang and Li Datao never understood why Xie Shi’an was so obsessed with this direction, but thankfully, from the beginning, they respected all of their child’s choices.

After graduation, Xie Shi’an entered his teacher’s research institute, spending year after year with his friends in the institute.

There were no effective references from predecessors, so every step was taken by themselves. After discovering some clues, they became pioneers.

The young Xie Shi’an, who had just entered the institute with an immature appearance, had grown into a mature man.

Over the years, he had heard many people speak negatively, and some even advised him to stop struggling. The worst situation was when they couldn’t even secure research funding.

But thankfully, Xie Shi’an had parents who supported any decision he made. All the money Li Datao had saved up was given to his son, with a reminder to never be frugal.

Over the years, Xie Shi’an had also bought many other things. If he ran out, he could sell those shares and recoup a considerable amount.

With his father’s support and trust, Xie Shi’an was able to persevere, and he had been researching this one topic into his middle age.

His teacher had passed away, leaving behind many connections, and recently, their research had made a significant breakthrough. Xie Shi’an vaguely sensed that success was near.

During the final clinical trial, Xie Shi’an received a call from home. Li Datao’s old illness had relapsed, and he was in the hospital. The doctor said he might not make it, and he wanted to see his son one last time.

When Xie Shi’an heard this, his mind went blank. He didn’t care about the experiment that was about to succeed. Without even changing his clothes, he rushed out.

In the hospital, Li Datao was hooked up to an oxygen tank, lying in a hospital gown. His arms were as frail as dried twigs, and it seemed like every breath drained the last bit of strength he had.

Xie Shi’an couldn’t wait for the elevator and ran all the way up. At the door of the ward, he tremblingly opened it, and when he reached the bedside, his legs gave out, and he kneeled by the bed.

“Dad.”

Li Datao reached out, grasped his hand, gently patted it, and moved his lips, but no sound came out.

He could never speak a word in his life, and at the end of his life, he couldn’t say goodbye to his wife and son. The muscles around his mouth trembled, and regret was visible in his cloudy eyes.

Xie Shi’an felt the hand that was holding his gradually losing strength. The machines beside him made a harsh sound.

When he looked at the bed, Li Datao had closed his eyes, still with his mouth wide open, as if unwilling to leave.

“Dad!”

At this moment, Xie Shi’an completely lost his usual restraint. He knelt by the bed, tightly holding Li Datao’s arm, unable to control his tears.

All the moments they had spent together appeared in his mind. His father had once held his rough palm and taken him to buy candy, and when his father refused to hold him because he didn’t want to pass on his frostbite. Every time they returned to their dilapidated courtyard, his father would excitedly lift him above his head.

His father’s figure waiting for him at the school gate, unconditionally trusting him no matter what happened, the money he had earned with so much effort, knowing it might be wasted, but still gave it to him.

His mind was filled with his father’s sacrifices, but he couldn’t recall how he had repaid him, or perhaps, it was insignificant.

Fan Chunxiang, at this moment, fainted from crying. Xie Shi’an forced himself to calm down, his hands tightly clenched into fists, with the joints turning slightly white. His body trembled, but he maintained his composure.

He repeatedly reminded himself in his mind that only he could handle what came next.

…

“After the death of Chinese scientist Xie Shi’an’s father, three months later, he successfully developed a special medicine that helps extend human lifespan. Clinical trials have been completed, and it is expected to be available in the market in six months.”

“According to predictions, the average human lifespan will be extended to 150 years, and perhaps even longer in the future.”

Relying on this achievement, Xie Shi’an received an award. As he stood on the award stage, he tightly grasped his trophy, and the hand holding the trophy trembled slightly in front of countless cameras. He lowered his head and kissed the shining red star on it.

Afterwards, he went with his mother to his father’s grave. He placed the trophy, which should have been treasured at home for a lifetime, there and knelt down to bow.

Just a few months… just a few months away.

Xie Shi’an looked much more dispirited, wiping the dust off the photo on the tombstone with his fingertip. His nose began to sting.

He had always thought he still had plenty of time. He even thought he could finish this research and then think about whether he could make his father speak, but time never waits for anyone.

The system, curled up in the system space, had wanted to comfort its cub several times but didn’t know how to start.

The cub was excellent—truly excellent. If not for him, given the current pace of national research, it would take another hundred years to make any progress on this project.

But no matter how excellent, it couldn’t change the reality that Li Datao had already passed. If it had said something, it would only cause more pain for him.

Li Datao’s parents had passed away early. He grew up eating other people’s food, later spent all his money to treat his wife, and was so hungry that he had to eat garbage. Afterward, he worked long hours, using himself like an ox or a sheep.

As he aged, his health deteriorated, and he became sick frequently. He lived to an old age thanks to a medicine Xie Shi’an had developed years ago.

The system wasn’t supposed to have any emotions, but in that moment, it seemed to sense the changes in human emotions.

After Li Datao’s death, Xie Shi’an continued his research. There were things he didn’t need Li Datao to say out loud; he could understand them. He had always been his father’s pride, and his father didn’t want to see him fall apart because of that incident.

Compared to his previous urgent desire to achieve results in his research, Xie Shian now spent more time accompanying Fan Chunxiang.

Fan Chunxiang had spent most of her life with Li Datao. After his departure, her life felt hollow and directionless, leading to mental health issues. Fortunately, Xie Shian was often there to keep her company.

In this world, Xie Shian eventually became one of the nation’s most outstanding research scholars. He was even included in textbooks while still alive, along with his father, Li Datao.

Everyone knew that Xie Shian started his project to prolong his father’s life.

Fan Chunxiang passed away naturally at an old age. By then, her mind was already clouded, but during moments of clarity, she would hold her son’s hand and remind him to bury her alongside Li Datao.

Xie Shian’s lifespan was average in a society where people typically lived to 200 years. He passed away peacefully in his sleep, free of illness.

---

The first task, completed by the three-year-old ghost, was done beautifully, but the system felt no comfort when it saw Xie Shian in the crystal ball.

Born as a ferocious ghost forged by his biological parents to guard their ancestral home for tens of thousands of years, Xie Shian was drenched in malevolent energy. Without the system’s intervention, he would have eventually exhausted all his luck and faced eternal damnation.

After every mission, his memories would be completely wiped, and the rewards earned were used to purify his soul. Perhaps someday, he could become a whole person again.

After a long wait, the system remained patient. Inside the crystal ball, the chubby three-year-old child finally opened his eyes after a long sleep. He rubbed them with his tiny, pudgy hands.

“Where is this place?”

The system appeared as a glowing orb. To make a good impression, it even donned a small suit.

“This is the system space. You are my chosen host. From now on, we’ll carry out missions together.”

“Missions?”

The system had thoroughly erased Xie Shian’s memories. At that moment, he looked like an ordinary three-year-old, tilting his head in confusion as he asked.

“Yes, I am the ‘Reform and Redemption’ system. You need to give those thankless children’s parents a perfect life.”

“Will I have a dad and mom?”

“Yes, you will have parents who love you very much.”

“Yay!”

Without asking further, the child agreed and eagerly urged the system to send him off quickly, unable to wait any longer.

After confirming that all memories are erased, the system considered changing his name.

The name “Xie Shian” (meaning “Peace in Every Lifetime”) carried no good intentions from his biological parents and felt more like a curse destined to follow him forever.

But seeing the child’s silly, expectant grin, the system suppressed the idea.

Names carry different meanings for different people. In his past life, Li Datao and Fan Chunxiang truly wished for the child to have a peaceful life.

“Mission begins. Please prepare yourself.”

“Okay!”

Xie Shian’s childish voice agreed. A blinding white light forced him to close his eyes.

---

End of Arc