Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Memories of the past flashed rapidly through Su Linyuan's mind.

A trace of incredulity flickered in his eyes, his face filled with disbelief.

"She's insane!"

To personally replace her own child with her husband's illegitimate son, then raise and dote on him as her own—Su Linyuan didn’t know whether he was the fool or if Song Manman was both foolish and vicious.

Even in ancient times, when children of concubines were legally recognized, no proper wife would ever show such care and affection toward them.

Not suppressing them was already considered kindness, let alone treating them as her own. In modern times, illegitimate children were even less welcome than those ancient "shuzi."

For the first time, Su Linyuan realized that his own birth mother had been favoring an outsider all along.

An illegitimate son... That was far less reassuring than the titles of "false young master" or "adopted son."

A cold glint flashed in Su Linyuan's eyes.

He carefully recalled the past scenes of familial warmth—his father's benevolence, mother's devotion, and elder brother's paternal care. But now, looking back at Song Manman, still raging in Su Wanlin's office, he felt a growing rift in his heart.

He turned and left.

Completely forgetting that he had come here to defend Su Shengli against injustice, who was being harassed by his vicious birth mother in the video.

Before even reaching his own office, Su Linyuan had already made a call.

"Investigate where the two sums of money I transferred to Su Shengli recently were spent. Also, from now on, if any account related to Su Shengli makes a large transaction exceeding 100,000, notify me immediately."

Su Linyuan lowered his gaze, sitting on the sofa, his pale fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk.

Then he called in his assistant and said in a low voice.

"Handle two matters for me. Keep it confidential."

After hearing Su Linyuan's instructions, the assistant's eyes widened in shock. He looked dazed, and it took him a long moment to fully grasp the deeper meaning behind Su Linyuan's words.

The assistant managed to choke out a single word.

"Understood."

He turned to leave but staggered slightly. Thankfully, he didn’t fall.

Under Su Linyuan's icy gaze, the assistant suddenly turned back and asked one more question.

"Once the results are in... should I inform President Su?"

Su Linyuan lowered his eyes. "...Let me see the results first."

The assistant's question reminded him.

Su Wanlin knew Su Shengli was his illegitimate son—so why had he never shown any intention of grooming or valuing him?

Su Wanlin's attitude toward Su Shengli was clear.

Even if he doted on him, it was only as a mere accessory—never with true importance, occasionally affectionate, but always an act.

In fact, Su Wanlin had dropped hints several times before, advising him not to place too much importance on Su Shengli.

He hadn’t understood at the time, but now, suddenly aware that Su Shengli might be an illegitimate son, he finally grasped the meaning behind Su Wanlin's repeated veiled warnings.

Those hints were reminders—acts of care.

This was Su Wanlin's true concern for the future heir of the Su family. In Su Wanlin's heart, Su Linyuan and Su Shengli were not the same.

Su Linyuan exhaled slightly in relief.

"It seems she’s the only deluded one in this family."

----

Butler Zhang met Su Linyuan's personal assistant at the door.

The assistant smiled. "Young Master Su sent me to retrieve a document from the study. Also, Young Master Shengli rushed off to boarding school and forgot many things. Young Master Su asked me to gather them and deliver them to him."

Butler Zhang didn’t suspect a thing.

Since arriving at the Su household, apart from the initial mistake of bringing home the wrong True Young Master for the family recognition, he had managed everything else impeccably.

Later, the True Young Master never stayed in the Su residence even for a day.

Su Shengli remained the pampered youngest son of the Su family—only his title had changed from "false young master" to "adopted son," yet he was doted on even more.

Not only did Su Wanlin calmly accept that Su Shengli wasn’t his biological child, but he also made special arrangements for Su Shengli's future—donating two buildings to his school and even establishing a boutique entertainment firm just for him.

The only exception in the family was the cold and stubborn Old Master Su, who forced Su Shengli to renounce any inheritance rights under his will and barred him from interfering with Su Group shares, reluctantly granting him only a small annual stock dividend.

The household staff all voiced their sympathy for Su Shengli over his treatment by Old Master Su.

But Butler Zhang observed with cold detachment—something felt off.

Su Wanlin's reaction was far too calm.

Su Shengli becoming an adopted son hadn’t changed the family’s attitude toward him at all, yet that in itself was the biggest red flag.

If Su Wanlin truly cared about Su Shengli, how could he, Old Master Su’s only son, allow his father to pressure Su Shengli into giving up inheritance and shares?

Was it disdain... or had he never loved Su Shengli to begin with?

In the entire household, only the mistress, Song Manman, treated Su Shengli the same as before—if not even more dotingly.

But she wasn’t normal either. Between her two sons, even though Su Linyuan was the prized heir, in Song Manman’s eyes, he still couldn’t compare to the adopted son who knew how to play the sweet, pitiful innocent.

Butler Zhang lowered his gaze, pretending to turn a blind eye, refusing to get involved in the Su family’s dirty laundry.

He even quietly replaced a few servants who showed favoritism.

Staff should know their place.

As a mere servant, why get sentimental about their masters? No matter how pitiful they seemed, they still owned multiple properties and luxury cars, with savings and dividends beyond counting.

Even the True Young Master couldn’t compare to this adopted son.

When you thought about it—who was really the pitiful one here?

Now, the Su household had gained another master.

Old Master Su, accompanied by his elderly butler of around the same age, had moved in directly. Butler Zhang became even more circumspect in his actions.

He had just escorted Su Wanlin’s assistant upstairs when he turned to see the elderly butler wheeling Old Master Su around the first floor, taking a stroll.

Old Master Su sipped his tea casually and asked, "Who just came by?"

Butler Zhang replied, "It was Young Master Linyuan's personal assistant, sent to retrieve some documents."

As they spoke, the group noticed the assistant turning a corner upstairs, heading toward Su Shengli's room.

Old Master Su frowned slightly. "Then why is he going to Su Shengli's room?"

Butler Zhang explained, "He mentioned helping Young Master Shengli pack some clothes."

While they were talking, Su Linyuan's assistant came downstairs. He instinctively hid his black briefcase behind his back, his expression calm but his eyes shifty-eyed—clearly guilty.

Butler Zhang frowned and was about to speak when Old Master Su stopped him, leaving him no choice but to watch helplessly as the assistant left the Su residence.

Old Master Su narrowed his eyes, his aged, wrinkled fingers tapping on his knee for a long moment before he looked up again, a knowing smile on his face.

Turning to his old butler, Old Master Su said, "Go check what's missing from Su Shengli's room."

This was not the behavior of someone simply packing clothes.

A small black briefcase like that couldn't hold much clothing. It was more likely that Su Linyuan had sent him to retrieve something specific.

But what about Su Shengli would require Su Linyuan to act so cautiously?

This was hardly the attitude of someone who had once doted on his poor adopted brother.

Old Master Su raised an eyebrow.

Su Linyuan—what had he discovered?

Before long, the old butler returned downstairs with a strange expression.

After a glance at Butler Zhang and a nod from Old Master Su, he said directly, "Young Master Shengli's room is missing a toothbrush. Also, his pillow seems to have been replaced."

The meaning was obvious.

Butler Zhang's eyes widened, a chill ran down his spine.

Old Master Su frowned slightly. "Isn't it a bit late to start doubting Su Shengli's lineage now? I already discovered years ago that his blood type didn't match the family's. If not for that, we wouldn't have found... my real grandson."

The old butler chuckled, lowering his gaze. "Perhaps something unexpected happened along the way."

After all, Old Master Su had only caught the blood type mismatch—he hadn't conducted a full genetic test. It was possible Su Linyuan had suddenly grown curious about Su Shengli's true origins.

The old butler joked, "Do you remember that biology professor we met during our overseas retreat years ago? He mentioned that male-male and female-female reproduction technology had already been perfected decades ago."

He added, "Who knows... Young Master Shengli's origins might just surprise us all."

Butler Zhang was utterly dumbfounded, never expecting the old butler to have such wild imagination.

The Su family had legitimate heirs born from natural conception. Su Wanlin was clearly heterosexual—how could male-male reproduction even be a factor?

If Su Shengli were Su Wanlin's illegitimate child with another woman, why would his blood type not match the Su family's? However he looked at it, Su Shengli couldn't possibly be a secret love child.

Butler Zhang nearly laughed at his own speculation—until a sudden thought struck him.

But... if Su Shengli wasn't an illegitimate child, how had his annual medical exams for nearly twenty years passed without issue? Unless someone in the family knew his true origins and had falsified his blood type records?

Who could it be—Su Wanlin? Or Song Manman?

Butler Zhang gasped.

Old Master Su's expression darkened as well.

He had clearly come to the same realization.

"Su Shengli is definitely not of Su blood, but whose child he really is... that requires proper investigation."

After a moment of thought, Old Master Su said coldly, "Old friend, since Linyuan is already looking into Su Shengli's genes, have someone... carefully compare them with Song Manman's... and Wanlin's!"

"I want to know exactly who he is—this 'son' who wasn't carried to term!"

Old Master Su gritted his teeth.

---

Oblivious to the brewing storm he had stirred in the Su family, Su Shengli was currently embroiled in his own problems.

It all began with Zhou Jiarou.

Su Shengli had originally planned to borrow a million from Su Linyuan to handle Liao Anyang and Zhou Jiarou. But when he called, his normally supportive elder brother seemed reluctant.

"If you'd called a day earlier, I could have helped. But just now, I lent all my available funds to a friend for an investment. I only have thirty thousand left—do you want that?"

How casually he mentioned thirty thousand nearly made Su Shengli choke.

His brother's ready cash was even worse than his own!

With no other options, Su Shengli had to figure it out himself.

He arranged to sell one of his less prominent properties.

His pretext was ready-made: Zhou Jiarou's relentless harassment had forced him to buy silence to protect the Su family's reputation.

Curiously, aside from Song Manman asking a single question, no one else in the family inquired further.

Su Shengli felt a strange pang of disappointment.

Previously, when paying off Liao Anyang's gambling debts, he had borrowed from Su Linyuan but never dared to transfer the money directly—instead personally withdrawing cash to deliver to Liao Anyang in secret.

But now, with Old Master Su watching closely and unsure of Liao Anyang's whereabouts, he had to transfer the money through two digital middlemen before it finally reached Liao Anyang.

The 500,000 in extortion money from Zhou Jiarou was handed over much more smoothly.

But precisely because it came so easily, Zhou Jiarou became emboldened, appearing at Mingcheng Film Academy's entrance every few days, putting on an exaggerated show of maternal affection. Her theatrical visits drew increasing media attention.

Su Shengli burned with anger inside but couldn't openly oppose her.

He had no choice but to comply with her demands each time. But after several encounters, he finally devised a way to fight back.

After repeatedly complaining to Liao Anyang about Zhou Jiarou's harassment, his uncle finally gave in—giving Su Shengli the contacts for some hired thugs.

Su Shengli was elated.

Now, he only needed to wait for the online chatter about Zhou Jiarou to subside before making sure she learned her lesson!

Unfortunately, before he could execute his scheme...

Su Shengli was dragged back to the Su residence by Old Master Su.

Old Master Su flung a stack of documents in front of Su Shengli and, under Song Manman's stiff and horrified expression, shot a cold, stern look at the silent and trembling Su Wanlin and Su Linyuan.

His eyes carried a dangerous glint: "Whose child Su Shengli really is—the answer is finally out. Well, shall we each report our findings?"

Su Shengli's mind reeled.

He stared in disbelief at the circle of Su family members around him, his face filled with shock.

What the hell? Why were they suddenly talking about his parentage!

Why hadn’t anyone informed him about this!

Su Shengli was blindsided.