The whole day, Xiao Yufan spent in a daze. On one hand, he felt helpless after the direct conflict with Yu Yihan; on the other, the matter concerning his master left him even more confused…
“What exactly is my master hiding from me?” Shaking his head hard, Xiao Yufan realized that instead of aimlessly speculating, it would be better to directly ask his master.
Before long, the workday ended. Xiao Yufan practically rushed to grab his phone and dial his master’s number. He remembered clearly that his master had mentioned there was much he needed to tell him.
Xiao Yufan spent the entire day in a daze. On one hand, the direct confrontation with Yu Yihan left him feeling helpless, and on the other hand, the matter concerning his master only deepened his confusion…
“What exactly is my master hiding from me?” Shaking his head vigorously, Xiao Yufan realized that instead of aimlessly speculating, it would be more practical to ask his master directly.
Soon, it was time to leave work. Xiao Yufan couldn’t wait to take out his phone and dial his master’s number. He remembered his master mentioning that there were many things he needed to tell him…
“Hello, Yufan…” As soon as the call connected, Xiao Yufan heard his master’s weary voice. He paused for a moment, unsure of what to say.
“I… saw a company’s listing on the news. The person at the launch ceremony looked a lot like you, Master. So… I wanted to ask…” Xiao Yufan’s words were hesitant, unsure if his question would make his master uncomfortable.
“Yes, it was me. I was invited to attend. I think it’s time I told you some things…” With a long sigh, Xiao Yufan sensed a hint of sadness in his master’s tone.
Xiao Yufan softly acknowledged, though he didn’t show any impulsive reactions, his heart was racing uncontrollably. He felt that whatever his master was hiding was deeply connected to him…
“Actually, I’m not your master…” The first sentence from the other end of the line nearly made Xiao Yufan’s jaw drop. Instantly, he felt an overwhelming sense of unreality. His master had been with him since childhood—if he wasn’t his master, then who was he?
“Master, what kind of joke is this? Are you saying we’re strangers now…”
“I am your grandfather…” After a long pause, his master’s voice came through again, but this time, Xiao Yufan was even more shocked.
“Are you drunk, old man? I’m from the Xiao family. How could you possibly be my grandfather…” Xiao Yufan had completely dismissed his master’s words as a joke or drunken ramblings.
“I know this might be hard for you to accept, but it’s the truth. It’s something I’ve been hiding from you all along!”
“What about my father then…” The deep tone in his master’s voice made Xiao Yufan unable to laugh. Suddenly, he found himself somewhat believing it—believing that his master really was his grandfather. But…
“Your father’s matter… it’s too early for you to know now. It wouldn’t be good for you. Just know that you’re not an ordinary person. Back then, your father had no choice but to give you up for adoption because of your extremely yin birth chart…”
Xiao Yufan’s expression turned numb. He felt an urge to curse. Could such a clichéd story really be happening? His mind went blank, and he didn’t even catch what his master said next.
He had never thought much about his origins because Xiao Yufan firmly believed that fate was predetermined. No matter how difficult life got, he never complained. Old Xiao was from the countryside, and he himself had come from a remote village. He had never felt inferior.
But now, Xiao Yufan suddenly felt that the past 25 years of his life had been so muddled. His father was only his adoptive father, a fact he found hard to accept. He didn’t dare to think further…
“An extremely yin birth chart? Does that mean I had to be abandoned?”
A bitter smile crept onto his lips. For some reason, a surge of resentment rose in Xiao Yufan’s heart. Even if what his master said was true, he wouldn’t acknowledge his identity, even if that identity might be incredibly prestigious.
…
“Reality keeps playing jokes on you, and you’re powerless to respond…” These were words his master had once told him. Now, they sounded so ironic. Perhaps he shouldn’t call him “master” anymore, but “grandfather” instead…
Walking back from the company to his rented apartment, Xiao Yufan wasn’t sure what he was thinking. He desperately wanted to call his parents, to seek comfort in this moment of loneliness, but he didn’t want to worry them.
Xiao Yufan didn’t dare to guess, nor did he want to. As for who his biological parents were, he couldn’t care less. Twenty-five years had passed, and he had built his own life. He didn’t want anyone to disrupt this peace.
Finally, he understood how it felt to have a clichéd TV drama plot unfold in real life. Xiao Yufan just wanted to be alone and process everything. After all, anyone would be at a loss in such a situation. Fortunately, he and his master were already close, so even if they became true family, it wouldn’t feel strange. But he didn’t want to suddenly gain parents out of nowhere…
Locking himself in the bedroom of his rented apartment wasn’t because Xiao Yufan was despairing. Perhaps it was because he was used to a mundane life, and such a sudden upheaval required a lot of time to digest. He wasn’t even sure how much time “a lot of time” really was…
“I… saw a company’s launch ceremony on the news, and the person there looked just like you, so I thought I’d call and ask…” Xiao Yufan hesitated slightly, uncertain whether this question might seem inappropriate.
“It really was me. I was invited to attend, and I suppose it’s time I told you a few things…” With a long sigh, Xiao Yufan detected emotion in his master’s tone—tinged slightly with sadness.
He softly acknowledged, not showing impatience, yet his heart raced uncontrollably. He had always sensed that whatever his master had concealed was closely tied to him personally.
“Actually, I’m not really your master…” The first sentence from the other end of the line nearly made Xiao Yufan drop his jaw in shock. Instantly, he felt a surreal sense of disbelief. His master had been by his side since childhood; if not his master, then who could he be?
“Master, what kind of joke is this? Are we strangers now?”
“I am your grandfather…” After a long pause, his master spoke again, but this time, Xiao Yufan was even more stunned.
“You must be drunk, right? I’m from the Xiao family. How could you possibly be my grandfather?”
“I know it’s hard to accept all at once, but this is the truth—the truth I’ve kept hidden from you all these years.”
“What about my father then…?” The deep tone left Xiao Yufan unable to smile. Suddenly, he found himself somewhat believing it—that his master was truly his grandfather—but still…
“You’re not ready to know about your father yet; it would only do you harm. Just know that you are no ordinary person. Back then, your father had no choice but to give you up for adoption because of your extremely Yin birth date…”
Xiao Yufan’s expression turned numb. A sudden urge to curse rose within him. Could such a clichéd, tragic story really happen to him? His mind went blank, and he didn’t even hear clearly what his master said next.
He had never questioned his origins, believing that fate was predestined. No matter how difficult his life had been, he had never complained. Lao Xiao was a rural man, and he himself had come from the mountains, yet he had never felt inferior.
But now, Xiao Yufan suddenly felt that his entire twenty-five years of life had been lived in a haze. His father was only his adoptive father—this was something he could not accept easily, nor dared to think further.
“Born with an extremely Yin birth date? Does that mean I had to be abandoned?”
A bitter smile curled his lips. For reasons he couldn’t explain, a sense of resentment welled up inside him. Even if what his master—no, his grandfather—said was true, he refused to accept this new identity, even if it might come with great prestige.
…
“Reality always plays cruel jokes on you, and you’re powerless to respond…” This was something his master had once told him. Now, it sounded so bitterly ironic. Perhaps he should no longer call him master, but grandfather now…
Walking back to his rented apartment from work, Xiao Yufan couldn’t quite grasp what he was thinking. He longed to call his parents, seeking comfort in this moment of loneliness, but he didn’t want to burden them with worry.
He dared not guess, nor did he want to speculate further. As for who his biological parents were, he simply didn’t care. Twenty-five years had passed, and he had already built his own life. He didn’t want anyone’s sudden appearance to disrupt this peace.
He finally understood what it felt like when those overly dramatic, clichéd TV plots happened to you. Right now, all Xiao Yufan wanted was to be alone for a while. After all, anyone in his situation would feel lost and confused. Fortunately, he was already close to his master—now his real grandfather—so even this change wouldn’t make him feel particularly strange. But he had no desire to suddenly gain a new set of parents out of nowhere.
Locking himself in the bedroom of his rented apartment wasn’t a sign of despair; perhaps it was simply because he had grown accustomed to a simple, uneventful life. Now, faced with such a sudden upheaval, he needed time—perhaps a lot of time—to process everything, though he couldn’t even begin to guess how long that might be…
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