The Qin family’s villa was located in an area of Ning City known as Jiangnan Shore.
Jiangnan Shore was a key area in Ning City’s recent development plans. If everything went according to plan, all the core commercial activities would eventually move here, making Jiangnan Shore the most bustling district in Ning City.
As soon as real estate developers got wind of the plans, they quickly constructed numerous residences here.
Some wealthy individuals, having caught wind of the development news, moved in before the area fully developed.
The Qin family was one such household.
In the upper echelons of Ning City, the Qin family wasn’t particularly prominent. They had purchased the villa early to better connect with higher social circles.
However, it was still the early stages of development. While the residences were built, the surrounding infrastructure hadn’t caught up. Apart from the varying heights of residential buildings, there was almost nothing else.
The nearest commercial district was seven to eight kilometers away from Jiangnan Shore.
Due to the lack of facilities, even the buses ran every half hour and were not punctual. Qin Nian waited under the sun for a long time before a bus finally arrived.
The bus took nearly forty minutes to reach the nearest commercial district, seven kilometers away.
There were quite a few barbershops in the area, but some of them, judging by their decor and location, seemed extremely pricey. Qin Nian wasn’t affluent at the moment. His savings, consisting of a few thousand yuan, came from scholarships and grants from school.
He wandered around until he saw a barbershop with a large poster on the window advertising “Wash, Cut, Blow 30” and felt relieved enough to walk in.
His adoptive mother had never given him any living expenses, and he didn’t plan to spend a single penny of the Qin family’s money in the future. So he had to be frugal and quickly find a way to earn money.
It was lunchtime, and the barbershop was empty. A few barbers were eating takeout and didn’t react enthusiastically when Qin Nian walked in. After some back-and-forth, one of them, a barber with a wild hairstyle, stepped forward.
“Getting a haircut?”
The barber, like many others, had a name that was both common and striking — Tony. He was actually one of the better stylists in the shop, usually charging higher fees, but he just had bad luck.
Earlier, a group of them had played rock-paper-scissors to decide who would work during lunch. Out of six people, Tony somehow ended up being the only one to draw scissors while the others all drew rock.
Being pulled away from his meal to cut hair, Tony’s attitude was rather impatient. He slapped the barber chair with a thud.
Qin Nian watched the vibrating chair cushion but didn’t mind. He glanced at the group still eating and said, “I can wait. You should finish your meal first.”
Hearing this, Tony’s expression softened, as if realizing his earlier attitude was a bit off. He scratched his cheek. “No need. It’s too hot to eat anyway.”
Qin Nian nodded slightly. “Just a simple wash, cut, and blow will do.”
Tony led him to the second floor to wash his hair. As he lifted Qin Nian’s bangs, Tony looked surprised and whistled lightly. “Who would have thought, you look so good. Why hide it?”
Good-looking? Qin Nian was momentarily stunned.
He had never received such a compliment before. For a moment, he wasn’t sure if the praise was genuine or just part of the barber’s routine.
He said nothing, letting the barber wet and wash his hair, then led him downstairs for the haircut.
Though just an ordinary barber, Tony loved his profession. He was passionate about studying the combination of facial features and hairstyles. So when he saw Qin Nian’s face and his “natural” hairstyle, he felt like a sculptor discovering a raw jade, eager to get started.
Qin Nian thought the haircut would be quick. In the old town where his adoptive mother lived, there was only one barbershop, and the barber there would haphazardly snip a few times before calling the next customer.
He let Tony work, and after sitting for a full hour, Tony finally removed the cape with satisfaction, patting Qin Nian’s shoulder. “Take a look. How does it feel?”
Qin Nian looked at himself in the mirror. His previously long hair was now cut into short layers. His hair was of good quality, looking quite fluffy. The sides softly framed his cheeks. Despite being a young man, he still retained a youthful innocence.
Tony was very pleased with his work, but Qin Nian found the reflection unfamiliar. He lowered his head, somewhat avoiding it, thanked Tony, and prepared to pay and leave.
“Hey, hey, don’t go just yet.” Tony stopped him. “How about a photo? I haven’t been this satisfied with my work in a long time. Just one photo! Just one!”
Afraid Qin Nian would leave, Tony hurriedly pulled out his phone and snapped a picture.
Tony’s movements were so fluid that before Qin Nian could react, he heard the click of Tony’s phone.
A young man was captured on the phone screen at that moment.
The young man wasn’t looking at the camera but rather at the person behind it, his gaze clear and pure, like a lost fawn in the forest.
Tony thought that if he used this photo for the shop’s promotion, it might lead to another wave of customers.
With this in mind, he asked, “Would you mind if we used your photo for promotion?”
Promotion?
Without thinking, Qin Nian was about to shake his head. In his past life, whenever he drew attention, it was always for embarrassing reasons, which made him afraid of being noticed.
Tony quickly added, “Don’t worry, we won’t use it for free. We’ll pay you a fee for using your likeness.” He then showed Qin Nian the photo again. “Look, it’s so good.”
But Qin Nian was only drawn to the mention of a “fee.” This time, he didn’t plan to rely on the Qin family for anything. He intended to move out after school started, which would require a significant amount of money, but he currently had no way to earn it.
The barber’s mention of a fee caught his attention. If it was just for promotion, with only one photo, it probably wouldn’t be a big deal.
Seeing Qin Nian’s attitude soften, Tony opened his phone’s social app. “Add me first. If you have any questions, you can ask me there.”
Qin Nian nodded, added Tony as a friend, paid, and left the barbershop.
Qin Nian stood outside the Qin residence and pressed the doorbell. Yes, he didn’t have a key to the Qin family house.
He felt like a guest. In fact, even when living with the Qin family in his past life, he had always stayed in the guest room designated for visitors.
The butler opened the door and stepped aside to let Qin Nian in.
There were voices in the living room. Qin Jiaxu was sitting with Father Qin, Qin Ru. They were both looking down at a small booklet, the cover of which featured an expensive piano. The two of them, engrossed in the booklet, looked like a picture of fatherly affection and filial piety.
Qin Jiaxu heard the noise in the hall and guessed it was Qin Nian returning. He looked up at just the right moment, his carefully planned expression of surprise faltering for a moment.
The young man standing before him had skin like porcelain, lips red and teeth white. His almond-shaped eyes were reminiscent of the spirits described in the fantasy novels he’d read, as if a mere glance could capture one’s soul.
If it weren’t for the fact that the person before him was wearing the same clothes as at noon, he might not have been sure that this was Qin Nian.
And beneath that face, even the ten-yuan-for-three white T-shirt from the street market looked like high-end custom wear.
Qin Jiaxu was momentarily at a loss. Beside him, Qin Ru noticed the sudden silence and looked up belatedly. Qin Nian bore a resemblance to his wife. Though he hadn’t seen this child in eighteen years, Qin Ru felt a sudden sense of kinship.
“You must be Xiao Nian.”
Qin Jiaxu snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Qin Ru’s voice. He glanced at Qin Ru, relieved to see no change in his expression.
Of course, his father, who valued inner qualities, wouldn’t care about appearances. Even if Qin Nian was good-looking, it wouldn’t shake his standing in his father’s eyes. The gap between Qin Nian and himself couldn’t be bridged by a mere face.
He smiled and walked over to Qin Nian. “Xiao Nian, you haven’t met our father yet, have you?”
Our?
Father?
He and Qin Jiaxu would never be “we,” and he didn’t consider Qin Ru his father, as Qin Ru had never fulfilled a father’s responsibilities toward him.
In his memory, Qin Ru, though he held the reins of the entire family, rarely expressed his opinions at home, often following Mother Qin’s lead.
He focused solely on nurturing the eldest son. Since the Qin family already had an heir in Qin Jiawei, it didn’t matter if the younger son was switched at birth. They could just compensate Qin Nian with material things. And since his wife and Qin Jiaxu had a bond, they decided to keep Qin Jiaxu. After all, the Qin family could afford to raise one more child.
All along, he thought nothing of it and never considered investigating the truth of the switch.
In Qin Ru’s heart, if there were a ranking, the Qin family would undoubtedly come first. Since the switch didn’t affect the Qin family, why bother?
So, Qin Nian knew clearly that he was dispensable in Qin Ru’s eyes.