Chapter 143

Grandpa Zhou took an apple out of the fridge and began peeling it, frowning slightly as he tried to figure out how to carve it into the shape of a little bunny.

Before long, the sound of quick, light footsteps echoed through the house. Grandpa Zhou’s usually stern face gradually softened. Just from the footsteps, he could already tell which little rascal it was.

“Grandpa, where’s my little bunny?”

“Almost done, just about ready.”

An An sat on the sofa hugging the bunny-shaped apple slices, watching TV. Just then, Zhou Shizhe returned home carrying his briefcase. He’d run into some trouble at work and had come hoping to get some advice from Grandpa.

Grandpa Zhou handed him the leftover apple scraps from carving the bunny. After staying at home for the past few days, Zhou Shizhe had long grown used to being the household’s designated leftovers disposal unit.

As Zhou Shizhe brought up the business difficulties he’d encountered, An An sat nearby chewing on fruit like a little mouse.

Once the work-related matters were settled, Grandpa Zhou brought up the promise he’d made on that TV program—to help a mountain village escape poverty.

Just building a road would require a significant amount of funding. It wouldn’t be right to let Zhou Shizhe pour all his hard-earned savings into it, so Grandpa Zhou planned to lend a hand.

By the time they finished talking, An An had already fallen asleep clutching a fruit platter full of fruit.

Even in his sleep, he held the platter tightly in his arms.

With a gentle motion, Grandpa Zhou took the platter from him and handed it to Zhou Shizhe, then picked An An up and carried him upstairs to bed.

After they went upstairs, Zhou Shizhe’s phone suddenly buzzed downstairs. He took it out and saw a message from his father, asking when he’d have time to come home for a meal.

Zhou Shizhe could pretty much guess what this was about. Either it had something to do with the younger brother they’d just found, or it was about An An.

Whichever it was, Zhou Shizhe had no desire to get involved.

【Work’s been busy lately, no time.】

After replying, he turned off his phone, cutting off all communication from his parents.

When Grandpa Zhou came back downstairs, he noticed his grandson’s sour expression and asked what was wrong.

“Your parents asked you to come home?”

Zhou Shizhe didn’t want to lie to his grandfather. He nodded lightly, frowning.

“I don’t want to go back.”

For as long as he could remember, anything involving his parents had never been pleasant. All he remembered were their endless expectations.

They had given so little, yet demanded so much in return.

They wanted him to be outstanding, to be their pride, to grow into the image they had in their minds.

When he was younger and less mature, this had troubled him deeply. He constantly questioned whether his parents even loved him.

It was only with the companionship of his grandparents that he slowly emerged from that emotional turmoil.

Even after growing up and maturing, those things still lingered. He just buried them deep inside, unwilling to bring them up.

“Running away won’t solve anything. Pick a time and go back. Talk it through with them.”

That was Grandpa Zhou’s advice. Whether it was his son or daughter-in-law, both had a tendency to deceive themselves. If Zhou Shizhe kept avoiding them, they might even start thinking it was Grandpa who forced him away.

All things considered, it was best if his grandson went back and cleared the air.

“I understand, Grandpa.”

What Grandpa Zhou had thought of, Zhou Shizhe clearly had too.

He’d accompanied Grandpa to his last physical at a private hospital, and he still remembered the doctor’s warnings.

If his parents stirred up trouble in front of Grandpa, it would definitely infuriate him, and might even scare An An.

“Grandpa, I’ll head back now. When An An wakes up, please let him know I’ll be back tonight to tell him a bedtime story.”

“Alright.”

Zhou Shizhe drove himself home. In the living room, he saw his biological younger brother.

After being abducted and living in such a poor, backward place for so many years, the boy now sat there quietly and obediently, not at all unpleasant. Zhou Shizhe even felt a twinge of pity for him.

As soon as the housekeeper told them their eldest son had returned, Mother Zhou and Father Zhou rushed downstairs. The first thing out of Mother Zhou’s mouth was:

“Is what your grandfather said last time true? Is he really planning to leave all his assets to An An?”

Zhou Shizhe didn’t feel like answering. The way his mother phrased it made it sound like she was already planning for Grandpa’s death, which made him deeply uncomfortable.

His face cold, he gave a faint “Mm.”

“How can that be? And you’re just standing by without trying to talk him out of it? Do you even know how much your grandfather has?”

As someone who had grown up by Grandpa’s side, how could he not know?

On the contrary, Zhou Shizhe knew everything clearly.

But knowing didn’t mean he wanted to take it all for himself. He never believed he was entitled to everything Grandpa owned.

That was Grandpa’s property. He had every right to decide what to do with it.

Besides, Grandpa had always taught him that true excellence came from strength. Gifts from others, without the power to hold onto them, were nothing but a burden.

Seeing her son remain silent, Mother Zhou grew even more anxious. She reached out and gave his shoulder a shove.

“Are you stupid? You were raised by your grandfather too. When he made that decision, why didn’t you speak up and say you wanted something too?”

“Even if you have your own business now, you should still think about your brother!”

Zhou Shizhe glanced at the younger brother sitting on the sofa. The guilt he had once felt toward him vanished completely in that moment.

He opened his mouth to respond, but didn’t know what to say.

His mother was completely fixated on her own ideas. No matter what he said, he probably couldn’t change her mind.

“If your grandfather brings this up again, just mention your brother more, alright? Soften his heart. He should at least leave something for your brother too.”

“Has your grandfather lost his mind? Leaving everything to an outsider with no blood relation?”

That last sentence pushed Zhou Shizhe over the edge. His face turned cold as he said:

“Mom, don’t talk about Grandpa like that.”

“What did I say about your grandfather? Am I wrong? And now you’re talking back to me?”

“I’m not.”

Zhou Shizhe avoided her gaze awkwardly, his brows tightly furrowed. Though he said he wasn’t, his heart clearly said otherwise.

“Take a good look at your brother. He’s been through so much at such a young age. And An An? With Grandpa doting on him, whatever he wants, Grandpa hands it to him!”

The more Mother Zhou spoke, the more emotional she became. Her eyes even started to redden.

In the past, Zhou Shizhe would have already given in. But today, his expression only grew colder. In the end, he simply sat down in a single-seater armchair, patiently waiting for his mother to finish her rant.

“Don’t you feel even a little sorry for him? He’s your real brother!”

Zhou Shizhe knew his grandfather’s temperament all too well. What he knew even more clearly was that if his mother kept acting the way she was now, Grandpa would be absolutely furious. In the end, they could lose everything and be kicked out of the house with nothing.

No matter what, she was still his biological mother. Even if Zhou Shizhe didn’t agree with her views, he still wanted to talk things through with her.

“Mom, I know everything he went through. I feel sorry for him too.”

“But he was kidnapped by human traffickers, and An An was adopted by Grandpa. These are two completely different things. They shouldn’t be lumped together.”

Father Zhou, enraged, raised his hand and slapped Zhou Shizhe across the face. Pointing at his nose, he shouted:

“How is it not the same thing? Didn’t he enjoy all those years of good fortune in your brother’s place? Whose side are you even on?”

Half of Zhou Shizhe’s face went numb from the slap, and his ears were ringing. He had never imagined that his father would actually hit him. He stood there in a daze for a long time before he came back to his senses.

With a bitter twist of his lips, he stood up and walked out, slamming the door behind him so hard it echoed through the house.

Gripping the steering wheel, Zhou Shizhe drove out of the villa complex, but he had no idea where he was going.

Wandering aimlessly, thinking of finding a bar to blow off some steam, his phone suddenly buzzed.

He pulled over to the side of the road, took out his phone, and saw the name flashing on the screen: An An.

“Hey, Big Brother, it’s An An! Where are you? An An just woke up!”

Zhou Shizhe hadn’t been angry when his father slapped him earlier, but now, hearing An An’s soft, childish voice asking where he was, his nose suddenly stung with emotion.

He tried hard to keep his emotions in check and didn’t respond right away.

Even without hearing his brother’s voice, An An kept chatting away cheerfully on his own.

“Big Brother, why didn’t anyone praise me today? I was the best little baby at getting up!”

Zhou Shizhe took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound normal.

“Our An An is always the best little baby at getting up. I’m driving right now. I’ll be home soon, so wait for me, okay?”

“Okay~”

He had been like a wandering ghost with no destination, but now, suddenly, he had found his direction.

Even though the mark on his face would definitely draw questions from Grandpa and Grandma when he got there, Zhou Shizhe still wanted to go.

When he arrived, he had just stepped into the living room when he saw An An lying on the sofa with his legs crossed. The moment he saw Zhou Shizhe walk in, he jumped up.

“Big Brother!!”

Zhou Shizhe picked An An up like he always did and gently kissed his soft, chubby cheek.

Before he could say anything, An An noticed the slap mark on his face and froze on the spot.

By the time Zhou Shizhe realized something was wrong and looked at An An, tears were already welling up in his big eyes.

When he saw his brother looking at him, An An sniffled and turned his head away. As he blinked, a tear slid down his fair cheek like a broken pearl necklace.

Grandpa Zhou rushed in when he heard An An crying. Seeing the scene, he thought Zhou Shizhe had bullied the little one again. But as he stepped closer and noticed the slap mark on Zhou Shizhe’s face, his expression immediately darkened.

“Your father hit you?”

Zhou Shizhe gave a quiet “mm” and gently patted An An’s back.

Whenever he was upset or sad, An An would burrow into his arms like a little calf.

If Zhou Shizhe didn’t work out regularly, he probably wouldn’t even be able to hold him steadily.

“He’s getting more and more out of line!”

Grandma Zhou told the nanny to boil an egg. Once it was ready, she gently rolled it over his face.

To cause this kind of intense conflict, it was obvious the issue had to do with An An and that other child.

An An clung to his brother like an octopus, refusing to let go.

Once Grandma finished rolling the egg over his face, An An leaned in and gently blew on it, then backed away with a nervous look in his eyes, staring intently at his brother.

“Big Brother, does it still hurt? An An will blow on it.”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“They’re so mean. Big Brother shouldn’t play with them.”

“Okay. I’ll only play with An An.”

Holding An An’s chubby little body, Zhou Shizhe let slip his true feelings in a casual tone.

His parents always blamed him for not being close to them, for seeming to prefer Grandpa and Grandma. But they never once considered why that was.

That night, Zhou Shizhe read An An a bedtime story about six mushrooms.

Only a dim yellow lamp was on in the bedroom, creating a warm, cozy atmosphere. An An fell asleep not long after closing his eyes.

Zhou Shizhe tucked him in, dimmed the light to its lowest setting, and quietly left the room.

Back in his own room, he saw several messages from his parents.

His father admitted that hitting him earlier was impulsive and wrong, but claimed he had only done it because he was so angry.

His mother said that his father had been extremely upset and asked him to apologize to his father. After all, they were family—there was no need to make things ugly.

Zhou Shizhe only glanced at the messages before turning off his phone. He took a shower and got ready for bed, thinking about where to take An An to play the next day.

No matter what they said, Zhou Shizhe had no intention of going home. Grandpa Zhou had even instructed the security guards at the villa to keep the three of them out.

Grandpa Zhou had always been stubborn when he was young, and now that he was older, he was even more so.

Besides, no one could calmly accept the fact that while they were still alive and well, someone was already eyeing their inheritance.

An An, on the other hand, would set an alarm every night before bed, wake up early in the morning, and use the excuse of practicing tai chi with him to make sure he exercised.

Then he’d cling to his arm and say in his soft little voice that he hoped Grandpa would live a long, long life and stay with him as he grew up.

And then there were his son and daughter-in-law, who seemed to wish he’d die tomorrow so they could get their hands on the inheritance the day after.

No matter who you were, faced with such a stark contrast, your heart would inevitably grow cold.

Later, to avoid being disturbed, Grandpa Zhou specifically told the security guards not to report anything related to them. Just hearing their voices annoyed him.

Barely a week had passed when Grandpa Zhou received another invitation from them. They said they were planning to throw a birthday party for Zhou Shi.

They also wanted to use the occasion to introduce him to people in their social circle, to let others know that their youngest son had been found.

On the surface, it was just a birthday party for that child. Grandpa Zhou had nothing to say about that.

But he could see the real intention behind it at a glance—this wasn’t innocent at all.

They were using this opportunity to undermine An An’s status. It wouldn’t be surprising if people started to suspect that An An and Zhou Shi had been switched at birth.

Right in front of his wife and Zhou Shizhe, Grandpa Zhou threw the invitation straight into the trash.

If they didn’t try to touch An An, Grandpa Zhou might still be willing to show them a little courtesy.

But now, whatever they did seemed aimed at hurting An An. Grandpa Zhou couldn’t even be bothered to respond.

He refused to attend and didn’t even bother to inform them.

Although Zhou Shizhe had been slapped by his father last time, this time he had a perfectly good excuse not to go.

Father Zhou thought he was still angry about what happened before. As parents, they cared about saving face and didn’t take their son’s “tantrum” seriously at all.

He even thought that, given some time, they would realize that offending one’s biological parents was absolutely not a good idea. Sooner or later, they’d come around and lower their heads first.

Father Zhou believed that he didn’t need to pay too much attention to the child’s thoughts. If he compromised this time, the child would only become even more unruly next time.

But Mother Zhou had a different view. She knew all too well how terrifying public opinion could be in their social circle.

She personally called her eldest son, demanding that no matter what happened, he must come back on the day of the birthday banquet.

When Zhou Shizhe heard the news, he happened to see his little brother downstairs boiling eggs.

That slap from their father had been delivered with full force. The swelling hadn’t gone down for three whole days, and even now there were still faint marks.

It had kept An An busy—playing chess with Grandpa, arranging flowers with Grandma, feeding dried fish to the stray kitten, and boiling eggs for him. The little guy had been running around all day on his short legs without a single break.

Even a child as young as An An knew that the wound on his brother’s face hadn’t healed yet and insisted on continuing the egg compress treatment.

But their own mother only cared about whether he could arrive on time for her younger son’s birthday banquet.

“Mom, I’m really busy at the company, so I probably won’t be able to make it.”

Upon hearing this, Mother Zhou’s eyes flashed with anger, and the gentle, affectionate tone she had been forcing herself to maintain vanished completely.

“Busy at work? Before I called you, I specifically contacted your secretary. You haven’t been to the office for several days. What exactly are you so busy with?”

“If you don’t want to attend your brother’s birthday banquet, just say so. There’s no need to come up with so many excuses.”

Hearing this, Zhou Shizhe actually let out a breath of relief. He replied in a serious tone:

“Yes, I don’t want to attend his birthday banquet. I’m not interested.”

“Work really isn’t that busy, but I have more important things to do.”

Such blunt words gave Mother Zhou no face at all, and her breathing grew rapid with anger.

“What could possibly be more important than attending your brother’s first birthday banquet since he was found?”

“Hmm… I have to scratch a fish’s itch.”

With that, Zhou Shizhe hung up.

He had originally intended to come up with a proper excuse, but since his mother insisted he didn’t need to, he figured he might as well give a completely half-hearted one.

Zhou Shizhe had been raised by his grandparents and had picked up some of their habits. His personality was also quite similar to theirs.

In this regard, he was very much like Grandpa Zhou in his younger days—deliberately infuriating others without batting an eye.

Zhou Shizhe didn’t know exactly how furious his mother was on the other end of the call, but when he saw An An flinch from the heat while peeling the egg, he instinctively went downstairs.

The freshly boiled eggs were still sitting there, and An An stubbornly refused to let any of the servants help.

Zhou Shizhe leaned over, picked up an egg, and tested it. It was indeed still a bit hot. After pulling his hand back, he pressed it against An An’s ear.

An An, who had been staring intently at the egg, widened his eyes in surprise and turned to look at his brother, frowning.

“Why didn’t you put it on your own ear?!”

“Hmm… it was just convenient.”

An An snorted softly, clearly not buying it.

Once the egg had cooled a bit, he carefully peeled off the shell and gently rolled it over the mark on his brother’s face, occasionally leaning in to blow on it softly.

Seeing how cautious and gentle An An was, Zhou Shizhe couldn’t help but think of how his mother had deliberately contacted his secretary to check whether he was at the company.

That slap back then had been delivered by his father right in front of her, and with such force. Did she really think he’d show up at the office with a face like that?

Zhou Shizhe had always had a strong sense of pride and never wanted anyone outside to see him in a humiliating state.

Rather than saying it was a slap to the face, it was more like a slap to his dignity.

“Big Brother, it’s almost healed. It doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”

“Yeah, it stopped hurting a long time ago.”

Zhou Shizhe bent down, picked him up, and walked outside. Grandpa and Grandma were once again playing Chinese chess in the pavilion—the only hobby the two elderly folks still enjoyed together.

An An squatted beside the flower bed, counting how many new blossoms had bloomed.

Soon, it was time for the birthday banquet that Father Zhou and Mother Zhou had meticulously prepared for their younger son. Even though their eldest son wasn’t present, the event was still grand and lively.

Among the guests were quite a few prominent figures.

Father Zhou knew exactly why they had come—it was all out of respect for his own father. Otherwise, some of these guests were people he could never have invited on his own.

Today, Zhou Shi wore a little suit. After being carefully looked after by his mother for so long, his skin looked fairer, and he seemed a bit braver too.

He no longer gave off that timid, petty vibe he used to have.

Halfway through the banquet, Father Zhou led his younger son up to the stage and introduced him to the guests as their son.

After the banquet ended, many young people still remembered the previous X-Change livestream.

They only had a vague understanding of the Zhou Family’s internal affairs, with some information coming from the internet.

Even though Zhou Shizhe had left early with An An during the show, his popularity hadn’t waned at all. Every day, people were still leaving comments on the official program account, asking when their beloved An An would return.

Some of the young guests at the banquet even took photos and posted them online to show off.

Father Zhou and Mother Zhou had appeared on camera during the show, introduced at the time as An An’s parents. But now, in this luxurious hotel, in front of so many people, they were introducing Zhou Shi as their real son.

In videos posted by guests, someone asked Father Zhou about his eldest son. While he responded politely, he didn’t mention An An at all.

Someone else, curious about An An’s relationship to them, asked Father Zhou during the farewell. The answer they got was that An An was not the Zhou Family’s biological child.

【So it really was like people guessed before—he was switched at birth?】

【Do you all still think An An is cute? The more I think about how his cuteness came from taking someone else’s place, the weirder it feels.】

【True. If their real son had grown up in that environment, he probably would’ve been just as adorable, right?】

【There’s been no updates about An An. Did he leave or not?】

【If An An did leave, I think it’s understandable.】

【He’s only a little over three years old. If he left, where could he even go?】

【No matter where, he definitely shouldn’t stay with the Zhou Family!】

【Doesn’t Zhou Shizhe have a social media account? Why don’t you all go ask him directly?】

Zhou Shizhe hadn’t been paying attention to any of this. Recently, Grandpa had suddenly decided to teach An An traditional Chinese painting. Poor little An An couldn’t even hold a brush properly.

Zhou Shizhe couldn’t bear to watch his little brother struggle alone, so he stayed by his side to help. All his energy was focused on that.

It wasn’t until more and more people started contacting him that he realized what his parents had done at the banquet.

So many people were curious about An An’s current situation. Zhou Shizhe took a photo of An An and posted it.

Zhou Shizhe: An An will always be my little brother—my real little brother, even without a blood connection.

In the photo, An An’s chubby little hand was gripping a calligraphy brush, earnestly trying to paint a peony flower. His small face was tensed up, clearly trying to look serious.

But somehow, a smudge of ink had ended up on his round, pudgy cheek, standing out starkly against his fair skin.

【Wuwu An An, it’s a fresh new An An! Quick, let Mommy take a look.】

【Is he practicing traditional Chinese painting? An An is working so hard.】

【Why does he look so proper on top, but he’s secretly lifting his foot underneath?】

【Reporting in, An An is not focused—he’s secretly swinging his foot!!!】

【Haha, you guys are terrible. Big Brother should just steal all of An An’s bottle caps.】

At first, most of the people who came were fans who liked An An. But gradually, a wave of passersby started flooding in.

They were all speaking up for Zhou Shi, saying he had already suffered enough being switched at birth. Even his own biological big brother preferred the imposter who had stolen his identity!

【What kind of big brother are you? You treat a child with no blood relation like a treasure, but completely ignore your own little brother.】

【How could someone like you be a big brother? Don’t you feel even a shred of guilt toward your own brother?】

【No matter what, he’s still your full-blooded little brother. Even if you didn’t have a bond before, you shouldn’t be this cold.】

【Do you realize that An An’s very existence is a source of pain for your real little brother? Your indulgence is just adding insult to injury!!】

【I’ve never seen such an outrageous big brother. Just cut ties and kick him out of the house already.】

Zhou Shizhe completely ignored all the verbal attacks directed at him. But if someone dragged An An into it, he would at least step in to clarify a thing or two.

【Have they even met? Do you know how much it hurts your real little brother to see An An living such a good life?】

After seeing that comment, Zhou Shizhe deliberately replied underneath it.

【They’ve never met. I don’t know, and I’m not interested.】

After all, with Grandpa around, there was no way he’d let that little brother meet his precious grandson. Zhou Shizhe wasn’t worried about that at all.

【That fake little brother of yours is already so scheming at such a young age. It’s terrifying.】

【No he’s not. I think he’s fine. What kind of bad intentions could he even have? He just wants to hoard a couple more bottle caps.】

Whenever An An got tired of painting, he would stuff his hand into his pocket to touch his precious bottle caps. He thought he was hiding this habit really well, but Zhou Shizhe caught him every single time.

Many people mistakenly believed the two children had been switched at birth. Zhou Shizhe reposted the clarification Grandpa had made back then.

Zhou Shizhe: There was no baby swap. My biological little brother was kidnapped by human traffickers. I’m very happy he was found, but that’s not a reason to hurt An An.

When Grandpa Zhou first clarified the situation, it didn’t get much attention. No one really took it seriously.

But now, with everything blowing up, Zhou Shizhe’s repost drew a huge amount of attention.

Who was this man? He looked quite old. Could he really be their grandfather?

Just a few days ago, Grandpa Zhou had shared a painting. Many people in the comments who were knowledgeable about classical art showed up, and based on their analysis, it matched a painting that had once sold at auction for over 100 million!

【Holy crap, I always knew their family was well-off, but I never imagined it was to this level. I can’t believe I’m seeing the original of that painting here!!】

【So he adopted his comrade’s grandson, not a case of a baby swap? Then never mind, pretend I never said anything.】

【Not a baby swap? Then why was everyone saying it was? Seriously, are people just sick in the head?】

【They raised their comrade’s grandson all these years, and you people keep saying they should kick him out. You’re really something.】

【As everyone knows, today’s netizens just love to meddle in other people’s business!】

Once people realized it was all a misunderstanding—that the two kids just happened to be close in age—many apologized for their earlier assumptions.

But there were still others who, even after realizing their mistake, refused to back down.

Especially when others mocked them, they only doubled down, lashing out even harder at An An and those defending him.

【So what if he’s a comrade’s grandson and not a baby swap? From what Father Zhou said before, it’s clear he never really cared about this kid, okay?】

【Maybe they were nice to him before because they had lost their own child. But now that their real son is back, there’s no way An An’s life will be as good as it was.】

【To put it bluntly, how many years does his grandpa even have left?】

【Exactly. With the older son being so disloyal, don’t leave him a cent. Wait until the younger son grows up and give everything to him. Let’s see how smug he is then!】

Several so-called insiders who claimed to know Father and Mother Zhou even came forward to reveal that the couple seemed to be planning to leave their entire estate to their younger son.

The fact that their older son favored a boy with no blood relation had completely broken their hearts.

Zhou Shizhe only found out about his parents’ decision not to leave him anything through someone else.

When he heard it, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

Just like how he’d never thought it unfair that Grandpa didn’t leave him any fixed assets, he didn’t mind that his parents wanted to give everything to their biological son now.

When it came to their own possessions, they had the absolute right to decide.

Besides, Zhou Shizhe didn’t think his own business ventures were in any way inferior to his parents’ company.

Give him another five years, and he was confident he could surpass his biological father.

His parents had always felt it was unfair that Grandpa didn’t leave any real estate to his grandson. But Zhou Shizhe believed the knowledge Grandpa had taught him since childhood, and the confidence he had instilled in him, were the greatest inheritance of all.

The whole situation had blown up so much that even Grandpa Zhou caught wind of it.

He put on his reading glasses and carefully examined the comments. When he saw people saying he didn’t have many years left and that An An would be miserable after he was gone, his face turned red with anger.

He could somewhat understand why people thought that way, but he still couldn’t accept it.

He specifically called Zhou Shizhe over and asked if this was all being stirred up by his parents behind the scenes.

Zhou Shizhe gave a soft “mm,” confirming that his parents were definitely involved. Otherwise, these people wouldn’t be so brazen.

“When An An wakes up from his nap, change him into something sharper. I’m taking him out to meet some people.”

“Alright.”

When netizens mocked everyone at that banquet as being part of Zhou Shi’s network and used it to ridicule An An, Grandpa Zhou actually got a little childish.

Those people—he wouldn’t even bother to meet them at his own doorstep—and they dared to be called connections?

That afternoon, before An An had even fully woken up or had time to adjust, his big brother had already changed his clothes and carried him into the car.

Grandpa Zhou had arranged to meet some friends at a teahouse. The whole family of four went together. There were five old friends present, all with snow-white hair.

Today, Grandma Zhou was wearing a custom-made silk qipao, and her hair was neatly styled up.

Although she was no longer young, her poise remained impeccable. The grace tempered by the passage of time gave her simple qipao an added touch of elegance and charm.

As the younger generation personally brought over by Grandpa Zhou, An An naturally received the unanimous affection of these old friends.

Various welcome gifts filled his pockets to the brim.

That evening, Zhou Shizhe shared a few candid photos from the day.

At first, no one paid much attention to these so-called group photos. They were just a bunch of elderly men and women with completely white hair—what could possibly be interesting about that?

But then, a few more discerning individuals caught sight of the photos and instantly drew a sharp breath.

!!!