The Perfect Relationship by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 19: Video Call

After discussing the matter with Yao Manhuai, they decided to let Lu Lingxuan take care of Shao Junling during Yin Chang’s absence. As the work load was practically nothing, days were spent idle and thus, Lu Lingxuan readily agreed to her boss’s request. With plans set, that afternoon Yin Chang booked a flight.

On the day of Yin Chang’s departure, Lu Lingxuan came to the house in the morning to go over Shao Junling’s situation and asked very detailed questions about his needs.

“When does he go to bed and when does he wake up. What’s his daily routine like?”

“Generally, he goes to bed around nine in the evening and wakes up at about seven or eight in the morning…”

When he first brought Shao Junling back home with him, Yin Chang experienced a bought of insomnia from all of the stress. There was this one time when he couldn’t sleep until three in the morning. As a result, Yin Chang ended up sleeping until noon. When he woke up and opened his eyes, the unexpected view of another pair of dark eyes closely staring at him startled him. Lying next to him on the bed motionless, Shao Junling had been watching Yin Chang intently for an unknown length of time.

Being caught by surprise, Yin Chang was a little frightened and demanded: “What are you doing?”

Hearing the firm tone of Yin Chang’s voice, Shao Junling’s cheeks flushed. He shrunk his neck in an effort to make himself small. He had an instinctual impulse to flee as if he had been caught with a hand in the cookie jar. Before Shao Junling could explain himself, in a series of rumbles, his stomach answered for him.

After that incident, in order to make him breakfast in the morning, Yin Chang set an alarm clock to force himself to wake up at an appropriate time.

“Shao Junling will brush his teeth and wash his face, but….” Yin Chang quickly glanced around to checked if Shao Junling was nearby. He lowered his voice and whispered to Lu Lingxuan, “In terms of personal hygiene, you better supervise him.”

“Oh. Do you just want me to remind him to wash his face and brush his teeth?”

“Also, his bath….”

The weather was still relatively hot. Fearing that Shao Junling was too idle staying at home, Yin Chang decided to take him to the Huaihe River apartment community gym to exercise. Even though he was so small, his physical fitness was excellent. Perhaps his joy was due to the excitement of experiencing something new, but he ran over three thousand meters easily, laughing and smiling the whole time. In his mind, maybe Shao Junling was simply playing.

When they arrived back at the apartment, the air conditioner’s constant air flow quickly dried up Shao Junling’s sweat. It took three days until Yin Chang happened to get close to him and noticed the grime on his skin that he realized Shao Junling hadn’t been bathing. 

Although it was autumn and the weather was getting colder, Shao Junling went outside with Yin Chang daily. He was a very active child and liked to feel everything as he explored; the trees, the grass, the rocks and dirt. As a result, when he returned home, he was always covered in sweat and dirt from head to toe.

“As for his dietary habits, he eats everything except spicy food and doesn’t like shellfish. If you prefer to cook, you can make something for him otherwise, just order take-out instead.” Yin Chang told Lu Lingxuan about several of Shao Junling’s favorite restaurants that he often ordered from.

“Okay. No problem. I won’t order anything heavy. Just some simple dishes like fried rice and noodles ….”

“But there is one thing you need to watch out for. He doesn’t know how to eat in moderation.”

Speaking of which, it took Yin Chang a while before he realized there was a problem. In the past, in order to figure out what he liked to eat, Yin Chang would order a variety of foods. Although he meant for Shao Junling to pick and choose what he wanted to eat, Shao Junling would end up eating it all every time and sometimes, as a result he ended up making himself sick.

“Ah, okay. I will pay attention to portion size.”

While she wrote down his instructions and took notes, she sighed in her heart. She couldn’t help feeling a little fond of Yin Chang. After all, she really didn’t expect a wealthy young master like Yin Chang to take child-rearing so seriously!

“Also, there are additional toys and children’s books in the closet of the guest bedroom, but his favorite toys are Legos. ” In an effort to make things easy as possible while he was away, a thought popped into Yin Chang mind. He went to get his iPad from the bedroom and said: “I’ll leave you with this. If he gets bored, you can download some small games for him.”

“Okay!”

The Huaihe Apartment had only two bedrooms. Yin Chang asked Lu Lingxuan if she wanted to sleep in the master bedroom, but she refused and remarked: “No, no. I’ll just sleep on the sofa.”

Even if it was Yin Chang ’s room now, it used to be Yin Dong ’s room. How could a regular young woman go to sleep there?

Yin Chang tried to persuade her and insisted: “But it’s more than a few days….”

“It’s completely fine!” Hardships and endurance were the necessary qualities of an excellent agent. Regardless of the softness of the luxurious sofa, Lu Lingxuan felt like there wasn’t even a problem if she slept on the floor.

After thirty minutes of instructions, he finally finished all of his explanations. Yin Chang concluded: “Although Shao Junling isn’t so good at communicating and expressing himself, for the most part, he has been very obedient. You shouldn’t have any problems.”

“No problem!” If an eighteen-year-old boy could handle it, at twenty-five, she better be able too.

At noon the three of them ate lunch together. After, Yin Chang simply packed his luggage and called Shao Junling over. He said: “Brother has to leave for a week. Sister Lu Lingxuan will be here to take care of you. You must listen and obey her.”

Standing motionless, Shao Junling suddenly opened his eyes wide, staring at him dumbfounded. He didn’t make a peep.

Yin Chang made another gesture: “I’ll be back in seven days.”

Shao Junling still gazed at him without a word revealing nothing of his true feelings. Was he feeling resentment? Sadness? Anger? Was he ok? In short, it was not a particuarly good reaction.

Yin Chang didn’t know what to do about it and as a result, he was feeling a little guilty for leaving. Since they hadn’t spent much time together, he thought it wasn’t possible for Shao Junling to harbor deep affection for him and thus, in Yin Chang’s mind, it wasn’t a bit deal for him to depart. Thinking all would be well in Lu Lingxuan care, Yin Chang left with confidence.

When he returned to his home abroad, he talked with Fiona for a long time about Yin Dong and the past.

When Yin Chang mentioned the adopted ‘illegitimate son’, Fiona didn’t bat an eyelash even though she was born in the sixties and raised with traditional values. Instead, she offered some advice: “Even if the law required monogamy, many large wealthy families had three wives and four concubines.”

She added: “A close friend of mine worked as a nanny at a wealthy man’s house on Hong Kong Island. I heard from her that the family raised a dozen children out of wedlock. Your father was a billionaire. It’s nothing for him to have a bastard or two, but your father was unique in the way he treated you.”

Even though in Yin Chang’s mind, he understood the way wealthy families behaved, hearing the truth of the matter first hand made him feel depressed.

After dinner, he rested and it took another two days for Yin Change to get used to the time change. It wasn’t until then that Yin Chang remembered Shao Junling. Since it had been two days without a word, he hesitated for a while. Finally, he called Lu Lingxuan first by using WeChat’s video function. He let the phone ring, but there was no answer.

….. Did she go out?

Remembering that he left his iPad at home, he tried to contact her through FaceTime.

This time, the video call was answered. Unlike the usual well-polished and composed Lu Lingxuan, a desperate and haggard face answered the call instead: “Boss! You finally called!”

Yin Chang: “…What’s wrong with you?”

Lu Lingxuan looked exhausted: “Shao Junling has not slept for two days! He hasn’t eaten since you left!”

Yin Chang frowned: “Why not?”

“I don’t know! I ordered him some take-out, but he didn’t eat it. As soon as I got close to him, he attacked me!” Lu Lingxuan exposed her arm and showed Yin Chang her wounds: “Look as these marks! His fingernails are too long! Not only that, he doesn’t sleep when you said he would! ” Lu Lingxuan felt like she was being scammed.

Furrowing his brown, Yin Chang’s frown deepened: “Where is he now?”

With red eyes and a haggard look, it was obvious that Lu Lingxuan was exhausted and at wits-end: “Hes in the guest bedroom and won’t listen to me.”

Yin Chang said seriously: “Give him the iPad. I will talk with him.”

As she slowly moved to the room, Lu Lingxuan nervously explained: “I suggested he call you last night, but when I tried to give him my cell phone, he smashed it! If he smashes your iPad, don’t blame me!”

Yin Chang: “…” No wonder Lu Lingxuan didn’t answer the phone.

However, Yin Chang was very surprised at his reported behavior. When he was with Shao Junling, he neither had a temper nor exhibit any bad antics. How could he smash his phone?

Watching the screen, Yin Chang could see Lu Lingxuan push open the door of the guest bedroom. While it was still day time there, the curtains were drawn closed so it was dark in the bedroom. Yin Chang could see Shao Junling sitting alone in the dark by the bed.

“Hello …?” Lu Lingxuan called out to him timidly: “Your brother has called. Do you want to talk to him?”

If not for the slight shrug of his shoulders, the boy continued to be unresponsive.

Lu Lingxuan approached him slowly and boldly placed the iPad directly into his arms.

Yin Chang’s screen suddenly was filled with Shao Junling’s small face. He continued to stare off in space, unresponsive. When Shao Junling realized there was something in his hands with the image of Yin Chang in front on him, like the shock of a loud bronze bell, he widened his eyes in surprised. Moreover, he touched Yin Chang’s face on the iPad screen with his hand.

Yin Chang was firm and asked: “Why aren’t you eating?”

Shao Junling: “…”

Yin Chang: “Why aren’t you going to bed on time?”

Shao Junling: “…”

Yin Chang: “Didn’t I tell you to listen to Sister Lu Lingxuan?”

After drilling him with three consecutive questions, Shao Junling finally reacted. He looked at Yin Chang earnestly and tentatively asked: “Where are you?”

Yin Chang: “???”

Lu Lingxuan: “?????”

“I …” Yin Chang hesitated, “I’m in California near Los Angeles in Pasadena …” He didn’t know if Shao Junling could understand so he switched the camera view to show Shao Junling his room. Yin Chang also walked over to the window so he could see outside.

However, as soon as the camera swapped angles and thus, the screen did not show Yin Chang, Shao Junling became visibly anxious. Not knowing where Yin Chang went, he touched the iPad’s screen and thinking it was broken, he shook it.

Lu Lingxuan promptly requested: “Yin Chang, change the camera back!”

As Yin Chang’s face quickly appeared on the iPad screen again, Shao Junling immediately returned to normal.

The two stared at each other in the video. Yin Chang was embarrassed at first: “Okay, I’m not going to tell you again; eat dinner properly, brush your teeth, then go to bed….. Do you hear me?”

Shao Junling: “…”

Quickly thinking, Lu Lingxuan added her own warning: “If you don’t listen to what your told, in the future, your brother will ignore you!”

Shao Junling: “…!”

As soon as he heard what she said, Shao Junling snapped his head nervously to look at her and then looked at Yin Chang on the screen.

Understanding Lu Lingxuan’s clever ploy, Yu Chang also followed her cue: “If you behave well, I’ll call you every day.”

Shao Junling touched the iPad screen and asked: “Here?”

Yin Chang wondered: “What? Here, where?”

Lu Lingxuan helped and explained: “He means the video-call on the iPad.”

Yin Chang: “… Ah, yes.”

Finally, he communicated with Shao Junling. Although it was with a few simple words, both of them felt very relieved.

After talking for about an hour, Yin Chang went to take a bath. Before going to bed, he saw a string of messages sent by Lu Lingxuan in WeChat.

“I was able to turn on my broken phone……”

“But it’s glitching and is seems like it will shut down completely at any moment.”

“Shao Junling has finally eaten! [Cry]”

“He ate a lot … [Speechless]”

When Yin Chang saw it, he breathed a sigh of relief and replied, “I’ll buy you a new one on the Internet. What brand do you use?”

“A Huawei model! Thank You.” Having experienced a couple of days of mental and physical trauma, Lu Lingxuan felt she deserved compensation.”

Ten minutes later, Yin Chang sent a message to her: “The order has been placed, but it probably won’t be delivered by tomorrow.”

Lu Lingxuan: “It’s all right. I’ll use the iPad in the meantime to login into my WeChat account.”

Yin Chang: “How is he now?”

Lu Lingjuan: “He fell asleep with the iPad in his grasp. Finally, I was able to steal it from him so I could use it.”

Yin Chang: “…”

Lu Lingxuan: “And, it’s clear that he will only listen to you.”

Lu Lingxuan: “How on earth did you take care of him before?”

Yin Chang was a bit confused. When he brought Shao Junling back home, he didn’t think his behavior was out of the ordinary.

Lu Lingxuan: “Ok. I’m heading to bed now. I stayed up with that bear child for two nights. I’m exhausted.”

Yin Chang: “Go ahead.”

Turning off the phone, Yin Chang was still lying in bed, recalling what Lu Lingxuan had just said. …… He only listens to him? Why? They just met.

__________

The author has something to say: 【Vignette】

Lu Lingxuan: Whatever happened to being an agent? Why am I suddenly helping my boss with a bear cub? (╯ ‵ □ ′) ╯︵┻━┻

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The Perfect Relationship by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 18: Eating Cupcakes

In an early autumn afternoon, while golden rays of sunlight spilled through the windows, the tulle curtains were being blown in by the chilly autumn wind. A sweet scent of baked goods filled the air. In the kitchen, English words could be heard over the thrum of an electric mixer.

“…. The fans in your country are so scary. Just a while ago, people everywhere were asking about you on our high school Facebook page. Since then, your status-page hasn’t been updated.”

“I don’t think it’s going to change……”

As Yin Chang switched hands, he set the iPad on the counter and went to open the refrigerator. While talking to Evan, he got out the heavy cream and measured the needed amount.

On the screen, Evan turned on a small light as it was already night time. He leaned on a bed holding his iPad and asked: “But I still want to know how you are doing.”

“Use the phone to call me instead.”

“So, tell me what’s going on. What about your Brother? Does he live with you?”

“Well, he’s living with me now…”

It has been a month since Yin Dong ’s plane accident and the subsequent scandals that were published by the media. The double whammy had impacted Yin Chang emotionally more than he would have thought. In order to let him adapt to his new life style and to avoid long lasting prejudice against Yin Chang, for some time, Yao Manhuai let him remain out of site of the public and therefore, out of mind. She even went so far as to prevent his assistant, Lu Lingxuan, from posting on his official social media page.

During this time, Yin Chang stayed at home and primarily spent his time researching his Father’s company and work. In addition to learning about the business and entertainment industry, one could not help but cultivate positive feelings when being at home all day with your new brother.

As a result of lying-low, his conditions both with his brother and with the outside world improved.

Evan laughed: “It looks like you’re doing fine. You are even making him cupcakes.”

“… Not really. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.” Yin Chang spoke to him as he took out several ingredients from the cupboard.  After sifting the flour, he combined the wet ingredients.

Baking was just a matter of doing something with his time. Since the kitchen was well equipped with luxurious appliances, he decided he should utilize them. He was surprised at how well domestic services had developed, especially in big cities. He had placed his order early this morning online and by the late afternoon, the delivery person was at his door.

“What are you so worried about?” Evan was cheerful. “Even though your father is gone, he left you with a brother. Isn’t that good?”

“…” If Yin Dong had explained to him about Shao Junling’s origin in advance, he might have been happy to have a brother.

“I am eight years older than him so there is a generation gap between us.” Yin Chang bent over to check the cupcakes in the oven. He straightened up to start making the chocolate sauce. “Even though we grew up in different environments, I still want to understand him better … but he doesn’t talk to me much. “

“Why not? Doesn’t he like you?”

“I don’t know if he likes me or not.” Yin Chang confessed: “Anyway, I don’t like him very much because he makes me feel angry. He just reminds me of my Father’s secret and makes me feel like dad was lying to me.”

“I’ve known you for a long time, so I can understand what you mean.  If I hadn’t talked to my Parents for a while and they suddenly show up with another older child claiming to be my half-brother, I would also feel angry.” Evan adjusted his posture and holding his chin, he leaned on his arm: “You haven’t told me why he’s not talking to you.”

“He has a hard time expressing himself and often, I have to guess at what he is thinking.” Yin Chang shrugged his shoulder and sighed: “My guesses are often wrong.”

“Has he adjusted to the move yet?” Evan nodded his head.

“So far, there hasn’t been any problems. He just plays with his Legos quietly.” Although he knew that Shao Junling wouldn’t be able to understand their conversation, Yin Chang subconsciously turned around and lowered his voice: “However, I’m thinking about taking him to a specialist so they could administer an intelligence test for him. We have to make arrangements for him to go to school.”

Evan: “What grade is he in?”

Yin Chang: “At his age, he should have been in the third or fourth grade, but the welfare institution only taught children in one group with a uniform academic curriculum with little purpose. There wasn’t any targeted learning. I think, even if his intelligence is normal, at his current level, it may be necessary to stay back in school for one or two years.”

“Oh.” Evan smiled: “Then, do you have to tutor him?”

“No,” Yin Chang replied. “Yao Manhuai told me that I’ll probably be too busy and won’t have time.” With the sound of ‘ding’, the timer announced that cake finished baking. Yin Chang put on oven-mitts and reached over to open the oven. The mouth-watering odor of a freshly baked cupcakes permeated the air.

“Oh. Then, when will you be back?” Evan asked.

“Next week. I’m going back to get my cloths and personal effects then I’m dropping out.”

“You’re quitting?”

“Well, I’ll be working in China in the foreseeable future, so I won’t be going back to school anytime soon.”

“….Ehhhh!” Evan suddenly shouted from the video. “Is that your brother?”

Yin Chang glanced towards the iPad at the counter. The kitchen was open to the living area.

Evan had caught site of Shao Junling trying to sneak by. He was half-hidden behind the counter while trying to sneak a peek. “He looks so small,” Evan remarked.

As he talked, Shao Junling suddenly looked up at where the noise had come from and stared directly at Evan on the screen. “Hey, he seems to have found me!”

Yin Chang stopped what he was doing and spoke to Shao Junling in Chinese: “Brother is talking with a friend on the iPad.”

Shao Junling would have remained taut and staring coldly at the person on the screen, but the aroma was too enticing. After a few seconds, he dismissively turned away to find the source of the thing that had smelled so good.

Evan: “…”

Yin Chang: “…”

Evan groaned: “Wow, what does he mean by that?”

Yin Chang smirked and replied in English: “Now you know why I said what I did.”

Evan: “I felt like I was being provoked! His attitude makes me want to punch him!”

Yin Chang subconsciously said: “No, you can’t. He is my brother now.”

Evan: “Don’t you dislike him?”

Yin Chang: “Still, he’s my brother. I can dislike him, but I won’t let anyone hit him.”

Evan: “…”

After going to the refrigerator, Yin Chang commented: “Well, I’ll talk to you when I get back the day after tomorrow.  Okay, good night.”

Hanging up the video call, Yin Chang didn’t speak with Shao Junling. Instead, he put the newly baked cupcakes on a cooling rack then took out a decorating gun to pipe the fresh cream on them. Quickly, Yin Chang finished putting on the icing and in a few moments, they were ready to eat.

Like a cat gazing on its prey, Shao Junling’s eyes darted back and forth, following the movement of Yin Chang’s hand.

Yin Chang saw him staring at the cupcakes intently with his mouth hanging open. He couldn’t help saying: “They are almost done.” The last touch was the chocolate syrup.

After taking the sauce out from the microwave, he drizzled it over the cupcakes. While he carried the plate of cupcakes to the table, Shao Junling followed him on his heels, like a puppy. As he sat down, Yin Chang gave him one to eat and said, “here you go,” but quickly remarked, “did you wash your hands first?” as he saw Shao Junling reach out with discolored hands.

When he heard Yin Chang’s commanding voice, he suddenly retracted his hands. However, Shao Junling’s continued to stare at the cupcakes on the table not believing they would be present once he left the table.

Yin Chang reminded him: “You can have as many as you want. Just wash your hands first.”

Shao Junling reluctantly got off the chair and left to wash.

Watching him, Yin Chang felt that Shao Junling was a bit cute. Although he had many bad habits like his hygiene, he was impolite and didn’t express himself well, Yin Chang thought he could at least raise him properly. As long as he was by his side, he could slowly teach him and change his behavior for the better.

When Shao Junling came back, Yin Chang pulled out a napkin and asked him to wipe his hands: “Ok. Now you can eat.”

As soon as Shao Junling heard Yin Chang, he snatched a dessert and couldn’t wait to start eating. Yin Chang watched him attentively.

For the time being, this was their daily routine. When Yin Chang served him food, he watched Shao Junling stuff himself. That is, the so-called ‘cultivate positive feelings’ was simply to live under the same roof and solve the problem of eating.

In the week that Shao Junling was back, Yin Chang found that his poor communication was indeed a big problem.

Even though he made attempts at serving him food that Shao Junling liked, when he asked him what he wanted, Shao Junling simply stared at Yin Chang in a daze and remained silent.

Yin Chang had to go in blind and fumble around for himself. He downloaded an app that specialized in food delivery service and ordered take-out at every meal. His original idea was to determine which foods he liked by ordering various ethnic styles of foods. However, after observing him at every meal, Yin Chang was no closer to learning what Shao Junling liked to eat as he was when he first moved in. Shao Junling ate everything. However, just because he ate everything, doesn’t necessarily mean he liked it.

For example, one day Yin Chang ordered a spicy hot pot. When Shao Junling sniffed the aromic scent of spices, his eyes sparkled like he was about to eat dessert. At the beginning of the meal, he wolfed down the food non-stop even though Yin Chang felt that the meal was quite spicy. Soon, it was obvious that Shao Junling was feeling uncomfortable. Not only did he start he fidgeting in his seat and whimpering, tears also fell from his eyes. As if he was in competition with Yin Chang, he kept his silence and continued shoveling the food into his mouth.

Over and over, Yin Chang asked him if he was feeling alright. Did he feel sick and need to go to the hospital? Was he thinking about something sad? More than he ever had in the past with his girlfriends, he was determined to be patient.

Even though he gave several opportunities for Shao Junling to answer him, Shao Junling just endured his discomfort and said nothing. While his face turned redder and redder, he continued to stuff his mouth full of food.

Eventually, Yin Chang gave in. He walked directly to the refrigerator and got out a bottle of ice water then forced him to drink half of it. Finally, Shao Junling said something.

Yin Chang couldn’t help himself. He laughed at Shao Junling misery. It turned out that Shao Junling wasn’t used to spicy food and he simply wanted to be brave.

After dinner, Shao Junling hid behind the sofa while playing with his Legos looking very pitiful.

In the end, Yin Chang was also affected by his stunt. He felt upset because Shao Junling’s reaction made Yin Chang feel like he was abusing him.

“If you don’t like something, say so right away.”

“…… Like or not like. Are these words too difficult to say?”

“….. How will I know if you don’t tell me?”

“….. Shao Junling, are you listening?”

He had his back towards Yin Chang for a long time and simply grunted back at him: “Hmm.”

That being said, Yin Chang didn’t expect Shao Junling to change so suddenly. His only method was to get better at observing him and understanding what he saw.

After several meals, Yin Chang was able to figure out what Shao Junling liked more-or-less. He favored high-fat, high-calorie foods like dessert, fried chicken and hamburgers and he lacked interest in healthy food like lettuce and salads. He didn’t like spicy food and he wouldn’t touch seafood like shrimp and crab.

Since Shao Junling was relatively thin and lacked muscle mass, Yin Chang didn’t think there was a problem for now. However, in the long run, in order to grow properly, Yin Chang knew he needed to find a nutritionist that specialized in children’s growth to plan a healthy diet for him.

At the moment, Yin Chang was worried as he continued to watch him eat the cupcakes in one breath.

Next week, he was going abroad to pack his belongings without Shao Junling as he didn’t have a passport and visa. Although this was a small problem that could be fixed with the appropriate documents and forms, a larger issue was, what to do with Shao Junling while Yin Chang was gone?

__________

The author has something to say: 【Vignette】

Shao Junling’s mental state when eating spicy hot pot:

It smells sooooo good! ΟωΟ

……. Umm, Hmm, why is it so hot! QwQ

But I have to eat so I can grow up quickly! (* ￣︿￣)

But it’s really hot. ~~ QAQ

(Hiding in the corner afterwards because he felt embarrassed) I’m angry. (〒 〒)

__________________

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The Perfect Relationship by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 17: Public Opinion Subsides

Yin Dong had no siblings and his parents were a pair of ordinary teachers from a small city. When Yin Chang was very young, Grandpa Yin died. At the time, Yin Dong was very busy with work and was unable to stay by his side at the hospital. As a result, his mother was very dissatisfied with her son being an actor.

Last year, Yin Dong’s mother who was in her eighties also died from an illness. Without telling Yin Chang and thus, he didn’t return to China, Yin Dong had gone back to his hometown to quietly handle her burial.

Since he wasn’t close to his Grandparents as a child, their passing hadn’t impacted him that much. It wasn’t until the Lawyer told him that he was adopted that Yin Chang felt alienated and alone. The fact that he had no blood relatives was a surprise.

Yao Manhuai frowned and asked: “Do you think like that because of the comments on the internet?”

Many people on the Internet accused Yin Chang of stealing his Father’s legacy and then ignoring Shao Junling.  Yao Manhuai was worried that public opinion would influence him. She offered a reminder: “Didn’t I tell you before that being criticized as a public figure was normal? Don’t take their comments to heart.”

Shaking his head, Yin Chang admitted that when he first saw the news, he was really affected. He thought he had been deceived, betrayed, and neglected. He really felt like his father was a complete asshole.

Once he calmed down, he thought about it more carefully. Was Yin Dong the kind of person who would go out with just anyone and as a result, have a child out of wedlock?

Just because regular people didn’t understand his Father, doesn’t mean Yin Chang didn’t know either. If Yin Dong had known about Shao Junling, he would never have left him on the streets or in a Welfare home.

Perhaps, the child was kept hidden from Yin Dong and he didn’t learn about Shao Junling until fairly recently. This was a much more plausible reason for Shao Junling’s sudden appearance. Why Yin Dong hid the truth from everyone, Yin Chang didn’t understand. Not only did he hide it from himself, but also his agent, Yao Manhuai, and even the lawyer wasn’t aware of the details. These people were like yin Dong’s closest relatives.

The only explanation Yin Chang could think of was that the birth of this child was illegitimate and the fewer people that knew about him, the better. In Yin Chang mind, he thought his Father valued Shao Junling more than himself because the boy was his own son by blood and Yin Chang was not. In addition, when he consulted with Lawyer Wang about the positive paternity test he found in Yin Dong’s office, the Lawyer said that legally, Shao Junling could claim half of Yin Dong’s assets.

When Yin Chang saw the environment that Shao Junling lived in, he felt like a cuckoo bird who had taken over a nest from its rightful owner.

He talked to Yao Manhuai further: “The attorney told me that my father left a 30 million insurance policy for me. The other property can be given to him when he comes of age. In the meantime, I will be able to help take care of the money for him. We can decide on what to do with the inheritance later.”

“Little Chang, you know how much your father loved you! Don’t think so little of yourself….” It was hard for Yao Manhuai to know if Yin Chang was being too rash out of anger, or too proper and sensible.

“I’m not belittling myself.” Yin Dong was kind to him. That is sentiment, not duty. While Yin Chang’s tone was indifferent, his eyes revealed another emotion. He felt rejected. He said “I think, even if my father left his will when he was alive, it wouldn’t be distributed in this way. He might even take out more assets for charity. Besides, I’m 18 years old already and my dad has given me such a good education. If I want money, I will make it myself. “

Yao Manhuai sighed. She felt distressed over Yin Chang, but also admired him for being strong: “Well, you have legally inherited your father’s estate. What you want to do with it is up to you.”

Regardless, Yao Manhuai didn’t worry about his lack of money that much. Since Yin Chang agreed to become an actor, she knew it was just a matter of time before he started making a lot of money.

Next, Yao Manhuai discussed with Yin Chang about Shao Junling’s living arrangements.

Even though Yin Chang brought him back from the Welfare Institute, in her eyes, Yin Chang was also a child in need of care. Moreover, she heard from the people in the welfare home that Shao Junling might have suffered some injuries during his childhood. His temperament was very unstable and he was extremely unsociable.

Since Yao Manhuai was the official guardian of Shao Junling she couldn’t help taking responsibility and suggesting: ”Why don’t I take Shao Junling home to my place first?”

Yin Chang was also worried about where Shao Junling should live. When he witnessed how the other kids treated him, all he wanted to do was rescue the boy. It wasn’t like Shao Junling had to stay by Yin Chang’s side. Now that the boy was here, Yin Chang was feeling a little awkward about the situation he got himself into.

“Why don’t you ask him?” Yin Chang glanced at Shao Junling. As soon as he spoke to Yao Manhuai, Shao Junling opened the box of Lego and started playing with them. Yin Dong had taken him here before so he was familiar with the layout of the apartment.

Yao Manhuai walked over and asked softly: “Shao Junling, do you want to go home with your aunt?”

While sitting with his back towards her, Shao Junling continued to play with the Legos. He kept silent and ignored her as if he heard nothing.

Yao Manhuai walked around to face Shao Junling and calmly tried to coax him: “Auntie’s house is also very big. You will have your own beautiful room with all the toys you want, okay?”

This time, Shao Junling reacted. He pivoted his butt a half circle and placed his back towards her.

Yao Manhuai’s mouth twitched: “…” Damn. This bear kid dares ignore me!

Yin Chang had the impression that women were better at dealing with children then men, but after witnessing Yao Manhuai’s attempts at conversation with Shao Junling, he realized she wasn’t any better at it than he was.

Yao Manhuai reluctantly withdrew: “Do you want me to find a temporary nanny for you?”

Yin Chang frowned. Since there was going to be one unknown child living at home, he was uncomfortable with having another unknown person here as well. If Shao Junling was really going to stay here, he much rather makes a request for Fiona, the nanny he grew up with, from abroad.

“Don’ worry about it. I’ll just try to get along with him for the next few days.” Yin Chang looked at Shao Junling’s and thought, at least the child was not very noisy. “We will think of something else if need be.”

Since Yin Chang’s thoughts were very reasonable, Yao Manhuai didn’t debate the issue. After she offered some advice, she gathered her things and left. She needed to go meet with the PR department and work on an official statement and announcement for the media to publish.

That evening, Yin Chang packed his things up and moved them to Yin Dong’s room. He prepared the guest bedroom for Shao Junling to sleep in. When it was time to rest, not knowing if his father had already taught Shao Junling proper bed time etiquette, Yin Chang gave him instructions he expected Shao Junling to follow. To his surprised, he very obediently followed through and went to bed without a fuss.

The drama of the day hadn’t quite passed. Early the next morning, in order for Shao Junling’s formal adoption to proceed, Yao Manhuai contacted the Welfare Institute and with the representative, they met at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Even though they met for the first time, the four were able to sign the necessary documents and proceed with the adoption without a problem.

The next day at noon, the Welfare Institute made an official announcement and explained the misunderstanding about the adoption to the media.

They also expressed their deep regret for the misunderstanding. The Institute confirmed Yin Dong’ intention to adopt Yu Junling before his death and apologized for the confusion because of Yin Dong’s sudden death. Fortunately, Yao Manhuai contacted them and at present, with all of Shao Junling’s health records in order, all parties agreed to the adoption.

Not long after this news was published, the official blog of Yin Dong’s Studio published a statement.  They apologized to the Welfare Institute and Yin Dong himself. Due to his sudden death, the studio was in chaos. The lack of organization resulted in misplaced emails which ultimately led to a misunderstanding. The damage it caused to Yin Dong’s reputation was great.

Since then, several highly credible media outlets had forwarded the statements from the studio. In addition, some of them have followed up on this matter. When they interviewed the Welfare Institute, they learned that before his death, Yin Dong had personally funded the center for nearly five million.

In private, Yin Chang and Shao Junling also conducted a DNA test. The results proved that they weren’t related by blood. This evidence further solidified Yin Chang’s thought that Shao Junling was Yin Dong’s biological son. However, the public knew nothing about it. The only acknowledge son of Yin Dong out in the open was Yin Chang and thus, the masses had made baseless assumptions.

According to the media’s opinion, there wasn’t a special reason for the adoption. Yin Dong simply wanted to adopt a boy. Now that public opinion has changed, all of those who complained about Yin Dong and Yin Chang felt punched in the face.

Subsequently, the media also published the fact that Shao Junling will be adopted by Yao Manhuai in name only.  Parenting needs and expenses will be borne by Yin Chang. Not only that, Yin Chang delayed Yin Dong’s inheritance until Shao Junling becomes of age so they can decide together on how best to handle the assets.

As soon as the news came out, the whole network was boiling again.

“What does that mean? Even without a blood relationship, Yin Chang is going to make Shao Junling his brother and give away his inheritance?”

“…and who said he was keeping it all for himself? Come and get a slap!”

“This is true wealth. When people are raised in an environment where there is no shortage of money, they don’t care about it at all.”

……

Finally, Attorney Wang’s law firm countered Fast Dog Entertainment and sent a letter of liability for the damages to Yin Chang and Yin Dong’s reputation.

Despite this, since the news that was released by Fast Dog Entertainment was carefully worded to mislead and incite people only, it was difficult to actually convict them. As a result of the constant fact-based news statements that explained Yin Dong’s controversy, the public now believed that Yin Chang was wrongfully accused.

As a result, public opinion has once again turned its back and shifted the blame towards the irresponsible news outlets which had been propagating rumors and slander. However nasty it was for Yin Dong and his son, the remarks that the public made towards the media outlets and paparazzi were much worse.

It took about a week until the tumultuous public opinion storm completely settled down.

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