Huo Zongzhuo chuckled. “No wonder that time a branch manager brought medicine over. I thought he was really sick—so that’s how it was.”
The three of them laughed again.
As they chatted and laughed, it was nearly lunchtime when the door opened. A figure stepped in, saying, “I could hear you laughing all the way from the yard.”
“Is that Mr. Huo?”
Huo Zongzhuo turned toward the voice. Zhao Shuo also looked toward the sofa. Their eyes met—and both froze.
………….
Clearly, they remembered each other. They had met before at a restaurant in Huating, and Jiang Luo had been there too.
Why was he here?
Zhao Shuo looked stunned, glancing at Su Lan and Zhao Guangyuan. Huo Zongzhuo, upon recognizing Zhao Shuo, quickly pieced it together in his mind: Jiang Luo really was part of the Zhao family. No wonder Su Lan and Zhao Guangyuan reminded him of Jiang Luo.
Jiang Luo was the son of Zhao Guangyuan and Su Lan.
Their youngest son—the one Zhao Guangyuan had been struggling to manage while he went off to do business.
Huo Zongzhuo thought quietly to himself.
Zhao Shuo, under the gaze of Zhao Guangyuan and Su Lan, hurried forward. “Are you really Mr. Huo?”
Zhao Guangyuan signaled disapproval with his eyes, saying, “Speak properly—mind your manners.”
“No, Dad,” Zhao Shuo said, stepping closer and extending his hand. “We’ve met before, right? At Huating, with Jiang Luo present.”
Huo Zongzhuo didn’t rise but shook Zhao Shuo’s hand. “Yes.”
“Jiang Luo?” Hearing that name, Zhao Guangyuan and Su Lan exchanged shocked looks and turned toward Zhao Shuo. “Jiang Luo? What do you mean?”
Zhao Shuo explained, “I mentioned before—I ran into Jiang Luo once at Huating. Mr. Huo was there too, having dinner with him.”
Zhao Guangyuan looked at Huo Zongzhuo, astonished. “Zongzhuo? You know our Jiang Luo?”
Huo Zongzhuo replied calmly, “Yes, I know him. I didn’t expect he was your son.”
Zhao Shuo laughed. “What a small world—we go in circles, and it turns out we’re all connected.”
Naturally, the conversation shifted to Jiang Luo. Zhao Guangyuan and Su Lan asked Huo how he knew Jiang Luo. Huo recalled Jiang Luo mentioning he had no family. Even without knowing the full story, Huo had always been inclined to support Jiang Luo.
Huo explained, “It was a coincidence. Back in April, one night I was out late on business, leaving Nanjing East Road, and I saw Jiang Luo sleeping alone on a metal chair by the riverbank.”
The Zhao family fell silent. Huo lowered his gaze, sipping coffee, pondering silently. Whatever the reasoning, Huo was clearly on Jiang Luo’s side.
Considering the Zhao family’s comfortable life—an elegant three-story house with a yard—contrasted with Jiang Luo having no home, staying at the Hilton, Huo felt the warmth of his own conversation with them cool considerably.
Yet when he looked up after setting the coffee down, he saw Zhao Guangyuan and Zhao Shuo quiet, and Su Lan’s eyes red, tears silently falling.
“Mom.”
Zhao Shuo went to Su Lan, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to give her.
Zhao Guangyuan sighed. “Jiang Luo’s situation—if there’s blame, it’s on us. We did wrong.”
Zhao Shuo escorted the crying Su Lan upstairs to calm down, and Zhao Guangyuan began explaining to Huo the story from eighteen years ago about the switched child. Huo listened, astonished.
Zhao Guangyuan continued, sighing, “Back in early April, when we went to the silk factory, we should have brought Jiang Luo home immediately. But… sigh, my fault, really my fault.”
He admitted, “At that time, we saw Jiang Luo not studying properly, not going to university, not attending technical school, not working, always hanging out at discos with questionable people—we were disappointed. I don’t know if you can understand that feeling.”
Huo Zongzhuo thought: I cannot.
Zhao Guangyuan continued, “So we didn’t bring him back. We left him with his adoptive parents at the silk factory. Later, we tried to find him a proper job. But with the office busy, my wife busy, their factory busy, we delayed. By the time we tried to bring him back, he didn’t care to come.”
“When he went to Zhejiang Province to do business, we knew and even provided a truck, but he refused it. Ignored us. And now, being too busy, we haven’t spoken to him properly, and he continues to ignore us.”
Huo felt no particular sympathy for the Zhao family, only pity for Jiang Luo, who had never mentioned any of this.
“Turns out, Zongzhuo, you’ve known Jiang Luo for so long,” Zhao Guangyuan said, hope rekindling. “Is he doing well? I know he started a company, launched a fashion brand that’s selling quite well, and even set up his own factory in the town below.”
Huo finally spoke, saying something that hit Zhao Guangyuan straight in the heart: “He’s doing well, of course. He’s smart and capable. But you know, he’s only eighteen, achieving all this alone… imagine how much he’s endured.”
Zhao Guangyuan felt terrible, sighing, blaming himself.
“Do you know him well?” he asked.
“Reasonably,” Huo replied, not elaborating.
Zhao Guangyuan continued, “We can’t contact Jiang Luo. If anything happens, Zongzhuo, please keep an eye out, or inform me, so I can help him.”
Huo, outwardly calm and principled, had a temper. He fiercely protected Jiang Luo. Facing Zhao Guangyuan’s seemingly noble words, Huo couldn’t help but feel annoyed.
He added quietly, “If he’s struggling, he won’t tell family, certainly not his biological parents, and even less so anyone else. I’d like to help, but he won’t speak.”
Zhao Guangyuan sighed repeatedly. “It’s my fault, all my fault.”
He continued, “We knew he had a factory in Juxiang Town. I even called to check in. But he doesn’t share with us, so there’s nothing we can do.”
Comforted, he admitted, “Luckily, the boy is competent, and has done quite well.”
Huo realized Zhao Guangyuan’s self-blame was genuine affection; initially, back in April at the silk factory, he hadn’t liked Jiang Luo—but now, he truly did.
It’s human nature. How many parents naturally love their children? They don’t love the child—they love the child they expect. Once the child strays from that expectation, they withdraw affection without hesitation. That’s human nature.
Huo’s expression cooled. He thought of Jiang Luo, wondering what he was doing at that moment.
He regretted visiting, being overly polite with Zhao Guangyuan. Though Zhao was a promising official in the Pudong system, Huo could connect with plenty of other leaders if he wanted.
He decided to minimize contact with Zhao in the future. His affection for Jiang Luo made him resent the Zhao family’s hypocrisy.
He didn’t stay for lunch, excusing himself, and Zhao Guangyuan didn’t insist, walking him to the door.
“Family shame—it’s my personal failure, Zongzhuo. Sorry you had to witness it,” Zhao Guangyuan said.
Huo glanced at him but said nothing, thinking: I can’t find anything funny here.
Zhao Guangyuan added, “If anything happens to Jiang Luo, please watch over him, let me know. I’ll help however I can.”
“Alright,” Huo replied calmly.
As Huo left, he asked, “One more thing—what about that child at the silk factory? Is he still at home?”
Zhao Guangyuan: “He is. Though not biological, he’s been with us eighteen years—we can’t just kick him out. Besides, he’s in university, and his biological parents can’t support him.”
Huo said bluntly, “Since the switch was a mistake, it should be corrected. What’s his should be his. The pigeon occupies the magpie’s nest: the pigeon is the pigeon, the magpie is the magpie.”