Chapter 83
It stands to reason that photos of children from these kinds of family would be very well hidden. And generally, pictures of children younger than the age of adolescence wouldn’t appear in public. After all, security issues needed to be considered.
The picture He Shen was looking at was a very clear photograph. It was a standard ID photo. He swiped the mouse to enlarge the photo. Half of his computer screen was taken up by the picture of the little princeling.
The boy was wearing an exquisite school uniform — a white shirt, dark blue vest, a tie with white and blue stripes, and a gold school emblem embedded on the left chest.
This was from a well-known elite school in China. The children in it came from wealthy and respectable families. He Shen himself graduated from such a school, but he completed the six-year course in just one year.
The little boy in the photo was very good-looking, with snow-white complexion, light-colored hair, a pair of eyes that seemed quick-witted. He was the very picture of innocence and naivety. The bridge of his nose wasn’t high and the tip of his nose was slightly raised. His lips were rosy and his face was still round with unshed baby fat. His smile revealed shallow dimples.
When this photo was first published, many people said that the little master of the Qiao family was cute and looked like a little angel.
He Shen stared unblinkingly at it, as though he could see the real person through the computer screen.
He had seen Qiao Yi once, from a distance, when he was seven years old.
At that time, Qiao Yi was wearing a neat custom-made little suit. He was led along by a beautiful woman in the same color evening dress. They stood in the resplendent banquet hall, like aristocracy of upper European society, elegant and reserved, overflowing with leisure and intimacy.
Xie Shen’s mother wasn’t even qualified to attend the banquet.
Seven-year-old Xie Shen was alone, standing before countless adults, all on his own.
At that time, Xie Shen only glanced at Qiao Yi and looked away. He didn’t like him.
They were the same age but led different lives. They are two types of people who would never cross paths.
Is Qiao Shao, Qiao Yi?
When this sentence floated into He Shen’s mind, ‘absurd’ was the first word that popped up.
How is that possible?
They were as different as black and white. Comparing the photo to his memories, he couldn’t find the slightest similarity.
One was a young master born with a golden spoon in his mouth, doted on from all sides.
The other was a child from an impoverished family, a child who was strong and tried his hardest to live.
How could they be the same person?
There was a picture of Qiao Shao in He Shen’s mobile phone, but he didn’t need it to make a comparison.
He placed the two people side-by-side in his mind. He was sure they weren’t at all alike. Aside from their temperament, the impressions they gave off were too different.
Temperament……
He Shen was dazed. He took another look at the picture on the screen—
Don’t think about the feeling they give off, only objectively evaluate the two’s features.
They both have pale skin tones and light hair. Their facial features do have similarities when you look closely.
If Qiao Yi lost some weight …
He Shen’s heart suddenly gave a jump.
Impossible.
Qiao Shao is Qiao Shao.
He Shen stood up. He felt around for a cigarette from the back of the bookshelf, and walked towards the balcony.
Since deciding to break away from the Xie family, He Shen has stopped smoking.
This thing could only temporarily relieve the anxiety of the mind. It couldn’t eradicated it. He didn’t need momentary numbness. He needed to completely break away from his prison.
He Shen didn’t light the cigarette, he only held its slender form between his fingers as he frowned and pondered.
Three years ago, the young master of the Qiao family disappeared for a year. The Qiao family almost turned the country upside down in their search but couldn’t find the child.
Later, Qiao Yi returned by himself. He suddenly appeared at the Qiao Clan’s headquarters, Shen Hai Building.
The whole thing could only be described as bizarre. No one knew where Qiao Yi disappeared to during this year, nor did anyone know what he experienced, or even who abducted him.
The Qiao family has been cracking down on the news frantically since the child returned, but He Shen has heard something about him.
When the child came home, he became a waste. He had completely lost the ability to look after himself. He was also afraid of everyone. The only one who could approach him was his father.
For this child, Qiao Zongmin practically dropped everything to take care of him wholeheartedly.
Later, He Shen didn’t know much more about it. At that time, He Shen had broken up with his family and had no time to concern himself about other’s matters.
It was only through the occasional rumors that he’d heard that the child had regained his speech after a year of therapy. However, soon after, his mother died and it was another heavy blow on him.
This child was done for now. This was the opinion of most everyone.
Could Qiao Shao be Qiao Yi?
Qiao Shao’s mother also died and he dreaded any mention of mothers&#k2026;
Qiao Shao had serious psychological issues and was very afraid of the quiet &#k2026;
It is true that the temperament of a person would drastically change after such an extreme incident.
He Shen held the cigarette firmly, his thin lips stretched into a line.
No.
He Shen’s heart twisted into a ball. He couldn’t imagine what Qiao Yi had gone through, nor could he imagine these things happening to Qiao Shao.
He sincerely hoped that Qiao Shao was not Qiao Yi, because he didn’t want Qiao Shao to have gone through such painful things.
It was already six o’clock and what’s more, it was a holiday. He really shouldn’t be making this phone call but he couldn’t wait a second longer.
He needed to confirm that Qiao Shao was not Qiao Yi.
He Shen took out his mobile phone and called Mr. Sun from the school monitoring room.
A voice made raspy from smoking too much came from the other end of the phone. “Xiao He? What’s the matter? Why are you calling so late?”
He Shen said, “Teacher, I want to check the school surveillance. Is now okay?”
Sun Quan was dazed and said, “At this hour?”
He Shen said, “Yes.”
Sun Quan paused and said, “OK, I’ll go to school after eating this meal.”
He never regarded this student as a child. Besides, He Shen was the one who had designed their surveillance system. He didn’t need to give him the key. This kid would find a way to see what he wanted to see. He had merely called him out of respect.
He Shen found the exact date with his precise memory.
Qiao Shao’s father had been called to school. After the red envelope incident, he had come to the school to apologize to the teacher.
He Shen turned to that surveillance. He stared at the screen and looked unblinkingly at this complete stranger.
He looked young, with an elegant temperament. But his face was flushed, a single look was all it took to see that he had been drinking.
Is this Qiao Shao’s father?
He Shen tried to find the similarities between their features.
The man’s skin was also very pale and his hair color was quite light. But their eyes were nothing alike. Qiao Shao’s eyes were more rounded, this man’s eyes were narrower…
But having said that, Qiao Zongmin and Qiao Shao looked even more unlike each other.
He Shen calmed down a bit, and continued to watch until he saw Qiao Shao.
Qiao Shao was very happy to see his father. He went up to talk to him and his father rubbed his head and said something.
The two looked intimate, not like strangers.
He Shen watched this monitoring many times, and his heart gradually eased.
How could it be possible?
How could Qiao Shao be the young master of the Qiao Family?
How could the young master of the Qiao family go to such a remote high school?
How could Qiao Zongmin ever let his child go after what happened to him?
Impossible. No matter how you think about it, it was simply impossible.
He Shen’s lips that had been stretch taut this whole time, finally loosened.
He really must be going crazy to even entertain such an absurd thought.
He Shen left the school and returned to his rental apartment.
He went to the refrigerator and took a bottle of peach juice. He took a mouthful of the sweet and cloying drink and it soothed his nerves.
Actually, he didn’t care who Qiao Shao was. He just didn’t want him to have encountered any pain or suffering.
He wanted to protect and care for him in the future, and sincerely hoped that his past was not so miserable.
Qiao Shao accompanied his dad as they took the car for a spin.
Comrade Da Qiao was in high spirits. “What do you think? This car’s not bad, right!”
Qiao Shao said perfunctorily, “It’s great. Amazing, really amazing. I like it.”
Da Qiao was very enthusiastic. “Then dad will take you for a few more laps.”
Qiao Shao scrambled to get out of the car. “You go! You can take it for as many laps as you want, for as long as you want!”
Qiao Zongmin also got out of the car. “Why are you in such a hurry to go home? You don’t even have any homework.”
Qiao Shao felt guilty. He stuttered out, “Who says I don’t have any homework? There’s a lot of summer homework, you know!”
Qiao Zongmin was also a very improper kind of dad. “It’s only the first day of summer vacation. This dad of yours only considered whether to do his homework on the last day.”
Qiao Shao: “………”
No wonder you got a big fat zero on your tests!
Qiao Shao wanted to distance himself from his dad. Although he was last in school, he has an average of 50 to 60 per subject, okay!
Qiao Shao went upstairs and returned to his room, itching to check his phone.
Naturally, he hadn’t taken his phone with him during the drive; not because his dad didn’t allow it but because he didn’t dare do so.
In case He Shen sent those kinds of messages, what would he do if his dad saw?
As soon as Qiao Shao unlocked the phone, he saw a WeChat message.
He Shen: “I miss you.”
Qiao Shao’s heart went hot, and he couldn’t help his mouth from rising up. Look, if Da Qiao saw this kind of message, wouldn’t it become a major issue!
Qiao Shao tried to control his lips and replied to He Shen, “Can you stop being so nauseating?”
He Shen immediately called him.
Qiao Shao picked it up and He Shen’s voice sounded in his ear. “A single second away from you feels like three years. Don’t you miss me?”
How could Qiao Shao not miss him? He had been thinking about him all night, even when eating or going out for a drive. Nowadays, he had even set his dad aside and only wanted to see if he’d gotten a message on WeChat.
Of course, he couldn’t admit any of these. Qiao Shao pretended to be indifferent. “Please speak human.”
He Shen whispered, “I miss you.”
Qiao Shao blushed. “If you don’t start talking seriously, I’ll hang up.”
He Shen said again, “I want to go to your house.”
Qiao Shao was startled by what he said.
He Shen heard his sharp inhalation and asked quietly, “Am I so unfit to be seen?”
Qiao Shao lowered his voice and said, “What if my dad finds out what we’re doing!”
He Shen said, “He won’t know.”
Qiao Shao blushed and said, “But I wouldn’t be able to hide it!”
He Shen had been calculating but because of his soft words, it all vanished like smoke.
It was like his heart had been stuffed with marshmallows, sweet and soft. His voice softened as well. “Why wouldn’t you be able to hide it?”
Qiao Shao: “…”
He Shen curved his lips into a smile and said, “Are you going to kiss me in front of your dad?”
With a beep, Qiao Shao hung up!
He Shen smiled, and called him back again.
Qiao Shao still picked up the call but he had been shamed into anger. “If you keep talking nonsense, I’m going to go to sleep.”
He Shen was afraid that he really would ignore him and didn’t dare tease him anymore. He said, “I have something to discuss with you.”
Qiao Shao didn’t actually want to sleep at all. He just wanted to keep talking to him. “What?”
He Shen first asked him, “Do you have any plans for summer vacation?”
Qiao Shao thought about it and said, “No …”
Actually, Grandpa had invited him to relax in Tahiti. Granddad wanted to take him to Hawaii to meet his friends. Da Qiao also wanted to take him snorkeling, but these could be put aside.
He Shen continued, “I’ll take you to work.”
Qiao Shao was dazed. “Work?”
He Shen said, “En, you can make a lot of money during summer vacation, enough for your living expenses in the second half of the year.”
Qiao Shao thought, “… Can we meet every day?”
He Shen was startled and then he chuckled, “Of course.”
Qiao Shao realized afterwards that he had said it out loud. He wanted to quickly take it back. “I mean … well, I mean …” Ahhhh, he couldn’t come up with any possible reason!
The sweetness in He Shen’s heart was as sweet as honey. “I also want to see you every day.”
Qiao Shao rubbed his face and calmed himself down. “But …” He thought for a long while, “Don’t you work at home?”
Yes, He Shen worked at home. Why would he still need to go out to work?
Sure enough, this guy was just teasing him.
Qiao Shao was suddenly disappointed.
He Shen said, “I don’t have projects to do every day.”
Qiao Shao said, “Then you should use that time to rest.”
He Shen sighed, “Ten million in three years, when would I have time to rest?”
Qiao Shao remembered his “heavy debts”.
He Shen asked him again, “Will you come? I’ll be bored by myself.”
Of course, Qiao Shao wanted to go. He asked, “Where will we go to work?”
He remembered during the last Labor Day holiday, He Shen worked in a supermarket and sold him women’s clothing!
Will they go to the mall to sell clothes this time? Qiao Shao hasn’t tried it, so he was very curious.
Who knew that He Shen would say, “I’ll take you to gain knowledge and experience at a big company.”
Qiao Shao took exception with that. ‘Big company? Can it be as big as Shen Hai Group?’
He Shen continued on, “I got a summer post at Shen Hai Group. Let’s go together.”
Qiao Shao almost threw the phone!
“Shen-Shen Hai Group?” Qiao Shao asked in shock.
He Shen said with a smile. “Yes, your dad’s company.”
Qiao Shao: “………”
Sorry, but he still really is my dad!
Qiao Shao calmed down. “You’re amazing. You could even get Shen Hai’s …”
He Shen said, “It can’t be helped. Who made your boyfriend so academically successful but so poor?”
Qiao Shao’s ears felt tickled. He didn’t continue to talk nonsense with him. “Can I really go work at Shen Hai?”
He Shen said, “It depends on whether you want to go.”
Qiao Shao didn’t want to go at all! But he wanted to work with He Shen…
But … if He Shen goes to Shen Hai, he might be able to secretly subsidize him.
Although he couldn’t give him ten million yuan, he could give him eight or a hundred thousand so that he wouldn’t need to stay up so late so often.
Qiao Shao said, “It’s such a good opportunity, of course I want to go.”
With the matter regarding the job out of the way, the two began to chat about nothing at all. When Qiao Shao got tired of holding up his phone, they hung up and he found that they had actually been talking for an hour and fifty-six minutes.
Qiao Shao seriously suspected that there was a problem with the time function of his mobile phone. How could they have been talking for so long!
Putting down the phone, Qiao Shao took a bath. As he lay on his bed, he saw the wooden fortune next to his pillow.
The words ‘great luck’ poked straight into his heart.
Qiao Shao raised his mouth in a smile. It really was spot-on.
That’s right!
Qiao Shao suddenly remembered, he had to go and give thanks!
Speaking of, which temple did Wei Jiayu get this from?
Qiao Shao quickly picked up his phone and sent a message to Wei Jiayu, “Are you asleep?”
How could Wei Jiayu be asleep? He asked curiously, “No, what’s the matter?”
Qiao Shao typed out what he wanted to ask.
Wei Jiayu was surprised. “Why are you asking?”
Shen Ge was the one who had given him these wooden fortunes. How would he know which temple it came from?
Qiao Shao said, “I wanted to give thanks.”
Wei Jiayu didn’t doubt his intentions. He said, “Oh, this was…something my dad got for me. I’ll ask him.”
It was only after sending the reply that he realized—Qiao Shao was last in the entire school. What did he have to be thankful for?