Chapter 51: Inferior Genes
September 1st, 8:00 am, the sun was shining brightly as a spacious black van smoothly departed from Cloudtop One.
Zhu Minglang was driving, his seven-year-old daughter in the front passenger seat, Xi Leng and Min Zhi in the luxurious individual seats in the middle.
Rong Xingyi was alone in the spacious back, fidgeting, shifting from left to right, right to left.
He couldn’t believe it, one day he would be riding in his idol’s car!
Although it was thanks to his brother’s deception…
Thinking of this, Rong Xingyi shifted again, slowly moving to the seat behind his brother, then settling down.
The car safely arrived at the school.
It was the first day of school for both the junior high and elementary school departments of Haining International School, but it wasn’t crowded. There were a little over a hundred students in Rong Xingyi’s incoming third year of junior high, divided into six classes. The school gate was orderly, with school staff and traffic police directing the flow of traffic, luxury cars of various brands everywhere.
“We’re here, let’s go.”
Zhu Minglang parked the car, but his daughter was the first to refuse to cooperate.
“Waaaaah, Baba, I don’t want to go, waaaah—”
A child’s reluctance to go to school was always the same. Everyone present, having experienced it themselves, understood, but there was no sympathy.
“Boss, scold Guoguo!” The child’s mother had to go to work, so Zhu Minglang, the single parent, was sweating profusely.
Xi Leng silently looked at Min Zhi, who indeed had a rather fierce expression.
Min Zhi raised an eyebrow, coldly uttering three words: “Liu Hanzhi.”
The little girl hiccuped, her cries instantly stopping.
Interestingly, to prevent his daughter from being given nicknames at school, Zhu Minglang reluctantly gave up the right to pass on his surname, so the little girl took her mother’s surname, Liu, a classical and elegant surname.
Rong Xingyi, knowing the reason behind this, said to Zhu Minglang familiarly: “Zhu shushu, I’ll change my name as soon as I’m old enough, I also want to take my mom’s surname.”
“Why?” Zhu Minglang didn’t understand. “Rong is such a nice surname, pleasant-sounding, rare, it’s my first time meeting someone with this surname in real life.”
Rong Xingyi hadn’t yet mastered the skill of hiding his emotions, and his face stiffened.
Zhu Minglang wasn’t very familiar with the brothers’ family situation, and his boss was always so concise when explaining things, so he used his own imagination and gave a knowing look: “I see, you want to have the same surname as your brother?”
Min Zhi couldn’t help but scold: “Shut up.”
Zhu Minglang: “…” It had been a while since he was scolded by his boss; it felt a bit strange.
“Hurry up and go register, I’ll wait here.” Min Zhi volunteered to stay and watch the car, even putting on his sunglasses dramatically.
Liu Hanzhi, still immersed in the sadness of starting school, walked ahead, holding her father’s hand.
“Ge.” Rong Xingyi suddenly said mysteriously, “You, wearing a mask and a baseball cap, look a bit like an assassin, heehee.”
Rong Xingyi excitedly gestured with his limbs: “Like those cool and stylish assassins in movies, seven steps, one kill!”
…So those were words of praise?
Xi Leng couldn’t help but smile, the rare smile hidden beneath his mask, unseen.
He raised his hand, lightly patting the back of Rong Xingyi’s head, so light that the latter didn’t even notice, excitedly looking around like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden.
“Ge, look…”
He never stopped talking.
Arriving at the finance office, the little girl seemed to have adjusted to the new school, waiting beside Rong Xingyi, the two children whispering about something.
Only after arriving in person did Xi Leng realize that the school also offered various extracurricular activities, horse riding, archery, golf, even international exchange programs. The one-hundred-thousand-yuan tuition was just the tip of the iceberg. Xi Leng looked around for a while, then just as he was about to pay the tuition, Zhu Minglang cut him off with a bank card.
Zhu Minglang said righteously: “The boss said, since I was the one who recommended this school to you, I should be responsible.”
Even Rong Xingyi wouldn’t believe this nonsense.
Zhu Minglang continued: “Anyway, you don’t have to worry about Xiao Yi’s tuition and activity fees for the next four years. You don’t have to waste your hard-earned money on a child.”
“Or just think of it as the boss’s investment in Xiao Yi? That’s what he said anyway.”
After several interactions, he knew that Xi Leng was independent and assertive, not one to take advantage of others, and probably wouldn’t be persuaded by such a flimsy excuse.
Fortunately, Zhu Minglang was eloquent, ready to change his tactics: “Honestly, as long as I pay Xiao Yi’s tuition, the boss will not only reimburse me but also give me a bonus…”
Not only not short of money, but even letting the middleman profit?
Xi Leng smiled wryly, relenting: “Fine.”
“Alright!”
Zhu Minglang paid a year’s tuition for both children in one go, several hundred thousand yuan, looking so happy as if he had just picked up the money on the street.
Living in poverty for so long inevitably made one increasingly sensitive, resentful of the world, even perceiving kindness as an insult.
Even the emotionally intelligent Luo Jiayan found it difficult to strike the right balance. After all, having grown up in comfort, he couldn’t truly empathize.
Therefore, Luo Jiayan often chose to give food, indirectly helping him improve his life. Just buying snacks for a friend, it couldn’t really be called pity.
Every time, Xi Leng accepted readily, and Luo Jiayan, watching him, would smile sincerely, genuinely happy.
But Luo Jiayan wasn’t very familiar with his taste.
Perhaps influenced by what he saw on TV, he believed that the poorer someone was, the more they craved sweets, firstly because it was cheap, secondly because it was addictive, numbing the senses. So Luo Jiayan always avoided giving him sweets, buying whatever was expensive, mostly meat.
After seeing the two children off, the three adults got into the car, preparing to return.
“Right, wait.” Min Zhi suddenly said. Zhu Minglang, puzzled, released the car key and turned around, seeing him take out a pink rectangular paper bag from under his seat. “I bought some snacks for them, I almost forgot.”
Min Zhi took out various exquisite desserts from the pink paper bag, small cakes, cream puffs, puddings, croissants, everything.
“Boss, why didn’t you take them out earlier… Guoguo made such a fuss just now!” Zhu Minglang complained, his cheeks jiggling.
Min Zhi said nonchalantly: “She would only be even more reluctant to go to school after eating these.”
“Although I originally planned to give these to them.” Min Zhi turned to Xi Leng. “Now you’ll have to eat them all yourself?”
Xi Leng’s expression was complicated. After a moment of silence, he didn’t take the even larger tuition sponsorship for granted. Now, with a small cake in his hand, he looked at Min Zhi and said with certainty: “Your investment will definitely pay off.”
Min Zhi, with his protagonist halo, no matter how reckless his actions, would naturally always profit.
Even outside the novel’s plot, like mistaking Xi Leng for a true fan, giving him a free apartment, buying his paintings indirectly, it did have positive feedback. Recently, the scandals about Min Zhi’s bad attitude towards fans seemed to have disappeared from the internet, he was even ranked among the most fan-loving celebrities, his popularity, reputation, sales power, and commercial value all increasing.
If Min Zhi invested in Rong Xingyi, who wasn’t even mentioned in the novel, perhaps he could really become a successful and wealthy celebrity?
It was a win-win situation.
But Min Zhi, as usual, misinterpreted Xi Leng’s words. He said: “Hm? My judgment has always been good. Xiao Yi is my fan, it’s only right to take care of him.”
He didn’t need Xi Leng’s flattery, smiling as he continued: “And you, aren’t you the same?”
Xi Leng blinked, unconsciously clenching his fingers, his knuckles slightly white.
He forced himself to remain calm, replying indifferently with an “mm-hmm.”
Within just a month, Xi Leng’s Weibo followers soared to almost one hundred thousand. His inbox was filled with various messages from all over the country, besides excited fans, there were also many prominent figures in the art world.
Just then, a call came in, Director Sheng Jiao. Unexpectedly, his earlier mention of visiting the studio wasn’t just empty words, he was actually coming.
They made an appointment for the next morning. Sheng Jiao didn’t come alone, but brought an elegant lady with her hair in a bun, wearing a Tang suit, around thirty years old.
“This is the current director of Guizhen Art Museum, Ms. Ou Huixin.” Sheng Jiao briefly introduced them. “So, to make a long story short…”
Guizhen Art Museum was founded by the renowned artist Ou Guizhen. After his passing, the museum was inherited by his daughter, Ou Huixin, who returned from studying abroad. Unfortunately, Ou Huixin knew nothing about art creation or management, and despite her best intentions, the once-thriving art museum gradually declined, facing closure.
Even so, Ou Huixin didn’t want to sell the museum her father left behind. Instead, she invested most of her savings, renovating it and increasing publicity, trying to save her father’s legacy.
“I heard from Sheng Jiao that you have many works that haven’t been publicly displayed.” Ou Huixin, straightforward, said directly, “So, my idea is to hold a solo exhibition for you, three floors of the main hall. We’ll cover all the costs and manpower for the venue, setup, and promotion. We’ll split the ticket sales and other subsequent income 50/50. If there’s a loss, it’s on us—”
Ou Huixin smiled confidently: “Although I don’t think there will be a loss.”
Xi Leng also smiled: “You overestimate me.”
“Although I can’t paint, and I don’t know much about the art world, I grew up around my father, and I’ve seen countless exhibitions abroad, my taste is definitely top-notch. When I saw ‘Ophelia in the Woods,’ my first thought was to buy it. I finally contacted Sheng Jiao, and guess what? He sold it to someone else!”
Sheng Jiao coughed awkwardly.
Ou Huixin, her face flushed with excitement, her voice rising as she spoke: “Of course, your popularity will also be a great help. Even if fans come because of your popularity, they’ll only be even more impressed when they see your paintings. Don’t you think so?”
After her excitement subsided, she sighed deeply: “I’m really at my wit’s end, I’m asking you to save Guizhen.”
Xi Leng was slightly taken aback, also sighing, then suggested: “Then do you want to come upstairs and take a look?”
Xi Leng took the two to visit his studio, almost forced to sell his paintings on the spot. In the end, he only agreed to lend them for the exhibition, whether he would sell them was another matter.
“I knew it.” Ou Huixin exclaimed. “True artists, they’re all so picky, both with themselves and with others, they’d rather throw away their unsatisfying works than sell them. If it weren’t for money, no one would be willing to sell their paintings, treating them like their own children.”
Xi Leng smiled, playing along with her: “Selling to someone who understands art, that’s fine.”
He then picked a Fauvist still life of potted plants and generously handed it to her: “Ms. Ou, this one’s for you.”
Sheng Jiao naturally wasn’t happy, managing to get a painting for himself through pestering and acting shamelessly. His painting and Ou Huixin’s gift belonged to the same series. Both were very satisfied and happy.
Xi Leng held the paintings and walked the two downstairs: “Are you going back now?”
“I have to go to the television station with Sheng-dao.” Ou Huixin said. “He said he wants to do an Art Museum Escape.”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Sheng Jiao hurriedly stopped her, preventing the spoilers.
Xi Leng smiled, then after a pause, remembered something: “Right…”
It was Friday, almost time for school to end at Haining International School. Rong Xingyi’s first week of boarding school was coming to an end.
“Let me carry the paintings for you.” Not having proper packaging materials at home, Xi Leng carefully held the paintings. “And can you give me a ride? I happen to be going to the fourth ring road.”
Xi Leng naturally declined Sheng Jiao’s offer to go the extra mile, getting off with them at the television station entrance. He only needed to take two more bus stops to reach Haining International School.
It was still early, and Xi Leng didn’t leave immediately, watching the two enter the television station building. Standing by the beautiful fountain, he looked up, slowly observing the magnificent building, one of Beijing’s landmarks.
In the past, this was another world he could never reach, now, it was right before his eyes.
“Hey, Rong Zhao.”
A voice reached his ears, and Xi Leng froze instantly.
All the blood in his body rushed to his head.
He slowly and stiffly turned around.
It was Rong Haigao, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, looking at him with amusement.
Rong Haigao clicked his tongue, a sneer on his face: “Or should I call you Xi Leng?”
Xi Leng had anticipated this.
He naturally knew that earning money was easier in the public eye. In his past life, he worked tirelessly at various part-time jobs, refusing all invitations from talent scouts and MCN companies, just to avoid Rong Haigao, preventing his reputation from becoming a tool for the latter’s threats.
If he became a model or internet celebrity, Rong Haigao could sell fake news as his father, putting him in the center of public controversy, turning him into a target.
The more he earned, the more Rong Haigao would demand. Unless he won the lottery secretly, no matter how much money he made, as long as Rong Haigao knew about it, it was pointless.
Since he had chosen to join a variety show with a top celebrity in this life, he should have expected this day to come.
He calmly looked at Rong Haigao.
Rong Haigao took a few more steps forward, and the boy, who used to be at his mercy, unable to resist, now met his gaze steadily, showing no fear or avoidance.
Rong Haigao unconsciously slowed down.
“Hey, you…” Used to bullying the weak, even though Xi Leng hadn’t spoken yet, Rong Haigao’s throat tightened, and he could only speak after composing himself, “So you changed your name, no wonder you were so hard to find.”
Xi Leng had been trending online recently. Even if Rong Haigao didn’t follow entertainment news, as long as he took Xi Leng’s old photos and asked around, he would eventually find those Weibo posts and trending topics.
However, Xi Leng’s expression remained unchanged as he silently looked at his biological father.
He seemed to have become a stranger, this unfamiliarity gave Rong Haigao a strong sense of loss of control, but thinking of his snowballing debt, he still put on a fierce expression and said: “You’re filming TV shows now, you must be making a lot of money, right?”
“Didn’t I tell you before?” Xi Leng said indifferently. “I made money from the variety show, but I haven’t received it yet, I’ll give you one million next year.”
Rong Haigao sneered: “You blocked me, refused to answer calls from unknown numbers, you clearly planned to go back on your word, didn’t you? You think I’d believe you? You’ve always been like this, a liar.”
A flicker of emotion crossed Xi Leng’s eyes, then quickly disappeared, and he lowered his gaze slightly.
Rong Haigao continued self-righteously: “I didn’t expect you to chase stars? Hahaha, would you even believe those words yourself? I don’t care how you met that celebrity, but I saw that he treated you quite well on the show, the audience was all saying—what was it? Fan-serving? Reposting your Weibo, hundreds of thousands of likes…”
Rong Haigao smiled coldly, his words piercing like needles.
“Does he know what kind of person you really are?”
After a few seconds of silence, Xi Leng smiled: “At least I’m human, you’re not.”
“Hey—”
Rong Haigao’s instinctive reaction was to raise his hand, using violence to shut his insolent son up, but just then, two white-collar workers walked past, chatting and laughing, interrupting him, and he barely managed to calm down.
“You’re my son, you have my blood running through your veins. Whether you admit it or not, we’re essentially the same.” Rong Haigao smiled. “I heard you also took Rong Xingyi away, how did you take him? Did you beat him up?”
Xi Leng’s expression changed slightly.
Rong Haigao laughed: “See, I told you we’re the same.”
“You’re even more heartless than I am, Rong Zhao. Rong Xingyi trusted you so much, always going on about his gege, ‘Gege will come back,’ ‘Gege will protect me,’ tsk, tsk, it made even my heart ache.”
Despite saying his heart ached, his disgusting face was still incredibly cold, his tone mocking, treating the child’s suffering as a joke.
“At least I raised him, fed him, clothed him. And you, so selfish, running away to live a good life, abandoning him without a word, not even a phone call.”
The knuckles on Xi Leng’s hand beneath his sleeve were white as he clenched his fist. He took a deep breath and asked coldly: “Are you done? Do you still want the money?”
“Hey, what’s the rush?” Rong Haigao looked like a complete scoundrel. “I just want to ask, does that celebrity know about these things?”
Having laid the groundwork, Rong Haigao gradually revealed his greedy nature, saying: “One million, I want it now.”
“I don’t have it.”
Xi Leng turned to leave.
Rong Haigao hurriedly chased after him, his voice becoming increasingly anxious: “If I expose you, that celebrity will be furious, won’t he? He actually reposted a Weibo by someone like you! Will you still be able to make money in the entertainment industry? One mouthful of spit from each of his fans will be enough to drown you…”
“Then go tell him.” Xi Leng stopped, but didn’t turn around. “Go now, I’ll watch you.”
Rong Haigao was speechless.
How could he possibly get close to a big star? He heard that celebrities always had a bunch of bodyguards, their entourage huge and imposing.
Their public social media accounts were mostly managed by staff, with tens of thousands of comments and messages every day, there was no way he would be noticed, whether he would be believed was another matter…
By the time he came back to his senses, Xi Leng’s figure had already disappeared in the distance.
