“The Investment Department submitted two new projects today, both of which were not previously reported to our side. President Xiao Cen has directly assigned people to follow up. Additionally, the Haohui Electronics, in which we participated in investment, is about to undergo a new round of financing. President Xiao Cen has indicated that Cen An will clear the shares in hand and no longer be involved. Also…”

Cen Zhisen lifted his gaze from the computer screen, interrupting the assistant reporting the matter, “Haohui Electronics?”

“Yes,” the assistant helplessly replied, “Investing in Haohui Electronics was personally approved by you, and they have been developing well over the past two years. Several of our bestselling products use their chips. Letting go will undoubtedly have a significant impact. Just this morning, their CEO called to inquire about this matter.”

“How about him?” Cen Zhisen asked.

Before the assistant could utter the words “Their CEO wants to meet with you in person,” he suddenly realized that Cen Zhisen’s “him” referred to Cen Zhiyuan, so he corrected himself, “President Xiao Cen seems to have gone out this morning. I’m not sure if he’s back now.”

“Contact him. If he’s in the company, ask him to come over,” Cen Zhisen instructed.

Cen Zhiyuan was in the middle of examining the potted plant on his desk, which had bloomed two flowers. They were growing on a thorny succulent, displaying distinct layers of pale white petals, quite attractive.

However, it didn’t seem like something someone with Cen Zhisen’s personality would specifically request. Cen Zhisen probably didn’t keep flowers at all.

Cen Zhiyuan reached out, lightly touching a petal with his fingers, lost in thought until the ringing internal phone brought him back.

The secretary informed him that Cen Zhisen wanted him to come over. Upon hearing “President Cen,” Cen Zhiyuan squinted, casually saying, “In a moment.”

After hanging up the phone, he noticed a slight stinging sensation on his fingertip. He then realized that the thorn of the succulent had accidentally pricked his left index finger.

“Tsk,” Cen Zhiyuan clicked his tongue, wiping away the oozing blood from the white-as-jade petal.

He arrived a bit late, and Cen Zhisen patiently waited, reviewing documents in the meantime.

Hearing footsteps, Cen Zhisen glanced up, meeting Cen Zhiyuan’s gaze as he approached. Cen Zhisen nodded, gesturing for him to sit.

Cen Zhiyuan casually took a seat, asking straight away, “What’s up?”

Cen Zhisen tossed the project documents from the investment department to him, saying, “Explain.”

Cen Zhiyuan flipped through and quickly skimmed a couple of pages. “What’s the issue with these projects?”

“Why didn’t you report to me beforehand?” Cen Zhisen asked.

“I wanted to,” Cen Zhiyuan closed the file, his face devoid of guilt, “but you were on a business trip a few days ago. There wasn’t enough time to report to you, so I had someone follow up first.”

“And what about Haohui Electronics? Why release news that Cen An intends to clear their shares?” Cen Zhisen stared into his eyes.

Cen Zhiyuan didn’t evade. “Why do you think?”

After a brief standoff, Cen Zhiyuan withdrew his gaze, casually wiping his shirt cuff, and lazily explained, “Mr. Zhou seems to be more active in his thinking recently. He finds Cen An’s interference too much and plans to seek support elsewhere. I’m just helping them along.”

Having said that, he suddenly chuckled, raising his eyes. “Or do you think I did something wrong? Is he so desperate that he turned to you for help?”

Cen Zhisen was about to say something when he noticed Cen Zhiyuan unbuttoning a button on his shirt, revealing a suggestive red mark near the collarbone. His brows furrowed imperceptibly, then he calmly said, “Be mindful of boundaries.”

Cen Zhiyuan nodded nonchalantly. “Got it.”

Cen Zhisen’s attention returned to the documents in his hands. “Nothing else. You can go back.”

Cen Zhiyuan stood up with his hands in his pockets, and as he was leaving, he suddenly remembered something, paused, and said, “The flowers do look good, and they are easy to care for.”

“Hmm,” Cen Zhisen didn’t look up, responding with just that one word.

Cen Zhiyuan tugged at the corner of his lips and turned to leave.

In the evening, Cen Zhiyuan drove to the Cen family’s villa. While parking, he kept his Bluetooth earpiece on, talking on the phone. The woman on the other end giggled, inviting him for a drink later in the evening. Her tone was subtly suggestive.

Cen Zhiyuan loosened his tie lazily, replying, “Let’s see. I just finished work, feeling a bit tired. If I have time after dinner, I’ll come over.”

The woman said, “Sure, I’ll wait for you, then.”

Cen Zhiyuan’s attention had shifted, and he noticed another car parked in the garage — he had seen it in the company parking lot at noon; it was Cen Zhisen’s car.

Cen Zhisen usually only came back on weekends, but today was a workday.

“Let’s end this for now. I’ll hang up.”

As he entered, the housekeeper came to take the coat he removed. He casually asked, “Is Cen Zhisen back?”

“He came over in the afternoon, he’s in the study,” the housekeeper reminded him to go to the study as well, mentioning that not only Cen Zhisen but also his uncles and aunts were there.

Cen Zhiyuan was somewhat puzzled, unsure of what occasion had prompted all these seemingly bored people to gather.

In the study, Cen Shengli leaned back on the sofa, his face solemn, brows tightly knit in silence.

Others spoke words of advice, urging him to think it over.

“He’s not our family’s child after all. No one ever expected such a ridiculous mix-up, but now that it has happened, we can’t pretend we don’t know. This is not just a family matter anymore. He is still a director and executive of Cen An; this matter should be reported to the board and major shareholders. What if family issues affect the company?”

“Big brother, are you still planning to give him Cen An’s shares? I think you’re confused. I know you can’t bear the child you’ve raised for over twenty years, but he is not your biological son. How can things remain the same as before? He’s already restless, targeting Zhisen everywhere in the company, acting without any restraint. Who knows if he’ll do something more outrageous in the future?”

“Even if you don’t consider Zhisen, you should think about the two younger ones, right? What about the child who has been raised by another family for over twenty years? Since he is a part of our family, shouldn’t he be recognized?”

The beautiful woman next to Cen Shengli timidly said, “Congcong and Feifei are still young and don’t seem to have much potential. We don’t need to consider them in terms of company shares. But what the second uncle and others said is correct. Mainly, Zhisen is not in a good position to handle things right now, and there’s that child outside; indeed, he should be acknowledged.”

Cen Shengli’s brows furrowed even more, offering no response.

Cen Zhisen stood by the bookshelf, coldly observing everything until now. He finally spoke, asking them, “How did you all find out about this?”

The group exchanged glances instinctively, feeling awkward. “We heard it from the little sister-in-law. This matter shouldn’t have been kept from everyone. For such a big matter, we should sit down together and discuss a solution…”

“And who did she hear it from? Why did she spread it outside?” Cen Zhisen turned his gaze toward that little sister-in-law, questioning without any politeness.

When everyone looked at her, and Cen Shengli warned her with his eyes, she explained hesitantly, “I happened to see those paternity test reports in the study a few days ago. I panicked and, Shengli, you said your health wasn’t good and wanted to make a will first. I was afraid you would be swayed emotionally and give benefits to outsiders, so I told Second Uncle and Aunt about it.”

Cen Shengli’s face turned green, and he ignored her.

“This can’t be blamed on the little sister-in-law. She did it for the good of the big brother. She didn’t go public with the matter. If she hadn’t said anything, big brother, until when were you planning to keep this a secret? We are family. What’s the point of hiding this from us? Do you really want to give company shares to an outsider? I think giving him some money is enough.”

“Big brother, think about Zhisen’s mother. She died giving birth to the second child. If she knew that the child she gave her life for was adopted by someone else, what would she think?”

Cen Zhisen turned his head, the first to notice that Cen Zhiyuan had been standing by the door for a while.

Cen Zhiyuan’s face looked somewhat unpleasant, like he hadn’t understood what these people were talking about. When his gaze met Cen Zhisen’s, he asked in a cold voice, “What are you all talking about?”

Cen Zhisen didn’t answer immediately; his eyes sought approval from Cen Shengli. When Cen Shengli sighed wearily and nodded, Cen Zhisen picked up the reports from the desk and gestured to Cen Zhiyuan, saying, “Take a look for yourself.”

Cen Zhiyuan walked forward, and Cen Zhisen handed him the reports without saying anything more.

When Cen Zhiyuan took the reports, he hesitated for a moment. His gaze glanced over the words “Paternity Test” on the cover. His heart sank, and he quickly opened the top one, followed by the second and the third.

After reading all of them, his usually quick-thinking mind became blank. It was as if he hadn’t understood, and he started reading from the first report again.

He looked down at the paternity test reports, and Cen Zhisen silently watched him.

Cen Zhiyuan didn’t look like them; people had been saying that for years. Their great-grandmother was a European who came to China to practice medicine early on, and traces of mixed blood could be seen more or less in everyone in the Cen family, especially in their distinctively deep-set eyes. But not Cen Zhiyuan; he looked good but had a typical Eastern appearance, not resembling their deceased mother either.

But it was just a matter of not resembling. Over the past twenty-some years, no one in their family had suspected that such a dramatic and unlikely event as a baby switch could happen in their family.

After several minutes, Cen Zhiyuan’s thoughts slowly restarted, understanding what these three paternity test reports meant.

Cen Shengli was not his biological father. He had a blood relationship with a couple he didn’t know, and Cen Shengli’s biological son was someone else.

Cen Zhiyuan looked up and glanced at Cen Zhisen standing opposite him, a momentary sense of confusion in his eyes.

But it was just a moment.

He seemed to recover his composure quickly, staring directly into Cen Zhisen’s eyes. “Is this true?”

Cen Zhisen: “Yes.”

Cen Zhiyuan tightened his fingers slightly around the reports. “When did you discover this?”

“A few months ago, and it was finally confirmed last week,” Cen Zhisen said, “He looks a lot like Mom.”