Chapter 29
Inside the bedroom, Old Master He’s exhausted face looked deathly pale. Those faintly trembling hands had been clutching the tiny pills for a very, very long time.
“Old Master He, it’s confirmed. These pills really are the poison the young master has been taking over a long period of time.”
Doctor George spoke with both heartache and fury. Those beasts had actually used such an extremely vicious method on a child.
Old Master He’s breathing stalled. Although he had long known these people had ill intentions, the moment he thought of them using such cruel and sinister means on a seven-year-old child, the surge of rage and shock still came crashing over him.
“They were stuck inside the wall of the faucet, so no one would notice. Every time he drank water, it was another dose of poison.” Holding Yu Chen in his arms, Li Huan stared warily at the pills. “If we hadn’t discovered it in time, and they kept using this method again and again, how much suffering would the young master have endured?”
Old Master He handed the pills to George, his voice weary after his anger. “Follow this clue and investigate immediately.”
He Heng nodded. “Yes.”
After the bedroom door closed softly, Old Master He slowly shut his cloudy, aged eyes, then forced them open again. Exhausted in both body and mind, he said, “Thank you, chubby Chenchen. If it weren’t for you, Xiao Zhen would still be suffering.”
Yu Chen obediently shook his head, his long, thick lashes fluttering slightly. “You’re welcome, Grandpa. Will Boss’s illness get better right away?”
Old Master He nodded. “Mm, yes. Luckily we had chubby Chenchen.”
Yu Chen immediately clapped his little hands. “That’s great! I haven’t talked to Boss for five whole days already.”
When Yu Chen pressed his lips together and smiled, the faint dimples that appeared were especially festive-looking. Old Master He felt much better just watching him and waved him over. “Come here, chubby Chenchen. Let Grandpa hold you.”
Yu Chen shook his head. “No way. Grandpa isn’t feeling well. You can’t bear my weight.”
Old Master He let out a hoarse chuckle. “Alright, alright. When Grandpa gets better, then I’ll hold you.”
“Okay!” Yu Chen scampered over to Old Master He’s side and rubbed his chubby little face against Old Master He’s palm.
After the two chatted a while longer, Li Huan gathered Yu Chen more tightly in his arms. “You should rest first. Chenchen and I will go keep Xiao Zhen company.”
Old Master He’s grateful gaze lingered on Li Huan. “You’ve worked hard during this time. Thankfully you father and son have been taking care of Xiao Zhen.”
Li Huan said, “It’s only right.”
Old Master He’s voice was weak. “From now on, if there’s anything you want, just say it. I’ve always kept Chenchen’s heart condition in mind. Once the technology overseas is mature enough, I’ll ask them to come treat Chenchen.”
Li Huan’s gaze fell on Yu Chen’s chest, and his eyes filled with surprise and relief. “Thank you, Old Master He.”
Old Master He waved his hand. “Go on, go on. Lately, you and He Heng can also help me keep an eye on the moving arrangements. Until Xiao Zhen comes of age, I’m going to live here.”
“Alright!” Li Huan said. “I’ll get on it right away.”
Seeing how happy Li Huan was, Yu Chen’s bright watery eyes curved up in a matching smile. “Yay! Grandpa is moving here to live with us!”
A faint smile barely appeared on Old Master He’s weak face. “Mm.”
With a lead in hand, He Heng took charge of the external investigation and thoroughly dug into the poisoning case. Li Huan handled everything inside the house, taking meticulous care of both Old Master He and He Zhen. As for Yu Chen, he became He Zhen’s personal little bodyguard, lying at He Zhen’s ear every day to tell him stories like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.
After finding the source of the poison, Doctor George’s side gained a much clearer picture, and He Zhen’s health improved day by day. Although he was still drowsy during the daytime now and then, after a week he was basically able to get out of bed and move around normally, and his appetite had improved quite a bit too.
Ever since He Zhen had regained some strength, he noticed that Yu Chen seemed to have changed a lot in appearance. Looking more carefully, he realized Yu Chen had slimmed down quite a bit.
That afternoon, He Zhen leaned against a cushion and pinched Yu Chen’s little cheek. “Yu Chenchen, did you lose weight?”
Yu Chen nodded. “Yep! Five jin!”
“Why did you lose so much?” A bit of guilt welled up in He Zhen’s expression as he lowered his eyes and asked, “Were you too tired from taking care of me?”
“During the time you were sick, chubby Chenchen’s appetite visibly got smaller.” Old Master He suddenly appeared, interrupting their conversation.
He Zhen lightly drew Yu Chen into his arms. “Grandpa, you came.”
Li Huan pushed Old Master He in his wheelchair and said, “Your grandpa is feeling better today, so he insisted I wheel him over to see you.”
Ever since He Zhen fell ill, Old Master He’s health had also failed to improve much. The doctors had seen him many times, but it was always the same old ailments. At the end of the day, what he needed most was to rest and keep himself in a good mood.
Having just recovered from a serious illness, He Zhen’s palm-sized little face looked even smaller and more delicate next to Yu Chen.
His pale lips lifted slightly as he thanked Old Master He, but all his attention was on Yu Chen’s flatter little tummy.
“Yu Chenchen!” He Zhen suddenly started settling scores after the fact, his tone carrying a trace of teasing. “Did you make up random stories for me?”
Tucked in He Zhen’s arms, Yu Chen leaned back and rubbed against He Zhen’s little chest, pouting. “No? I told them very seriously.”
He Zhen laughed at him. “Anyway, I’ve never heard of stories like Cinderella Builds a House, Sleeping Beauty After a Big Feast, or Beauty and the Dinner.”
At the mention of how he had wildly altered those classic tales, Yu Chen played with He Zhen’s hand while defending himself. “Boss, am I smart? Were my revised stories good or not?”
He Zhen said, “You’re not smart at all. You’re just a little fool.” If you weren’t a little fool, how could you have let yourself get so thin?
Yu Chen giggled. “Then I’m the little fool, and Boss is Einstein!”
Listening to the two children bicker, Old Master He instantly felt his body and mind relax, and his mood brightened as well. He chimed in, “How come I never knew chubby Chenchen had such a sweet mouth?”
Li Huan smiled and shook his head. Then Yu Chen, on the bed, suddenly said, “So little Einstein has to take care of silly Chenchen forever and buy me yummy food for my whole life.”
That made Old Master He burst into laughter. “So this is where chubby Chenchen’s little scheme was waiting.”
Li Huan pressed his lips together and smiled without saying anything. The more he looked, the more he felt that the chubby Chenchen of his family was not only clever and adorable, but also obedient and sensible.
After hearing that, He Zhen did not respond. He merely rested his chin on Yu Chen’s little head and quietly kissed Yu Chen’s hair.
A wish like buying snacks for Yu Chen for a lifetime was really very simple.
He could make it come true.
During the days he was unconscious, he had many dreams. Besides dreaming of his parents, the person who appeared most often in them was Yu Chen. He could hear Yu Chen crying beside him, and he could also hear Yu Chen chatting on and on to him. Countless times, he wanted to respond to Yu Chen, but he simply could not wake up.
This time, he had finally slowly recovered and could now touch and see Yu Chen again. The only thing that made him unhappy was that Yu Chen had grown thinner.
Once he fully recovered, he would definitely take good care of Yu Chen and make him the happiest chubby child in the world.
Time passed quickly. On He Heng’s side, the real culprit behind the poisoning was soon uncovered—a personal bodyguard who had taken care of He Zhen for five years.
By bribing the maid in charge of cleaning, the bodyguard had put the forbidden drug into the nozzle of the bedside direct-drinking water dispenser, causing He Zhen to be poisoned.
The people around Old Master He were naturally no pushovers. After several rounds of interrogation, the bodyguard spilled everything cleanly and confessed that the former housekeeper Xu Kai had been the one behind it.
Xu Kai had once taken care of He Zhen for two years. After making He Zhen cry over the truancy incident, He Jinglin transferred him to the He family’s estate on the outskirts of the city to work as a caretaker. Later, unhappy with the way he was treated there, he resigned and eventually took a job at a private company in Hai City.
“Xu Kai was very close to this bodyguard. He transferred him two million, which is why the bodyguard took the risk.” He Heng pushed up his glasses. “Following this lead, we continued to investigate and found that Xu Kai had close dealings with—”
At that point, He Heng paused slightly, studying Old Master He’s suddenly grave expression.
Old Master He said, “Continue.”
He Heng nodded. “We found that he had close contact with Ye Chengjin.”
“Ye Chengjin?” Old Master He stared at him, feeling the name was familiar.
He Heng gave a quiet “mm” and explained the truth. “Ye Chengjin is the younger brother of Second Young Master’s wife. He has always worked in our family’s shipbuilding company.”
“He’s gone mad!” Before He Heng could finish, Old Master He, enraged, hurled his teacup, and the sound of shattering lingered in the room for a long time.
The shipbuilding company had originally been managed by He Jingtai. After suffering three consecutive years of catastrophic drops in revenue, Old Master He handed it over to He Jingyue, hoping he could produce some results. He Jingyue was highly capable, and in just one year he brought the company back from the brink of death, gradually restoring its market dominance. After seeing that, He Jingtai started scheming again. Playing the victim and pestering Old Master He nonstop, he eventually got the company handed back to him.
But Old Master He had also laid down one condition.
He Jingtai could be the chairman of the shipbuilding company.
But he would never be the chairman of Hefeng Group.
“Do they think I’m blind? That I can’t see these filthy, despicable methods of theirs?” Old Master He began coughing violently. “Or do they think they can harm He Zhen without restraint?”
He Heng quickly brought over a glass of water. “Old Master He, your health is what matters. Please don’t get so angry that you damage your body.” There was no longer any need for him to continue digging further. Since they had already traced things to Ye Chengjin, Old Master He naturally knew in his heart who the mastermind was. What came next was a family matter of the He household.
He Heng had followed Old Master He for many years. What kind of vicious power struggles among wealthy families had he not seen? But trying to turn a seven-year-old child into a mental patient for the sake of fighting over power—that was truly a first.
Old Master He coughed a few more times, his face pale. “He Heng, call Jinglin over. I want to discuss this with her.”
He Heng hesitated. “Can Third Miss be trusted?”
Old Master He nodded. “Mm. Xiao Zhen once said that among all his relatives, his aunt treats him the best.”
In He Zhen’s bedroom, Yu Chen was playing chess with him. Since Yu Chen kept losing, his plump little face was covered in strips of paper.
During the game, He Zhen did not go easy on Yu Chen, who had only just learned how to play, because the two of them had agreed that whoever won the most games got to ride the other like a horse.
He Zhen naturally did not want to be the little horse, so he bullied Yu Chen without mercy. Fortunately, Yu Chen had a good temper. Even with white paper strips pasted all over his face, he didn’t get angry, and still played obediently as if he didn’t care about winning or losing at all.
“You lost.” After ten games, He Zhen crushed Yu Chen 10 to 0. “You have to let me ride you like a horse.” He Zhen rarely smiled so happily, gently poking Yu Chen’s little tummy. “You little horse would probably be very comfortable to ride.”
Yu Chen looked at him with moist eyes. “Boss.”
It seemed He Zhen had long grown used to Yu Chen’s tricks. Crossing his arms, he spoke in a tone that allowed no discussion. “Yu Chenchen, calling me Boss is useless. You have to be the little horse.”
Yu Chen’s dark eyes shifted slightly. “Wasn’t it that whoever won gets to be the little horse?”
“Right! Whoever wins gets to be the little—” Halfway through, He Zhen suddenly realized something was wrong. “You’re talking nonsense! It’s whoever loses that becomes the little horse.”
Yu Chen pouted. “No it isn’t. It’s you who has to be the little horse.”
He Zhen suddenly narrowed his eyes. “Yu Chenchen! You’re cheating.”
“I’m not.” Yu Chen quickly waved his chubby little hands. “It’s your ears that didn’t hear clearly, Boss.”
He Zhen refused to give in. “Yu Chenchen! A bet is a bet. If you lose, you have to be the little horse.”
It was the first time Yu Chen had ever been spoken to so sternly by He Zhen. His pretty eyes, damp with mist, lowered slightly. His fragile little heart trembled, and golden little tears immediately fell into his palm.
Slowly, he bent over, lay on the bed, and stuck up his butt, burying his round little face in the mattress as he sniffled softly. “Boss, climb on.”
The moment Yu Chen cried, He Zhen completely panicked. He stood there at a loss, his brows tightening slightly.
In his understanding, if you lost a bet, then you had to accept the punishment.
But when Yu Chen became like this, his own heart hurt terribly.
After hesitating again and again, he still leaned closer to Yu Chen’s ear. “Stop crying. I won’t ride you anymore.”
Yu Chen’s little milky voice was full of grievance. “A bet is a bet! I can’t cheat!” His round little bottom trembled as he whimpered.
Ever since He Zhen had more or less recovered from his illness, every time he saw Yu Chen’s noticeably thinner little butt, he felt guilty.
Out of concern for face, after struggling with himself for quite a while, he finally said, “Yu Chenchen.”
Yu Chen still sounded tearful, looking impossible to soothe. “Boss! You don’t have to persuade me! Just ride me!”
Seeing that he couldn’t coax him, He Zhen fell silent for a few seconds before puffing out his cheeks unwillingly. “Stop crying, Yu Chenchen. Fine, then you can ride me, okay?”
The moment he heard that, Yu Chen’s watery eyes were instantly drawn to He Zhen. “Oh, that works too…”
After hearing what had happened to He Zhen, He Jinglin was heartbroken. She had never imagined that her two brothers could be so utterly beastly, so completely stripped of humanity by their hunger for power.
This time, she held nothing back and told Old Master He everything her two brothers had done over the years.
She had long suspected that the two of them had been secretly influencing He Zhen and plotting something unspeakable behind the scenes. But because she had never had evidence before, she had been wary and did not dare tell Old Master He directly.
“Dad, Xiao Zhen is only seven. If he is to grow up safely, you must uphold justice for him this time.” He Jinglin’s eyes reddened with anxiety, feeling aggrieved for He Zhen.
Old Master He thought in silence for a long while. “First, remove Jingtai from the position of chairman of the shipbuilding company, and strip him of all his posts in the parent company as well.”
“What about Third Brother?” He Jinglin looked worried and anxious. “We still don’t know whether Third Brother was involved in this poisoning. If we don’t deal with him—”
Old Master He did not hesitate. “Remove Jingcheng’s positions as well. Let both of them reflect on themselves first. For the time being, I do not want to see either of them.”
The more He Jinglin thought about it, the more her heart ached for He Zhen. “Such a small child, without parents to care for him, really is easy to take advantage of. He was slandered and didn’t even have a chance to defend himself. He drank poisoned water for an entire month and only found out when the effects finally showed!”
Old Master He’s gaze softened at once, and his voice grew slow and heavy. “I was wrong in the past. From now on, as long as I still have breath left in me, I will protect Xiao Zhen.”
He Jinglin clasped her father’s aged hand. “Dad, and there’s me too! We must protect Xiao Zhen!”
Before leaving, Old Master He told He Jinglin that He Zhen trusted his aunt the most. She was delighted and wanted to personally see how well He Zhen was recovering.
Although Old Master He had said that He Zhen was basically fine now, she would only truly feel at ease after seeing him with her own eyes.
As she passed the bedroom, He Jinglin worried that He Zhen might be resting, so she quietly pushed open the door.
The scene before her made both her and Old Master He freeze.
At that moment, her dear little nephew, as if he had endless bull-like strength, was happily carrying that familiar chubby little doll on his back and acting as a horse with great enthusiasm.
Yu Chen’s baby-fat little face was overflowing with pure happiness. His tears were long gone, and he was excitedly shouting, “Riding the horsey! Riding the horsey!”
He Zhen was giving it his all and asked in a haughty tone, “So? Am I strong or not?”
Yu Chen giggled and rubbed hard against He Zhen in a hug.
He Jinglin did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Dad, Xiao Zhen should be completely fine. If this keeps up, though, his waist may develop problems.”
“I’ll have Li Huan remind the two of them,” Old Master He said with deep emotion. “But the two of them really are very close.”
“Yes. Luckily there’s chubby Chenchen. Otherwise Xiao Zhen’s personality wouldn’t be this sunny and bright.” He Jinglin genuinely liked Yu Chen. Every time they met, she always took the chance to poke his chubby little face.
“Mm. With him by Xiao Zhen’s side, I’m at ease too.” Old Master He voiced his plans for the future. “If Yu Chen is willing, then after Xiao Zhen takes over the company in the future, he can become his right-hand man.”
He Jinglin smiled faintly. “We’ll see.”
Inside the bedroom, the two children were playing noisily and happily.
He Zhen suddenly asked Yu Chen, “Yu Chenchen, what do you want to do when you grow up?”
Without a second thought, Yu Chen answered, “I want to become a scientist!”
He Zhen was instantly interested. “A scientist? That sounds really cool!”
Yu Chen said, “That’s right! I’m going to become the greatest food scientist ever!”
He Zhen suddenly fell silent. “…” That works too.
As He Jingtai and He Jingcheng were successively stripped of all their posts in Hefeng Group, a huge uproar broke out internally. He Jingtai begged Old Master He bitterly again and again, but Old Master He did not leave him the slightest bit of face and directly refused to see him. In the end, he instructed the security guards at White Rose Garden that anyone connected to either He Jingtai or He Jingcheng was absolutely not to be let in. Such a decisive move completely panicked He Jingtai. Whether it was relatives he asked to plead for him, or using He Nan as an emotional bargaining chip, Old Master He remained unmoved. In the end, Old Master He left him only two sentences.
[The sins you committed, you must atone for them yourself. Only when you’ve finished atoning can we speak again of father and son.]
Time passed slowly on.
After hearing that He Zhen had been sick, He Zhi’an specially organized Xiao Yu and Fang Jingrao to come visit him. Originally, everyone had wanted to take the chance to tour He Zhen’s beautiful estate and have a good time there, since they had heard that White Rose Garden’s design had once won an international award.
But after walking into He Zhen’s bedroom and seeing Yu Chen frantically making up his homework, everyone fell silent as a group.
So they all went back home, carried over their own winter break homework, and buried their heads together in desperate last-minute work. They had all played too wildly during the holiday and completely forgotten that winter homework even existed.
As for He Zhen, the only little patient who had already finished all his winter vacation homework, he was speechless toward all of them. He was supposed to be resting quietly, yet now he also had to explain problems to a bunch of academically hopeless elementary school kids.
Young Master He pressed at his temples. It was all because he was just too outstanding.
Those full and happy days passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, three years had gone by. The five little children slowly grew into bigger kids, entered fifth grade together, and remained good friends.
Over those three years, both medical technology and science abroad progressed rapidly. The success rate for Yu Chen’s heart condition treatment plan finally rose to 70%.
Originally, Li Huan had wanted to delay it a bit longer. But compared with when he was younger, Yu Chen’s condition had started worsening. Sometimes, after running only a few quick steps, he would feel chest tightness and shortness of breath. The doctor said that children with congenital heart disease generally begin showing symptoms around the age of ten. Yu Chen, who had just celebrated his ninth birthday, would only get worse later if he did not receive timely treatment.
Li Huan and Old Master He repeatedly consulted with the expert team specially invited from the United States, and in the end finalized a surgical plan for Yu Chen.
To ensure the operation would go smoothly, Li Huan did not dare be careless in the slightest. Even though Yu Chen was currently in fifth grade and facing a fairly heavy academic workload, he still took two months of leave for him, arranged his hospital admission in advance, and began all kinds of tests and evaluations.
At the private hospital in the city center, fallen leaves lay scattered across the pebble path like a sheet of golden satin.
The October breeze carried a faint intoxicating fragrance at all times.
The weather in Haicheng was now pleasant and mild, neither cold nor hot, making it the perfect time for outings in nature.
A pair of spotless white sneakers stepped on the golden fallen leaves, producing crisp crunching sounds.
The handsome young boy was tall and slender, dressed in a pure white school uniform. He looked somewhat more mature than an ordinary ten-year-old child.
Carrying a thermal lunch container, the boy’s brows and eyes tilted slightly upward. His naturally proper and refined features carried a faint soft smile, as if he were thinking of someone in particular.
The setting sun shone on his soft, gentle hair. The autumn breeze brushed the loose bangs over his forehead, and in those bright eyes was a faint, almost unnoticeable anticipation.
Familiar with the way, he pressed the “4” button in the elevator, turned the corner toward a private hospital room, and knocked softly on the door.
“Makabaka! Open the door!”
Hearing that clear and pleasant voice, the boy smiled, the corners of his brows lifting. Raising the thermal container higher, he pushed the door open and walked in slowly.
On the snow-white hospital bed sat a beautiful, lively boy. He wore a loose khaki sweater that exposed a long, fair neck. His slightly baby-fat round face still carried traces of childishness, and the brightness and liveliness in his eyes became even more intense the moment he caught the scent of food.
“Boss! Why did you come so early today?”
Compared to three years ago, nine-year-old Yu Chen was clearly a little thinner. Though he was no longer as round as before, the fleshy feel of his wrists was still very nice.
His features had become more defined, the outline of his soft round face gradually emerging. His eyes, bright as stars, were as clear and lively as water. At a glance, he looked like the model of a well-behaved, obedient good student.
“I skipped the school-based elective class and came over right after school.”
Compared with three years ago, He Zhen’s voice had lost much of its childishness and changed slightly. In another two or three years, he would probably reach the age when his voice broke. Standing before the hospital bed, his gaze fell on the various monitoring devices attached to Yu Chen. “Yu Chenchen, how are you feeling?”
“I feel pretty good!”
Yu Chen was currently catching up on homework. Even though he had already been out of class for two weeks, his studies had not fallen behind in the slightest. Every day, He Zhen brought him the key points from class and tutored him.
Yu Chen was the sort who could never sit still. Even while doing homework, his legs swung back and forth, and his pretty pupils had already quietly fallen on the blue thermal container. Who knew what the family cook had made today? It smelled so delicious.
“Boss, I’m hungry.”
Yu Chen’s voice was soft and sticky, like a boneless little snake as he slowly leaned against He Zhen’s side and pointed at the thermal container.
This thermal container had five layers and could hold quite a lot of good food.
“I’ll set up the table for you.”
Ever since Yu Chen had been hospitalized, aside from doing homework, he barely had to do anything himself. He Zhen did it all for him.
He Zhen was now already 147 cm tall. Beneath his white school uniform, he wore a simple T-shirt. When he worked, his uniform sleeves rolled up slightly, revealing smooth lines in his forearms and very obvious signs of exercise.
Yu Chen was extremely envious of He Zhen. The two of them clearly ate the same food, and sometimes Yu Chen even ate more than He Zhen, yet his height increased at a snail’s pace, creeping up painfully slowly.
His pre-admission physical exam showed that he was only 135 cm tall—almost half a head shorter than He Zhen!
Yu Chen was deeply struck by this and drank milk like crazy every single day.
Very quickly, He Zhen neatly arranged the food, and even washed Yu Chen’s utensils for him. “Yu Chenchen, eat.” His manner and expression were exactly like a rule-abiding little adult, as if he were Yu Chen’s parent, taking care of his daily life. The doctors and nurses at the hospital often joked that the age gap between He Zhen and Yu Chen didn’t look like just one year—more like at least five.
Yu Chen pretended not to understand that the older brothers and sisters were calling him childish. Acting adorably without the slightest sense of contradiction, he clung to He Zhen. “Boss…”
He Zhen gathered him into the crook of his arm. “What is it? Don’t you like the food?”
Yu Chen shamelessly used his cuteness as a weapon and pointed at his own mouth. “My hand hurts from doing homework. Can you feed me?”
