Chapter 20: The Name Change Refused

Without asking why Chen Qiming wanted to see him, Lu Shi simply followed him to the study.

The secretary placed the documents on the desk. Chen Qiming gestured to the solid wood visitor chair beside him. “Have a seat.”

Lu Shi chose a chair with a cushion, settled in comfortably, and resumed scrolling through the group chat.

 Want to play tennis this afternoon? I just took two lessons with a teacher and want to practice. – Yu Xi

Huh? I can’t play, but I really want to learn. I can come with you. – Ding Wei

Big Brother Lu, want to join? – Yu Xi

Brother Lu is busy these days, swimming in the ocean of knowledge every day. – Ding Wei

Don’t spread rumors. Count me in. – Lu Shi

Ding Wei asked in surprise: “You’re not doing problems today?”

Lu Shi’s eyelids drooped. “Not in the mood.”

Lu Shi never kept his phone on silent. The crisp tapping of the keyboard echoed pleasantly in the quiet study.

Chen Qiming tapped the desk with mild displeasure. Although the main reason for summoning Lu Shi to the study was to discuss the name change, he couldn’t resist asking about something else first.

“How have you been doing at the tutoring center lately?”

Lu Shi couldn’t be bothered to look up. “It’s okay.”

Chen Qiming frowned. He had heard from the teacher that Lu Shi never paid attention in class. But ever since Lu Shi moved out, Chen Qiming had regretted his harsh words in that moment of impulse. After learning more about the incident, he felt a pang of guilt toward Lu Shi. So now, even when Lu Shi looked at his phone right in front of him, he held back from saying anything.

Chen Qiming opened the name ledger on the table. Inside were auspicious names chosen by a master, with their meanings clearly written below.

“We were too busy before to change your name. Now, take a look and see which one you like.”

Chen Qiming took a deep breath, softened his tone, and slid the ledger toward Lu Shi. In truth, it wasn’t just about having Lu Shi acknowledged by the family. They had a project that the Jushang Bank was considering investing in, but for some reason, the bank had become hesitant and wouldn’t give a definite answer. He feared someone might use Lu Shi’s surname as leverage and tarnish their image. Changing Lu Shi’s name sooner would prevent anyone from gossiping about it later.

Chen Qiming’s plan was sound. But to his surprise, Lu Shi merely paused for a moment upon hearing this. He looked over without any hint of excitement or joy—no emotional scene of reconciliation with his biological father. His reaction was utterly flat, like a stagnant pool without a single ripple.

Chen Qiming met Lu Shi’s gaze, startled. The son before him seemed like a stranger. The caution, unease, and awkwardness of a month ago had vanished entirely. He sat there, idly fiddling with his phone, legs casually crossed and lightly bouncing, as if he had grown up in this villa, born with a silver spoon, completely unlike a newly eighteen-year-old just out of hardship and thrown into a strange environment.

Chen Qiming couldn’t help but think: if Lu Shi had never been swapped, he would probably have grown up exactly like this.

“I’m not changing it,” Lu Shi said. “I think this surname is fine.”

Chen Qiming’s brows snapped together, his eyes full of disbelief. “What did you say?”

As a child, Lu Shi had often asked Wang Xiuzhi why he was called that name. His classmates laughed at him, saying he was picked up from the roadside, hence the name ‘Shi’ (meaning ‘pick up’). Wang Xiuzhi couldn’t answer, so she made up a story: they had found money on the road shortly after his birth, so they named him ‘Shi’ for good luck. Lu Shi believed it. He always thought his name had a special meaning, and those who laughed just didn’t understand the story.

Later, when his true origins were revealed and he learned he had been stolen, he realized his classmates had been right. At that time, Wang Xiuzhi and Lu Jinguo were too busy fleeing from the capital to notice any money on the ground. To them, he was like something they had picked up for free—worthless, and it didn’t matter if he lived or died.

So when he returned to the Chen family, he desperately wanted to shed that name like shaking off a shadow. He had mentioned it to Chen Qiming many times, but each time, Chen Qiming paid no attention. Eventually, Lu Shi changed it on his own. During a New Year’s dinner, someone deliberately brought up Lu Shi’s new name in front of everyone. Chen Qiming was furious that Lu Shi acted without consulting him, and the meal was painfully awkward. Lu Shi sat under the glaring lights, a laughingstock among relatives. They called him ‘Lu Shi’ dismissively, telling him not to mind such superficial titles, saying that even with the Lu surname, he was still family, and that haste makes waste—being too particular would only upset his parents.

Now, he no longer cared about any of that. He truly hadn’t expected Chen Qiming to voluntarily bring up the name change.

Chen Qiming seemed pinned in place, his face frozen in disbelief. “We’re offering to change your name because we value you! If you don’t change it now, you’ll never have another chance. I don’t have the leisure to keep fussing over this.”

So that’s what all the fuss was about.

Lu Shi pocketed his phone. “Thanks for the concern, but I’m not changing it.”

He stood up a bit too quickly, his vision darkening for a moment. He closed his eyes to steady himself, then asked politely, “Anything else? If not, I’ll head downstairs. I’m hungry.”

By the time Lu Shi returned downstairs, the annoying great-aunt had already left the Chen residence. She had stormed off, not even staying for lunch. Lu Shi, however, had a good appetite today, eating half a bowl more than usual.

He had made plans to play tennis with Yu Xi and the others at one in the afternoon. Near the Chen family’s villa area, there was a free court—small but well-equipped. Because it was out of the way and only accessible to residents and their guests, it was rarely busy.

When they arrived, the court was empty. The midday sun was warm. Lu Shi wore a white shirt and athletic shorts, a black sun visor pushing back the hair on his forehead, revealing clean eyebrows.

Ding Wei was taken aback when he saw Lu Shi. Perhaps because Lu Shi always spoke and acted with a lazy, unhurried air, people often forgot he was only eighteen. But dressed like this, his youthful aura practically overflowed.

Yu Xi said, “Brother Lu, you look great today!”

Lu Shi bounced his tennis racket, engaging in a bit of mutual flattery. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

It had been a while since he played tennis. Lu Shi’s style wasn’t flashy, but it was elegant. He had learned the sport to better integrate into elite social circles. He never understood why those people liked to chat while playing. He preferred sitting and drinking tea.

Ding Wei, in his plain athletic wear, had been learning for a while and was about to switch with Yu Xi when a slightly shrill male voice rang out from beside the court.

“Ah, why are there people here…”

Chen Youxuan’s friend, holding a tennis racket, looked at him with clear displeasure. “Youxuan, who are those people on the court? Do you know them? Can you ask if they’d switch with us, or at least share the court?”

Chen Youxuan, wearing a sun hat, clearly hadn’t expected this secluded court to be occupied today. He had brought three friends—one guy and two girls. The group had been chatting cheerfully all the way, planning to take lots of photos, but now they were all disappointed at finding the court taken. Chen Youxuan was about to say he didn’t know them and suggest going somewhere else.

Then a tennis ball sliced through the air with a sharp whoosh, landing precisely in the diagonal corner. Lu Shi wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to look outside the court.

The complaining guy said, “Youxuan, isn’t that your brother?”

Chen Youxuan stared in shock at the court. He wore loose athletic shorts that stopped just above the knee, his calves clean and straight, tensing slightly as he moved. How could it be Lu Shi? Had that beautiful diagonal shot really come from him?

“He’s your brother? I never heard you had a brother,” said one of the girls Chen Youxuan knew from school, her eyes lighting up. “Is he your biological brother?”

Before she finished, the girl beside her, who knew the Chen family situation, tugged at her. The first girl looked confused. “What’s wrong…”

Chen Youxuan gripped his racket tightly. The stares of his friends weighing on his back made him feel humiliated.

“Lu Shi!” Chen Youxuan was pressured by his friends. If he didn’t know them, it’d be fine, but since he did, walking away without a word would seem like admitting defeat. Because today Chen Qiming and Zhu Wanqing had suddenly made a big deal about changing Lu Shi’s name, Chen Youxuan didn’t want to see Lu Shi right now.

He intended to just give a perfunctory ask, as his friends suggested. But before he could speak, Lu Shi had already seen through their intentions.

“Want the court?”

Lu Shi tapped the tennis ball with his racket. It bounced up, and he caught it. “One match. Winner takes all.”

Chen Youxuan didn’t want to agree. Lu Shi had been too unusual lately. Maybe he had just seen things—how could a country bumpkin know how to play tennis? But for him to say something so confidently, there had to be a trick.

However, the guy who came with Chen Youxuan was unconcerned. Knowing that Lu Shi used to live in a poor county, he dismissed him outright. Without waiting for Chen Youxuan’s response, the guy raised his chin with the superior air of a rich city kid.

“Deal. But we’re adding a bet.”

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