Chapter 23

Chapter 23

A familiar voice drifted from behind him.

Gu Yubai’s body stiffened abruptly. He dared not move, terrified that Yu Li might accidentally discover his identity.

He should have thought of this earlier.

Yu Li had mentioned the Su family’s Recognition Banquet several times, and he had personally witnessed Su Shengli delivering the invitation to the Gu Corporation building. He had considered everything—except the possibility of running into Yu Li face-to-face at the banquet.

This was his oversight!

A pang of regret pricked Gu Yubai’s heart, but he remained motionless.

"Sir, you are—"

Before he could finish, the hand on his shoulder pressed down slightly, and Yu Li suppressed a soft chuckle from deep in his throat.

"So obedient? I told you not to move, and you actually didn't?"

His voice was low and gentle, deliberately hushed, sending shivers down to the bone. Yet, the speaker seemed entirely unaware of how alluring his tone sounded.

Gu Yubai felt his ears grow slightly warm, and a sudden heat flared across his back.

He struggled subtly but continued to feign ignorance.

"Sir, I really don’t know you. Do you want this spot to watch the commotion downstairs? I’ll move aside."

As soon as he finished speaking, he was abruptly wrenched backward. Gu Yubai spun around, barely finding his footing before the white mask—part of the waiter’s uniform—was yanked off his face.

Gu Yubai drew a sharp, cold breath.

Yu Li finally released him. Standing face to face, he leaned in slightly, suddenly bringing his face close to Gu Yubai’s.

They were so close that Gu Yubai’s pupils trembled violently at the sudden proximity. Instinctively, he arched his neck back, avoiding the breath that nearly brushed his face.

"Yu... Yu Li..."

*Do you have any idea how presumptuous this is?!*

Gu Yubai screamed inwardly.

Yu Li gazed at him intently.

His eyes were lucid, penetrating yet gentle, like a babbling brook thawing in early spring. Though fragments of ice still floated on the surface, they couldn’t resist the warmth carried by the spring breeze. In that moment, green shoots pushed through the ashen soil, bringing a touch of novelty to the world.

Had he not been this close, Gu Yubai would never have noticed the flecks of green hidden within Yu Li’s dark, mysterious eyes.

Spacing out, Gu Yubai thought, *How beautiful.*

Even when Yu Li noticed his daze, the smile that gradually unfurled across his face resembled the unfolding of a flower.

He said, "Little landlord, I might forget anyone else, but never you."

*Little landlord...* All other sounds faded from Gu Yubai’s ears, leaving only those two words echoing.

Seeing Gu Yubai so startled he nearly forgot to breathe, his eyes wide and round in an adorable expression, Yu Li couldn’t help but laugh.

He straightened up and took a step back, waving a hand in front of Gu Yubai’s face.

"Did I really scare you dumb? Hey, little landlord, say something. Are you really that shocked to see me here? Even if the entire show at the Su family’s banquet tonight was your doing, I wouldn’t snitch to them. What’s there to fear?"

His fair, slender fingers still swayed before Gu Yubai’s eyes. Gu Yubai suddenly grabbed Yu Li’s hand and instinctively tucked it against his chest.

Clenching his teeth, he said, "I’m not dumb!"

He paused, then added quickly, "And I’m not scared!"

"Also, the Su family’s drama wasn’t my doing! I just came here to work as a waiter."

Gu Yubai: "Your eyes are too sharp, aren't they? How did you recognize me with the mask on?"

Yu Li laughed, his handsome face dazzling under the glittering lights.

"Of course. If I hadn’t recognized you, why would I come looking for you?"

Yu Li’s hand twitched slightly, and Gu Yubai suddenly realized he was still holding it. He hastily let go.

The topic shifted naturally, and Yu Li seemed to accept Gu Yubai’s excuse of merely working there.

Standing shoulder to shoulder, they both looked down at the scene below.

-------

Having calmed Su Shengli down, Su Wanlin approached the middle-aged woman kneeling on the floor. He reached out to help her up, but Zhou Jiarou gave him a tearful glance and instinctively shrank back.

"What do you want? I just want my child back. The Su family is powerful and influential—surely you won’t refuse to return Su Shengli to me?"

She acted like a desperate mother cat whose kitten had been stolen, hysterically hissing at strangers to bluster and appear tough.

Su Wanlin couldn’t help but scowl deeply. Before he could speak, Zhou Jiarou suddenly cried out urgently.

"I really am Shengli’s birth mother! I have photos of me sharing the same hospital room with your esteemed wife back then. I also have documentation from the hospital proving that only the two of us gave birth that day. The child I took home wasn’t mine—your Su Shengli must be my real son!"

"I know your family is wealthy. Back then, if not for an accident, Mrs. Su wouldn’t have shared a room with me. But since the mistake occurred, we all have to accept it! You know where your child is, and now I’ve found mine. I have every right to come for him!"

"If I hadn’t seen Gu Yihong’s photo online and recognized him as the brat I left at the orphanage, I wouldn’t have known my real son was with your family! I’ve searched for him for nearly twenty years, almost divorcing my husband over it. You can’t stop me from claiming my child!"

Zhou Jiarou immediately produced a photo from her pocket, about to show it to the crowd, but Su Wanlin snatched it away.

"I have more!"

"If the Su family won’t let me recognize my son, I’ll take this evidence to court!"

Her tone was unyielding as she produced several more photos and handed them to those nearby.

Su Wanlin’s expression darkened instantly. Zhou Jiarou’s presence here was clearly ill-intentioned, but he hadn’t expected her to be so thoroughly prepared.

Closing his eyes, his thoughts grew clearer.

Ignoring the surrounding whispers, he lowered his head to examine the photos closely.

One showed two women—the focus of the shot was Zhou Jiarou, sitting by a hospital bed holding her newborn, while behind her, Song Manman slept while cradling her child.

Zhou Jiarou in the photo looked shocked, her eyes wide as she pointed at the baby beside her bed in disbelief.

The photo had clearly been taken when Zhou Jiarou was caught completely off guard, leaving her no time to conceal her look of shock.

This timing...

Su Wanlin’s gaze flickered, a shadow of gloom flashed briefly across his gaze.

Song Manman finally calmed down. She moved out from behind Su Wanlin, snatched the photos from Zhou Jiarou's hands, and turned pale upon seeing them.

"I... At that time, I was out shopping and accidentally got separated from my bodyguards. Then I suddenly went into labor almost two weeks premature and was taken to the nearest hospital by a Good Samaritan..."

Song Manman instinctively balled her fists, glancing back at Su Wanlin with panic in her eyes.

Su Wanlin stepped forward. Previously, the two of them had stubbornly denied that the woman before them was Su Shengli's biological mother. But after seeing the photos, Su Wanlin suddenly went quiet.

This silence was unusual, and everyone around noticed—Su Wanlin seemed to finally recognize the woman's identity.

*She really was Su Shengli's biological mother!*

Su Shengli realized it too, his face suddenly turning pale.

"Dad, how could she possibly be my—"

Before he could finish, Su Wanlin cut in sharply.

"She is your biological mother. We refused to acknowledge it earlier because she didn’t go through the proper procedures with the Su family and instead appeared directly at the banquet. Your mother and I both thought she was sent by someone to cause trouble. But now, with concrete proof, even if we don’t want you to leave with your biological mother, we can’t stop you from reuniting."

"Shengli, we’ll discuss this later. For now, escort Ms. Zhou to the lounge. We’ll come find you afterward."

Su Wanlin gave Su Shengli a warning glance and had Assistant Jin escort both Zhou Jiarou and Su Shengli away, freeing up his hands to attend to the remaining guests.

Song Manman understood Su Wanlin’s intention. She glanced at him, her heart breaking as she watched Su Shengli and the woman being led away by the assistant. Gritting her teeth, she chased after them.

Su Shengli would rather believe he was a mistaken child with unknown parentage than accept that his biological mother was this coarse, poor woman.

He was certain there had to be some mistake. This was supposed to be just a formality—a Recognition Banquet—so how could this woman suddenly appear out of the blue?

Remembering the mocking and scornful gazes from the people around him, Su Shengli felt completely humiliated.

When Song Manman caught up with him, he couldn’t hold back his tears.

"Mom, I don’t want to go with her. I’m your son, and yours alone. You're the only parents I recognize."

Song Manman gently stroked Su Shengli’s hair, her eyes filled with tenderness.

"Don’t worry, you won’t leave the Su family. You’ll always be my most beloved son."

As for Zhou Jiarou—it was merely a matter of convenience.

Both she and Su Wanlin knew Zhou Jiarou wasn’t Su Shengli’s real mother. Keeping her around and letting Su Shengli acknowledge her was solely for the sake of Su Group’s interests.

-------

The Su family’s intention to bid farewell to their guests was clear, and soon, the onlookers had no more spectacle to watch.

Reluctantly, they turned away, avoiding Su Wanlin’s angry glare, and regained their proper decorum, politely saying their goodbyes to the Su family.

"Mr. Su, it’s getting late—we’ll be heading out now. Su Linyuan has already arranged our cars at the entrance, so we’ll take our leave. If you ever need assistance, feel free to contact us. We’d be more than willing to help."

Translation: *Make sure to notify us when there’s more drama.*

Su Wanlin, usually so composed, nearly lost his temper on the spot.

Su Linyuan, who had just returned from the underground garage, looked displeased.

Tonight’s banquet had turned into a public spectacle for outsiders to mock—a complete failure.

The only silver lining was that the Su family patriarch was currently recuperating on a foreign island retreat, where the reception was patchy due to time differences. He likely hadn’t heard about this yet—otherwise, he would’ve called immediately to berate them.

As soon as the guests left, Song Manman came over, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Even if it’s for the sake of Su Group, was it really necessary to make Shengli acknowledge that woman as his mother? You know very well that Shengli’s real mother is Xiaowei..."

Before she could finish, Su Wanlin looked around and turned back with a stern expression, though his tone carried unmistakable indulgence.

"We’ll talk about this at home. Do you really want everyone to know that Shengli and Gu Yihong weren’t actually switched at birth? Or do you want the old man to investigate what really happened when you gave birth?"

At these words, Song Manman shuddered, a hint of panic finally surfacing in her eyes.

"N-no, of course not. I just feel sorry for Shengli. That woman who showed up today is clearly a problem. I just think it’s unfair for Shengli to have to accept her as his mother."

Su Wanlin drew the flustered Song Manman into his arms, comfortingly rubbing her back with patience.

"Don’t worry. He’s our child—I won’t let him leave the Su family. Didn’t Shengli want a luxury car last month? Buy it for him as compensation."

"He’s the child we raised with our own hands. Do you think I don’t care about him?"

The two stayed by the entrance, talking for a while longer before finally leaving.

Before their silhouettes had even faded, a shadow emerged from around the corner.

Su Linyuan had received a call from the company shortly after the banquet began and had to leave for an urgent work matter.

After painstakingly managing to lower the online buzz about Gu Yihong’s livestream severing ties with the Su family, he soon heard rumors about the Su family hiring actors to play the True Young Master at the banquet—and the false young master’s biological mother showing up to claim him.

Su Linyuan: "...Just spend the money to suppress those trending topics! Until the Su family releases an official statement, everything is just rumors. Also, arrange for some media outlets to come to Su Group for interviews tomorrow."

It wasn’t even tomorrow yet, but Su Linyuan already had a feeling the next day would be exceptionally hectic.

As he returned to the vicinity of the hotel where the Su family had hosted the banquet, his car hadn’t even entered when he spotted a vaguely familiar young man bending down to get into another vehicle.

As the two cars passed each other, Su Linyuan caught a fleeting glimpse of the driver’s strikingly handsome face.

Su Linyuan froze for a moment before turning to his assistant in disbelief.

"Did the Yu family’s CEO attend tonight?"

Assistant Jin shook his head. "No, Assistant Jin from the Yu family came as the company’s representative. The CEO didn’t show up in person."

Su Linyuan: "..."

Then who did I just see?!