At first, Tao Fengche thought Sui Yuesheng was simply ill again.

He still remembered that on the second day after Sui Yuesheng arrived at the Tao household, he had developed a fever. The family doctor stood by the bed, discussing care instructions with Xu Song. Sui Yuesheng lay slanted on the bed, receiving an IV drip, his gaze fixed outside the window as if watching the clouds, expressionless as though what they were discussing had nothing to do with him. He looked like a fragile, beautiful, sick person, resembling an ice sculpture.

Hiding by the door, Tao Fengche overheard snippets of the conversation. The doctor mentioned that Sui Yuesheng was “malnourished.”

But why was his brother not recuperating at home this time? Was he going to the hospital for surgery?

Tao Fengche had a natural aversion to hospitals, but his worry for Sui Yuesheng outweighed his dislike. By the third day, he couldn’t hold back any longer and ran to ask Xu Song if he could visit his brother in the hospital.

Xu Song was a bit surprised. He went to the kitchen to fetch a small cake for him, then told him that Sui Yuesheng was not in the hospital.

“Then where is ge? Uncle Xu, can you take me to see him? I miss him.”

Tao Fengche was extremely pampered, and the Tao family had always catered to his every whim. But this time, Xu Song remained cryptic and refused to say more.

Unable to get the answer he wanted, Tao Fengche didn’t give up. He asked Tao Zhixing the same question. His father remained silent for a while before telling him: “Your brother has gone far away.”

What kind of place is far away? Is it so far that there’s no signal? Why hasn’t he contacted me? Even if a video call doesn’t work, he could at least make a phone call.

Tao Fengche didn’t understand, and Tao Zhixing didn’t want to elaborate, so he didn’t dare to ask further.

Later, Tao Fengche finally returned to school. His new school was a well-known private elementary school in Jingpu, with high tuition fees, and no one would ostracize him for being picked up and dropped off by a driver anymore.

When he reached the fifth grade, the school held a health education class.

The teacher on the podium was explaining the differences and basic knowledge of ABO genders. As memories flooded back, Tao Fengche finally understood.

—Sui Yuesheng was not some “Beta bodyguard raised at home”; he was an Omega. March 5th was his eighteenth birthday.

It was also because of this class that Tao Fengche realized why Sui Yuesheng had disappeared—an Omega had a one in ten thousand chance of dying during their first heat. Sui Yuesheng was probably one of them.

When his grandmother passed away, his father had said the same words: “gone far away.”

The teacher continued to drone on, and Tao Fengche slowly lowered his head, unconsciously clenching his fists.

“Tao Fengche, Tao Fengche.” His deskmate, a chubby little Alpha, finally found a crumpled pack of tissues in his drawer and cautiously pushed it in front of him. “What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly crying?”

Tao Fengche took the tissue, wiped his tears, shook his head silently, and refused to answer.

His friendship with Wang Yuan started with this pack of tissues.

Later, Tao Fengche had many friends. Some were genuine, some were insincere, and most were just acquaintances. But in his heart, Sui Yuesheng always held an irreplaceable position. Their short three months together were deeply imprinted in his mind, something he rarely dared to revisit.

The person was gone, and even though he had many questions about Sui Yuesheng, he could only bury them deep in his heart. Only occasionally, when waking up in the middle of the night, would he sit quietly by the bedside, reminiscing for a moment.

These moments were rare. He never allowed himself to dwell on the past because living means constantly moving forward.

He never expected that, after ten years, they would meet again at Tao Zhixing’s funeral.

Sui Yuesheng’s features had matured since his youth, his hair much shorter. Although still exquisitely beautiful, it was no longer easy to mistake his gender. His clothes were all custom-made, and under the bright lights of the mourning hall, the sapphire cufflinks refracted dazzling light, a stark contrast to his ragged appearance when they first met.

If the memories weren’t so deeply engraved, Tao Fengche would have doubted his own eyes.

…Was this nonchalant noble young man really his immortal-like brother?

He was so dazed that he forgot he was at his father’s funeral, his eyes fixated on Sui Yuesheng, fearing he might disappear again.

Memories surged, along with the questions he only dared to ask in the dead of night.

Why can’t you remember your own birthday?

Why were you, an Omega, wandering the streets, and how did you come to Jingpu?

If you didn’t die, why did you leave without a word, and why haven’t you contacted me in these ten years?

And the most pressing question he wanted an answer to.

…Why are you wearing that ring on your hand?

Is it you? Could it be you?

Countless questions surged to his mind all at once. Tao Fengche had so many questions to ask that he couldn’t even organize them into a coherent order before he lost the opportunity.

The Tao family’s secret businesses were completely independent. Tao Zhixing had a large private legal team, and all related matters were handled by them.

Today, the lawyer who came with Sui Yuesheng was named Li, an alpha in his fifties. He graduated from the top law school in Kyushu and pursued further studies abroad after his undergraduate degree. Upon returning to the country, he joined the Tao family directly, becoming the leader of the legal team and a trusted confidant of Tao Zhixing. Even Zhao Jiayang had to show him some respect.

But when Lawyer Li entered the mourning hall this time, he was half a step behind Sui Yuesheng.

The implication of this was almost too much to contemplate.

However, Lawyer Li remained composed. Ignoring the swirling thoughts in everyone’s minds, he quickly scanned the room. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he took out the will from his briefcase and nodded slightly to Xu Song.

Xu Song looked up at Tao Fengche. After seeing him nod slowly, he signaled the bodyguard standing by to close the door of the mourning hall.

The solid wooden door was heavy, and no matter how careful they were, it still made a loud noise when it closed. It sounded like an omen, or perhaps something else, sending a shiver down everyone’s spine.

Tao Fengche closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

Tao Zhixing had only one heir, and there were no other blood relatives in the Tao family. Over the past three days, Tao Fengche had worried about many things, but he had complete confidence in the will, expecting it to pass both the visible and hidden businesses to him, with Zhao Jiayang assisting.

He was prepared to take a year off from school to manage the family business, but the contents of the will took him by surprise.

The Tao family’s pharmaceutical company was not publicly listed, with 85% of the shares firmly held by the family. When Tao Fengche’s grandmother passed away, her 5% was inherited by him. However, the 80% held by Tao Zhixing was now divided, with only 20% going to Tao Fengche.

The remaining 60% was entrusted to Sui Yuesheng for management, a far greater share than the 8% held by Zhao Jiayang and the 5% held by Jing Ning, the head of the pharmaceutical research institute.

In addition, various other scattered stocks, funds, and real estate were left entirely to Tao Fengche. But what most people in the room cared about the most, the Tao family’s underground commercial empire spanning the entire eastern continent, was also handed over to Sui Yuesheng.

Even Tao Fengche’s guardianship was transferred to him.

This was almost a blatant declaration that the next head of the Tao family was going to be the outsider Sui Yuesheng.

Lawyer Li read the not very long will at a moderate speed. But its unexpected contents left the room in stunned silence, with many faces showing expressions as if struck by lightning, unable to speak.

Tao Fengche doubted his own ears. He turned suddenly to exchange a disbelieving look with Zhao Jiayang behind him.

—Could Sui Yuesheng actually be the old man’s illegitimate son?

An absurd thought rose in his mind. But he couldn’t think of another reason that would justify Tao Zhixing making such a will.

Although the mourning hall had been quiet before, the current absolute silence was eerie. No one spoke; all thoughts were kept hidden, and only their eyes roved, unabashedly sizing up Sui Yuesheng, as if evaluating his worth.

But Sui Yuesheng, at the center of the storm, seemed detached from it all.

He calmly turned the jade ring on his thumb, his movements unhurried. It didn’t look like he was facing a room full of wolves and tigers in a mourning hall, but rather like he was sipping afternoon tea in his own garden. No one could glean any clues from his expression.

Tao Fengche also looked at him.

His eyesight was excellent. From this angle, he could see Sui Yuesheng’s slender fingers and the slightly pink tips.

He suddenly felt that his brother hadn’t changed much.

Sui Yuesheng’s current expression was exactly the same as when he lay in bed getting injections years ago.

What was the old man thinking? How could such a delicate and fragile omega bear such a heavy burden? He would be torn apart by those people.

Tao Fengche pressed his lips together.

“I think this will and the jade ring are both fake, aren’t they?” An old voice interrupted him just as he was about to speak.

A single stone can stir up a thousand waves.