Sui Dongsheng lay on the ground, his stomach and legs covered in bruises. Tao Lejie had no special skills, just a brute strength born from his fleshy build. He held nothing back, didn't ease up—he was simply venting his fury. Sometimes he would pick up a stick and beat him with it.
Sui Dongsheng protected his head, and when he looked up, he seized the opportunity to grab the man by the leg and shout, "Calm down. What's the use of venting here? Why not go find him and cause trouble yourself?"
Tao Lejie had tried, but he was completely barred from entering Tao Lehua's villa. The servants said they were worried Tao Lehua might hurt him, but with Tao Lehua's thin arms and legs, how could he ever be a match for him? Tao Lejie didn't understand, but he was happy that his father was so concerned and worried about him. So, wanting to deal with that Tao Lehua, going out now was actually perfect.
Tao Lejie put down the stick, his eyes lighting up. "What you said does make some sense." He seemed to have completely forgotten what he had just done, enthusiastically pulling Sui Dongsheng, his strategist, along. "Come with me. We'll discuss on the way how to teach Tao Lehua a lesson."
Sui Dongsheng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes. "Okay." No one had ever made him suffer like this before. After living a life of luxury for so long, and then being taken care of by He Xiuyuan upon his return, he hadn't even broken a layer of skin, let alone been beaten. Climbing up from the bottom required funds. Both He Xiuyuan and Tao Lehua had played that role in the past. So as long as there was money, it would be fine, right?
Sitting in the back seat of the car, Sui Dongsheng curled up in the corner, his eyes flickering. He half-heartedly dealt with Tao Lejie's occasional questions and some wild ideas—all stupid ideas, like committing a crime with his real name. But he flattered every one of them until the sleeping pills took effect, and both Tao Lejie's and the driver's heads began to droop.
Sui Dongsheng leaned forward, squeezed into the passenger seat, kicked the driver out, and drove to a familiar place. Surveillance wasn't very advanced back then, and he knew the roads well. He hadn't spent all those years as a boss for nothing. After a short while, he stopped the car and found an empty house. This had once been a base for him and He Xiuyuan, but they rarely came here. He Xiuyuan didn't seem to have mentioned it to the police, so it was safe—no police watching.
Sui Dongsheng prepared a large amount of rope and sticks. When the time came, Tao Lejie slowly woke up. Unfamiliar surroundings and a familiar figure made him instinctively say, "What are you doing? Why don't you help me up?" Sui Dongsheng was almost amused by how stupid Tao Lejie was, still not realizing the situation. He struck with the stick, breaking Tao Lejie's lower leg. Tao Lejie screamed in pain, struggling to get up, only to find his hands tied in front of him, connected to a pillar, preventing him from standing straight or escaping. He had been bossing Sui Dongsheng around for so long that he refused to admit defeat. "I advise you to let me go now, or when I get back, I'll beat you until you're a pig's head." Sui Dongsheng hit him again. "That's assuming you can get back." Since growing up, Sui Dongsheng had always wanted to return to childhood, because what he missed most was the juvenile protection mechanism. The veiled death threats finally made Tao Lejie behave.
Sui Dongsheng called Tao Wanchun. "Your kid is in my hands. Prepare five hundred thousand and bring it over. Don't call the police. Come alone." In his past life, Tao Lehua had been very obedient. As the intermediary between father and son, Sui Dongsheng had done whatever he wanted. He could have asked for five hundred thousand, or even five million, and Tao Wanchun would have paid. So Sui Dongsheng never imagined Tao Wanchun would refuse.
On the other end of the line, Tao Wanchun could faintly hear the roar of a car engine. The caller had probably found a roadside phone to ensure no one was nearby and to make his voice harder to identify in the open space. Certain that it was Tao Lejie who had been kidnapped, his voice immediately steadied. "I won't give you five hundred thousand." "I suggest you watch your words, Mr. Tao. Your son is in my hands." Tao Wanchun spread his hands. "Whatever. Do as you please—if you can handle my revenge." With that, Tao Wanchun hung up first. He stood up, put on his suit jacket. It was nearly evening outside; once it got dark, finding the person would be even harder. He needed to contact the police immediately, investigate the situation, identify the person, and locate the position.
Outside the door stood Tao Lehua, still wearing the pretty clothes he had worn to see Bo Yuxu. He didn't know how long he had been standing there or what he had heard. The entire hallway, apart from the innermost CEO's office, was empty. Could this receptionist still be kept?
Tao Wanchun hesitated, then softened his voice, gently advising Tao Lehua, "You shouldn't be here right now. Maybe you can have the driver take you home. Get into bed and sleep. All the bad emotions will fade." Tao Lehua took half a step back. "...Do you think I'm sad because I didn't make up with Bo Yuxu?" Tao Wanchun was taken aback. "Isn't that the case?" "Was that person on the phone who kidnapped Tao Lejie?" For a moment, Tao Wanchun wished Tao Lehua had arranged this—at least it would prove his child had some cunning. But given the reality, it was better to stop overthinking. "Yes. He asked me for five hundred thousand." Tao Lehua looked up in disbelief. "So it's only five hundred thousand." He wasn't willing to pay? Had he thought that Tao Lejie might really encounter something bad, or even face a threat to his life? Did he care at all?
Tao Lehua really didn't like Tao Lejie, but Tao Lejie, like him, was Tao Wanchun's son. Tao Wanchun began to think. Admittedly, this amount meant nothing to him—probably less than what he spent on Tao Lehua each month. But if everyone knew that kidnapping his son would get a ransom, would his home ever be peaceful again? No matter how he looked at it, it would be a huge trouble down the line. "You're still a child. You don't need to worry about this." If Wen Ni hadn't been there, Tao Wanchun would have had the bodyguards immediately take Tao Lehua to rest and protect him. Tao Wanchun seemed about to say something, then turned and walked away.
Wen Ni curled her lip in disdain. This guy was still as self-centered as ever. She noticed Tao Lehua's bad complexion and couldn't help stroking his back as a comfort. Although she didn't approve of Tao Wanchun's handling, she did agree with one thing: children, especially Tao Lehua, shouldn't be involved in this. Wen Ni hugged Tao Lehua, feeling the slightly hot temperature of the child's body. "Take a nap. You only need to worry about tomorrow's piano competition." Tao Lehua softly "mm-hmmed" and then didn't speak for a long time. The expression on the child's face showed that Wen Ni's persuasion hadn't done much good.
Wen Ni decided to be direct. "What are you thinking?" Tao Lehua pursed his lips. This time, the words came out much more smoothly. "I hate my dad." He repeated quietly, "I hate that man." Because of all Tao Wanchun had done for him over the years, he hadn't used harsh, alienating terms like "that stranger." So now? Should he go back to sleep? How could he sleep in this situation?
Tao Lehua pursed his lips, his eyes dropping. At night, when he lay flat on the bed, he could feel the stuffed animals covering the bed. The ceiling light was off, but to mimic a night sky, there were scattered star lights. Sitting up, visibility was good enough that he wouldn't stumble if he got up. He put on slippers and cracked open the door.
"On the second young master's side, only a driver and a private tutor are missing. The driver has worked for the boss for many years, so it must be that private tutor." "I was so scared. That private tutor was the one who once applied to be our young master's tutor. If I had let him in that day, wouldn't our young master be the one kidnapped today?" Butler Wang shuddered in fear, breaking out in a cold sweat. When he turned and noticed the crack in the door, he shut his mouth. Tao Lehua realized he had been discovered. With a "click," he closed the door again.
He lay under the covers, face down, the blanket forming a little nest. The phone, usually on the nightstand, was now pulled into the nest. He had heard that good friends would have a session like this—a late-night secret talk. He dialed, and the call was quickly answered. A clear female voice came through. "This is Bo Xin. Hello, what can I do for you?" Tao Lehua gripped the phone cord. He had forgotten that not everyone had a phone in their room. "Are Bo Yuxu and Ji Yanyi there?" Bo Xin went "Oh," saying, "It's Lehua. But they're both asleep. You know, tomorrow is the competition."
Tao Lehua's face flushed. He had never been called so affectionately by an elder. And they were both asleep—indeed, it was past ten at night. Tao Lehua's voice stumbled. "Can you not hang up?" Bo Xin thought for a moment. She meant that she could stay on the line. This kid probably just wanted someone to talk to late at night. It was past ten now; she usually went to bed around eleven. At her age, beauty sleep was a must. That meant she had half an hour. Bo Xin asked, "Did something happen? You sound really unsettled." Tao Lehua's eyes went blank. Did he? He hadn't noticed. He felt tired from lying on his stomach, so he simply rested his chin on his forearm. "My half-brother was kidnapped."
Bo Xin narrowed her eyes, feeling a moment of panic—probably a mother's instinctive danger alert. "...What method did they use?" This was something Tao Lehua had just heard. "They said it was by posing as a teaching assistant." Bo Xin couldn't completely relax because security wasn't good right now. She sighed. "So, are you worried about his safety?" Tao Lehua shook his head. "Not entirely." He didn't know how to explain, so he chose to ask, "If this unfortunate situation happened to you, would you let the other child be involved?" Bo Xin thought about kidnapping cases. She felt, "Of course, because if you didn't let that person be involved, they would be too worried to sleep." Just like Tao Lehua. Although the description 'half-brother' sounded a bit distant, and that person had been spying on Tao Lehua—probably a bad relationship—when something like this happened to someone nearby, no one could remain indifferent.
Tao Lehua pressed his heart and whispered, "Yeah." But his voice was soft, and he didn't know if the other side heard over the phone. "Now everyone is looking for the suspect, except me. They said they're worried I might be targeted too, because that person once tried to become my private tutor." Bo Xin hesitated. "Oh." How strange—the scope seemed so narrow, yet they still couldn't find the person. "Didn't your father contact the police?" Tao Lehua explained, "It seems that person has strong counter-surveillance skills. After driving off, he kept to roads without surveillance." Bo Xin was taken aback when she heard 'counter-surveillance skills.' She instinctively thought of that child. But he was now at the work-study school, doing quite well there because of his gentle, honest nature that didn't cause trouble but wasn't afraid of it either. Someone had even sincerely called him 'Brother He,' which embarrassed him.
Bo Xin's eyes flickered as she thought of another possibility. "What's the name of that private tutor?" Tao Lehua had heard Butler Wang mention it, but he didn't remember the surname, only 'Dongsheng.' Bo Xin: "..." She hadn't expected that in the blink of an eye, the male lead had started a second career in crime. Should she say it was fitting for a male lead? His criminal talent was higher than others. Bo Xin sighed. "Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll take an expert in this area to the police station."
It was eleven at night. Bo Xin hung up and went to sleep. She woke up early the next morning and decided to buy steamed buns. The breakfast shop was cheap and generous, and more importantly, Bo Xin had seen the filling ingredients—they were good meat. Since it saved time, Bo Xin bought them. Freshly made was always the most delicious. She bought five, with an extra vegetarian one as a bonus. Bo Xin ate the mapo tofu bun. When the whole family sat down at the breakfast table, she recounted the phone call from the previous night.
Bo Yuxu and Ji Yanyi exchanged glances, not quite understanding how such a serious thing had happened to Tao Lehua's family overnight. As for the expert their mother mentioned, it must be that He Xiuyuan, right? Bo Xin shrugged. "What can I do? Why not use someone so useful? If he can really help find the person, maybe he'll catch the leadership's eye and they'll overlook his not-so-great theft record." Bo Yuxu had to admit that He Xiuyuan was indeed quite skilled in this area. But, "Mom, aren't you going to watch my competition today?" Bo Xin shook her head. "How could I? I'll go watch. Let Ji Xingzhi pick him up; it'll be quick."
The work-study school wasn't completely closed off. At the very least, the students could find time to see family, and occasionally they could apply to go out for shopping. Moreover, He Xiuyuan had been active and performed very well there lately. However, getting him out in the middle of the night was too much trouble. Bo Xin didn't want to seem too eager, or it would be weird. It wasn't like she could say she wanted to catch Sui Dongsheng, since in other people's eyes, she had almost no connection with Sui Dongsheng. Also, from the novel, Bo Xin could easily see that Sui Dongsheng had a vindictive personality. If Tao Lejie had daily humiliated him as a servant, then Sui Dongsheng would definitely take the time to retaliate.
At the appointed time, Bo Xin dropped the child off backstage at the piano competition. Rarely, Bo Yuxu ran into Wen Qiaozhe at the entrance, whom he hadn't seen in a while. There were some things he could say now. "Thank you for giving me those recordings of your teacher's lessons." Wen Qiaozhe shrugged. "What's the big deal? The more masters in the competition, the more interesting it is." Besides, it had always been boring having only Tao Lehua to compete with. Now that a talented newcomer had finally appeared, Wen Qiaozhe had been learning for years and was still ahead thanks to his teacher's lessons. Even he felt he was being shameless. He didn't have much to talk about with Bo Yuxu, mainly because he wasn't good at dealing with very serious people. So he needed a buffer. Where was that buffer? Wen Qiaozhe looked left and right. "Where's Yanyi?" Bo Yuxu explained, "He's not in the competition, but he said he'd buy me a drink. He says having one before the comp helps relieve stress." Wen Qiaozhe saw through it immediately. "So he just wants to drink one himself." Bo Yuxu nodded. Since Ji Yanyi still owed him money, "I'll give him a delivery fee."
Speak of the devil, Ji Yanyi appeared in front of them in a sprint, holding two bottles—one room temperature, one iced. The iced one was for himself, because he knew Bo Yuxu couldn't drink it. Now, Ji Yanyi decided to give the iced one to Wen Qiaozhe. Wen Qiaozhe declined. "I don't want to lose because of a stomachache during the comp—that'd be too embarrassing." Bo Yuxu coughed twice, covering his mouth. You could see from his eyes that he was laughing. Ji Yanyi scratched his head, admitting he hadn't thought it through. So he had to enjoy it himself.
Now that someone had entered the backstage without permission, relatives like Ji Yanyi who wanted to hang around inside couldn't get in. So he had to stand at the entrance and cheer them on. After the encouragement, Ji Yanyi said one more thing privately to Bo Yuxu. "Just play casually and come out quickly. You can win even if you play casually, right?" Bo Yuxu's temple twitched. "Don't downplay all my hard practice like that, okay?" Ji Yanyi stuck out his tongue, clearly used to being flippant. "Anyway, come out as soon as you can. Don't forget we still have things to do today." With that, Ji Yanyi waved and left. Wen Qiaozhe and Bo Yuxu lifted the curtain and went inside. Once inside, Wen Qiaozhe couldn't hold back his curiosity. "What things? You're in such a hurry." He had never seen the usually relaxed Ji Yanyi so tense. Bo Yuxu thought about where to start. Finally, he decided to begin at the beginning of this dream—his first encounter with Tao Lehua. Wen Qiaozhe was stunned repeatedly. "So who is this versatile guy they found?" Bo Yuxu started from when Ji Xingzhi lost his wallet.
Wen Qiaozhe: "..." Seriously, they were all elementary school students. Why was it that other people's lives, besides classes and competitions, were so eventful? From the earlier anti-trafficking to helping the police solve cases, and now helping the police catch criminals, while he, as an elementary school student, only had studies and competitions every day? Was this fair? He wanted to transfer schools!