Actually, the phrase “swapping the prince with a raccoon dog” would have been a more fitting metaphor for the Shen family’s whole drama. But since the paper wasn’t big enough, they had to settle for a close alternative—fortunately, there’s more than one idiom that carries a similar meaning.
Not far away, Shen Zhuohai’s face darkened as he stared daggers at Qi Xu, giving off the unmistakable feeling of a brewing storm about to shake the entire house.
Shen Fengkai looked at Qi Xu with a strange new sense of respect, finally understanding what Grandpa meant when he said this younger brother reminded him a lot of himself.
Meanwhile, Zeng Yun looked shocked by what Qi Xu had done, barely able to believe the actions of her own biological son as she was supported by others.
As for Shen Zeyu, he was frozen in place, unable to move—he had been expecting Qi Xu to embarrass himself, but now these four characters spelled out a scandal that was about to break the Shen family’s reputation wide open.
Even his status as a mere adopted son of the Shen family suddenly seemed shaky and illegitimate.
Guests started whispering with curiosity.
“What do those four characters mean?”
“Is there some hidden secret about the real and fake heirs of the Shen family we don’t know?”
“I doubt it means anything serious. This is a gathering of high society—surely Qi Xu wouldn’t be so reckless, after all, he is family.”
“But there are rumors going around that the two Shen kids were switched at birth, not just mixed up. One of them has suffered for 18 years.”
“Isn’t Shen Zhuohai having the two kids come up on stage today just a way to cover that up?”
“That’s just too cruel for the Shen family.”
Voices buzzed in all directions, every word clearly reaching the ears of the Shen family members.
Shen Zhuohai, scowling, barked,
“Get that unfilial son off the stage immediately. Don’t let him embarrass us any further.”
Shen Fengkai and his bodyguards had just approached when reporters swarmed the entrance, flashing their cameras in a frenzy.
The original schedule had planned for media interviews at this time—but the surprise gift-exchange segment threw everything off, leaving no time for proper arrangements.
The scene quickly descended into chaos. The Shen family had paid off every reporter present, and by rights, a photo of the five family members should have been the headline tomorrow.
The bodyguards tried to block the flood of reporters, but with too many in the crowd, several managed to rush onto the stage and immediately started grilling Shen Zeyu.
“Mr. Shen Zeyu, your biological father Qi Guohui has been detained 28 times for civil offenses and numerous times for causing trouble. How do you feel having lived in that environment for 18 years?”
“Mr. Shen Zeyu, you once said on social media you would honor both sets of elders. If Qi Guohui were to look for you, would you abandon everything the Shen family gave you and return to Qi family village?”
“Mr. Shen Zeyu, have you ever considered how the life you enjoyed 18 years ago compares to the daily fear others live with…”
Countless microphones were shoved in front of Shen Zeyu’s face, threatening to overwhelm him. His mind went blank. He had always been the pampered young master of the Shen family—never before faced with such harsh questioning.
Instinctively, he looked toward Qi Xu and saw him being escorted out of the banquet hall by personal bodyguards, Xie Huai trailing closely behind.
Shen Zhuohai and Zeng Yun were also surrounded by layers of people. The media presence far exceeded the Shen family’s invitations—most had come uninvited, attracted by the unfolding scandal.
The champagne tower was toppled, and the expensive champagne poured down like a landslide, crashing loudly in the vast banquet hall.
In an instant, the once glittering party turned into a muddy mess. The beautiful dream the Shen family had woven shattered completely.
Qi Xu didn’t care about the aftermath of the banquet. He climbed into the passenger seat of Xu Yichen’s convertible—a flashy car whose roaring engine turned heads all along the road.
“Young Master Xu, aren’t you afraid someone will report you for noise disturbance?” Qi Xu rested his head on one hand, feeling the buzzing roar invade his mind.
Xu Yichen was a pro at street-racing noise: “It’s not disturbing if it’s before ten o’clock. Young Master Qi, with so many people watching you, don’t tell me you’re shy?”
In his previous life, Qi Xu had never participated in this kind of rich-kid street racing. It had seemed a bit pretentious. Now that he was actually in the driver’s seat, no wonder it felt so good.
“Yeah, I’ve never felt this cool before. Thanks for bringing me along, Young Master Xu,” Qi Xu smiled.
Xu Yichen glanced at Qi Xu. His once perfectly styled hair was now a messy bird’s nest blown by the wind. Strangely, it looked kind of ruggedly handsome. Xu thought this look was better than the old hairstyle anyway.
Qi Xu was never meant to be confined; he was meant to be free. Xu Yichen once told Xie Huai that sometimes Qi Xu was like a veil of mist—hard to see through.
How did Xie Huai reply? Not good or bad, just being himself.
From the banquet’s events, it was clear the Shen family didn’t see Qi Xu as a person—just a tool for profit, even though he shared the same blood as them.
“I want to apologize first—what I’m about to say might offend you. Feel free to curse me if you want, but I need to say it.”
Qi Xu nodded, “Go ahead.”
“Shen Zeyu’s dad, mom, brother—his whole family aren’t really human. You know you’re not switched at birth and you suffered under your foster parents. So why don’t you put your foster father behind bars? Why let them paint a perfect 18 years of your life? They’re so selfish.”
Qi Xu commented after hearing Xu Yichen’s words, “Take back that apology. You didn’t offend me at all.”
Xu Yichen said, “Well, they’re not your biological parents. I’m close with my folks, so it feels a little awkward.”
“Want me to answer your question?” Qi Xu said slowly. “They say it was a mix-up at birth instead of a deliberate switch because the word ‘mix-up’ wouldn’t shake Shen Corporation’s stock market. Biological son or not, he can’t compare to the family empire. If I told the truth about my life, that would damage the Shen couple’s reputation even more. Their biological son living badly while they raise someone else so well—they’d get blamed. Those in power never admit their mistakes.”
Xu Yichen hesitated, then asked, “What about you? Do you feel it’s unfair?”
Unfair? Once, Qi Xu would have said yes, trying to find balance.
Now? He just didn’t want to keep playing the Shen family’s game.
“No. I have my own scale in my heart to measure things. The Shen family will never appear on my balance.”
Xu Yichen slowed the car and chatted with Qi Xu. Suddenly, a Jeep sped past and honked provocatively.
He closed the convertible top, annoyed. “Is Ah Huai provoking me? Fine, that just lit my fire.”
Just as he was about to speed up and catch the Jeep, Qi Xu stopped him. “Young Master Xu, safety first. There’s a crowd ahead and you’ve got fireworks in the car. I don’t want to light them off in public.”
If something went wrong, those fireworks could blow their car to bits.
So Xu Yichen’s sports car stayed behind the Jeep, feeling frustrated but unable to catch up—only passing after the camping area.
The campsite owner was Xu Yichen’s cousin. They had watched sunsets here before school started.
Zhang Qi said, “We saved you the same spot as last time. It’s a busy weekend; I’ll help out if they’re short-staffed.”
Xu Yichen replied, “Go ahead, bro. We won’t hold back.”
They playfully slapped each other on the arm and stopped the teasing.
Qi Xu took off his suit jacket, loosened his tie with one hand, and tossed them into the car. Out of sight, out of mind—the custom suit now looked wrinkled and ugly.
Ink had dripped on his hand while writing earlier, staining his thumb black. After telling Jiang Zimu, Qi Xu headed to the public restroom to wash up.
A few men smoked by the door, the faint haze mingling with their discussion of the city’s breaking news that had just gone viral online.
“Man, it’s been a wild night. The Shen family’s real and fake heirs are in trouble again.”
“Wasn’t that scandal already exposed? The whole mix-up story—guess the drama’s old news.”
“The earlier reports said the real heir’s foster father treated him well, but that’s not true. That guy’s a scumbag—a criminal. Honestly, I don’t know how the real heir survived eighteen years under him without going off the rails. If he’s made it through without falling apart, that’s something. I even heard he got into Q University.”
“The fake heir said he’d go back, right? Let him try now.”
“Real or fake, let me see.”
“Watch—he’s topping the city’s trending charts right now.”
Qi Xu listened with interest to their conversation while washing his hands. The person they were talking about was right here, quietly enjoying the show.
When Xie Huai came over, Qi Xu was holding a cigarette, blending in with a group of strangers.
“Bro, tell me, what’s the deal with this? Would you rather be the fake or the real one?”
“That’s a no-brainer—it’s gotta be the real one. That’s a wealthy family, with a lifetime of food and shelter. The head of the family is legit, no question.”
“I don’t think being the real heir is all that great. Take a walk in high society for a day—everyone’s got a mouth to feed, and one wrong word and you’re drowned out.”
Qi Xu didn’t join their debate; he just said, “Got a light?”
Someone handed him a lighter, but just as he reached for it, another grabbed it away.
Xie Huai appeared quietly, giving the lighter back to its owner. “Sorry, a bunch of younger brothers and sisters are waiting with their mouths open for him to feed them. I’ll take him away first.”
Qi Xu was confused but let Xie Huai lead him out of the circle.
“When did I suddenly get so many little brothers and sisters?” Qi Xu asked, a cigarette still between his fingers.
Xie Huai stopped and turned to look at him—an exchange of silent looks.
Qi Xu felt annoyed by that look—hard to describe but somehow it scratched at his heart, faint but persistent.
Was he resisting the feeling?
No. That was the problem—he wasn’t resisting, and that’s why it bothered him. If it were anyone else, he would’ve punched them already.
Qi Xu frowned slightly and tried to step past Xie Huai to head back to the campsite.
But in the next moment, Xie Huai suddenly bent down. Qi Xu instinctively stepped back, but Xie Huai grabbed his wrist, not letting him pull away.
When Qi Xu stopped resisting, Xie Huai’s fingers slowly slid down and finally took the cigarette from between Qi Xu’s fingers.
“Smoking unknown cigarettes, huh?” Xie Huai said.
“I don’t refuse overly enthusiastic offers. Besides, he doesn’t even know who I am. What’s the worst that could happen?” Qi Xu said casually.
Xie Huai didn’t press further and switched to a more personal topic—though whether Qi Xu wanted to talk was another story.
“Xu Yichen said you’re in a bad mood. How bad?”
Qi Xu laughed. “Who asks that? Now I’ll ask you: you’re in a great mood today—how great?”
Who really knows how bad their mood is?
Xie Huai’s reply was unusual: “How do you know I’m in a good mood?”
Qi Xu was left speechless. “…”
He took a step forward decisively, stopping just a few centimeters from Xie Huai, meeting his gaze head-on.
In their eyes, there was only each other—unlike that time in the dream, which was just an illusion, fleeting like smoke.
This narrow path led to the terrace, and the campsite owner had announced that the terrace was booked for the night, so no one was passing through.
The path to the public restroom was nearby, and occasionally someone would notice the two standing so close together.
But no one paid it much mind—they just assumed they were a couple.
Tonight, the star of the city-wide scandalous banquet was standing here at a suburban campsite, far from the flashing cameras, just an ordinary person chatting casually about gossip.
Meanwhile, Xie Huai—the young master supported by many powerful families—was now disheveled, holding a cheap cigarette he’d swiped from someone else, with no trace of gentlemanly grace.
Who would believe that these two people, who could never really get along, could talk so calmly and casually about their moods?
Footsteps clattered nearby—someone was coming down from the terrace.
Qi Xu seemed to fully accept reality—and the fact that another person was now standing beside him—and exhaled deeply.
“Huai, ease up on that smirk, you’re about to catch fish,” he teased.
Just then, Jiang Zimu jogged over. “Xu-ge? Huai-ge? What are you guys doing standing here? We’re all waiting for you to set off the fireworks.”
Qi Xu sidestepped past a stunned Xie Huai and followed Jiang Zimu.
“Huai-ge is holding a cigarette—is he smoking again?” Jiang Zimu asked.
Qi Xu replied with a puzzled “Huh?”
Jiang Zimu explained honestly, “He used to smoke for a little while. I heard from Chen-ge that Huai-ge’s parents wanted him to study abroad, but they agreed that he’d finish college here first, then go overseas.”
In his previous life, Xie Huai did go abroad after college, but Qi Xu never expected this guy to lecture him about smoking—especially since in this life, he hadn’t touched a cigarette yet.
Xie Huai followed behind, so Jiang Zimu and Qi Xu dropped the topic.
The terrace was already set up with fireworks. When Xu Yichen saw the two finally arrive, he started complaining, “Ah Huai went to find someone and hasn’t come back for ages—I thought you two ran off together.”
Qi Xu rolled his eyes. “I’m paying. Hurry up and get him to study Chinese.”
Xie Huai said, “Give me the money—I’ll teach him.”
Qi Xu glanced at him. “You’ve got some nerve taking money from me. After today, I’m probably broke.”
Even if Qi Guohui’s news hadn’t leaked by him, just those four words he dropped at the banquet would have the Shen family eating him alive.
Xie Huai said mysteriously, “Maybe not.”
The two of them continued chatting as if no one else was around. Xu Yichen draped an arm over Qi Xu’s shoulder and led him to the fireworks.
“Light it up.”
Qi Xu picked up the lighter nearby and ignited the fuse. Fang Qian and Jiang Zimu had already pulled out their phones.
With a bang, the first firework exploded in the sky, drawing awe from everyone at the campsite.
Qi Xu looked up and realized the fireworks were even more brilliant than the lights at tonight’s banquet.
The colorful lights reflected off his unusually obedient face. If you ignored his actions, Qi Xu really did look like a well-behaved kid.
The kind of well-behaved that makes you want to ruffle his hair.
Qi Xu turned and caught Xie Huai looking at him instead of the fireworks. Suddenly, he remembered something.
“Why didn’t you release the news about me breaking Qi Guohui’s hand two years ago? That would’ve been more convincing.”
He had just seen the news Xie Huai posted—only crimes committed by Qi Guohui personally, no mention of Qi Xu, and no hint of domestic abuse.
The first box of fireworks finished, and the sudden silence felt hard to get used to.
Xu Yichen ran off to light the second box and persuaded Fang Qian to join. The three of them started joking around.
Xie Huai shifted his gaze from those beautiful eyes to the dark night beyond the terrace, lost in thought.
Just when Qi Xu thought he wouldn’t get an answer, the fuse was lit, and a familiar voice sounded:
“I don’t want your scars to become everyone’s topic. Even after they scab over, if you keep picking at them, they’ll still hurt.”
For some reason, Qi Xu felt a twinge of heartache in those words, but as the fireworks exploded and the wind scattered the smoke, it slipped away, impossible to hold onto.
