92 – At that moment, Tan Xiu could never have imagined that events would unfold this way.
An Zhaoming entered the banquet hall, his mind preoccupied with how An Rong would handle the executives. Before long, he was surrounded by people discussing various matters. By the time Lu Tianshen found him, it was time for him to take the stage to declare the opening of the annual meeting and announce the engagement.
As a result, An Zhaoming completely forgot to check in with An Xing first.
When the spotlight swept into the corner, illuminating the young man curled up on the sofa—a cookie in his mouth, a bewildered look on his face—An Zhaoming’s vision went black for a moment.
That little fool—he couldn’t possibly have completely forgotten that the engagement was supposed to be announced today!
In his view, rushing to announce their son’s engagement at the annual meeting just to provoke Tan Xiu was already putting the boy through enough. After all, the Lu couple had originally agreed to discuss the engagement when they returned for the New Year, and they were supposed to throw a grand, lavish engagement ceremony for the two children.
But look at this—just an ordinary annual meeting, so ordinary that his son had even forgotten what kind of day it was!
Anyone who saw this would surely think that neither them nor the Lu family valued their son!
Xiao Rui, who was walking toward An Xing, frowned as well.
As An Xing’s mentor of sorts, Xiao Rui knew that the little fool was now with Lu Tianshen. Quite a few people in their circle were already aware of this as well.
However, in everyone’s eyes, the young man was clearly the weaker party in the relationship between An Xing and Lu Tianshen. Although Xiao Rui didn’t share the view of some who thought Lu Tianshen was just looking for a fling, he did agree that the little fool needed some security.
A week ago, An Zhaoming had told him that they would announce An Xing and Lu Tianshen’s engagement at today’s annual gathering. Xiao Rui thought it was a bit rushed, but as long as Lu Tianshen was willing to give the little dummy that security, that was enough.
But looking at him now, why does the little dummy himself seem like he has no idea what’s going on?
The little dummy is obsessed with food—surely that kid from the Lu family wouldn’t back out on the spot!
While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, An Xing swallowed the last bite of his cookie and elegantly wiped his mouth. He straightened his back, sucked in his stomach, and sat up straight.
No need to panic. As long as I don’t look awkward, I’ll still be the most dazzling little prince!
Amid the silence, the imposing young man on the stage picked up the microphone and stepped down.
The lighting technician hurriedly followed with a spotlight.
The man was tall and upright; his tailored suit accentuated his perfect proportions as his long legs carried him step by step toward the boy, exuding an imposing presence.
Though the boy in the corner had been sneaking a bite moments ago, when all eyes turned to him, they saw he too was dressed in a tailored white suit. His jet-black, silky hair framed his fair, delicate features, making him look like a noble little prince.
The man stopped in front of the boy, bowed slightly, extended a hand toward him, and lowered his voice.
“Although I announced our engagement today to provoke Tan Xiu, Xingxing, my feelings for you have never changed.”
“So, Xingxing, will you marry me?”
An Xing raised his head slightly, looking at the man before him.
Others might not notice anything, but as the person who knew Lu Tianshen best—as someone who was intimate with him almost every day—he could tell the man was very nervous right now.
And this nervous demeanor was all too familiar; he had seen it before—during the summer vacation, during that verbal engagement he had thought was just a joke.
Back then, at the barbecue restaurant, Lu Tianshen had said, “Since you like men, and we grew up together, know each other well enough, and would never betray one another, let’s get engaged.”
And whether in his past life or this one, Lu Tianshen had always stood by his side, never straying far.
The boy flashed a radiant smile, placed his hand openly in the man’s, then lifted his chin proudly. “Alright, if it’s you, Brother Shen, I’m willing.”
Those words were exactly the same as the answer the boy had given back then at the barbecue restaurant. But back then, the boy had been naive, unaware of his own feelings.
Now, as the boy looked up at him, his round almond-shaped eyes were filled with tender affection.
Lu Tianshen felt an immense sense of fulfillment welling up in his chest, like a tidal wave sweeping over his entire body in an instant. He grasped the boy’s hand, noticing that their clasped hands felt slightly damp.
A formidable CEO, yet in this moment he was like a nervous kid, his hands trembling slightly with excitement.
Lu Tianshen was clearly the dominant one, yet in this relationship, it seemed he was the one more prone to anxiety and uncertainty—and An Xing appeared to be well aware of this. He leaned in and kissed the man on the lips.
As the boy kissed him, a look of relief and a smile clearly spread across the man’s face. This scene left everyone in the banquet hall speechless.
“What’s gotten into you, Brother Shen? Proposing out of the blue—I’m completely unprepared!”
The boy smoothed his sleeve with one hand, feigning indignation.
Feeling An Xing’s occasional glances in his direction, Lu Tianshen felt a lightness of heart he’d never experienced before. He readily agreed:
“It’s my fault. I should have told you first, but…”
He paused, turning his head to look at the young man. His gaze was gentle.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
An Zhaoming and Xiao Rui happened to catch those last two sentences.
Their worries were nothing but a joke. These two were a match made in heaven—one willing to take the blows, the other eager to dish them out!
*
News of what happened at the An Ning Jewelry Annual Banquet spread quickly through Tang City’s high society, especially the fact that the couple getting engaged was the An family’s fake young master and the Lu family’s heir.
Tan Xiu and An Hao, who were at the hospital, naturally heard about it as well.
Upon hearing the news, An Hao looked utterly incredulous.
“Wasn’t Lu Tianshen just playing around with him? How could he possibly be engaged to him?!”
In An Hao’s view, even if they were into men, they couldn’t possibly get married. In the future, they were bound to marry a woman of equal social standing and have children.
Besides, Lu Tianshen was the heir to the Lu Group. With such a massive family fortune at stake, could his parents really allow him to fool around with An Xing and risk having no heir in the future?!
Thinking this, An Hao shook his head even more firmly.
“Impossible. They’re definitely just putting on a show.”
It was a private hospital room, occupied solely by An Hao. Tan Xiu sat by the bedside, watching her son—whose complexion had been somewhat pale since the car accident—now flushed and contorted with emotion. She spoke quietly:
“With something like this, what need is there to put on a show?”
An Hao was instantly at a loss for words.
True. An Xing was one thing, but if Lu Tianshen didn’t genuinely like An Xing, why would he go along with this charade? After all, in their circle, announcing an engagement was practically a done deal. If they were to call it off, the two families would become sworn enemies.
But if Lu Tianshen truly loved An Xing to the point of no return—so much so that he would be with him regardless of the Lu family’s consent—then he would have absolutely no chance of ever getting his hands on Anning Jewelry again!
What gives An Xing the right?!
As An Hao wallowed in resentment and bitterness, he failed to notice the look of foreboding on his mother’s face as she stood by the hospital bed.
Tan Xiu gazed at the young man lying there.
This was her son. She had provided him with the best education, gone to great lengths to pave his path, and strategized every step of the way, scheming to crush anyone who stood in his way.
Yet to this day, her son remained such a good-for-nothing. Exposed by An Xing, he was so devastated that he lost his composure and got into a car accident. Now, faced with news that had long been foreshadowed, he was driven to a state of helpless rage, completely unable to come up with a single solution.
The woman lowered her eyes, her face still maintaining an elegant and dignified expression, but her downcast gaze was filled with depression.
Shen Ying was truly fortunate to have such outstanding sons—two of them, no less.
Sitting by her son’s hospital bed, she couldn’t help but recall events from long ago.
The Tan family had once been a respectable household, mainly due to Mr. Tan’s remarkable capabilities and significant achievements in political circles. Unfortunately, of the Tan family’s three sons and one daughter, the eldest son—who was destined to carry on the family legacy—died of illness in the prime of his life.
After losing his most promising eldest son, Mr. Tan was devastated and retired from the front lines of his career. The Tan family’s fortunes immediately began to decline.
At that time, the An family hadn’t yet attained the status it holds today—the An family patriarch had just passed away, and An Zhaoming and An Zhaoyuan were still young, having merely inherited vast family fortunes.
At that time, the husband Tan Xiu actually preferred was An Zhaoming. In her view, An Zhaoming had a brighter future and was more capable than An Zhaoyuan.
Unfortunately, a man with too much ability is hard to control. Not only did her father object, but An Zhaoming himself was unwilling. He had set his sights on the Shen family’s daughter and actively sought to marry her.
Tan Xiu settled for the next best option and married An Zhaoyuan.
Life after marriage wasn’t all bad. An Zhaoyuan was easily manipulated and lacked a mind of his own, making him quite easy to control. Tan Xiu could freely dispose of An Zhaoyuan’s assets, and he never caused her any trouble by getting involved with other women. All of this elevated Tan Xiu’s status within the Tan family and gave her more influence.
She had thought this was fine. Even if she didn’t love An Zhaoyuan, they had a child together. For the sake of their child and herself, she could make it work.
That was until An Zhaoming and Shen Ying started a jewelry company together—and ran it quite successfully.
Anning Jewelry began as a modest workshop: Shen Ying handled the designs, while An Zhaoming handled sourcing, coordinating factories, and securing sales channels. These two already possessed enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of their lives, yet they still braved wind and rain, working tirelessly together for that tiny studio.
Or rather, they were striving for their shared dream. No matter how exhausted they were, their eyes always sparkled with passion.
From that moment on, Tan Xiu grew increasingly resentful of the two of them.
When Shen Ying went into labor, the Shen family couldn’t make it in time; only Tan Xiu and An Zhaoming accompanied her into the delivery room. Watching An Zhaoming pace anxiously outside the delivery room, his eyes welling up with tears on several occasions, Tan Xiu found her mind wandering for no apparent reason.
What had An Zhaoyuan and the Tan family said to her when she gave birth?
An Zhaoyuan had said, “Xiu, hang in there. You’ll definitely give us a son.”
Her father and brothers hadn’t even shown up; only her mother had told her that giving birth to a son was the only way to truly secure her future and firmly establish her position as An Zhaoyuan’s wife.
Shen Ying gave birth to a baby boy, but An Zhaoming only glanced at the child before turning his full attention to his wife’s condition.
In a daze, Tan Xiu found herself in the nursery. Three newborn boys lay there, and the room and hallway were completely empty.
As if possessed, she bent down and swapped Shen Ying’s son with another infant. She glanced a few times at the bastard child of unknown parentage, hid it away casually, then left the nursery door ajar and slipped out quietly.
If someone came to steal a baby, well, it would be up to fate which child was unlucky enough.
If no one came, she would go tell Shen Ying herself that her son was missing.
Watching Shen Ying’s face turn pale in an instant, and seeing An Zhaoming’s anxious worry, Tan Xiu felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.
It was all because An Zhaoming loved his wife so deeply that he paid no attention to his son’s well-being—which was exactly why his own son had been switched.
It was all because Shen Ying was so weak—unable to handle even the slightest setback—that An Zhaoming, preoccupied with her well-being, couldn’t tear himself away to retrieve his own son.
Aren’t the two of you supposed to have a bond stronger than gold? Well, I hope that when the truth comes out, you won’t blame each other, and neither will your biological son nor your adopted son.
At that moment, Tan Xiu could never have imagined that events would unfold this way.
TRANSLATOR’S CORNER: I am not a native speaker of either Chinese or English. I basically MTL and edit the text, sometimes I also use some sites for reference. I can’t guarantee that everything here is accurate, But I try to stick to the author’s work as much as possible. Please feel to comment any mistakes🙂🤗.
