Chapter 23: The Return of the True Young Master
“No. There’s no need.”
Su Lin’s voice rang out, shattering the rhythm of the conversation led by Jiang Yu.
Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow, waiting for his next words. Father and Mother Jiang also stopped their movements, looking at him in astonishment.
Su Lin lifted his eyes, calmly meeting Jiang Yu’s scrutinizing gaze.
“I am an adult, I can take responsibility for myself. I don’t need any special arrangements.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the appraisal report in front of him that decided his bloodline belonging.
“I know where my roots are, and that is already enough for me,” he continued. “As for returning to the family and changing my life trajectory… sorry, I currently have no plans to do so.”
“I am already used to my current life, and you don’t need to worry. I won’t ask you for a single cent; I can support myself.”
Slurp—
A loud and abrupt sound of a straw sucking against an empty cup bottom fiercely broke the heavy silence.
Instantly, everyone’s gaze centered onto Father Jiang.
Father Jiang: “…”
Holding the empty cup, he froze in place with a deadly serious expression.
A crack appeared in Mother Jiang’s expression.
“Drink, drink, drink! All you know is to drink!! At such a serious time, what are you doing! Can’t you drink your milkshake a little quieter?!” She raised a hand and smacked the back of Father Jiang’s head.
Watching this scene unfold far beyond his expectations, seeing this “biological father” who should have been a business tycoon looking slightly embarrassed at this moment, the calm on Su Lin’s face showed a trace of cracking.
“Su Lin,” Father Jiang spoke up, “That you can be independent and have your own opinions is a good thing, your mother and I are very gratified.”
“The Jiang family never lacks dependents, but we appreciate people with backbone and capability.”
Mother Jiang took over, the smile on her face gentle and magnanimous: “Child, we understand what you mean. The lack of companionship and guidance in the past is our responsibility as parents; we acknowledge this, and we will use our own methods to make up for it. But this compensation is not charity, nor is it a transaction.”
She gently pushed the paternity test report toward the center of the table:
“This report confirms the bloodline; this is a fact. But the bond between family members goes far beyond this. We want you to come back because you are our child, not because you need the Jiang family, or the Jiang family needs you.”
She looked openly at Su Lin: “You can continue your current life and do the job you like. The doors to the Jiang family will always be open for you. The family’s resources and connections can be mobilized at any time when you need them. This is not compensation; this is the support that family members ought to share.”
Jiang Yu took in Su Lin’s minute reactions entirely, his eyes flashing slightly.
This younger brother is far more level-headed and independent than I expected.
This kind of quality appeared especially rare to Jiang Yu, who was accustomed to the various chaotic antics of the people around him.
“Being self-reliant is a good thing.” He looked at Su Lin, effectively acknowledging his attitude, “But this does not conflict with you being a member of the Jiang family.”
His gaze swept over the appraisal report on the table: “We respect your wishes. We won’t force you to immediately change your life, nor will we interfere with your current job.”
His tone shifted: “But this matter is not just about the few of us. Jiang Qing and Jiang Linmu have the right to know the truth.”
When those two names were mentioned, especially “Jiang Qing,” Jiang Yu’s tone had an imperceptible change, and Su Lin’s eyes also shifted slightly.
“Wait until everyone is present,” Jiang Yu continued, making a decision, “Then we will discuss the decisions regarding the future together.”
Su Lin fell silent for a moment. He eventually gave a slight nod, serving as a tacit agreement to this arrangement.
“Alright,” he responded concisely.
Looking at Su Lin, Jiang Yu’s impression of this suddenly appearing younger brother had already improved considerably.
However, the moment he thought about having to break this news to the two at home—especially Jiang Qing, who feared nothing more than the world not being in chaos…
Jiang Yu suddenly felt that the real storm was probably only just beginning.
————————————————
The Jiang Residence.
Jiang Qing was expressionlessly typing into his browser: Does adding sleeping pills to coffee count as murder?
Jiang Linmu accidentally caught a glimpse of his phone screen. He was so frightened that the How to Communicate Calmly with Elders in his hand almost dropped to the floor, his voice changing pitch:
“Brother! Calm down! That’s our Eldest Brother!”
Jiang Qing slowly turned his head, his eyes profound: “I was just thinking… if the dosage is controlled properly and he sleeps peacefully for a day… Eldest Brother would definitely be understanding towards me, right…”
Jiang Linmu was just about to stop his train of thought, only to find Jiang Qing typing into the search bar again:
Beginner’s Tutorial to Hack Surveillance Cameras in 3 Hours
“…”
Just as Jiang Qing was completely engrossed in studying “how to use vulnerabilities to bypass a firewall,” the sound of the front door opening suddenly came from downstairs, along with an unusual set of footsteps.
Eldest Brother didn’t come back alone?
Jiang Qing paused his movements, exchanging a look with Jiang Linmu.
Jiang Yu’s routine had always been very regular. At this time, he usually just finished work, but he would absolutely never bring an outsider home, especially during this special period of Jiang Qing being “grounded for health conditioning.”
Jiang Qing immediately put away his phone.
“Eh? Why aren’t the lights on at home?” Mother Jiang’s voice came from downstairs. Following that, the living room lights flared on with a “snap.”
Leaning against the second-floor railing, Jiang Qing swept a nonchalant glance downward—his gaze locked onto the person standing beside Jiang Yu.
It was Su Lin.
Jiang Qing and Jiang Linmu exchanged a look.
He’s here.
Jiang Yu looked up at Jiang Qing by the second-floor railing, and Jiang Linmu behind him. He spoke: “Come down, both of you.”
“There is something we need to tell you.”
Jiang Qing slowly made his way downstairs, his gaze landing squarely on Su Lin’s body.
As if sensing this overly blatant stare, Su Lin lifted his head.
The two pairs of eyes met in mid-air.
The True Young Master has arrived.
Seeing both of them come down, Jiang Yu also sat on the sofa. He raised a hand, gesturing to the empty seats nearby:
“Sit down.”
Su Lin sat as instructed, only slightly lowering his eyes to avoid direct eye contact with anyone.
Jiang Qing also lazily sat on the sofa on the other side, his long legs crossed. His gaze swept over the room, finally landing on Jiang Yu.
“Brother, quite the grand lineup.”
“What’s going on? You even brought… a guest home?” His gaze drifted lightly over Su Lin.
Su Lin sat upright, showing no reaction.
Jiang Yu’s gaze swept slowly between Jiang Linmu and Su Lin:
“This is Su Lin.”
“Confirmed through a paternity test, Linmu, you and Su Lin were swapped at birth.”
“Su Lin is the Jiang family’s biological son who wandered outside.”
The moment those words dropped, Jiang Linmu snapped his head up, all color draining from his face, freezing completely in place.
Although Jiang Qing had already given Jiang Linmu a heads-up beforehand, seeing the kid’s reaction still made him hesitate for a moment. Ultimately, he reached out and rested his hand on Jiang Linmu’s leg, signaling for him not to worry.
Jiang Linmu’s body stiffened slightly for a moment, then slowly relaxed.
Recommended Reads
