Chapter 55

Shang Yushang had someone arrange a private dorm room for He Mingfan. He also brought the now-conscious Old Master He out of the hospital and placed him in a well-equipped nursing home. On top of that, he got He Mingfan a job at a decent-sized company as a sales rep—enough to cover his daily expenses. As for the elder He’s costs, those would be taken care of separately.

He Mingfan was genuinely surprised that Shang Yushang would still help him at this point. But he also understood—it had to be He Changning’s doing. Maybe it was the series of heavy blows he’d gone through, but now he found himself surprisingly calm. After the initial shock, he accepted the arrangement without resistance. A life without all the scheming and backstabbing? Honestly, he liked it.

Whatever He Changning’s reasons were, one thing was clear to He Mingfan—he wasn’t doing this to humiliate him. If he wanted revenge, he could’ve dumped him at ZK—He family turf. Watching him fall from grace right there would’ve delivered a real sense of retribution. But he didn’t. All he did was set him up with a decent life—nothing more, nothing less. He Mingfan didn’t waste energy overanalyzing it. After everything, he was simply too tired. Having been caught in the pursuit of power and recognition for so many years, he was exhausted. Now that he finally had a peaceful life, he wasn’t about to mess it up.

The He family had completely collapsed. Like monkeys scattering from a fallen tree, everyone abandoned ship. The name “He family” would never again exist in this world. Gu Cheng felt a strange emptiness inside. With his revenge fulfilled, his life suddenly seemed aimless—he didn’t know what to do next. Should he go meet his son? The thought filled him with dread.

It was guilt, really—guilt for his cowardice, his irresponsibility, the years lost. He wanted to connect with his son, but at the same time, he was afraid. Who would’ve thought? The great patriarch of the Gu family, the CEO of ZK International—someone with wealth, power, and status most people could only dream of—afraid of his own son. It was hard to imagine.

Ai Yin, who had to deal with this anxious and conflicted boss every day, was having a rough time too. The oppressive mood affected not just him as Gu Cheng’s assistant and housekeeper, but everyone under him. In a bid to end this unnecessary internal torment—and his own suffering—Ai Yin decided to give his boss a nudge.

“Boss, maybe you should go visit Young Master. You could also meet your soon-to-be-born grandkids.”

The image of Young Master with that huge baby bump made Ai Yin visibly shudder. He could accept things science couldn’t explain, but this? This shattered his worldview and deeply traumatized his innocent heart.

Gu Cheng’s face remained stern, but inside, he was seriously considering Ai Yin’s suggestion. Maybe he could go see the grandkids. And, well… seeing his son in passing wouldn’t be that big of a stretch. Still, would it seem too deliberate?

Ai Yin, hellbent on reclaiming his peaceful life, kept pushing, “Boss, you’re his father—it’s perfectly normal for a dad to check on his son.”

For a moment, Ai Yin felt proud of how good his Chinese had become. That idiom had hit the nail on the head. Emboldened, he pressed on, “There’s no grudge that lasts forever between father and son. And Young Master is kind and generous—he won’t make things hard for you, especially for the sake of your grandkids.” Then something struck him. “Oh, and boss—didn’t you plan on transferring He Corporation’s shares to Young Master and the little ones? That kind of thing should really be said in person. All things considered, you need to go. And it’s only polite to bring some nutritional supplements for Young Master too.”

Gu Cheng mulled it over and found it… very reasonable. “Ai Yin, you’ve gotten smarter.”

Ai Yin humbly replied, “That’s all thanks to your excellent guidance, sir. I’ve learned so much under your leadership.” Perfect idiom use, plus flattery—two birds with one stone. Ai Yin was feeling pretty pleased with himself.

“Book the flight. Now.”

Soon after, the entire entourage disembarked with nearly a carload of health supplements and headed straight to the Fanjin Villa.

Inside the villa, Shang Yushang was gently coaxing his wife to eat. Playing the doting husband, he said with a grin, “Baby, your hubby’s being so thoughtful. Just eat a little more for me, okay?”

With the due date approaching, He Changning’s belly had gotten huge—almost frighteningly so. The twins were growing fast, leaving less and less room in his abdomen. That meant his appetite had shrunk significantly, and he was starting to show signs of nausea and food aversion. Shang Yushang was beside himself with worry. To ensure his wife and the babies stayed healthy, he spent every day searching for suitable foods and trying to get He Changning to eat more—coaxing, feeding, trying everything.

The closer they got to the due date, the more important nutrition became. Without enough strength, how could He Changning handle the labor? Shang Yushang was genuinely scared he might not make it through.

Shang Yushang had been worrying himself sick every day, racking his brains trying to get his wife to eat just a little more. He had never been this anxious—not even when handling billion-dollar business deals.

Watching him fuss like that, He Changning couldn’t help but laugh. With a soft smile in his eyes, he took another bite and said, “Can you relax a little? I am trying to eat.” As he spoke, he picked up a pastry and stuffed it into Shang Yushang’s mouth. “It’s really good. You eat with me.”

He then glanced down at his frighteningly large belly and then at his noticeably thicker arms and legs. “Jianzhi… what do I do? I’ve gained so much weight. What if I can’t lose it after giving birth? What if I get so fat I can’t even get out of bed?”

He looked at his puffy cheeks with a pitiful expression. His once-chiseled, striking face had lost all definition—now soft and round like a plump little newborn. His skin, though, was smooth and delicate—so much so it no longer resembled a man’s at all.

Knowing how self-conscious his baby was about his looks, Shang Yushang immediately offered reassurance. “It’s okay. Once the babies are born, you’ll lose the weight. I promise, within three months, you’ll be that dashing, handsome man again.”

“Really?”

Shang Yushang looked him dead in the eye and lied through his teeth without blinking. “Really. I swear.”

He Changning knew full well it was just sweet talk meant to comfort him. Even if it wasn’t realistic to bounce back that fast, the promise still made him feel better.

“Alright. I’ll believe you. But if I don’t lose the weight, you’re going to have to get fat with me.”

Shang Yushang agreed without hesitation, “Sure. Whatever you say, sweetheart, your husband will do it.”

The couple was still being lovey-dovey when Xiao Wu knocked on the door with a stern face. “Young Master, there’s someone here to see you.”

Shang Yushang raised an eyebrow. Xiao Wu was always discreet—he wouldn’t interrupt them unless it was truly important. And the way he said “someone from the family” was interesting. Which family? Xiao Wu wouldn’t use this tone if it were someone from the Shang family estate. That left the Gu family. After all, Gu Cheng was He Changning’s biological father. So the odds were high it was someone from the Gu side.

Shang Yushang kissed He Changning’s brow. “Baby, wait here for me. I’ll go take a look.”

He Changning kissed the corner of his mouth. “Don’t be gone too long.” Lately, he’d been unusually clingy. Maybe it was the nerves about the impending birth. Shang Yushang had been staying close every day, and now, even a short absence made him feel lonely. Having him nearby brought peace of mind.

Shang Yushang caressed his cheek, then headed downstairs.

In the living room, Gu Cheng sat on the sofa, idly turning a teacup in his hand, eyes scanning the room’s decor. The style was grand and elegant, low-key but luxurious. Not bad. It looked like Shang Yushang had done well preparing everything for Changning. The place was serene and cozy—ideal for pregnancy.

Shang Yushang came down the stairs and immediately saw Gu Cheng sitting there. His brows knitted, and his expression turned cold and unreadable.

With polite detachment, he said, “Mr. Gu, long time no see.”

Xiao Wu stood quietly behind Young Master, his eyes lowered, minding his own business. He tried hard to ignore the foreigner across from him shooting electric glances his way. Internally, he couldn’t help muttering, Foreigners… always up to something. That guy’s looking at me like a wolf eyeing meat. Disgusting.

Ai Yin, on the other hand, was shooting metaphorical sparks from his eyes every few seconds. From the moment he’d entered, he’d noticed the tall, muscular, and dangerously handsome man standing there. His heart had been racing ever since. He suddenly felt like spring had come early—his spring.

Despite the clear cold shoulder, Gu Cheng pretended not to notice. “It hasn’t been that long, President Shang. I suppose important people forget quickly.”

Shang Yushang sneered inwardly but kept his face neutral. “To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Mr. Gu?”

Gu Cheng ground his molars at Shang Yushang’s formal tone, but he didn’t waste time arguing. “I came to see Changning.”

Shang Yushang remained calm and composed. “Apologies. He just laid down for a nap. As you know, his health is delicate right now, so he’s not taking visitors.”

Gu Cheng’s lips twitched slightly. He knew Shang Yushang didn’t like him, and he fully understood why. Shang Yushang cared deeply for Changning, and had every reason to resent him for neglecting his son all these years. So he wasn’t surprised by the cold treatment. Still, Gu Cheng didn’t take it to heart. “It’s fine. I’ll wait until he wakes up.”

Shang Yushang gave him a sharp look. He was clearly being difficult, yet Gu Cheng still didn’t leave. That meant he was serious—dead set on reconnecting with his son. Shang Yushang rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Should I make things harder for him? Letting him off too easily didn’t sit right. All the suffering his baby had endured couldn’t be erased with a simple apology. If he didn’t vent that anger for his baby, he wouldn’t feel right.

From the way Shang Yushang’s eyes narrowed, Gu Cheng could see he was scheming something. But he didn’t mind. If it made Shang Yushang feel better to give him a hard time, he was willing to take it. Whatever Changning ended up gaining from it, Gu Cheng would consider it a win.

Hoping to show some goodwill—and maybe reduce a bit of the resistance—Gu Cheng pulled out a document. “This is a transfer of shares for He Corporation,” he said, handing it over.

Shang Yushang raised an eyebrow but didn’t take it. The old fox is being generous now? Worried I’ll bleed him dry? “What’s this supposed to mean, Mr. Gu?”

Gu Cheng placed the file on the coffee table. “He Corp is now a subsidiary of ZK. There were some issues recently, but everything’s been resolved, and the company’s back on track. I’ll be assigning a management team. Of course, if President Shang is interested in handling it on Changning’s behalf, that works too. Either way, the profits will belong to Changning. This is 70% of the shares. The remaining 30% will go under the names of the two little ones—as their pocket money, so to speak.”

Shang Yushang chuckled softly. “Mr. Gu, how generous. Giving away an entire company like this—why not throw in a little more while you’re at it?”

Gu Cheng paused, then smirked. So that’s what this is. The kid was lying in wait for him. “President Shang really knows how to bargain.”

Shang Yushang responded calmly, as if it were only natural. “You’re mistaken. I don’t need any of this. I’m simply helping Mr. Gu fulfill his noble intentions. A bit more pocket money means my baby can buy a few nice outfits, or my son can have a couple extra toys. That’s never a bad thing.”

Gu Cheng grumbled inwardly. Shang Yushang’s idea of ‘pocket money’ is outrageous. But if tossing in a little more could smooth things over, so be it. “Alright, fair enough. You name the amount.”

Sigh. Was this really happening? Gu Cheng felt like a beggar, practically pleading to give someone a gift—what a joke!

Shang Yushang remained perfectly composed. “ZK’s a major conglomerate. Its shares are valuable. Give my baby a few shares, let him collect some dividends—just enough to buy whatever he wants.”

Ai Yin, standing nearby, felt half his face twitch. This guy’s ruthless. “Just enough to buy what he wants”? That’s so vague. “What he wants” could mean anything from a dollar trinket to a million-dollar car—or even a billion-dollar estate. This wasn’t a request—it was a trap. And Gu Cheng was going to walk into it willingly. Ai Yin mentally gave Shang Yushang a big thumbs up: Savage.

Gu Cheng didn’t react outwardly, but he was bracing himself. He knew from the start that Shang Yushang wouldn’t be easy to deal with. If he didn’t claw back every ounce of injustice Changning suffered, he wouldn’t be Shang Yushang.

“So, what percentage of shares would satisfy President Shang?” Gu Cheng asked, steady as ever.

Then came the number. Delivered with a blank face, calm as ever—but it nearly gave Ai Yin a heart attack.

“Thirty percent should do,” Shang Yushang said. “It’s not much. What do you think, Mr. Gu?”

Gu Cheng’s mouth twitched hard. Not much? This guy was a lion, and this was daylight robbery. Thirty percent of ZK meant that Changning would become the second-largest shareholder in the company—second only to himself.

But Gu Cheng only paused for a moment. Then he broke into a relaxed smile. “As long as you’re satisfied, let’s go with that. I’ll have the legal documents drawn up. As soon as Changning signs, it’ll be official.”

Ai Yin trembled—well, not his little frame anymore, he was a big guy now—but still, he felt like he must’ve misheard. There’s no way his boss just casually handed over ZK. Sure, giving it to his own son made sense, but this weirdly casual handoff? Too much.

In noble families, power and status are everything—your lifeline. Even your own son isn’t exempt from suspicion if he poses a threat to your position. History had plenty of father-kills-son or son-kills-father horror stories.

Yet here was his boss, just handing over the company he’d spent years building. Sure, it showed deep trust and fatherly affection, but it was still risky. Ai Yin figured the boss must be gambling on the idea that the young master was a kind, warmhearted person—someone who still valued family deeply. So much so that even if one day he inherited all of ZK, there’d be no bad blood.

Shang Yushang, meanwhile, glanced a few more times at Gu Cheng. Hmph, at least the old guy knows his place. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near his precious baby—or his son.

Xiao Wu sneaked a glance at the shivering foreigner and scoffed internally. What a rookie. Acting like he’s never seen real money before. Compared to what his young master and Ning Shao had, this was nothing. No need to freak out.

Then, around the bend of the staircase, He Changning’s clear laughter drifted down:
“Jianzhi, are you extorting someone again?”

Shang Yushang instantly jumped to his feet and rushed to the staircase, face tense, voice even more so.
“I told you to stay upstairs! Why are you coming down? Careful, slow down—watch your step, don’t bump into anything. Xiao Qi, watch the front! Thirteen, support him—ugh, really!”
He grumbled nonstop, but still darted up a few steps, gently taking Changning’s arm and walking backward in front of him.
“Take it easy. Watch your feet. Don’t rush. Be careful of your belly—don’t bump anything!”

He Changning rolled his eyes. “Nag, nag, nag.”

“I’m nagging? Fine, I’ll shut up. Just be careful!”

Under Shang Yushang’s flurry of anxious warnings, Changning made his way down, step by careful step.

Gu Cheng didn’t hesitate this time. While Shang Yushang rushed up the stairs, he had waited near the bottom. Once Changning was within reach, he instinctively moved to support his other arm, walking by his side and matching Shang Yushang’s mother-hen tone without missing a beat.
“Careful. Slow down. Watch your step.”

It wasn’t until Changning was safely seated on the sofa that the two of them finally shut their mouths.

Shang Yushang averted his gaze, clearly trying to pretend like he hadn’t just thrown his father-in-law under the bus.
What? Me? I didn’t do anything. Honest.

Gu Cheng didn’t dare meet Changning’s eyes either. Guilt weighed heavy in his chest. Even though he’d willingly played the part in Shang Yushang’s scheme, it wasn’t up to Shang Yushang to decide for his son to forgive him. The thought that his son might reject him—or worse, kick him out—was giving him serious anxiety.

Ai Yin, with his big sky-blue eyes, was no longer interested in his boss’s inner turmoil. His burning gaze was locked onto Changning’s belly—big enough to be alarming—and it was practically drilling a hole through it, trying to peer at the two mysterious lives inside.

Xiao Wu frowned. Damn foreigner. What was he staring at Ning Shao’s stomach for like that? Was he drooling?! Xiao Wu subtly shifted to block his view.

Ai Yin, his line of sight blocked, casually shuffled his feet, found a new angle, and kept staring at Changning’s belly like it was the eighth wonder of the world.

Xiao Wu silently followed suit, shifting again to block him. The battle of the body shields began.

So the living room presented a strange sight: one person kept shifting positions while craning his neck to look, endlessly curious; the other kept moving to block him, like a human wall.

The others who had followed them in were completely distracted by this bizarre back-and-forth. They forgot all about the tension between their hosts and just watched the two with amused, barely-contained laughter.

Shang Yushang had already started feeling irritated the moment Ayin locked his gaze on his wife. Fortunately, Xiao Wu was fiercely protective and kept positioning himself between Ayin and his target. Shang Yushang didn’t bother interfering with their ridiculous performance—his mind was occupied with figuring out how to get his wife to accept shares in ZK.

He Changning took a sip of milk, ignoring the weird atmosphere in the room. His eyes carried a calm warmth, though deep down, he was a bit nervous—it was his first time meeting his biological father. Still, seeing how even more nervous Gu Cheng looked, he found himself surprisingly relaxed.

Looking at Gu Cheng’s conflicted expression, He Changning was the first to speak. “You… don’t have anything to say?”

The moment Gu Cheng heard his son’s question, his nerves shot through the roof, and his face turned noticeably pale. “I… I…”

He Changning waited patiently, noticing the man’s sickly complexion. With a silent sigh, he rubbed his temples. The resentment he’d once felt—raw, heavy, and bitter—now felt like trying to punch a cloud: pointless and unsatisfying. Forget it. The man was old, and had been lonely for so long. What was the point of holding on to past grievances?

Shang Yushang, though his gaze had wandered, never stopped paying attention to his wife. The moment he saw He Changning rubbing his forehead, he immediately reached out to take his hand. “What’s wrong? Do you feel unwell?” The concern in his eyes was plain as day.

He Changning shook his head. “I’m fine.” Then he looked over at Gu Cheng, who’d been watching him silently. “You really have nothing you want to say?”

His son’s gentle eyes were encouraging, and Gu Cheng’s heart melted. His eyes turned glassy. “Changning… can you forgive me?”

His eyes held cautious hope, along with emotions that were hard to name. He Changning sighed again, not answering directly. Instead, he asked, “You visited my mother’s grave every year on her death anniversary, didn’t you?”

Gu Cheng’s heart clenched painfully, his voice catching in his throat. “Yes.”