Chapter 43: Wealthy Families are Full of DramaÂ
“Very good. You’ve grown up.” Mother Song raised her coffee cup elegantly, taking a delicate sip. Her expression was unreadable, hovering between a smile and indifference. “This is all for that child named He Chen, isn’t it?”
“What are you planning to do?” At the mention of He Chen, Song Min tensed up immediately, terrified his mother would do something to him.
“Relax. I won’t target him. He has nothing to do with me, and I don’t do things that lack class.” Mother Song set her coffee down gently, her gaze sharpening instantly. “But I am very disappointed in you, my dear child. If you just wanted to play around, I wouldn’t interfere. But you being serious… you really don’t know the weight of things.”
” The Song family will never welcome a man into the household. So, you had best break up immediately and listen to me: go study abroad.” Without waiting for Song Min’s reaction, Mother Song stood up and walked away, her high heels clicking against the floor.
Song Min knew this day would come, and he had prepared for it. Money wasn’t the issue; his biggest fear was his mother attacking their relationship directly. Because of this, Song Min and He Chen had made a pact: no matter what happened, they wouldn’t believe rumors.
But they had underestimated Mother Song. She was an Iron Lady who dominated the business world; she had seen everything. To her, the human heart was the most transparent thing of all. She was an expert at exploiting a rival’s weakness to deliver a fatal blow. Breaking up a couple was the easiest thing in the world for her.
Cutting off Song Min’s financial sources and ensuring he couldn’t find a job was merely step one—grinding down his will through material means.
This didn’t affect Song Min much, as he had saved a large sum of money, enough for him and He Chen to live comfortably for a long time. Every day after He Chen went to work, Song Min stayed home and pottered around; he didn’t waste any more energy looking for a job. His mother had made it clear: she wouldn’t let him have his way.
He Chen, being new to his company, was working overtime almost every day. When he got home, Song Min would often be waiting up for him, nodding off from exhaustion. Later, He Chen had to travel for business, and the time they spent together grew scarcer.
He Chen liked this job. Although it was busy, it was within his limits. However, because of the work, he could clearly feel the distance growing between him and Song Min. Song Min didn’t say it, but He Chen could feel it.
It won’t be this busy once this project is done, He Chen told himself. But after one project finished, another began. He Chen spun like a top, unable to stop for even a moment.
Song Min’s heart ached for him. He spent every day meticulously preparing delicious meals, but He Chen often came home too late to eat, showering hurriedly and falling straight asleep.
Song Min would look at the table full of food and smile bitterly.
Aside from blocking Song Min’s employment, Mother Song didn’t seem to be doing anything else. Everything appeared calm. But Song Min knew it wouldn’t be that simple.
One day, Mother Song arranged a private meeting with He Chen. Facing him, she wasn’t arrogant or domineering. Instead, she calmly described exactly what Song Min would possess if he wasn’t with He Chen.
After listening, He Chen replied calmly, “If he stays with me, he might not have the things you mentioned. But he is happy with me, and I believe he would choose happiness.”
“Well said, child.” Mother Song applauded softly. “From the first moment I saw you, I thought you looked like someone. You two really do look alike.”
She pulled out a stack of photos and placed them in front of He Chen.
The photos showed a girl holding Song Min’s arm, smiling brilliantly. Song Min was looking down at her with deep affection.
The girl’s face, just as Mother Song had said, was eighty percent similar to He Chen’s. He Chen’s heart seized when he saw them. He was terrified of what Mother Song was about to say.
“She is Ah Min’s cousin. When Ah Min was young and didn’t know better, he always said he wanted to marry her.” Mother Song’s thin lips moved lightly, but the words she spat out cut into He Chen’s heart like a knife. “I didn’t expect that even after growing up, he still couldn’t let her go, to the point of finding someone who looks just like her…”
Her meaning was clear. She stopped just short of telling He Chen directly: You are just a substitute. Because he cannot be with the person he loves, he settled for a pitiful replacement.
“I came today to tell you that Ah Min doesn’t need to love a stand-in anymore. Wealthy families are full of melodrama—Ah Min’s cousin isn’t biologically related to us. We’ve known this for a long time, but to maintain the family’s reputation, we never spoke of it. However, since Ah Min chose to be with you, I had to tell him the truth. I would rather he love his cousin than give up his future for a man.”
He Chen left the meeting in a daze. The resemblance between him and the girl wasn’t fake, and the look in Song Min’s eyes in those photos couldn’t be feigned. Song Min had desired his forbidden cousin, and he only liked He Chen because they looked alike.
When they first got together, He Chen had asked Song Min why he liked him. Song Min had said his heart was moved by He Chen’s smile. Now, thinking of the girl’s brilliant smile in the photo, He Chen felt blinded by the irony.
He was so distracted on the way back that he accidentally grazed an electric scooter. His calf was scraped and bleeding, though not seriously. He Chen didn’t go to the hospital; he went straight back to the home he shared with Song Min.
Song Min wasn’t there. He Chen didn’t know where he had gone.
He Chen took out the first aid kit to apply medicine, calling Song Min as he did so.
The phone rang for a long time before finally being picked up at the last second.
“Ah Chen, what’s up?” Song Min asked.
“I’m home, but you’re not here. Where are you?” He Chen had a bad feeling.
“My cousin is here. I’m keeping her company. By the way, Ah Chen, I won’t be back tonight. Remember to eat dinner…”
He Chen didn’t hear whatever Song Min said after that. The string in his mind, already pulled taut, snapped the moment he heard the word “cousin.” A splitting headache consumed him. He finished applying the medicine and fell into a deep sleep.
Song Min said he wouldn’t be back that night. He didn’t come back the next day either. Or the third day, or the fourth…
He didn’t return until graduation, nor did he even call.
On the day of the graduation ceremony, Mother Song arrived with a breakup agreement. She told He Chen that Song Min and his cousin had already gone abroad to study. They would compensate He Chen, but on the condition that he kept his mouth shut.
Seeing the familiar signature on the agreement, He Chen’s heart went completely cold. Leaving without a word was one thing, but drafting a legal agreement? Was he afraid He Chen would make a scene? He wasn’t that kind of person. A breakup wasn’t the end of the world; he wasn’t someone who couldn’t let go.
Mother Song handed him a check for ten million yuan. He Chen didn’t tear it up like a dramatic TV heroine. Why refuse money? He wasn’t some high-and-mighty saint. Seeing how straightforward he was, Mother Song actually looked at him with a bit more respect and threw in an apartment in the provincial capital. (He Chen rented that apartment out when he returned to Jiang City).
The ten million from Mother Song, the huge sum Song Min left in his account, and the apartment turned He Chen—a fresh graduate—into a wealthy young man overnight.
However, feeling his health deteriorating and having lost all passion for his career despite the lighter workload, he decided to quit his job and go home.
Back home, his parents didn’t ask many questions. He Chen’s parents had always been hands-off. They were busy making a living, and besides, boys were tough; raising them roughly was fine. This had fostered He Chen’s independent nature. He usually made his own decisions, and his parents would just ask once and let it go. It was the same this time; when he returned from the provincial capital, Dad and Mom He didn’t pry.
He Chen began living the life of a lazy idler. He ate well, slept well, and occasionally helped deliver food. This was back when apps like “Ele.me” and “Meituan” were just emerging; most people didn’t know about them yet, so orders came mostly from nearby merchants via phone. He Chen wasn’t a dedicated delivery rider yet.
With nothing to do but eat and sleep, and no exercise, He Chen developed a small belly within a few months. And the belly kept getting bigger.
“Young people shouldn’t stay cooped up at home all day. Go out and have fun! Look at you, a handsome guy developing a beer belly. What do you look like!” Mom He lectured him earnestly, reaching out to pat his stomach as she spoke.
Suddenly, the belly under her hand moved.
Mom He’s face froze. She hurriedly lifted He Chen’s shirt and saw the stomach moving again. Mom He was no stranger to this; it was exactly like when she was pregnant with He Chen. But He Chen was a boy—how could he be pregnant? Was it a parasite? A tumor?
Too scared to go to a hospital, Mom He took him to the old Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctor in the city. After taking his pulse, the old doctor confirmed it: He was pregnant.
This old doctor was famous in Jiang City. Back when hospitals weren’t as common, his clinic served as the hospital for the older generation. People went to him for everything from minor illnesses to major diseases, and even childbirth.
“What are we going to do…” Mom He burst into tears on the spot. He Chen sat there blankly, looking scared out of his wits.
“What else can you do? Either give birth to it or abort it. However, an abortion would severely damage his body!” the old doctor said, stroking his beard. He had seen cases like this before and wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
“Mom!” He Chen snapped out of his daze, hugging his mother and crying aggrievedly. He hated that bastard Song Min to death. Not only had he abandoned him, but he also left him with this trouble.
Under the old doctor’s consolation, the mother and son eventually calmed down. They sat and listened to the doctor’s advice. The doctor suggested keeping the baby. A man’s body wasn’t suited for pregnancy to begin with, and a forced abortion would definitely cause harm.
“Besides, all things in the world depend on fate. Since you are pregnant with him, it means you have a destiny with him. Why not cherish this bond?” The old doctor had a philosophical view on life, always speaking of fate.
He Chen thought about it. True. I’m already gay, and I don’t want to ruin a girl’s life by marrying one. I might as well have this child. Someone to take care of me when I’m old, and my parents get a grandchild.
So, Dad and Mom He were prepared to hold a grandson.
But what He Chen gave birth to was a puppy.
The two elders were terrified, and He Chen fainted on the spot.
“Oh my, it’s a puppy!” The old doctor happily directed his assistant to wrap the puppy up.
“What is going on, Doctor Cheng?!” Dad and Mom He were frantic, but the old doctor just chuckled.
“In this world, there is a type of people… they call themselves Shifters,” the old doctor explained to them. “I guessed Ah Chen was carrying a Shifter’s child, and I was right.”
The doctor checked He Chen and found he was fine; he had just fainted from shock. Instructing his assistant to care for He Chen, the old doctor went to “play” with the dog.
When He Chen woke up, he couldn’t process it for a long time. Even after his parents explained the “Shifter” concept several times, he remained stunned. What was happening? He was a bona fide human male, yet he got pregnant and gave birth to a dog?
He Chen felt like he was getting postpartum depression. But when the little puppy was placed in his hands, the soft touch and the warmth of the tiny body made him realize clearly: this was a little life, and it had come from his own belly.
“Mew…” The puppy was hungry, making mewling noises and nuzzling He Chen’s hand, sniffing for food.
Seeing the pitiful way the puppy searched for milk, He Chen’s heart shattered. He took the milk bottle his mother handed him and clumsily began to feed it.
Dad and Mom He loved the puppy. They gave him the nickname “Little Treasure” (Xiao Bao), while He Chen called him “Poached Egg” (Hebao Dan). The puppy grew day by day, and when he turned three, he transformed into a human child.
He Xiaobao inherited the best genes from both fathers; he was beautiful and incredibly smart. He was also exceptionally well-behaved, acting like a little adult at such a young age.
To take care of his son, He Chen didn’t look for corporate work. Later, as food delivery apps became more famous, more people started ordering takeout. College students, in particular, became a major force in the delivery market.
He Chen decided to deliver food full-time. His family’s specialized ‘High Soup Rice’ wasn’t just available on the apps; He Chen also created a WeChat official account and took phone orders. During peak hours, even Dad He had to go out and deliver.
Little Poached Egg joined the delivery runs too. He would sit on the back of the electric scooter, clutching his dad’s clothes. When they arrived, he would help deliver orders to the lower floors. With his cute looks and adorable milky voice, Little Poached Egg was extremely popular with the ladies.
Often, when Little Poached Egg returned to the bike after a delivery, he would be holding fruits and lollipops, saying helplessly, “I told them I didn’t want it, but they kept giving it to me. It’s so distressing!”
The father and son duo—one handsome, one adorable—became a beautiful sight among the delivery riders. The fact that Sister Fan’s High Soup Rice became the No. 1 ordered food in the area was largely thanks to He Chen and Little Poached Egg.
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