—

Despite the obvious hatred and disgust, Chen Shuhui's voice wasn't sharp or angry. Just cold. Like that year when she looked at the hand-drawn blueprints on the desk and said 'don't make these things anymore.' Almost exactly the same tone.

Wen Ran stood rigid a few steps away, staring at the phone on the desk, his breathing shaky, his throat trembling fast.

"So now you want me to keep enduring, want me to find a way to make him obedient. Why? When exactly is your so-called timing right? Sometimes I think you're way too cautious, or are you deliberately torturing me?"

Whatever was said on the other end, Chen Shuhui went quiet for a moment, then said: "Okay, got it. Let's talk tonight. Nine o'clock, Teahouse No.6."

And with that, the short recording ended.

For several minutes, Wen Ran couldn't seem to move. He stood there in a daze, fingertips digging deep into his palms.

The word 'illegitimate child' was the knife that pierced open the truth, and he stood right in the middle, stabbed clean through, front to back.

He was Li Qingwan and Wen Ningyuan's illegitimate child.

If this was true, then everything could be explained. Maybe it was true.

For days and nights on end, Wen Ran couldn't figure out why Chen Shuhui always disliked him, was never satisfied with him. He figured he just wasn't smart enough, obedient enough, perceptive enough, so he tried harder to be meek and compliant, desperate to trade that for whatever scrap of maternal love Chen Shuhui might grudgingly throw his way. But he never got it. Wen Ran had already stopped caring.

But it turned out that while he was wagging his tail begging, every look Chen Shuhui gave him wasn't just cold contempt—it was brimming with sickening disgust and venomous curses. Because he was her husband's illegitimate child with a Beta, and right now he was occupying the identity and name of her dead little son.

When did it start? Probably after Wen Ningyuan died. Once she learned the truth, Chen Shuhui's attitude changed overnight. Without a moment's hesitation, she threw him into the research institute, started the Gland implantation plan, and in the end, ignoring all the risks and side effects, put him on the operating table.

On top of that, years of belittling words, harsh living conditions—the forbidden hobbies, the dim little back bedroom, the worn-out clothes, the laggy Mobile Phone, the Computer he could never call his own—again and again, cornering him in awkward, humiliating situations. None of it was because he wasn't good enough. His very existence was the mistake. He represented the insult, the betrayal of one side of the marriage.

The little bit of family love he'd craved, hoped for—it was just a thin outer skin. Peel it open and inside was nothing but long-rotten hatred and resentment.

Chen Shuhui had been treating him with a vengeful, trampling mindset. Wen Ran only understood it today.

But he didn't believe it. He didn't believe the reclusive, proud Violin prodigy would be the one to break up a marriage. He didn't believe his gentle, kind adoptive father would be unfaithful, would cheat on his wife with her colleague in the orchestra. He didn't believe it.

Wen Ran sat down on the chair bit by bit, like a broken-down machine with joints grinding. A voice in his head screamed 'impossible,' but in front of his eyes he saw the morning of Wen Ningyuan's car accident—him smiling, telling Wen Ran not to rush, to walk slowly.

Could it really be true? He had once received a little bit of fatherly love, and had spent six years with his biological father without knowing it—if it was true, it meant Wen Ningyuan had died never knowing that the foster son he brought back to the Wen Family was actually his own biological child.

And Li Qingwan? Outside the Orphanage fence, her panicked expression, her exhausted red eyes. What had she been afraid of ten years ago? And why had she shown up in the Capital City four years ago?

His whole hands were shaking. Wen Ran's mind was a tangled, taut mess of thoughts, until the emotions overloaded and his head split with pain. His nose grew hot, a sharp metallic taste of blood surged up. He clamped a hand over his nose and rushed to the bathroom. The sink was a sheet of red.

During Wen Ran's days of insomnia and fog, a problem hit the new resort project Chen Shuhui and Wen Rui were in charge of. The Island plot of land in the plan had been rejected and resisted by local residents over relocation issues, and progress had stalled. Then last night, a massive fire broke out on the Island, destroying over 80% of the buildings and causing multiple casualties.

The suspicious fire instantly pushed the incident to the front line of the conflict between the public and capital. The Island residents, who already had deep grievances with the government and the Company, immediately erupted into protests, gathering in front of the burned-out buildings and crying into cameras, accusing Boqing Group of burning them out, of treating human life as worthless. They demanded full compensation and legal accountability.

The resort development was handled by an independent subsidiary, but public opinion skipped right past them to point at Boqing Group. Someone was clearly directing things behind the scenes. Overnight, negative commentary exploded. The subsidiary's stock tanked mid-session, and Boqing got dragged down hard too—closing across the board with losses, nearly seventy billion in market value evaporated in a single day.

As the shared CEO of Boqing and the subsidiary, Gu Chongze arrived at the scene the next morning, surrounded by police and media. He was dressed simply—a shirt, not even a tie. After introducing himself, he kept his head slightly bowed and listened to the residents' grievances, then seized a rare few seconds of silence mid-flow to speak.

"I only just landed early this morning. I'm very sorry I couldn't come explain to everyone sooner. I'd like to ask for a few minutes of your time. The Island land is indeed in our project plans. Previously, for various reasons, we caused everyone dissatisfaction. Our Company has been working with the municipal government on plans and negotiations, hoping to find a better approach that satisfies everyone."

"Regarding this fire, we offer our deepest sympathies. But Boqing has always upheld a people-first, law-abiding philosophy. For years we've been committed to charitable work. We would absolutely never do anything to endanger public property or lives. Please don't be swayed by rumors. Right now, the most important thing is taking care of yourselves and your families. Boqing will also work with the government and all sectors of society to donate supplies, to make sure everyone can return to their normal lives as soon as possible."

"Finally, regarding the cause of the fire—the municipal government is conducting a full investigation, and Boqing Group will cooperate unconditionally. Please trust the police. They will get to the bottom of this, break the rumors, and reveal the truth."

……

"Nice PR." Tao Susu closed out the video. "Gu Chongze basically has power now, right? Wonder how he and Gu Yunchi will fight it out from here."

Wen Ran pulled his gaze from the screen and back to the little Kangaroo Model in his hands.

This fire was most likely the Tang-Wei Clan's doing—a two-birds-one-stone hit against both Boqing and Chen Shuhui. Wen Ran just couldn't tell if they'd planned it based on intel from Fang Yisen.

"Also, I heard Grandpa Gu hasn't been well lately. A lot of people are watching the Gu Family. If Grandpa Gu really can't manage anymore, and Gu Yunchi's still underage, the whole Boqing will probably end up in Gu Chongze's hands." Tao Susu handed him a screw. "Giving the Group to Gu Chongze is easy, but when Gu Yunchi wants it back later, that won't be easy at all."

Wen Ran had also heard about Gu Peiwen's health. He'd tried messaging Gu Yunchi to ask, but days had passed with no reply. The silence made him so anxious he checked his Mobile Phone every few minutes.

"Wen Ran, what's wrong with you? You've looked sick since the start of this week. Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Tao Susu looked at his pale face, really worried.

"I'm fine. Just not sleeping well at night." Wen Ran smiled a little.

"Okay… oh, by the way, what's this design draft for?" Tao Susu pointed at the stack of drawings beside Wen Ran's desk. "You've been working on it for ages, but it looks really abstract. The more I look at it, the less I get it."

"It's a birthday present for a friend." Wen Ran lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, then added, "A very important friend."

Tao Susu leaned in close and asked, very directly: "Gu Yunchi?"

Before Wen Ran could answer, Tao Susu asked even more directly: "Do you like him?"

Wen Ran froze for a second, then unconsciously pulled out his Mobile Phone from the drawer, looked down—no message from Gu Yunchi. Then he said: "Yeah."

"I don't mean like that. I mean… forget it, let me ask you. Do you like me? And Song Shuangang?"

Wen Ran nodded. He didn't like many people, but the ones he did were all kind to him, had good hearts. It was normal to fall for people like that.

"But if you were going to be with someone, date someone, get really close with someone—who would you pick? Who do you want it to be most?"

Plink—a screw slipped from his fingertips and rolled toward the edge of the desk. Wen Ran lunged after it, panicked, but his vision was like a camera out of focus. His fingers missed a few times before he barely caught it before it fell off.

His heart thudded heavy. It couldn't possibly be because of one little screw. Wen Ran looked at the drawings beside him, hoping Tao Susu would change the subject when she spoke again.

"It's Gu Yunchi, right?" Tao Susu tilted her head, looking at him. "Are you in love with him?"

Motionless, Wen Ran heard the sound of being pierced again. Like the moment he learned he was an illegitimate child—a sharp, intense pain somewhere in his body.

He wasn't ignorant. He'd just been avoiding facing it, avoiding admitting it, because it felt too shameful to say.

What was hard to say wasn't that he loved Gu Yunchi. It was that his love, tangled up in countless filthy deceptions and schemes, had grown into something unspeakable. How could love look like this? Love should be clean, pure.

Maybe love came in other forms too. But he'd never been loved, never seen that many kinds of love. He had no way of knowing.

Wen Ran rolled the screw between his fingers, slowly drew his hand back, looked down at the model. After a long moment, he parted his lips and said quietly: "I don't know."

That evening, back home, Wen Ran tried to revise his design draft against the modeling file the studio had sent. But he couldn't focus, and kept drifting off without realizing.

Ding. A new message. Wen Ran turned his head, and when he saw the three characters 'Gu Yunchi' on the screen, he felt a little dazed—then remembered he'd changed the contact name a few days ago.

Gu Yunchi: Back in the country.

He should have felt happy, but Wen Ran just sat there blankly, not replying right away. A few seconds later, the phone rang—Wen Rui calling.

"Have the driver take you to Luan Mountain now. Director Gu wants us over."

"Okay."

Wen Ran hung up, contacted the driver, then went downstairs and told Aunt Fang not to bother making dinner.

Once he was in the car, Wen Ran finally replied to Gu Yunchi: I'm heading to Luan Mountain now.

Gu Yunchi: Mm.

By the time they reached Luan Mountain, it was fully dark. Wen Ran got out of the car. Chen Shuhui and Wen Rui had arrived at the same time. Chen Shuhui glanced at Wen Ran as usual, and Wen Ran avoided her eyes, afraid to look at her.

Gu Chongze came out of the main building's hall, glanced at Wen Ran, nodded at Chen Shuhui in greeting, then led everyone onto a tour cart heading toward the building where Gu Peiwen usually lived.

On the cart, Wen Ran looked at Gu Chongze's back. Based on Chen Shuhui's last line in the recording—nine o'clock, Teahouse No.6—Wen Ran recalled a text message he'd seen on her phone long ago: 10, 3. If he wasn't wrong, Gu Chongze was probably the 'Manager Liu' in Chen Shuhui's phone.

They took the elevator to the second floor. Wen Ran followed behind them, his gaze passing over the various collectibles and potted plants displayed on their own as he walked into the living room—and saw that tall, slender figure standing by the floor-to-ceiling window.

The butler announced them. Gu Yunchi turned around, pushing the wheelchair, his expression flat as his eyes swept over the group—and finally met Wen Ran's for a moment.

A few meters apart, a coffee table between them drawing a clear line—one standing behind absolute power, the other among the scheming, ambitious lot. The gap had never felt so visible.

Gu Peiwen sat in the wheelchair. It had been a long time since Wen Ran had seen him—he looked a little older, thinner, but his spirits seemed alright. Chen Shuhui and Wen Rui nodded and called out 'Director Gu.' Gu Peiwen nodded back, then looked at Wen Ran. Wen Ran pressed out a smile: "Grandpa Gu."

"It's been a while since I've seen you." Gu Peiwen smiled too, leaned back a bit, cleared his throat. "I know everyone's busy, so I'll keep it short."

"The project hit some trouble recently. Leave it to the police, they'll get to the bottom of it. In business, you run into all kinds of accidents and obstacles. How to solve them is what matters. What's already lost—no point dwelling on it."

"My health hasn't been great lately. I'm planning to step back and focus on treatment and recovery for a while. During this time, Boqing will be handed to Chongze to manage. Shuhui, Wen Rui—you two assist him."

The moment those words landed, Wen Ran noticed Chen Shuhui's shoulders relax, just slightly.

This was her first big project after joining Boqing, and it had gone seriously wrong. She'd probably been a wreck these past few days, and when she got the summons to Luan Mountain, she'd likely braced herself for a scolding or even dismissal. Instead, Gu Peiwen just handed over the authority. For her, wasn't that turning disaster into fortune?

"Some documents and files are ready with the assistant. Sign what needs signing, stamp what needs stamping. The board will also have a meeting tomorrow—you all attend." Gu Peiwen patted his leg lightly. "Alright, go to the study. Yunchi, Wen Ran—you two go eat dinner."

The butler took the wheelchair handles from Gu Yunchi and led the group toward the study.

Gu Yunchi walked out of the living room, then turned his head after a few steps: "What are you spacing out for? Keep up."

Wen Ran came back to himself, nodded, and followed.

No car, no heading straight to the dining room. Gu Yunchi cut through into another building, and Wen Ran followed about two meters behind him, walking in too.

They got in the elevator. Neither spoke. The number changed from '01' to '-1'. The doors opened.

In an instant, his vision was swallowed by deep blue. Wen Ran thought he'd come to the bottom of the sea—a massive, seemingly endless aquarium wrapped around the entire space, sharks weaving through coral reefs, countless beautiful fish. Just like BDH-339 said, just like an oceanarium.

Gu Yunchi held the elevator door with one hand and glanced sideways at Wen Ran: "If you're scared, we can go."

"I want to look." Wen Ran said.

Stepping out of the elevator felt like being at the bottom of a sea you could breathe in. Wen Ran pushed past the slight fear inside him, looked down—a sea turtle was drifting lazily past under his feet.

Without realizing it, he'd drifted two meters from Gu Yunchi again. Wen Ran stopped, looked at his profile, and suddenly said: "Grandpa Gu is handing the Company to your uncle now. Are you worried?"

Gu Yunchi's gaze followed the ray in front of them, drifting slowly upward: "What's there to worry about? Maybe I don't even want it."

"Then what do you want?"

Gu Yunchi looked at him and asked, out of nowhere: "What's wrong with you."

Wen Ran's hands curled tight: "Why do you ask?"

"You look sick." Gu Yunchi said. "Last time we met, weren't you always wanting to hug?"

"Can I still do that?" Wen Ran didn't know if he was asking him or himself.

He'd genuinely been happy at the thought of getting closer to Gu Yunchi. But reality had quickly woken him up, pushed him back. Wen Ran thought maybe his ending with Gu Yunchi had been written from the very beginning.

Gu Yunchi turned to him: "When have I ever stopped you."

Wen Ran looked at him for a few seconds, then smiled, a little ugly: "Maybe not today."

That wasn't the answer in his heart. A bitterness rose in Wen Ran's throat. He wanted to tell Gu Yunchi so many things—maybe I'm an illegitimate child, is being treated like this what I deserve, I don't want to stand across from you with them… and the love Tao Susu talked about, why does it make me hurt.

"Gu Yunchi." Wen Ran stood in the sea, a lost, sad expression on his face, and said, "I'm in so much pain."