SGSHE103

Jing Heguang hung up the phone and looked down to see the look of relief on Luan Xing’an’s face.

“Nervous?” he asked.

“It just feels so bizarre!” Luan Xing’an said. “It’s as melodramatic as a TV soap opera. If a show had a plot like this nowadays, people probably wouldn’t even watch it, right?”

“Real life is far more absurd and wondrous than TV dramas. TV shows have to follow logic, but life doesn’t.”

Jing Heguang lay down and wrapped his arms around Luan Xing’an. “Let’s rest for a couple of days. I’ll give him an answer once you’ve made up your mind.”

Luan Xing’an buried his head in Jing Heguang’s chest. “I feel dizzy.”

The dizziness was, of course, just an excuse. What Luan Xing’an was really feeling was a chaotic jumble of thoughts.

He felt a sense of happiness knowing he had been lost by accident, rather than being loathed by his biological parents.

Yet, alongside that happiness was a sense of bewilderment.

He had never imagined his biological parents would be so wealthy, or that he would have two older brothers.

As a child, he had often envied other kids who had siblings, someone to come home from school with.

And now, he had them too?

It was a truly remarkable feeling.

Luan Xing’an had already made a decision deep down, but he needed a little time to adjust and gather some courage.

The two of them held each other close and eventually drifted off to sleep, breathing in the comforting scent of one another.

***

Three days later.

After stalling for an extra day, Luan Xing’an finally asked Jing Heguang to take him to the farmhouse resort.

Jing Heguang drove to the location using the address provided.

It was just the two of them, they hadn’t brought any assistants along.

As their car pulled up to the entrance of the resort, before they had even stepped out, Jing Heguang saw Qu Wenyuan and Qu Jialiang walking out to meet them.

Several of Qu Wenyuan’s friends were in the middle of a card game. Seeing him hurry out with Qu Jialiang close behind, they slowed their pace, their cards hovering in mid-air.

Just who was this important person, to warrant such serious attention from the eldest and second sons of the Qu family?

Jing Heguang stepped out of the car, and Luan Xing’an got out from the other side.

Qu Wenyuan stood before Jing Heguang, casting a glance toward Luan Xing’an as he did so.

Qu Wenyuan thought his older brother was incredibly cunning!

His brother was the one who had organized this farmhouse retreat, yet he claimed it as his own idea and told Qu Wenyuan to invite Jing Heguang.

Someone had to host Jing Heguang, so naturally, the person who issued the invitation had to do it and just like that, his little brother was snatched away by his big brother.

Seeing Jing Heguang reminded Qu Wenyuan of how the guy had spent the day sleeping just a few days ago.

It was infuriating!

But he still needed to count on Jing Heguang to put in a good word for him, his life was just too hard.

Meanwhile, Luan Xing’an was actually wishing he could swap places with Qu Wenyuan.

He remembered how he had once mistakenly thought Qu Jialiang was interested in brother Jing, and had even touched brother Jing’s hand right in front of Qu Jialiang.

Thinking back on it now…Qu Jialiang surely understood the implication of that gesture.

It was so embarrassing!

Amidst the slightly awkward atmosphere, Qu Wenyuan smiled and led them inside, heading straight for the upper floors.

***

“We dine and do other activities on the first floor. The second floor is for guest accommodation. The third floor is for family and close friends only, we don’t let outsiders up there.”

Qu Wenyuan walked in the lead, explaining as he went.

Jing Heguang walked second, Luan Xing’an followed behind him, and Qu Jialiang brought up the rear.

As they spoke, they reached the third floor.

Qu Wenyuan looked at his parents and gave a slight nod toward the back, signaling that he had brought the guests.

Father Qu and mother Qu stood up, his father even adjusted his shirt.

Then, the couple craned their necks to peer toward the top of the stairs.

The second person to appear was Jing Heguang.

Father Qu smiled and said, “Heguang is here!” He seemed to stretch his neck out even further.

Hearing the voices from above, Luan Xing’an paused for a moment.

He clenched his fists and pressed his lips into a tight line. Just when his mind was empty, he saw Jing Heguang’s hands reaching back.

Luan Xing’an quickly grabbed it and held it tightly, keeping up with Jing Heguang’s pace that was neither fast nor slow.

Qu Jialiang from behind also secretly exhaled a breath.

His younger brother looked restrained and nervous, but he didn’t know what to say and was surprisingly nervous too.

When Luan Xing’an showed up, he saw father Qu and mother Qu looking at him nervously.

He was not the only one who was nervous. Among the six people, only Jing Heguang and Qu Wenyuan were the better ones.

Qu Wenyuan said: “Xing’an is here too. My parents must have met Xing’an before so they look familiar. They were in the front row listening to you sing during the second round of performances and the final night.”

Jing Heguang held Luan Xing’an’s sweaty hand and said hello, “Hello, uncle and aunt.”

Luan Xing’an also spoke: “Uncle——”

As soon as he said the word, he realized something was wrong. This was not an uncle or aunt.

Luan Xingan blushed and said, “Hello.”

Mother Qu smiled and said: “All right, come and sit down. The sea breeze is just right now, and the juice is freshly squeezed. Are you thirsty after driving here? Drink some to quench your thirst.”

Everyone sat down, Luan Xingan next to Jing Heguang.

Luan Xing’an almost called him wrong just now, and became even more nervous. He wished he could shrink down and get into Jing Heguang’s pocket so that no one could see him.

After sitting for a while and Luan Xing’an drank half a glass of juice, father Qu told him what happened that year again.

The first time it was mother Qu who was talking to Jing Heguang, this time it was father Qu. It was because mother Qu was afraid that she would not be able to control her emotions and scare Luan Xing’an.

But seeing Luan Xing’an in front of her and father Qu talking about the past in her ears, mother Qu still couldn’t help but blush and felt very sad.

She hadn’t done a single thing wrong, so why had she been forced to spend so many years apart from her child?

Now that they were finally reunited, the atmosphere was thick with awkwardness and unease, feelings that shouldn’t have existed in the first place.

Luan Xing’an, who carried tissues with him, pulled one out and handed it to mother Qu. “Please don’t cry,” he said quickly. “I don’t blame you.”

Mother Qu clutched her chest, her eyes brimming with tears. “I blame myself. If only I’d taken a better look at you back then…I wouldn’t have failed to recognize my own child.”

Luan Xing’an replied, “It was the fault of those wicked people, you must have been exhausted after giving birth. Naturally, the blame lies with the bad guys. There’s no reason to blame yourself.”

Luan Xing’an looked at mother Qu and found himself genuinely fond of her.

When he had first seen her photo, he had wished his own birth mother looked just like that and it turned out she actually was!

Up close, she looked familiar, too. Just as Qu Wenyuan had suggested, Luan Xing’an realized he had seen her among the crowds of fans.

For her and father Qu, people in their fifties, to mingle with his young fans showed just how much effort they had put in.

Luan Xing’an soothed her, saying, “I’ve had a good life all these years. My grandmother treated me very well. After she passed away, I met brother Jing. I’ve been really lucky!”

He glanced at Jing Heguang, a sincere smile on his face.

He truly felt fortunate. Although he had faced some hardships, everything had turned out for the best in the end.

After chatting for a while, Luan Xing’an’s initial nervousness faded, and he began to relax.

Jing Heguang sat nearby, eating grapes and discussing industry matters with Qu Wenyuan.

They had lunch together.

That evening, Luan Xing’an declined the invitation to return to the Qu family home, choosing instead to go back with Jing Heguang.

Seeing the Qu family’s reluctance to let him go, Luan Xing’an thought for a moment and added, “I’ll come back for a meal when I have some free time.”

Father Qu nodded, and mother Qu reluctantly let go of his hand.

The child had grown up and had a home of his own.

***

On the way home, Luan Xing’an hummed a tune with a lighthearted air, smiling constantly as he gazed at Jing Heguang’s profile.

Jing Heguang asked, “What are you looking at? You seem so happy.”

Luan Xing’an replied, “We’re going home, of course I’m happy!”

Jing Heguang paused for a moment, struck by the realization that it had been nearly two years since grandma Luan passed away.

For those two years, Luan Xing’an had been all on his own.

And when one is alone, how can it truly feel like home?

Even though Luan Xing’an had now reunited with the Qu family, there remained a gap of over twenty years between them.

He was the one closest to him.

Jing Heguang smiled at him. “Let’s go home.”

The car picked up speed, and the wind rushed in through the window.

The cool breeze brushed against his face, tousling his hair.

Luan Xing’an smiled even more brightly, the little tune he was humming becoming livelier.

Jing Heguang whistled a melodious tune that harmonized with his melody.

There were no lyrics, yet the sound was enchanting.

***

A month later.

The Qu family, usually known for keeping a low profile, made the headlines.

They publicly revealed Luan Xing’an’s identity and briefly recounted the events of the past.

A baby-swap incident is the sort of sensational, dramatic news that naturally draws attention.

Given that it involved a wealthy family like the Qus, the story quickly became common knowledge.

While the public was still reeling from the shock, the Qu family took the opportunity of the father’s birthday to introduce Luan Xing’an to their circle of friends and relatives.

He was their child, after all. Though the reunion was belated, he would be denied nothing that was rightfully his.

Status, reputation, connections…

Jing Heguang was introduced alongside Luan Xing’an.

The Qu family had not only gained back a younger son but also acquired a son-in-law.

In person, people managed to restrain their curiosity and maintain a polite demeanor.

Online, however, netizens found the whole situation surreal and they didn’t hesitate to say so. “They said Voice of Heaven picks a ‘chosen one’, I didn’t believe it before, but today I do!”

“What kind of script is this kid living out?!”

“Probably…‘debut via talent show + top-tier idol boyfriend + wealthy parents finally finding him.’”

“Friend, you’ve got to add ‘exceptional talent’ to that list! His singing is genuinely great, it’s just that his vocal timbre isn’t as versatile as Jing Heguang’s.”

“I’m never going to complain about the logic in TV dramas again. Turns out the ‘swapped-at-birth’ trope is actually real.”

“Am I the only one envious of Jing Heguang? I want a boyfriend like that too!”

“Don’t even ask, every other artist in the industry is probably wishing they could go back to school, pick up a junior, and spoil him rotten right now~ [doge]”

“I feel so bad for the kid’s mom. Her kindness was exploited by such a heartless, ungrateful wretch! It makes my blood boil!”

“And she’s been doing charity work for twenty years, she hasn’t stopped even after all this anger. She’s just such a wonderful person!”

“Soaking up some XingGuang, it feels so sweet and satisfying!!”

***

After the busy day came a quiet evening.

Jing Heguang and Luan Xing’an were spending the night at the Qu family home for the first time.

A horror movie had just finished playing in the small home theater on the second floor, and Qu Wenyuan quickly reached out to turn on the lights.

He glanced over to see Luan Xing’an half-nestled in Jing Heguang’s arms.

Qu Wenyuan: …

He didn’t quite know what to say.

After all, his younger brother had been the one to ask for the movie and had been so excited when picking it out.

It felt like…his brother was deliberately taking advantage of the situation to get close to Jing Heguang.

Or maybe it was just a bit of romantic playfulness between the couple?

Qu Wenyuan looked at Jing Heguang’s profile and confirmed his suspicion.

They say beauty can be a distraction — well, handsome men can be just as distracting!

Luan Xing’an let out a huge sigh of relief after watching the post-credits scene: “That was a good one today, so thrilling!”

Jing Heguang thought it was pretty thrilling too, after all, his sweet younger brother kept snuggling right into his arms.

If he had to sum it up in one word: beautiful.

Qu Wenyuan: “I think it’s really exciting, too.”

Author’s Note: They’ll be meeting the parents in the extra chapters, too.

This is the first story where both of them have living parents — it’s such a rarity, so they definitely have to meet them. Hahaha.

T/N: One extra then a new world! (´∩｡• ᵕ •｡∩`)

Ancient world: General Gong x Opera Actor Shou!