Ch 154: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

Director Mei brought them inside and asked what was going on.

The couple’s names were Xu Tingfeng and Zhou Jinnian.

Xu Tingfeng roughly recounted what had happened years ago.

Not long after their marriage, the two learned they would not be able to have children of their own. They went through several rounds of medical testing and treatment, and afterward decided to leave it up to fate.

They came across Xu Xiyang on their way home from work.

That day it was drizzling. As they were driving past a park, they heard a baby crying.

They rushed out of the car and saw a baby left in a carrier. The child had nothing but the clothes on his body.

They immediately called the police.

Of course, the police were unable to find any information. By regulation, the baby should have been placed in an orphanage. But for some reason, perhaps destiny, the moment the child was taken away from them, he began to cry and no one could soothe him.

The couple used a few connections to bring him home temporarily. Later, everything naturally fell into place — they completed the legal adoption procedures, gave him a name, and became his parents.

Because they had found him when he was still very young, and because they raised him as if he were their own flesh and blood, they never told him the truth.

So when Xu Xiyang saw the video that day, he was stunned.

The couple had sent their son to his grandmother’s house, then hurriedly took leave from work and rushed over.

After hearing the whole story, Director Mei’s attitude toward the couple softened.

When they spoke of their son Xu Xiyang, their faces were filled with unmistakable affection and tenderness.

She said, “For that child to have met you two, he is much luckier than Xingxing.”

She then told the couple about Mu Xing’s background.

The couple had already read much of it on trending news, but what circulated online was just a simplified version — a vague phrase like “abused by adoptive parents.” Hearing the full story from Director Mei was far more shocking.

“When the police first brought him here, he was much thinner than now. So small, he didn’t even look like a ten-year-old child. His body was covered in bruises and welts — all marks from beatings.”

Director Mei sighed. “You can see our conditions here aren’t good. But ever since Xingxing arrived, he has been content every day, always cheerful. Which shows how terrible his life must have been before.”

She looked at them and asked, “What is it you two are here for?”

The couple had already discussed it on their way: “We want to do a DNA test between the two children, to see if they are brothers.”

In truth, they were already almost certain. They looked so alike. The timeline also matched — the year they had found Xiyang and the year the Zhao family picked up Mu Xing were the same, with only a one-day difference.

Still, doing a test would put their minds at ease.

Director Mei then asked, “And after the test?”

Zhou Jinnian hesitated. “If Mu Xing is willing, we would like to adopt him. After all, they are blood brothers. And Xiyang is very curious about him too.”

Director Mei didn’t comment further, only asked, “Would you like to meet little Xingxing?”

Naturally, the couple wanted to — they were deeply curious.

When Mu Xing heard the director calling for him, he didn’t suspect anything. But the moment he walked into the room and saw the two strangers, they lit up with recognition.

Alike.

Far too alike.

If Mu Xing were dressed in Xiyang’s clothes and stood there, at first glance even they would not be able to tell them apart.

At that moment, the couple no longer had any doubts about their blood relation. Unless they were identical twins, how could two faces in the world look so exactly the same?

Zhou Jinnian was the first to stand. She walked over and looked at Mu Xing gently.

Faced with this boy who looked identical to her son, her gaze became instinctively full of motherly affection.

“Little Xingxing, may I call you that? I’m Auntie Zhou. I came after seeing your photo on the trending news. You look very much like someone I know.”

The moment Mu Xing saw them, he already knew who they were.

Though he himself had never met Xu Tingfeng and Zhou Jinnian, the original body’s memories had. Back then they were older, more composed, but overall not much different.

They were the adoptive parents of his blood-related twin brother. And they were truly good people.

He smiled. “Hello, Auntie Zhou.”

If Zhou Jinnian had hesitated before about adopting another child, that hesitation disappeared the moment she saw Mu Xing.

His smile — it was exactly the same as Xiyang’s.

How could she bear to let such a child remain alone in an orphanage?

Still, she didn’t reveal her thoughts or identity immediately. She decided to get to know him slowly, gently, so as not to scare him.

That evening, Zhou Jinnian and Xu Tingfeng found a hotel nearby to stay.

But the next day, no one expected that another pair of uninvited guests would arrive at the orphanage.

When the Xu couple returned, those two people were already there talking with Director Mei.

They mentioned Mu Xing. Director Mei didn’t think much of it, assuming they were like the others, simply interested in adopting him.

She didn’t notice the way the pupils of that man and woman contracted when they saw Xu Tingfeng and Zhou Jinnian.

“Mister Xiang?” Director Mei’s startled call snapped them back to their senses.

Director Mei called once more, then asked, “You just said—what do you think happened to Xingxing?”

The man addressed as Mister Xiang wore glasses, his figure tall and upright, his bearing refined. Once he regained his composure, he looked at Xu Tingfeng and Zhou Jinnian. “And these two are…?”

Director Mei smiled. “This is Mister Xu and Madam Zhou. They also came here for Xingxing. They share quite a special connection with him.”

Hearing this, Xiang Shen immediately understood—these two must have already met with Director Mei. Which meant she likely already knew they had adopted a boy who looked exactly like Mu Xing.

Damn it. How did they find their way here?

The way things had been unfolding lately was already far from what they had intended at the start. But there were things he had to say—he would not give up on this genius child.

Xiang Shen no longer looked at the couple. His expression shifted into sorrow. “To be honest, Dean, I suspect little Xingxing is my biological child.”

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone in the room was shocked.

Xiang Shen pressed on with his lie. “Ten years ago, Weiwei gave birth to twins. But when we went back to our hometown, there was an accident, and both children disappeared…”

His face filled with grief. “All these years, we’ve never stopped searching, but there was never any news. Until this time, when we saw Xingxing’s video trending online. To tell you the truth, he looks very much like my late mother.”

Director Mei froze.

Xu Tingfeng and Zhou Jinnian also froze.

If it weren’t for that one word—twins—perhaps they wouldn’t have been so shaken.

But with that word spoken, they immediately understood the likelihood was extremely high. After all, even they had only just learned days ago that Xiyang might have a twin brother in this world.

If these really were Xiyang’s biological parents…

Their gazes toward Xiang Shen and his wife instantly turned wary.

Xu Tingfeng quietly grasped his wife’s hand, and as expected, her fingertips were ice-cold.

He whispered, “Don’t be afraid.”

Zhou Jinnian softly answered, “Mm.”

She absolutely would not let anyone take Xiyang away so easily.

This couple had never fulfilled a single day of parental duty—why should they?

Director Mei too was left buzzing in her head by the news.

When Mu Xing was called over, he unexpectedly found not only Xu Tingfeng and Zhou Jinnian, but also these strangers.

Before Director Mei could even speak, the boy smiled.

He looked straight at Xiang Shen and his wife. “I’ve seen you before.”

Something about the smile struck Xiang Shen as odd, but when he looked closer, nothing seemed amiss.

Thinking quickly, he followed the boy’s lead. “That’s right. Earlier this year we came to Donghai City on some personal matters. I still remember you—a very beautiful child. It seems fate keeps bringing us together.”

Mu Xing shook his head. “Not just once.”

Xiang Shen stiffened.

Mu Xing counted on his fingers. “I remember clearly. I’ve seen you six or seven times. Sometimes just one of you, sometimes both together.”

Director Mei laughed. “What nonsense are you talking about? How could you have seen them so many times?”

Mu Xing widened his eyes and insisted, “I’m sure. I have a really good memory. Once I meet someone, I don’t forget.”

His certainty made even Director Mei hesitate. And in her heart, a doubt arose: this man claimed he only realized Xingxing looked like his mother after seeing him online. But if they had already met before—could he really not have noticed the resemblance at first sight?

Xiang Shen hadn’t expected Mu Xing to remember so clearly.

He and his wife truly had come to Donghai City many times, checking on the two children at intervals to see how they were. But he never thought Mu Xing would have noticed them every time—and remembered!

His mind raced, but his face stayed calm. “Is that so? I do have a few friends here, I’ve come several times. But I don’t recall meeting you, child.”

Mu Xing gave him a look far too adult for his age, as if to say “your memory is terrible,” then shook his head and sighed. “Alright, if you say we haven’t met, then we haven’t.”

The others laughed at his cute little expression.

But in Xiang Shen and his wife’s hearts, unease grew.

Mu Xing lifted his head toward Director Mei. “Director Mama, why did you call me here?”

Director Mei hesitated, then said, “This Mister Xiang, and this Auntie Zhu, say you might be their child.”

Xiang Shen studied Mu Xing’s reaction.

But the boy simply looked at them and said calmly, “Oh.”

That was it?

Xiang Shen glanced at his wife.

She said gently, “Xingxing, it’s because your mom and dad came too late.” She stepped forward, wanting to hug him.

Mu Xing took a step back.

He tilted his head, speaking seriously. “No need to rush. I read in books that to prove family relations, you need to do a paternity test, right?”

His voice stayed calm. “Once the relationship is confirmed, then we can talk about why I was left in a trash heap back then.”

From the moment he heard their words until now, he had remained so composed it was nothing like a child at all.

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