Chapter 15

Back at the hotel, Xu Zhou took off his coat, ready to take a shower.

The phone rang.

At this hour, he thought it would be Shen Yan calling.

But seeing the caller ID, the smile on his lips vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, sharp expression.

“What do you want?”

Xu Wensong’s voice came slowly through the line. “Xiao Zhou, are you still in X City?”

When Xu Zhou didn’t respond, Xu Wensong continued:

“You’ve been there for so many years without coming home. You don’t know how worried we’ve been. When will you come back to Xincheng to see your father? He has something very important to tell you.”

Xu Zhou let out a bitter laugh, as if hearing the world’s biggest joke. “Worried?”

“Your father feels he owes you over the years and just wants to make it up to you…”

“Just tell me what you want,” Xu Zhou interrupted flatly. After so many years of no contact, he wasn’t going to believe this sudden display of conscience toward a son long abandoned.

Xu Wensong stiffened. So his son had grown bold enough to speak this way to him.

Thinking that Xu Zhou might be able to help with the company’s current situation, he swallowed his anger and continued.

“I’m your biological father. What ulterior motive could I possibly have? You haven’t seen us for years. Your mother and younger brother miss you. We just want you to come home for a meal, the family together…”

Xu Zhou sneered, lips moving silently to form the words, “Pathetic.”

The silence on the other side was long; Xu Wensong thought he might have persuaded him. He sighed and continued playing the emotional card.

“You’ve been away from home for four or five years. Not willing to see your parents is one thing, but not even a call? You…”

“No time,” Xu Zhou replied curtly.

Xu Wensong’s anger flared. “You… you…”

Li Qing, standing beside him, gently patted his back, signaling that he shouldn’t push Xu Zhou too far—he still needed him.

Xu Wensong took a deep breath, and a glance at his wife’s jewelry box sparked an idea. He continued:

“Before your mother passed, she left something for you. When you were young, I kept it safe for you. Now that you’re grown, I’ll give it to you when you return this time.”

Xu Zhou’s expression stiffened. His mother had left him when he was still too young to understand, without a single word or letter. It wasn’t just sadness—it was a lasting regret.

Another long silence followed. Xu Wensong, rarely patient, pressed on: “After all, this is the home where you grew up…”

Xu Zhou cut him off, voice calm and flat: “What thing?”

“How could your father lie to you? I’ll send you the photo later.”

Before he could say more, Xu Zhou hung up expressionlessly.

This was his biological father.

Did he think Xu Zhou was still the naive child he once was?

On the other end, Xu Wensong’s face darkened.

Li Qing gently comforted him, smoothing his chest. “Why is this child still so impossible? Don’t let it ruin your health.”

Her eyes flickered briefly with sadness—and an almost imperceptible glint of ruthlessness.

“Right now, the most important thing is to let Zhang Yu meet him. If he shifts his attention elsewhere, the company and Chen Chen might be saved…”

Xu Wensong sighed, looking at her troubled face. “This is the only way. Raising Xu Zhou all these years, sacrificing a bit for this family is worth it.”

“Last time, Chen Chen saw Xiao Zhou enter Yueman Restaurant with another man, right? That’s not an ordinary place—none of us dare go there casually. But Xiao Zhou went in. With that face, he probably hooked up with some wealthy people. Zhang Yu is the richest in Xincheng. Old, sure, but rich. Maybe Xiao Zhou would even be willing to help us…”

Xu Wensong’s expression darkened. He snorted coldly. “Always disobedient, just like his mother…”

…

The phone rang again.

Xu Zhou, irritated, closed his eyes briefly and answered.

“Hello…”

“Mm?”

Xu Zhou froze. “Shen Yan?”

“Someone causing you trouble?” Shen Yan frowned.

Xu Zhou pinched his fingers, emotions tangled. After experiencing his biological father’s hypocritical act, he felt indescribably unsettled.

Hearing Xu Wensong’s voice transported him back to the past—whatever he did would earn scolding, oppression, false blame, and disdain…

Hearing Shen Yan’s voice, however, brought him back to reality, calming his mood considerably.

“No, no one’s bothering me,” Xu Zhou said with a light laugh.

Shen Yan didn’t fully relax; his gaze darkened. The more Xu Zhou acted nonchalant, the more suspicious it seemed.

“You can tell me anything. I’ll always be behind you.”

Xu Zhou froze, the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat. The cold and disappointment he had felt from his family now seemed partially healed by Shen Yan.

“I… I miss you a little.”

More than Xu Zhou’s initial surprise at saying he missed Shen Yan first, Shen Yan felt worry and tenderness. He knew Xu Zhou must have endured some grievance.

“I miss you too. Very much.”

After hanging up, Shen Yan set down what he was holding and went to grab his coat, eyes shadowed with unease.

“Arrange a flight to Xincheng.”

“Yes, Mr. Shen.” Lin Feng, Shen Yan’s assistant, never questioned his boss—one reason he had stayed on for so long.

—

Xu Zhou spent over an hour in the shower.

His frustration spread through him like stubborn weeds.

As a child, he had craved familial affection, using every little scheme he could think of to gain favor from Xu Wensong and Li Qing.

Xu Wensong spent most of his time at the company, rarely home. When he did return, seeing Xu Zhou’s face would darken his mood—he only smiled at Xu Chen and Li Qing.

Li Qing only ever showed him kindness in Xu Wensong’s presence; behind the scenes, there was never a smile, only scolding and suppression.

Every family outing or trip, to avoid bringing him along as an “extra,” they would secretly drug him to keep him home alone.

And his so-called younger brother, three years his junior, took advantage of their parents’ indulgence, treating Xu Zhou cruelly, even seizing his belongings.

In this family, Xu Zhou had always been superfluous. So after high school, he left, studying in another city and completing college on his own.

Perhaps fortune smiled on him—once, on a whim while working a part-time job, he bought a lottery ticket and inexplicably won a million. Fate had its own way of balancing the scales.

Memories long buried resurfaced. Xu Zhou smiled quietly. Now he could support himself.

Since Xu Wensong had sought him out again, it was time to draw a complete line with them.