Chapter 24

Chapter 24

After reading the information from the police, Lin Yiyue wept uncontrollably beside them, her trembling hands touching Ning Yuyi's photograph.

Xie Lou embraced his wife, a hint of redness in his eyes.

Xie Yezhou and Xie Yinan were the most silent of them all.

Xie Yezhou, in a rare moment, took out a cigarette and placed it between his lips, not lighting it, lost in thought.

His mind was in turmoil. For a moment, he wasn't sure whether to marvel at the world's coincidences or their own fate, as everything they wished for Ning Yuyi suddenly made sense.

Xie Yinan sighed first, rubbing his stiff face, "He's still staying in the company-provided dormitory, isn't he?"

"Yes," Xie Yezhou nodded.

"Perhaps we should visit soon," Xie Yinan said, casting a complex glance at the copied data on his phone.

"Brother," Xie Yezhou suddenly spoke.

"What is it?"

"Did he... struggle a lot when he was younger?" Upon learning that his brother was Ning Yuyi, Xie Yezhou was stunned, ironically becoming the only one in the family who hadn't seen the information.

As soon as Xie Yezhou voiced this, Lin Yiyue's sobs grew louder.

Xie Yinan placed a comforting hand on Xie Yezhou's shoulder, patting him gently.

The meaning was clear without words.

Everyone felt a mix of elation and heavy anxiety.

They were thrilled to have finally found their long-lost son, but weighed down by the realization of his difficult life after being lost. They were also anxious about how to face him.

Xie Yezhou let out a deep breath, "Have you all thought about what you're going to say?"

"He's conveniently returned to Hai City with me now."

Xie Yinan furrowed his brows, picking up his phone.

Xie Yezhou took a glance and realized Xie Yinan was browsing Weibo.

More specifically, he was looking at Ning Yuyi's Weibo profile.

Having been brothers for so many years, Xie Yezhou could instantly tell what Xie Yinan was thinking.

"Thinking of what gift to buy him?" Xie Yezhou leaned back with a leg crossed over the other, suddenly amused. "You'd be better off asking me."

"???" Xie Yinan, detecting a hint of bragging in Xie Yezhou's tone, paused and then exclaimed, "Mom, when it comes to gifts, we should consult Ahzhou."

"Ahzhou has always had a close bond with his younger brother. He's even stood up for him twice," said Xie Yinan, stealing a glance at Xie Yezhou.

His smile carried a hint of... smugness.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yiyi immediately shifted her focus to the gift for Ning Yuyi, "Ahzhou, what do you think Mumu would like?"

"We have an apartment in Qing'an, towards the back. I'll have the lawyer handle the transfer soon," Lin Yiyi pondered for a moment, "There's a car show in a few days. Ahnan, you might want to check out some cars suitable for young folks."

The corner of Xie Yezhou's mouth twitched, he touched his forehead in exasperation, "Mom, instead of giving a car or an apartment, you could consider other gifts."

"Like what?"

"A few days ago, while he was filming a variety show, he picked up three cats," Xie Yezhou's expression softened considerably, "They're very cute and he's fond of them. You could gift him some cat supplies."

"We'll certainly give him the car and apartment, but it might not be appropriate to present them directly. He might feel uncomfortable." Xie Yezhou knew Ning Yuyi too well after spending so much time with him.

Lin Yiyi jotted down everything, standing up, ready to head upstairs to change before going to the pet store.

Xie Lou hurriedly stopped his wife, "Hold on, we haven't even met him yet."

We don't know how he'll react, whether he'll accept us.

After all, such events are sudden and would be hard for anyone to come to terms with.

That night, while everyone in the Xie mansion struggled to sleep, Ning Yuyi slept soundly.

The next day, Ning Yuyi got up early, dressed up, and placed Tian Tian and the others into their carriers, planning to take them to the pet clinic for a check-up and to buy some pet-specific items.

The show's crew had already had a vet check them out before and there were no major issues. The main reason Ning Yuyi was bringing them now was to give them a bath.

As the two kittens were still very young, Ning Yuyi didn't dare bathe them himself. He preferred the expertise of the pet clinic staff.

After the bath, Tian Tian lay in a cage at the clinic, licking her paws. The kittens, with their fluffed-up fur, snuggled and slept against her.

Ning Yuyi played with them through the cage.

A voice from behind announced, "Welcome!" It sounded like a middle-aged couple, but Tian Tian was busy seeking attention, so Ning Yuyi didn't turn to check.

"I'd like to buy some cat supplies," Lin Yiyi, dressed in a simple skirt, said. The bag she was carrying was held by Xie Lou.

"Of course, right this way."

……

Ning Yuyi turned around holding the cat cage, only catching a glimpse of two retreating figures before a nurse led him to the veterinarian's office.

"They're in good health overall, just a minor ear mite issue," the vet said, placing the medical report on the table. "The mother cat shows signs of malnutrition, probably from prolonged straying. You might need to feed her some nutrient paste in the future."

"Okay, just prescribe as you see fit," Ning Yuyi replied, glancing over the report.

After discussing Tian Tian's condition with the vet, Ning Yuyi left the office and followed the nurse to collect his cats.

Holding the cat cage again, Ning Yuyi headed to the pet supplies section of the clinic, but unexpectedly bumped into a couple.

Knocked back a couple of steps, Ning Yuyi finally regained his balance. The cats meowed anxiously inside the carrier, prompting him to crouch down to check on them.

Xie Lou, after bumping into Ning Yuyi while embracing his wife, quickly checked if Lin Yiyi was hurt.

"I'm okay," Lin Yiyi said, slightly dazed by the collision. Since neither of them had been walking with much force, she wasn't injured.

After comforting his cats, Ning Yuyi quickly stood up and apologized, "I'm so sorry! Are you both okay?"

"I'm fine, really," Lin Yiyi reassured her husband. When she saw who she had bumped into, she tightly grasped Xie Lou's hand, frozen in place.

"What's wrong?" Xie Lou, sensing his wife's unease, followed her gaze to find Ning Yuyi's apologetic smile.

"I truly apologize. If you have any injuries, I'll cover the medical expenses," Ning Yuyi offered, noting the couple's silence and thinking he might have upset them.

"No, no, it's alright," Lin Yiyi stammered. "What... what's your name?"

Taken aback by the unexpected question, Ning Yuyi responded, "My last name is Ning. Here's my phone number in case you need to contact me later about this."

Ning Yuyi then provided his number.

In reality, Ning Yuyi's number was already on a report Xie Lou had seen. He had committed it to memory, but each time he considered calling, he lacked the courage.

Noting the couple's strange behavior, Ning Yuyi recognized something amiss.

For instance, he bore a striking resemblance to the woman.

The couple's intense gaze also felt emotional, as if they were seeing a long-lost family member.

Uneasy, Ning Yuyi glanced at the cats in his arms and, for the first time, thought of leaving. "I should go. I'm sorry."

Holding the cat carrier, he hurriedly exited the pet clinic.

From the corner of his eye, Ning Yuyi noticed the woman trying to call out to him but being restrained by the man.

Outside the clinic, Ning Yuyi felt a jumble of emotions and, not wanting to encounter the couple again, opted to buy pet supplies from another nearby store.

Upon returning home, Ning Yuyi was met at the doorstep by two unexpected figures.

"Xie...brother," Ning Yuyi greeted, his cheeks still slightly flushed from the earlier encounter.

"What happened?" Xie Yezhou immediately detected the unsettled mood in Ning Yuyi.

"It's nothing." Ning Yuyi's earlier emotions had merely stemmed from his own speculations, so he chose not to tell Xie Yezhou. "Why are you here, Xie brother?"

And he wasn't alone; Xie Yinan was with him.

"Let's talk inside," Xie Yinan said with a heavy tone.

It wasn't a topic to be covered in a few sentences, and Xie Yinan was genuinely concerned about how Ning Yuyi would handle it all.

Ning Yuyi silently looked up at the two of them.

After using his fingerprint to unlock the door, he welcomed them in.

Xie Yinan constantly wore a frown upon observing the interior, which made Ning Yuyi somewhat apprehensive.

He examined his own apartment closely, reassuring himself that everything was tidy and in order.

Xie Yezhou too wasn't particularly fond of the small apartment. To think this space, smaller than their mansion's living room, was where his younger brother lived.

A dozen thoughts spun in his head, and Xie Yezhou was already contemplating which of his properties he should offer to Ning Yuyi.

Unsurprisingly, Xie Yinan had similar thoughts, demonstrating their sibling bond.

After settling on potential properties mentally, both Xie brothers took seats on the sofa.

Having made sure the cats were comfortable, Ning Yuyi headed to the kitchen and poured two glasses of lemon water for his guests.

"First, take a look at this," Xie Yinan handed over a folder to Ning Yuyi. "We only received these results yesterday."

Received?

With some hesitation, Ning Yuyi opened the folder, revealing his own photograph as the first item.

Besides the photo, there were copies of his high school medical reports, a detailed personal history, and more.

Ning Yuyi skimmed through the initial pages, all of which were investigative reports about him. Confused about why the Xie brothers would suddenly investigate him, he soon speculated upon seeing the official police department stamped documents at the back.

There was also a DNA test report, conducted using blood he had donated earlier.

After processing all the information, Ning Yuyi fell silent, his fingertips trembling slightly holding the papers.

A surge of emotions overwhelmed him, as the facts from the documents bombarded his mind, rendering him momentarily incapable of coherent thought.

So, he was the lost child of the Xie family???

Wasn't he abandoned and sent to an orphanage???

Damn, this isn't quite like the original story!!!

"You..." Xie Yezhou attempted to comfort Ning Yuyi by reaching out to touch his hair but hesitated midway.

"So, I wasn't an abandoned child, was I?" Ning Yuyi's voice held a hint of hoarseness.

"No," Xie Yinan responded softly, yet with conviction. "Our parents and us have been searching for you all these years."

Ning Yuyi had seen it in the police documents; the investigations had been ongoing without interruption.

"I met two people at the pet clinic today," Ning Yuyi began recounting the day's events, "One of them looked a lot like me."

Xie Yezhou felt his heart skip a beat and promptly checked with his parents via his phone if they had encountered Ning Yuyi at the clinic.

After getting an affirmative response, Xie Yezhou couldn't help but smile wryly.

"Yes, they are our parents," Xie Yezhou moved to sit beside Ning Yuyi, gently ruffling his soft hair. "They love you very much."

Ning Yuyi sniffed, "Will you be dining here tonight?"

Xie Yezhou asked, "You're cooking?"

Ning Yuyi nodded, "I invited someone over for dinner."

Naturally, both Xie Yezhou and Xie Yinan wanted to partake in the meal their younger brother was preparing. They even volunteered to buy the necessary ingredients and drinks.

Ning Yuyi decided on a hotpot for the evening. He prepared two soup bases: one spicy and the other a bone broth flavored with mushrooms and goji berries, ensuring it wasn't too spicy.

To nourish the cats, he had specially boiled half of a perch into a fish soup, adding an egg without any salt just before serving.

The perch, being a large fish with few bones, was easily deboned by Ning Yuyi, leaving just the tender meat.

The kittens were too young to digest the fish, so Ning Yuyi fed it only to Tian Tian outside her cage.

Besides the half used for the cats, the remaining fish was sliced and placed on a plate, ready to be cooked in the hotpot.

The fragrant, spicy broth paired with the tender perch slices made for a delightful combination.

Once everything was ready, Ning Yuyi finally heard the doorbell.

Xie Yezhou motioned for the seated Ning Yuyi to stay, saying, "I'll get it."

He walked past the dining table to the door and opened it.

"???" Xie Yezhou was met with the indifferent face of Fan Zhongchuan and momentarily floundered, "Why are you here?"

"Dinner," Fan Zhongchuan replied succinctly, stepping past Xie Yezhou after removing his shoes.

"Bro, you're here," Ning Yuyi greeted Fan Zhongchuan with a smile.

But after the greeting, Ning Yuyi felt the incredulous stares from both Xie Yinan and Xie Yezhou. Only then did he realize that the Xie brothers were his actual siblings.

Oh no.

On his way over, Fan Zhongchuan had been filled in by Ning Yuyi about the day's revelations.

Yet, even at this moment, he remained calm, taking a seat beside Ning Yuyi and pouring her favorite cola.

Xie Yinan and Xie Yezhou cast a dangerous glare toward Fan Zhongchuan.

Now, the two of them understood why Fan Zhongchuan had invested in the variety show "Old Friends", and even went to great lengths to deliver a truckload of the latest milk series to the show.

He was up to no good after all!

Xie Yezhou fixed his eyes on Fan Zhongchuan's hand, his gaze filled with deep displeasure.

After dinner, Ning Yuyi escorted the three of them downstairs.

However, as soon as Xie Yezhou and Xie Yinan left, Ning Yuyi promptly turned and entered Fan Zhongchuan's car.

"Brother, I brought you a gift and left it at your house," Ning Yuyi said as she settled into the passenger seat.

Fan Zhongchuan pressed the accelerator, driving further into the villa area, "Mhm, I saw it."

Once the car was securely parked in the villa's underground garage, Ning Yuyi unbuckled her seatbelt and followed Fan Zhongchuan into the house.

Fan Zhongchuan went to the kitchen and fetched freshly washed strawberries for Ning Yuyi.

The luscious red strawberries, each plump and juicy, looked even more appetizing against the backdrop of a white porcelain plate.

Ning Yuyi picked one up and popped it into her mouth.

A bit of the red strawberry juice trickled down from the side of her lips. The lips, stained by the strawberry juice, looked even more tempting than the strawberry itself.

Fan Zhongchuan's eyes darkened as he reached out with a tissue to wipe the juice from the corner of her mouth.

"Hmm," Ning Yuyi pursed her lips.

"If you're feeling down, head upstairs and play some games."

"I'm not exactly down," Ning Yuyi replied, finishing her strawberry and swinging her legs while propping her hands on the sofa. "It's just that everything came so suddenly, and I felt a bit dazed."

"Mr. Fan, you must know that I've always lived in an orphanage. There were regular visitors and some wanted to adopt me, but I always declined."

Ning Yuyi's voice lowered, "Because I always felt that since I was abandoned by my parents as a child, even if I went to another family, they wouldn't like me."

More pitiful than staying in an orphanage is thinking you've found a new family only to be abandoned again.

Ning Yuyi had seen many cases of this—families that couldn't have children adopting one, only to later find out they were pregnant and then returning the adopted child to the orphanage.

"But now, I suddenly found out I wasn't an abandoned child. I have parents, and they love me deeply, never giving up on searching for me."

Even in the eyes of Xie Lourin Yiyue, Ning Yuyi's chances of survival were slim, but they never lost hope.

"In short, I guess I was just overloaded with information today," Ning Yuyi summarized.

"Want to play some games?"

"Let's do it!"

They played on until the early hours of the morning.

Exhausted, Ning Yuyi fell asleep on the gaming room's sofa, clutching the game controller.

After dealing with company matters and taking a shower, Fan Zhongchuan, not seeing Ning Yuyi downstairs, went up to find him.

Upon opening the door, he saw Ning Yuyi asleep on the sofa. Due to his sleeping position, his T-shirt had ridden up, revealing a pale, slender waist.

Silently, Fan Zhongchuan approached and discreetly pulled down the shirt.

Apart from a subconscious brush of his fingers against Ning Yuyi's waist, Fan Zhongchuan lived up to his reputation of being composed and unmoved.

Taking a folded blanket from beside the sofa, Fan Zhongchuan covered Ning Yuyi, then gently lifted him, blanket and all, and carried him to the guest room.

Xie Yinan and Xie Yezhou returned to the Xie mansion.

In the living room, Lin Yiyue was discussing something with Xie Lou, surrounded by numerous property documents.

"Mom, Dad," Xie Yinan greeted as he removed his coat.

"You're back," Lin Yiyue, hearing Xie Yinan's voice, momentarily set aside the ongoing discussion. "How is Mu Mu? He..."

"He's fine," Xie Yezhou recalled the afternoon's events. "Just needs some time to process things, I guess."

"Alright, alright, that's good," Lin Yiyue's anxiety from the day was finally put to rest, and her thoughts returned to the property discussion.

She motioned for Xie Yezhou and Xie Yinan to come over. "Take a look at these. Which one do you think Mu Mu would like?"

After a pause, Lin Yiyue pointed out her favorite. "This one's near the city center. The living room has a panoramic balcony that overlooks most of the city's night view. It's quite suitable for young folks."

Surprisingly, Xie Lou disagreed with his wife. "It's too far from Ah Nan's company. The spacious flat near Fenghua Entertainment is more suitable."

Xie Yezhou and Xie Yinan shared a moment of silent exasperation.

Xie Yinan gathered the documents, making his own suggestion, "The villa in Qing'an seems good. Our younger brother is already living in Qing'an and might be accustomed to that area's business district."

"You're overthinking it," Xie Yezhou sprawled on the sofa. "Why not gift him both? Let him decide which one he wants to live in."

Lin Yiyue and Xie Lou found Xie Yezhou's idea quite reasonable and contacted their lawyer to prepare for the property transfer.

The next day, Ning Yuyi was awakened by an alarm set to remind him to feed his cat.

Rubbing his eyes, Ning Yuyi sat up, took in his surroundings, then promptly lay back down in surprise.

"I'm so sleepy," Ning Yuyi murmured, clutching the blanket and resisting the urge to get out of bed.

Wait!

Suddenly, Ning Yuyi sat up, leaning over the bed in search of his slippers, but they were nowhere in sight.

？？！

The bedroom door opened abruptly, and there stood Fan Zhongchuan, holding something in his hand.

As he approached, Ning Yuyi recognized them as the very slippers he had worn the night before.

"...” Ning Yuyi puffed up his cheeks and mumbled softly, "Brother, did you carry me over last night?"

Fan Zhongchuan nodded, placing the slippers on the floor.

"Time to get up. There are toiletries in the bathroom, and the housekeeper has prepared breakfast."

"Okay!"

After freshening up and heading downstairs, Ning Yuyi found Fan Zhongchuan engrossed in economic news on the sofa.

Spotting Ning Yuyi, Fan Zhongchuan set aside his tablet and led him to the dining table.

A hot breakfast awaited them.

Ning Yuyi grabbed a dumpling and popped it into his mouth, feeling utterly blissful.

"This is delicious," he mumbled with his mouth full.

A smile tugged at Fan Zhongchuan's lips as he too reached for a dumpling.

Though it tasted like the ones he always had, somehow today's felt more delectable.

He wondered if it was the food that tasted better... or the company.

After breakfast, Fan Zhongchuan headed to work, dropping Ning Yuyi off at his high-rise residence.

After bidding Fan Zhongchuan farewell, Ning Yuyi hurriedly rushed into the elevator.

Disaster struck! He forgot to feed the cat!!!

As expected, as soon as Ning Yuyi opened the door, Tian Tian, hearing his entrance, walked over from the balcony, meowing plaintively.

"I'm sorry," Ning Yuyi apologized, crouching down to scoop Tian Tian into his arms. "Good kitty, I'll open a can for you right away."

"Meow, meow," Tian Tian nuzzled and pawed at Ning Yuyi's arm.

Ning Yuyi prepared the cat food and opened a can as a treat for Tian Tian.

Sitting beside the cat's designated food bowl, Ning Yuyi watched as Tian Tian eagerly consumed the canned food. He took out his phone and snapped a photo.

After a long hiatus, he updated his Weibo.

Ning Yuyi: Meet the newest member of my family. [Photo]

Thanks to the previous "Sword Dao" trailer and Fan Zhongchuan's attention, Ning Yuyi had gained substantial traction. By now, he boasted several million followers.

Once Ning Yuyi posted his update, he quickly received numerous comments.

After skimming through a few responses, Ning Yuyi exited Weibo and laid back on the sofa, shutting his eyes in contentment.

At this moment, everything felt perfect – having finally found his family, his budding career, and the adorable, well-behaved cat.

...It seemed he'd forgotten something.

A realization hit Ning Yuyi, and the smile on his face momentarily faltered.

Holy crap!

He had left Zhou Erhe in Haisheng and hadn't brought him back!

Author's Note: I'll update with six thousand words first, then write three thousand more tomorrow. In total, it'll be a ten-thousand-word update!

Thanks for the support. Red envelopes will randomly drop with this chapter.