The Real Young Master is Entangled by the Paranoid Fake Young Master - Chapter 46

At the law firm, Lawyer Wu received Zhaoqing with great warmth and professionalism. Zhaoqing asked numerous questions regarding inheritance, taxes, and even corporate legal affairs, taking meticulous notes on every detail.

“Lawyer Wu, thank you for safeguarding the estate my grandfather left behind, and thank you for helping me,” Zhaoqing said, his gratitude coming from the bottom of his heart. Had he encountered a lawyer without professional integrity, his grandfather’s assets would likely have been swallowed whole by the Song family long ago.

Upon hearing this, Lawyer Wu simply gave a hearty laugh. “My father was close friends with Mr. Sun, and I grew up alongside your mother, Miss Sun. Whether out of professional ethics or personal friendship, this is simply what I ought to do.”

He paused, his expression turning serious. “Young Master Song, please do not blame me for overstepping, but you must preserve Mr. Sun’s estate. The wealth he accumulated over so many years of hard work must not fall into the hands of others at least, not against your will or the wishes of the late Mr. and Miss Sun.”

Knowing Lawyer Wu had his best interests at heart, Zhaoqing felt a wave of emotion. He nodded and said, “I will. Lawyer Wu, please just call me Zhaoqing.”

Lawyer Wu, who held little affection for the rest of the Song family, happily obliged. “There is something else I should remind you of. Recently, the Song Group’s capital chain has run into trouble. It’s an open secret in the industry by now. The issue has trickled down to several other families in S-City. Even the Fu family, who are closely tied to the Songs, seems to be.”

“After this incident, your father, Mr. Song, will undoubtedly be even more desperate for liquid capital.”

Lawyer Wu was a man of status and knew when to stop; Zhaoqing caught the hint immediately. He assured the lawyer that no matter how they coerced or enticed him, he would not lift a finger to help them.

However, the Fu family didn’t escape the financial crisis this time?

Zhaoqing remembered that in his previous life, the Fu family had caught wind of the trouble early on and retreated from the mess in time to save themselves. Ever since his rebirth, many events had triggered a “butterfly effect,” and it seemed this was no exception.

With both families in crisis, it was almost certain they would both set their sights on the land in the Old District. Whether they would fight each other or continue to cooperate was anyone’s guess, but one thing was certain: the Fu family’s involvement made the situation far more volatile.

Zhaoqing pressed his temples, feeling a slight headache. He planned to call Fang Yang after leaving the firm to have him keep an eye on the Fu family specifically, on Fu Lansheng’s movements. He also informed Lawyer Wu that he and a friend had recently started a company and hoped the lawyer would serve as their legal consultant. Lawyer Wu readily agreed.

As evening approached, Zhaoqing noticed several missed calls from Lin Qi. He gave a cold laugh, declined the call once more, and prepared to take his leave.

Suddenly remembering something, Lawyer Wu stopped him. “Zhaoqing, I believe you have a right to know one more thing. Aside from your grandfather’s estate, your mother left a personal relic specifically for you.”

“After she married Song Shicheng, we met a few times as friends. She used to be such an innocent, lively girl, but after the wedding, she grew more melancholic by the day. When she had her child, she said she had something important to pass on. To protect him, she couldn’t give it to him while he was young; otherwise, it would be exploited by those with hidden agendas, and his life might even be at risk.”

“Even I don’t know what it is. I only know that after you were born, she buried it under a tree at the Song residence. At that time, Song Shicheng monitored her strictly, even having servants search her person to prevent her from taking anything out of the house. She never managed to retrieve it before she passed.”

Lawyer Wu’s eyes reddened slightly. He paused before continuing, “I only ever told one person about this: Song Yuening. He was only fourteen then, and the DNA test hadn’t happened yet. I saw him secretly paying respects to your mother often; he clearly missed the mother he never knew. I couldn’t bear his grief, so I told him.”

“But who could have guessed how things would change? That you two were the ones switched…”

“I don’t know if Song Yuening found the relic or if he has already taken it. But that item was of extraordinary significance to your mother. You deserve to have it back.”

After leaving the office, Zhaoqing felt a whirlwind of emotions. He had been completely in the dark. Even if Song Yuening hadn’t intended to tell him before, after the incident at sea and after Zhaoqing had returned Pei Yan’s safety charm to him, Yuening had still feigned ignorance.

If I hadn’t visited Lawyer Wu today, I might have never known.

By the time he left the firm, the sky was pitch black. Right then, Lin Qi called again. This time, Zhaoqing answered.

“What is it? I can’t use my phone at school,” Zhaoqing said, maintaining his cover story.

Lin Qi’s voice was a mix of exhaustion and panic. “Master Zhaoqing, please come back quickly! Things at the hospital have spiraled out of control. The Eldest Young Master… he and Young Master Fu have gotten into a fight!”

“Oh? How did that happen? What was it about?” Zhaoqing asked calmly. Lin Qi was too flustered to question his tone and clumsily explained the situation.

Essentially, when Fu Lansheng came to visit Song Yuening, he walked in just as the unrepentant Song Zhiyuan was leaning in, desperate to kiss the sleeping Yuening.

Shocked and enraged, Fu Lansheng kicked the door open, waking Yuening and startling Zhiyuan. Fu Lansheng lunged at him, and the two began brawling without a word.

When Song Yuening woke and realized he had nearly been violated by Song Zhiyuan, he was so disgusted he nearly vomited. He swung his hand and slapped Song Zhiyuan across the face. Seeing the utter loathing in Yuening’s eyes, Zhiyuan felt his heart shatter. Before he could react, Fu Lansheng punched him, knocking out two of his teeth. Zhiyuan spat out blood, his face swelling instantly.

Seeing the blatant fury in Fu Lansheng’s eyes, Zhiyuan let out a mocking laugh. “You dare hit me? Fu Lansheng, why are you pretending? Don’t tell me you don’t harbor filthy thoughts about Ningning yourself!”

That single provocation incinerated the last of Fu Lansheng’s rationality. First Song Zhaoqing, now Song Zhiyuan. The veins on Fu Lansheng’s forehead pulsed. To him, Song Zhiyuan was a more dangerous rival than Zhaoqing. Zhiyuan was the future heir of the Song family and had grown up with Yuening.

The thought of how much time they had spent together, how many times Zhiyuan had looked at Ningning with those disgusting, covetous eyes made Fu Lansheng feel a murderous urge breaking through his self-control.

Zhaoqing hummed noncommittally to Lin Qi before heading back to the hospital. When he arrived, the two culprits were gone, leaving the room in a shambles. Song Yuening sat on the bed without his white gauze bandages, his eyes hollow and cold, looking like an exquisite, lifeless marionette.

Almost everything breakable in the room had been smashed. Even Lin Qi stood by awkwardly with scratches on his face, evidently collateral damage from the fray.

Zhaoqing suppressed a smile, knelt down, and began helping the nurses clean up. Lin Qi, seeing Zhaoqing like a savior descended from heaven, wouldn’t dream of letting him clean. He hurried the nurses out; though half the hospital knew about the fight, he still believed in keeping family scandals private.

“Master Zhaoqing, you’re finally back.” Lin Qi sounded close to tears. It wasn’t just the fight that gave him a headache; it was the quiet but difficult Yuening, who had refused to eat or drink until Zhaoqing returned.

However, the moment Song Yuening heard Lin Qi say Zhaoqing’s name, the “exquisite puppet” snapped back to life. A single tear rolled down his vacant but beautiful eyes.

Zhaoqing was startled and tried to step back, but Yuening grabbed him with surprising strength, pulling them both down onto the soft hospital bed.

“What’s this about?” Zhaoqing asked, half-laughing, as he wiped the tear away. “Why are you crying, Song Yuening?”

“Zhaozhao… I’m not ‘unclean.’ Please don’t abandon me.”

Zhaoqing’s expression shifted. No, this isn’t Song Yuening. I don’t care who is possessing him right now, get out!

“When did I ever say you were unclean?” Zhaoqing figured the shock from his two “devotees” had been too much, so he tried to explain.

Instead, Song Yuening wrapped his arms around Zhaoqing’s waist and clung to him, only speaking after several moments of unashamed physical contact. “I don’t believe you. Unless you kiss me, I won’t believe you don’t find me repulsive…”

“Is it too late for me to start finding you repulsive now?” Zhaoqing surrendered, raising his hands. A nurse who hadn’t made it out the door yet couldn’t help but let out a giggle.

After a bit more dramatic pining from Yuening, Zhaoqing straightened his clothes and asked Lin Qi, “Where did those two go?”

“The Eldest Young Master had a business trip today; he likely went back to the office. As for Young Master Fu… I’m not sure.”

Clearly, Song Zhiyuan knew he had disgraced himself and used work as an excuse to flee S-City for a few days. The real trouble was Fu Lansheng, who was reckless and unpredictable. If he connected the dots and realized Zhaoqing had set him up, there would be hell to pay.

Zhaoqing thought for a moment. “This hospital isn’t fit for staying anymore with people constantly coming and going. Why don’t we go home to recover? We need to find Lili anyway.”

At the thought of his dog, Lili, being locked up somewhere, Zhaoqing’s heart ached. Song Yuening, sensing the shift, turned jealous. “Zhaozhao, you only care about Lili, not me!”

He was immediately met with a sharp reprimand. “Song Yuening, are you even human? You’re jealous of a dog? Actually, why are you even jealous? How strange!”

Having been scolded which seemed to make him oddly happy Yuening finally dropped the act. “I’ll listen to you, Zhaozhao. Let’s go!”

As they prepared to leave, Zhaoqing’s phone buzzed incessantly. Someone was spamming him with messages.

“Who is it, Zhaozhao? So many messages.” Yuening’s ears were sharp despite his lack of sight.

“I don’t know, probably spam.” Zhaoqing knew exactly who it was. Chen Lian. He wondered if the boy was sick in the head—Zhaoqing had blocked one number, and he’d already found another.

Chen Lian had always been cold and arrogant, never one to bow his head. He’d never had to, because Zhaoqing, with his “Saint Mary” heart, had always protected him. Because of Chen Lian’s congenital kidney disease, Zhaoqing had poured all his hopes into him, enduring the life of an underground fighter just to keep Chen Lian in a “safe utopia.”

But those feelings had been exhausted. Zhaoqing no longer felt pity for this “brother.” He summarized Chen Lian’s sudden persistence in three words: He needs money.

Song Yuening clearly didn’t believe the “spam” excuse. His sightless eyes dimmed for a moment, but he quickly masked it with a gentle, perfect smile, as if nothing was wrong.