Whether Shen Zeyu believed it or not, Qi Xu had no other explanation. Might as well see if Didi could really get you a Rolls-Royce.
Zeng Yun quietly watched Qi Xu for a long moment at the door, seemingly unable to figure out why he came out of the Xie family’s car.
As Qi Xu passed her, Zeng Yun finally spoke, “Xiao Xu, why didn’t you come back with Zeyu last night? Staying a night at the Fang family must have troubled your hosts.”
Last night, Shen Fengkai had hurriedly taken Shen Zeyu back home. Zeng Yun and Shen Zhuohai had been waiting there. When the youngest son got home, he clung to her and cried, complaining about Qi Xu’s behavior.
Zeng Yun comforted the little boy and looked at Shen Fengkai, who just shook his head without saying a word.
“Where’s Xiao Xu?”
For some unknown reason, this name sounded threatening, and Shen Zeyu trembled as he said, “After showing off at the birthday party, he didn’t want to come home. Now the whole circle knows the name Qi Xu.”
The Shen family wasn’t surprised—what they had feared had come true. Qi Xu had caused trouble at the Fang family’s birthday party.
Qi Xu said, “The Fang family invited me to stay. How is that bothering anyone?”
He casually glanced at Shen Zeyu but didn’t continue. Instead, he let out a light chuckle.
Shen Zeyu recalled how scared he was when Song Ruoming got beaten, still vividly remembering the feeling of cake being shoved onto him, along with the mocking laughter around him. He had completely lost face in their social circle.
Shen Zeyu stormed into the house angrily. Zeng Yun hurried after him but stopped a few steps later and turned to Qi Xu, saying, “Xiao Xu, maybe you’re blaming Zeyu unfairly. He said last night’s incident had nothing to do with him.”
Earlier that morning, the Fang family had called to report what happened: At the birthday banquet, Song Ruoming, the second young master of the Song family, made some reckless jokes that escalated into a physical conflict with Qi Xu. It was considered childish horseplay.
Qi Xu said flatly, “It’s not unfair blame. He deserved it.”
After that, he went inside on his own, intending to return to his room and light the incense stick he had missed earlier that day.
The living room was quite full. Shen Zhuohai and Shen Fengkai hadn’t gone to work. If you didn’t know better, you’d think the father and son were happy to welcome him home.
“Stop right there.” The family head, Shen Zhuohai, suddenly asserted his authority. “Did you hit Song Ruoming last night?”
Qi Xu owned up without hesitation. “Yeah, I did.”
“Did you also push him into the pool?”
Qi Xu nodded. “Yeah, I pushed him.”
Seeing Qi Xu’s fearless attitude enraged Shen Zhuohai. He’d heard Song Ruoming was rushed to the hospital last night. Small scuffles were one thing, but his son was undisciplined, raised in Qi’s village with a bad habit of causing trouble. Physically fighting was simply wrong.
“You’re going with me to the hospital to apologize to the Song family.”
Qi Xu laughed.
Shen Zhuohai’s face darkened. “You hit someone and still don’t regret it?”
“Can’t change it,” Qi Xu said clearly. “And I don’t want to.”
Shen Zhuohai was so angry he was gasping for breath, while Zeng Yun gently patted his back to soothe him.
Shen Fengkai frowned. “Why are you talking to Dad like that?”
Reminded, Qi Xu switched to a polite tone: “Don’t rush, your health is your own. If you get sick, I’m not responsible.”
This only made Shen Zhuohai angrier. His face flushed deep red, like a raw liver.
Shen Fengkai knew the details of last night’s incident better than Shen Zhuohai since he personally picked them up from the Fang family.
When he heard Qi Xu had fought at the birthday banquet, he thought, “Of course it was this brother’s doing,” especially since he had attacked his foster father years ago.
But when he heard Song Ruoming had framed Qi Xu, accusing him of peeping, it made sense why Qi Xu hit him.
He wasn’t clueless. Song Ruoming was close to Shen Zeyu, so this couldn’t be unrelated to him.
But Shen Zeyu had grown up under his watch. He wasn’t inherently bad—just a little spoiled, a little tricky, which was normal.
As for Qi Xu, catching the trick at the scene was smart. The Shen family hadn’t lost out, but he shouldn’t have used his fists or embarrassed Song Ruoming in front of so many people. It made things awkward for both families going forward.
Shen Fengkai deliberately stayed quiet and didn’t defend Qi Xu, hoping to temper the wild spirit of this unruly kid.
As the eldest brother, he had a responsibility to educate his younger brother. If Qi Xu softened up and listened, this whole thing could be dropped.
Zeng Yun spoke softly, “Old Shen, let it go. Kids will be kids. As long as Xiao Xu’s not hurt, that’s what matters.”
Shen Zeyu was still making snide remarks. “He’s not hurt, but Song Ruoming is disfigured—blood all over his face.”
Zeng Yun paled, clearly surprised by how serious it was.
Qi Xu stretched out the words, “What? You want to try it too? Next time I’ll swap the cake for a brick.”
Shen Zhuohai was about to speak again, but Shen Fengkai frowned and scolded, “Zeyu, you shouldn’t be making snide remarks about last night. If Qi Xu was framed, all the rumors will fall on our Shen family.”
“Bro!” Shen Zeyu got angry, then upset. “What does it have to do with me? It wasn’t me—it was Song Ruoming acting on his own.”
Only then did Shen Zhuohai and Zeng Yun ask about the full story from last night. After learning what Song Ruoming had done, Shen Zhuohai, head of the family, still kept a stern face.
Zeng Yun’s gaze toward Qi Xu grew more guilty.
This kid said nothing, had been back for over half a month, but still acted like a stranger to her—answering only when asked and otherwise silent.
“Xiao Xu, why don’t you say anything? Do you think we won’t stand by you?”
For some unknown reason, Shen Fengkai also grew unhappy. “Do you even consider us family?”
Damn, how did this melodrama end up happening to him?
Even forgetting Zeng Yun, his past self never would’ve heard such awful words from Shen Fengkai about whether or not he was family.
Goosebumps were rising all over.
Qi Xu shrugged casually, “If that’s what you think, then there’s nothing I can do about it.”
He ignored them and walked toward his room. After he climbed the stairs, the sounds of Shen Zeyu softening his tone and acting coy to Zeng Yun, along with Shen Fengkai patiently lecturing, drifted up.
Maybe because Qi Xu was defying their authority and challenging the head of the family, the very next day he was told to pack his things and go stay at the Shen family’s old mansion for a few days—a move that felt more like being sent off to the frontier.
Surprisingly, Qi Xu didn’t mind this decision at all. Leaving the Shen family meant peace and quiet. He wouldn’t have to deal with everyone here pretending to be a perfect family anymore—motherly love, filial piety, brotherly friendship.
Not knowing how long the exile would last, Qi Xu packed his college stuff and left after about a month.
Seeing Qi Xu dragging a large suitcase downstairs, Shen Fengkai felt a stab of frustration. “Why do you need such a big suitcase? You’re just staying for a few days.”
Qi Xu didn’t bother answering, handing the suitcase to the driver.
Zeng Yun reminded Qi Xu a few times, telling him to call Grandpa “Grandpa” once he arrived, and to obey him no matter what.
Qi Xu nodded and got into the car without a trace of reluctance for this family.
If he had to admit to missing anything here, it was the massage bathtub in his bedroom—that was pretty nice.
Watching the car drive off, Zeng Yun worriedly said to her husband, “Old Shen, Xiao Xu’s a bit wild, but sending him to the old man for discipline seems harsh. The kid’s only lived here half a month, and I haven’t even had a proper talk with him.”
Shen Zhuohai replied, “I wouldn’t dare send him off on my own. It was Grandpa who asked Uncle Li to contact me and have Qi Xu stay with him for a few days.”
Zeng Yun was stunned. “Grandpa misses his grandson? Why didn’t he call Zeyu along too?”
Qi Xu, riding in the car, didn’t know the reason behind going to the old mansion. Thinking about it, something similar had happened in his previous life—after being framed by Song Ruoming, he was sent to the old mansion.
Back then, he was rebellious and even more unmanageable than now. He sneered at Shen Zhuohai’s suggestion and staged a runaway act, only showing up when college started.
At 28, Qi Xu couldn’t help but admire the energy he had at 18.
The Shen family’s old mansion was about an hour’s drive from the main house—not too far, not too close.
Shen patriarch Shen Dehong had three children; Shen Zhuohai was the second son, with an older brother and a younger sister.
Though the company was handed over to Shen Zhuohai, the other two siblings held positions in it, and all their adult descendants received dividends.
The patriarch was traditional at heart—he insisted on keeping at least one grandson nearby to raise until adulthood.
Shen Dehong was a strict man. Shen Fengkai and Shen Zeyu were not close to him. Shen Fengkai was okay since he lived at the old mansion until he was 14, which earned the old man’s respect.
But Shen Zeyu had always tried to use the usual Shen couple’s methods on Grandpa, only to find they didn’t work at all. Every day, he came out of the study crying after practicing calligraphy.
The Shen couple thought the old man’s way of educating wasn’t suitable for Shen Zeyu, so when their youngest son turned six, they moved out of the old mansion.
When Shen Fengkai went to high school, he boarded at school, so he wasn’t exactly under Grandpa’s care until adulthood either.
Since then, Shen Dehong had never shown much favor to Shen Zhuohai, only seeing him during holidays and birthdays.
In Qi Xu’s previous life, he had only seen the old man a few times. Each time, the old man would call him into the study to quietly practice calligraphy. From unwillingness to gradual acceptance, Qi Xu eventually took the initiative to practice calligraphy every time he came back to the old mansion.
Once, when he looked back, he saw the old man with white hair and moist eyes watching him.
That was their last meeting. Six months later, the old man passed away due to illness.
Arriving at the old mansion’s gate, Qi Xu carried his luggage in with ease.
Uncle Li, hearing the wheels on the luggage, came out quickly. Qi Xu greeted him, “Uncle Li.”
Uncle Li was surprised, “Oh, young master, you still remember this old man?”
Qi Xu smiled quietly without replying.
The old patriarch, supported by someone, was brought to the front yard. Qi Xu put down his luggage, met those stern but familiar eyes, and after two seconds, respectfully greeted, “Grandpa.”
Shen Dehong responded with a grunt and turned back inside.
Uncle Li had someone help Qi Xu carry his luggage to the neighboring courtyard, then led him inside the house.
At the tea table, water was boiling—obviously preparing to make tea.
Qi Xu sat across from Shen Dehong, who said, “I heard you stirred up some trouble.”
Qi Xu smiled, not a trace of hostility on him. “If people don’t bother me, I won’t bother them.”
The old man’s cloudy, not-quite-clear eyes showed a hint of approval.
Such a simple truth that even a kid understands—yet Shen Zhuohai and his wife didn’t get it. They just kept blaming him, only because he wasn’t raised by them at their side, forgetting he was their own son.
Earlier, when the old man learned about the “switched child” incident, he couldn’t take the shock and was hospitalized. Then, at the hospital, Shen Zhuohai’s explosive “baby switched” news made his blood pressure spike again, and he ended up staying in the hospital for half a month.
This kid suffered outside, and now he has to suffer at home too. As soon as the old man got out of the hospital, he told Shen Zhuohai to send Qi Xu over to him.
The old man said, “There’s nothing much fun here. I see you brought such a big suitcase—planning to stay a few days?”
Qi Xu hadn’t answered Shen Fengkai’s question earlier, but now he did.
“I’ll stay until the end of this summer,” Qi Xu said, skillfully brewing tea and pouring a cup for the old man. “Grandpa, are you going to kick me out?”
The old man looked at the steam rising from the hot tea and snorted heavily. “You say that, but you young folks can’t really stay still here.”
