Chapter 188 Day 20 of Transmigrating into a True and False Young Master Novel

Chapter 188: Day 20 of Being Thrown into a Fake Heir Story

It had been over half a year since the original owner last visited the graves, and the weeds had grown exceptionally lush.

The three of them worked with their heads down for nearly half an hour before finally managing to clear the two grave mounds and their surroundings into something presentable.

They lit incense and burned spirit money.

The leaping flames cast flickering light and shadow across his delicate profile.

When the ceremony ended, An Yi looked at Song Xinghai’s finger that was still bleeding, along with the various scrapes and grime covering his body, and was silent for a moment.

“...Let's go,” he finally said, his tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of weariness. “To the town health clinic, to get a tetanus shot.”

He was really... mentally exhausted.

Yan Hui, seeing the faint fatigue between An Yi’s brows, his heart ached for him.

He hadn’t expected that An Yi had previously lived such a life, one that required working the fields and traveling over mountains and rivers.

Looking at An Yi’s calm profile, he couldn’t help but imagine many scenes from An Yi’s past hard life, his eyes full of pity and a determination that seemed to say, “I will never let you suffer like this again.”

An Yi noticed Yan Hui’s overly intense and concerned gaze, turned his head, and met a gaze that seemed to view him as some poor little thing. He was speechless.

In his view, the self-sufficient life of working the land and honoring ancestors was completely normal.

Even though the original owner had been brought back to the Song family, his memories had never thought badly of that time in the countryside; it was a life experience rooted in the land, entirely different from the bustling city.

They retrieved their luggage, made no extra stop at the dilapidated old house, and that afternoon, after the injection, An Yi led the other two on the return journey.

After a long and tiring journey, they arrived back in the prosperous city by the afternoon of the third day.

Back at the Song family villa, Song Xinghai—whether out of fear, shame, or some other mentality—dared not give a detailed account of the village trip to the Song parents who came to greet them, nor did he mention his own injuries.

He put on a brave face, carefully hiding his bandaged finger, and merely said vaguely that everything was fine and the memorial had gone smoothly.

Lin Wan felt that Song Xinghai’s complexion seemed paler than before and his spirits were low, but since he didn’t want to talk, she assumed it was just travel fatigue and didn’t press further.

The next day, An Yi reported for work on time at the headquarters of the Song Group.

True to his word, Song Chengye had arranged for An Yi to serve as Deputy General Manager of the Project Department.

And, as he had privately planned, he assigned an assistant named Kong Chang to An Yi.

Kong Chang, around thirty-five to thirty-six years old, wore gold-rimmed glasses and appeared shrewd and capable. He was one of Song Chengye’s confidants, clearly sent to assist and, in effect, supervise An Yi.

Under the guidance of HR, An Yi walked around the Project Department, briefly meeting Kong Chang and a few key members.

“Welcome, Deputy Manager An!”

“We’ve long heard that Deputy Manager An is young and accomplished—the reputation is well-deserved!”

“Please give us your guidance in the future, Deputy Manager An!”

Superficially, everyone wore beaming smiles, respectful and cordial, spouting courteous pleasantries.

But An Yi could clearly sense the hidden gazes beneath those smiles—curious, scrutinizing, dismissive, even faintly contemptuous.

They were probably all wondering in their hearts just how capable this parachuted “crown prince” really was, how long he could hold his position, and whether he was just a dandy here to gild his resume or cause trouble.

An Yi still wore that gentle, appropriate smile, responding calmly to every greeting, his gaze sweeping over each face, taking in every subtle emotion.

He didn’t care.

There was plenty of time.

He had all the time and patience to gradually change their views.

Or rather, he didn’t need their opinions; he only needed to achieve his own goals.

After the brief meet-and-greet, An Yi followed Kong Chang into his spacious, bright office—the Deputy General Manager’s office.

Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows stretched the bustling city skyline.

Time ticked by.

Before they knew it, nearly a year had passed since An Yi joined the Song Group.

Over that year, Song Chengye’s initial worries and defenses had gradually been replaced by a complex mix of shock and satisfaction.

The troubles he had anticipated An Yi might cause due to inexperience or youthful impulsiveness never materialized.

On the contrary, An Yi demonstrated remarkable ability in the position of Deputy General Manager of the Project Department.

He was steady and seasoned beyond his years.

He possessed an insight and big-picture perspective, as if he had been strategizing at a higher level for years.

Through Kong Chang’s reports and his own covert observations, the more he saw, the more shaken he became.

He was a hundred percent certain that Song Xinghai—whom he had originally carefully groomed and planned to place in this position—absolutely lacked such capability and decisiveness.

Looking at what was nearly a perfect quarterly project report handed in by An Yi, Song Chengye sat silently in his spacious office chair for a long time, finally letting out a deep sigh filled with endless emotion.

He felt both immense pride and satisfaction in his own son—a proud sense of “like father, like son”—while simultaneously being overwhelmed by a deeper helplessness: it seemed that Xinghai truly had no chance and no ability to enter the core of the Song Group anymore.

That boy was gentle and kind, but in the ruthless competition of business, that alone was far from sufficient.

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Early summer arrived, bright with sunshine and verdant grass.

The university campus was filled with youthful energy and a bittersweet farewell vibe.

Today was An Yi’s graduation ceremony.

Song Chengye and Lin Wan attended in formal attire, sitting in the parents’ section, their faces beaming with pride.

Fortunately, Song Xinghai’s graduation ceremony was the next day, so there was no awkward overlap.

However, the audience also contained two other tall, striking men—Yan Hui and Gu Xinou.

Yan Hui wore a well-tailored business-casual suit, accentuating his broad shoulders and long legs. The usual roguish smile on his face seemed to have softened under the sunlight, leaving only focus.

Nearly half a year ago, when he accidentally learned that An Yi and Gu Xinou’s engagement had been formally dissolved, he almost threw a party on the spot. Now, watching the figure about to appear on stage, his lips still couldn’t help curving upward.

Just... perfect.

Gu Xinou, on the other hand, was dressed in an expensive custom suit, exuding a full elite vibe, but his expression darkened when he saw Yan Hui’s self-satisfied demeanor.

He stared intently at the podium, his heart a tangled mess of regret and resentment.

He wished he could turn back time, return to the moment he first met An Yi—he definitely wouldn’t have put on that arrogant, cold attitude but would have made a move on him immediately, holding that cool, captivating person tightly in his arms and claiming ownership.

Song Xinghai had actually wanted to come, too. He hesitated for a long time, but in the end, he chickened out.

He was afraid that his presence would upset An Yi and ruin what was supposed to be a perfect day.

The truth was, An Yi didn’t care at all whether he came or not.