Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Ning Yichu tossed the box containing the "model" into a corner and went to bed.

He Shixia rubbed his nose, which had almost been hit by the door, stood there smiling to himself for a moment, then turned and returned to his study.

That night, Ning Yichu slept restlessly. He had another dream, this time about some past events in the Ning family. The fragments were scattered and bizarre, and when he woke up, he only remembered dreaming about "bird's nest."

When he was first brought back to the Ning family, as the "long-lost biological son," he had nearly three months of good times.

His adoptive mother personally cooked for him, and the first thing she served was a bowl of bird's nest—he later learned that particular bird's nest came in ready-to-eat jars, meant to be eaten straight from the container without any preparation. His adoptive mother had simply poured it from the glass jar into a bowl and brought it out to him, telling him she had made it herself.

Even if he had known the truth back then, he would still have been deeply touched.

Anyway, because of this incident, even after the Ning family grew to dislike him and his adoptive parents no longer showed him any kindness, he still had a soft spot for bird's nest.

Until one day, his "Fourth Uncle," Ning Shaoli, suddenly remarked, "Hey, Ning Yichu, did you know bird's nest is actually just swallow spit? Why do you like eating spit so much?"

Ning Yichu remembered he was ten years old at the time. It was a Saturday afternoon during tea time, and the entire Ning family was gathered together having desserts. As the adopted son, though he wasn't welcome, he was still required to be there. As usual, he chose to have a jar of bird's nest.

When Ning Shaoli made that comment, Ning Yichu, spoon in hand, was caught in an awkward position, unsure how to respond.

The other Ning family members either laughed or chimed in, pressing him: "Yeah, Xiao Chu seems to really like swallow spit. What's the deal?"

The young master, Ning Zeshu, looked curious and asked the others, "Why is everyone laughing? I saw on TV commercials that bird's nest is a good thing."

"Who treats bird's nest as something good? Don't learn from Xiao Chu's tacky habits, Xiao Shu. You are the precious young master of our Ning family, not some wild child from an orphanage."

"Poor Xiao Shu, snatched as an infant and having an imposter live his life for so many years, living a hard life. Even after being back for a few years, he still hasn't gotten used to it. It must be because the family hasn't shown you enough of the finer things. Tomorrow, a few of us uncles and aunts will take you out to see the world."

"Hey, Xiao Chu, why aren't you eating? Weren't you always fond of this spit... I mean, bird's nest? Hurry up and finish it. Even if it's not something great, our family doesn't encourage waste."

Ning Yichu felt a lump in his throat at the time. Staring at the glass jar in front of him, he found it hard to swallow, but with everyone urging him to finish, he forced himself to eat it, the thought of it being "spit" stuck in his head.

After tea time ended, he felt so sick to his stomach that he couldn't hold back and rushed to the bathroom to vomit.

After that, he no longer liked bird's nest.

When the Ning family called him to eat it, he pretended not to hear and refused to touch it, simply keeping his head down in silence, enduring their ridicule. After a few times, the Ning family got bored and soon forgot about it, moving on to new ways to pick on him.

—Now, years later, dreaming of this incident again left Ning Yichu in a foul mood upon waking. He didn't leave his bedroom.

He Shixia, thinking he had slept in, came to knock on the door. Ning Yichu was sitting on the carpet by the floor-to-ceiling window.

The curtains weren't fully open, only slightly parted. Leaning against the window, Ning Yichu gazed through the gap at the daylight outside, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted. Hearing the knock, he didn't feel like responding.

He Shixia knocked louder: "A Ning?"

Still receiving no response, he had no choice but to open the door himself.

Seeing Ning Yichu sitting by the window, He Shixia's anxious heart settled slightly, only to immediately tense up again.

He cautiously walked over to Ning Yichu, knelt down, and spoke softly: "A Ning..."

Only then did Ning Yichu move his eyes, giving him a brief, indifferent look.

He Shixia asked gently, "Did you have a nightmare? If you're upset... do you want to bite me a couple more times? I noticed this morning that the bite marks on my neck have already scabbed over. They'll probably heal completely in a couple of days."

Ning Yichu weakly curled the corner of his mouth: "What am I, a dog that likes to bite?"

He Shixia raised his hand, carefully placing it on Ning Yichu's head, hardly daring to press as he stroked his hair.

In He Shixia's eyes at that moment, Ning Yichu resembled a dying butterfly, making him breathe carefully in fear, terrified of startling the butterfly into never fluttering its wings again.

"It's me who's perverted, liking to be bitten. Just thinking about your teeth marks staying on my neck fills me with anticipation," He Shixia said.

Ning Yichu's distant gaze fell on He Shixia's face. After watching for a moment, a single tear unexpectedly slid from his dark eyes.

He Shixia was startled, caught off guard and unsure how to react, when another tear traced a path down Ning Yichu's cheek, followed by more tears welling up.

Ning Yichu suddenly felt a wave of sadness, as if something were tightening in his chest and throat, making his heart feel heavy and stifled. The tears flowed uncontrollably; he soon began to sob, even feeling short of breath, his breathing slow and labored.

"A Ning..." Listening to his helpless sobs, He Shixia's heart ached with pain and guilt, wrapping tightly around it before rolling through thorns again and again.

He Shixia carefully wrapped his arms around Ning Yichu.

A thick, indescribable grief and indignation filled him. Ning Yichu instinctively grabbed the lapel of He Shixia's clothes, gripping with such force his fingertips turned almost white, as if all his strength had concentrated in his fingers, leaving none to even sit upright. He weakly leaned into He Shixia's embrace, his tear-streaked face pressed against the side of He Shixia's neck. His teeth touched the skin there, but he only gnashed them lightly, without biting down to draw blood.

He Shixia quietly held Ning Yichu, feeling as if he were cradling a kitten in a state of shock—usually fierce and imposing, now trembling slightly.

He thought, even if Ning Yichu wanted to kill someone right now, he would take the knife and do it for him.

As long as Ning Yichu could stop being sad, stop crying...

After a while, Ning Yichu's sobs subsided, and He Shixia felt his tears gradually stop.

"A Ning..." He Shixia gently stroked Ning Yichu's hair.

Ning Yichu released his grip on He Shixia's clothes, pushed against his shoulders to sit up on his own, and wiped his tears.

He asked nonchalantly, "How are the banquet preparations coming along?"

He Shixia didn't press about why Ning Yichu was suddenly upset. He nodded: "We have to film the show this Friday, so would Wednesday night work? That way we can rest on Thursday. If the timing is okay, I'll have the butler send out the invitations."

"Give me three extra blank invitations," Ning Yichu's voice was unsteady, still shaky from crying.

He looked up, his eyes still glistening with leftover tears. The area around the small red mole at the corner of his eye was tinged with pink, and his usually pale face now held a faint flush.

"The banquet night will be very lively," Ning Yichu murmured softly.

He Shixia nodded: "Okay."

...

As for He Shixia's plan to host a banquet at the He family's old residence, inviting numerous guests to witness and celebrate the new shareholder Ning Yichu on the grounds of "major equity changes in the He Corporation," his grandmother and parents didn't say much.

Although they had reservations about Ning Yichu, the equity transfer was an established fact, and such a banquet was indeed appropriate. It would prevent others from speculating whether there were any shady reasons behind the change, wondering why the He family only updated the company's operational information without making a public announcement within their circles, as if hiding something.

"However, Shixia, let's not spread any other family dirty laundry. Keep it to a minimum," He Weian reminded.

He Shixia smiled: "Mom, do you really think that if it's just 'rumors' and no public acknowledgment from the He family themselves, people will assume Uncle's background is just gossip? Once it's out there, it can't be taken back."

He Weian sighed: "With you acting like this, how can I feel confident handing the He Corporation over to you in the future? Maybe I should just give it directly to Ning Yichu, saving you the trouble of transferring it?"

The latter "suggestion" was clearly sarcastic, but He Shixia, as if missing the jab, replied seriously: "I think that works."

He Weian: "...Get out. Seeing you gives me a headache. Almost thirty and now you're having a rebellious phase."

He Shixia prepared to leave, but He Weian called him back.

"Wait." He Weian cleared her throat. "I heard something happened on the Ning family's side too?"

He Shixia smiled. "Yes. You know what, our two families are fated—both ending up in this kind of ridiculous situation. The Ning patriarch also has a son who isn't his biological child."

He Weian was speechless.

He Shixia: "However, Ning Shaoli is still a Ning by blood; he just went from being a son to a grandson. But the Ning patriarch is more ruthless than our grandmother. Probably having many children, he doesn't care much about losing one, unlike Grandma, who only had one son and one daughter. Anyway, the Ning family not only cast him out but also wants to reclaim the assets they gave him."

Tang Qingshan interjected from the side: "It's not like ancient times where property under an individual's name was still considered family wealth that could be easily reclaimed. If those assets have already become Ning Shaoli's personal property and he refuses to return them, the Ning family can't just forcibly take them back."

He Shixia looked at his father. "Anyway, the Ning patriarch has tasked the current head of the Ning family—his eldest son, A Ning's adoptive father and Ning Shaoli's real father—with handling this. He should have ways to make Ning Shaoli voluntarily return them."

"Just like... if Grandma wanted to reclaim things from second brother and the others, even if some are already under their personal names, there would always be ways, right? After all, as family members, many things were given back and forth without written agreements; there's quite a bit of room for maneuvering now."

He Weian was certain: "Knowing the ins and outs so clearly, this matter is indeed connected to you and Xiao Chu. What does Xiao Chu want to do... or rather, how far does he want to go before he stops? Causing trouble for the Ning family is one thing, but our He family hasn't really wronged him, have we?"

He Shixia said gently, "He knows what he's doing."

He Weian: "I think you're the one who doesn't know his limits."

He Shixia gave a polite, apologetic smile.

...

Two days later, on Wednesday evening.

Guests' cars drove through the main gate of the He family's old mansion. The banquet was about to begin, with everyone exchanging greetings and making their way inside.

The Ning family also came—though they really didn't want to. But the Ning and He families have always been on closer terms than others, especially since they are now in-laws on the surface. Plus, tonight's banquet theme is the share transfer, a serious matter, and the guest of honor, Ning Yichu, is a member of the Ning family. It would be inappropriate for them not to attend.

Moreover, Ning Yichu acquiring eight percent of He Corporation's shares left the Ning family deeply shocked.

They had previously unanimously believed that He Shixia's decision to marry Ning Yichu was forced and that he must be dissatisfied with both Ning Yichu and the marriage.

Although He Shixia accompanied Ning Yichu back to the Ning family a few days ago and seemed to have accepted the marital reality, the Ning family still thought He Shixia was merely resigned to the situation.

But... just one week after getting the marriage certificate, He Shixia transferred all his He Corporation shares to Ning Yichu. This simply is a far cry from "grudgingly accepting reality."

In short, brimming with confusion and shock, the Ning family received the invitations and had no choice but to attend.

The attendees included the eldest son of the Ning family's patriarch and Ning Yichu's adoptive father, Ning Shaoren; Ning Shaoren's biological sister, the patriarch's second daughter, Ning Anchun, and her live-in husband, Wang Mian; the patriarch's third son, Ning Shaoyi, and fifth daughter, Ning Anxia, from his second wife; the patriarch's sixth daughter, Ning Anqiu, and seventh daughter, Ning Andong, from his third wife, Yu Lianlian, who had just been expelled; and the patriarch's current wife, Lu Xi.

As for the patriarch himself, he didn't want to show his face and couldn't even if he wanted to—after collapsing in a fit of rage on Saturday, he nearly suffered a stroke and is still bedridden, recuperating.

Therefore, when He Shixia had the invitations sent, he specifically reminded the butler not to forget the mother and her two sons at the Han family. If these three didn't come, he was afraid Ning Yichu would be "disappointed."

Other guests that evening, seeing the He and Ning families, thought of the recent rumors and were buzzing with curiosity, but due to the occasion, they couldn't directly bring up sensitive topics, at most fishing for information.

Someone smiled and asked Ning Anchun, "Anchun, good evening. Why haven't I seen your eldest sister-in-law, Wen Hua? And your two nephews, Zeqi and Zeshu?"

Ning Anchun had prepared herself mentally beforehand and maintained her smile. "Good evening, Mrs. Chen. They'll be along later."

Mrs. Chen: "Is that so? Well, of course, since tonight's guest of honor is Wen Hua's adopted son, how could they not come? Oh, I also don't see your fourth brother, Shaoli. He didn't come either?"

The other person was deliberately touching on sore spots. Ning Anchun simply smiled, trying to brush it off.

But Mrs. Chen didn't let up: "Your family's adopted child is quite capable, actually getting He Corporation shares so quickly. We were all taken aback. We'd heard some unpleasant rumors before and thought the He family didn't like him, but to give him shares—they must like him immensely!"

"You know, this Weian from the He family isn't some easygoing, soft-tempered person. She actually let He Corporation shares end up in an outsider's hands. Even if it's her own 'daughter-in-law,' they just got married, and she already trusts him so much. Tsk tsk."

Previously, there were only rumors about the fake young master Ning Yichu drugging someone and climbing into his bed, somehow ending up pregnant despite being a man, supplemented with a wrist-slitting suicide attempt, forcing the He family's young master into marriage. Plus, He Shixia and Ning Yichu got married without a wedding, so everyone assumed this marriage was an embarrassment and neither family was willing to acknowledge it.

Thus, before this, when people talked about the Ning family's fake young master, who never had a good reputation, some said he was "formidable" or "capable," but it was always with sarcasm.

Yet now, Mrs. Chen's "quite capable" carried some genuine admiration.

After all, drugging and climbing into bed isn't a skill; a man getting pregnant is "luck"; forcing marriage with a pregnancy and successfully securing the marriage isn't that impressive either—sign a prenuptial agreement, and after giving birth, one might be left with nothing to show for it.

Such tactics aren't rare in their circles; it's just that this Ning Yichu actually succeeded with the He family's sixth young master, which made people somewhat "admire" him.

But now, in such a short time, Ning Yichu actually obtained He Corporation shares, a full eight percent. That's truly admirable.

So, heroes are not defined by their origins. Regardless of the methods used before, he effortlessly obtained shares even He family members themselves could hardly reach. The He family is now hosting a banquet specifically for him, which is enough to change the views of the gossip mill.

At the very least, they have to admit this Ning Yichu is not to be underestimated.

Seeing Mrs. Chen was on a roll, Ning Anchun quickly interrupted: "Watch your step on the stairs. Mrs. Chen, why did you come alone today?"

So Mrs. Chen started complaining about her own family matters and didn't dwell on the Ning and He family gossip anymore.

Guests arrived at the main mansion and saw the He family members receiving them—the He family matriarch, her daughter and current head of the He family, He Weian, and He Weian's live-in husband, Tang Qingshan.

He Dingbang's eldest daughter, He Ruxue, was also there, which wasn't too surprising since it's well-known the He matriarch dotes on this granddaughter. Rumor has it she didn't take out her anger over He Dingbang's matter on this granddaughter.

However, to everyone's surprise, He Ruxue's other five siblings were also present. Only the central figures of the gossip, the He grandfather and He Dingbang, were absent.

Having He Rusong, He Rulin, He Ruyue, He Rufeng, and He Ruzhu all come from the side residence to attend tonight's banquet was the He matriarch's decision. She knew it was somewhat trying to cover things up, but she couldn't bear to not even keep up appearances.

But she also couldn't force herself to keep up appearances with the He grandfather and He Dingbang, father and son, so calling the five siblings over was her limit.

Some guests, not wanting to cause discomfort face-to-face, pretended not to have heard the rumors and greeted casually, asking, "Why haven't I seen Shixia? And tonight's guest of honor, is it Yichu?"

He Weian smiled and nodded. "Shixia and Xiao Chu will come down shortly. Please come in first."

But some guests deliberately provoked, asking casually, "President He, why haven't I seen your elder brother and the He patriarch?"

He Weian maintained her smile. "It seems President Gu has also heard the rumors. I didn't expect someone of President Gu's age to be so fond of gossip."

President Gu waved his hand. "Just joking, just joking. People gossip regardless of age; the older and more idle, the more they gossip. But I see your nephews and nieces are all quite fine. It seems the old lady is quite broad-minded?"

The He matriarch had already gone inside after greeting two old friends and wasn't at the entrance to receive guests together anymore. This President Gu was somewhat tactless but wouldn't say such things in front of an eighty-year-old. If nothing else, if he angered her into fainting, he couldn't bear the responsibility—that would be a big mess.

Guests entered the main hall, clinking glasses, exchanging greetings, talking about this and that, occasionally mentioning work matters but only briefly, not seriously discussing important business on such an occasion.

The most "smooth" topic at such events is, of course, gossip, especially when the host family is at the center of it.

"Eight percent of the shares—the He family is really generous."

"I heard it was the He sixth young master who gave his own shares to the Ning family's fake... adopted son, his partner."

"Wasn't it said that Ning Yichu drugged someone, climbed into bed, and then used the pregnancy to cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide to force He Shixia to marry him? This development doesn't seem like that at all..."

"Exactly. Even if He Shixia has a good temper, it's not to this extent. That wouldn't be soft-hearted; it would be foolish. Would President He watch her only son foolishly give away He Corporation shares?"

"Speaking of which, isn't He Shixia now not only President He's only son but also the He family's only legitimate grandchild..."

"So, that rumor is true?"

"When I entered earlier, I heard President Gu from the daily chemicals company deliberately ask President He. From President He's response, I think she basically admitted it, just didn't say it outright to save face."

"My, my, my, Old Mrs. He has been fiercely competitive all her life, only to have such a scandal break out in her old age..."

"That husband of hers is also 'something else,' managing to hide it for an entire lifetime."

"Hey, how did it suddenly come to light now?"

"No idea, it was quite sudden."

"Speaking of which, doesn't Old Mrs. He plan to pursue this? The Ning family directly kicked the person out..."

"Right, the Ning family is also... tsk, no wonder they became in-laws. Such scandals happening at the same time, and they're almost the same kind of thing."

"Illegitimate children aren't uncommon, but ones like He Dingbang and Ning Shaoli are truly rare."

"I think the Ning family's situation is more interesting. Father and son having an affair with the same woman, and then the father ends up marrying her. The son has to call her stepmom, but he and the stepmom also have a biological son, raised right under the father's nose for thirty years. Such skill in deception..."

"Hey, the one just kicked out of the Ning family is Elder Ning's third wife, right? Do she and Elder Ning have children? Could they also be... hmm..."

"Probably not. After the Ning Shaoli incident, no matter how dumb Elder Ning is, he should have done paternity tests. Since no one else was kicked out, they're likely his own."

"Speaking of Elder Ning... he's quite 'capable.' Married four times, each wife younger than the last, and had a son in his mid-seventies. Tsk tsk."

"Elder Ning isn't here today either, right?"

"Claimed he was unwell and resting at home. Who knows."

"Hey, is that He Shixia and Ning Yichu coming downstairs? Over by the staircase."

According to the time on the invitations, most guests had arrived. Ning Yichu and He Shixia finally came downstairs, wearing similarly styled formal wear with only differences in size and color shades. Walking side by side down the stairs, even as they joined the banquet, they seemed to exist in a separate bubble from everyone else.

People glanced over while continuing their hushed gossip.

"Speaking of which, is Ning Yichu really pregnant? Isn't he a man..."

"I wondered that too before. Maybe it's fake, just to con the He family into letting him in. But then again, the He family isn't that foolish. Such a bizarre claim would definitely be thoroughly investigated. What kind of nerve would Ning Yichu need to try such a trick? And now they're even giving him shares, so it probably isn't a lie."

"Still, it's quite a rarity."

"But this adopted son of the Ning family is exceptionally good-looking."

"The Ning family's young master went back to the Han family with his mother, right? Is he coming tonight? If he does, it'll be interesting. Weren't the two families originally planning to have the Ning young master and He Sixth Young Master get engaged? Never expected this adopted fake young master to beat him to it."

"Speaking of which, I just don't get it. Why arrange a marriage between two men? Don't the families consider the issue of heirs?"

"Exactly. The Ning family isn't short of people to produce heirs, and I heard they could get shares in Kangning Grand Hotel after the marriage..."

"Wait, really? Shares in Kangning Grand Hotel? How come I never heard about that?"

"It makes sense for the Ning family to push Ning Zeshu forward, but on the He family's side, He Weian only has He Sixth Young Master as her only son. No matter how close their friendship with the Ning family, there's no reason to agree to this marriage. Unless she originally planned to pass the He family business to the future child of one of her nephews or nieces?"

"That can't be. There's no talk of He Weian favoring any nephew or niece over her own son."

"And besides, they aren't really her nephews and nieces anymore... from a blood relation perspective, since He Dingbang isn't even her full brother."

At this banquet, although Ning Yichu was the guest of honor, he declined to give a boring public speech, so there wasn't much for him to do.

After making a round of introductions with He Shixia, Ning Yichu sat in a corner of the buffet area, eating something to fill his stomach while waiting for his specially invited guests to arrive.

He Shixia also got some food and ate with him, asking curiously, "A Ning, when will the guests you invited with those three blank invitations arrive?"

Ning Yichu glanced at the time. "The first two should be here soon."

The invitations sent out by the butler stated the banquet started at six. The first two invitations Ning Yichu sent separately were for seven o'clock, fifteen minutes from now.

Ten minutes later, Ning Yichu put down his plate, took a couple sips of water, then stood up and walked to the entrance of the hall, looking out.

Other guests noticed Ning Yichu and He Shixia standing by the door and came over to greet them. "Are you two waiting for someone? Are there still guests who haven't arrived?"

Ning Yichu smiled. "Waiting for two distinguished guests."

The other person was curious. "Really? Distinguished guests worthy of you personally waiting for them. I must see who they are. Mind if I wait with you?"

Ning Yichu: "Suit yourself."

Then others saw the three of them waiting by the door and came over to see what the fuss was about. Within two minutes, before Ning Yichu's guests had even arrived, many people knew he was waiting for two distinguished guests.

He Weian, who was conversing with guests, frowned slightly upon hearing this. She ended her current conversation and asked Tang Qingshan quietly, "Did they say specifically who they're waiting for?"

Tang Qingshan shook his head. "Someone asked, but neither Shixia nor Xiao Chu answered."

He Weian felt uneasy and whispered, "I have a feeling something else is about to happen... Notify the main gate not to let any more guests in, no matter how harmless they look, even with invitations."

Just as Tang Qingshan was about to do so, he realized it was too late because there was movement at the hall entrance. Ning Yichu's guests had arrived.

These two "distinguished guests" didn't even arrive in their own car but took a taxi. Stepping out of the car were not glamorous figures but a rather plain-looking mother and daughter pair, even appearing a bit travel-worn.

The mother had graying hair and a lean figure, making it somewhat difficult for the banquet attendees to determine her age. The daughter was younger and easier to place, probably in her early thirties.

They could tell it was a mother and daughter because the guests heard the younger one say after getting out of the car, "Mom, watch your step."

Seeing such "distinguished guests," the other guests who had been curious for a while couldn't help but feel greatly disappointed. Remembering that Ning Yichu himself was from an orphanage and adopted by the Ning family as a fake young master, they speculated these might be down-on-their-luck old friends from his orphanage days.

However... going out of his way to invite them on such an occasion showed he hadn't forgotten his roots.

The guests had their own thoughts, but they never expected what happened next—

Ning Yichu walked out and welcomed the mother and daughter into the banquet hall.

"Auntie Zhou, Sister Gao Hui, you must be tired from the journey," Ning Yichu greeted them.

The younger one—Gao Hui—shook her head. "Not at all. The travel expenses you gave were more than enough. We flew and took a taxi here, so it wasn't tiring."

After saying that, Gao Hui remembered she should confirm. "You must be Yichu, right?"

Ning Yichu nodded.

The older Auntie Zhou couldn't hold back anymore, her aged voice urgent. "Where is Qin Kai?"

Ning Yichu smiled. "No rush, I'll have someone fetch him for you right away. By the way—"

Walking back into the hall, Ning Yichu looked toward He Ruzhu, who was also nearby joining the crowd by the door, and called out casually, "Seventh Brother, since you're here, could you go call your brothers and sisters over? Your biological aunt and cousin are here. Come meet them."

The guests were shocked.

He Ruzhu also stood there dumbfounded. "Huh? Me?"

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