Chapter 066

It had been too dark to see clearly when they arrived last night, but by daylight, the surrounding scenery was laid bare in all its glory.

The racecourse, which would have been lush and green in spring and summer, was now covered in withered autumn grass. The horses lived in individual stalls within the stables. Seeing guests walk in, they poked their heads out of the small windows. Qiao Man stood on his tiptoes, wanting to pet one, but the horse let out a disgruntled snort. The hot breath puffed against his palm, making him jerk his small hand back instantly.

A groom handed him a carrot. Qiao Man held it up as an offering, and the large head immediately leaned in affectionately. With one crunch, the bribe was accepted. Soon, with the carrot’s influence, Qiao Man could touch its nose and pat its head without the horse reacting at all. It even sniffed his little hand in return. He giggled with delight, falling in love with the massive creatures instantly.

“Without prior professional training, it’s best not to mount a horse alone,” a staff member at the stables said. “Do any of you have previous riding experience?”

The two young masters went without saying; the question was mainly directed at the three guests.

Lu Jianxing said, “I learned how to ride before for a film role.”

Maomao shook his head honestly. Qiao Man raised his small hand, eager to try. “Me! I’ve ridden a wolf!”

Everyone: “…”

The staff member: “…”

The staff member’s mind went blank for a second. “A… a wolf?!”

“Mhm,” Qiao Man said with total seriousness. “Once, the wolves on the mountain tried to steal the chickens my Master and I were raising. I got into a fight with them and rode one for a little bit. It wasn’t a horse, but I think it’s pretty much the same thing.”

Everyone: “…”

That is very much not the same thing!

The staff selected a horse for each guest. When it was Qiao Man’s turn, he was given a pony specifically intended for children. He patted the pony’s nose, looking longingly at the majestic, spirited stallions the others were standing next to, his heart full of envy.

“Can’t I ride a big horse?” Qiao Man asked wistfully. “I want to ride a big one too.”

Everyone looked at his two short little legs. Forget riding a big horse; he probably wouldn’t even be able to reach the stirrups. They rejected him firmly.

Fine then. Qiao Man pouted. If there wasn’t a big one, a small one would do.

After changing into professional equestrian gear, Qiao Man tilted his head back to let Lu Jianxing buckle his helmet. The safety strap pressed into his chubby little face, squeezing his soft cheeks until they looked like a piece of fluffy bread. He mounted the pony with a grand, heroic air, gripped the reins, and trotted out.

A professional staff member led him for two laps, and Qiao Man caught on quickly. The pony’s hooves clattered as it picked up speed. Once they reached the wide-open fields, boy and horse let loose, galloping off into the distance.

Jiang Yucheng and Pei Xiwang followed on their horses, keeping a moderate distance behind the pony. Lu Jianxing had been assigned a gentle mare. After spending some time getting acquainted with the animal, he soon grew comfortable in the saddle. His old muscle memory returned, and he quickly caught up with the three ahead.

Only Maomao remained, gripping the reins tightly and sitting stiffly on his horse, not daring to move an inch. He could only watch as the others’ silhouettes grew smaller and smaller. However, he was neither brave enough to move forward nor willing to get down. He stayed there in a stalemate, perched precariously on the horse’s back.

No way! If he missed this, who knew when he’d get another chance like this!

The pony carried the child on its back, racing wildly around the meadow with incredible energy. Occasionally, it would arch its body and leap nimbly over a puddle. No matter how lively the pony became, Qiao Man sat firmly in the saddle. Instead, it was the three following behind who were scared half to death, terrified he might accidentally tumble off.

Qiao Man gripped the reins tight and laughed heartily, his childish giggles echoing across the field.

Once they had run their fill, the pony trotted back. The little boy and his little horse were significantly shorter than the adults on their stallions, and they were soon surrounded in the center of the group. The pony trotted up to Lu Jianxing’s side and rubbed its head against the large horse he was riding. The mare gently licked the pony in response.

“Huh?” Qiao Man blinked curiously. “Is this its mommy?”

Jiang Yucheng rode over and explained, “No. They’re two different breeds. Your horse is just a naturally smaller variety.”

“Oh,” Qiao Man said. “I see.”

It started with a rub, but soon the pony began nudging the mare with its head. Sitting on its back, Qiao Man let out several “Whoops!” as he was jostled. The mare licked his fingers, her eyes moist as she looked at him, as if apologizing on the pony’s behalf.

Qiao Man climbed down from the horse, and Lu Jianxing dismounted as well. They led their horses to a nearby fence and tied the reins. The two horses, one large and one small, immediately began an affectionate exchange. Qiao Man reached his arms up expectantly, and Lu Jianxing picked him up.

Qiao Man happily wrapped his arms around Lu Jianxing’s neck, leaning in close and nuzzling his head against his shoulder.

He looked out at the vast, boundless racecourse, the deep green hills in the distance shrouded in thick mist, and the calm, ripple-less lake nearby. Turning his head, he saw that the Hot Spring Villa was actually a pale white color. Standing amidst the blue sky and green fields, it looked as beautiful as a castle from a cartoon.

Qiao Man was filled with longing. “Xingxing, I want to live in a place like this in the future.”

Lu Jianxing: “…”

“I also want to raise horses, cows, pigs, and chickens,” Qiao Man bragged. “I’m really good at raising chickens. Back on the mountain, the chickens I raised were all big and fat. They made the most delicious soup.”

“Chickens are fine,” Lu Jianxing said. “Let’s forget about the rest.”

“Really?”

“Mhm.” Lu Jianxing thought to himself: If he tried to raise those other animals in the city, he was afraid he’d get noise complaints from the neighbors. Then again, raising chickens in the city seemed a bit strange too…

First a big villa with a swimming pool, and now a backyard for chickens… This villa was getting bigger and bigger. Lu Jianxing felt the weight of the pressure.

After Jiang Yucheng and Pei Xiwang finished a few more laps, they pulled up beside them and tied their horses to the fence as well.

Pei Xiwang took off his helmet and rubbed his sweat-dampened hair. He felt the biting winter wind against his face, though the recent exercise kept him from feeling the chill too deeply. Still, he let out a sharp hiss through his teeth before asking Jiang Yucheng, “When do you plan to go see Auntie Jiang? She should be up by now, right?”

“She’s up,” Xiao Man chimed in. “I just ran into her.”

Jiang Yucheng hesitated, gazing out at the beautiful scenery in the distance. “I don’t know how to bring it up.”

“Can’t you just tell her the truth?” Pei Xiwang asked, confused. “Finding her biological son doesn’t hurt her. Why would she refuse?”

Jiang Yucheng sighed. “I find it strange too. I even had a big argument with my mom over this. It’s almost… almost as if she thinks something terrible will happen if she finds her biological son.”

“Something terrible?”

Jiang Yucheng shook his head. “I can’t quite explain it. There’s something else weird, too. Ever since my dad fell ill, my mom hasn’t seemed sad at all.”

One had to understand that Madam Jiang was just an ordinary wealthy socialite who had relied on her husband her entire life. If Father Jiang passed away, she would be the one most affected. Yet now, instead of staying by her critically ill husband’s side to care for him, she had come here to the Hot Spring Villa for a vacation and was enjoying beauty treatments with great interest.

Jiang Yucheng had thought it over and over, and the only explanation he could find involved himself.

If the mix-up between the true and false young masters hadn’t happened, he would naturally take over the family business after his father’s death. At that point, he would become his mother’s support.

Perhaps that was why his mother refused to let him find the real Jiang heir. A biological son might not be able to take over the company smoothly. If the company was seized by others, Madam Jiang’s life of luxury for the rest of her years couldn’t be guaranteed.

Regardless of whether he was the biological son or not, he would fulfill his filial duties and support his mother, but he also wanted to meet the biological parents he had never known… Wait.

A thought suddenly struck Jiang Yucheng. “What if we look for my parents instead?”

Xiao Man looked up. “Your parents?”

“Can we use my blood to find my biological parents?” Jiang Yucheng proposed excitedly. “If we find my biological parents, we should be able to find the real ‘Jiang Yucheng,’ right?”

The idea left everyone stunned.

Of course! Why hadn’t they thought of that?

They didn’t necessarily have to search for the real young master directly; they could search for the other family involved in the baby swap. The real Jiang heir would naturally be with that family!

Lu Jianxing looked down. “Is that possible, Xiao Man?”

Xiao Man nodded vigorously. “No problem.”

With a viable plan in place, they wasted no time and moved back inside the villa.

Xiao Man took out his Luo Pan and asked Jiang Yucheng for a drop of blood, which he let fall onto the device. Then, he opened his Little Yellow Duck Backpack and pulled out… a tablet.

The onlookers were all dumbfounded. “Does performing a ritual require high-tech now?”

“This is to find a more accurate location,” Xiao Man explained.

As he spoke, he held the Luo Pan in one hand while his other small hand skillfully opened the map function on the tablet. He watched the changes on the Luo Pan, his chubby little finger occasionally swiping across the screen to zoom in or out.

Everyone craned their necks to watch. He quickly narrowed the direction down to a province, then a city, a district, and finally a street.

As the address became clearer and clearer, everyone was amazed by the child’s serious demeanor.

They couldn’t believe you could search for someone this way!

As he searched, Xiao Man commented with an air of solemnity, “Computers make things so much more convenient! Before, my Master always used paper maps. At most, he could only find the city. Smaller places weren’t even marked on the maps.”

The future was truly wonderful!

High technology was amazing!

This was a technological advancement Xiao Man had only discovered after living in the modern world. In the past, he could only pinpoint a general city and couldn’t find a more precise location. He wished his Master could have experienced the convenience and speed of high technology too.

Just as he was about to pinpoint a specific residential complex, a set of panicked footsteps rushed toward them.

Madam Jiang hurried into the living room and immediately saw the child surrounded by the crowd. When she saw the spinning Luo Pan in the child’s hands, she could no longer hide her ugly expression. She strode over and snatched the Luo Pan away from him.

“Oh!” Xiao Man cried out as his ritual tool was suddenly grabbed. “My Luo Pan!”

“What are you looking for?” Madam Jiang barked. “Who gave you permission to play with these things here?!”

Her tone was so harsh that it gave Xiao Man a fright. The child blinked his large, dark eyes in confusion, looking at her timidly. “Auntie…”

“Mom, it was me,” Jiang Yucheng stepped forward. “I asked him to do it.”

Madam Jiang’s stern gaze immediately shifted to her son. Having raised him herself, even if he wasn’t her biological child, she could see right through Jiang Yucheng’s thoughts. She took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently. “Yucheng, have you still not given up on this?”

“Yes, Mom, I…”

“Didn’t I tell you long ago? Stop worrying about what’s true or false! You just need to focus on being the young master of the Jiang family!” The Luo Pan in her hand was still spinning rapidly, searching for someone far away in an unknown location, causing a surge of anxiety to rise in her heart. She said worriedly, “Why can’t you just listen to me on this? Why must you insist on bringing that person back? Can’t you just let me treat you as my only son?”

Jiang Yucheng said firmly, “But he is your biological son. Don’t you miss him at all?”

Madam Jiang was left speechless.

“And because of my situation, Dad was so angry he ended up in the hospital. The doctors say he doesn’t have much time left,” Jiang Yucheng said gloomily. “I thought if we could find his biological son, maybe he would be a little happier.”

“…”

“Even if I don’t look, Dad is already looking for him. He’ll find him sooner or later. Mom, why are you so opposed to it?”

Madam Jiang lowered her head and said irritably, “Since your dad is already looking, why are you making such a fuss? Do you have to involve yourself in this mess?”

“But Dad hasn’t been able to find him, has he? I was afraid Dad wouldn’t hold out until then, so I asked Pei Xiwang for help and found Master Xiao Man. Mom, do you know about Master Xiao Man? He’s incredible.”

Jiang Yucheng picked up the tablet Qiao Man had just been using. The screen still displayed a specific area on the map; during the search just now, the location had been narrowed down to a certain street, with the screen encompassing several residential complexes.

Jiang Yucheng handed the tablet to Madam Jiang. “Mom, look. Master Xiao Man is already close to finding the real Jiang Yucheng’s location.”

“You… you found him?” Madam Jiang stood frozen.

She stared at the unfamiliar names on the map. It was a city she didn’t know at all, filled with streets she had never stepped foot on. She had no idea which of the residential complexes shown was the actual location. Yet, it was already so close.

Her biological son was living in some corner of that map.

The son she had lost over twenty years ago had appeared before her so easily, without giving her a moment to prepare herself mentally.

If someone could find her son this easily, didn’t that mean others could too?

Jiang Yucheng said joyfully, “Master Xiao Man is truly amazing. As long as he has the blood of a relative, he can find where someone is. He helped me look for my biological parents and found them instantly…”

Madam Jiang finally broke down. “Why did you look for him?!”

Jiang Yucheng blinked. “Mom?”

“What do you know…” she said in despair. “You don’t know anything! My refusal to look for him was to save him!”

“Doing this will get him killed!”

It was Jiang Yucheng’s turn to be bewildered. “Mom? What do you mean by that?”

Madam Jiang didn’t have time for him.

She spun around, her gaze darting toward the smallest child in the room. He was short with round cheeks, his soft and cute appearance giving no hint that he was a master with heaven-defying abilities.

Qiao Man stared blankly as her eyes met his. He saw a surge of infinite hope erupt in her gaze as she threw herself toward him. She grabbed his arms as if clutching at a final straw while drowning.

“Master Xiao Man, you’re very powerful, aren’t you? Since you can find my son’s location, then you must be able to help me, right?”

“I beg you, please save my son!”