Chapter 2.10 – I like him, he also likes me (2)

After Lu Wan left the Jiang Family, she was extremely dejected. After knowing the truth, she actually dared not look for Zhou Yue Ze, but knowing that he was her biological son, she gathered her courage and came.

She was unable to meet him. All her sadness and uneasiness made her unable to endure, crying to Mother Lu, “He definitely hates me now…”

When they returned to the Lu Family, they didn’t think that Zhou Yue Qing would be there.

Seeing his pale face, Lu Wan instinctively walked forward but she suddenly remembered that he was Ji Wei’s son and abruptly stopped.

Zhou Yue Qing saw that she was silent for a while and after half a second, he suddenly broke into tears, asking in a hoarse voice, “Mum, am I really not your son? Do you not want me anymore?”

Lu Wan’s heart ached. After all, she had raised him for so many years. She habitually wanted to go forward and comfort him but was stopped by Mother Lu.

“Young Master Zhou, your body isn’t well. I think it would be better for you to go to the hospital.” Saying this, Mother Lu called for people to send him away before turning to the crestfallen Lu Wan, “How could you not recognise your own son? That was Ji Wei’s son. She caused your son to land into Jiang Han’s hands and now we can’t even meet him. You still have the energy to care about that bastard. Are you stupid?”

Lu Wan was depressed, “It’s only out of habit, I’m unable to adapt so quickly. Also, Zhou Yue Qing doesn’t know anything, he’s innocent.”

“He’s innocent, then Yue Ze isn’t? How do you think Yue Ze feels now?” Mother Lu angrily jabbed her a few times, hating iron for not becoming steel. “I think that even if Yue Ze hates you, it’s also normal. Zhou Yue Qing has a mother and a father, does he still need you to care for him?”

Lu Wan’s heart was extremely stifled, and after being scolded by Mother Lu, she began to think of ways to mend her relationship with Zhou Yue Ze.

After school ended the next day, Zhou Yue Ze saw Lu Wan standing by the school gates.

The Lu Wan of today had lost a lot of weight and her gaze was no longer as ferocious as before. Seeing him appear, she smiled fawningly and carefully began, “Yue Ze, I…”

Zhou Yue Ze ignored her, coldly looking away and walked towards an expensive-looking car.

Lu Wan was momentarily stunned, her face paling.

When Zhou Yue Ze was about to get into the car, she suddenly rushed up and grabbed him, her voice filled with frenzy, “Yue Ze, mum was wrong. I- I shouldn’t have said those things in the past. At that time, I didn’t know you were my son. Can you forgive mum?”

Zhou Yue Ze’s brows pinched, he slowly but firmly shook her hands off.

Lu Wan froze. She suddenly saw the person sitting in the car and instantly paled even more, “It’s alright even if you can’t forgive me, but go back with me to the Lu Family first, okay? Previously, I was the one who harmed you. You were young and naughty then, mum can’t let you continue staying by his side…”

The corners of Zhou Yue Ze’s lips lifted slightly, his grin was extremely cold-blooded as he mocked, “Apologies, I’m only a bastard who can’t see the light of day, how can I be worthy of being your son?”

Lu Wan was stunned, her face was green and her lips were trembling, unable to continue speaking.

Zhou Yue Ze laughed coldly. So what if she had not known, does that mean that she could erase everything that had happened? Does it mean that he should have to endure all the humiliation then forgive them like a gracious saint? But he did not want to. Does it mean that he wasn’t human, with no feelings or sentience, and wouldn’t feel sad after being hurt?

He directly went into the car and slammed the door shut, “Start the car.”

Seeing the car disappear, Lu Wan could no longer endure and broke down on the roadside.

In the car, Xiang Han was furious: This child’s temper has really grown, even daring to give out orders on his behalf.

But seeing the other person’s deflated expression, he didn’t say anything, only consoling him, “In the future, you are my son.”

Good child, father will dote on you. It’s fine to throw away a few burdensome relatives.

Xiang Han was just casually saying it, he didn’t expect that Zhou Yue Ze would actually reply, “En.” He was immediately startled but after looking back, the other person still had an expression of wanting to die, it was as if he had heard wrongly.

What Xiang Han did not know was that when he retracted his gaze, Zhou Yue Ze laughed silently. He found out that occasionally teasing Mr. Jiang was quite fun.

Xiang Han thought that he had heard wrongly, but reality quickly gave him a slap.

A few days later, as he was finishing his meal, Zhou Yue Ze suddenly announced, “I’ve changed my name. In the future, I’m called Jiang Ze.”

He utterly did not want to have any relation to the Zhou Family, including his surname and seniority. If he could, he might even have wanted to change his entire body.

Xiang Han was stunned. Afterwards, his heart was distressed. Zhou Yue Ze should have told him if he wanted to change his name, Xiang Han guaranteed that he would help him. Why did he have to change to Jiang? Your father, I, was surnamed Xiang.

Xiang Han was depressed. For the first time, he lost his appetite, he did not even feel like eating anymore. A good Xiang Little Ze suddenly became Jiang Little Ze, he suffered a great loss. Even if he changed to Lu… cough, Lu was also no good.

After Lu Wan learnt of this matter, she understood Zhou Yue Ze’s firmness, it was impossible to go back. She listlessly returned to the hospital to look for Zhou Chengxi to finalise the divorce but unexpectedly overheard Zhou Yue Qing complaining that Ji Wei had ruined his plans. She even learnt that the other person had long ago known who was his real mother, sucking up to her was merely because he wanted to become the Zhou Family’s successor.

Lu Wan’s hands instantly turned cold. For so many years, she had been fooled. What filial piety, it turned out to be a bunch of crap in his eyes. That’s right, Ji Wei, Zhou Chengxi and he were all in this together, fooling her, causing her to send her own son to the Jiang Family.

Lu Wan was trembling with rage, wishing she could rush up and kill both of them. But she quickly calmed down, even laughing coldly as she left. She did not intend to divorce him, she wanted to fight them till the end. Didn’t Zhou Yue Qing want the Zhou Family? She will not allow it.

Two months later, the entrance examination started.

As a parent, Xiang Han experienced the feeling of sending his child to exams, and then, he never went again. Apart from the lack of parking space, it was hot and everywhere was noisy. Staying there any longer would give him a mental breakdown.

It wasn’t that he was too haughty, it was this body’s natural reaction that was too damned.

When Zhou Yue Ze returned, he was unhappy and ignored him until the entrance examination ended.

Xiang Han felt that this child had been spoiled too much. If he did not educate him properly, sooner or later, he will scale the wall[2].  He will take the opportunity over the school break and teach him properly.

“Rest well for a few days. Next week, you will follow me and learn how to manage some simple things in the company.” At dinner, Father Jiang said mildly, his tone left no room for rejection.

Zhou Yue Ze shook his head and said, “No need, I can start tomorrow.”

Xiang Han, “…” Young man, you finally finished your exams with much difficulty, don’t you want to relax for a while?

[Little Nine, where’s Big A and Little B?] It seemed like there was a need for external help to construct a strict regimen to educate this child.

System: [They have things to do and currently not around, they said it’ll take a few minutes.]

Xiang Han: […] He actually forgot, at the critical juncture, those two people were unreliable.

[Then… Little Nine, do you have any good methods?] Looks like he could only rely on his system.

System quickly helped him found [Thirty Years of Shang Hai Ups and Downs], [Workplace Situation], [My Day as a Boss], [Marshal’s Little Wife]… Wait a minute, the last one was unnecessary.

Unsurprisingly, apart from the [Marshal’s Little Wife], Xiang Han was unable to read a single one.

[Don’t you have any practical plan?] Xiang Han couldn’t help asking.

System: [There is a mechanical operating system that can create a training plan for its user.]

[Is it difficult?]

[For normal people, the difficulty is quite high.]

[Then lower the difficulty and let him try it.]

System: […]

[How do I teach him about the company?]

System explained, [Mr. Xiang, theory cannot be compared to experience. In the future, just bring him along wherever you go. Jiang Han is a smart person, listening once is enough, he will naturally learn quickly.]

“En, that makes sense,” having settled this problem, Xiang Han happily went to wash up and sleep.

The next day, Xiang Han brought Zhou Yue Ze to the office and let him familiarise himself with every department, setting off a wave of excitement. Many people could not help guessing: The big boss personally brought someone to the office and even introduced him to every department. Was he a lover or a successor?

Previously, for a period of time, Xiang Han’s daily routine was: Go to work, settle some work, get off work early.

But he could not be so careless now that he was teaching another person. Auctions, private banquets, economic forums, he went to everything. Thankfully in the last world, he attended many of such events with Lu Ze before and adding onto the original host’s memories, it was easy for him to handle such matters.

After they returned to the villa, there was still martial arts training. Because the system’s coaching was too high-levelled, he could only let his bodyguards teach him.

But Zhou Yue Ze’s abilities were too brilliant. In just half a month, no one was his opponent.

Xiang Han stood on the battlefield, his gaze cold but in reality, his heart was trembling, [Fuck, Little Nine. This rate of improvement is rarely seen even in the Federation. When you guys were creating characters, did you all set his abilities too high?]

[It wasn’t me and moreover, I don’t have permission to see their data.] System was also confused.

Seeing all his bodyguards falling from just a punch, Xiang Han shivered. [In this world, how many people are as perverted as him?]

He inexplicably felt worried for himself, then saw Zhou Yue Ze drenched in sweat walking over, panting, “I wonder how’s Mr. Jiang’s abilities?”

Xiang Han could feel the heat rising from his body and instinctively stepped back. He hadn’t spoken yet when he heard the bodyguard that had been beaten down reply, “Mr. Jiang’s abilities are far above us.”

“Is that so?” Zhou Yue Ze was suspicious. The other man looked clean and neat, moreover, he was a little skinny.

Xiang Han was furious, feeling that this child’s ambition had grown, he was now looking down on himself. Therefore, he didn’t even think before pushing up his glasses and said, “Tomorrow, I’ll spar with you.”

However, after boasting, he immediately regretted it and turned to System pleadingly, [Little Nine, I’m doomed. I’m going to embarrass myself, you will save me, right?]

[Don’t worry Mr. Xiang. As the highest level combat system in the federation, I will definitely not embarrass you.]

Thankfully, System was extremely reliable. Xiang Han was touched beyond words,  [Little Nine, I just knew you were the most reliable one at such a critical time.]

Therefore, when System came forward, Zhou Yue Ze was tragically beaten down without any resistance.

What a joke, people operated a mech in the past. Moreover, the original host’s body was flexible. In a moment of excitement, 009 executed a series of extremely difficult manoeuvres and directly stunned Zhou Yue Ze. 

***

[1] The proverb is, if you go three days without beating a child, he will scale the wall, meaning – he will ‘give an inch, take a mile).

[2] The proverb is, if you go three days without beating a child, he will scale the wall, meaning – he will ‘give an inch, take a mile.