Chapter 7: An Unsettling Breakfast

It was only now, amidst his earlier panic, that Chen Qiming realized the person holding an umbrella over Lu Shi was Shen Zheming.

He gave an awkward smile. “I apologize, Young Master Shen, for making a spectacle of myself.”

Then Chen Qiming turned to Lu Shi. “Are you determined to drive Youxuan away? You’re being unbearably harsh! That family has taught you nothing but bad habits!”

Quite the performance of face-changing.

Lu Shi replied, “Is that so? He wants to leave, doesn’t he? You’ve been holding him back and arguing for so long—I’m just giving him a hand, what’s wrong with that?”

He paused, a half-smile playing on his lips. “Or was it all just an act?”

Zhu Wanqing’s expression darkened. “Xiao Shi, Youxuan truly treats you like a brother. How can you suspect him like this?”

“Whether I’m right or not, we’ll know once we open his suitcase.” Lu Shi tilted his chin toward the suitcase that had been snatched from Chen Youxuan inside the door.

The servants wouldn’t dare touch the young master’s belongings.

Seeing everyone frozen, Lu Shi stepped forward himself.

Chen Qiming didn’t want the situation to escalate into something irreparable. He wanted to stop Lu Shi, but Shen Zheming’s presence held him back—he feared the Shen family might perceive him as biased, treating his sons unequally.

Lu Shi unzipped the suitcase and kicked it open.

Inside were a few summer clothes, some lightweight tissue packs, and a plush toy. Nothing else.

Would anyone leave home without their phone charger or essential documents?

Lu Shi knew Chen Youxuan had never intended to leave.

This tactic of playing the victim was one Chen Youxuan had used countless times in their past life—Lu Shi had seen it all before.

Shen Zheming glanced at the suitcase, then raised his eyes to Lu Shi.

Though the umbrella was large and the car was not far from the villa, Lu Shi’s brows and hair were still misted with rain, making his pupils appear darker and clearer.

A sardonic smile curled Lu Shi’s lips. His tone, offering a face-saving exit, sounded almost like charity.

“Go find him now, or he’ll start craning his neck, anxious that no one’s chasing after him.”

Zhu Wanqing’s gaze flickered away, at a loss for words.

A few servants, stunned by the drama, finally snapped out of it. They hurriedly grabbed umbrellas and ran into the misty rain.

Chen Qiming pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling deep down that his biological son had changed.

For the past month, Lu Shi had been obedient—whether it was an act or genuine, at least on the surface he had gotten along with Chen Youxuan like a proper brother. How had he suddenly become a different person?

He was inconsiderate, unyielding, with an expression that said he would never let an offense slide.

The person before him turned his head to look over.

Lu Shi said, “Thank you for the ride today, Young Master Shen. I won’t invite you in for tea.”

Hearing Lu Shi dismiss Shen Zheming so bluntly, Chen Qiming nearly choked.

Shen Zheming’s expression remained unchanged. He gave a slight nod. “It was no trouble.”

Under the complex gazes of the butler and servants, Lu Shi stepped inside.

Seeing Shen Zheming about to leave, Chen Qiming hurriedly ordered the steward to fetch an umbrella, ready to personally escort him out.

Shen Zheming said, “No need. Your family seems quite occupied today. Tend to your own affairs first; don’t put the cart before the horse.”

Chen Qiming’s face burned with humiliation.

Having fought in the business world for so many years, he could not miss the implied criticism in Shen Zheming’s words.

Shen Zheming seemed to decline the send-off, but was actually reproaching his attitude toward Lu Shi and Chen Youxuan.

After the Shen family’s car drove off, it wasn’t long before Chen Youxuan was found and brought back.

As expected, he hadn’t gone far—he hadn’t even left the residential compound. The servants found him without much trouble.

However, Chen Youxuan came down with a fever as soon as he returned. Chen Qiming quickly called the family doctor, and Zhu Wanqing and all the servants stayed up to attend to him.

People bustled about the villa, bringing hot water and preparing ginger soup.

Lu Shi was a light sleeper. He had planned to rest early tonight, but ended up lying awake until midnight.

Just as Lu Shi lost count of how many times he had tossed and turned in irritation, his phone on the bedside table lit up.

It was a message from Ding Wei:

[Ding Wei: Bro Lu, are you sick? I saw your face was terrible after the fight earlier.]

[Ding Wei: Are you feeling better? Should I call a doctor? I described it to my dad, and he said you should get your heart and lungs checked.]

Lu Shi grabbed a pillow, propped it behind his back, and sat up. He replied:

[Lu Shi: It’s nothing, I’m just tired. I had to fight three guys while someone just stood there and watched.]

Ding Wei hastily sent a ‘sorry’ sticker.

The corner of Lu Shi’s mouth lifted involuntarily.

He didn’t have any major illnesses, but plenty of minor ones.

For instance, he used to wash clothes in cold water, so his finger joints ached in winter.

He also had iron-deficiency anemia—standing up quickly would make his vision go dark.

His explosive strength was fine, but not his stamina. Prolonged intense exercise left him breathless.

Oh, and last time, Shen Luo mentioned his glands might be a bit off.

In short, he was like a machine with various issues—functional, but creaky.

The ‘typing…’ indicator flickered.

After a long pause, Ding Wei hesitantly sent:

[Ding Wei: Bro Lu, were you really the true son switched at birth in the Chen family?]

Ding Wei had heard it from others at the dinner table. He never expected that Lu Shi was a rich family’s young master, and so down-to-earth.

[Lu Shi: Not switched at birth—it was a deliberate substitution.]

In the darkness, Lu Shi lowered his eyes.

He was particular about such wording; any detail that lessened Wang Xiuzhi’s guilt, he would correct.

Saying ‘switched at birth’ made it sound like it was his own misfortune, that he had to accept it as fate.

Realizing his mistake, Ding Wei was silent for a while.

It was just an ordinary fever, but Chen Youxuan took three full days to recover.

When he finally appeared at the dining table, he looked much more haggard, with dark circles under his eyes that betrayed sleepless nights.

Chen Youxuan was in a bad mood, probably because Lu Shi had exposed his fake runaway act, and Chen Qiming and Zhu Wanqing had scolded him in private.

His bad mood lifted Lu Shi’s spirits.

That morning, the Chen family was having breakfast. Zhu Wanqing peeled an egg for Chen Youxuan, while Chen Qiming sipped soy milk and read the newspaper. Sunlight streamed in through the French windows.

It should have been a warm, harmonious scene.

Until a flash of garish color caught everyone’s eyes.

Lu Shi came downstairs slowly, wearing clothes of unknown origin: a red top and green pants.

The clashing red and green—a color combination that screamed ‘bad taste’—seemed to rub everyone’s eyes in the dirt.

Zhu Wanqing, who always paid great attention to dressing, stopped peeling the egg, her fingertips trembling at the sight that made her want to black out.

Chen Qiming looked up, frowning deeply. “Who told you to dress like that? Go change.”

A servant couldn’t suppress a quiet snicker.

Lu Shi said nothing this time. He obediently went upstairs to change.

Just as Chen Qiming thought the boy had finally come to his senses, Lu Shi came down wearing a simple T-shirt he used to wear in the impoverished county, with a gray jacket thrown over it.

The T-shirt, washed so many times, had become soft and slightly faded, with barely visible loose threads at the hem.

It looked shabby but felt comfortable.

Chen Qiming’s brows knit even tighter. “What exactly are you trying to say? Anyone would think our Chen family has mistreated you.”

Lu Shi pulled out a chair and sat down. “I can’t be bothered to coordinate.”

The Chen family hadn’t really deprived him materially before; he had spent every day learning etiquette and dressing.

But in the end, he only earned ridicule for his awkward imitation. Better to dress for comfort.

Perhaps Lu Shi’s shabby old clothes finally stirred Zhu Wanqing’s conscience. She remembered what kind of life he had lived before returning to the Chen family.

But she didn’t dwell on it—just felt she ought to pay more attention to Lu Shi.

Seeing that Lu Shi’s cup was empty, she instructed a nearby maid to pour him some tea.

Previously, Chen Youxuan had complained about the older servants, so Chen Qiming replaced them with a group in their twenties, who could both attend to him and chat with him.

The maid carrying the teapot was a young girl. Chen Youxuan often called them ‘sister’ and treated them like friends, so they all liked the young master.

As for the newly returned elder young master, they saw him as a country bumpkin who was jealous of the younger one and tried to drive him away every day.

The maid rolled her eyes discreetly and came over reluctantly.

When pouring, she noticed Lu Shi’s hand near the cup. Wanting to get back at him for the younger master, she deliberately jerked her hand—

Scalding tea splashed onto Lu Shi’s hand. He flinched.

“Oh, Master Lu Shi, I’m so sorry. Your hand was too close to the cup.”

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