The next day was Wednesday.
Chen Mo did not wake up naturally in the morning but was instead shaken awake violently by Lao Gou.
“What the hell are you doing?” Chen Mo groggily muttered, rubbing his eyes with his elbow.
Gou Yiyang, for once, did not care about the fact that Chen Mo had spent the night in Xi Siyan’s bed next door. Instead, he spoke urgently, “Are you still sleeping? Hurry up and check online—something happened to the Yang family!”
However, Chen Mo showed zero enthusiasm.
Seeing that, Gou Yiyang could no longer hold back. He simply thrust his phone directly into Chen Mo’s face.
Chen Mo forced his eyes open.
It was a news video.
The clip was short—only about thirty seconds long—but it was more than enough to capture the scene clearly.
In the video, Chen Jianli had somehow gathered a group of people who looked just as rough as him. They stood at the entrance of Yang Group, shoving and cursing at the security guards.
The sign he was holding up had bold, unmistakable words:
“YANG FAMILY, GIVE MY SON BACK TO ME!”
His voice was clear in the video:
“Everyone, come take a look! The Yang family is so shameless—they won’t even let us see our own son!”
“We gave him back, and now they’re treating us like criminals! They hired bodyguards to keep us away, refusing to let me and his mother even meet him! What are they trying to hide? Just because they have money, does that mean they can trample all over ordinary people like us?!”
“Everyone, judge for yourselves! The Yang family must come out and give us an explanation today!”
…
Despite being a short video, it spread like wildfire.
Major media outlets picked it up and reprinted it immediately.
And, of course, the headlines were as dramatic as ever:
“Chaos in the Yang Family’s Search for Their Lost Son: Why Did the Biological Father Show Up to Cause Trouble?”
“A Reunion the Yang Family Called a ‘Beautiful Accident’—Blessing or Curse for Both Families?”
With the speed of modern information, it only took two hours before photos of Chen Mo and Yang Shule were circulating online.
Chen Mo’s photo was a simple student ID picture from two years ago. Back then, his hair was cropped short, making him look slightly immature—and with sharp eyes that gave off a rebellious vibe.
Yang Shule, on the other hand, had plenty of public photos.
His personal account on the world’s largest social media platform was easily dug up. There were pictures of him skiing, traveling, and attending concerts on various holidays. He frequently posted photos of luxury gifts from his family—including one from just two days ago.
It was a pair of brand-new designer shoes, captioned:
“A gift from the best brother in the world! Love them so much!”
The netizens erupted.
[So the guy making a scene at the company just wants money? What’s more obvious than this? He doesn’t want his son living a good life!]
[Exactly! If I were his son, I wouldn’t want to go back to that miserable life either.]
[Honestly, the Yang family seems decent—they treated their son well after finding him.]
[I just realized something… Ever since his background was exposed, this so-called ‘fake young master’ has been posting photos more frequently. Almost like he’s trying to prove that his family treats him well.]
[I feel the same. It makes sense though. If I were the real Yang family son, I’d feel uncomfortable too.]
Slowly but surely, the focus of the discussion shifted toward Chen Mo.
Unfortunately for the netizens, no matter how hard they dug, they couldn’t find any additional public information about him.
Chen Mo did not use social media.
Aside from the initial public statements by the Yang family, there was no further introduction of him. The last thing anyone knew was that he had been praised as an ‘inspirational role model’.
And if they searched a little deeper, they would discover that this so-called role model had just ranked ninth in the grade.
And this was the best high school in Suicheng, a school that sent countless students to top universities every year.
[What a self-reliant young man! The Yang family must have built their ancestral tombs too well in their past life—this lost son came back to bring honor to their family.]
[Hold up—the Yang family shouldn’t take credit for that. He was already an excellent student before he returned to them. They themselves admitted it.]
[The Chen family is so shortsighted. They should’ve given this fake son to me instead. My rebellious kid is driving me crazy!]
Gou Yiyang kept scrolling through the online discussions.
The more he read, the more numb he felt.
Finally, he turned to the calmly dozing Chen Mo, who was sitting cross-legged on the squad leader’s bed, leaning against the wall, and asked, “Brother Mo, do you have any feelings about this?”
Chen Mo turned his head lazily. “What am I supposed to feel?”
Gou Yiyang scratched his chin. “I mean, yeah, you have good grades, but if these people knew that you smoke, drink, fight, talk back to teachers, and sleep through class, I wonder if they’d still be praising you like this.”
Chen Mo shot him a glare. “Stop making up lies about me. I have always been a model student. My reputation is flawless.”
Lao Gou gave him a look that practically screamed: Do you even hear yourself?
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow. “What’s the problem?”
After all, this was exactly the kind of son the Yang family wanted.
He had no problem playing along.
However—
Even Gou Yiyang couldn’t help but say, “It’s weird. If you ask around, it’s common knowledge that you got a school warning for fighting, that you cussed out a teacher and had to read a self-criticism in front of the whole school. But somehow, none of that is online. Instead, everyone’s saying Yang Shule left the experimental class because his grades were dropping and his mental state was unstable.”
That part even surprised Chen Mo.
Because, truth be told, he had never tried to control public opinion.
And yet, the way things had unfolded made it seem like he had been deliberately clearing his own reputation, while Yang Shule—who had never even been part of Chen Mo’s plans—was being completely dragged into the mess.
Meanwhile, at the Top Floor of Yang Group Headquarters
The father and son walked out of the conference room, both wearing grim expressions.
Yang Qi’an turned to his eldest son. “What’s happening downstairs?”
“The bodyguards have already detained him,” Yang Zhi replied as they headed toward the office. “We’re handling the media as well.”
Yang Qi’an jabbed a finger at him. “You need to curb your arrogance. You should have dealt with that Chen Jianli the moment he first showed up—throw him some money and get rid of him. Now look! He’s caught us in a lie. He knows we weren’t honest with the media from the start. Now he’s milking it, and we’re forced to play along!”**
Yang Zhi followed his father into the office, shutting the door behind them.
“Dad, I admit I miscalculated.” Yang Zhi’s tone was serious. “I didn’t think he’d actually have the guts to pull something like this.”
Yang Qi’an frowned, rubbing his temples. “At this point, we have no choice. Your brother needs to step forward to smooth things over with the Chen family. Otherwise, the media won’t let this go.”
Yang Zhi frowned. “Would it be appropriate for Shu Le to step forward? Mom never wanted our family to have any contact with the Chen family.”
Yang Qi’an slammed the table, his face dark with frustration.
“Do you even realize the situation we’re in?! Look at how things have turned out! Didn’t you see the faces of your uncles and aunts during the meeting just now? Shu Le… he is the biological son of the Chen family, after all.”
Maybe it was because Chen Jianli had suddenly come knocking.
Maybe it was because the Yang Group was now in deeper trouble than before.
At this moment, the head of the Yang family seemed to have finally realized something—
That the child whom his wife had fiercely protected all these years, the child for whom he had dropped the lawsuit against the kidnapper, the child they had raised as their own…
Should have carried the surname Chen.
The son that Chen Jianli was looking for—wasn’t him.
His real son was named Chen Mo.
Years ago, he had stood before the elders of the Yang family and righteously declared that the boy they had raised for over a decade was as good as their own flesh and blood.
And yet, now—
That so-called fatherly love was quickly fading.
Yang Qi’an turned toward the floor-to-ceiling window, his voice suddenly calm.
“Tonight is the Zhou family’s engagement dinner. You go to No. 1 Middle School and personally pick up Chen Mo. The Zhou family was never satisfied with your mother’s marriage to me, which is why we haven’t been in contact much over the years. But no matter what, blood ties cannot be severed.”
Yang Zhi immediately understood his father’s intentions.
He had spent years trying to mend the relationship with the Zhou family.
Now, he wanted to introduce Chen Mo to them—to win back their favor and strengthen his standing within the Yang Group.
As a son, Yang Zhi had inherited many of his father’s traits.
The cold detachment of a powerful family. The rationality of weighing pros and cons before making decisions. The habit of viewing everyone from a superior vantage point.
But—
Unlike his father, Yang Zhi knew this was a miscalculation.
Not just because of his father’s rocky marriage.
Not just because his mother still saw Shu Le as the glue holding their family together.
But because of Chen Mo himself.
If he truly considered himself part of the Yang family, would he have gone to school and never come back?
This younger brother of his—
Was trying to escape.
Yang Zhi understood this better than anyone in the Yang family.
When he returned to his office, his assistant followed him in.
“What is it?” Yang Zhi asked.
The assistant bowed slightly. “Boss Yang, regarding the monthly exam gifts you instructed me to prepare for the two young masters—only one has been sent out. But today, that pair of shoes has been widely publicized online. Should we exchange the other gift?”
Yang Zhi fell into deep thought.
After a long pause, he finally said—
“Forget it.”
“You won’t exchange it?”
“There’s no need to send it.”
Chen Mo wouldn’t wear it even if we gave it to him.
He probably wouldn’t even like it.
Shu Le’s little tricks—posting photos to gain favor—were nothing more than an attempt to please their mother.
Chen Mo wouldn’t do that.
And he probably never would.
Yang Zhi had to admit—
He was finding it harder and harder to understand his younger brother.
Even when he had first ordered two gifts to be prepared, it had already seemed pointless.
The Meeting with Yang Shule
By the time Yang Shule arrived at the company, Yang Zhi had just finished lunch.
“Brother.”
The young man tilted his head as he entered, flashing a bright, easygoing smile.
Yang Zhi reined in his earlier frustration, softening his expression. “You’re here. Have you eaten?”
“I have.”
Yang Shule walked in like he owned the place, settling himself comfortably on the sofa. “What did you want to talk about?”
There were times when Yang Zhi genuinely liked his younger brother’s so-called innocence.
But there were also times when that innocence felt entirely fake—so much so that it left him feeling uneasy.
“Le Le.” Yang Zhi sat down beside him.
He pushed a plate of desserts toward him—prepared in advance by his assistant.
“I’m sure you’ve seen what’s happening online today. What do you think?”
Yang Shule’s lashes trembled slightly.
But his voice remained calm.
“I know… it’s all because of me.”
Then, he looked up and smiled.
“Brother, you guys have already sacrificed so much because of me. Now that it’s happening to me, I finally understand how hard it is for you. I was too impulsive before… Like when I changed classes—I shouldn’t have done that. Dad even had to pull some strings to help me. This time, no matter what you decide, I’ll cooperate.”
Yang Zhi patted his head gently.
“We’re only pretending to cooperate with the Chen family to handle the media. Don’t worry.”
“I know.”
As he spoke, his eyes turned red—so red that it made people’s hearts soften.
After Yang Shule left, the assistant turned to Yang Zhi.
“Boss Yang, should I go over the script with Master Shule to ensure there are no mistakes?”
“It’s fine.”
Yang Zhi’s gaze lingered on the obvious nail marks embedded in the black leather sofa. He then turned toward the door.
“A son of the Yang family knows exactly what to say.”
That day, the world outside was in chaos.
But Chen Mo’s world remained utterly peaceful.
Even when the highly detailed, high-definition photos of Yang Shule’s emotional reunion with Chen Jianli were plastered across every major news site—
Chen Mo merely glanced at them.
All he recalled was the first time he had seen Yang Shule at the Yang family’s doorstep.
It was the day after he woke up and tried to move out, only to be stopped by others.
Compared to the staged scene in today’s news—
That memory felt especially ironic.
The so-called warmth of the Yang family…
Had always been just for show.
6 PM – The Zhou Family’s Engagement Dinner
At exactly six o’clock, a Yang family car was parked in front of the school gates.
Chen Mo, dressed in his school uniform and carrying a shoulder bag, walked out and got in the car without hesitation.
“Brother,” Chen Mo greeted casually.
Yang Zhi, dressed in formal attire, sat in the back seat and frowned the moment he saw him.
“Why didn’t you change your clothes?”
Chen Mo blinked innocently.
“Didn’t big brother prepare an outfit for me?” He shrugged. “I’m just a student—I have no idea what I’m supposed to wear to a formal dinner.”
Yang Zhi was momentarily startled.
Then he turned to the assistant in the front seat. “Prepare a set of formal clothes for him.”
“Understood,” the assistant replied.
As the car merged into traffic, Yang Zhi observed him closely.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
Chen Mo leaned back lazily, his smile unfazed.
“Oh, I’m feeling great.”
He tilted his head slightly and smirked.
“On my way out, I saw a bunch of dogs tearing each other apart under the dorm building. Quite the show.”
Yang Zhi’s face tensed.
His jaw tightened, his fingers curling into a fist.
“Chen Mo!”
“Brother, what’s with the attitude?”
Chen Mo looked completely relaxed, even raising an eyebrow as he spoke.
“I was just talking about a fight between stray dogs. Why are you so worked up, brother? Did you get bitten by one today?”
The assistant in the front row had just taken out his phone, preparing to message someone about the suit.
But for some reason, his grip faltered—and in a moment of sheer panic, his phone slipped straight into the gap between the seats.
He hurriedly bent down to retrieve it, his face practically buried in the seat cushion.
Yang Zhi’s voice turned ice-cold.
“If you can’t pick it up, just go buy a new one.”
The assistant shuddered.
“Tsk.”
Chen Mo clicked his tongue and looked at Assistant Hao with sympathy.
This man…
In his past life, Assistant Hao had followed Yang Zhi all the way, helping him build an empire.
At this moment, he was probably still inexperienced, having only been in the corporate world for less than two years.
In his previous life, Chen Mo had tried multiple times to poach him—but failed every single time.
Leaning forward slightly, Chen Mo made a serious offer:
“Assistant Hao, working under a boss like this is way too stressful. You should quit. When I join the company in the future, come work for me—I’ll triple your current salary. How does that sound?”
The assistant slowly lifted his head, his movements as stiff as a machine.
When he caught sight of Yang Zhi’s expression—dark as the bottom of a pot—his soul nearly left his body.
His voice trembled.
“Second Master, please don’t joke around with me…”
“Look at you.”
Chen Mo laughed, leaning back into his seat.
Yang Zhi suddenly spoke.
“If you want to steal my people—wait until you actually gain a foothold in the company first.”
“Alright.”
Under the car’s dim lights, Chen Mo’s eyes reflected like glass.
He stretched his neck, let out a long lazy breath, and casually replied—
“I’ll wait.”
In that moment, Yang Zhi felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
It hit him like a sudden realization—
This person never meant a single word he had said.
Not when he sat at the dinner table, joking about wanting company dividends.
Not now, when he talked about joining the company to poach employees.
Chen Mo never intended to step foot into the Yang family business.
To Yang Zhi, that idea was almost absurd.
It made him want to question him outright:
“Why not? Come and fight me. Isn’t that what you really want?”
“Isn’t that the whole reason you returned to the Yang family?”
But in reality—
The person sitting next to him, after almost scaring his assistant to tears, simply crossed his arms, shifted to his side, and fell asleep as if nothing had happened.
With his eyes still closed, he even kicked the seat in front of him.
“Move it forward a bit. My legs can’t stretch out.”
His tone was so casual—
The driver and assistant had no doubt that the Second Young Master truly treated the people around him as nothing but air.
