Chi Yao went out of his way to hire someone and, after some effort, finally found a person who resembled him. He then hired a makeup artist to further modify the person’s appearance to resemble his own. Shen Ling had a preference for strikingly beautiful looks, and Chi Yao, working behind the scenes, deliberately arranged for the look-alike to be sent to Shen Ling.

Sure enough, Shen Ling immediately became interested upon seeing someone who resembled Chi Yao. Although Shen Ling liked Chi Yao, he found Chi Yao’s personality too extreme for a real relationship—playing around was fine, but a serious relationship would be troublesome. Shen Ling didn’t like dealing with drama, but if it was someone else without any background, then there was nothing to worry about.

When someone next to Shen Ling pointed out the resemblance to Chi Yao, Shen Ling called the boy over and examined him. The boy looked similar, but the differences in temperament were obvious—unlike Chi Yao’s arrogant demeanor, this boy’s eyes showed humility.

“Don’t tell Chi Yao,” Shen Ling reminded the people around him. If Chi Yao found out, he would undoubtedly cause trouble, and Shen Ling preferred playing with someone else rather than dealing with Chi Yao’s temper.

The others around Shen Ling, enjoying the drama, found it amusing. Chi Yao had always been aloof, relying on his powerful background to look down on everyone. Yet, he was utterly captivated by Shen Ling, who toyed with him at will. Now that someone resembling him had appeared, things were bound to get even more interesting.

While Chi Yao wasn’t particularly close to Shen Ling’s crowd, news of Shen Ling finding someone who resembled Chi Yao quickly spread, even reaching Xue Zhongming and Chang Feng. The two made time to check out the boy, and indeed, he looked quite similar to Chi Yao.

Chang Feng asked Xue Zhongming, “Should we tell him?”

Though others might not notice, Xue Zhongming had recently sensed that Chi Yao seemed to have lost interest in Shen Ling. In the past, Chi Yao would have immediately reacted if Shen Ling was mentioned, but recently, after his plan to adopt a child and purchasing a house, Chi Yao’s focus seemed elsewhere. Even when hanging out, Chi Yao would often sit quietly, browsing his phone for baby-related information.

Xue Zhongming sometimes wondered if Chi Yao was mentally unwell, having been strung along by Shen Ling for so long, always yearning but never achieving satisfaction. However, Xue didn’t dare suggest that Chi Yao see a doctor, as this current version of Chi Yao, focused on more practical matters, seemed healthier overall—not consumed by love and more balanced.

“Let’s not. Let him find out on his own,” Xue said, curious to see how Shen Ling would handle things if things blew up. Shen Ling was the type to make excuses, and Xue wanted to see if Shen Ling would finally slip up.

During this time, Fu Rong had been busy with his company, frequently traveling, leaving little time to meet Shen Ling. Chi Yao took note and carefully arranged things so that his look-alike would avoid meeting Fu Rong whenever he was around. This only happened once, so neither Shen Ling nor Fu Rong suspected anything.

Shen Ling was naturally arrogant, believing he could control everything. He never suspected that the boy who resembled Chi Yao was actually part of Chi Yao’s scheme, and Chi Yao had used Shen Ling’s overconfidence to execute his plan perfectly.

After months of preparation, it had now been four months since Chi Yao became pregnant, and in a little over five months, the baby would be born. It was time to end things with Shen Ling.

One day, Chi Yao deliberately staged a “chance” meeting at Chang Feng’s café. He went with Xue Zhongming and a few others. At the same time, the boy, led by Shen Ling, also arrived at the café.

The boy had no idea who Chi Yao was since others had arranged the meeting. So when the boy came face-to-face with Chi Yao, he froze, staring in disbelief. By coincidence, both were wearing similar-colored outfits that day, with similar styles. The only difference was that the boy’s hair was gray. For a moment, he felt like he was looking into a mirror.

But the icy expression on Chi Yao’s face quickly made the boy realize that, if there was an original and a fake, he was undoubtedly the counterfeit.

“Wow, Young Master Chi, this person…” Xue Zhongming, pretending it was his first time seeing the boy, exclaimed loudly, walking up to him and touching the boy’s face. Startled, the boy stepped back, accidentally bumping into someone behind him.

Shen Ling, who had just finished a phone call, was returning to the café when he saw the boy suddenly retreat in fright. Stepping forward, Shen Ling caught him, preventing him from falling. Following the boy’s gaze, Shen Ling’s eyes landed on Chi Yao, whose cold, frosty expression startled him.