When Feng Wang and Secretary Yang arrived at the Jiangnan Shore bus stop, they were greeted by a pitiful sight—two figures, one large and one small, huddled under a tiny umbrella at an unfinished bus stop, shivering miserably.
Feng Wang got out of the car, and Secretary Yang quickly grabbed an umbrella to follow him.
“Uncle!”
Feng Yuanyuan, recognizing the familiar figure, immediately ran over excitedly, crashing into Feng Wang’s leg. Her tears, snot, and rainwater smeared all over Feng Wang’s tailored suit pants.
Feng Wang, expressionless, picked up the little rascal and handed her over to Secretary Yang.
He then turned to Qin Nian. The young man before him had given most of the umbrella space to Feng Yuanyuan, leaving himself almost entirely soaked. He looked a bit bedraggled, his originally fair skin now nearly translucent from the cold.
His lips were pale from the chill, and he seemed unsteady on his feet.
“Hello, how should I address you?”
Feng Wang’s voice unexpectedly softened.
Qin Nian looked up, finding the person in front of him somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t recall where they might have met.
He figured he must be too cold to think straight. “My last name is Qin, you can call me Qin Nian.”
“Thank you for helping find our child. Do you need any compensation? I can provide it.”
Qin Nian shook his head. He hadn’t helped the child with any ulterior motive. “No need. As long as the child is back with her parents, that’s enough. I should be heading back.”
No compensation?
Feng Wang scrutinized the young man again. His demeanor indeed didn’t suggest he recognized him.
But there are many in the world who can disguise themselves well, so Feng Wang didn’t fully trust the person before him.
“Where would you like to go, Mr. Qin? If you don’t mind, I can give you a ride.”
Feng Wang gently grasped the young man’s arm, maintaining a polite expression.
The young man’s skin was delicate, his fingers icy.
Even though it was summer, the rain had soaked him, and the wind made Qin Nian shiver. All he wanted was to get back and change into dry clothes. “If it’s convenient, I’d like to go to the Qin Nan Villa.”
The Qin Nan Villa was the property the Qin Family had purchased at Jiangnan Shore. Hearing the name, Feng Wang found it familiar. After thinking for a moment, he recalled that Secretary Yang had brought a stack of invitations yesterday, and one of them was for this place?
He turned to ask, “Did we receive an invitation to the Qin Nan Villa yesterday?”
Secretary Yang was always meticulous. Even though Feng Wang hadn’t shown any interest in the invitations yesterday, he remembered the details clearly.
He nodded, “Yes, the Qin Family is holding a banquet at the Qin Nan Villa tonight. According to the schedule, it starts in about two hours.”
Feng Yuanyuan peeked out from behind Feng Wang, “Brother, are you going to the banquet? But your clothes are all wet.”
Feng Wang pulled Feng Yuanyuan back behind him again. “Are you going to the banquet? I’m planning to go too. You can come to my place first to change, and then we can go together.”
Was this person at the banquet in his past life?
Before Qin Nian could ponder further, Feng Yuanyuan jumped out from behind Feng Wang and grabbed Qin Nian’s arm. “If you’re going, I want to go too. I want to attend the banquet with the handsome brother, Uncle.”
To Feng Yuanyuan, a banquet meant an array of delicious little cakes.
So, in her mind, if she went to the banquet, the handsome brother could accompany her to eat all sorts of delicious cakes.
Feng Yuanyuan thought, could there be such a good thing?
Feng Wang looked at Qin Nian with a helpless smile. “What do you say, Mr. Qin? Let’s go together.”
Faced with Feng Yuanyuan’s big, sparkling eyes, Qin Nian found it hard to refuse and nodded in agreement.
Once the three of them were in the car, Secretary Yang thoughtfully took out two large towels from the trunk, handing one to Feng Yuanyuan and the other to Qin Nian.
“Mr. Feng, should we head straight back to the Feng residence?” Secretary Yang asked.
Feng Wang nodded, “Yes, let’s go straight back. We don’t want Mr. Qin and Yuanyuan catching a cold.”
Secretary Yang drove them back to the Feng residence.
As soon as they entered, Feng Wang instructed a servant to take Qin Nian to freshen up.
He also told Secretary Yang, “Have someone bring over some suitable clothes for Qin Nian, something appropriate for the banquet.” He paused, “And find out how he happened to meet Yuanyuan today.”
Secretary Yang nodded and left the room.
The Feng family’s servants were very hospitable, leading Qin Nian to a guest room.
Though it was a guest room, the decor was exquisite, not at all like a space meant for guests, but rather for a member of the Feng family.
The servant prepared some fresh clothes for Qin Nian. “Mr. Qin, if you need anything else, feel free to call me from the phone in the room.”
With that, the servant bowed slightly and exited.
Having walked so much today and been caught in the rain with Feng Yuanyuan, Qin Nian just wanted to soak in a hot bath and rest.
He sank into the bathtub, pondering the day’s events. In his past life, he hadn’t known Feng Wang or helped Feng Yuanyuan.
Since changing his attitude, it was as if he’d stepped off the path of his past life’s fate, toppling the first domino of this life. How many more would follow?
He quickly finished his bath and put on the robe the servant had prepared for him.
After drying his hair, there was a knock at the door. Qin Nian opened it to find Secretary Yang standing there.
Secretary Yang smiled politely, handing a stack of clothes to Qin Nian.
“Young Master Qin, I’m Yang Huan. You can call me by name or as Secretary Yang. These are the clothes Mr. Feng prepared for you. Choose whichever you like.” He glanced at his watch. “The Qin family’s banquet starts in about an hour. You can rest until then, and I’ll come to get you when it’s time to leave.”
Qin Nian accepted the clothes Secretary Yang had brought. They were clearly new, but carried the fresh scent of laundry detergent, having just been washed and dried.
Even in his past life with the Qin family, Qin Nian rarely received such thoughtful service.
Qin Nian softly thanked him and closed the door.
The clothes were all current styles, and Qin Nian could tell by touch that they were expensive. He checked the labels, seeing logos of luxury brands. With his past life knowledge of brands, he estimated each piece to be in the six-figure range. Considering his four-figure bank balance, Qin Nian felt a headache coming on. He hadn’t even figured out how to earn money, and his savings were already at risk.
He deliberated, choosing a simple shirt and black pants.
Basic styles shouldn’t be too expensive…
Right?
In another room, Feng Wang listened to Secretary Yang’s report, gaining a general understanding of the situation. The Feng family’s circumstances were too unique, surrounded by wolves. Every seemingly coincidental event might have been carefully orchestrated.
Feng Wang couldn’t afford to be careless.
“Qin Nian is the child who was switched at birth in the Qin family. Today, he went to Hanshan Temple in the Jiangnan Shore hills and happened to meet Miss Yuanyuan on his way back.”
Secretary Yang reported the gathered information accurately to the man before him.
“He’s still a Qin family child, yet he walked back. That area is so remote. Though Hanshan Temple isn’t far from the Qin Nan Villa, it’s quite a trek.”
Feng Wang remained expressionless, tapping his fingers on the table, a habit when deep in thought.
Secretary Yang had also investigated this thoroughly. “Young Master Qin seems to have just returned to the Qin family and doesn’t appear to be very welcomed. The day he returned, neither of the Qin family heads were home.”
Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock at the door, accompanied by Feng Yuanyuan’s childish voice, “Uncle, Uncle, are you ready? The handsome brother and I are all dressed up.”
Feng Wang tilted his chin in a gesture, “Go open the door.”
Secretary Yang opened the door, and a pink blur shot in like a cannonball. Feng Yuanyuan, in a pink frilly dress, twirled around. “Uncle, look, am I pretty?”
Feng Wang had intended to say something to Feng Yuanyuan, but when he looked up, he saw a slender figure following her.
Qin Nian stood at the doorway, looking a bit reserved, not intending to step into the study. He wore a simple white shirt and black pants.
Despite the simplicity of his attire, it accentuated his long legs and slim waist.
It was hard to believe he was the child who had grown up in the countryside, according to the information.
Out of politeness, Qin Nian didn’t scrutinize Feng Wang’s study. He stood slightly to the side, offering only a glimpse of his profile.
His slender frame, delicate profile, and a barely noticeable red mole at the corner of his eye, combined with eyelashes that fluttered like butterfly wings, made him captivating.
“Since everyone is ready, let’s head out. Secretary Yang, prepare the car,” Feng Wang instructed.
Meanwhile, at the Qin Nan Villa.
People came and went, and the Qin family hall had been bustling with preparations for the banquet since morning. The butler and servants were busy getting everything ready for the evening.
Qin Jiaxu had a natural enthusiasm for socializing. Watching the servants scurry about and the banquet hall take shape, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
So much so that when he sent a servant to fetch Qin Nian, he felt a sense of pride.
In his mind, Qin Nian, coming from the countryside, would surely be dazzled by such an event.
“Qin Nian is missing?”
Hearing the servant’s report, Qin Jiaxu was puzzled, but then he understood. Qin Nian, being so quiet and from the countryside, might have been overwhelmed by the grand preparations and slipped away unnoticed.
For a moment, he felt a secret thrill.
But he quickly composed himself. Qin Jiawei was currently speaking with the Qin family parents, so Qin Jiaxu approached them, slightly furrowing his brow with a look of concern.
“Dad, Mom, Aunt Huang said she couldn’t find Xiao Nian. He’s unfamiliar with the area, who knows where he might have gone.”
The three people present showed no change in expression upon hearing this.
Especially Madam Qin, Liu Baixu, who was more concerned with her newly done nails. She examined them under the light, nonchalantly saying, “Maybe he couldn’t bear to leave that poor nanny and ran back.”
The “poor nanny” she referred to was Qin Nian’s adoptive mother, Qin Jiaxu’s biological mother, who had once worked as a nanny for the Qin family.
Qin Jiaxu’s smile froze for a moment at the mention of this term.