Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Some busybody screenshotted Old Master Su’s WeChat Moments post and uploaded it online.
The juicy gossip about the Su family—how their daughter-in-law had her baby swapped at the hospital eighteen years ago, leading to the true young master being lost—quickly went viral.
Before long, the entire life story of the fake young master, Su Shengli, was laid bare.
Su Shengli’s social media accounts were exposed, packed with photos of him skiing, bungee jumping, traveling, attending auctions, and celebrity concerts during his vacations.
In the pictures, he smiled brightly, happily posing for the camera with friends.
Occasionally, he also shared candid photos of private gatherings with friends.
There were even everyday shots from home, with luxury shoes, collectible figurines, and even property titles visible in the background.
One caption read: *My first starter apartment, a gift for my seventeenth birthday.*
Though he called it a "small flat," web sleuths searched the address and found it was a 200-square-meter luxury apartment in the most upscale neighborhood in Mingcheng, with private elevator access.
Su Shengli also posted about life's little pleasures, sharing heartwarming moments.
For example, his golden retriever running toward him on the court with a ¥1,000+ birdie in its mouth.
Or two days ago, when he posted about his eldest brother going out of his way after work to buy him the most popular viral bakery item from the hottest bakery downtown.
The caption read: *Sweet bread to soothe a sad heart.*
Looking at the timestamp, netizens realized this happened *after* Old Master Su’s bombshell post.
Clearly, the revelation of the switched babies hadn’t affected the fake young master at all—the Su family still seemed to spoil him rotten.
In stark contrast, there was not a peep about the true young master.
Old Master Su’s post was vague, never mentioning any details about the true young master. Apart from the Su family, no one knew who he was.
Reading between the lines of Old Master Su’s explosive post, netizens didn’t think this was about protecting the true young master’s privacy—they suspected something fishy was going on.
One gossip blog even titled their article:
*Unbelievable! Even the elite have switched-at-birth scandals! Who is this pampered fake heir raised in luxury? Why did the former Su family head lash out, throwing shade at his own adopted grandson?*
Though the title was long and sensational, it went viral instantly.
Most of the post analyzed the value of Su Shengli’s outfits in each photo, while others geeked out over the rarity of the luxury items in his posts and the blue-blood credentials of his friends.
Every time people refreshed the thread, they felt like they’d learned something new.
After all the analysis, the takeaway was clear: *Old money stays winning.*
Su Shengli’s spending in just half a year could buy an ordinary person a nice 100-square-meter condo!
And this was just what he *chose* to share as a minor—what he *didn’t* show was off the charts.
The public’s curiosity about the elite exploded, and many people’s minds were blown.
Soon, Su Shengli’s account went dark—clearly, the Su family had stepped in to protect him.
But every post had already been screenshotted, and the tea got even spicier.
----
"Damn, this fake young master has it made! If I were him, I wouldn’t want the true young master back either! The Su family coddles him!"
"I aced the Gaokao with 139 in Chinese. Contextually, Old Master Su was furious that people mistook his long-lost grandson for a bastard! That’s why he posted that. But why specifically call out the fake young master for being spoiled? Sounds shady."
"I didn’t go to college, but as a middle-school grad who kissed ass to become a company VP, I can tell—that fake young master definitely did something shady. Why else would a seasoned businessman air dirty laundry? He might as well have called the kid a schemer who bullied the true young master!"
"LMAO ‘OG tycoon’—good analysis, but maybe don’t. The fake young master’s just turned eighteen. How is he some mastermind? I think Old Master Su was just keeping it 100. Wasn’t the fake young master spoiled while the true one suffered? The old man just feels more for the grandson who was swapped and never knew comfort."
"Real talk—what do you do for a living?"
"Me? Graduated from Beida/Tsinghua, passed the civil service exam, now stuck playing water bottle cop because my boss hates me."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"No words. Next."
"Take your low emotional IQ elsewhere! Go guard your water coolers! Next time you’ll be demoted to janitor!"
"+1"
"+2"
"+10086"
"Enough derailing. Is no one discussing how the Su family plays favorites with the fake heir, leaving the true one suffering, with only Old Master Su speaking up for him?"
....
"What’s there to discuss? It’s obvious—the family gave all their love to the imposter they raised and resents the true young master for disrupting their harmony. After so many years, the true young master will always be an outsider!"
"Wow, biased much? Why no sympathy for the fake young master? After nearly 20 years as the beloved heir, suddenly he’s ‘fake’—of course he’s upset! It’s natural for the family to favor the kid they raised over some long-lost kid they owe!"
"…Are you even listening to yourself?"
"Thread locked."
The drama kept unfolding—as one thread closed, another opened.
To netizens, this was just popcorn material. But to some, it was a signal.
To the elite who interacted with the Su family, Old Master Su’s post was a shot across the bow.
His repeated emphasis might as well have named names and asked: *What kind of bastard dares scheme against my true grandson?*
If Su Shengli hadn’t done anything, no one would believe it!
In the days that followed, half of Su Shengli’s friends and classmates quietly ghosted him overnight.
The rest either probed subtly about his standing in the Su family—to decide how to treat him—or "kindly" suggested he *look in the mirror* and ask why an imposter still dared stay.
At the Su residence, Su Shengli had barely left his room since Old Master Su’s post—despite having just returned from a trip.
-----
The two maids in the kitchen whispered to each other.
"That day I was on duty, and I saw it clearly—it was that true young master who had a bad temper. He started cursing and making threats right away. Yet people online are all blaming our Young Master Shengli. It's completely unfair."
"Exactly! Our Young Master Shengli is so pitiful. It’s not like he chose to be swapped as a baby. Back then, he was just an innocent infant. He’s done nothing wrong, and even Chairman Su is willing to keep raising him. How can that true young master just show up and try to kick him out? That’s just too domineering!"
Butler Zhang coughed twice at the doorway, and the two maids immediately fell silent.
Butler Zhang pointed at the abalone soup on the stove. "You, take this soup to Young Master Shengli’s room. And tell him that Chairman Su is coming back, so he must come downstairs for the family banquet tonight."
The maid’s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.
"I’ll go tell Young Master Shengli the good news about Chairman Su’s return right away!"
-----
Gu Yihong had been thoroughly enjoying the drama these past few days, his smug grin not even fading in his sleep.
He hadn’t expected the Su family patriarch—who had died early in his previous life—to have such a short fuse.
Gu Yihong was self-aware enough not to assume the old man was doing this for him, a grandson whose name he barely knew. It was more reasonable to guess that Su Shengli had already offended the patriarch, who was now using this chance to make things difficult for him.
Thinking of Su Shengli’s phony sweet act, Gu Yihong couldn’t help but wonder what he had done to earn the old man’s lasting grudge.
Gu Yubai, however, knew the inside story—but he certainly wasn’t going to discuss it with Gu Yihong. Instead, he pretended to just realize, as if just connecting the dots that the "true young master" in the post referred to Gu Yihong.
He frowned deeply, his face filled with worry.
Gu Yihong looked up, about to speak, but seeing his brother’s expression, his heart warmed, and his voice softened.
"Big Brother, can I ask you for a favor?"
Gu Yubai nodded immediately. "As long as it’s nothing wrong."
Gu Yihong couldn’t help but smile faintly, a rare show of shyness and awkwardness crossing his face. He cleared his throat.
"Well, you know how direct and no-nonsense I am. But the Su family is out to get me, and everyone in that house seems to have it out for me. I’m worried that if they can’t get to me, they’ll target you instead."
"Big Brother, I have my own plans for dealing with the Su family, and I don’t want you involved. So when I first returned to the Su household, I told them you were already abroad. As for who’s living with me now... well, I said you were a close friend temporarily renting a room here."
His guilt was practically oozing from his expression.
Gu Yubai’s eyes flickered, but the next second, he nodded without hesitation.
"Alright. If anyone asks, I’ll say I’m just a tenant renting from you."
Gu Yihong hadn’t expected such easy agreement. He looked up in shock.
"Big Brother, you’re just... okay with this? No questions?"
It was obvious Gu Yihong was filling in the backstory for his "true young master" alias.
Gu Yubai gave a knowing smile at him.
"Of course I’m okay with it. After all, you’re doing this for my safety."
"As for your business with the Su family..."
Gu Yubai’s gaze darkened slightly, his smile widening.
"If you don’t want me interfering, I won’t get involved."
In his past life, there had been no scene of the Su patriarch taking the opportunity to make indirect digs.
This was likely a butterfly effect caused by Gu Yihong’s rebirth and his stepping into Gu Yubai’s role in returning to the family.
The two brothers had different personalities, and even facing the same people and situations, the outcomes differed.
In his previous life, dragging Gu Yubai’s name through the mud had been Su Shengli’s favorite tactic.
The Su family had known he was innocent but never defended him publicly, even forcing Gu Yubai to bottle up his feelings and never breathe a word of it outside.
Now, it was finally Su Shengli’s turn—the one who had always been favored—to taste the bitterness of being slandered with no way to refute it.
Gu Yubai now thought Gu Yihong taking his place in returning to the family was the best thing ever!
Remembering the past, Gu Yubai gave Gu Yihong a warning.
"Right now, everyone thinks that false young master is a sneaky schemer, and he’s still well-liked by the Su family. Be careful he doesn’t try to frame you."
Not two days after this warning, Su Shengli—who had been the target of online malice—indeed set his sights on Gu Yihong.
A high-definition, silent security footage went viral online.
In the footage, a rebellious-looking youth stood on the second floor, deliberately smashing a vase downward.
The video clearly showed the vase falling midair before shattering on the floor, while an elegantly dressed lady nearby went white as a sheet in terror.