Chapter 2
The now middle-aged dean was still surprisingly quick on his feet, thanks to ten years of cardio chasing delinquents around the school’s woods.
Armed with his trusty little flashlight, his accuracy was unparalleled.
As expected, the Bald Eagle chased them out of the café—White Hair followed behind, calling out:
“Ah Huai! You coming back for dinner tonight?”
Xie Huai, still running, raised an OK sign over his shoulder—calm and unfazed.
The dean kept shouting as he chased after them:
“Kid, drop the knife and embrace the light! Don’t let Xie Huai corrupt you! I don’t recognize your face—must be your first time. If you come quietly, it’s just a warning and a reflection letter. But if I catch you running, that’s a whole different story!”
Xie Huai felt the boy behind him start to slow down, seemingly buying into the Bald Eagle’s persuasive act. He turned his head and called out:
“Don’t believe him! If you stop, you’ll definitely get punished. We just need to make it one block over—we’ll be safe. Less than a thousand meters. Hang in there!”
“I was trying to say—”
But a massive truck whooshing by drowned out Qi Xu’s voice.
That big hand clamped around his wrist like a branding iron—unshakable.
Left with no choice, Qi Xu kept running with Xie Huai.
After crossing to the next street, they finally lost the Bald Eagle. The older man’s stamina just couldn’t compete with the younger boys.
Panting hard, both leaned against a wall.
Qi Xu was sweating through his clothes. He unzipped his school jacket, chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.
It had been a long time since Qi Xu had run like this.
Lately, his days were spent holed up in an office buried under endless paperwork. His body had deteriorated from lack of movement—his immune system too, making him prone to minor illnesses.
But this run… it made his 18-year-old body feel real again.
Though still on the thin side, young Qi Xu had been used to manual labor—he was way stronger and more resilient than his 28-year-old self.
After a short break, he was already recovering.
Xie Huai looked at him—those pink lips slightly parted, panting like a tired puppy—and burst out laughing:
“Damn, freshman. You’re really out of shape. Don’t just bury yourself in books—go exercise once in a while.”
Qi Xu gave him a complicated look:
“You…”
Xie Huai straightened up and walked over, taking off his baseball cap and placing it on Qi Xu’s head.
“No need to thank me. Just call me Lei Feng.”
Qi Xu: “……”
He honestly couldn’t believe this ridiculous teenage version of Xie Huai would someday grow into the composed, strategic man he knew ten years later.
Xie Huai reached out and pressed down on the cap, ruffling Qi Xu’s hair as he said seriously,
“Study hard, aim high, and remember to write about my heroic deeds in your college entrance essay.”
Qi Xu: “……”
Pinned under the cap, he couldn’t even lift his head.
He smacked the hand off his head.
By the time he looked up again, Xie Huai was already striding off, long legs moving with effortless swagger.
A perfect performance of “doing good without leaving a name.”
But he’d left the hat behind.
Qi Xu took it off and glanced at it—turns out it was a designer baseball cap worth four figures.
Back when he was really eighteen, he’d have thought it was just an ordinary cap—and wouldn’t have understood why anyone would drop that kind of money on a hat.
Only once he fully snapped out of it did he realize how hungry he was.
He found a nearby breakfast joint and ordered a bowl of beef noodles.
Once the bowl hit the table, he dug in without hesitation—slurped it all down in just a few minutes.
Still hungry, he ordered a plate of beef potstickers.
Teenagers could really eat. One bowl of noodles only filled him about 60%.
While waiting for the potstickers, Qi Xu pulled the newest iFruit phone out of his pocket.
Shen Zhuohai’s assistant had given it to him the moment they arrived at Qi Family Village.
On the way back to the capital, Qi Xu had used it to talk to Shen Zhuohai, Shen Fengkai, and Zeng Yun—who were all still in Germany.
Now that the college entrance exam was over, the Shen family had taken Shen Zeyu on a celebratory trip abroad.
The task of finding their lost son had been entirely handed over to a personal assistant.
That phone call had been a week ago.
By now, they should be back.
Qi Xu downloaded WeChat on his phone and registered an account.
He instinctively opened his Moments feed—only to find it completely empty. Not a single friend.
He never had many before.
His gloomy personality, his single-minded focus on studying in college, and his minimal interaction with roommates had left him a loner for four years.
After graduation, he threw himself into work.
His WeChat was mostly filled with clients and business partners. Late at night, he’d habitually open Moments to peek at other people’s lives—and often scroll through Shen Zeyu’s vibrant updates.
He could barely remember what Shen Zeyu had posted, but one line from a caption stuck with him:
“The world is so big. My family tells me to go see more of it.”
At the time, the thought of exploring had flickered briefly in his mind—then was quickly suppressed.
Now, looking back, Shen’s small corner of the world seemed insignificant in the vastness beyond.
The unfair treatment burned inside him like a raging fire—anger and frustration with no outlet.
Surpassing Shen Zeyu had become his obsession.
In the end, that’s exactly what happened.
He became Vice President of the Shen Corporation, wielding power and wealth.
But what did it matter? His own parents called him a schemer, and he was estranged from his older brother.
His life was branded with the Shen name—manipulated by society, thrown off course, crashing into an iceberg, suffering a fate worse than death.
The beef potstickers arrived, and Qi Xu put away his phone to focus on breakfast.
After eating, he took off his school uniform and tossed it aside, then skillfully boarded a bus back to the Shen mansion.
The security guards at the estate gate recognized him and quickly let him through.
With everything that had happened, the servants whispered among themselves—rumors impossible to keep quiet.
The estate shuttle drove smoothly along, and Qi Xu sat in the backseat, watching the scenery with interest.
He had never really looked at the estate before.
Every time he came back to the Shen mansion, it felt like going to battle—he had no mind for anything else.
Walking up to the villa entrance, the servants were busy watering flowers and cleaning the front yard.
Someone noticed Qi Xu’s return and greeted him half-heartedly:
“Young Master Qi Xu.”
Eighteen-year-old Qi Xu flinched at the “Young Master” title and nervously asked them not to call him that.
What he called humility came across to the servants as insecurity.
The “real” young masters were timid, while the “fake” ones were confident and calm.
Qi Xu ignored them and walked straight into the villa.
The servants exchanged glances, wondering why he was different from a few days ago.
Qi Xu stopped but didn’t look back at them:
“Don’t knock on my door for lunch.”
The servants hesitated, then he turned and gave them a brief, weighty look—like it landed with actual force.
Stammering, one finally replied:
“Yes, Young Master Qi Xu.”
Qi Xu went to his room and took a hot shower.
He changed into pajamas, adjusted the air conditioning to a comfortable temperature, and closed the blackout curtains, dimming the room.
Lying on the bed, he settled into a sleeping position and turned his head to the left—his neck no longer hurt.
That morning’s run had somehow cured his crooked neck.
The teenage fool was still a master healer in disguise.
Qi Xu tugged the corner of his mouth and closed his eyes as sleep crept in.
The late nights from his past life had followed him into this one.
On the first day after being reborn, Qi Xu slept deeply from 9 a.m. all the way to 7 p.m., without waking once.
It wasn’t until he heard noisy voices downstairs that he groggily opened his eyes, staring blankly into the dark room.
Waking up from a long sleep, he wasn’t in heaven—he was still in the world at eighteen years old.
Qi Xu thought maybe the heavens took pity on him for never having done anything truly wrong in his life and had granted him an 18-year-old “day pass” as a parting gift.
But to truly start over, how much virtue would he need to repay?
Slipping on his slippers, Qi Xu padded downstairs amid the laughter and chatter.
The family of four was happily gathered together. Shen Zeyu sat between Mr. and Mrs. Shen, while Shen Fengkai lounged on a single armchair, gazing at Shen Zeyu with fondness.
“I brought a gift for Ah Huai,” Shen Zeyu said, “but I don’t know if he’ll like it.”
Eighteen-year-old Shen Zeyu wore a white long shirt with a black V-neck vest over it—young, bright, and radiating a natural nobility, just stepping into adulthood.
Shen Fengkai said, “You two grew up together. You know what he likes best. On your 18th birthday, you gave him the car model you designed and built yourself. Didn’t he put it in the most prominent spot in his room?”
Shen Zeyu looked down, a wistful sadness in his eyes. “But it’s different now. Nobody will like me anymore.”
When Shen Zeyu found out he wasn’t really a Shen by blood, he was surfing at the beach. He had had a great time that morning, but the news hit him hard that evening. He spent the night blowing in the wind and woke up with a high fever the next day.
The family took turns caring for him. Feverish and fragile, Shen Zeyu was helpless, crying out in his nightmares, “Dad, Mom, Brother, don’t leave me. I’m Zeyu. Do you not want me anymore?”
The child they’d raised since birth—the pride of the family—had always been confident and ambitious. They’d never seen him like this. The three adults couldn’t bear to see his tears.
Their biological son was waiting for them elsewhere, but here was the boy they’d raised for 18 years.
Shen Fengkai said this college entrance exam trip was a promise made to Zeyu and also a rare family vacation. For this week, they would spend all their time with Zeyu. As for Qi Xu, he had sent Chen’s assistant to pick him up.
During the entire week abroad, the Shens never mentioned Qi Xu once in front of Shen Zeyu—it was as if the whole “switched child” situation had never happened.
Zeng Yun couldn’t stand to hear Shen Zeyu speak so differently and hugged his shoulder, tears welling up in her eyes. “You will always be Mom’s child. We will always be a family.”
Shen Zhuohai, feigning sternness, said, “Don’t talk about leaving the Shen family anymore. That hurts your mother’s heart. That place has nothing to do with you.”
When Shen Zeyu thought of the village he saw in videos—how poor and backward it was—he shuddered unconsciously at the memory of the middle-aged man with yellow teeth and foul mouth who lived there.
“But the blood running through my veins isn’t yours—it’s dirty.”
Back home, Shen Zeyu increasingly felt he didn’t belong there. The servants no longer called him “Young Master Xiao,” but “Young Master Zeyu.”
“They all say I stole everything from someone else, took over their life, and have been living here like a parasite for 18 years.”
Shen Fengkai comforted Shen Zeyu a few times before scolding the servants: “If I find anyone in this house saying such things again, they can pick up their dismissal letter from the steward.”
The servants dared not discuss their masters’ affairs and only murmured about Qi Xu, the newly returned young master who was still quiet and well-behaved. They lowered their heads in response.
Qi Xu stood at the stairway, calm and unmoved as he watched it all unfold.
In his previous life, after returning to the Shen family, he had hoped to meet his biological parents. When he learned they were abroad with Shen Zeyu and hadn’t come back, his eyes turned cold. Could it be that Shen Zeyu was more important to them than their own flesh and blood?
When the family of four returned home, Shen Zeyu immediately saw Qi Xu, his eyes red, grabbed his luggage, and insisted on leaving.
Everyone tried to stop him, to persuade him—they focused all their attention on Shen Zeyu.
At that moment, Qi Xu’s pent-up resentment exploded.
“He was never the real son of this family. Why does everyone want to keep him? Why not send him back to Qi Jia Village to live with Qi Guohui?”
His parents’ faces were filled with disappointment. Shen Fengkai’s expression darkened, and he angrily scolded Qi Xu. From the moment they met again, their relationship was destined to remain fractured.
“Excuse me,” Qi Xu interrupted the seemingly perfect family moment.
Everyone turned toward the source of the voice, surprised by Qi Xu’s sudden appearance.
Shen Zeyu shrank back nervously next to Zeng Yun, who gently patted his hand in comfort. Shen Fengkai stood up and blocked the way between the parents and younger brother.
Anyone unaware would have thought Qi Xu was some wild beast about to harm Shen Zeyu.
Qi Xu continued, “When can we eat?”
The Shen family seemed taken aback, silently staring at Qi Xu. Finally, a servant spoke up, saying that dinner was already prepared.
There was no joyful reunion of blood relatives, no warmth of a family gathering.
Around them hovered only helplessness, discomfort, and awkwardness—far from a family. To Qi Xu, it felt more like he was just a guest staying over.
In pajamas, Qi Xu shuffled into the dining room, opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, and drank more than half in one gulp. Turning around, he found the family of four still watching him.
Qi Xu raised a hand calmly and said, “You guys carry on.”
To the Shens, Qi Xu’s actions were a form of protest, a silent accusation—why was he left alone at home for a whole week? Why did they spend all their time with that boy, Shen Zeyu, who wasn’t even related by blood?
A freshly adult teenager, venting his resentment, all his actions were so immature.
Shen Fengkai frowned at Qi Xu, then glanced at his parents. Qi Xu’s attitude wasn’t what they expected—it was too calm. The parents didn’t know how to face him and looked full of guilt, clearly being played by Qi Xu’s little performance.
“Qi Xu,” Shen Fengkai, as the eldest son, stepped up to take control, “when meeting your elders for the first time, don’t you greet them?”
Qi Xu tilted his head, then mechanically greeted one by one, “Dad, Mom, Big Brother.”
He slowly looked at Shen Zeyu and smiled at him, “Little brother.”
At that moment, Shen Zeyu’s heart twisted painfully. Even without a paternity test, Qi Xu’s appearance clearly marked him as a Shen family member—his features resembled their mother’s, with amber eyes often praised by their father as beautiful.
That boy was the real young master of the Shen family. He was the imposter. He was about to lose everything he had and be sent back to that backward, remote mountain village.
Suddenly, Shen Zeyu stood up and shouted at Qi Xu, “Don’t worry, I won’t take your things. You don’t have to take it out on Mom and Dad. I’ll leave here right now.”
The same scene as the previous life repeated: the Shen couple didn’t even say a word to Qi Xu and hurriedly blocked Shen Zeyu.
“It’s so late—where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m going to stay at Ah Huai’s place. Aunt Qin said the Xie family will always keep a room for me.”
“Let him go—where do you think he’ll actually get to?”
“What are you saying, Old Shen? Your son was really sick not long ago. What if he faints again?”
Qi Xu casually sat down on a dining chair, leaned back, picked up an apple from the table, and started eating while watching this family drama unfold with a predetermined ending.
“Little brother, finish your meal before you go,” someone said.
Shen Zeyu was silent, head hanging low, not touching a single bite.
Finally, Shen Fengkai took action, holding Shen Zeyu in his arms. Shen Zeyu struggled, punching and kicking, but eventually tired out. The Shen couple calmed down.
Fifteen minutes later, the five of them sat together in the dining room.
The Shen couple was physically and mentally exhausted, with no appetite, but since this was the first time all five of them gathered together, they had to keep up appearances.
“Xiao Xu, you must be hungry—eat more.”
Shen Zeyu was still sulking, refusing to eat.
Shen Fengkai drank a few sips of wine, staying silent.
Qi Xu obediently focused on eating, finishing roasted chicken leg, then roast duck, even putting on gloves to dig into king crab. His plate of bones was replaced again and again.
