After the soul swap, I became stronger (6): Parents on both sides

After getting the leave cancellation form from the Child of the World, Si Qi met Xie Man, who was waiting for him in the parking lot.

Xie Man still found it a bit hard to get used to his friend changing into a different appearance. Watching him make familiar expressions and movements with a stranger’s face felt somewhat novel.

Concerned, he asked, “What did you say to that guy? He didn’t bully you, did he?”

Si Qi smiled warmly, like jade: “No, don’t worry.”

Xie Man mumbled, “You’re just too gentle by nature. In the past, people were willing to pamper you, so you wouldn’t suffer any grievances. What are you going to do about it in the future…”

His heart was filled with concern for his friend.

They went all the way to the golf course that collaborated with the school; this was also a place the original owner used to frequent.

Xie Man watched as Si Qi expertly entered the password, opened Wang Jiu’s locker, and took out the equipment inside. The last bit of doubt in his heart completely vanished.

He couldn’t help but say, “How could such a bizarre thing happen? Who should we turn to for help with this? A doctor? A Taoist priest? A hypnotist?”

Si Qi glanced at him and said, “You really think I would switch back just like that?”

Xie Man paused for a moment, his tone conflicted as he said, “I, I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just…” It’s just that he really felt sorry for Si Qi losing such a large family business.

Xie Man: “Even if your uncle and aunt are pretending not to know, what about your grandfather? Isn’t he always the best to you?”

Si Qi: “I will find an opportunity to clarify things with him in the future.”

Xie Man thought for a moment and could only say, “Alright, Grandpa Wang is a good person, he will definitely not mistreat you. After all, you are his own grandson.”

Although he now had different blood running through his veins.

Si Qi and Xie Man were chatting freely, mainly with Xie Man doing the talking and Si Qi listening. This guy had “lost” his friend for over two months, and now he had a lot to say.

When they reached the halfway point, Si Qi noticed a gaze that was fixated on him. He looked around and saw a tall man standing in the distance.

A sudden wave of familiarity washed over him, causing Si Qi to momentarily pause his breath and involuntarily stop to take a closer look.

Xie Man noticed that Si Qi suddenly stopped moving and, puzzled, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xiu Xiu, who got there first, excitedly said through the nearby surveillance: [Master! It’s the Lord God!!]

In just a few seconds, Xiu Xiu relayed the information about Chu Feng in this world to him: [The Lord God in this world is a great businessman! Right now, he is playing golf and socializing with his business partners, and he has been staring at you the whole time!!]

Si Qi smiled slightly, and the tender affection that unconsciously showed on his face startled Xie Man, who blushed and said, “W-What are you doing?!”

“Hmm?” With eyes full of laughter, he glanced at Xie Man, only to see a man in the distance suddenly walking towards them. Xie Man was a bit puzzled, thinking it was some elder related to the family.

Who would have thought that as soon as that person came over, he would say to Si Qi, “Hello”?

Si Qi smiled and nodded, “Hello.”

The man across them had a solemn expression, seemingly a bit nervous, as if he didn’t know how to communicate with a child nearly ten years younger than himself, or perhaps… he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about his thoughts that he couldn’t possibly share with anyone.

“I see you play very well.”

Si Qi thought his partner’s attempt to make conversation was a bit cute, and couldn’t help but tease him deliberately, “Did you see me playing? Were you watching me the whole time?”

The man’s expression subtly changed; he didn’t even know how he became so… eager, especially since the other person was a teenager, a boy he had never considered before.

He was going absolutely crazy.

But he just couldn’t help wanting to get closer, wanting to hear the boy talk to him. Seeing the boy say this, he could only put on a serious face and replied nonchalantly, “I happened to see it.”

Si Qi smiled a knowing smile, with a deep meaning: “Is that so…”

Xie Man stood aside, thinking that the man had just happened to see them playing well and had come over to chat. He said, “Hello, uncle, are you here to play ball too? I haven’t seen you here before.”

Chu Feng’s hand holding the cue tightened unconsciously, his heart sinking. Seeing that Si Qi didn’t even refute, he felt even more uncomfortable inside.

“My name is Chu Feng, I’m twenty-eight this year. You are…”

Si Qi: “We are students of St. Peter’s, in our third year of high school, seventeen years old this year.”

It really was a full ten years difference.

Chu Feng felt somewhat uncomfortable inside.

As a result, Si Qi continued, “There’s only a ten-year difference.”

Only?

Chu Feng immediately looked at Si Qi, wanting to see what expression he had when he said those words. However, he saw the young man give him a brilliant smile, as bright as sunlight, as beautiful as the Milky Way, dazzling to the eyes.

Si Qi said in a leisurely tone, “It seems I should call you Brother Chu…”

Brother Chu… Brother Chu!!

Chu Feng almost couldn’t suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth, coughed lightly in a restrained manner, nodded, and said, “Hmm.”

A single simple word contained countless joys for him.

Si Qi continued talking to him, “Does Brother Chu have a girlfriend?”

Chu Fen and Xie Man were both startled.

Xie Man never expected his own friend would say such a thing, while Chu Feng was shocked by the purpose behind Si Qi’s words.

A person who was originally very calm was completely led by the nose by the young man throughout the entire process, losing all composure.

“No, no…”

“Well…” Si Qi’s eyes rolled around, bright and clear, like the most beautiful pearl, staring intently at Chu Feng: “Do you have a boyfriend?”

Boom——

Chu Feng’s heart skipped a beat, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Si Qi was filled with shock, both excited and nervous, feeling as if his blood was boiling.

Xie Man directly called out, “Xiao Jiu?!”

Si Qi chuckled, “I was just joking.”

Xie Man and Chu Feng were both stunned for a long time, completely unsure of how to respond.

Si Qi: “I’ll give you my number, and you have to remember to come find me, okay?”

Chu Feng subconsciously nodded, but after a moment, he felt he had agreed too quickly, as if it was a bit inappropriate—after all, the other person was still a child!

Then, a note was passed to him by Si Qi, and he saw the young man wink at him.

Chu Feng: “…………”

Alright, it seemed like a particularly bold child, not at all like a typical kid.

With these flirting techniques, Chu Feng felt that even if he spent another ten years, he still wouldn’t be able to learn them.

The assistant standing next to Chu Feng listened from start to finish. After Si Qi and the shouting Xie Man left together, he quietly reminded Chu Feng, “Chairman, that young man doesn’t seem to come from a well-off family…”

Clothes, shoes, and many details could all be seen as wrong.

“But he gets along well with that obviously wealthy kid, letting him take him to places like this to fish for… play. He even said such things to you. Ordinary boys wouldn’t act like this.”

The assistant almost blurted out those words with negative connotations. Chu Feng suddenly turned to look at him, his eyes filled with warning: “Don’t ever say such things again!”

There were still more to come? The assistant widened his eyes in disbelief, thinking to himself, could his usually cold and decisive boss really be enchanted by that male vixen?

This flavor was really something special…

Chu Feng frowned and said, “His demeanor and background are completely unlike those of an ordinary family.”

As for why he dressed like that.

Chu Feng muttered to himself with concern, “Will he have a hard time living—”

The assistant, understanding the situation, incredulously thought, “Their chairman can’t really be planning to keep that young man, can he?”

Although he had heard about such things in the circle, many wealthy big bosses were into this, he never expected that his serious and stern boss would also be like this!!

And he was still a boy who was studying in school!!!

Suddenly feeling like he had discovered something incredible, the assistant forcibly suppressed the look of horror on his face and said “thoughtfully”: “I don’t think he minds being… If you like, I can help you look into his family situation?”

Chu Feng thought for a moment, and in the assistant’s “as expected” gaze, he nodded and said gently, “Go take a look. If the family is in trouble, find a way to help them.”

Hey, being able to phrase “keeping a mistress” so delicately, no wonder he was the boss.

The assistant said with a smile, “Alright, boss, you are truly kind-hearted.”

Chu Feng cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly, feeling a bit ashamed of the feelings in his heart that he couldn’t share with anyone.

Although, his assistant had already “figured it out.”

He carefully put away the number with Si Qi’s contact information. When he talked to clients next, he couldn’t help but get distracted from time to time, his mind wandering, and he seemed a bit dazed.

In contrast to him, Si Qi remained very calm. Dragged to the lounge by Xie Man, the boy shook his shoulders back and forth, frantically roaring, “Ahhhh, what’s wrong with you? How did you become like this? You haven’t been replaced by someone else again, have you!!!”

Si Qi was at a loss for words: “I didn’t, I just really like him.”

“Like?!!!” Xie Man’s voice was piercingly sharp, his eyes wide as saucers: “But that’s a guy!!!”

And he was so much older!!!

“I don’t care whether he’s a boy or a girl, I just like him.” Si Qi smiled with a face full of happiness: “I fell in love with him at first sight.”

Xie Man opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, holding his head and spinning in place, sometimes leaning back and then bending forward, as if he were about to go crazy.

He felt that he had been overwhelmed by too many stimuli today, and each one had been more intense than the last.

Si Qi said with a smile, “I used to have too many things placed on me, but now I can finally live according to my own ideas. You will bless me, right?”

Xie Man turned around to look at him, his face a picture of conflict as he stared at him for a long time. Finally, biting his lip, he reluctantly nodded.

Si Qi’s eyes curved as he walked over, hugged him, and patted his back a few times.

“Thanks, bro.”

Xie Man suddenly learned about Si Qi’s “true orientation” and was hugged by him, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Raising a finger to wipe the tip of his nose, he said with a red face, “Hmm, hmm…”

While talking and tidying up, the two left the golf club. Xie Man had Si Qi drive, taking him all the way from the suburbs to his home. He also added Si Qi’s newly registered phone number and transferred tens of thousands of yuan to him.

“If you need anything, just call me,” Xie Man said. “And also, move out early.”

Just hearing Si Qi describe his current living situation for a sentence or two was already a bit too much for him to handle.

His good brother, when had he ever suffered such humiliation?

Si Qi nodded with a smile and got out of the car.

Such a luxury car driving through this narrow and somewhat dirty alley attracted the attention of many nearby residents. A crowd gathered to watch, and when they saw that it was Si Qi, the murmurs grew even louder.

When the car drove away, Si Qi grabbed his backpack and prepared to go home. The elderly couple beside him quickly stopped him, their eyes filled with eager curiosity: “Xiao Qi, whose car was that? How come you got a ride from someone else?”

Si Qi smiled gently and said, “Hello, Grandma Li. That’s my classmate’s car. He gave me a ride back.”

“It’s your classmate, huh… It’s the first time I’ve seen you bring a classmate home.”

In the past, the Son of the World was self-conscious about his background, never daring to let anyone know where he lived, let alone show them his home. He would never even think of bringing their classmates to such a place.

But Si Qi didn’t have this concern at all. Why bother taking the bus when he could hitch a ride? If he wanted to take someone, just take them.

Leading to the fact that only now did people around him realize just how expensive the school Si Qi was currently attending was, supposedly.

“Your classmate is really wealthy; I think that car must cost at least several hundred thousand, right?”

Si Qi smiled and didn’t explain.

Several hundred thousand? The Xie family wouldn’t buy such a cheap car to embarrass themselves. That car was probably worth around three million, just about the same amount as the debt that almost drove the Si family to ruin.

He returned to the narrow, dimly lit rental room amidst the chattering of the elderly around him. A pungent odor hit him as he entered. Si Qi put down his backpack, grabbed some clothes and shower gel, and headed to the nearby bathhouse.

After washing up, he sat on a bench in the park and continued organizing the data he had been working on earlier in the day.

Just when the sun was about to set, the phone that had been in his pocket and had been waited for by Si Qi for a long time finally rang.

It was a text message from an unknown number.

[I am Chu Feng.]

When Si Qi saw that name, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but lift, and with a smile, he picked up his phone to reply: [Hello, Brother Chu~]

Xiu Xiu usually appeared a bit silly and cute, but when it came to situations like this, he was definitely a little clever one. Seeing the owner in a romantic relationship, it directly hacked into Chu Feng’s phone and, through the camera, projected the situation on his side into Si Qi’s mind.

Si Qi saw the man on the other end of the phone screen, dressed in a full suit and tie, sitting upright in the office, his serious demeanor as if he were handling some major business.

Seeing the teenager’s reply, he cleared his throat, awkwardly loosened his neatly arranged tie, and carefully pondered for a while before typing on the screen: [Are you home now?]

Si Qi’s lips curled up: [Nope~ I was just thinking about something outside.]

Chu Feng: [What are you thinking about?]

Si Qi: [What do I have to do to see you again~~]

Chu Feng was caught off guard by these straightforward words. He put down his phone, buried his face in his arms, took several deep breaths, and finally lifted his head with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth: [At your age, you should focus on your studies now. If you get into a good university in the future, I’ll give you a big red envelope as a reward.]

Si Qi: [I want a reward, but I don’t want a red envelope.]

Chu Feng raised an eyebrow: [So what do you want? As long as I can do it, I can give it to you.]

[Really?] Si Qi laughed and wrote on his phone: [Then I want you, can you give yourself to me?]

Chu Feng: !!!!!

Chu Feng held the phone as if it were hot, fidgeting restlessly in the spacious boss chair, feeling like he was about to catch fire.

He picked up the phone and put it down, picked it up and put it down again; deciding on a multi-billion dollar contract was never this nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing.

He wrote word by word, very carefully: [Little guy, don’t mess with your brother.]

After seeing the text message, Si Qi almost burst out laughing. After thinking for a moment, he typed out a line: [But I still have three months until I turn 18!]

After seeing the text message, Chu Feng’s breath hitched. For some reason, his breathing became heated, and he couldn’t help but fan himself with his hand.

But Si Qi was still relentless, continuing to say: [After reaching adulthood, I can do many things that only adults can do.]

[Brother Chu, do you know what I mean?]

Chu Feng: Aaaaaah!!!

He was really about to go crazy.

Unfortunately, Si Qi couldn’t tease his lover for long; a phone call from the Si family parents interrupted Si Qi’s prank.

This pair of parents, concerned about their son’s situation, left work early today. They heard from nearby people that their son had been out and hadn’t come home after school. Worried about his health and the dangers he might encounter outside, they still called, urging Si Qi to come back home early, even though they knew their son was rebellious and hated being disciplined.

“Where are you? Mom and Dad will come pick you up.”

Si Qi stood up from his chair: “No need, I’m at the nearby park, I’ll walk back by myself.”

But he still met the Si family’s parents on the way there.

Seeing the two pairs of worried eyes, Si Qi slightly raised a smile, walked over, and said, “I’m really fine, you don’t need to worry about me.”

This couple just chuckled awkwardly a couple of times, a bit unaccustomed to their son’s polite demeanor.

A bit happy, but also a bit flattered.

They awkwardly searched for common topics with their son: “Did you get tired studying at school today?”

“What did you have for lunch?”

Si Qi answered each question seriously, not saying anything particularly flattering, just simply stating the facts, but it was enough to make the couple happy for a long time.

After the son woke up, he changed a lot. He would seriously answer their questions, wouldn’t have an impatient look on his face when speaking, and wouldn’t roll his eyes at them or call them annoying.

They were very satisfied.

Si Qi: “My friend knows I’m not feeling well, so today he specially had his driver take me home.”

The parents hesitantly replied, “Oh, so that’s how it is. Are we causing too much trouble for them?”

They heard that the car was big and impressive, spotless, and super expensive!

Si Qi: “What’s the trouble with friends giving each other a ride home?”

The parents thought about it and agreed.

The key was that they were used to treating their son well, used to putting up with him. Now that Si Qi had just recovered from a serious illness, they were even less likely to deliberately go against him; they just silently nodded.

Si Qi: “By the way, he also lent me tens of thousands of yuan to help me recuperate. He even said he would help me pay off that several million yuan debt…”

This time, Si’s parents finally couldn’t stay silent any longer and exclaimed in panic, “What? How could your classmate say such a thing?!”

Si Qi smiled and said, “It’s just helping to pay off the debt, not giving us the money directly. Owing my classmate money is definitely better than owing those loan sharks, right? He said I’m doing well in my studies, and after I graduate, I’ll definitely have a bright future. If worse comes to worst, I can work at their company and slowly pay off the debt with my salary…”

The two parents felt extremely guilty upon hearing this. Mom Si’s eyes turned red, and wiping her tears, she said, “So you owe money to your classmates at school? If this gets out, won’t you be so embarrassed that you won’t be able to hold your head up high…?”

Dad Si even said, “We’ll pay that money back ourselves; there’s no reason for you to repay it with your salary after you graduate!”

They took their son’s scholarship, and they already felt they owed him so much. Now, hearing that their son would be unable to live peacefully after graduation due to the debts, they were even more restless.

Si Qi shook his head and said, “But it will be easier for me to make money in the future than for you. Besides, his family is wealthy and won’t rush us for money. In the future, the money you earn can be kept for yourselves, and you can find a better house to live in. You won’t have to hesitate to spend on food.”

The Si family’s parents were silent, not knowing how to respond, their eyes filled with guilt as they looked at Si Qi.

After being repeatedly persuaded by Si Qi many times, the two parents were torn for a long time and finally said, “You don’t have to pay back the money. If your friend is really willing to help, then we can pay him back.”

How should they put it? It was still better than having those creditors knocking on their door every few days to demand repayment, cursing and calling them beasts and garbage to their faces.

Si Qi smiled and said, “Alright, then I’ll talk to him later.”

Hey, they were both parents, but how come these two in front of him were so much better than the previous pair?

–

The parents referred to by Si Qi as “the previous couple” were currently sitting in the bright and shiny living room eating.

They held dinner knives in their hands, casually cutting the food on their plates, their eyes seemingly unconcerned as they scrutinized the “son” who had now imitated them to a considerable extent, and said slowly, “Your grandfather wants to see you.”

The Child of the World paused for a moment, then composed himself, his tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of probing as he smiled and said, “Really? I miss Grandpa too. Is he doing well now?”

“Of course, he’s in great shape, not at all inferior to the young ones.” The two shrewd parents could see through the child’s little tricks. They deliberately and unintentionally conveyed to him the information he most wanted to know in the most natural tone: “Your uncles and aunts at the company are very proactive now, always thinking about taking the inheritance rights from you. But your grandfather cares about you and thinks highly of you. As long as you perform well and follow your grandfather to learn to manage the company under your grandfather after graduation, what is rightfully yours will eventually be yours.”

The Child of the World’s eyes lit up, and the greed on his face flashed by. The two adults exchanged a knowing smile at his eager demeanor and continued, “I heard your grades have been slipping lately?”

The Son of the World tightened his grip on the cutlery.

He had been busy lately trying to find out everything related to his new identity, secretly investigating Wang Jiu’s social relationships, studying the nuances of etiquette and tone, fearing that he might slip up in front of outsiders. He had completely lost the energy to focus on his studies, and his grades had consequently dropped quite a bit.

Just as he was about to find an excuse to brush it off, he overheard the adults say, “Those things at school aren’t really important. Anyway, your grades are already good, so there’s no point in wasting more time on them. When you go to university, you can study business management, but the focus should still be on work.”

The Child of the World was slightly taken aback, still not having reacted, when he heard them continue, “When you join the company in the future, there are some things you won’t be very clear about, so I’ll explain them to you in advance.”

“Your second uncle…”

What the two people were saying right now was exactly what the Child of the World most urgently wanted to know but had no idea how to inquire about. It wa like a timely solution to his pressing problem.

Suddenly, he focused his mind and listened attentively, and that concentrated expression made the two adults very satisfied.

Sure enough, this kid’s personality was exactly what they had in mind. That previous one… heh.

They talked a lot at the dinner table. Even when the Child of the World inadvertently revealed some inconsistencies during the conversation, the two adults completely pretended not to hear. They silently guided the Child of the World to notice the oversights on his own through their words, and then carefully and cautiously made amends.

One party intended to conceal, while the other party intended to help cover up. The actions of the Child of the World in replacing Wang Jiu proceeded incredibly smoothly. In just two months, it had already reached the point where it could be safely taken out to meet relatives.

As for their real son…

The couple returned to their room after dinner. On the table lay a file folder, from which a few documents were faintly visible.

Dad Wang took out the things he had investigated from inside and handed them to his wife.

“He has already woken up.”

Since noticing the “son’s” change in character two months ago, the couple secretly observed him for a long time and discovered that he was unusually concerned about a classmate’s family situation at school.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the time this student fell into a coma due to a car accident was exactly the same as when the son had an accident a while ago. However, the son woke up quickly, while the other person became a vegetable.

At that time, the couple had not yet noticed anything unusual and did not think of their son’s transformation in such a bizarre way as a soul swap.

With the son’s extraordinary attention to that family and his petty behavior in various aspects of their daily lives, they finally began to feel something was off.

Slightly probing with words, they found someone to deliberately chat with “their son” about topics he shouldn’t know.

Before long, they had figured out that kid’s background completely.

Their son was no longer their son; he was a student from a poor family, a person named “Si Qi.”

As for where their son was at this moment, they were also unsure; perhaps he had already disappeared, or maybe he had entered that comatose person’s body.

Because they didn’t want to lose their son for no reason and lose this support as well, the couple remained inactive and didn’t rush to expose the truth. They even deliberately helped cover up many loopholes, not wanting their work to encounter unnecessary trouble because of this.

Later, as they spent more time together, they found that this son was much more pleasing to the eye than the previous one. He had an obsession with the company and money that was beyond imagination, wanting to claim anything good he saw as his own.

Seeing this, the couple discussed and realized that such a son seemed to be more to their liking. They exchanged glances, and certain decisions were quietly made.

Until today, the person helping them investigate the situation delivered the latest document to them at noon, which contained written materials as well as video recordings.

The teenager in the video walked through the campus, with a slight smile on his lips and a tone as gentle as a spring breeze, making the two parents instantly see through the familiar souls hidden beneath each other’s shells.

Watching all the videos with a blank expression, the air fell silent for a moment.

After a while, Mother Wang, with a cold expression and distant tone, said, “I didn’t expect him to wake up.”

Dad Wang also had a cold expression on his face, frowning in dissatisfaction: “What does he want to talk to ‘Wang Jiu’ about?”

The two pondered for a moment and finally reached a consensus: “We can’t let ‘him’ come knocking!”

Mom Wang’s beautifully manicured nails lightly tapped on her leg, a faint cold smile playing at the corner of her mouth: “Didn’t he say he doesn’t like to fight for things, doesn’t want to socialize, and prefers to do research? Then let’s fulfill his wish, let him ponder those boring things, and be stuck in the lab for the rest of his life, never to be recognized as the young master of the Wang family.”

After all, they had a mother-son relationship for over ten years. If she really had to be ruthless, she would actually feel a bit reluctant. It would be best to sever ties completely, not interfere with each other, and then she might consider giving a little compensation afterward, fulfilling her duty as a mother.

Dad Wang was even more ruthless, directly saying, “I had someone follow him to prevent him from talking nonsense with others. If he really messes up our plan…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but Mom Wang could tell what he meant.

She just slightly raised her delicate willow leaf-shaped eyebrows, and that was about it.

“That kid is just too impatient. Today at school, he almost slipped up and raised suspicions. His temperament is still too poor and needs a lot of work…”

The two of them were talking back and forth, and just like that, they settled the matter.