"Dad."
Out of politeness, Chen Yuan still managed a slight smile, though it didn't reach his eyes.
Hearing the word "Dad," the wrinkles on the middle-aged man's face seemed to spring to life. A flicker of joy surfaced in his deep-set eyes, carrying with it an indescribable satisfaction.
"Boss, I'm going to step out for a smoke." The driver in the front seat was clearly a man who could read a room. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket at just the right moment and gestured outside.
"Alright, go ahead."
THUD—
The muffled thud of the door closing echoed, leaving only Chen Yuan and Jiang Zhengfeng in the car.
Perhaps because he hadn't seen his son in so long, Jiang Zhengfeng was suddenly overcome with a wave of fatherly affection. He reached out to pat Chen Yuan's head, but Chen Yuan dodged it out of habit, tilting his head away.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Reality was far more absurd than he could have ever imagined.
Chen Yuan had never told anyone that he had two fathers—one adoptive, the other biological.
He had only found out in high school, when Mr. and Mrs. Chen decided to tell him the truth.
He'd been adopted from an orphanage when he was very young, a period of his life he no longer remembered.
From his earliest memories, he only recalled his mother's school, Julu County First High, assigning them a renovated two-bedroom apartment. It was incredibly cramped, without so much as a study. He took one bedroom, Mr. and Mrs. Chen the other. It had been summer when the family moved in.
His parents were busy unpacking while a young Chen Yuan was set down on the sofa.
The stainless-steel ceiling fan in the living room creaked and groaned overhead. He stared at it, utterly terrified it would fall.
As a child, he would go with his mom to her classroom, where he'd squat by the lectern and play with modeling clay. After class, he'd play with the high schoolers, a few of whom would tease him with paper airplanes.
When Chen Yuan got a little older, he made his own friends. He was an excellent student, and Mrs. Chen was strict—she wouldn't even let him play video games, making him memorize classical literature every day instead.
He grew up in a small, backwater county in the north. Then, just a few days after he started high school...
...a biological father suddenly appeared in his life. Who could possibly accept something like that?
...
"How's college? Do you have any regrets about not taking the path I chose for you?"
"No. I'm happy. The professors here are incredibly knowledgeable, and my classmates are friendly. I have nothing to regret."
"And your living situation?"
"It's fine. A four-person dorm with loft beds over desks."
"Do you need money?"
"I haven't spent a dime of what you gave me. It's all still in the bank."
"Why won't you spend your father's money?"
Faced with Jiang Zhengfeng's question, Chen Yuan paused. After a moment's thought, he said, "I don't have anything to spend it on. I have plenty to eat and warm clothes to wear."
"To be honest, I regret it..." Jiang Zhengfeng said, lowering his head slightly with a sigh. "I should have just sent you abroad to study. Sometimes falling one step behind is the same as falling ten steps behind. You could have received a much better education."
"That's enough."
This topic always annoyed Chen Yuan. 'I really can't understand parents like him,' he thought. 'They all want to control their kids, forcing them down a pre-paved path without allowing for a single misstep.'
"Do you really want to just finish college, find some random job, and live out your life like that?" Jiang Zhengfeng frowned.
"What's not normal about that..."
"It's normal for other people. Not for you."
"And why not?"
"Because eventually, you're going to inherit my assets. I've already written my will. Should I read it to you?"
Jiang Zhengfeng was getting angry. When it came to ambition, Chen Yuan took after him in no way whatsoever.
'All he thinks about is slacking off. He just wants to be some average joe, living a mediocre life.'
'Son, do you really have no idea? Your old man's company made the Fortune 500 list last year. Do you have any concept of what that means?'
'I'm handing you something countless people would kill for, and you don't even want it?!'
What left Jiang Zhengfeng speechless was the certainty that eighteen-year-old Chen Yuan had never been humbled by the real world. 'Once he runs into some real trouble,' he thought, 'he'll realize that coming back obediently to take over the family business is his best option!'
Having been rebuked, Chen Yuan fell silent.
In fact, during high school, Jiang Zhengfeng had brought him over to receive a better education and attend a top-tier school.
But back then, all Chen Yuan wanted was to return to his school in Julu County. Torn from his familiar environment, he found it impossible to adapt.
In the end, he went back.
Seeing how his son was growing more and more withdrawn, Jiang Zhengfeng decided not to force the issue. He let Chen Yuan attend school like any other kid, with the sole condition that he had to get into a good university.
Inside the car.
"Stop living in the dorms. I'll take care of the arrangements and rent an apartment for you off-campus," Jiang Zhengfeng said in a low voice.
"Why?" Chen Yuan snapped his head up, finding the suggestion incomprehensible.
"You'll be more comfortable, and it'll be easier for me to come see you."
"No way. I'm perfectly fine in my dorm."
"Well, if you'd rather I come find you on campus, that can be arranged," Jiang Zhengfeng said, picking up his phone and displaying a contact. The luxury watch on his wrist gleamed. "I sent you so many messages and called you so many times today, but you refused to pick up. I could easily contact the administration at Landa University, but I didn't, to be considerate of your feelings. I also didn't drive onto campus, again, to be considerate of you. Instead, I waited out here for an hour."
The words Chen Yuan wanted to say caught in his throat. No matter how he felt about it, Jiang Zhengfeng had indeed handled the situation with considerable tact.
"But living off-campus would be so inconvenient for getting to class..."
"I'll hire a driver and a maid for you."
"Absolutely not! I can live off-campus, but I'm still going to eat in the cafeteria and ride my bike to class. That's it."
"Then it's a deal... I won't hire anyone to look after you."
A glint of cunning flashed in Jiang Zhengfeng's eyes. Chen Yuan, of course, was no match for his old man. It had only taken a few sentences to get him to back down.
...
「Night slowly descended, blanketing all of Lanjing.」
Jiang Ning finished a long day at work and returned home.
But as the elevator doors opened, she froze, stunned by the sight before her. Four or five people were bustling about outside, moving furniture. The door to the apartment across the hall was wide open, revealing an interior that had been cleaned until it was spotless. All sorts of brand-new household goods, still in their packaging, were stacked in the living room.
'Is a new neighbor moving in?'
Jiang Ning was a little surprised. She had been renting this apartment for over two years, and the door to the unit across the hall had hardly ever opened. She'd always assumed it was an unsold, vacant property.
This was a high-end apartment complex. Rent was over 18,000 a month, and since it was located in downtown Lanjing City, buying a unit outright would cost over three million. It was a rather expensive place.
'Having no neighbors is definitely better than having neighbors,' she thought. 'You can avoid all the social obligations. It's so much more peaceful.'
"Oh, excuse me, are we in your way?"
As Jiang Ning stepped out of the elevator, one of the young movers asked apologetically.
"It's no problem. Go ahead."
"Thanks. We'll be done in about half an hour, so we won't disturb you for long." The young man was exceedingly polite, stepping aside to give Jiang Ning room to unlock her door.
She closed the door behind her.
Jiang Ning couldn't help but think, 'I hope my new neighbor is a friendly and polite person, too.'
'I've heard stories about neighbors who don't get along—some even get into physical fights!'