In early summer, the sky was filled with thunderclouds, and the whole sky became gloomy.
The teacher was still explaining the math problems tirelessly on the podium. Chu Yichen propped his head on his hands and looked out the window. A bolt of lightning fell in the distance as if splitting the whole world in half. The rain came in torrents, blown by the wind, and crackled against the glass windows.
The window next to him was not closed, and the rain blew in and wet his shirt. The surrounding students were affected and moved their chairs inward. The teacher glanced to his way and continued teaching as if nothing happened.
No one dared to ask him to close the window or even get up to close the window.
The reason was simple. This private high school was the property of Golden Eagle, and Chu Yichen was the son of Chu Yu, the leader of Golden Eagle.
Those who studied here were all children of rich and influential people. They had long learned from their fathers the tact and sophistication of adapting to the situation, bullying the weak and fearing the strong. If Chu Yichen hadn’t been taciturn and reserved, with a cold face all the time, he would have been welcomed with open arms every day, making him very popular. In the face of the Chu family’s financial resources and power, everything he did could be tolerated. It was rare for Young Master Chu to be in the mood to be exposed to the rain, so his classmates naturally did not dare to spoil his mood.
The school bell finally rang, and the teacher said a few words to pay attention to safety during the weekend and then dismissed school.
Chu Yichen put the textbook into his school bag, stood up and walked out. His gaze fell on the corner of the corridor. He stopped, and his eyes darkened a bit.
A handsome boy was being surrounded. One of the girls, with a blushing face, handed over the exquisitely wrapped paper bag in her hand under the cheers of the surrounding classmates. The boy curved his lips and smiled, accepted it gently, and then thanked her politely. The girls were excited and chattering around him like a flock of sparrows.
“Yichen.” The boy saw him and walked over from the crowd. He asked in surprise, “Why are your shoulders wet?”
“It just started raining, and the windows were not closed.” His explanation was concise.
“Why don’t you close the window?” The boy looked at him incomprehensibly for a while, sighed, grabbed his arm and walked downstairs. Chu Yichen’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he let him pull him downstairs.
There were already bodyguards waiting at the door, holding umbrellas and taking their schoolbags.
“Do you have any clean clothes in the car? Hurry up and change into another one. You’ll catch a cold if you get wet like this.” The boy said and glared at him. “This grown-up still needs me to worry. Being an older brother is really not easy.”
Chu Yichen looked at him with deep black eyes and said, “You are only half a year older than me.”
The other person raised his eyebrows, “That’s why I’m older than you. Speaking of which, you’ve almost never called me ‘gege’ since you were a child.”
“Chu Yunhan, I have never regarded you as my older brother.” He said slowly as if he was serious.
The other party was stunned and smiled helplessly, “If I had known I should have beaten you more when I was a child, I can’t even beat you now.”
“If you hit me, I won’t hit you back.”
“Alright, let’s go back early. Dad will be anxious soon.” Chu Yunhan took two steps and suddenly remembered something and asked, “Is grandpa’s birthday tomorrow?”
“En.”
“Then we can have a good fight at the old house tomorrow.” Chu Yunhan has always been a fan of Go.
“Okay.” Chu Yichen looked at the expectant face, his expression softened.
The two got into the car and drove off in two different directions.
When Chu Yichen arrived home, the old Uncle Ye was wielding a spatula in the kitchen. The aroma of rice overflowed, making people want to eat. Xiao Xun arranged the tableware neatly and asked, “Master, are you hungry?”
“A bit.” Chu Yichen scanned the empty living room and asked, “Are they out?”
Just then, the door opened, and the two people who came in brought a wet smell of rain. Chu Yichen looked at the two people who were wet, with a faint smile on his lips and called out, “Father. Dad.”
Xu Ye’s eyes lit up when he saw him, “Yichen really arrived home earlier than us. I won this time.” After saying that, he turned to the man next to him and said proudly, “You agreed to the bet. Next week, accompany me to Los Angeles to watch a game.”
“Okay.” Chu Yu smiled helplessly, took the dry bath towel from Xiao Xun, wrapped Xu Ye in it, and said, “Go take a hot bath first. You walked too fast, and half of your body was wet already.”
Xu Ye saw that Chu Yichen’s shoulders were also half wet, so he put his arms around his shoulders and walked upstairs. As she walked, he asked, “Son, are you also taking a romantic walk in the rain, perhaps with a young lady? If you don’t tell me, I’ll have someone investigate…”
Chu Yu looked at their backs with a faint smile on his lips and told the butler, “Postpone the dinner for half an hour.”
At the dinner table, Xu Ye personally served him a bowl of chicken soup. After watching him take a sip, he asked, “Does it taste good?”
“It’s okay.” Chu Yichen replied.
“Your Dad made it.” Chu Yu looked at him and said.
“…It tastes very good.” He drank it in one gulp.
Xu Ye couldn’t help but reach out and touch his head, “I didn’t raise you for nothing.” After saying that, he handed the bowl in front of him to Chu Yu, “You have stayed up late recently.”
Time had changed their appearance, and the two men, who were nearly fifty years old, had subtle wrinkles at the corners of their eyes. However, the warmth between them had never faded. Today, Xu Ye was a successful businessman. The White Crane Group, under his leadership, had become a comprehensive enterprise spanning finance, e-commerce, catering and entertainment industries. The Golden Eagle, controlled by Chu Yu, was also flying higher and higher with the help of Chu Qin and Chu Xuan. Their story became a legend, and Chu Yichen was also part of this legend.
From a helpless orphan to the beloved son of two business tycoons, this unique luck has become the talk of many people after dinner.
Chu Yichen had heard how his classmates slandered him. They seemed friendly and flattering on the surface but turned their backs and called him ‘a bastard with two fathers’. They laughed at him, discriminated against his family, and insulted his father. This was why Chu Yichen’s temper became colder and colder as he grew older.
And he never felt bad about it. Ever since he took Xu Ye’s hand and entered this family when he was six years old, he had regarded these two people as the brightest light in his life. The love Xu Ye gave him was gentle and meticulous. He cared about his warmth and feelings and gave him tolerance and understanding. What Chu Yu gave was rational guidance and stern encouragement. In his heart, he always regarded his father as his goal and worked hard in his direction bit by bit. He watched their love, grew up under the protection of the two, and gradually became a tough and reserved boy.
“You will be in your senior year of high school soon. Do you have any goals for college or major? Foreign countries are also acceptable,” Chu Yu said.
“I want to stay in the country.” Chu Yichen put down his chopsticks and said seriously, “Father, I have thought about it for a long time. Regarding that question, I think I have the answer.”
Both of them stopped and looked at him quietly.
“I want it.” Chu Yichen pursed his lips as if he had made up his mind, “I want the position of head of the Chu family.”
A trace of surprise flashed in Xu Ye’s eyes, and he looked at Chu Yu with some worry.
The man’s expression was very calm, as if he had already expected it, without a trace of ripples, “Reason?”
“I have something I want to get.” Chu Yichen lowered his eyes, his eyelashes hiding the emotions in his eyes, “Such a thing can only be obtained when I sit in that position.”
Chu Yu’s eyes were as deep as the sea, “You should understand that if you want to sit on a high position, you must have the strength to occupy it. Otherwise, if you lose your seat, the consequences of falling from a high place will be tragic.”
“I understand.” He said slowly and seriously, “Father, I hope you can teach me so that I can have the ability to sit firmly on it. No matter how difficult it is, I want to give it a try.”
Xu Ye sighed lightly and said nothing.
Chu Yu was silent for a moment and said, “This kind of lesson is not like your academic studies, where you can complete everything by just sitting in a classroom. In addition to the relevant knowledge of managing a business, I also need to train your judgment, adaptability, management and communication skills, as well as techniques such as calculation, methods, and speculation through practical work. You will step into the real world step by step, so I won’t allow you to ‘try things out.'” He paused, “Yichen, I’m only going to give you one chance. If you give up halfway through, we’ll strip you of your inheritance rights and dump you on the other side of the planet to fend for yourself.”
The boy sitting at the dining table thought for a while and said, “I accept it.”
“Okay. You don’t have to go to school starting next week, and all your courses will be rescheduled. After studying for a month, come to Golden Eagle to be my assistant.” After Chu Yu finished speaking, he got up and went upstairs.
Xu Ye looked at his son with a solemn expression, patted the empty seat next to him and said, “Yichen, sit here.”
He walked over and sat down.
“Personally, I don’t wish for you to take on this position because the higher the position, the more dangerous it becomes. Even a powerful man like your father often feels exhausted in such positions. I hope you live each day happily, learning a profession you enjoy without pressure and doing things you love.” Xu Ye gently stroked the boy’s hair, “Today, you truly made me feel that you have grown up. You can now make decisions for your own future. I don’t know what you want to achieve, but since you are willing to work for it, I won’t stand in your way. The learning process will be challenging. If you ever feel tired, just let me know. I can secretly hide you away and rest for a while.”
Chu Yichen couldn’t help but laugh when he heard the last sentence, “Dad, aren’t you afraid of Father’s whip?”
Xu Ye’s face turned red, “I’m already so old. Why would he still be hitting me?”
Chu Yichen leaned his head on Xu Ye’s shoulder and said, “I will study hard.” He had always been a cool-headed person, and it was rare for him to show childlike affection and dependence in front of Xu Ye.
Xu Ye put his arms around his shoulders and asked, “Would you like another bowl of chicken soup?”
“…Forget it.”
Today was Chu Guangyue’s eightieth birthday. The family of three went to the main house to congratulate the old man on his birthday.
The old house was bustling with people coming and going. Chu Yichen, wearing a black suit, stood behind Chu Yu, calmly waiting for his father to introduce him to the politicians and businessmen who came to celebrate his birthday, with a vague aura of calmness and indifference.
Chu Guangyue’s eyes fell on him for a long time, and he asked Xu Ye beside him, “Has this child made a decision?”
Xu Ye was stunned for a moment, then smiled, “Yes.”
The old master Chu glanced at Chu Yunhan, who was standing not far away talking and laughing with his peers, then turned to Chu Minran, the slightly younger son of Chu Xuan, and said, “Among the younger generations, he is the only one who can take charge of the Chu family. But I’m worried…” The words broke off here, and the old man didn’t say anything further but only sighed softly.
Xu Ye frowned slightly as he looked at Chu Yichen, who had already entered the role and was advancing and retreating in a controlled manner.
In a green courtyard, Chu Yunhan, dressed in a white suit, stood on a wooden bridge and scattered fish food to the bottom of the bridge out of boredom. Feeling someone standing next to him, he turned his face sideways and met Chu Yichen’s gaze. There seemed to be many emotions in those dark eyes, but none of them were clear. They were like black holes, making people feel inexplicably in danger.
“When did you start enjoying socializing?” Chu Yunhan asked.
Chu Yichen smiled lightly, “If you want to get something, you have to pay some price.”
Chu Yunhan was puzzled and asked with a blank look on his face, “Huh?”
Chu Yichen didn’t say anything. He grabbed a handful of fish food from the bag in Chu Yichen’s hand and sprinkled it on the pond. The koi carp swarmed under the bridge, slapping the water and making bursts of water sounds while fighting.
Two figures, one black and one white, stand on the arch bridge. From a distance, they look like two competing chess pieces on a chessboard.
Chu Yunhan didn’t know at that time that his life would be intertwined with the person next to him, entangled in love and hatred.
Notes:
This is the prologue for the Book 3 story~
It’ll take a while before I reach book 3 since I still need to do book 2, but there’s already someone finishing book 3~~
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