Xia Zichen rushed between the two of them, slapped the man’s hand away, and pulled Xia Yuze behind him.
There wasn’t much anger in his eyes.
Only cold indifference.
He had never imagined that this man would appear before him again.
Seeing Xia Zichen suddenly appear, Xia Yuze froze for a moment, too surprised to pull him back.
“Sir, what do you want?” Xia Zichen asked coldly. His tone was anything but friendly.
The man was stunned as well.
Then recognition slowly dawned on his face.
He stared at Xia Zichen for a long moment before joy flashed across his eyes. Grabbing Xia Zichen’s arm, he asked eagerly,
“Are… are you Zichen?”
Xia Zichen frowned and shook off the man’s hand.
“You’ve mistaken me for someone else.”
With that, he turned to leave, pulling Xia Yuze along.
In front of Xia Yuze, Xia Zichen had always been obedient, polite, and well-mannered. He rarely lost his temper and had never given off such an icy aura before.
He had never been an especially lively child, but his previous aloofness came from his personality.
Today’s coldness was different.
It was unmistakably filled with disgust.
Looking at his son like this, Xia Yuze understood why.
He simply didn’t know how to comfort him—or whether there was anything he could say at all.
The man hurried after them and blocked Xia Zichen’s path.
“I’m certain,” he said firmly. “You’re Zichen. There’s no way I’d mistake you.”
Xia Zichen remained silent, only knitting his brows slightly, clearly unwilling to respond.
“Zichen…” The man grabbed his arm again, looking at him earnestly. “I’m your father. Don’t you remember your dad?”
Of course Xia Zichen recognized the man standing before him.
It had simply been more than ten years.
The man who had once been in his twenties was now approaching forty.
Time had left its marks—deeper lines at the corners of his eyes, sun-darkened bronze skin, and eyes that had become far more calculating and worldly.
Looking directly at him, Xia Zichen said slowly,
“The day you abandoned me was the day we stopped having any relationship.”
He wasn’t heartless.
Nor was he being cruel.
He was simply stating a fact he had long since accepted.
Never had he imagined…
That more than a decade later…
This man would actually return.
“Zichen, don’t say that.” The man stepped forward anxiously. “I’ve been looking for you all these years. But Xia Yuze took you away somewhere. I couldn’t find you.”
“You—”
Hearing that, Xia Yuze’s anger nearly exploded.
Took Zichen away?
As though he’d kidnapped him?
What a joke.
Before Xia Yuze could speak, Xia Zichen cut him off.
“That’s rich.”
A mocking smile tugged at his lips, though there wasn’t the slightest warmth in his eyes.
“You’re the second young master of the Lei family.”
“It took you more than ten years to find someone?”
“Aren’t you embarrassed saying something like that?”
Gu Yan, despite knowing absolutely nothing beforehand, had managed to investigate Xia Yuze’s background thoroughly.
Lei Xin…
His own biological father…
Already knew quite a bit about Xia Yuze.
Yet somehow couldn’t find him for over ten years?
That was without question the funniest joke Xia Zichen had ever heard.
Even if the Lei family couldn’t compare with the Gu family…
They were still deeply rooted in N City.
Finding someone they already knew should have been effortless.
If they hadn’t found him after all these years…
It wasn’t because they couldn’t.
It was because they hadn’t wanted to.
Lei Xin’s face darkened under Xia Zichen’s sarcasm, but he restrained his temper.
“Zichen… listen to your father. I had my reasons.”
“Heh…”
This time Xia Zichen actually laughed aloud.
He shook Lei Xin’s hand off once more.
“Whatever those reasons were…”
“They have nothing to do with me.”
“I’m living a very good life now.”
“So please stop disturbing my father and me.”
“My dad is a civilized man.”
“He won’t argue with you in public.”
“I hope you’ll have enough dignity not to pick fights for no reason.”
Those words finally darkened Lei Xin’s expression.
But instead of responding to Xia Zichen, he turned his anger toward Xia Yuze.
“Xia Yuze! Look at what you’ve turned my son into! You ruined my life before, and now you’re ruining my son too!”
That accusation ignited Xia Yuze’s temper.
“Lei Xin.”
“I used to think you were just thick-skinned.”
“Now I realize I completely misjudged you.”
“This isn’t thick skin.”
“You have no shame whatsoever.”
“You stole my son and you’re calling me shameless?”
Lei Xin glared furiously at Xia Yuze.
Had this happened ten years ago, he would already have slapped him.
“I’m telling you now.”
“Zichen is coming back to the Lei family.”
“My son belongs only to the Lei family.”
“Sorry.”
“I’m already an adult.”
Xia Zichen’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
He wasn’t a child anymore.
He was an independent adult.
He didn’t need a legal guardian.
“Xia Yuze.”
Lei Xin clenched his fists.
“My lawyer will contact you tomorrow.”
The fact that Xia Zichen refused to acknowledge him—and even defended Xia Yuze—made his anger impossible to suppress.
“Fine.”
Xia Yuze sneered.
“If you’re not afraid of making a fool of yourself, why should I be?”
Xia Zichen couldn’t be bothered wasting another word.
He simply took Xia Yuze’s hand and left.
He had once thought the idiots he’d met in online games were already bad enough.
Who would have guessed…
Reality had people who were even worse?
Lei Xin watched them leave, seeming as though he wanted to say something.
In the end, not a single word came out.
He stormed back into the car parked nearby, and it sped away.
Originally, Xia Zichen had wanted to treat his father to a nice meal.
But after Lei Xin’s interruption…
Neither of them had any appetite for that anymore.
They ended up sitting in a nearby restaurant.
Xia Yuze wasn’t hungry.
He ordered only a few simple dishes.
Looking at Xia Zichen, he didn’t know what to say.
After spending so much time with Gu Xu, however…
Xia Zichen had learned quite a few things from him.
Including how to calm himself down as quickly as possible.
After taking several deep breaths and driving away the disgust Lei Xin had stirred up…
He actually felt much lighter.
At least now he understood why his father had looked so exhausted.
Now he knew the reason.
And once he understood it…
He knew how to deal with it.
That, to him, was a good thing.
Gu Xu had once told him—
Whenever you encounter something you hate…
Try looking at it from another angle.
You may still hate it.
But if you can gain even a little something from it…
Then at least that unpleasant experience has gained some value.
Thinking about it now…
Gu Xu had really been right.
Feeling much better, Xia Zichen happily ordered several more dishes.
He even added everything Xia Yuze had neglected to order.
After the waiter left, Xia Zichen took a sip of water and quietly said,
“In this lifetime…”
“I only have one father.”
A faint smile appeared on Xia Yuze’s face.
He sighed softly.
“And I only have one son.”
Xia Zichen smiled.
“When I went home last week, you looked awful.”
“Was it because of this?”
“Mm.”
“I never expected him to come looking for me at the law firm.”
A month earlier…
Lei Xin had already begun calling him, wanting to discuss Xia Zichen.
His intention had been perfectly clear—
He wanted Xia Zichen to return to the Lei family.
After the first several unanswered calls…
Lei Xin had actually shown up at the law firm in person last week.
Since then…
He had practically become a regular during Xia Yuze’s lunch break.
“If we hadn’t run into him today…”
Xia Zichen smiled faintly.
“He probably wouldn’t even have recognized me walking down the street.”
Of course…
Xia Zichen himself wasn’t sure he would have recognized Lei Xin either.
He might simply have mistaken him for another passerby.
Xia Yuze remained silent.
Lei Xin had indeed changed tremendously.
Even he himself hadn’t recognized him immediately.
But none of that mattered anymore.
Lei Xin belonged to the past.
A past he had long since thrown away.
“You probably know why he’s trying to take you back now.”
Xia Yuze reminded him.
“I know.”
Xia Zichen nodded.
Although he hated assuming the worst of people…
Lei Xin had never been much of a gentleman.
Some people carefully wrapped their selfish motives in layers of apparent kindness…
But no one was stupid.
The ugly truth underneath had already been exposed.
Only the one doing the wrapping believed it remained hidden.
In the end…
It was nothing more than self-deception.
Xia Yuze nodded.
He said nothing more.
Xia Zichen was grown now.
He knew how to handle matters like this.
As for Xia Yuze…
He only needed to take care of his own affairs.
Looking at the mature young man before him…
He felt both proud…
And a little wistful.
Children eventually grow up.
They develop their own ideas.
They stop depending entirely on their parents.
They begin sharing the family’s burdens.
All of those things were good.
Still…
Every father couldn’t help missing the days when his child had been small…
Adorable…
And endlessly amusing.
After lunch, Xia Zichen headed to the office.
But all the way until he got home…
He still hadn’t figured out how to tell Gu Xu about what had happened.
On one hand…
The whole story was far too complicated to explain.
Truthfully…
He didn’t want to relive those memories himself.
On the other hand…
Lei Xin’s intentions were still only speculation.
He didn’t want something like this disturbing the peaceful life he and Gu Xu had built together.
Besides…
Gu Xu was currently occupied with securing an important business partnership.
Xia Zichen didn’t want him distracted by another problem.
I’ll tell him after the project is settled, he decided.
Keeping that in mind…
He joined his guildmates for another dungeon run.
Unfortunately…
While distracted…
He accidentally let one of the melee healers die.
Only after Gu Xu reminded him did Xia Zichen snap back to attention.
He hurriedly healed Canmo Wuhen, who was hanging on by a sliver of health.
Fortunately, Pianran Qiwu reacted quickly, throwing continuous healing and damage reduction onto Chen Xi, preventing him from dying while helping stabilize everyone else’s health.
Only after the boss finally collapsed did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
[Team] Sunflower: It’s rare for the Guild Master’s wife to have an off day.
[Team] Chen Xi: Sorry. My mind wandered.
While reviving the fallen melee player, Xia Zichen apologized.
[Team] Love at Third Sight: Was it because the Guild Master was sitting beside you and distracting you?
[Team] Sunflower: Evil… but I agree with that theory!
[Team] Little Thing: Seconded!
[Team] Chen Xi: …
[Team] Tsundere Healer: By the way… does anyone else feel dungeon runs have been getting more and more boring lately?
[Team] One Season Blossoms: Agreed. No new dungeons, and we hardly need better gear anymore. Of course it’s boring.
[Team] Sunflower: Yeah. But I like playing with everyone, so boredom can’t be helped.
[Team] Love at Third Sight: Shengchen’s new game, Sword’s Edge of the Azure Scar, launches next year. I’m really looking forward to it.
[Team] Sunflower: Ahhh! I watched the trailer! The graphics are incredible, and the character designs are gorgeous! I’m definitely playing when it comes out.
[Team] Bloodthirsty Greed: Me too.
[Team] Sunflower: Great! Let’s all play together.
[Team] Tsundere Healer: If only I could get a closed beta code. I heard they’re really hard to get.
[Team] Sunflower: I want one too! Even a beta with data wipes would be fine!
Seeing everyone discuss Sword’s Edge of the Azure Scar, Xia Zichen smiled.
It was Shengchen’s first major 3D wuxia MMORPG planned for release the following year.
It featured numerous classes, innovative gameplay, beautiful character and costume designs, breathtaking scenery, and stunning graphics.
Its landscapes looked like a paradise hidden from the world—visually gorgeous without feeling exaggerated—and its ancient cities and architecture felt remarkably authentic.
Back when Xia Zichen had seen only a handful of concept sketches…
He had already been captivated.
Earlier, the company had released a promotional trailer as part of its initial marketing campaign.
The response had been overwhelmingly positive.
It only strengthened everyone’s confidence in the project.
The partnership Gu Xu was currently fighting to secure…
Was also related to this game.
No wonder he had been working so hard.
[Team] Pianran Qiwu: Ahem. Guild Master, don’t forget the beta code you promised me.
[Team] Sunflower: Huh?
[Team] Love at Third Sight: Wait, what?
[Team] Tsundere Healer: Beta code?
[Team] Pianran Qiwu: Sword’s Edge of the Azure Scar. ^_^
[Team] Bloodthirsty Greed: Holy crap! Guild Master has them?!
[Team] Sunflower: Damn! Guild Master, please! I beg you! Beta code!!
[Team] Spendthrift Playboy: Hehe~ Sweetie, do you want AV or GV? I’ve got every kind of “code.” I’ll email them to you—don’t forget to leave a five-star review!
[Team] Sunflower: Get lost!! Guild Master, please notice us! Please speak! Please give us beta codes!!
Ever since the game’s trailer had been released…
Beta reservations had been in overwhelming demand.
Mo Xiang was handling the distribution.
After watching the trailer, An Jing had pestered Xia Zichen for days.
In the end, Xia Zichen had abused his position just a little and quietly added both An Jing and Tang Hui to the reservation list before An Jing finally left him alone.
What surprised him, however…
Was that Pianran Qiwu had actually asked Mo Xiang directly for a beta code.
The fact that they all worked at Shengchen had always been kept confidential.
It wasn’t exactly a secret.
They simply never volunteered the information.
Most people only knew that Canmo Wuhen, Jian Lang, and Baicao Zhe worked together.
“How does Pianran Qiwu know Senior Mo can get beta codes?”
Xia Zichen looked toward Gu Xu, who was sitting on the study sofa playing on his laptop.
Gu Xu smiled.
“Pianran was recruited away from an overseas game company by Mo Xiang.”
“He starts next month.”
“He’ll be joining the art department as its creative director.”
“Huh?”
Xia Zichen looked at him in surprise.
He hadn’t heard anything about that.
“We were planning to introduce him after he officially joined.”
The negotiations had been handled entirely by Mo Xiang and Luo Ji.
After reviewing Pianran Qiwu’s portfolio…
Gu Xu had said only one thing—
Make sure we hire him.
And they had.
Xia Zichen nodded.
The company’s art department was already very strong.
But Gu Xu’s standards were exceptionally high.
That was why the creative director position had remained vacant, with Luo Ji temporarily filling in.
As for Pianran Qiwu…
That person who played an even more convincing female character than Xia Zichen himself…
He found himself genuinely curious.
Following the guild-wide frenzy over beta codes…
Everyone unanimously decided that once Sword’s Edge of the Azure Scar entered closed beta…
The entire Tianfeng Elegant Pavilion guild would move there together.
There weren’t many people in the guild.
But they were all veteran MMORPG players.
Staying together through one online game after another wasn’t easy.
And once players found a game they genuinely loved…
Unless they intentionally quit gaming altogether…
They usually stayed with it for a very long time.
As for the beta codes…
Jian Lang didn’t explain much.
He simply said he had a friend who could obtain them and promised to distribute them when the time came.
Another week passed.
Game development at Shengchen continued steadily.
Everyone became even busier.
The end of the year was approaching.
Annual reports, summaries, financial statements, and preparations for the company banquet were all gradually being added to everyone’s workload.
At the university, final exams were also drawing near.
Xia Zichen devoted himself to studying.
The company stopped assigning him new work, and nothing currently on his desk was urgent.
For the time being, life became much easier.
After all…
He was still a student.
His education had to come first.
Compared to Xia Zichen…
Gu Xu was even busier.
Not only did he have Shengchen to manage…
He also returned to the Gu family to help his father and Gu Yan review the financial reports, performance summaries, and documentation from the Gu Corporation’s various branches.
In previous years…
Gu Father and Gu Yan had personally flown to each branch.
This year…
Neither of them intended to travel anymore.
After classes on Friday, Gu Xu drove to the university to pick up Xia Zichen.
According to An Jing, a newly opened hot pot restaurant on the campus food street was excellent.
The two planned to have dinner there before heading back to the Xia family home for the weekend.
Gu Xu had arrived early.
After parking and making a reservation, he walked over to the teaching building.
It was the busiest part of the afternoon dismissal.
Rather than squeezing through the crowds, the two waited until most students had left before leisurely walking out together, chatting casually about their day.
They hadn’t gone very far…
When a black sedan drove up behind them and stopped alongside.
“Zichen.”
As the voice rang out, the rear door opened.
Lei Xin stepped out.
The moment he noticed Gu Xu…
The smile on his face deepened.
His eyes lit up with unmistakable interest.
Gu Xu, who hadn’t paid much attention to the car at first, stopped walking as soon as he heard someone call Xia Zichen’s name.
The instant Xia Zichen saw Lei Xin step out…
He frowned.
The warmth and smile he’d worn while talking with Gu Xu vanished instantly.
His face became expressionless as he looked at the smiling man approaching them.
And the disgust in his heart deepened another degree.