“Brother-in-law, how could you suspect me? My elder sister has treated me so well. If I were to betray her and harm A-Bao, would I even still be human?”

Sun Fanghong hastily explained, her hair damp with cold sweat. Her whole body trembled, whether from agitation or fear, it was hard to tell.

“Exactly, Uncle!”

Cai Qi also exclaimed anxiously, “Even the police need evidence to arrest someone. Just because some fortune-teller said my mom abandoned my cousin, you’re convicting her of a crime. Isn’t that going too far?”

Cai Yongcheng frowned deeply.

Indeed, without evidence, relying solely on Gu Xicao’s words would make him seem senile if the news spread.

Seeing Cai Yongcheng hesitate, Sun Fanghong felt a moment of relief.

It’s fine. It’s fine.

Back then, no one knew about this, and besides, that child might already be dead. Even if this fortune-teller could divine the truth, so what?

“Miss Sun, do you think that what happened back then has already passed and that no one can prove your actions?”

Gu Xicao’s sudden statement startled Sun Fanghong and her son.

Especially Sun Fanghong, whose pupils contracted as her breathing quickened. Her expression was as if she had seen a ghost. How does she know what I’m thinking?

“Master Gu, if you have evidence, why not present it?”

Secretary Lin reminded her, “Mr. Cai would never tolerate such wrongdoing!”

If it turned out that Sun Fanghong had abandoned Cai Yongcheng’s son, he would never let her go.

“I don’t have any evidence,” Gu Xicao said, shaking her head.

Sun Fanghong breathed a sigh of relief, but then she heard Gu Xicao continue, “However, Mr. Cai’s son is still alive. Why not invite him here?”

The living room fell silent.

Cai Yongcheng abruptly stood up, so quickly that he swayed. Secretary Lin hurriedly supported him.

“Master Gu, you’re saying my son is alive?”

“Yes, he’s alive and well, and he even graduated from university,” Gu Xicao said with emotion.

Cai Yongcheng’s lips trembled. “W-where is he? I must see him!”

“Uncle, she’s just talking nonsense! How can you believe the words of this swindler?”

Caught off guard by Gu Xicao’s claim, Cai Qi was flustered and tried to stop him.

However, Sun Fanghong suddenly said, “Ah Qi, since they’re saying this, let them bring him here. Brother-in-law…”

Sun Fanghong’s eyes reddened as she looked at Cai Yongcheng. “We all hope to find A-Bao. But I’m truly innocent. If A-Bao can be found, at least it will clear my name.”

Sun Fanghong’s response surprised everyone.

Even Xu Shaowen was uncertain whether Gu Xicao’s words were true.

If Sun Fanghong had truly abandoned A-Bao, why would she willingly face him?

If even Xu Shaowen was doubting, others naturally were too.

Aunt Liu whispered, “Mr. Cai, could this really be a misunderstanding? Miss Sun has her flaws, but she’s not the type for something like this.”

“We’ll know the truth when we see the person,” Cai Yongcheng said, suddenly calm.

He turned to Gu Xicao. “Master Gu, tell me what you need. I can find anyone for you, anywhere in Hong Kong.”

“There’s no need for such a grand effort,” Gu Xicao said with a smile.

She glanced at Secretary Lin. “Secretary Lin, would you mind giving your boyfriend a call?”

“My boyfriend?” Secretary Lin repeated in surprise.

“Yes, ask him to come over.” Gu Xicao leaned back into a single-seat sofa and stretched lazily. “Once he’s here, everything will be resolved.”

Everyone was bewildered.

The sharpest among them began to suspect that Secretary Lin’s boyfriend might be the long-lost son of Mr. Cai.

But wasn’t this too coincidental? Too ridiculous?

How could Mr. Cai’s son, missing for so many years, be found so easily?

“Mr. Cai?” Secretary Lin looked at Cai Yongcheng for confirmation.

Cai Yongcheng didn’t speak but nodded. Understanding, Secretary Lin went to make the call.

She and her boyfriend were living together. He hadn’t received as much education as her and worked as a designer at a toy company.

When he answered the phone, Chen Xiaowen sounded pleasantly surprised. “Ah Lian, how come you’re calling me at this hour?”

“Xiaowen, I’m giving you an address. Please come over as soon as possible, okay?”

“What happened? Did someone at work bully you?” Chen Xiaowen asked, confused.

“No, Xiaowen, just come here directly.”

After hanging up, Secretary Lin suddenly remembered something. “By the way, Xiaowen, the director at the orphanage said you still had your mother’s earring when you were little. You still have it, right?”

“Yes, I kept it. Ah Lian, what’s going on? You sound strange.”

“Don’t worry, Xiaowen. This might be good news. Just bring the earring and take a taxi here. I’ll wait for you.”

Secretary Lin’s conversation wasn’t exactly private, and everyone overheard it.

While Sun Fanghong and her son appeared calm, their nerves were already frayed.

Aunt Liu served coffee and snacks.

Gu Xicao, feeling hungry, leisurely picked up a plate of chocolate cake and began to eat.

Cai Yongcheng called Secretary Lin over to inquire about her boyfriend. Although he was aware that she had been dating someone, he had never delved into her private life, as it wasn’t his concern.

“Han Sen, cover for me. I need to step out for a bit.”

After hanging up the phone, Chen Xiaowen didn’t bother packing his things and immediately prepared to leave. “I’ll need to take the afternoon off.”

“Take leave? Xiaowen, I can’t help you there. Manager Wang said we must finish the design drafts today before leaving,” Han Sen said, shaking his head helplessly.

“Taking leave? Who’s taking leave?”

Right on cue, Manager Wang suddenly appeared, his expression dark as he scanned the room. “Is it you, Chen Xiaowen? You’re the least ambitious person in the whole company, and now you want to take leave? No way!”

“Manager, my girlfriend has an urgent matter, and I need to go. Please help me out. You can dock my pay if you need to,” Chen Xiaowen said, furrowing his brows. Although he hated losing money, his girlfriend’s situation was far more important. Her vague tone during the call left him uneasy. If it weren’t for Manager Wang being a troublemaker, he would’ve left already.

“No means no! I was going to dock your pay anyway. This month, your drafts have been rejected the most, and you still have the audacity to ask for leave? Unless your girlfriend is dead today, don’t even think about leaving!”

Manager Wang’s words were utterly ruthless.

Chen Xiaowen’s face darkened. “Fine. Then I’ll resign. Happy now? I quit!”

He slammed down his employee badge, grabbed his bag, and walked out without hesitation.

Han Sen and the others stared in shock as Chen Xiaowen left, utterly dumbfounded.

Manager Wang was fuming. “Good! Let him go. You all heard it. I’ll process his resignation immediately. I’d like to see which company would dare to hire him after leaving ours!”

No one dared to speak up, but everyone silently sympathized with Chen Xiaowen.

Manager Wang had significant connections, which explained how someone with no design skills could lead the design department. If he decided to blacklist Chen Xiaowen, the latter would likely have to switch careers.

“Xiaowen!”

Hearing a car horn outside the villa, Secretary Lin ran out to meet him.

Chen Xiaowen quickly paid the driver and walked toward her. “Ah Lian, what’s going on? I’ve been worried about you the whole way here.”

“It’s not about me—it’s about you…” Secretary Lin hesitated, then added, “Just come inside, and you’ll understand everything.”

Chen Xiaowen, filled with confusion, followed her into the living room.

When he saw Cai Yongcheng and the others, he froze momentarily before greeting them politely. “Hello, Mr. Cai. Hello, everyone.”

“Hello, hello.”

Cai Yongcheng looked Chen Xiaowen up and down.

Was it his imagination, or did this young man seem somewhat familiar? He couldn’t pinpoint where he’d seen him before.

“Master Gu, now that he’s here, where’s your so-called evidence? Don’t tell me this scrawny guy is my brother-in-law’s son, A-Bao!”

Sun Fanghong pointed at Chen Xiaowen with disdain. Internally, though, she let out a sigh of relief.

Before seeing him, she’d been worried he might bear a striking resemblance to Cai Yongcheng. But now that she saw him, there was no resemblance whatsoever. Apart from being around the right age, there was no sign he belonged to the Cai family.

“Me?” Chen Xiaowen was stunned, glancing at Gu Xicao and then at Secretary Lin. “Ah Lian, what’s going on?”

Equally baffled, Secretary Lin instinctively looked at Gu Xicao.

Gu Xicao took a sip of coffee and calmly said, “That’s right. This ‘scrawny guy’ you’re referring to is indeed Mr. Cai’s son, Cai Fu Bao.”

Sun Fanghong burst into laughter. She laughed so hard she had to wipe her tears. “Secretary Lin, I see what’s going on now. You and this so-called Master Gu have teamed up to deceive my brother-in-law, haven’t you? What are the odds that your boyfriend just happens to be A-Bao? What are the odds that this Master Gu could calculate it so precisely?”

Even Aunt Liu couldn’t help but interject. Turning to the serious-looking Cai Yongcheng, she said, “Mr. Cai, I mean no offense, but this situation is absurd. You must be cautious. Some people might be trying to exploit your wealth. Bringing in some random man and claiming he’s your son is simply preposterous!”

“Exactly, Uncle. You’ve been searching for over twenty years, and now this Master Gu finds him in an instant? If this isn’t a scam, what is? Uncle, we know you’re anxious, but you can’t make rash decisions out of desperation,” Cai Qi chimed in, smugly confident.

“Xiaowen, did you bring the earring I mentioned?”

Secretary Lin ignored their remarks and turned to Chen Xiaowen.

Chen Xiaowen nodded, pulling a small sachet from his pocket. Inside was a tiny diamond earring. “Here it is.”

Secretary Lin handed it to Cai Yongcheng. “Mr. Cai, this earring was with Xiaowen when he was left at the orphanage as a child. Does it look familiar to you?”

Cai Yongcheng reached out to take it, but Sun Fanghong scoffed.

“Secretary Lin, my sister didn’t even have pierced ears. She never owned any earrings. This man might be someone’s child, but he’s certainly not ours.”