Chapter 25: The Moon and the China Rose

The car slowly pulled into the estate and finally came to a stop before the lawn. Wen Xiao was sitting in the back row; before getting out, Wen Yu straightened his clothes for him.

"Wait, don't run off. You must stay with me and Dad," Wen Yu urged earnestly before finally letting Wen Xiao out of the car.

Wen Xiao nodded obediently after stepping out, and Wen Yu couldn't help but ruffle his hair again. When he caught his younger brother looking up at him, Wen Yu reflexively looked away and changed the subject: "Let's go."

It had always been their father who brought him to these occasions. Now that he had to bring his younger brother along, he was constantly worried about his brother getting lost in the crowd. He wanted to hold onto him and keep him by his side every step of the way, but felt a bit embarrassed to do so.

Wen Tianhe glanced at the two of them and then walked toward the estate first. Wen Xiao looked around with curiosity. In front of the estate lay a vast, manicured lawn. By now, many cars were already parked along the wide road, and a steady stream of unfamiliar faces was emerging from them. The night had fallen, making the estate in the distance appear even more brilliantly lit.

Seeing his curiosity, Wen Yu took the initiative to explain: "We are here today for Grandpa Wei’s seventieth birthday. Remember to wish Grandpa Wei good health and a long life later."

Wen Xiao nodded and then looked at Wen Tianhe, who was walking ahead of them, having slowed his pace as if waiting for them. Their father was very tall, dressed in a crisp black suit with his back straight. Wen Xiao had to look up to see his face, and even with his father slowing down, Wen Xiao still had to trot to keep up.

Seeing Wen Xiao suddenly take a few quick steps, Wen Yu couldn't help but say, "Walk a little slower."

*Can I really find happiness in this second life?* At the very least, he would surely protect his family.

Because Wen Xiao was running too fast and had forgotten that he was still a child with short arms and legs, he momentarily lost his balance and tumbled forward. Fortunately, a hand reached out to steady him.

As soon as Wen Xiao looked up, he saw a handsome face. The man was wearing a white tuxedo with dark, intricate patterns on the fabric.

"Little one, how can you trip on flat ground?" The man’s voice was gentle and magnetic, making Wen Xiao’s eyes widen.

It was Song Kaizhi, Song Jingbai’s father.

Today, Song Kaizhi looked different from how he appeared on television. Although he was still wearing a white suit, his inner shirt had been changed to a softer sky blue, which slightly tempered the restless air about him. Coupled with his dark blue tie and a teardrop-shaped gemstone brooch, he drew many gazes just by standing there, especially from the various wives and young ladies, most of whom looked at him with admiration.

*But Song Kaizhi is married! He has a child!* For some reason, Wen Xiao felt a surge of anger.

"The clothes we’re wearing—we look quite like a father and son," Song Kaizhi smiled slightly. Only then did Wen Xiao notice that the little white suit he was wearing also had a sky-blue base layer, making the color scheme very similar to Song Kaizhi’s.

After steadying himself, Wen Xiao pushed him away and said with a stern little face, "I have a father."

He looked at the other men and women on the lawn getting out of their cars; many were also wearing white suits. He blinked and asked curiously, "There are so many people wearing white—are they all your sons, Uncle?" *Your real son is Song Jingbai!*

Leaving his own biological son at home ignored while he went around building connections with other people's children—Wen Xiao had already equated Song Kaizhi with the term "deadbeat dad" in his mind.

Song Kaizhi’s breath hitched slightly. He hadn't expected to be snapped at by a little brat, and he could clearly sense the hostility the small child held toward him.

Wen Xiao had thought Song Kaizhi would be angry, but instead, the man suddenly burst into laughter, drawing side-glances from those nearby.

"Mr. Song." Wen Tianhe walked over with an expressionless face and firmly pulled Wen Xiao behind him, effectively separating them. "Please stay away from my child."

Wen Yu didn't know the situation, only that his father didn't like this Uncle Song. Since his father didn't like him, this Uncle Song couldn't be a good person, so he also stared at Song Kaizhi with a cold little face.

"Wen Tianhe, it’s just a minor pitfall from a few days ago." Song Kaizhi raised his hand, using his thumb and index finger to gesture a tiny amount. "If you want, I can let you have that piece of land."

"No need." Wen Tianhe simply didn't want Wen Xiao to have any contact with Song Kaizhi. From his understanding, Song Kaizhi was cunning, highly goal-oriented, and possessed a thorough businessman's mindset—someone who would even calculate his own people for money. He would never let Wen Xiao have any dealings with this man or the Song family.

Song Kaizhi sighed and said, "I didn't expect you to be so rigid. Your younger son is quite cute; it seems your family's rigidity isn't genetic."

Wen Tianhe ignored him directly and was about to leave when he noticed Wen Xiao standing still.

"Uncle, do you have children?" Wen Xiao asked, staring at Song Kaizhi with wide, curious eyes.

Song Kaizhi hummed, thought for a moment, and said, "Children? I suppose so."

Wen Xiao cursed "deadbeat dad" in his heart again. *What does "I suppose so" mean? Either you have children, or you don't.*

He could feel Wen Tianhe wanting to pull him away from Song Kaizhi, but he couldn't help but feel indignant, thinking of Song Jingbai possibly being left home alone, perhaps even afraid to turn off the lights.

Moreover, if he remembered correctly, during his time at St. Alart Noble High School, whenever a formal dress code was required, Song Jingbai always wore a white suit. Paired with his gentle, appropriate, and perfectly measured smile, he had somehow earned the nickname "Prince Charming."

"Then, Uncle, remember to bring your child out to play next time, because he must be very lonely staying home alone," Wen Xiao said, deliberately acting as if he didn't understand anything, making the remark sound accidental.

Song Kaizhi, however, wore a thoughtful expression after hearing this. He stared at Wen Xiao for a few moments, and only after he had been pulled away by Wen Tianhe did he call out from afar: "Uncle will remember your words."

Once they were out of sight, he looked away. It was said that businessmen were born with sharp instincts, so he felt that Wen Tianhe’s younger son had said that on purpose. But how could that be? Perhaps Wen Tianhe had taught him to say it, but Wen Tianhe had no reason to concern himself with his private life.

"Darling, I’m late." A woman in a royal blue gown walked toward him and naturally took Song Kaizhi’s arm. "Have you been waiting long?"

Song Kaizhi stared in the direction of the estate and smiled softly: "I just bumped into a very interesting child."

After saying this, he naturally took the woman’s hand and kissed the back of it lightly. "Let’s go, my date for the evening."

The woman was amused by him and couldn't help but tease, "Date for the evening—does that mean you change partners every night?"

As Song Kaizhi walked into the estate, he chuckled upon hearing this, his flirtatious, amorous eyes fixed on her, making the woman blush slightly.

"That’s why I like smart people," Song Kaizhi said.

"If I didn't know what kind of person you are, Mr. Song, and that you’re married, I might have actually fallen for you," the woman said with a laugh.

Song Kaizhi thought again of the question the child had just asked him.

The Song family started in trade, and their commercial map now extended all over the world. He often had to travel abroad, and counting the time, he hadn't been home for three months. *Perhaps it’s time to go back and take a look.*

When Wen Tianhe’s son asked if he had children, he had said "I suppose so," partly because the child shouldn't have been brought into this world when he wasn't ready to be a father. He had no intention of grooming an heir so early; the child’s birth was entirely an accident, and it was only because those old men in the Song family insisted on keeping him.

In his plans, if the child had come ten years later, it would have been perfect. Everything was supposed to be according to his plan.

*

Upon entering the estate, Wen Xiao, like the other guests, was led by a waiter to a long, retro-style corridor. The walls were hung with various famous paintings, and precious collections were displayed in glass cabinets, drawing exclamations of admiration from the guests. There were many classic clocks on the walls, and even now, the hands were still ticking accurately.

Wen Xiao knew this was likely the Wei family showing off their wealth.

After passing through the corridor, they reached the banquet hall. By now, the hall was filled with all sorts of people, and in the front stood a large cake as tall as an adult man. The old man certainly wouldn't eat it; it was likely just for display. Nobody here had come for the cake.

Young waiters moved through the crowd with desserts and drinks. Wen Yu took a glass of juice from a waiter and handed it to his brother. Wen Xiao took a sip; it was pink peach juice.

He had barely taken a sip before Wen Tianhe led him toward an old man sitting in a chair. People around them were constantly offering congratulations, their smiles appearing incredibly sincere, though the old man’s expression remained indifferent.

"Where is Wei Chuan?" the old man asked coldly.

Mrs. Wei wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief and said to a waiter nearby, "Go and find the young master immediately."

She then turned to the old man and smiled: "Wei Chuan must be preparing your birthday gift, Father. He said he wanted to prepare a surprise for you."

The old man gave a cold snort but ultimately said nothing. After all, Wei Chuan was the only one raised by his side—his own biological grandson.

Wen Tianhe stepped forward to hand the prepared gift to the waiter and exchanged a few pleasantries, keeping the atmosphere relatively harmonious.

Wen Xiao kept hiding behind Wen Tianhe, secretly observing them. He had seen this Mrs. Wei at school before, and the man who had been in charge of receiving guests and whom everyone treated with great respect must be the current head of the Wei family, Wei Zhaoze.

He gave a soft "tsk" in his heart—even as the head of the Wei family, he still had to personally receive guests on the old man's birthday.

Wen Xiao looked around again and realized he didn't see Wei Nanxing. He had only heard that when Wei Nanxing was first brought back to the Wei family, he was not well-received. There were too many missing pieces between that time and his eventual rise to become the heir of the Wei family, and he had no way of knowing them.