CH 1

Chapter 001 - Perhaps he wanted to be prepared after listening to her divination (1)

Inside the mansion district in the suburb area outside of Beijing, new buds could be seen on the bare branches of the trees, adding some green to the otherwise somewhat gloomy day. Aunty Li, the nanny, swept away all of the fallen leave that had been sitting there through the entire winter and left only with the outdoor round stone table and the chairs. At a glance, it was both neat and forlorn.

Inside the He family, Yu Shen checked the room one more time to make sure that everything was in order before she hurried downstairs. She hasn’t even arrived in the living room yet before she called out her orders, “Aunty Li, have you started the chicken broth yet? Are the lobsters fresh?”

“I started the chicken broth a while away and the lobsters that just arrived look pretty good,” said Aunty Li in good temper after she poked her head out of the kitchen.

“Oh good. We don’t lack anything at home, do we?”

“I think we have everything. Why don’t you take a break?”

Yu Shen felt like an ant on top of a heated pot today. She had been running around the house like a chicken with its head cut off and wandering around. She had no other way to alleviate her nervousness. The reason was simple, she was about to meet her real child today. The child that had been switched inadvertently and been lost for years.

Yu Shen felt better after being comforted by Aunty Li. She was just about to take a break in the living room when she turned around and caught sight of the cold back sitting on the couch.

A young man around 17 ~ 18 years of age was sitting on top of the European-style couch. He was right in the grey area between a boy and a man. Light from the outside poured into the spacious room but only a quiet and lonely shadow was left on him. He, much like the one and only stone chair out in the yard, appeared to be lonely and dispirited inside the room, seemingly out of place.

Yu Shen’s franticness and excitement were all gone right away and her heart was stung by the scene in front of her. She couldn't help but said caringly, “Shichen, would you like to have some fruits?”

He Shichen turned when he heard her. Both his hair and eyes were black and he was handsome. He gave her a gentle smile and said, “No, I am fine, Mom. You go busy yourself.”

Yu Shen walked into the living room and glanced over at the book in He Shichen’s hand before she carefully sit down next to him, held his hand solemnly and said to him in a serious manner, “Shichen, I understand that you have a lot of sort out about this as well. Your dad and I had talked about this. Both you and Qianli are our important children. We need the both of you.”

He Shichen held her hand back and said to her softly. “Mmm. I know. Don’t worry, Ma. I am not a child. I only worry that little sister won’t do well at our school is all.”

“I will look for some of my old textbooks. Perhaps she will find them helpful.” He waved the book in his hand casually.

Looking at the old textbook in He Shichen’s hands, Yu Shen felt a sense of relief. She smiled and said, “You are so thoughtful. I don’t think she is as strong as you academically. Your dad and I were talking about whether we should hire tutors for her just yesterday…”

He Shichen, “I can tutor her. Tutors don’t do a good enough job.”

Yu Shen sighed. “That’s a lot to ask of you.”

He Shichen, “Everything for my little sister.”

Yu Shen chitchatted a little with He Shichen. She only felt comfortable going to check out the progress in the kitchen after she made sure that he was feeling alright.

After Yu Shen was gone, the warm look on He Shichen disappeared. His eyes and look were gloomy. He pinched the pages of the textbook repeatedly and his chest felt so stuffy that he could explode.

Chu Qianli hasn’t even been back yet and they were already planning to hire tutors for her and poured all of their attention onto her. What would happen to him once she was back?