Chapter 14

Shang Zhiyi took another bite of the food her dad had picked for her, and the numbness and spiciness spread from her tongue to her throat.

It felt as though her whole chest was burning from the spiciness.

“She picked up the glass of water beside her and drank it quickly. She could handle spicy food well, and this level of spiciness was nothing to her. Finally, under the guise of the spiciness, tears welled up again and ran down to the corners of her mouth.

Xu Xiangyi asked the waiter for a wet towel, ‘Don’t cry. It’s my failure as a father.’

Shang Zhiyi shook her head, ‘You and Mom are victims too.’

That’s why, when she wasn’t firmly chosen in the past, she only felt sad but never blamed them.

At the corner of the table, Xu Xiangyi’s phone lit up. He received a message from He Yi’an: [I told Ningwei that we’ll bring Zhiyi back next month, and she agreed. She’s now locked in her room, crying silently.]

At this moment, Shang Zhiyi’s phone also buzzed in her bag. She took it out and saw an unknown number.

After calming herself for a moment, she answered the call, ‘Hello, who is this?’

‘It’s me, Xu Ningwei.’

‘What’s the matter?’ Shang Zhiyi tried her best to make her voice sound as if she hadn’t been crying.

Xu Ningwei gave a faint ‘Mm.’ A moment of impulse made her dial the number directly. She hadn’t even prepared what to say. After calming her emotions, she tried her best to organize her thoughts.

She made the call after being provoked by Xiao Meihua.

Just a few minutes ago, Xiao Meihua called Xu Ningwei and said that since it was decided to switch back, there was no reason to stay with Xu Xiangyi any longer.

She asked Xu Ningwei directly, ‘When are you coming back?’

Her voice was cold, with no extra emotion.

The mother and daughter had similar tempers. Xu Ningwei responded just as indifferently, ‘I don’t know.’

Xiao Meihua, trying to be patient, said, ‘Come back sooner, don’t drag it out.’

Xu Ningwei ignored her, not wanting to return to the home in Beijing or live under the same roof as that sister. Just thinking about it annoyed her. She wanted to delay as long as possible.

Xiao Meihua waited for a while, and when the other side stayed silent, she lost her patience: ‘Learn from Shang Zhiyi. At least she has some backbone. Back then, she insisted on everyone returning to their own homes, and she’d rather live in a shared apartment than go back. She said it and did it. I don’t expect you to be as resolute as her, but at least be more decisive. We’ve already cleaned up your room at home. Give me a definite answer on when you’re coming back. Don’t linger there and make it seem like your dad and I have bad genes.’

Xu Ningwei retorted, ‘Your genes aren’t that great either!’

After hanging up, she was still fuming. She could already foresee the unbearable days with Xiao Meihua after returning, plus dealing with that sister—she would go crazy.

Since Shang Zhiyi was the one who proposed that everyone return to their own homes, if she wanted to stay, she had to discuss it with her. There might still be a slim chance. After all, as long as she didn’t have to face Xiao Meihua, what was a little humility?

On the other end of the phone, Shang Zhiyi waited for a few seconds without hearing a word. ‘Hello? If you’re not going to say anything, I’m hanging up.’

Xu Ningwei snapped back, ‘I heard from Xiao Meihua that you insisted on everyone returning to their own homes?’

She couldn’t bring herself to call Xiao Meihua ‘Mom,’ so she just addressed her by name.

Shang Zhiyi: ‘Yes.’ She asked in return, ‘Since the decision was made to switch back, shouldn’t everyone return to their own homes?’

Xu Ningwei stayed silent.

Because she was in the wrong, enjoying resources and parental love that shouldn’t have been hers for twenty years.

Shang Zhiyi: ‘What exactly do you want to say?’

Xu Ningwei, usually speaking without thinking, now had to be cautious. It wasn’t that she was thoughtless; she simply never had to think about others’ feelings before speaking. But now, that wouldn’t work.

She carefully controlled her tone and slowed down her speech to avoid sounding too harsh: ‘Are you worried that if I stay, I’ll fight for resources or inheritance? I can promise right now: money, shares, property—I don’t want any of it. Even if Mom and Dad give it to me, I’ll give it back to you. I don’t want to see Xiao Meihua, so I’m asking to stay so we can both be near Mom and Dad.’

Shang Zhiyi responded without hesitation, ‘No. I’m a selfish person.’ She didn’t want to share her parents’ love with outsiders.

Xu Ningwei took several deep breaths, setting aside her pride, and said, ‘Don’t worry, I won’t fight for anything, including their love. I know you don’t plan on interacting with me.’ She felt the same way.

She wasn’t about to fake affection or lower herself.

‘Even if we live under the same roof, I can make sure we don’t interfere with each other’s lives. We can avoid each other entirely. If you come home during breaks, you can let me know in advance, and I’ll go on a trip. The reason I want to stay isn’t just to avoid Xiao Meihua—my life’s dreams can only be supported by Dad and Mom. If I go home, Xiao Meihua would never agree, let alone support me.’

‘What dream? I’ll support you.’

‘!’

Xu Ningwei, enraged, hung up the phone immediately.

Shang Zhiyi was the last person she wanted to talk to in this life. If it weren’t absolutely necessary, she would never have swallowed her pride to call her. This phone call was a miserable experience.

‘Was it Ningwei?’ Xu Xiangyi asked.

‘Yeah.’ Shang Zhiyi put her phone away.

From their brief conversation, Xu Xiangyi roughly guessed what Xu Ningwei had said. ‘Was she asking to stay at home?’

‘Yeah.’ Shang Zhiyi didn’t say more, unsure if her parents would waver in their decision due to Xu Ningwei’s request. Emotionally, Xu Ningwei was the one they cared about most, while Shang Zhiyi was only their biological and legal child.

Xu Xiangyi reassured his daughter, ‘Your mom and I never planned to keep you both with us at the same time. We never had that thought. Ningwei has her own home and parents.’ Returning to their earlier conversation, he said, ‘It was your mom’s and my decision for everyone to return to their own homes. Ningwei probably misunderstood. I’ll talk to her and clear things up when I get back.'”

“Shang Zhiyi looked at her dad and said, ‘She didn’t misunderstand. I’ve always insisted that we return to our own homes.’

Then she picked up her chopsticks and resumed eating.

Xu Xiangyi immediately thought back to the hospital and why his daughter had refused his card. It was because if he had decided to keep both daughters with him, Zhiyi would never return home.

If she didn’t come home, she naturally wouldn’t accept anything from him.

‘So, does this mean you can now spend your dad’s money?’ he asked.

Shang Zhiyi didn’t hesitate this time and nodded.

Xu Xiangyi called over the bodyguard and asked him to retrieve his wallet from the car.

He pulled out two cards and placed them in front of his daughter, adding a condition: ‘You can’t just take them without spending.’

Shang Zhiyi only kept one card. ‘I don’t need two. One is enough.’

‘Take both. Each card comes with different membership services.’ Xu Xiangyi pushed the cards back toward her with a smile. ‘Your mom has her own card, and if you don’t spend my money, who else will?’

After hesitating for a few seconds, Shang Zhiyi took both cards.

In her cardholder, the card her second brother, Qi Zhengchen, gave her—the one marked “Into the Reincarnation”—lay quietly in the first slot. She placed her dad’s cards in the slots below.

After dinner, Xu Xiangyi drove Shang Zhiyi back to her shared apartment.

On the way, he once again took out his phone and asked her to choose a design for a room.

‘Dad, I want to discuss something with you,’ she said.

‘I’m your dad. Why are you being so polite?’ Xu Xiangyi smiled warmly. ‘There’s no need to discuss; whatever you say, I’ll agree to.’

Shang Zhiyi finally got a taste of what it felt like to be indulged. ‘I have a really good relationship with my roommate. We’ve been sharing an apartment for three years. She’s very frugal. Her parents run a small business and work day and night, so it’s really tough for them. She’s graduating from her master’s program next year, and I want to continue living with her for one more year.’

Xu Xiangyi: ‘…’

He immediately regretted being so confident earlier, now unable to take back his words.

It wasn’t impossible for her to rent a place outside, so he offered a compromise. They could cancel their current lease and move into a larger apartment, and her roommate, Yu Zijia, would only need to pay the same rent she had been paying.

‘Would that work?’ he asked.

But Shang Zhiyi didn’t plan on moving. ‘Yu Zijia has a similar personality to mine. She’d feel guilty if she benefited from someone else’s privilege.’ She tried to convince her dad, ‘The apartment may be small, but it’s clean, and it’s close to school.’

What else could Xu Xiangyi say? He smiled helplessly, ‘Alright, whatever you say.’

Today, Yu Zijia hadn’t gone out, so Xu Xiangyi only dropped his daughter off at the entrance of the shared apartment.

Back in the car, he sent a message to his wife: [Are you asleep?]

It was 2:15 AM in China, and He Yi’an had just finished getting ready for bed, though she hadn’t laid down yet.

After a restless night, Ningwei had finally fallen asleep, but she herself wasn’t tired at all.

She replied: [Just about to sleep.]

Xu Xiangyi immediately called her on voice chat, wanting to check in on their adopted daughter’s emotional state.

He Yi’an said, ‘She cried herself to sleep just now.’

Xu Xiangyi was silent for a while. The bond built up over the years between father and daughter couldn’t fade in a day or two, and Ningwei had been raised by his wife, so the attachment was even deeper. That his wife remained steadfast in having the two children return to their own homes, without wavering, was already quite remarkable.

He reassured her, ‘Don’t be upset. Shang Tongxu is very attentive and considerate toward Ningwei. She won’t be mistreated when she goes back.’

He Yi’an said, ‘I’m fine. By the way, when the break started, Ningwei said she wanted to use her scholarship to treat us to a meal. Do you remember?’

He remembered very well.

At the time, they didn’t know the children had been switched at birth. Ningwei had won a scholarship and planned to use it to take them out for dinner, even choosing a restaurant by the Thames. He and his wife had been so happy and proud, and they had decided to take a vacation to spend more time with her in London once they wrapped up work.

Then they found out about the switch, and no one was in the mood for anything anymore.

He Yi’an continued, ‘Ningwei’s scholarship is still there, and she wants to treat us to dinner to thank us for raising her for twenty years.’

Xu Xiangyi said, ‘Tell Ningwei that no matter how busy I am, I’ll make time for that meal.’

—

In early August, Xu Xiangyi officially announced the switch-up between the two children, stating that Zhiyi had been raised exceptionally well by her adoptive parents.

Those few short words stirred up quite a storm.

Even though Xu Xiangyi had clarified that it was a mistake, some people couldn’t help but speculate that Zhiyi was the child of another woman, returned under the guise of adoption.

The idea of an illegitimate child being “adopted” was not uncommon in wealthy families.

Considering He Yi’an’s no-nonsense personality, it was assumed that she had only tolerated the situation for the sake of her two children’s interests.

Some chat screenshots made their way to Jiang Sixun, who forwarded them to Xu Heng.

Xu Heng: [Got it.]

He had a picture of Shang Zhiyi. The night of the concert, both of his sisters had taken photos with their idols, and he had used his own phone to take pictures of them.

He didn’t want to release his sister’s photo publicly, but given the circumstances, he found the picture in which Zhiyi most resembled their mother and posted it on his social media, without any caption. In the comments, he left one sentence: ‘Ningwei has returned to her own home.’

That finally silenced the rumors.

Since late July, Xu Ningwei had been packing her things. With the help of two professional organizers, it took her a full week to finish. Xu Xiangyi used a private jet to transport all her belongings to Beijing.

The large apartment where Shang Tongxu now lived was nearly 300 square meters, but it wasn’t big enough to hold all of Ningwei’s stuff. There weren’t enough shoe or wardrobe spaces either.”

“Xu Ningwei had over a hundred bags. She said they were expensive, with many being limited editions, so they couldn’t just be tossed around; they needed to be placed on display shelves.

There were also various collectibles, and it would take about three bookshelves to store them all.

Shang Tongxu cleared out another apartment in the same neighborhood, which they had been planning to rent out. This one was a bit smaller, around 200 square meters.

Xiao Meihua was furious, her head aching: ‘The rent for that place is hundreds of thousands per year, and you’re using it to store all that junk? Shang Tongxu, have you lost your mind from doing all those experiments?’

Shang Tongxu replied, ‘Let’s just say I’ve lost my mind.’

Otherwise, what were they supposed to do with all of Ningwei’s stuff?

Xiao Meihua pressed her temples, blurting out, ‘You should stop wasting your time on 3D-printed hearts and just print yourself a brain and replace your own first.’

Shang Tongxu responded, ‘You were the one who was in such a rush to find our daughter, and now that she’s back, this is how you react.’ It was incomprehensible.

‘I was in a rush to find her because it’s what a mother should do, but she barely acknowledged me, acting like a spoiled princess. Why should I keep trying when she doesn’t care?’

Thinking back to the first day they met, Xiao Meihua still felt stifled.

‘Do you really think she wanted to come back? She had no choice! She looks down on our family. Shang Tongxu, you need to face reality. Don’t try to ingratiate yourself with people who don’t care.’

Shang Tongxu looked at his wife. ‘You’ve gone too far.’

Xiao Meihua snorted, unwilling to say even harsher words.

Shang Tongxu wasn’t defending Ningwei, but he wanted his wife to understand: ‘Not every child knows how to please their parents. You’ve been spoiled by Zhiyi, so you think that’s how all kids should be.’

Hearing this, Xiao Meihua was taken aback.

Shang Tongxu made an effort to stay calm. ‘Ningwei was spoiled by Xu Xiangyi’s family, so it’s normal for her to have a bit of a temper. If you had grown up in a family like that, you might have an even stronger sense of superiority than she does. We’re her parents; what’s the point of arguing with her? Over time, things will probably get better.’

Their younger daughter, Shang Canran, looked at the spacious living room, now crammed with large and small boxes, so full that there wasn’t even room to step. She almost blacked out at the sight.

For some reason, she had the gut feeling that her good days were coming to an end.

Xu Ningwei’s less frequently used items were stored in the other apartment, while her more commonly worn clothes and shoes stayed in the main house.

All the clothes of the other three family members combined weren’t as numerous as her wardrobe for a single season.

Shang Tongxu cleared out the room where Shang Zhiyi used to stay, removing the bed and desk, and replacing them with several wardrobes for Xu Ningwei’s clothes.

Looking at the room that Zhiyi had lived in since childhood, now transformed, he couldn’t quite describe how he felt inside.

Xiao Meihua, standing in the changed room, finally realized that the little girl who used to call her ‘Mom’ tirelessly was truly gone from their home.

On Xu Ningwei’s first night back, the whole family stayed up late into the night.

Though she had returned, she was firm in her decision not to change her name or her last name.

Her name was her choice, and no one could control that.

Shang Zhiyi hadn’t yet returned to her home in Shanghai, as the custom furniture He Yi’an had ordered for her was still being rushed. In the meantime, Shang Zhiyi had a project to work on, so after discussing with her parents, she planned to return home for a few days before the new school term started.

He Yi’an said her name sounded beautiful, so they only changed her surname, calling her Xu Zhiyi.

On Saturday morning, Xu Zhiyi deliberately set an alarm for nine o’clock. On a typical rest day, she might sleep in and not wake up before ten.

When the alarm rang, she opened her sleepy eyes and turned it off.

She sat up and leaned against the headboard. The time difference between here and China meant that night and day were flipped. Every time she messaged or called He Yi’an, she made sure to calculate the time difference, trying to pick a time when her mom wasn’t busy with work.

Thirty seconds after the alarm rang, the other end still hadn’t picked up.

Ten minutes earlier, He Yi’an had just finished a video conference. She was lost in thought while staring at her dark computer screen, her phone on silent, not noticing that it had lit up.

She was pondering how to build a better relationship with her daughter. She longed for her child to trust her, to be close to her, and to turn to her for comfort when she was upset.

However, her daughter had been independent since she was young and didn’t seem to be the type to show vulnerability.

In the last two seconds of the ringtone, He Yi’an finally noticed the voice call from her daughter, but it was too late to answer.

Instinctively, she glanced at the time and called back.

‘Mom,’ came the voice from the other end.

He Yi’an’s voice was warm and smiling. ‘Up so early? Why didn’t you sleep in on a Saturday?’

Xu Zhiyi replied, ‘I woke up already. Were you busy?’

‘Not busy, I’m at home. My phone was on silent, so I didn’t notice.’ He Yi’an asked, ‘Did you need something?’

‘No, I just called to check in.’

He Yi’an immediately regretted her question. Her daughter just wanted to chat, but by asking that, she had inadvertently led the conversation into a dead end. Yet a moment ago, she had genuinely been worried that her daughter might need something urgently.

There were two seconds of silence.

The quietness was born of awkwardness; neither of them knew what to say next. During their two weeks together in New York, even if there was nothing to talk about, they could sip coffee or pretend to check their phones to think of new topics.

But a phone call didn’t offer those same distractions, and a few seconds of silence could easily turn into an awkward lull.

Luckily, He Yi’an reacted quickly, asking, ‘Have you had breakfast yet?’

‘Not yet. My roommate’s still asleep. I’ll wait for her.’

‘Do you cook for yourselves?’

‘Yes, we usually cook on weekends.'”

“A question and answer, without any substance and quite unnatural, but both were trying hard to keep the conversation going.

‘Next time when Mom visits, I’ll prepare more food for both of you.’

He Yi’an stood up and left the study, heading to her daughter’s room. Earlier, when she took Ning Wei home, she had packed up some of Xu Zhiyi’s belongings that were left at her foster parents’ house and brought them back.

They couldn’t keep talking about breakfast forever. She looked at her daughter’s belongings. Compared to Ning Wei’s, they were pitifully few.

‘Where are your valuable things from childhood? I didn’t see them when I was sorting through your things. Or do you not have any?’

That shouldn’t be right.

Xu Zhiyi replied, ‘I have them, I scattered them around and brought them to school.’ She didn’t mention that she had taken all the important things with her when she decided to leave home.

Even if she brought them to school, it wouldn’t have been much. She had been to that rented apartment, and there wasn’t much inside.

He Yi’an said, ‘Try to leave meaningful things at home. Moving them around all the time can damage them, and if you accidentally lose them, you won’t be able to get them back. When I go to New York next time, I’ll bring them back for you.’

‘Okay.’

One topic ended, and they both tried hard to find the next one. ‘Is Dad not home?’

‘Your dad has a business dinner and hasn’t come back yet.’

‘Oh.’

She actually had a lot to say, but every time she picked up her phone, she didn’t know where to start.

She found that what she had in her heart was hard to express in words.

He Yi’an felt the same. She wanted to get to know her daughter better, but the question-and-answer format felt so distant. She told herself not to rush, to take her time, and to understand her daughter little by little when they spent time together.

‘Mom, you should get some rest.’

‘Okay.’ He Yi’an reminded her, ‘Make sure you eat breakfast on time. I’ll come visit you in a few days.’

When the call ended, both mother and daughter were left with indescribable feelings in their hearts. They wanted to get closer but didn’t know how.

---

The next morning, she received a message from Ning Yinqi. He had sent her a picture of concert tickets.

The concert was on August 16th, next Saturday night.

It was Sunday today. Xu Zhiyi had come in to work overtime due to some project data adjustments. She wasn’t sure if she would need to work next weekend, so she took her laptop and went to her boss to report her work, hoping to ask for leave in advance.

In Jiang Sixun’s office, an unexpected guest, Cohen, knocked and entered.

‘Here are the tickets you wanted.’ He said, placing a custom-made colorful envelope on the desk.

Jiang Sixun glanced at the ticket stub. As expected, it was for seats in the central control area. Both tickets were for Xu Zhiyi, so she could bring a friend to watch the concert.

He put the tickets back. ‘Thanks.’

‘Don’t thank me yet. Let me borrow your plane for a few days. I gave mine to my girlfriend.’

‘Go ahead.’

Cohen had a meeting with a client and left, casually taking an untouched iced coffee from the desk on his way out.

In the hallway, Cohen passed by Xu Zhiyi.

She had a strong impression of this blue-eyed man. The company was on the 16th floor, and like the 20th floor where she worked, there was only one company on that floor—Cohen Capital.

Unlike Yuanwei Capital, Cohen Capital was a boutique investment bank specializing in the tech sector. They didn’t invest directly but helped startups raise funds, making them a rising star in the financial advisory space.

According to Luna, many of Yuanwei Capital’s investments were facilitated by Cohen Capital. The two companies worked closely together.

‘Mr. Jiang.’ She knocked lightly on the door.

‘Come in.’

It wasn’t until she walked to the desk that Jiang Sixun looked up from his computer and gestured for her to sit.

Xu Zhiyi reported the work she had completed independently during this period. It was her first time reporting directly to her boss, so she struggled to find the right balance—worried that being too brief would seem dismissive, and saying too much would make her seem long-winded and unable to focus.

It took her fifteen minutes.

Jiang Sixun listened carefully and gave a measured comment, ‘Better than I expected.’

Receiving his approval, the nervousness in Xu Zhiyi’s heart finally eased.

She always strove for excellence in everything she did. ‘Is there anything I need to improve?’

Jiang Sixun replied bluntly, ‘Report it again tomorrow, and see if you can cut it down to five minutes.’

‘…’ She hadn’t realized she was still so far from his expectations. Thankfully, she had asked.

‘Thank you. Sorry to trouble you again tomorrow.’

Jiang Sixun said, ‘It’s no trouble.’

He closed several files on his desk.

After watching him for two seconds, Xu Zhiyi finally spoke, ‘I’m going to a concert next week. If there’s any urgent work for the project, I can work on the plane.’

Jiang Sixun looked up. ‘Where’s the concert?’

‘In London.’ Xu Zhiyi added, ‘Ning Yinqi helped me get the tickets.’

Jiang Sixun nodded but didn’t say anything more, only commenting, ‘No need to work overtime next week.’