One month later.

As the car entered the city, Cen Zhiyuan turned on his phone, which had been turned off for an entire month, and was flooded with new messages, all asking about his background.

Some of those nosy uncles and aunts had been spreading the news, and almost everyone who should know about it by now knew.

Without any interest in responding, he had just put down the phone when a new call came in.

“Xiao Cen, are you intentionally avoiding me? Why is your phone always off when I call?” The woman on the other end complained.

“I just answered your call. I’ll take you out for dinner later to make up for it,” Cen Zhiyuan replied nonchalantly.

“Then where have you been for the past month?” the woman asked.

Cen Zhiyuan’s gaze shifted to the window. “At a temple.”

“What?” the woman exclaimed.

Cen Zhiyuan chuckled. “Really, I spent a month practicing at a temple.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” the woman said.

“I’m not,” Cen Zhiyuan replied.

It wasn’t exactly a temple he deliberately went to. Since he took leave with nothing to do, he decided to stay at a remote resort hotel. The hotel happened to be near a temple in the mountains, so he spent his days enjoying the scenery, listening to the monks chanting for two hours each day, trying not to think about anything, and finding some peace of mind.

Before the person on the phone could say anything more, Cen Zhiyuan caught sight of someone waiting for a car on the street. Confirming that he wasn’t mistaken, he threw out a quick “I have something to do, let me hang up first” and drove over.

Sun Xiaoqing had bought a lot of things and was getting impatient waiting for a car. Cen Zhiyuan’s car arrived, and he rolled down the window, calling out to her, “Auntie.”

Sun Xiaoqing was momentarily stunned, and Cen Zhiyuan turned off the engine, pushing open the car door and coming over. “Auntie, are you going home? I’ll give you a ride.”

When Sun Xiaoqing regained her senses, Cen Zhiyuan had already helped her put the purchased items in the trunk. “Get in.”

As they sat in the car, Sun Xiaoqing’s gaze followed Cen Zhiyuan’s movements, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Cen Zhiyuan turned his head and smiled at her. “Auntie, what’s your home address?”

Hearing him say the word “home,” Sun Xiaoqing suppressed the bitter feeling in her heart and provided him with the address as calmly as possible.

Cen Zhiyuan nodded.

The destination was not far; it took just over ten minutes to drive to an older residential area.

When he parked, Cen Zhiyuan casually surveyed the surroundings. He got out of the car and helped Sun Xiaoqing carry the things she bought.

“Zhiyuan, since you’re here, come inside for dinner,” Sun Xiaoqing said, her eyes revealing a hint of expectation. Afraid that he might have reservations, she added, “Ning Zhe is staying at the school dormitory, not at home.”

Without much thought, Cen Zhiyuan picked up the things Sun Xiaoqing bought. “Sure.”

Sun Xiaoqing’s face lit up with a smile. Happily, she led Cen Zhiyuan upstairs.

Upon entering, Sun Xiaoqing invited Cen Zhiyuan to sit, busy with putting fruits and snacks in front of him. “I’ll go cook now. You can relax and watch TV or read in the study. Uncle will be back soon. If you need anything, just let me know.”

Sun Xiaoqing was a bit cautious, but Cen Zhiyuan felt quite at ease. “I know, Auntie, go ahead and do your work. No need to specially take care of me.”

Sun Xiaoqing went into the kitchen with relief.

Cen Zhiyuan sat alone for a moment, then got up and went to the study.

The Ning family’s home was not large, and the decorations seemed a bit outdated but tidy. Especially in the study, there were two cabinets full of books. Cen Zhiyuan’s gaze swept over them, picking up a few and flipping through them before putting them back.

Finally, he picked up an album from the corner of the bookshelf.

Opening the first page, there was Ning Zhe’s hundred-day photo, a red dot on the baby’s forehead, with an adorable smile. Next to the photo were carefully written notes in blue pen.

“Xiao Zhe’s Hundred Days. April 9, 1996.”

The next page showed his first birthday photo, the toddler riding a wooden horse with a tiger hat on his head.

Similarly, notes were written beside the photo with a pen.

“Xiao Zhe’s First Birthday. January 1, 1997.”

As he continued to flip through, all the photos were of Ning Zhe, from a child to a teenager. There were pictures of him alone and with Ning Zheng and his wife. Each photo was labeled with the time and place, creating an entire album filled with a record of love.

Cen Zhiyuan did not have that.

No one ever thought about recording such things for him. Before he came of age, all that remained were official identification photos.

Cen Zhiyuan stared at the album for a moment before placing it back in its original position.

Before leaving the study, he noticed a height chart on the wall next to the door, with some markings made in colored pens. The lowest point did not even reach one meter.

Cen Zhiyuan unconsciously gestured with his hand, and a scene flashed in his mind.

Young parents supporting their child, who had just learned to walk, standing here with joy and anticipation, marking their child’s height and envisioning their quick growth.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t part of that scene.

Hearing the door opening outside, Cen Zhiyuan gathered his thoughts and left the study.

Ning Zheng, who had returned early upon receiving Sun Xiaoqing’s message, had bought a roasted duck and a few side dishes on the way home. Seeing Cen Zhiyuan somewhat excited, he moved his lips but only managed to say, “You’re here.”

Cen Zhiyuan greeted Ning Zheng and took the dishes from him with a natural attitude. He went into the kitchen to help with plating, and when Sun Xiaoqing mentioned she would handle it, he smiled and shook his head, “Auntie, you’re busy; I’ll take care of this. I’m used to it.”

Apart from the form of address, Cen Zhiyuan didn’t seem to consider himself a guest.

Sun Xiaoqing blushed secretly, turned away, and continued chopping vegetables.

After finishing the kitchen tasks, Cen Zhiyuan returned to the living room. Ning Zheng turned on the TV to add some background noise to the house.

Cen Zhiyuan sat down with him, engaging in casual conversation. Ning Zheng asked various questions, and Cen Zhiyuan answered them attentively, no longer dismissive as he had been at the dinner table.

Later, when Sun Xiaoqing finished cooking, they sat down together. Ning Zheng opened a bottle of white wine, and since Cen Zhiyuan had driven, he and Sun Xiaoqing drank beverages. The table was filled with dishes tailored to his taste. Although he hadn’t eaten much during their last meeting, Sun Xiaoqing remembered the frequency with which he picked up his chopsticks for each dish.

It was an ordinary scene, yet it became the first of its kind in twenty-seven years.

They couldn’t replace over twenty years of family affection with a single gesture, and they were all aware of that. They could only take it slow.

After finishing the meal, Sun Xiaoqing brought out freshly baked cupcakes for Cen Zhiyuan to taste. Although he couldn’t eat much, he graciously took a few bites.

Sun Xiaoqing excelled in both cooking and baking, and Cen Zhiyuan praised the taste, bringing a joyful smile to her face.

After sitting in the Ning family’s home for a while, when Ning Zheng went to wash the dishes and tidy up the kitchen, Cen Zhiyuan also stood up to bid farewell.

Sun Xiaoqing used the excuse of taking out the trash to accompany him downstairs. She packed all the cupcakes that were left uneaten into a box for him to take away. Cen Zhiyuan didn’t refuse, and before getting into the car, he reminded the reluctant Sun Xiaoqing, “Auntie, go back. I’ll visit you whenever I have time in the future.”

Sun Xiaoqing nodded repeatedly, “Come back often when you’re free.”

As Cen Zhiyuan sat in the car and started the engine, he spoke to Sun Xiaoqing, who was still standing outside, “Mom, until next time.”

Sun Xiaoqing was stunned, then smiled through her tears, “Sure, until next time.”

After driving for a while, the sudden sound of his assistant’s ringing phone brought back Cen Zhiyuan’s somewhat scattered thoughts. It was his assistant calling.

“Xiao Cen, you finally turned on your phone. When are you coming back from your leave? Without you, we can hardly get any work done.”

“Why? can’t the company function without me?” Cen Zhiyuan lazily replied, as if hearing a joke. “What are the others doing? If they can’t make decisions, go ask Cen Zhisen; he’s the big boss of Cen An.”

There was a moment of silence in the assistant’s voice, and hesitantly, he asked, “Xiao Cen, you will come back, right?”

The news of Cen Zhiyuan’s background had already spread within the company’s upper echelons, and his assistant had heard about it. Cen Zhiyuan didn’t give a direct answer, “Tell me, what has been happening in the company recently.”

The assistant reported one thing after another. The projects he had taken the initiative to follow up on had all been approved by Cen Zhisen. However, many executives in the company had numerous criticisms of him, stating that he didn’t follow the rules in his actions, making it difficult for others. Some even deliberately brought up the matter during the executive meeting in front of Cen Zhisen, saying, “But Mr. Cen didn’t express any opinions and directly changed the topic.”

“They never used to be so rule-abiding, and now they’re all so enthusiastic,” the assistant complained with dissatisfaction.

In the past, not to mention openly targeting Cen Zhiyuan, those people cooperated and flattered him privately. Now that they knew he was not Cen Shengli’s biological son, and it was clear that Cen An would belong to Cen Zhisen In the future, they quickly moved to squeeze him out. They wanted to show loyalty to Cen Zhisen before he formally took over.

It remained to be seen whether Cen Zhisen would fall for their tactics.

Cen Zhiyuan didn’t get angry upon hearing this but chuckled, “Is that so? It’s rare for me to have the opportunity to see the world change.”

“Mr. Xiao Cen, don’t joke around,” the assistant helplessly said. “There’s also the matter with Haohui Electronics. President Cen told Mr. Zhou Sheng that Cen An has already independently developed a replaceable chip. Whether it will affect them or not, Mr. Zhou Sheng immediately panicked. They were thinking about climbing onto other high branches, but if Cen An really develops a substitute, their stock prices will plummet immediately, and other high branches won’t be interested in them. Now they dare not provoke Cen An anymore.”

“Cen Zhisen is not stupid,” Cen Zhiyuan commented approvingly.

“But also, Mr. Xiao Cen, it’s because of your good preparation,” the assistant chuckled. “If it weren’t for you, Mr. Zhou Sheng might not believe President Cen’s words.”

Cen Zhiyuan lightly sneered, “Let’s say it’s a joint effort between him and me.”

The claim of independent research and development was false. The investment was too great and not cost-effective. It was better to directly acquire Haohui Electronics. However, that Mr. Zhou seemed unsettled, so Cen Zhiyuan had to intimidate him. He had already played the first part of the act. At least Cen Zhisen could understand his intention. Then he would complete the second part, and it might be difficult for someone else to accomplish.

The assistant asked again when he would return. Cen Zhiyuan still didn’t answer, “Let’s see.”

In the office, after listening to the assistant’s report, Cen Zhisen suddenly asked, “Hasn’t Xiao Cen returned from his leave yet?”

“No, I asked the HR department yesterday; it’s been almost a month,” the assistant replied.

Cen Zhisen frowned, “I’ll give him a call. You go on with your work.”

Upon receiving the call from Cen Zhisen, Cen Zhiyuan had just parked his car in the underground parking lot of his residence. He had a separate house in the city, not far from Cen An’s building.

“When are you coming back to cancel your leave?” Cen Zhisen got straight to the point.

Cen Zhiyuan, hearing his brother’s voice through the phone, which sounded somewhat different from his actual voice, a bit deeper, and realizing that the last time he received a call from him was probably the night at the bar, felt a moment of distraction. “What’s the rush for me to come back? Can’t Cen An function without me?”

“Come back,” Cen Zhisen said.

After a brief silence, Cen Zhiyuan replied, “Let’s have a meeting at the company tomorrow.”