Back in the present, Shang Shujue answered Yun Qishan's call. Before he could speak, he heard Yun Qishan's voice, with a hint of joy and urgency in it.
"Xiao Jue, that boy named Yu Zeqi is your Uncle Yu Yang's son. What company is he with now? How is he doing? He hasn't been bullied, has he?"
Hearing that voice, Shang Shujue found it rather familiar and paused unconsciously. Before he had time to examine it closely, he answered the questions first.
"Uncle, Yu Zeqi is safe right now. He's staying in the dormitory building at the variety show's training camp. I'm here too, just two floors away from him."
"Don't worry. He hasn't been bullied. I already told his manager off and sent her packing, but his situation is a little complicated. My company can't sign him."
Shang Shujue leaned back against the sofa and settled into a reasonably comfortable position before continuing to speak to Yun Qishan, who was listening, his tone a little languid.
"That's why I asked you to help me out privately, Uncle. And I discovered something very serious..."
What Shang Shujue went on to describe was what Ren Xiaoxue intended to do to Yu Zeqi. He also supplied the names of Han Dong, Lin Xu, and Yang Shaoying. As for how his uncle would deal with those scumbags, he would leave that alone.
"Outrageous! Those scumbags actually wanted to bully my son like that! They have no respect for the law! Absolutely lawless! Is this how their families raised them?!"
An unfamiliar, furious roar suddenly exploded in Shang Shujue's ear, scaring all the drowsiness out of him. Only after he unconsciously sat up straight did he identify the person that voice belonged to-Yu Yang.
Shang Shujue paused, seemingly not having expected Yu Yang to be right beside Yun Qishan. He quickly adjusted himself, putting on a thoroughly shocked expression before speaking.
If he was going to act, he had to make it convincing. If he appeared too calm, Yu Yang and the others might not notice anything while they were emotional, but what about after they calmed down?
If those two old foxes looked into it, even his silver tongue would struggle to explain it to them. It would only bring him plenty of trouble. Why make life difficult for himself?
"Uncle, is Uncle Yu Yang there beside you?"
Yun Qishan held on to the furious Yu Yang, who was about to storm out the door, ૮₍ꐦ -᷅ ⤙ -᷄ ₎ა and gave a helpless, bitter smile, feeling utterly overwhelmed. "Yes. He's beside himself with anger."
"Oh! Uncle Yu Yang, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were there. I was going to have Uncle come over and see Yu Zeqi first, then surprise you on your birthday. Looks like I'll have to prepare another gift."
When Shang Shujue called out to him, Yu Yang finally came back to his senses, his eyes reddening. "Xiao Jue, he's my only son. You have to protect him for me. I'll give you that set of little gold figures you liked before."
Shang Shujue: ?! Just handing out gold out of nowhere? Hehehe... I love it! ˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗
The little gold figures Yu Yang mentioned were part of a miniature world made of pure gold that he had treasured for a long time. With carved beams and painted rafters, it glittered magnificently, and the many little figures inside were made of gold too.
The original owner-no, this original owner was essentially Shang Shujue himself-had fallen in love with it at first sight. He had spent ages clowning around and begging Yu Yang for it, but had never gotten it.
Yu Yang had treasured it dearly back then. Now, for his son's sake, he was actually willing to offer up his prized possession as a token of gratitude. That showed just how grateful he was to Shang Shujue.
"Hehehe... Oh, you shouldn't have! Thank you, Uncle Yu Yang. You can leave them with my uncle first. I'll come pick them up in a while. Hehehe..."
Shang Shujue couldn't resist lavishly praising himself inwardly. That's my dear old self for you, liking exactly the same things as yours truly. Yours truly is deeply gratified!
The trainees who were still awake suddenly heard Two Fingers' narcissistic remarks explode in their minds. They all couldn't help going wooden-faced and looking speechless.
Everyone: Seriously! Is he always this full of himself? Staying up in the middle of the night to praise himself in his head? (ꐦ°᷄д°᷅) Unbelievable.
Yu Zeqi couldn't help curling his lips into a smile as he rolled over. Looking at the photo of his mother, Zhang Yunyi, on his phone, a little more sorrow entered his expression.
Mom, I think I've found Dad. I have a dad now too. It feels so amazing... If you were still alive... would you want me to acknowledge him?
Did he do something that made you choose to leave with me rather than go back to him?
Mom... I feel so lost right now...
Holding his phone, Yu Zeqi closed his eyes, but the conflict and confusion in his expression would not fade. He had too many things to worry about and was filled with anxiety about the unknown future.
Had Shang Shujue delivered those things to that man? What did that man think? He clearly had power and influence, so why had he abandoned Mom and him?
The more Yu Zeqi thought, the harder it became to sleep. He opened his eyes again, put on his earphones, and opened the theme song's dance video, slowly familiarizing himself with the song and choreography to help himself relax.
When he opened the screen recordings on his phone, he accidentally tapped into a hidden album and saw a locked video. He paused, then tapped it in some confusion.
[Baby, this video is about your background. Haven't you wanted to know who your dad is? You can open it when you turn eighteen. The password is our little secret. You know it~ Baby, Mommy loves you. つ♡⊂]
As soon as Yu Zeqi tapped the video, the screen went black and those words popped up, with a rectangular password entry box beneath them.
Yu Zeqi's expression stilled for a moment. In the glow of his phone, his pupils trembled involuntarily, whether because the light was too dazzling or because he was too shaken inside.
Yu Zeqi knew his mother had left this video for him, but he didn't know when it had been put on his phone. He had only discovered it at nineteen.
Mom... Yu Zeqi's eyes reddened and filled with tears. Without thinking much about it, he entered the date and time of his first trip to Ice and Snow World with his mother-August 25, at 7:35 a.m.
825735...
Yu Zeqi entered those digits in the password box. That was the time he and his mother had entered the gates of Ice and Snow World. They had made a point of remembering it as a little secret known only to mother and son.
[Beep~ Correct password! My darling son! Welcome to my world-]
After those words appeared, the darkened screen lit up again. Before his eyes was a completely different version of his mother.
Dressed in a white lab coat, she stood at a laboratory bench conducting an experiment, radiating the solemn focus of a scientific researcher. A voice-over began. It was his mother's voice.