The Real Young Master is Entangled by the Paranoid Fake Young Master - Chapter 20

A week passed in a flash. During this time, Zhao Qing shut out all distractions, focusing entirely on his studies while quietly waiting for his scheduled meeting with Fang Yang.

On the night the banquet ended, after Zhao Qing retrieved a tearful and reluctant Song Lili from Zhen Xue’s house, he immediately went to find Song Shicheng to discuss the matter of Tao Jiang. However, Song Shicheng was intentionally avoiding him, and Zhao Qing spent a long time waiting in vain as no one would announce his presence.

In the past, Zhao Qing would have simply walked away in a huff, leaving them to their own devices. But this time, he couldn’t stand by. Tao Jiang was at the end of his rope and wouldn’t stop until he reached his goal. If the matter wasn’t handled properly, Zhao Qing and Song Lili would be living under a constant, hidden threat. He had no desire to relive the life-or-death struggles of his previous life.

Since he couldn’t see Song Shicheng, Zhao Qing sought out Song Zhiyuan the next morning. Unsurprisingly, Song Zhiyuan’s face looked as though he had swallowed a fly upon seeing him. Zhao Qing didn’t care; he bluntly asked if a man had recently been harassing the Song Corporation for compensation.

This was a matter Song Zhiyuan had handled poorly, and many in their social circle knew the dirty details. Hearing Zhao Qing expose his shortcomings to his face, he nearly lost his temper. However, Zhao Qing didn’t indulge him, informing him that he had seen someone resembling Tao Jiang “scouting” the Song residence during the banquet, likely with the help of an internal mole. He warned Song Zhiyuan to handle it  if not for others, then for the safety of his precious, “frail” brother, Song Yuening.

(Though during the banquet, the way Song Yuening had held Zhao Qing so shamelessly and firmly didn’t seem “frail” at all.)

In his past life, Zhao Qing suffered from nightmares for a long time after the kidnapping. He only had to close his eyes to see Tao Jiang’s bloodshot eyes and greasy, predatory hands. Although Tao Jiang was shot before he could actually do anything truly heinous to them, Zhao Qing still felt a lingering fear. Now, he could only hope Song Zhiyuan would act quickly.

Fortunately, Song Zhiyuan seemed to have taken some of the warning to heart, as the number of bodyguards at the Song residence more than doubled. Zhao Qing should have felt at ease, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was merely the silence before the storm.

A few knocks at the door broke his train of thought. Zhao Qing opened it to see Xiao Yue’s shy, smiling face.

Perhaps because Zhao Qing had helped cover for her after the banquet incident, the girl seemed to have developed a great deal of goodwill toward him. She flashed a brilliant smile every time she saw him and went out of her way to change his linens and bring him tea. Even though Zhao Qing told her repeatedly that she didn’t need to serve him like the others and to treat him as a friend, Xiao Yue remained dedicated to her tasks.

Lately, knowing the Old Madame never ate dinner with Zhao Qing, she would bring his meal directly to his room and even provide a cup of warm milk. Whenever Zhao Qing tried to decline, she would lower her head and explain that as a child, she could only watch classmates order milk while she swallowed her own spit in envy; to her, milk was the best “tonic” in the world. She wanted the “Young Master” to be healthy and live a long life.

Zhao Qing truly couldn’t find the heart to refuse such sincere kindness. Interestingly, the milk did seem to have an effect  every time he drank it, he slept more deeply and soundly. For instance, he slept right through a night of heavy rain and thunder a couple of days ago without hearing a thing. He thought to himself that, by some strange twist of fate, he had actually gained a true friend in the Song house.

The only downside to the week was that Song Yuening kept hovering around him.

Zhao Qing was genuinely annoyed by him, but he also found the guy’s behavior strange. After waking from the car accident, Song Yuening had avoided him, but now a “screw had come loose.” Every single evening, without fail, Song Yuening would harass him at his door.

It started with attempts to enter for a chat, but after finding Zhao Qing resistant and firm, he shifted to striking up idle conversations through the door. Song Yuening was elegant even in his knocking exactly three taps every time, with perfectly even intervals. He appeared very refined and polite.

Zhao Qing had tried ignoring the knocks, but Song Yuening possessed incredible patience. He would knock indefinitely in sets of three until Zhao Qing opened the door. Even when Zhao Qing would come out with a cold face just to shoo him away after two sentences, Song Yuening still showed up every night.

Zhao Qing didn’t understand why the usually arrogant Song Yuening was so intent on seeking snubs. He especially hated seeing Song Yuening’s glass-like eyes in the dim night light, as they reminded him too much of his adoptive mother, Pei Yan.裴妍 had been gone from the Chen family for a long time, and Zhao Qing had almost forgotten her face  except for those beautiful eyes that everyone used to praise. Seeing them reminded him of the “displaced life” he suffered because of her.

Logic told Zhao Qing he shouldn’t blame Song Yuening for everything. At this stage in this life, Song Yuening hadn’t actually done anything harmful to him. Regarding the switched identities, Song Yuening was also technically a victim. He knew he shouldn’t pin the sins of the “past-life Song Yuening” on the “current-life” one.

But knowing wasn’t the same as doing. Every time he saw those eyes, it felt like salt in a wound. He was willing to maintain a temporary peace, but he didn’t want to see the guy. Thus, they were stuck in a subtle game of “cat and mouse.”

Monday, Bedroom Door: Song Yuening: Zhao-zhao, I brought you some milk. Zhao Qing (Coldly): I didn’t ask you to. Where’s Xiao Yue? Song Yuening: It’s the same if I bring it. Drink it while it’s warm; cold milk is bad for the stomach. Zhao Qing: Don’t bother!

Tuesday, First Floor Piano Room: Song Yuening: Zhao-zhao, do you want to learn piano? I can teach you. Zhao Qing (Glancing at the Steinway and recalling bad memories): No need. Someone “unsophisticated” like me isn’t fit for the piano. I’d hate for people to laugh at me for “imitating the beautiful” [Dong Shi xiao pin].

Wednesday: Song Yuening: Zhao-zhao, I heard you like flowers. What kind do you like? Begonias? Lilies of the valley? Jasmine? The garden is just trees and grass; it’s a bit boring. How about we build a conservatory to grow flowers? Zhao Qing (Frowning): Who told you I like flowers?

Zhao Qing wondered about this privately. It was strange; although he did like flowers, he had never mentioned it to the Song family in this life. Where did Song Yuening hear it? Had he mentioned it to Lin Qi before his rebirth?

Such dialogues were countless. Whether met with coldness or harsh words, Song Yuening seemed to have “stuck” himself to Zhao Qing, refusing to leave until he got a response. He was ten thousand times more clingy than in the past life. With his proud and petty nature back then, he would have likely been sabotaging Zhao Qing by now.

But in this life, everything was quietly changing…