Chapter 33

As soon as Ke Zhengye stepped into the house, he heard faint screams coming from the direction of the home theater downstairs.

He didn’t even change his shoes, his expression tense as he rushed a few steps forward, but then suddenly seemed to remember something. His face darkened as he asked the butler beside him, "Did Madam invite someone again? What’s it this time, a beauty treatment or a massage?"

The butler wiped the sweat from his forehead. "They’re watching a live stream. The two young masters’ show is having its performance today, and they’re tallying the votes."

Speaking of which, Madam never used to care about the two young masters. After the return of the second young master, they hadn’t had much contact. It was surprising to see how much she loved her children privately, even inviting friends over to cheer for the two young masters.

The butler silently nodded and quietly noted in his mind that "Madam keeps her emotions restrained and is not good at expressing affection."

"...?" Ke Zhengye’s expression was filled with suspicion. "Watching a talent show live stream and getting this excited?"

The butler hesitated for a moment. "Probably... Madam’s friends are happy for her."

Ke Zhengye: "..." Those plastic friends of hers who are always fighting with her over bags, clothes, and won’t even let her have a pair of shoes?

Ke Zhengye snorted heavily, and his face visibly darkened.

His mood wasn’t good today, and he was super frustrated—

He didn’t know if it was because of Ke Xingzhou’s "curse" causing trouble, but he had been unusually unlucky these past two days. First, there were repeated mistakes with projects at the company, and the new products scheduled for release this week still hadn’t been completed. Public opinion had somehow shifted, and now, some people were saying they didn’t even want to acknowledge Ke Yuanbai as their son and had only brought him back for his public value...

It was absolute nonsense!

Although it was true that he initially took Ke Yuanbai back for his commercial value, that was based on the fact that Ke Yuanbai was actually his son!

He wasn’t some overly selfless person; he already had two sons of his own and a wife who spent money like water. Was he supposed to raise someone else’s son for nothing?

He had already sent Ke Xingzhou into the show, using him as a contrast to Ke Yuanbai. Wasn’t his attitude already clear enough?

But those fans were being unreasonable, returning all the goods they bought from their official flagship store, causing him to work overtime from last night until now, even having to deal with the backlog of returns!

He really wanted to yell at someone, but he had seen the fighting power of the fans when Ke Xingzhou was being criticized earlier.

He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to win.

So, he had to force himself to hold it in, so much that his chest hurt. Who knew he’d still have to face the noise made by his wife’s group of fake friends when he came back?

Thinking that these noises were somehow related to Ke Xingzhou, his mindset collapsed even more. He made up his mind that when Ke Xingzhou returned, he would definitely not give that troublemaker any good face.

Thinking of this, he remembered the decision made in the meeting with the PR department today. He paused as he was about to go upstairs, turned around, and unhappily instructed the butler, "After the show ends, give the second young master a call and tell him to bring that rebellious son home! He’s got a perfectly good home, but now people are going to say we’re abusing him!"Chapter 33

Ke Zhengye had just stepped into the house when he heard a faint scream from the direction of the underground home theater.

He hadn't even changed his shoes, and his expression tense, he ran a couple of steps forward, but suddenly seemed to remember something. His face darkened, and he asked the butler beside him, "Did the wife invite someone over again? What are they doing this time, beauty treatments or massages?"

The butler wiped the sweat from his forehead. "They're watching a live broadcast. The second young master's show is airing today, and they are tallying the votes."

Speaking of which, the wife had never paid much attention to the two young masters. Even after the new second young master returned, she hadn’t kept in touch much. It seemed, though, that she still loved the children privately. She even invited her friends over to the house to cheer for the two young masters.

The butler quietly nodded, mentally noting that "the wife keeps her emotions restrained and isn’t good at expressing feelings."

"...” Ke Zhengye looked suspicious. "Watching a talent show live broadcast, and getting this excited?"

The butler hesitated for a moment. "Perhaps... it's because the wife’s friends are happy for her."

Ke Zhengye: "..."

Those so-called "plastic friends" of hers, who were always fighting over bags and clothes with her, and wouldn’t even give her a pair of shoes?

Ke Zhengye snorted heavily, his face visibly darkening.

His mood had been bad today, and he was really on the verge of blowing up—

He didn’t know if it was because of that annoying "curse" from Ke Xingzhou, but these past couple of days had been unusually unlucky. First, there had been repeated mistakes with the projects at work, the new products that were supposed to be launched this week hadn’t been completed, and somehow public opinion had turned against him, with people claiming that they didn’t want to acknowledge Ke Yuanbai and had only taken him back for his public relations value...

It was ridiculous!

Though he had indeed taken Ke Yuanbai back for his business value at first, that was only because Ke Yuanbai was really his son!

He wasn’t some selfless person, he already had two sons at home, plus a wife who spent money like water. Was he supposed to raise someone else’s son for free?

He had already sent Ke Xingzhou into the show to serve as a contrast to Ke Yuanbai. Wasn’t his attitude clear enough?

But those fans were so unreasonable, and they kept returning the products they had purchased from his official flagship store. As a result, he had been working overtime since last night to deal with the mounting pressure from all the returns!

He really wanted to yell at someone, but he’d seen the fighting power of those fans when Ke Xingzhou had been criticized before.

He was afraid he couldn’t win in a war of words.

So, he could only bottle it all up, to the point where his chest hurt. Who would have thought that when he got home, he’d have to deal with the noise caused by his wife’s "plastic friends"?

Thinking that this noise was, to some extent, related to Ke Xingzhou, his frustration grew, and he resolved that when Ke Xingzhou came back, he was definitely not going to give that brat any good face.

Thinking about this, he remembered what had been decided in the meeting with the PR department earlier. He paused on the stairs and turned back, telling the butler in an unhappy tone, "After the show ends, give the second young master a call and tell him to bring that ungrateful kid back home! He has a good home, why does he want to spread rumors about us abusing him?"

The butler thought to himself, after all these years, leaving a child to live alone in a dilapidated house in the countryside, constantly yelling at them over the phone or in person—wasn’t that abuse?

But he asked, "Should I just call Young Master Xingzhou directly?"

Ke Zhengye subconsciously touched the bump on his head. The large bump from when he was hit by the crystal chandelier at the Wang family’s banquet still hurt when he touched it.

Although he always scolded Ke Xingzhou for being too whimsical, it seemed like everything Ke Xingzhou said came true. For example, after he scolded him, the bump had been hit several times again. He had been struck by a loose chandelier crystal two or three times already. It was even more frequent than in the past decade combined.

He didn’t know how to explain his guilt and unease toward Ke Xingzhou, so he shouted loudly, "What’s the point of calling him? I don’t want to talk to him right now, and I don’t want to see him!"

The butler: "..."

What a childish declaration.

Actually, he didn’t even remember what Ke Xingzhou looked like anymore. He only remembered that before he was five, Ke Xingzhou had been a very cute and clingy little bundle. He would look at everyone with eyes as dark as grapes and would seriously wish them good luck.

Who wouldn’t like such a sweet little bundle?

Unfortunately, after he turned five, for some reason, Ke Xingzhou had been sent to the countryside, and it was later confirmed that he wasn’t even Ke’s biological son. Given Mr. Ke’s attitude, it seemed unlikely that Ke Xingzhou would continue staying with the Ke family in the future.

The butler didn’t know why he suddenly recalled the past, but when he looked at the Ke family now, he couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

After watching Ke Zhengye go upstairs, he made a call to Ke Yuanbai.

Ke Yuanbai, upon hearing that Ke Zhengye wanted him to bring Ke Xingzhou back, showed no emotion. He simply responded with a calm "Hmm," then hung up the phone.

The butler couldn’t help but feel even more sentimental. Thankfully, the newly returned second young master had a good personality. Since returning, he hadn’t made things difficult for Ke Xingzhou and had even spoken up for him in front of Mr. Ke.

The three young masters hadn’t inherited Mr. Ke’s temper, and the Ke family’s future was still promising!

The butler, who was nearly at retirement age, felt a deep sense of comfort.

At the "All-around Idol" program.

Ke Xingzhou, as usual, was being a lazy bum. Aside from a brief self-introduction when he first appeared, he had been daydreaming for the rest of the time, never bothering to listen to the competition rules. He spent the whole time napping in the corner of the waiting room.

Every time the live camera panned to him, the number of comments in the live chat would fluctuate noticeably. At first, there had been doubts and insults, but later, it was just a long string of ellipses.

[Wait, did this guy go out and commit a crime last night? Why does he look like he’s about to fall asleep every time he appears on screen?]

[If it weren’t for Ke Xingzhou sleeping during the day and getting sunlight, I’d almost think he’s a vampire hiding among humans, sleeping during the day and active at night. Or maybe he’s like some comic book protagonist with a debt-ridden father, a sick mother, a younger sister going to school, and his own broken... cough, cough…]

[Don’t say that, but honestly, is the program giving Ke Xingzhou a filter today? Why does he look so... broken???]

[To be honest, I used to scoff at people who let looks dictate their opinions, but now I realize I was just pretending! This so-called fake young master—he’s clearly the future male lead of my wedding house!]

For today’s live broadcast, the program required all participants to wear full makeup. The stylist had pinned Ke Xingzhou to the chair, trimmed his long hair that had been neglected for months, and carefully styled him for the stage.

Now, Ke Xingzhou was no longer wearing the crooked sunglasses from his first appearance but a pair of blue sunglasses provided by the program team. They made his already fair skin appear even whiter, and his dark eyes were hidden behind the sunglasses, which seemed to dull their color, making his crimson lips stand out even more.

Ke Xingzhou’s appearance was already very eye-catching—

It wasn’t the kind of strikingly bold or aggressive look, but his features were so vivid and pure that even a fleeting glance seemed to leave a mark on the retina. It made one’s pupils involuntarily contract, yet they couldn’t tear their gaze away.The stage makeup made his appearance more striking, so even though Ke Xingzhou was hiding in the corner, many people still paid attention to him.

After a flurry of comments from beauty enthusiasts, someone quickly noticed something unusual:

【Just now... I tripped over your pants as soon as I walked in. You guys are so enthusiastic, but please, calm down — I think I saw a little kitten inside this handsome guy’s hood! Could that be the “younger sister going to school”?!】

【I guarantee with my 18 years of single status, that kitten is definitely under a month old! Kittens this age are the hardest to care for, needing feeding every 2–3 hours. Ke Xingzhou must be sleep-deprived from taking care of the kitten!】

【And he’s got husband material! I’m diving straight in! Sigh...】

Ke Xingzhou didn’t notice the provocative comments on the screen.

He was so sleepy he could fall asleep at any moment, and the little kitten inside his hood was still crawling around, occasionally meowing in protest against Ke Xingzhou restricting its movements.

The kitten, about ten days old, was already palm-sized, with growing limbs and enough strength to stand and run around.

When Ke Xingzhou tried to sleep, the little thing would always try to crawl out with its large head wobbling. When it bumped into a wall, it didn’t know how to turn and would just meow at the wall, trying to scare it away.

Of course, that didn’t work.

The kitten, unaware of how to turn, understood to call for help. When it saw the wall wouldn’t budge, it turned back to Ke Xingzhou, meowing until it got a response, making sure he wouldn’t stop until it did. As a result, Ke Xingzhou couldn’t enter a deep sleep and remained drowsy, occasionally yawning.

When Ke Yuanbai returned to the waiting room after hanging up, the kitten had successfully escaped from Ke Xingzhou's hood. He instinctively reached out to support it.

They accidentally collided with Ke Xingzhou’s hand.

Ke Xingzhou sleepily opened his eyes, glanced at him, and yawned. "Thanks."

His casual attitude left Ke Yuanbai momentarily stunned.

The mental preparation he’d made for the entire journey seemed in vain. He hesitated and looked at Ke Xingzhou, then spoke cautiously: "Mr. Ke said we should go back together after the show."

Actually, after returning home last time, Ke Zhengye had told him to call him “Dad,” but for some reason, the face of Ke Xingzhou kept appearing in his mind, and those two words just wouldn’t come out.

So, until now, he still referred to Ke Zhengye and his wife as "Mr. Ke" and "Mrs. Ke," trying to avoid calling them anything else when at home.

After relaying Mr. Ke’s message, he secretly watched Ke Xingzhou’s expression, seeing his calm demeanor without much reaction. The bit of hope that had briefly emerged in his heart faded back into darkness.

As for Mr. Ke’s request, he didn’t hold much hope.

The atmosphere at the Ke family was unbearable after just one day, and he’d completely given up on Ke Zhengye. Not to mention Ke Xingzhou?

That person had always been carefree and didn’t... didn’t care much for fame and fortune.

Thinking of Ke Xingzhou’s sudden demand for several hundred thousand in payment, Ke Yuanbai hesitated.

He’d never dealt with these matters, but he often heard Xie An lament that Ke Xingzhou’s fees were too low, not even a fraction of what other masters at his level made. He thought maybe Ke Xingzhou’s fees were truly reasonable.

These past few days, he’d deliberately distanced himself from everyone to figure things out. The result was obvious — most of the things Ke Zhengye had said about Ke Xingzhou were likely exaggerated, and he had misunderstood Ke Xingzhou based on those ridiculous rumors. He had even tried to “reform” him with his efforts, trying to bring him back to the “right path.”

Now, just thinking of his foolish behavior embarrassed him so much that he wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. He increasingly felt that Ke Xingzhou’s indifference to him was justified. Who would like someone who, without understanding the situation, immediately tried to boss others around?

Therefore, even though he kept thinking about Ke Xingzhou these past few days, he didn’t dare approach him.Until Ke Zhengye gave him such a legitimate reason.

But as expected, it still didn't work.

Ke Yuanbai's expression darkened, and he awkwardly said, "If you don't want to, it's fine, I can go back by myself..."

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Ke Xingzhou spoke up: "Okay."

Ke Yuanbai froze for a moment, quickly looking up at him.

Ke Xingzhou still had that look of being so tired he could fall asleep at any moment. His eyes were even closed, but it seemed like he could still see, as he slightly turned his head toward him and said, "I'll go back with you."

Xie An's parents were coming to visit today. He had originally planned to rent a flat to host them, but after checking rental apps, he found that with the New Year approaching, landlords were busy preparing for the holiday, and there were not many rental options. The ones available weren't nice enough to host important guests.

It would also require adding many new things, and just thinking about it made him feel reluctant.

Fortunately, his ties with the Ke family weren't completely severed yet. Before he was eliminated from the show and received the full payment of five million, he was still considered a "Ke family member." Moreover, now that his achievements had grown, he could support more wealth. Staying at the Ke family for a while wouldn't harm his good deeds.

Since Ke Zhengye took the initiative to ask, he reluctantly agreed to go back for a bit.

Just then, Xie An, who had just finished informing his family about the program schedule, came back. He immediately saw Ke Yuanbai standing in front of Ke Xingzhou, his face cold, and quickly rushed up to stand between them.

Xie An, looking wary, stared at Ke Yuanbai but spoke to Ke Xingzhou: "Bro, is he causing trouble for you?!"

Ke Xingzhou, hearing it was him, lazily lifted his eyelids with a smile and glanced at him: "No, he's enthusiastically inviting me to go back home with him for the New Year."

"Really?" Xie An looked up and down at Ke Yuanbai, his expression clearly skeptical. "But I feel like he came here to cause trouble."

The truly "enthusiastic invitation" from Ke Yuanbai: "..."

So the matter was settled.

After the host announced the rules for the performance voting, they aired a few commercials. The contestants then stood in their positions on stage, which had been confirmed during rehearsals.

The lights went down, and with the beat of the music's intro, the contestants at the front of the stage lit up one by one. With each drumbeat, another contestant stepped out of the darkness into the light.

Ke Xingzhou, being lazy and casual, even though Xie An had dragged him to practice the dance moves and he could follow the rhythm, still stood out with his unenthusiastic style, creating a stark contrast with the others. He was placed in the most cornered spot. But even so, when the spotlight shone on him, the shadows cast on his face due to his superior bone structure still captivated a good number of the audience's attention.

Even though his appearance on stage only lasted for a second, the number of comments on the screen spiked instantly.

"Who was that flash of godly beauty just now?! One minute, I need to know everything about him!"

"Program team, what are you doing?? You give this face just one second? Are you out of your mind? If you can't handle it, let me! I'm hard as a rock, I can go all night!"

"It feels like the protagonist of the world appeared but the author forced the camera to focus on the cannon fodder! Program team! Can you even handle this overwhelming beauty? If not, change people!"

The backstage of the program team was flooded with countless private messages. The director's forehead was sweating so much it was about to drip, but he had to keep his face straight and not change anything.

There was nothing they could do. Ke Xingzhou was good-looking and his movements were standard, but once the camera pulled back, it was clear that his style didn't fit with the others.

If you had to describe it, the others were all energetically dancing with youthful vigor, while Ke Xingzhou, not only showed no enthusiasm, but his lazy and casual vibe made people feel like they were basking in the winter sun, warm and ready to fall asleep.

For the sake of both the overall aesthetics and the smooth flow of the program, they couldn't change the pre-set plan at this point.Fortunately, although it was a public performance stage, the main task of the first episode was to complete the group opening dance, so the performance time wasn't long. From the moment they went on stage to the end of the performance, it was just a little over four minutes.

When the lights dimmed again, the contestants' excited and exhausted breaths echoed through the venue. The barrage data spiked again, and the audience’s messages instantly flooded the screen.

At the same time, the screen cut directly to the voting page, where the countdown for voting at the top displayed 24:00:00 and began to scroll, indicating to everyone that the performance voting had started.

The voting numbers for the top contestants almost immediately started moving, rising visibly and quickly surpassing ten thousand. The contestants further down the list had only sporadic votes, and their numbers would occasionally move a little after some time.

The contestants looked up at the real-time rankings on the big screen, feeling as though their hearts might stop from the tension.

At this moment, the live broadcast had already been cut off, only filming some possible behind-the-scenes footage. Ke Xingzhou glanced at Xie An’s ranking and, knowing it was within the top ranking, stopped looking. He yawned and began to walk out, saying, “Xie Xiao’an, let’s go.”

He didn’t care at all about his ranking.

Xie An was still searching for Ke Xingzhou’s name in the dense list, instinctively following Ke Xingzhou’s steps, squinting his eyes while looking down at the columns of names.

Ke Yuanbai had been paying attention to Ke Xingzhou’s movements and followed when he saw him leaving.

As they passed Xie An, he casually dropped a number: “51.”

“What’s 51? Is my brother in 51?” Xie An repeated, then looked toward the middle. Sure enough, he saw Ke Xingzhou at the 51st place.

Just as he looked over, Ke Xingzhou’s votes suddenly increased, and in the blink of an eye, he surpassed the contestants ahead of him and made it into the top 50.

As long as he’s within 51st, he wouldn’t be eliminated!

Xie An’s face instantly lit up with excitement, even happier than if he had gotten the first place. He shouted, “Brother! You’re 48th!!”

As he shouted and turned back, his foot suddenly tripped, almost crashing into someone.

He immediately stopped, looked up, and couldn’t help but gasp, his demeanor becoming more formal. “Nie, Mr. Nie!”

Nie Chen had somehow arrived and was leaning against the wall at the entrance of the studio, his expression calm, as if he was waiting for someone.

However, just as this thought crossed Xie An’s mind, he dismissed it.

That was Nie Chen, the heir of a top luxury family, the golden child praised by everyone. Just his presence at the show’s production would cause a stir. If he really wanted to meet someone, would he be foolishly waiting here?

When someone is outstanding enough, the whole world tends to favor them.

Unexpectedly, Nie Chen wasn’t as aloof as rumored. He first nodded at Xie An, acknowledging his greeting, then turned his gaze to Ke Xingzhou and Ke Yuanbai, giving them a brief nod as well.

Without lingering on them, his gaze returned to Xie An, his demeanor composed and calm. “The performance is over?”

His attitude immediately put Xie An at ease, and his cat-like eyes curved into a smile. He nodded vigorously, “Yes! Mr. Nie, my brother is 48th!”

Nie Chen paused, his gaze naturally falling on Ke Xingzhou’s face and lingering there. “Really? Congratulations.”

Xie An turned back and only then realized that Ke Xingzhou, who had been walking ahead of him, had somehow fallen behind.

Hearing Nie Chen’s congratulations, he proudly puffed out his chest, “Right! My brother is really amazing, he can do everything. He just didn’t have time to practice properly because he had to take care of the cat. If he had time, he’d definitely be better than everyone!”

Ke Yuanbai coughed lightly and tugged at Xie An, signaling him not to get too carried away.At the last Wang family banquet, he deeply felt the terrifying aura hidden beneath the gentle surface of these top-tier heirs, knowing full well that these people cannot be easily offended. One moment, they may be all smiles with you, and the next, they could suddenly turn on you.

When facing Nie Chen, he already felt immense pressure, let alone someone like Xie An... the naive and innocent type.

Who would have thought that just as he was thinking this, a faint, almost gentle expression appeared on Nie Chen's typically stern face: "Hmm, he's really impressive."

It seemed like he was showing basic respect to Xie An, continuously looking at Ke Xingzhou, but other than a faint smile, his face showed no more emotion.

It gave off the illusion that he was just casually chatting, but exceptionally polite, keeping his gaze on the person being discussed, regardless of their status.

Only Ke Xingzhou knew otherwise.

He was all too familiar with this kind of look. From childhood to now, every time there was an important moment for him, Nie Chen was always by his side, so this gaze was nothing new to him — when he said "impressive," he wasn't just repeating Xie An's words or being polite, but genuinely meant "he is really impressive."

Ke Xingzhou’s heart was in turmoil.

He didn’t understand why Nie Chen would suddenly act like this.

Before, every time they met, Nie Chen would pretend not to recognize him, and he couldn’t detect any flaws.

Just when he had finally accepted this change and decided to treat him like a stranger, Nie Chen started acting like this again...

Ke Xingzhou couldn’t find the right words to describe how he felt, but he knew his long-silent heart was suddenly beating wildly again, stirred by a familiar look, senselessly moved by every action of the person in front of him.

He didn’t like this feeling, so he shifted his gaze.

Coldly, he said, "Thank you."

Nie Chen's gaze lingered on his side profile for a moment before quickly pulling away.

Then, he resumed his calm demeanor, asked about Xie An and Ke Yuanbai’s rankings, encouraged them, and then took his leave.

Ke Yuanbai was completely stunned.

Today's Nie Chen was completely different from the Nie Chen he remembered. He still vividly recalled the cold, oppressive gaze Nie Chen had when he had ordered them to leave earlier, a gaze that made him break out in a cold sweat whenever he thought about it.

But now, Nie Chen...

Ke Yuanbai couldn’t find the right words to describe it; the only word that came to mind was "gentle."

In fact, it was just a slight curve at the corner of his lips, but as someone who had been mythologized by everyone, Nie Chen seemed almost like he wasn’t from the same world as them, yet he revealed such a soft side to them, which was utterly shocking.

Xie An had never interacted with Nie Chen before, and seeing this unusual side of him, he wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

He simply couldn’t help but exclaim, "Mr. Nie is such a gentle person. But wasn't he waiting for someone here? If the three of us didn’t know him, I’d have thought he was specifically waiting for us."

As soon as he said that, the other two fell silent.

Ke Yuanbai had a flash of something in his mind, but it was too quick, and before he could grasp it, the clue slipped away.

Ke Xingzhou, however, cleared his throat and changed the topic, asking Xie An, "Are you taking the Ke family's car later, or are you waiting for your parents and sister to come and taking your own car?"

Xie An, as expected, easily followed the change of topic: "I’ll go with my brother!"

As he spoke, he shot a wary glance at Ke Yuanbai.Although Ke Xingzhou said that Ke Yuanbai came to invite him back home, and Ke Yuanbai had just hinted at his real-time ranking position, due to the things the Ke family had done to Ke Xingzhou before, his opinion of Ke Yuanbai was still very poor.

Who knows what they’re going to do to his brother now!

Ke Yuanbai: "......"

Even Xie An was so wary of him, and Ke Yuanbai increasingly felt that Ke Xingzhou’s previous coldness towards him was fully justified. But he really hadn’t thought about causing any harm to Ke Xingzhou. Even this time, going home together, it was Ke Zhengye’s request, and he hadn’t even considered that Ke Xingzhou would agree.

When he met Ke Xingzhou's gaze, he felt somewhat at a loss, lowering his eyes to hide the look of disappointment: "How about I just take a taxi back? You five, one car might be a bit crowded. I still have some other things to do, but I’ll catch up later."

He habitually added a sentence to ease the other’s worries.

Who knew that Xie An wouldn’t appreciate it, and instead immediately became more alert, wearing a “I knew it!” expression: “Brother! Don’t believe him! He definitely wants to use this to make the Ke family think you bullied him, and then they’ll be disappointed and stop loving you! That’s how it’s written in novels! He’s so scheming!!!”

Ke Yuanbai: "......"

Ke Xingzhou: "......"

First of all, he had to admit, being so unconditionally protected by someone made him feel touched, but—

Ke Xingzhou was amused: "Can you at least get the gender right?"

Two grown men, what kind of “true or fake rich girl” drama is this?!

Ke Yuanbai, who was trying to remove himself from Ke Xingzhou's line of sight, ultimately had to sit in the same car as Ke Xingzhou, under the intimidation of Xie An's fierce, doll-like face.

After confirming the Ke family’s address, Xie An sent the location to the family group.

Before getting into the car, he tightened his doll face, walked around the car three times, took several close-up videos, then snapped a picture of the license plate and the driver’s face, and sent it privately to his sister.

The driver, embarrassed, kept sneaking peeks at the two young masters' faces through the rearview mirror.

Ke Xingzhou naturally didn’t say anything, while Ke Yuanbai completely failed to notice Xie An’s behavior.

He was acting unusually absent-minded, occasionally sneaking glances at Ke Xingzhou, seeming a bit overwhelmed — he hadn’t expected Ke Xingzhou to not refuse Xie An’s antics, and even agree to ride in the same car with him.

He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Xie An, like a fierce opponent, blocked him.

Xie An forcefully squeezed himself between them, like a small mountain separating the two, and continued his earlier investigation: “Mr. Driver, what’s your occupation?”

“……” The driver hesitated, unsure, and replied, “Well, I’m... probably a driver.”

Arriving at the Ke family’s house.

Entering the living room, the first thing that caught their eyes was the neatly arranged family of three.

For some reason, Ke Zhengye hadn’t gone to the company today, Mrs. Ke wasn’t out shopping with her friends, and even Ke Chenyi, who was usually too busy to be seen, was there. Upon hearing the door open, all three turned in unison to look at the entrance, with three heads of varying heights above the sofa, strangely amusing.

However, that amusement quickly disappeared because Ke Zhengye’s relentless mouth started again: “Little brat, you actually know how to come home!? You haven’t bothered to come back in so many years, do you still have me, your father, in your eyes!?”All eyes gathered on Ke Xingzhou's face.

From the context, it was obvious that this address was directed at Ke Xingzhou.

Ke Yuanbai and Xie An immediately felt on edge. Xie An widened his eyes, angrily staring at Ke Yuanbai, with a look that said, "I knew you were up to no good," mixed with an expression of betrayal and heartache.

Ke Yuanbai: "…"

From the moment he entered, he started regretting it. He shouldn’t have brought Ke Xingzhou back so rashly. Initially, he just wanted to talk to Ke Xingzhou, but along the way, when Ke Xingzhou surprisingly agreed to ride with him, he felt flattered and had been dazed ever since.

When Ke Zhengye spoke, Ke Yuanbai almost wanted to cover his mouth, but it was too late.

Now, he just felt dizzy and didn’t even dare look at Ke Xingzhou’s expression, fearing that he would also think, like Xie An, that Ke Yuanbai brought him back just to get scolded.

What’s worse, they might even think that the heated confrontation was all his doing!

Just thinking about how his lifesaver kept misunderstanding him made Ke Yuanbai’s face pale with anger, feeling as if he could collapse at any moment.

But when he mustered the courage to open his eyes and look, he found that Ke Xingzhou's expression was calm, without any sign of being offended. He even cheerfully walked over to the dining area, picked up a washed pear from the table, and took a few bites.

With his cheeks puffed, he glanced at Ke Zhengye and said, "Wasn’t it you who called me back?"

And the usually eloquent Ke Zhengye, who had been twisting the truth in front of Ke Yuanbai, was now completely enraged by this simple, non-insulting remark. His face turned bright red, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, "You ungrateful brat! How dare you speak to your father like that? I’m your father! What’s wrong with calling you back home? Are you saying you wouldn’t come if I didn’t call you?"

"I’ve been speaking like this for years, don’t you know that?" Ke Xingzhou casually picked up a few sugar oranges and handed them to Xie An, then continued, "You called me back, so I came. I’m obedient, what’s the problem? Besides, I’m your guest now. It’s rude to show up uninvited, don’t you think?"

Ke Yuanbai: "…"

It was all answered.

Just… in a strange way.

Ke Zhengye, seeing red with anger, felt like his disobedient adopted son was trying to show off in front of him: "Don’t think that just because I had Yuanbai bring you back means I’m softening up! Let me tell you, there’s only one person at fault in this world, the child. Parents are always right, you’re never going to see me back down!"

Ke Xingzhou was very dismissive: "You should be saying that to your son. Too much bad karma, and now you’ve forgotten your manners? I’m not your real son."

Ke Zhengye, who couldn’t stand the word "bad luck" lately, especially coming from Ke Xingzhou’s mouth, immediately flared up. He couldn’t hold back anymore, even though there were guests around. He cursed loudly, "You ungrateful wolf! I, Ke family, raised you for over twenty years, and now you say you’re not my son and want to rebel? I’ll tell you this: as long as I’m alive, I’m your father! You children have to be filial to me and your mother, do you hear me?!"

Ke Xingzhou seemed finally moved, turning his head to look at him.

Ke Zhengye puffed up his chest, arrogantly looking at him, thinking, see, even if his son is rebellious, he still has to listen to him, right?

Then, Ke Xingzhou asked Ke Yuanbai, "Didn’t I ask you to tell him to stop cursing? Isn’t he done with his bad luck yet?"

Ke Zhengye: "…………"

Ke Zhengye instinctively covered the large bump on his thinning scalp, his face changing color.

But he eventually closed his mouth.

The once noisy living room suddenly became eerily quiet, making everyone feel a bit uncomfortable.

Xie An patted his ears: "…Bro, I think I have a bit of tinnitus."Ke Xingzhou patted his shoulder: "The first time you get scolded, it’s like this. You’ll get used to it."

Xie An nodded: "Oh."

Others: "…………"

In the strange atmosphere, no one knew what to say to break the silence. For a moment, several people’s eyes shifted to Ke Zhengye, even Mrs. Ke couldn’t help but cast a reproachful glance at her husband.

Why would he start scolding as soon as the child entered? Now look at this, the child doesn’t even call her mom anymore!

It had been many years since she had heard Ke Xingzhou say "mom." The last time was at the old house in the countryside, and Mrs. Ke had kept that scene in her mind. Over time, she felt more and more that she had really wronged him all these years.

Originally, she had hoped that by calling Ke Xingzhou back, she could rebuild their mother-son relationship while it was still intact. But now, it was all ruined by Ke Zhengye!

Ke Zhengye, too, felt embarrassed under his wife’s gaze, especially when he had intended to scold Ke Xingzhou, but instead had been countered by Ke Xingzhou in front of so many juniors.

He snorted coldly, furious as he stormed out of the room, intending to let these rebellious children reflect on their unforgivable mistakes.

However, once outside, he regretted it. The winter cold winds in the capital were not to be taken lightly. He had forgotten to change his shoes before leaving, and after walking a few steps, he felt like his toes were freezing.

As he was thinking about whether to go back or warm up in the car, he looked up and saw a few people walking toward his house.

Immediately, he straightened his hunched, frozen body and cheerfully approached them: "Mr. Xie, Mrs. Xie, and Mr. Xie! What brings you here? Are you here to see me?"

The Xie family were also entrepreneurs in the capital, but years ago, they had not had the opportunities that the Ke family had, so they hadn’t entered the ranks of prominent families. However, in recent years, the Xie family had flourished under Xie Baiqiu’s leadership, surpassing Xie Zhiwen’s level, while the Ke family had slowly lagged behind as Ke Zhengye clung to his position.

Therefore, Ke Zhengye was eager to cooperate with the Xie family and even planned to visit them during the New Year. But before he could take action, the Xie family had come to him first.

Seeing that all three of them were holding gift boxes, he couldn’t help but feel excited, extending his hand to take them: "It’s enough that you’re here, why bring gifts! This is too much! I’ll accept them this time, but next time, you can’t do this!"

To his surprise, the three of them all quickly hid the gifts behind their backs. Xie Zhiwen gave him a strange look, then took a few steps back, surveying the Ke family’s entrance.

Right, this is the place?

He repeatedly compared it to the photo his son had sent, confirming that the destination was correct, and only then did his expression soften. Politely, he said to Ke Zhengye, "We came to visit Master Ke Xingzhou. Is he performing a ritual at your house now?"

Ke Zhengye: "……？？？"

Not sure if he had been hit too many times by the crystal chandeliers, his mind couldn’t process it at the moment: "Aren’t you here to see me?"

Xie Zhiwen looked at him, puzzled, and replied naturally, "Who’s looking for you? We’re here to thank Master Ke for helping our entire family escape death a few days ago!"

After a pause, seeing that Ke Zhengye was still in a daze, he suspiciously added, "Do you even know Master Ke? You didn’t trick my son into coming here, did you?"