Chi Feiran looked out of the floor-to-ceiling window, realizing that in his past life, he would never have received such a gift.
Thinking about it, his heart couldn’t help but stir, and he tightened his grip on Chi Jun’s hand, saying, “It’s all in the past.”
He couldn’t forgive on behalf of his mother, nor could he dismiss the significance of the years of separation between father and son, or the events between the older generation. He had only recently learned about these matters.
His mother never discussed the Chi family with him. Although he had been curious and asked before, his mother simply said that he would understand when he grew up. Later, when he inquired, Edmond would always intervene. After a while, Chi Feiran figured out that his mother did not like him asking about these things.
For Chi Jun, who was too distant for him in his younger years, Edmond was more patient and attentive than many fathers his age. He did have a father, but this father was not bound to him by blood.
As he grew older, Chi Feiran learned not to dwell on it. After all, they were people he hadn’t had contact with since childhood. He even thought that the other party might have started a new family with other children.
If it weren’t for this unexpected return to China, Chi Feiran might never have had the chance to meet Chi Jun after graduating from college.
He might have never known that his biological father cared about him and missed him so much when he learned of his supposed death over ten years ago.
Chi Feiran couldn’t help but feel a bit choked up thinking about how Chi Jun felt when he thought his son had died. But luckily…
Luckily, he had come back, and they had met.
Chi Jun placed his hand on Chi Feiran’s, patting it gently. “Yes, it’s all in the past.”
In the empty, undecorated building, the father and son sat on paint cans that hadn’t been cleared away yet, chatting casually without any formalities.
Sometimes, Chi Jun would gaze at his son’s youthful face and sigh at how fast time flew. As the sky darkened, he finally said, “Contact me when you’re ready to return… I almost couldn’t believe it when they said you were coming back.”
To be honest, he was a bit afraid. The longer time passed, the clearer he became about the mistakes he had made in that failed marriage. The more he understood, the more he feared.
He feared meeting a son who completely resisted him. He feared that all of his inaction and the harm he had caused Xie Man would be repaid in his child. He feared that the memory of his lovely, once-adoring son would be replaced by a son who looked at him with indifference.
But that fear did not come to pass.
Xie Man never spoke ill of him. She kept silent and, as she had promised, let the child judge for himself when he grew up.
She succeeded.
Even after so many years of divorce, Chi Jun finally realized that maybe they were truly incompatible, but it was never because Xie Man was not good enough for him.
Chi Feiran interrupted his thoughts and softly said, “Dad, don’t think about it anymore.”
Chi Feiran knew about his mother and Edmond. If they hadn’t softened their stance, he would never have had the opportunity to connect with Chi Jun in this way.
In his past life, this was probably the missed opportunity.
Chi Feiran said slowly, “Don’t think about the past. Let’s think more about the future.”
He smiled, suddenly feeling that the car accident didn’t seem so terrifying when recalled.
Chi Jun also joined in the laughter. “Yes, let’s think more about the future!”
The sky had completely darkened, and the father and son went to have a good dinner, marking the end of this brief yet profound father-son time.
Before falling asleep, Chi Feiran made a call to his home in A Country. Xie Man answered quickly, sounding a bit tired but still gentle. “Feiran, I’ve been thinking; you should be calling soon.”
Suppressing the hint of bitterness in his heart, Chi Feiran spoke cheerfully to her, mastering the art of conversation after his chat with Chi Jun and having accumulated enough material from the filming of “Sword and Bone.”
Communication in the filming location wasn’t great, so he had saved a lot of stories. Additionally, after talking to Chi Jun, he had become more proficient.
Listening quietly, Xie Man waited until Chi Feiran had said everything and even became a bit parched, then asked, “Do you want to say a few words to Edmond?”
Of course, Chi Feiran wanted to. He also genuinely missed Edmond.
Taking the phone, Edmond greeted him with an exaggerated tone, “Darling, do you miss me?”
Chi Feiran responded with a smile, “Of course.”
After chatting for a while with his stepfather, Chi Feiran asked in a hushed voice, “Is Mom not doing well recently?”
Edmond immediately adopted a melodramatic tone, dragging out his words, “Oh, my little prince, it’s not me who’s not doing well. You should know that your beautiful mother’s method of dealing with a rebellious son in adolescence is to torment her poor husband…”
Chi Feiran couldn’t help but chuckle, but soon he suppressed his amusement. In a low voice, he apologized, “I’m sorry, Edmond.”
Perhaps scolded by Xie Man’s gaze, Edmond’s tone returned to normal, saying, “Listen, my dear, there’s no need to apologize. We aren’t against you pursuing your dreams. Victoria is just worried about you, especially considering you and her have never been apart for so long and have never been this far apart, right?”
Chi Feiran knew they were treating him as a rebellious teenager, reassuring him in that way, but it was better this way. At least, it provided a decent reason for his departure.
Chi Feiran took a deep breath and said, “Please believe me; I can take care of myself. Please take care of yourselves too, okay?”
Chi Feiran nodded, then said after a moment of silence, “Edmond, please pass the phone to Chris.”
Edmond on the other end raised an eyebrow and handed the phone to Chris, who was standing nearby.
Chris took the phone, hesitated, and then called out, “Ethan?”
Chi Feiran said, “Now, take the phone away from Mom and Edmond, don’t put it on speaker, and make sure they can’t hear our conversation.”
Chris followed the instructions, leaving the two parents exchanging glances, wondering what the two brothers were up to.
Chi Feiran’s mood became increasingly restless, and his breath started to quicken.
Chris moved to a place where Xie Man and Edmond couldn’t hear, then said, “All good.”
Chi Feiran opened up straightforwardly, “Chris, if… if Edmond wants me to inherit everything, would you choose to kill me?”
Chris’s eyebrows furrowed deeply upon hearing the question. He turned back to look at the distance and walked a few steps away before responding in an unusually cold tone, “Why would you ask that? Who told you anything!”
Chi Feiran struggled to get the question out, and certainly didn’t want him to respond with another question. He almost shouted, “Answer me!”
Chris had never heard him use such an out-of-control tone. Despite the burning anger within him, he forced himself to remain calm. However, urgency seeped through his tone, “Of course not!”
Chris, holding the phone tightly, continued, “My father has discussed this with me before! I would be your best partner!”
Chi Feiran, shaking all over, spoke forcefully to prevent himself from getting overwhelmed, “Are you willing?”
Chris suppressed the desire to roar. He spoke calmly but urgently, “Ethan, it’s you and Mom who made me a Bennett.”
He was originally the adopted child of Edmond’s previous fiancée, adopted by Edmond himself.
Adopting children in high society was almost as easy as adopting pets. Some did it out of genuine love for children, while others did it for social appearances, showcasing their supposed kindness. Children were often treated as social tools, providing a common topic for discussions and a means of flaunting generosity.
The woman who adopted him hoped that he would eventually become a Bennett through marriage.
However, Edmond eventually broke off the engagement with her, leaving Chris in an awkward situation.
Later, Edmond met Ethan’s mother, and the Bennett family finally welcomed a true mistress.
Edmond wasn’t particularly fond of children, and Chris didn’t even know that Edmond had a tender side before Victoria appeared. She changed Edmond, and Chris, who had to leave this place after just one year, was uncertain about his future. Would he return to the orphanage, or would someone else adopt him?
At that time, he knew nothing. The only thing he knew was that the Bennett family would continue to support his living expenses until he came of age.
But Ethan saw him, and Ethan liked him. Victoria said, “I was adopted, and I don’t want to see another child go through that.”
One sentence changed the course of his life.
He felt warmth he had never experienced before—adorable younger brother, a patient father who taught him, and a mother who told them stories at night. All of this was unimaginable for the former Chris.
Chris said, “Ethan, I could never harm you and Mom.”
Chi Feiran’s heart contracted and then released. Tears uncontrollably flowed down, his voice rigid, “You only have one chance. Don’t lie to me.”
Chris took a deep breath and solemnly said, “I won’t lie to you.”
Chi Feiran knew that it was not right to trust so easily, but this was the person he wanted to believe in.
Chi Feiran couldn’t help but choke up and said softly, “I doubted you… I was afraid you’d run away… I…”
The shadow of death and the immense pain from that time continued to haunt him. The bomb triggered by the car accident and Chris’s phone call, he feared death, but more than that, he feared that Chris was the real culprit.
If it weren’t for today’s conversation with his dad, he wouldn’t have known when he would gather enough courage to ask Chris.
Chris interrupted his words, “I had enough motivation. You have every reason to doubt.”
Chi Feiran hesitated, “…”
Fortunately, Chris continued, “But I think you believe in me.”
The two brothers continued talking. Meanwhile, on the other side, Edmond struggled to hold back Xie Man.
Edmond consoled her repeatedly, “My dear, Ethan is a boy. Overprotecting him like this isn’t good. Let them, as brothers, solve their own problems, okay?”
Xie Man understood the reasoning, but the feeling of being in the dark made her completely lose control. “I just wanted to hear…”
She felt it was inappropriate to say it out loud, eavesdropping on her son’s phone call, something she would never normally do.
Edmond hugged her, gently patting her back. “Children need to grow up. You need to learn to give them some space.”
After much struggle, Xie Man finally said weakly, “I thought I had done well enough, but Ethan…”
Edmond comforted her, “You’ve done more than enough. But children at Ethan’s age are the most unpredictable. They need their own space. Just imagine, if he finds out that you eavesdropped on his phone call, how would he feel?”
After some inner struggles, Xie Man slowly, thoroughly relaxed and leaned into his embrace. When her emotions recovered, Edmond faced his eldest son again in the study. The expressions on both of their faces were so identical that it was almost uncanny—chillingly severe.
Edmond closed his eyes and, when he opened them again, the gentle look he had given Xie Man had completely vanished. His gaze turned as sharp as a hawk, “I thought I had done well enough, but someone from the Bennett family dared to say such things to Ethan…”
In his eyes, how could his carefully protected youngest son have possibly come up with such thoughts without reason?
He even refused to attend a prestigious business school!
If he could have such a heart himself, Edmond would feel much more relieved. He might even laugh himself awake from dreaming.
Chris had the same icy look, “I will thoroughly investigate this matter.”
Edmond looked at him, “Don’t disappoint me.”
…
After finishing the call, Chi Feiran felt considerably relieved, and even his sleep quality improved.
He only rested at home for a day before diving into the seamless album promotion process. This was the latest update since the music festival, and the company had been carefully monitoring his promotional pace. The attention brought by Cheng Jin prompted him to make a move on Weibo, triggering a wave of reposts.
However, even before he recorded his first promotional appearance, two threads had already surfaced on one of China’s largest entertainment forums, insinuating the existence of a hidden sponsor.
“818: C-surnamed little fresh meat suddenly turned red, suspected to have a hidden sponsor.”
“Without going through the usual trainee screening, he’s parachuted for a personal album! And look at that lineup of producers! Isn’t anyone going to discuss this?”
