TGA Chapter 1

In the suburban villa area, the bare tree trunks in the garden sprouted new buds, adding a hint of green to the slightly overcast sky. Aunt Li, the housekeeper, swept up the dried leaves accumulated over the winter, leaving only a round table and stone stools for tea, creating a tidy yet lonely scene.

Inside the He family home, Yu Shen checked the rooms again to make sure everything was in order, then hurried downstairs. Before she reached the living room, she called out loudly, “Aunt Li, is the chicken soup ready? Are the lobsters fresh?”

“The soup has been simmering for a while, and the lobsters are fine,” Aunt Li’s pleasant voice replied from the kitchen.

“That’s good. Is there anything else the house might be lacking?”

“I don’t think so, but you should take a rest for a bit.”

Yu Shen was like a restless ant on a hot pan, pacing around the house all day with nowhere to channel her nervous energy. The reason was simple: she was about to meet her biological daughter, the child who had been switched at birth and lost to the family for many years.

With Aunt Li’s comforting words, Yu Shen felt somewhat reassured. Just as she was about to head to the living room to rest, she caught sight of a cold, distant figure on the sofa.

A seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boy sat on the European-style sofa. He was at that age where he was neither a boy nor quite a man. The sunlight outside filtered through the windows and cast shadows over him, making him appear lonely and out of place in the room. He seemed like the only stone stool in the courtyard, isolated and desolate.

Yu Shen’s excitement and restlessness instantly faded, her heart pricked by the sight. She couldn’t help but ask, “Shichen, would you like some fruit?”

He turned to look at her, his ink-black hair and dark eyes exuding a slight smile. “No need, Mom. Go ahead with your work.”

Yu Shen walked into the living room, glanced at the textbook in He Shichen’s hand, then carefully sat down beside him. She took his hand in hers, speaking seriously, “Shichen, I know you’re feeling conflicted, but your dad and I have talked it through. Both you and Qianli are our most important children. We can’t do without either of you.”

He Shichen gently squeezed her hand and responded softly, “I understand, Mom. Don’t worry. I’m not a child anymore. I’m just concerned about how my sister might fall behind in school.”

“I’ll dig up some old textbooks. Maybe they’ll be useful for her.” He casually shook the book in his hand.

Yu Shen relaxed when she saw the old textbooks in his hand and smiled. “You’re thoughtful, but she might not be as good at studying as you. Your dad and I were even discussing whether we should find her a tutor…”

He Shichen said, “I can teach her. Tutors won’t be helpful.”

Yu Shen couldn’t help but sigh, “That’s going to be tough on you.”

He Shichen replied, “It’s not hard to teach my sister.”

After a brief chat with He Shichen to ensure his emotions were stable, Yu Shen finally dared to head back to the kitchen to supervise the progress.

Once she left, the warmth on He Shichen’s face instantly disappeared. His eyes darkened, his expression clouded, and he absentmindedly flipped through the pages of his textbook, feeling like his inner turmoil might explode at any moment.

Chu Qianli still hadn’t returned home, yet they were already planning to find her a tutor, focusing all their attention on her. Would he have any space left when she truly entered the family?

As the only son, He Shichen had always been resilient and competitive, striving to become the most outstanding heir of the He family. Yet, recently, he had suffered a shocking revelation—he wasn’t actually the He family’s child!

His biological parents were poor, shallow, and malicious. Years ago, they had switched babies and kept the truth hidden, only revealing it when they were struck with a serious illness and unable to afford medical fees, hoping to exploit the wealthy He family.
He Shichen darkly congratulated himself. His foolish biological father had died in the hospital without enjoying a single penny of the wealth he had hoped for, and he didn’t even live to become a stain on his life. All his past pride was shattered. He had received the best elite education since childhood, with classmates who valued family backgrounds and pedigrees, but he was the child of such despicable people.

Recently, he had been losing sleep night after night, sometimes driven to self-loathing by the overwhelming changes.

However, he couldn’t be knocked down. The return of Chu Qianli was just the beginning of the challenge. Even though Yu Shen said that both he and Chu Qianli were equally important, his biological child would inevitably hold a closer position.

She might return filled with anger and hatred, eager to reclaim everything. Or perhaps, having grown up in a poor rural area, she might be shy and lacking in ability, unable to navigate the extravagance of the wealthy family.

No matter which scenario occurred, He Shichen had to maintain the upper hand and strive to stand undefeated.

Even though he was a despicable beneficiary, he was still the heir nurtured by the He family and could never willingly hand everything over.

Suddenly, there was a flurry of noise and activity from the servants in the house. He Shichen knew that He Zhenghe had returned with people. He casually tossed the old book aside, stood up, and elegantly adjusted his cuff, preparing for the inevitable tough battle ahead.

Outside in the courtyard, the driver respectfully opened the car door for the two people inside, standing silently to one side, waiting for them to slowly get out. The middle-aged man was dressed impeccably and exuded a refined aura, while the young person following him wore simple and plain clothes, their styles completely different.

The dusty-looking young person stepped out of the car, and as the driver observed more closely, he realized that the person was actually a girl. Her hair was cut very short, and from a distance, she appeared to be a boy. However, her features were delicate, with red lips and white teeth, and up close, it was clear she was unmistakably female.

He Zhenghe noticed the driver’s stunned expression and looked back at Chu Qianli, quickly figuring out the reason for the confusion. With a sigh, he said, “Qianli, aren’t you going to buy some clothes? We could still go back now if you want.”

He Zhenghe had originally planned to take his daughter shopping on the way back, buying her some new essentials, but she had refused outright.

As expected, Chu Qianli’s attitude remained firm as she shook her head. “Today isn’t suitable for shopping.”

He Zhenghe asked, “Who says?”

Chu Qianli replied, “The stars say so.”

He Zhenghe: “?”

He Zhenghe didn’t quite understand the young girl’s quirky thinking and curiously asked, “What else did the stars say?”

Chu Qianli lazily answered, “The stars also said, if Dad feels bad about not spending money, he can directly transfer the money to me. That way, we’ll both be happy.”

Today wasn’t suitable for shopping, but her financial luck seemed good, so there might be an unexpected windfall.

He Zhenghe chuckled helplessly, “So you’ve been waiting for me to do that!”

Chu Qianli tilted her head. “Did the stars lie?”

He Zhenghe: “No, no, the stars didn’t lie. I’ll transfer the money to you later, and you can go shopping on your own.”

He Zhenghe looked at Chu Qianli’s short, messy hair. Thinking of the sensitive hearts of adolescent girls, he cautiously asked, “But do you like short hair?”

Chu Qianli had a good appearance, but her hair was far from beautiful—it was cut messily and looked rather untidy.

He Zhenghe didn’t want to directly point that out, so he tried to discuss aesthetics gently, hoping to understand his daughter’s true feelings.

Chu Qianli instinctively touched her head and suddenly realized, answering honestly, “Oh, no, it’s just that I used to be responsible for sweeping the floor, and long hair got too messy when I cleaned.”

“We have someone to sweep the floor, right? So can I keep my hair long and not worry about the hair that falls on the ground?” Her eyes lit up at the thought. If not for laziness defeating her vanity, who would ever let their hair look so unkempt?

She didn’t mind others sweeping, but she found cleaning herself troublesome and tiring.

He Zhenghe, hearing her simple reasoning for the short hair, couldn’t help but laugh and nodded. “Yes, we have someone to sweep the floor, and someone to cut your hair. You can grow it long or keep it short, whatever you like.”

Chu Qianli shrugged her shoulders and happily flaunted her satisfaction, which made He Zhenghe chuckle even more.

He had originally feared that she would be reserved and hesitant to speak, but now, he found that his biological daughter had a rather pleasant personality, calm and at ease throughout the conversation, occasionally showing a childlike innocence.

He Zhenghe kindly led her to the door. “Alright, this will be your home from now on.”

Chu Qianli followed him into the courtyard and casually commented, “The feng shui here is pretty good.”

He Zhenghe, a bit surprised, replied, “Oh, so you know about feng shui.”

“Just a little,” Chu Qianli added, “Grandpa used to play with it.”

He Zhenghe was stunned. He realized that the “grandpa” she mentioned must be He Shichen’s maternal grandfather, who had raised her. He was a feng shui master from the village and had long since passed away.

Inside the house, as soon as Chu Qianli entered with He Zhenghe, they encountered the emotional Yu Shen.

Yu Shen looked at her long-lost biological daughter, and the overwhelming love of motherhood broke through any barriers of unfamiliarity. Her eyes immediately turned red, tears welling up as she spoke with a hoarse voice, “My daughter has suffered so much…”

Chu Qianli was suddenly hugged tightly by her mother, like a plush toy at the mercy of another. The force of the hug nearly made her choke. She felt her clothes become soaked with tears, and she helplessly returned the embrace, calmly saying, “Actually, it wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t bitter or sweet, just plain and simple.”

This was the truth in her heart. Life in the village wasn’t too bad.

The village had at least made it onto the list of candidate “civilized villages” and, rounding up, had outperformed many other villages nationwide.

Yu Shen burst into even more tears after hearing this. She had imagined their reunion countless times, but she hadn’t expected her daughter to be so generous.

After calming down the emotional Yu Shen, the parents proceeded to introduce He Shichen. He Shichen, who had been silently watching the touching mother-daughter reunion, felt a deep chill in his heart, though his face didn’t show a thing.

Yu Shen wiped the tears from her eyes and introduced He Shichen, carefully looking at Chu Qianli, and softly said, “Qianli, this is Shichen. He is…”

Yu Shen hesitated for a moment, unsure how to introduce him.

Chu Qianli was their biological daughter, but they had no shared memories over the years. He Shichen wasn’t their biological son, but the affection accumulated over time was genuine. Both children were innocent victims in this situation, with the adults being the ones who had wronged them. Both were equally precious to them.
But would Chu Qianli resent He Shichen?

Her life had indeed been stolen and she had suffered undeserved hardships.

Chu Qianli looked at He Shichen and silently added in her mind, *He is the male protagonist from the book.*

The next moment, she took the initiative to lower the tension and said gently, “Hello, brother.”

He Shichen, seeing her remain so composed, felt a sharp warning go off in his mind, but responded kindly, “Hello.”

Yu Shen, seeing the siblings communicate for the first time, noticed Chu Qianli’s good attitude and hurriedly smiled, “Yes, yes, he is your brother. If you ever have any questions at school, you can ask him.”

The family was finally reunited and moved to the dining room to eat.

At the dinner table, He Shichen continued to observe Chu Qianli in secret. He saw how composed she was, her answers flowing smoothly, and began to feel even more certain that she was a person with deep schemes, someone who was hiding her true nature. She was probably much more formidable than he initially thought.

She had entered the house, immediately calling him “brother,” quickly gaining the favor of their parents. She didn’t carry the air of someone from a humble background, as though she had always lived in a privileged environment, and there was no generational gap between her and her family.

She was the perfect model for a vengeful person.

He was sure she had ambitions. Right now, she was just biding her time, plotting to take back what was rightfully hers!

If He Shichen were Chu Qianli, he would surely hate the people who had taken his place, and he wouldn’t be so indifferent and emotionless. Beneath calm waters could be hidden raging currents—that was where the real danger lay.

Chu Qianli, unaware that her arrival had triggered a sibling rivalry and created a strong sense of crisis for her new brother, felt no particular emotion toward He Shichen. After all, he wasn’t a character from a novel, and she wasn’t moved by any of the deeper, more dramatic developments.

Could the massive He family really not afford to raise two children?

Besides, the male protagonist in the novel was really good at making money. Maybe he could make her stock options soar in value. Anyone with a brain would have kicked him out of the house. The fact that they didn’t let him work himself to death was already a mercy.

What was a CEO? What was the heir to the He family?

It was just a fancy title for a worker!

In this life, she was going to play with the stars and cards every day, then spend the dividends from the male protagonist’s company, never allowing anyone to exploit her labor or its surplus value.

“Qianli, what are your hobbies?” Yu Shen wasn’t very familiar with her daughter yet, so she took the initiative to start a conversation, trying to close the gap between them.

Chu Qianli snapped out of her thoughts for a second and answered smoothly, “I like studying stars.”

Yu Shen looked puzzled. “Studying stars?”

He Zhenghe chimed in, “You mentioned that just now.”

Chu Qianli nodded. “Yes, for the sake of our future harmonious life, may I have Mom and Dad’s birth star charts?”

Yu Shen found it interesting. “What is a birth star chart? What do you need it for?”

Chu Qianli explained confidently, “When a person is born, their birthplace is the reference point, and the positions of the stars in the sky at that moment create the person’s birth star chart. Astrologers also call it the natal chart.”

“We can use the birth star chart to better understand ourselves, the people around us, and how to interact with them.”

He Zhenghe commented, “This sounds like some kind of metaphysical stuff.”

Yu Shen said, “It sounds interesting, but how can we give it to you?”

Chu Qianli replied, “I just need the date, time, and location of birth—the coordinates of the city.”

Her parents naturally wouldn’t refuse any request from their long-lost daughter. Besides, they thought exchanging birthdates and places of birth wasn’t a big deal; it could even serve as a good topic to bring the family closer.

Seeing that they shared this information without hesitation, Chu Qianli listened carefully and solemnly responded, “Thank you for trusting me.”

For anyone to share this information meant revealing their birth time and date. For ordinary people, it might not mean much, but in the hands of someone capable, it could be quite different. This was an open-hearted trust, and even though they didn’t realize it, Chu Qianli accepted their goodwill with gratitude.

Yu Shen noticed that He Shichen remained silent. Eager to involve him, she gently urged, “Shichen, come join us. Your birthday…”

Before Yu Shen could finish her sentence, she suddenly remembered something and trailed off awkwardly, her voice faltering.

He Shichen’s expression darkened, and he remained silent.

His birthday had changed—the original date actually belonged to Chu Qianli.

She had subtly and cryptically humiliated him, silently implying that he had stolen someone else’s birth star chart.

This was a sensitive and taboo topic, and the cheerful atmosphere at the table instantly cooled.

Yu Shen and He Zhenghe exchanged glances, unsure how to salvage the situation.

Chu Qianli broke the silence first, casually saying, “Ah, I know my brother’s birthday, so getting Mom and Dad’s will be fine.”

He Shichen immediately suspected she was mocking him, indirectly criticizing him.

After dinner, the adults were busy. He Zhenghe was on the phone with the school leaders, and Yu Shen went upstairs to check the rooms, leaving Chu Qianli and He Shichen alone in the living room.

They both sat at opposite ends of the sofa, maintaining a considerable distance, and the atmosphere between them was as cold as ice.

He Shichen didn’t know what to say, while Chu Qianli, with her head lowered, began rummaging through her pockets. She pulled out a worn deck of cards from her faded pocket and casually placed it beside her on the sofa, then continued searching the other pocket.

He Shichen glanced at the old deck of cards on the sofa, noticing how ordinary it was, with the card faces badly damaged, as if they had been frequently used.

Chu Qianli was rather careless in her actions. As she rummaged through her pockets, she moved a bit too forcefully and accidentally knocked the cards over.

The curved cushion of the European-style sofa caused the cards to slide, scattering across the floor in a loud mess.

“Ah…” Chu Qianli hurriedly bent down to gather the scattered cards, trying to clean up her mess.

He Shichen, watching her clumsy actions, witnessed the disaster unfold. He suppressed his impatience and casually picked up a few cards that had fallen by his feet, silently handing them to her.

Chu Qianli had already gathered most of the cards and politely took the last few from him, saying, “Thank you.”

He Shichen awkwardly replied, “You’re welcome.”
Chu Qianli was just about to put the cards back when she froze again after seeing the card faces clearly. She asked with confusion, “Did you pick these up?”

He Shichen slowly raised his eyes to look at her, not understanding the meaning of the question. Wasn’t she the one who saw him pick up the cards?

Chu Qianli looked at the playing cards in her hand, hesitated, and scratched her head. “Ah, well… there’s something I’m not sure if I should say…”

He Shichen: “If you’re not supposed to say it, then you won’t?”

“Well, not exactly.” Chu Qianli responded decisively. She showed him the card faces and said softly, “Your luck isn’t great today.”

These cards were the ones He Shichen had touched, and their combination held a deeper meaning.

He Shichen snorted lightly. “Hmm, say something I don’t already know.”

He had just learned that he wasn’t really a He family child. Today, he had to force a smile and welcome her into the house. If there was any good luck, it was purely by chance.

Chu Qianli propped her chin, thinking for a moment. “Hmm… this bad luck is both on a spiritual and practical level. You’re emotionally off and things are going wrong. There’s a kind of short-fused, explosive irritability, and you might encounter the kind of situation I’m about to demonstrate.”

She pressed her hands together, then suddenly flung her arms wide in an exaggerated gesture mimicking fireworks bursting, shouting dramatically, “Destroy, world! Explode, universe!”

He Shichen looked at her performance, which resembled a broadcast exercise, and couldn’t help but show a confused expression. “?”

He Shichen thought to himself, “I’ll have Dad and Mom arrange for a doctor later,”—to check on their daughter’s brain, because she didn’t seem very bright.

At that moment, Yu Shen’s voice came from upstairs, “Qianli, come upstairs, let me show you your room!”

Chu Qianli’s suitcase had already been moved upstairs. She hurriedly left, holding the playing cards, without continuing her chat with He Shichen.

He Shichen, having just witnessed her childish performance, felt extremely speechless. He wanted to drink some water to calm himself down but couldn’t find a cup on the coffee table. Since they were preparing to welcome Chu Qianli, every corner of the house had been thoroughly cleaned, and even commonly used items had been moved.

Normally, He Shichen would have just called Aunt Li to find a cup for water, but now Aunt Li was upstairs with Yu Shen, cleaning Chu Qianli’s room. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself, so he reluctantly went to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, He Shichen took out a glass. He wasn’t very familiar with the strange water dispenser, so he casually pressed a few buttons. Hot water started flowing out, but the next second, something unexpected happened!

He Shichen, caught off guard, turned around. Countless shards of glass and boiling water droplets flew in all directions, and he instinctively yelled in surprise, scrambling to avoid the unexpected explosion.

The glass shattered instantly under the high temperature, like fireworks scattered across the sky!

Was her mouth cursed by a crow’s blessing?

On the second floor, Yu Shen and Aunt Li heard the noise and felt uneasy. They peeked out, trying to figure out what was going on downstairs. “It seems like there’s some noise?”

Chu Qianli answered slowly, “Brother just said to have Mom and Dad arrange for a doctor.”

He must have listened to the divination and was planning to prepare in advance.

Yu Shen: “?”

I am just a novice translator and Chinese is not my native language. I try my best to translate the chapters as accurate as possible.
If there are any mistakes then kindly comment and remind me. Your support means a lot.