Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Wen Shen's words were quite sudden, but the meaning was clear. The audience couldn't help but discuss it—

"Ah? What does that mean? Claiming kinship?"

"That seems a bit hasty."

"I also think this occasion might not be very appropriate. It feels like it lacks gravitas."

"If it really is a child lost for over twenty years, their eagerness is understandable. But if they were truly eager, they would have acted sooner, right? After all, Ning Yichu's background was mentioned in the first few days of the show. Now the program is about to end; it feels like he's just asking because he happened to cross paths with him..."

"But Ning Yichu was also recording the show before; they couldn't have reached out to him then."

"At the very least, they could have looked into Ning Yichu's birthday in advance, not ask about it only now."

"Exactly. It doesn't seem that eager, nor patient enough to observe closely for a couple more days and ask after the show ends tomorrow night. Asking now, what is Ning Yichu supposed to say?"

"Is it real or not? What a coincidence!"

"If Wen Shen's sister really is A-Ning's biological mother, that would indeed be quite a coincidence, meeting on a show like this."

"A-Ning doesn't seem surprised or excited at all. Does he already know about this?"

"A-Ning is truly a legend."

"Regardless, it probably indicates that Ning Yichu is indifferent to matters related to his biological parents. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so calm, acting as if it has nothing to do with him."

"Wen Shen is quite famous in the fashion circle. The magazine he's the editor-in-chief of is a prestigious platform—if someone gets on the cover, or even just an inside page, fans hype it up massively. It's said Wen Shen has an extensive network. In short, his family background should be quite good. Would such a family really fail to find a child lost for over twenty years?"

"And with a jade pendant as a clear clue..."

"Even the neglectful adoptive Ning family managed to find A-Ning. If Wen Shen's sister really is A-Ning's biological mother... did their family really put in the effort to search?"

"Some gossip accounts dug up before that Wen Shen's family business is based abroad, not domestically. Maybe that's why it was hard to search within the country?"

"That's even more laughable. They lost a child but didn't develop connections in the country for so many years?"

"These are all guesses. Maybe Wen Shen's family has nothing to do with Ning Yichu at all."

"I'm still more interested in He Shixia's injured lip and the hickey on Ning Yichu's neck ^＿^"

Seeing Ning Yichu's indifferent reaction, Wen Shen paused, then softened his voice to explain further: "I'm sorry, my words were too abrupt. But I truly have no ill intentions. My sister and brother-in-law originally said not to rush, to at least wait until after the show to bring this up. Mentioning such a topic on the program might put you in an awkward position. But I'm sorry, I couldn't help staring at you just now. Since my staring was noticed, not clarifying the reason would cause more misunderstanding... So... would it be possible to see your jade pendant?"

His attitude now was slightly better than before, but Ning Yichu still showed little interest: "I threw it away."

Wen Shen was taken aback: "Threw it away? How could... That pendant is related to your heritage, why would you throw it away?"

Ning Yichu arched an eyebrow slightly: "Why keep something that only dampens the mood? Take it out to pay respects during the Qingming Festival?"

Wen Shen's expression immediately darkened somewhat: "You... how can you say that? Are you resentful that your parents lost you? But it wasn't intentional on their part. They've been searching for you all these years..."

Wen Shen was very image-conscious. After being so bluntly rejected by Ning Yichu, he didn't bring up the matter again for the rest of that day and the next.

However, among the other guest stars, there was a well-known host of a popular program, Fan Xuan, who took advantage of a break to "interview" the regular guests.

"Teacher Ren and Teacher Qin are getting divorced. Many netizens find it quite regrettable, and to be honest, so do I. I grew up watching your TV dramas when I was in my teens... Now the show is ending, would you be willing to tell the audience the reason for your divorce?" Fan Xuan first asked Ren Shi and Qin Muyun.

This pair, known as the "national couple," didn't change their expressions at this question. They remained as amiable as ever, answering with calm composure: "There's no particular reason. We just suddenly realized that our relationship feels more like friends than a married couple, not even particularly close friends."

"That's right, we didn't quarrel either, we just gradually drifted apart. The memories from our youth are still quite beautiful. Neither of us wants to force the relationship to continue. If we really reached the point of mutual aversion, wouldn't that just hold each other back and create even more regret?"

The reason for Ren Shi and Qin Muyun's divorce was as calm and easygoing as their personalities.

Fan Xuan then expressed regret and blessings, before shifting the topic with a smile, asking He Shixia and Ning Yichu: "Rumor has it online that Teacher He and Teacher Ning are also planning to divorce after the show. I think the audience must be quite curious. Could you share the reason for divorcing so quickly?"

Before He Shixia and Ning Yichu could speak, Ren Shi and Qin Muyun expressed surprise first: "You two are getting divorced too?"

Although the production team didn't confiscate phones, during the recording period, Ren Shi and Qin Muyun rarely looked at their phones. Their respective agents also wouldn't specifically contact them about matters unrelated to them. So, they were only learning about this "online rumor" now.

Ning Yichu smiled slightly and nodded.

He Shixia tsked lightly and said to Fan Xuan: "The way you phrased this interview question is problematic. Why ask about the reason for divorcing 'so quickly,' instead of just the reason for the divorce? Do all viewers think it's normal for us to reach the point of divorce?"

Ning Yichu tilted his head: "Obviously, it is indeed normal."

Fan Xuan offered a polite, knowing smile.

However, neither He Shixia nor Ning Yichu gave a direct answer to this question.

The audience could only confirm from their attitudes that the divorce plan was genuine, leaving many heartbroken.

In the blink of an eye, it was the final day. The production team's last planned segment finished recording around 3 PM, followed by the director's concluding remarks announcing the end of the program.

Then, the guests could return to their respective accommodations to pack. Once packed, they could leave their suitcases at the lodgings. Later, the production crew would handle the transport, just like when they arrived. When the ferry returned to port, the luggage would be returned to the guests, saving them the trouble of dragging it to the harbor themselves.

Since it was just packing and not returning at night to sleep, even though they were in the bedroom, neither Ning Yichu nor He Shixia made any effort to block the cameras.

Ning Yichu was too lazy to move, so he sat on the edge of the bed watching He Shixia pack his things along with his own.

"You two should kiss now. We haven't seen you being intimate in the bedroom ( )"

"Only heard it, right? Hehe."

"Huh? What's the box in Brother He's hand for?"

"Suddenly remembered He Shixia mentioned at the beginning that he brought some things that weren't fit for public view. But looking at him packing now, he doesn't seem to have them. Could they be in this box?"

"Open it and show us!"

"Tsk, could it be some 18+ bedroom supplies?"

"But we didn't hear them use anything the night before last?"

"And they probably didn't originally plan to get busy on the show... What exactly are those hidden things? I'm dying of curiosity!"

Unfortunately, He Shixia certainly wouldn't open the box in public. He directly stuffed it into the suitcase.

After He Shixia finished packing both their luggages, Ning Yichu finally got up, and the two leisurely headed out towards the port.

The return journey on the sea also took about two hours. This time, the production team didn't arrange any games. Instead, they took the guests straight to the restaurant deck on the ferry, letting them enjoy the final dinner of the program period.

During this time, Wen Shen, who had been quiet for over a day, tried several times to talk to Ning Yichu. Ning Yichu couldn't be bothered and simply ignored him. Later, when Wen Shen spoke again, He Shixia blocked him for Ning Yichu.

Two hours later, the ferry docked at the same port they departed from. The guests disembarked while bidding farewell to the cameras one last time. The recording of this program was officially over.

The car He Shixia had driven here earlier was parked by the production crew. Now, a crew member had already driven the car over. Seeing He Shixia approach, they handed back the spare parking key: "Teacher He, your and Teacher Ning's suitcases have already been placed in the car trunk. Please check and verify to avoid any oversights on our part."

"Okay, thank you." He Shixia first opened the car door so Ning Yichu could get in and rest, then went to check the trunk.

After a final check confirmed everything was in order, He Shixia was about to get into the car when Wen Shen, who had lagged behind while retrieving his luggage, approached again.

"I know, A Ning is now..." Wen Shen began.

Before he could finish, he was simultaneously interrupted by Ning Yichu, who was sitting in the passenger seat with the window rolled down, and He Shixia, who had just opened the driver's side door but hadn't yet gotten in.

Ning Yichu: "Who gave you permission to call me that?"

He Shixia: "You don't get to call him that."

Wen Shen paused, startled, then said softly, "Alright, I won't call you that for now... I know you're both annoyed with me, but something like family origins needs to be settled, right? My sister and brother-in-law just returned from abroad today and have already landed. If possible, could you come with me to meet them?"

Ning Yichu scoffed.

He Shixia replied coldly on his behalf: "Mr. Wen, your tone may be polite, but your words are not. If your family wishes to see A Ning, then please take the initiative to visit him. Asking A Ning to go see you? You're really putting on airs as elders. Anyone who didn't know better would think it was A Ning who abandoned you back then."

Just as Wen Shen was about to respond, He Shixia had already gotten into the car, closed the door, and pulled away smoothly.

The wind blew into the car. Ning Yichu was about to close the passenger side window when he saw it slowly rising on its own—He Shixia was controlling it from the driver's console.

Ning Yichu pulled his hand back, looked at the road ahead, and said, "You seem to have already concluded that Wen Shen is indeed my biological uncle."

He Shixia smiled gently and said, "I guessed from your reaction. If I couldn't even see that, I'd be too embarrassed to say I love you in this lifetime... But I still can't figure out the truth about why you were abandoned at the orphanage entrance back then."

"From the looks of Wen Shen's family, it doesn't seem like a case of poverty or an inability to look for you. Moreover, they now seem so confident about wanting you back, as if they believe they shouldn't be blamed for what happened and that you'd definitely choose to return to them once you know the whole story. I don't like this kind of 'reunion' that appears calm but is actually cold and detached."

Ning Yichu shrugged slightly: "As for that, I actually don't know the answer either."

The original book's plot didn't mention it. Just like how it said the real young master was stolen by a villain as a child, the fake young master's origins were also glossed over with a simple "lost by accident shortly after birth." It didn't even explain in detail what happened with the villain who stole the real young master, let alone delve into the fake young master's situation.

"However, I suspect my adoptive parents might know the truth. We can try to trick them into revealing it later," Ning Yichu continued.

He Shixia nodded: "Let's rest first after getting back today. There's still a week until the scheduled surgery. Do you want to resolve these matters before the surgery or deal with them afterward?"

Ning Yichu said matter-of-factly: "Better to settle it early for peace and quiet."

But Ning Yichu wasn't in such a hurry that he planned to skip resting tonight. After all, they had just finished recording a fifteen-day program. Although he hadn't been overly tired during the show, he still wanted to unwind for a night first. Unexpectedly, others really couldn't stand seeing him idle for a moment. This night ended up being quite busy indeed—

As soon as they returned to the He family home, He Shixia's mother, He Weian, and father, Tang Qingshan, were waiting for them in the downstairs hall.

"Shixia, Xiao Chu, you're back. Come here for a moment," Tang Qingshan called them. "Your mother has a document for Xiao Chu."

Ning Yichu raised an eyebrow.

He Weian stated directly: "It's shares in Kangning."

Now Ning Yichu was interested, so he walked over. He Shixia naturally followed close beside him.

Seeing He Shixia following him like a shadow, the small, unusual mark still lingering on He Shixia's lips, and the faint, still-visible traces on Ning Yichu's exposed neck, He Weian felt a headache coming on. She really wanted to ask if they truly believed they didn't know anyone else in this world...

But after the headache passed, He Weian bit back her words and only said to Ning Yichu, who had sat down: "Previously, when the Ning family got into trouble, I took advantage of the situation and bought the Kangning shares held by the Gu and Xu families."

"But then, after you exposed Chen Yu's secret crush on Ning Zeshu, he wanted to prove to Du Shu that he really had no feelings for Ning Zeshu anymore, so he quickly asked me if I still wanted Kangning shares. Therefore, now the Kangning board of directors only has members from our He family and the Ning family."

"I hold 29% of the shares, plus another 5% collectively managed by other board members—now it's just me left. So, although this portion of shares is nominally under Ning Shaoren's name, the management rights are actually with me."

"And from what I know, Ning Shaoren plans to transfer this 5% of shares to you on the grounds that you and Shixia are married. As the manager, I have already signed and approved the relevant documents. According to the timeline specified in the documents, Ning Shaoren should give you the shares no later than the day after tomorrow."

After all this preamble, He Weian finally got to the main point: "So, after I give you my 29% of Kangning shares, you will have 34%. The other Ning family members combined can only muster 34%. From then on, Kangning will be yours."

This genuinely surprised Ning Yichu.

He reminded He Weian: "He Shixia and I are getting divorced."

He Shixia smiled helplessly: "A Ning, you can get the shares first and then talk about that."

He Weian shot He Shixia a look of exasperation, then continued to Ning Yichu: "I don't care about matters between you two. Love, divorce, do as you please. As for the child in your belly, I have no say. If you don't want it, don't have it. I'm giving you the Kangning shares. You can interpret it however you like. In any case, it's not to demand anything from you. At most, it's compensation from me, as the head of the He family, representing the He family to you."

"I admit I misunderstood you greatly before. Even knowing the truth about the night you and Shixia had the accident was suspicious, I still chose to join the Ning family in blaming you, and I allowed He Dingbang and others to mock you while they were still in the He family. I also admit that if it weren't for the drastic actions you've taken recently, I wouldn't be saying this now or thinking about compensating you."

"But regardless, now He Dingbang and the others have left the He family. Shixia's grandmother has already given you the remaining He Group shares she held. If Shixia hasn't held anything back, he should have given you everything he has as well. Plus, with me giving you this 34% of Kangning shares..."

Ning Yichu understood and said knowingly: "You're apprehensive because of what happened to the Ning family. You hope that, seeing the sincerity of these compensations, I won't target the He family anymore. If I want to stir up trouble, I should go stir it up at Kangning instead. Is that right?"

He Weian sighed: "Yes. Is that acceptable?"

Ning Yichu smiled: "Sure. After all, you only said some unpleasant things to me. In exchange for all these tangible shares now and your future wariness towards me, it's still quite a good deal."

He Weian felt his words were rather impolite, but after hesitating, she decided against speaking further. She only gestured for Tang Qingshan to hand the prepared agreement to Ning Yichu.

"The lawyer and I have already signed it, but the date is set for three days from now. This is to avoid conflict with my signature as a shareholder on the 5% shares Ning Shaoren is about to give you. These three days will also give you time to review the terms carefully and sign only after confirming there are no issues. There are three copies; take them all. After signing, just return two of them to me," He Weian added.

Ning Yichu took it, glanced at it, and then handed it to He Shixia: "You look it over for me."

He Shixia was momentarily stunned, then smiled warmly: "I knew you trust me now."

Ning Yichu frowned: "You do the first pass. I'll review it myself again before I sign."

He Shixia nodded gently: "Alright."

He Weian felt it was too much to watch and prepared to stand up: "That's settled then."

"Wait. Let me inform you in advance that Ruxue's biological mother might come to the He family to cause trouble for her later," Ning Yichu reminded them with a strong sense of contractual spirit. "I had He Shixia arrange this before we returned. It's not appropriate to change it now, so let it proceed."

He Weian frowned: "Xiao Chu..."

Ning Yichu: "As 'compensation,' I can tell you something else. Let me ask first: Did you previously agree to the Ning family's proposal to arrange a marriage alliance between He Shixia and Ning Zeshu because the Ning family had some leverage over you?"

He Weian and Tang Qingshan's expressions changed.

He Weian looked at the other servants in the hall and instructed: "You may leave."

As the servants began to file out, the butler walked in and said to He Weian: "Miss, the Ning family has sent people again. This time, it's not just President Ning Shaoren and his wife, Mrs. Han, but their two sons have also come."

"President Ning said he knows Young Master Xiao Chu returned today and wants to see him. He also said if Young Master Xiao Chu is unwilling to see them, to mention it's related to the 5% of Kangning shares promised to him. They brought the contract."

Ning Yichu found it quite amusing: "Why is everyone so eager to give me things tonight? Have Kangning shares become that hot to handle?"

He Weian shook her head helplessly: "Although there are rumors that some of Kangning's commercial secrets were leaked to competitors by Lu Xi before she left, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse, and Kangning hasn't reached that starved state yet."

"I took advantage of the recent troubles in the Ning family and the transfer of shares with the Gu, Xu, and Chen families to also review Kangning's operations. Don't worry, there are no hidden dangers of illegal activities. After all, Kangning's board was closely monitored before. The worst Ning Shaoren could do was hinder Kangning's development due to his incompetence. If you don't want to stir up trouble with Kangning later, it can still hold on."

"As for the Ning family coming now, they're probably afraid of delaying and making you think they lack sincerity, giving you a chance to do something else in the meantime. They seem to think Lu Xi leaking commercial secrets and fleeing was also your doing, but they have no evidence, so they can only swallow their frustration."

Ning Yichu smiled: "I see. Thank you, Mom, for clearing that up."

That "Mom" made He Weian unsure whether to acknowledge it or not: "...Will you see them?"

"Of course. When people are rushing to give me good things, why would I refuse?" Ning Yichu said leisurely. "He Shixia, put away the contract Mom gave me first, lest my adoptive parents see it later and cause complications. They might not be happy to see me become Kangning's major shareholder. Then, contact Wen Shen. Didn't he want to see me? Have everyone come to the He family tonight for a gathering. Let's resolve everything together."

Upon hearing "gather at the He family home," He Weian was reminded of the previous banquet and nearly had a PTSD moment, but managed to hold it back.

Although He Shixia didn't have Wen Shen's contact information yet, since Ning Yichu requested it, He Shixia agreed—after all, getting a contact method wouldn't be hard.

However, just as He Shixia was about to reach out to Wen Shen and the butler was preparing to notify the gate to let the Ning family's car in, new information arrived from the gate.

After listening, the butler relayed with a complicated expression: "There are three unfamiliar visitors. The driver claims to be Wen Shen and wishes to visit Young Master Xiao Chu (Ning Yichu)."

Hearing this, Ning Yichu remarked with ease: "That saves He Shixia some trouble. Let them all in."