Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The next day when Xie Qingfeng arrived at the hospital room, his foster father had already awakened.

Seeing Xie Qingfeng, his foster father's eyes welled up with tears. Lying there, still very weak, he feebly reached out his hand to Xie Qingfeng.

Xie Qingfeng walked over and took his hand, standing in for his original self. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

His foster father hadn't fully recovered yet and was not in the best mental state. He didn't stay awake for long and soon fell asleep again. Fortunately, his spirits were lifted by Xie Qingfeng's presence, and he fell asleep with a smile.

His foster mother continuously wiped her tears, having sensed something was amiss these past few days.

Xie Qingfeng had been here for so long without any contact from his biological parents, which unsettled her. She had a vague premonition but dared not ask directly.

Xie Qingfeng pretended not to notice his foster mother's hesitant look. Now that his foster father was awake, he should have left, by all rights.

But seeing one parent bedridden and the other so lost, he ultimately decided to stay for the time being, caring for them as a way of fulfilling his original self’s filial duties.

By replacing the original person, Xie Qingfeng had formed a karmic connection with his foster parents.

After visiting his foster father, Xie Qingfeng received a message from Hao Jixin, arranging a visit to the Hao family today to check on their situation.

Today being Saturday, it was convenient as Hao's father, mother, and elder brother were all at home.

Hao Jixin didn’t dare mention to his parents and brother about someone possibly targeting their family, simply saying he was inviting a friend over.

Hao Jizhu initially wanted to leave the hospital to join them, but Hao Jixin, concerned about her recent recovery, adamantly dissuaded her.

Upon arriving outside the hospital, Xie Qingfeng saw Hao Jixin's sports car already parked, with Hao Jixin hurriedly jogging over to open the door for him, his attentiveness resembling a valet.

This scene caught the eye of two young people nearby who were heading to the hospital for a dental appointment, finding it exceedingly unexpected.

Xie Qingfeng calmly got into the car, noticing the two young men's stares and glanced back at them.

The two appeared to be around twenty, one of them tall and handsome, vaguely familiar to Xie Qingfeng, though he couldn’t recall who it was.

Xie Qingfeng simply looked away, deciding that whether he knew them or not in the past was irrelevant now.

Only after the sports car zoomed away did the two young men snap out of their daze.

One nudged the other, saying, “Shubao, that was Xie Qingfeng, right? Didn’t expect such drama. If only we knew he was from a wealthy family in high school, we would have made friends earlier.”

Shao Shubao, having turned his gaze away, hummed in response.

The other, not quite satisfied, remarked, “Did he just glance our way? It’s only been a month since our high school graduation, and he’s already acting like he doesn’t know us. Well, he’s rich now, so it’s normal he looks down on us. But, didn’t he used to be...”

He gave Shao Shubao a sly look, his expression suggesting a hidden joke.

Shao Shubo maintained a neutral expression, "Don't talk nonsense."

"How is this nonsense? At the beginning of our senior year, didn't someone see him stopping you... It was the talk of the school back then," his friend said, noticing Shao Shubo's darkening expression and awkwardly chuckling. Gazing at his handsome features, he mused, "Who would have thought that poor kid would turn his life around like that."

"If I had a face like Shao Shubo's, I definitely wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by."

Shao Shubo, relieved that the conversation had shifted, rubbed his aching tooth, but couldn’t help looking back before entering the hospital.

Hao Jixin drove directly into the underground garage of the Hao residence, then took the elevator from the garage to the living room.

Given the proximity of their house to the Xie residence, it wasn’t about avoiding the Xie family, but rather ensuring the master wouldn't feel uncomfortable seeing them.

Though Hao Jixin hadn't been following the Xie family's situation closely due to his recent brush with death, he knew some details through mutual friends and his childhood connection with Xie Weiwei.

After Xie Qingfeng left, Xie Weiwei fell ill and coughed up blood. No diagnosis was made by the family doctor and he was later admitted to a private hospital funded by the Xie family, where he remained.

Their mutual friends who visited the hospital reported that Xie's father blamed everything on Xie Qingfeng, renouncing their relationship and declaring him no longer a son, advising him to never return.

Hao Jixin noticed that Xie Qingfeng was indifferent to this and thought that with his abilities, it might be the Xie family who would seek him out in the future.

Since Xie Qingfeng didn’t care, there was no need to encounter unnecessary discomfort.

Hao Jixin had mentioned his plan earlier, and Hao's parents had the housekeeper prepare an especially lavish lunch.

However, when the elevator doors opened, Hao's parents were surprised to see the two men stepping out: ??

The friend their son mentioned, was it the biological son the Xie family had recently found?

Xie Qingfeng, following Hao Jixin, greeted Hao's parents politely as he approached.

To their further astonishment, they recalled the banquet the Xie family held a month ago, where Mr. Xie had announced that his two sons would be raised together, discussing the future of his adopted son.

Throughout the event, Mr. Xie's attitude was so apparent that old friends and business partners present could sense it. Many focused their attention on the adopted son they had watched grow up, rather than the biological son who had just been found.

At that time, Mr. and Mrs. Hao had a faint impression of the biological son, who spent the entire event with his head down, evidently uncomfortable in such a setting.

But now, observing his commanding presence and the casual indifference he displayed when addressing others, Mr. Hao felt a certain pressure. Was this really the same person he had met before?

Considering recent rumors, they speculated whether it was intentional, pondering if he never intended to return to the Xie family and had already resolved to sever ties, hence his deliberate concealment of abilities.

Mr. and Mrs. Hao, not wishing to pry too much, were nonetheless quite warm in their reception. Privately, they thought Mr. Xie's actions excessive, but as outsiders, they felt it wasn't their place to interfere.

After meeting with his parents, Hao Jixin excused himself to show Xie Qingfeng around, guiding him through the entire residence.

Upon returning to the front hall, Hao Jixin asked in a lowered voice, "Master, what do you think? Is there a problem with our house's Feng Shui?"

Xie Qingfeng shook his head, "No."

Hao Jixin's heart sank, "Then, does it really mean someone is targeting our family, tampering with our birth charts? Do my parents show any signs of dark foreheads?"

Xie Qingfeng shook his head again, "Your parents show no unusual signs in their facial features."

Hao Jixin sighed in relief, "That's good... that's good..."

Before he could fully relax, he saw his eldest brother, who had just returned from walking the dog, enter the front hall in casual attire. Catching sight of him, Hao Jixin suddenly remembered something and quickly looked at Xie Qingfeng.

Indeed, Xie Qingfeng's brow furrowed ever so slightly upon seeing him.

Hao Jixin shivered with apprehension, "Master, could it be that my elder brother has problems too?"

Xie Qingfeng hummed affirmatively, "His symptoms are milder, with less ominous energy surrounding him."

Hao Jixin let out a breath of relief, "Then it must be the protective charm I gave him from the Master that worked. Thank heavens, whoever is targeting us has such a malicious intent, practically wishing our younger generation dead!"

With the adults unharmed, yet the birth charts of their three children tampered with, it was as if someone wanted to eradicate their younger generation.

If it weren't for the fortunate encounter with the master, first him, then his second sister, and finally his elder brother... One after another, three accidents. If not for that, his parents might have ended up in an even worse situation.

Big Brother Hao had never met Xie Qingfeng. Just as he nodded in greeting, a playful dog suddenly leaped out, nearly causing Hao to fall flat on his face.

After steadying himself, Big Brother Hao couldn’t help but feel a headache and scolded the dog, but it only became more boisterous, running wild.

"San'er, take your friend inside. I don’t know what's gotten into Fa Cai today; I couldn’t hold him back several times." Just earlier in the backyard, he almost dragged him into the rose bushes, which would have been a prickly situation.

As they spoke, the dog, Fa Cai, charged towards them. Hao Jixin immediately stepped in front of Xie Qingfeng, calling out, “Fa Cai!”

But just as Fa Cai approached, he suddenly stopped with a woof, pivoting on his paws and sitting down, obediently looking up with his tongue out and wagging his tail furiously.

Hao Jixin: "??"

Big Brother Hao, who was dragged along a step behind: "???"

As Big Brother Hao got closer, Fa Cai turned to sniff at him and then, seeking approval, looked back at Hao Jixin... and Xie Qingfeng behind them stuck out his tongue playfully.

Hao Jixin scratched his head: "What’s up with Fa Cai?" But then he remembered he was with the master, so it probably wasn't a big deal.

Xie Qingfeng looked up and noticed Big Brother Hao's puzzled expression: "You have a negative aura about you. Dogs are naturally more sensitive than humans, so he doesn't want you too close. After all..."

Hao Jixin vaguely caught the unsaid implication: After all... negative aura.

Big Brother Hao was initially stunned, then his mouth twitched, silently glaring at Hao Jixin: Did I offend your friend? Is he cursing me as soon as we meet?

Hao Jixin spread his hands: "This is the master I invited. If the master says you have a negative aura, then you do. Better not get too close to me." He had just gotten rid of his own negative aura; what if it came back?

Big Brother Hao, giving up, moved to hit his younger brother. Hao Jixin raised his hands defensively: "I'm serious. The talisman you have is drawn by the master. Not just you, I nearly had an incident at the bar, and our second sister almost had a ghost take her place. She's still in the hospital."

Big Brother Hao's advancing motion halted, his expression turning serious: "What did you say?"

Hao Jixin hadn't mentioned it before as he wasn't sure about the specifics. If it was a problem with the house's feng shui, then changing it privately would have sufficed.

But now it seemed someone was intentionally targeting their family, and there was no need to keep it secret anymore.

"Hao Jixin briefly explained everything that had happened in the past two days."

"As Hao's elder brother's expression grew increasingly somber, the sliding door to the front hall was pulled open from inside, and their parents emerged, faces tense with concern. 'Third son, is everything you just said true?'"

"Ten minutes later, the family sat in the living room, appetite lost. After asking the maids and butler to leave, Hao's parents turned their attention to Xie Qingfeng, who remained composed throughout the conversation."

"If Hao's father hadn't known his third son to always speak the truth, he might have suspected it was a young man's joke, but he had just confirmed the story with his daughter."

"But the young man sitting across them, he was the son recently reunited with the Xie family and then disowned due to a mix-up at birth, wasn’t he?"

"And now... a master capable of exorcising ghosts, writing talismans, and saving people?"