The banquet was about to start, and Qi Xu, as the guest of honor, was swamped. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving Li Kaixing instructions to sell off a school-district villa.
Shen Zhuohai had gifted him a detached villa in a top-tier school district, but Qi Xu didn’t like walking alone through three floors of empty space. He much preferred a large, open-plan apartment where everything was in sight. So he asked Li Kaixing to put the villa up for sale and keep an eye out for a spacious flat near the school.
“Shaoye Qi, don’t you think it’s time to give me a raise? I’m managing the company and acting as your assistant—I’m only one guy, you know. Cut me some slack,” Li Kaixing joked, looking more and more like the same slick operator he was in his past life.
Qi Xu considered it and realized he really had been piling too much onto one person. “I’ll have someone join you at the office tomorrow—he’ll be there to assist.”
If he remembered correctly, Zhong Aiming was a finance grad from some overseas university. It might even be a waste to have him working in such a small company.
Li Kaixing immediately tensed up, sitting straighter and switching to a more serious tone. “You found someone else? Really, I’ve got the company under control for now. I’ll take care of selling the house ASAP. There’s no need to bring in another guy—too many people will just make it messy.”
Qi Xu knew exactly what Li Kaixing was thinking—he looked down on others. A bit of early success had already gone to his head, and he was starting to believe he was unstoppable. A common young man’s mistake.
He said bluntly, “Li Kaixing, are you already satisfied with where you’re at? I told you from day one, I’m not aiming for some little two-floor tech firm. Get your mindset straight and start dreaming bigger. Don’t trap yourself in your little comfort zone.”
That snapped Li Kaixing out of it. All the recent praise had nearly made him forget where he came from.
And for some reason… being yelled at felt kinda good.
“Shaoye Qi, I see the error of my ways. Yell at me a bit more, will you? It’s kind of a rush.”
Qi Xu: “…”
Who were these bizarre people around him?
Just as he was about to say something, Xie Huai’s voice came from behind. “Time to go.”
Qi Xu turned to see only Xie Huai and Chen Wei left in the living room. He told Li Kaixing, “That’s all for now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
After hanging up, Qi Xu and Xie Huai headed out together, with Chen Wei following at a respectful distance.
A staff member was waiting at the elevator to press the button for them. Qi Xu yawned, clearly bored.
Xie Huai asked, “Buying a place?”
As the elevator doors opened, Qi Xu stepped in. “My dad gave me a standalone villa as soon as I got back yesterday. Not really my thing, so I had someone list it. I’m also looking for a big open-plan apartment nearby.”
Xie Huai glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Qi Xu caught the look in the elevator’s reflective wall and smirked. “Interested? I’ll give you a discount.”
Xie Huai didn’t answer that. Instead, he said, “Xu Yichen and the others bought fireworks to celebrate for you.”
Qi Xu shrugged casually. “Perfect. We’ll end this thing early and go watch them.”
The Shen family had started preparing the banquet right after managing the online rumors. The unexpected shift in public opinion forced Shen Zhuohai to reevaluate Qi Xu.
He’d assumed that bringing his polished, well-raised adopted son to the banquet would earn him face. But reality hit hard—his newly recovered biological son drew far more attention.
A single post on a school forum had not only thrown the Shen family back into the public eye but even sparked a minor economic ripple.
Shen Zhuohai had been dodging the topic of the mistaken identity for fear that the truth of the switch might come to light. That would make his past statements come back to slap him in the face.
Thankfully, all coverage related to Qi Xu had been wiped clean—almost like divine intervention.
With tonight’s banquet wrapping up smoothly, tomorrow’s headlines would undoubtedly be all about Shen Corporation.
As they stepped out of the elevator, Qi Xu saw the extravagant setup of the event and couldn’t help but marvel at this self-congratulatory fantasy they’d built.
If this had happened in his previous life, the 18-year-old version of Qi Xu would never have let the banquet end peacefully. He’d have picked a fight with Shen Zeyu or Shen Fengkai in front of everyone—maybe even gotten into a full-on brawl. Ruined the whole thing.
The very fact that Shen Zeyu was even attending this banquet showed how biased the Shen family really was. This was Qi Xu’s first official appearance after returning to the family. Making it a dual-headliner with two “sons” was just a farce—a performance of fairness, nothing more.
Qi Xu and Xie Huai entered the banquet hall together. The moment they stepped in, the crowd’s eyes zeroed in on Xie Huai.
Qi Xu had name recognition, sure, but aside from those who’d seen him at Fang Qian’s coming-of-age party, no one really knew him.
Xie Huai, on the other hand, was both a familiar name and face. In upper society, everyone knew the young master of the Xie family. So naturally, their curiosity shifted to the young man standing beside him.
Xie Huai’s presence instantly overshadowed Shen Zeyu, who was standing next to the Shen couple—and even drew some of the spotlight away from Qi Xu.
Qi Xu just looked amused. “Young Master Xie, not the main character but stealing the show anyway. Very impressive.”
Then Xie Huai suddenly said, “Sorry.”
“I’ll return the spotlight to you.”
Before Qi Xu could figure out what Xie Huai meant by that, he heard him call out, “Xu Yichen.”
The next second, that goofy dog in the middle of the room turned toward them, waving his arms wildly.
“Qi Xu!”
Suddenly, every eye in the room landed on Qi Xu. If looks could kill, he’d be shredded by now.
“…”
Without moving his lips, Qi Xu gritted his teeth and muttered to Xie Huai, “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Xie Huai’s eyes were clearly amused. “I just have this problem—I can’t stand watching you enjoy the chaos without being part of it.”
Just two words were enough to clue the crowd in: the young man standing beside the Xie family’s heir was none other than the real young master of the Shen family—Qi Xu.
Most of the guests were just here for the spectacle. Oh, so that’s Qi Xu?
He’s not quite what the rumors made him out to be.
Everyone had heard that Qi Xu was from M City. They expected some shy, bumpkin kid from the countryside. But clearly, he’d been groomed by the Shen family. Compared to Shen Zeyu, who was raised by their side all along, Qi Xu held his own—and then some. His presence might even outshine his half-brother’s.
Shen Zhuohai was visibly surprised to see Qi Xu appear alongside Xie Huai. He turned to his eldest son and asked, “Since when did Qi Xu get so chummy with the Xie family’s son?”
Shen Fengkai pretended not to notice the excitement in his father’s eyes. It reminded him of how Shen Zeyu had once been invited to Xie Huai’s coming-of-age party.
“They’re classmates. Same dorm too.”
“Then why didn’t Zeyu tell me about this?”
Shen Zeyu forced a smile. “It was the start of the semester—things were hectic. I thought Second Brother had already mentioned it.”
Zeng Yun sighed. “Qi Xu never tells us anything.”
Shen Fengkai walked over to the pair catching everyone’s attention. He gave Xie Huai a polite nod, then turned to Qi Xu.
“Come on, I’ll introduce you to some of the elders from the other families.”
As he passed a waiter, Qi Xu casually grabbed a glass of champagne—only to have it snatched out of his hand by Xie Huai, who narrowed his eyes at him in warning.
Only then did Qi Xu remember he was supposed to avoid alcohol while on Chinese medicine. He silently grabbed a juice instead and followed Shen Fengkai.
Shen Fengkai had noticed the whole exchange and said, “Dad’s really glad you and Xie Huai are getting along. With the Shen and Xie families so connected—”
Qi Xu cut him off with a laugh. “Are you blind? Which eye of yours saw us getting along? You’re trying to use me to climb into the Xie family’s good graces? You’d be better off pushing your precious little brother.”
Shen Fengkai frowned. He couldn’t understand why Qi Xu bristled every time they talked. It was just a simple, logical conversation.
“Qi Xu, you’re part of the Shen family now. Sooner or later, you’ll have to understand how this world works. In high society, being an island is the worst offense. Zeyu’s young—he got tricked by Song Ruoming. But we, as Shen sons, should be focused on strengthening the family.”
Qi Xu’s smile vanished. He took a sip of juice.
“Oh? But I’m not interested in the Shen family. What now? I mean, I’m not even surnamed Shen. Why not just kick me out already?”
Shen Fengkai wanted to lash out, but there was no appropriate outlet—not with so many eyes watching. In the end, it was one of the elders who came over and interrupted their conversation.
Shen Zeyu stood between Shen Zhuohai and Zeng Yun, while Shen Fengkai and Qi Xu stood together—creating the illusion of two united brothers, the next generation of the Shen legacy.
Everyone started singing Qi Xu’s praises.
“Zhuohai, what good fortune! I heard Qi Xu’s studying at Q University?”
“Such a bright kid. Unlike mine—who knows when that one will get it together. We’re hosting a little get-together soon, you should have your boy come mingle.”
“So this is the son you’ve been hiding all this time. Were you afraid we’d eat him alive or something?”
“Hahahaha!”
The party was buzzing, all centered around Qi Xu. Conversations about him were flying in every direction.
Everyone here was sharp. The moment they saw Qi Xu standing beside Xie Huai, they couldn’t help but recall the deep ties between the Shen and Xie families.
Why was the one standing next to Xie Huai not Shen Zeyu, who had grown up with him, but Qi Xu instead?
It seemed that ever since Qi Xu returned to the Shen family, his status had already surpassed Shen Zeyu’s.
Well, he was the biological son, after all.
Word had it that Qi Xu had been sent to live with Old Master Shen.
Given the long-standing relationship between the Shen and Xie families, perhaps the old man had lent a hand behind the scenes too.
As Qi Xu took in all the warmth and attention, he also recalled that Xie Huai had waited for him upstairs—under Old Master Shen’s instructions—just to come down together.
The guy really had a thing for playing Good Samaritan.
While all eyes were on Qi Xu, the other supposed star of the show, Shen Zeyu, was deliberately left out of the spotlight.
Truth be told, he shouldn’t even have been here.
But if he hadn’t shown up, everyone might’ve completely forgotten that he was still a son of the Shen family too.
Zeng Yun doted on him—so long as he pouted or acted the least bit wronged, she’d give him whatever he wanted.
He’d been attending these high-society events since he was little. He knew how to work the room with ease and confidence.
Compared to Qi Xu, a clueless bumpkin, he was sure he could shine brighter.
Everything had always been under his control.
So why—why—was Xie Huai standing with Qi Xu, as if they were on the same team?
The thought stabbed into his heart like a needle—
He had to make Xie Huai see Qi Xu’s true colors.
He was nothing but a wild, unrefined kid who didn’t know a thing.
Qi Xu had just finished greeting the elders and was about to slip away to a quiet corner to rest when Xu Yichen slung an arm around his shoulders, dragging him back into the spotlight of the banquet hall.
The Xu family, the Fang family, the Xie family, the Jiang family…
Qi Xu had never felt suffocated standing with these people before.
But tonight—he did.
Those eyes felt like layers and layers of spiderwebs, slowly weaving around them.
Exhausting.
Suddenly, a shadow fell across him.
Qi Xu looked up—Xie Huai had stepped in front of him, shielding him from some of the probing stares.
Behind him, Jiang Zimu and Xu Yichen closed in protectively, blocking the view from behind.
Fang Qian stood next to Qi Xu and handed him a glass of juice, her tone sharp:
“What’s so interesting? Don’t they have their own kids to stare at, why fixate on someone else’s?”
Qi Xu couldn’t help but laugh.
Feeling playful, he joked, “Maybe their sons aren’t as impressive as me. Just jealous, I guess.”
Xu Yichen clinked his glass with Qi Xu’s:
“Young Master Qi, care to grace my passenger seat tonight? Let’s take a spin.”
Qi Xu responded in kind:
“It would be my honor, Young Master Xu.”
Qi Xu had been content to banter with them while waiting for dinner to be served, but just then, a spotlight lit up the white grand piano at the center of the hall.
Seated at it was Shen Zeyu, dressed in an immaculate white suit.
With graceful poise, he held the mic and looked toward Qi Xu’s direction.
“Second Brother, welcome home. I’d like to play a piece for you—as a gift. I hope you’ll like it.”
All eyes turned toward Shen Zeyu, the crowd gradually drawing toward the center of the room.
A bright, elegant prelude filled the air, and the lights shifted rhythmically with the music.
Clearly, this performance had been meticulously planned.
Fang Qian frowned as she watched from the sidelines.
“‘Childhood Memories’? Why is he playing that song?”
Why?
Because it was a challenge—or maybe even a declaration of war.
Qi Xu grew up in Qijia Village.
What opportunity would he have ever had to even see a piano, let alone know the name of the piece?
He didn’t have the foundation to understand or appreciate it.
Meanwhile, Shen Zeyu had received elite education since childhood and could play a variety of instruments.
This was him putting his worth on display—
Reminding Mr. and Mrs. Shen who the presentable son was, who wouldn’t embarrass them in public.
The Shens, at their core, were selfish.
Whether toward their biological or adopted sons, every ounce of affection came laced with ulterior motives.
Take tonight’s banquet, for example.
Shen Zhuohai’s true goal was tomorrow’s headlines—driven by self-interest.
In a previous life, at Old Master Shen’s birthday banquet, Shen Zeyu had shocked the crowd with a piano performance.
Now, the timing had changed—but the intent was the same.
Shen Zeyu was too impatient to wait.
Qi Xu, too, lacked patience.
The difference was, Qi Xu’s reactions were all out in the open, while Shen Zeyu made his moves behind the scenes.
At that birthday banquet, the two of them had gotten into a public fight.
It ruined Old Master Shen’s celebration and triggered a hypertensive episode that landed him in the hospital.
After that, their relationship completely broke down.
Everyone knew Qi Xu couldn’t tolerate a “foster son” under the same roof.
And yet, Qi Xu was the one who got blamed.
Shen Zeyu received nothing but sympathy.
Qi Xu’s footing in the Shen family became increasingly precarious—he was barely tolerated, constantly walking on eggshells.
But he never cared to fake brotherhood or pretend that blood meant anything.
All he ever wanted… was to prove himself.
That he was no less than Shen Zeyu.
So what if he couldn’t play piano?
He could negotiate multi-million-dollar contracts and break open overseas markets for the Shen Group.
In the end, strength spoke for itself—though in the Shen family’s eyes, he had never even been on their radar.
To them, he was cold, emotionless, and inhuman.
Shen Zeyu would sneer at his contracts, refusing to fight over mere profits, convinced he was somehow above it all.
Looking back, it was all smoke and mirrors.
For once, Qi Xu found himself in the mood to actually listen to Shen Zeyu’s piano playing.
Honestly? It wasn’t bad.
Though, maybe from nerves or excitement, he rushed a section in the middle.
As the final note faded, Qi Xu joined the crowd in polite applause.
Xie Huai frowned and shot him a look—
He wanted to get Qi Xu out of there. Fast.
Shen Zeyu leaned toward the microphone and said,
“Thank you, everyone. That was nothing special. Second Brother, I heard you’ve also prepared a gift for us—what is it? I’m really looking forward to it.”
The crowd murmured in surprise.
There’s more performances?
“A piano or a violin?”
“The Shen kids are really multi-talented.”
“But can that kid even play piano? That’s not something you learn in just a few days.”
Xu Yichen sensed something was off.
When Qi Xu was upstairs earlier, he never mentioned any performance.
How could such a big banquet make such a rookie mistake?
Wait—that performance had come straight from Shen Zeyu’s mouth.
“What’s Shen Zeyu doing? Who pushes people on stage like that? Even if it’s a gift, it’s a family thing. Why make a big show of it?”
Jiang Zimu said to Qi Xu,
“Xu Ge, you go up and do a few strokes with the brush, and I’ll handle the rest. Just say it’s a gift from both of us.”
Xu Yichen added,
“Qi Xu, how about you and Ah Huai go up and do a piano duet? He plays the main part, you just handle two notes.”
Fang Qian rolled her eyes at their silly ideas.
“What’s the point of you guys going up to give a gift meant for family? Better let Qi Xu throw a few punches on stage—that’d be way cooler.”
Qi Xu was speechless.
“Are you guys treating me like a clown?”
He handed the juice to Xie Huai and said casually,
“I’ll just go up and put out a little appetizer.”
Xie Huai took the juice wordlessly, watching that confident silhouette no matter when.
Qi Xu pushed through the crowd without looking away from the center of the room, where the black suit and white suit stood side by side—like a battle between good and evil.
Not far off, Shen Zhuohai frowned.
“What are those two kids messing around for? What if something goes wrong…”
Zeng Yun cut him off,
“They’re just expressing themselves as kids. If something goes wrong, so be it. As parents, we like it—that’s all that matters. What others say is their problem.”
Soon, a waiter brought a sheet of paper and a set of brush and ink onto the stage.
Qi Xu spread the paper flat on the floor, poured ink into the inkstone, and picked up a brush that didn’t feel quite right in his hand.
He wrote in one smooth, flowing motion, every stroke graceful and pleasing to the eye—like cutting water with a blade, brilliant and alive.
When finished, he tossed the brush aside and signaled the waiter to hold up the paper for everyone to see.
“Brush calligraphy? It takes ten years or more to really tell if it’s good or not.”
“Old Master Shen’s handwriting is a masterpiece—could this be a family skill passed down?”
“Not much time to learn anything serious. No matter how it turns out, just praise it. Considering Qi Xu’s background…”
When the paper was unfurled, everyone’s eyes locked onto the stage.
No one really cared about the quality of the calligraphy—everyone’s attention was on the content.
Four large characters struck their eyes with the force of a punch.
— Stealing the Pillars and Replacing the Beams.
