In that photo, Yi Zhongshen also saw it naturally. Even though he had already seen it once, seeing the unconscious and curled-up appearance of the child freezing on Gu Sheng's phone screen, Yi Zhongshen's expression was still very unpleasant, with a chilling and intimidating aura.
After a while, Yi Zhongshen lowered his voice and said, "I have already gone to pick him up."
Since they had confronted each other, Bo Xiyun and Tian had not been in the hotel room and had gone to the library on their own. They hadn't met Yi Zhongshen.
Now, Yi Zhongshen had sent bodyguards to pick up the child and came to find Gu Sheng first.
Gu Sheng nodded in a fluster, "I'll pack up now and call my dad to get ready."
Upon hearing this, Yi Zhongshen paused for a moment and then reminded him, "Xiao Yun may not be a perfect match."
Even though it had been proven that Bo Xiyun was not a distant relative of the Liu family, he might not necessarily be Gu Sheng's long-lost brother.
After all, Q city was quite far from the Gobi desert where Gu Sheng's little aunt was originally located.
...and for a child without parents, who has never been favored by fate, it might be difficult for him to be generously granted enough luck this time to coincidentally find his own family immediately.
Yi Zhongshen urged Gu Sheng to take Bo Xiyun to B city not just for a DNA test, but to keep the young boy away from this unfavorable place and avoid more public scrutiny.
Gu Sheng understood his intentions and said, "I know, I know..." However, he couldn't hide his emotional distress, saying, "I feel sorry for Xiyun... He's such a well-behaved child. Why does he have to endure so much pain and hardship?"
Gu Sheng's mind was in turmoil, hastily packing his luggage. He closed the luggage at first but then opened it again, realizing that it wasn't right. Fortunately, he had already packed most of it before for the trip back home. He stuffed a few more things randomly and suddenly said, "The Liu family should have healed his leg before handing him over to Bai Gelei, right? They wouldn't send the child back home with a broken leg; otherwise, Bai Gelei would definitely grow suspicious."
They had missed out on so much in the past that they could only comfort each other with these uncertain speculations.
Yi Zhongshen's reply came in a more hoarse voice than usual, "It was treated back then."
Gu Sheng looked up at the sound and asked, "Really? How do you know?"
Yi Zhongshen replied, "I checked the medical records from when Wu Ying treated him."
During the investigation of Bai Gelei earlier, all the records from when he first took the child in were thoroughly examined. However, there were no records related to children in Bai Gelei's files. Instead, this time, Yi Zhongshen directly checked Wu Ying's records and found that fourteen years ago, she had taken the child for a medical consultation for a leg injury that hadn't fully healed.
Gu Sheng understood, "So it seems that the Liu family gave the child some initial treatment, and later, when the child went to Bai Gelei, Wu Ying took him to the hospital and had him fully healed."
Fortunately, the injuries to the child's legs were treated at the time, and it seems there were no serious aftereffects.
However, Yi Zhongshen's expression didn't ease much. He remembered how Bo Xiyun always sat neatly, keeping his knees together and placing his hands on his knees when sitting down. Yi Zhongshen had initially thought the boy was taught to be well-behaved since childhood, but now he realized that Bo Xiyun might still feel a faint pain in his knees when moving, which led to this habit.
Gu Sheng rubbed his face with both hands, propped his forehead with his arm, and spoke softly, "Even if he's not... even if we don't find a match, I still want to adopt Xiyun and make him my younger brother."
He wanted to protect this little child.
Gu Sheng continued with a hoarse voice, "I will talk to my family about this. When Xiyun goes to college in B city in the future, we can take good care of him."
Yi Zhongshen lowered his gaze, his expression unclear.
In truth, he wanted to do the same even more than Gu Sheng. He wanted to raise the young boy as his own. However, Yi Zhongshen was well aware that given their current situation, Bo Xiyun would most likely not agree to be close to him.
(Tn: Not as his child...)
So in the end, he just softly responded, "Hmm."
After Gu Sheng finished packing roughly, he sat on the nearby sofa and pinched his nose. "Xiyun should know the news by now... He must be feeling very sad."
"..."
Yi Zhongshen remained silent for a moment and then said, "There's also the matter of his student status."
Gu Sheng looked puzzled and asked, "What's wrong with his student status?"
Yi Zhongshen replied, "When he was abducted, his birth certificate was definitely forged."
He continued, "The birth certificate is directly related to his student status. After the New Year, when he is officially admitted to T University, they will verify his student status."
All these intricate matters needed to be dealt with one by one, and it not only involved numerous procedures but would also repeatedly inflict deep wounds in the young boy's tender heart.
Gu Sheng fell silent, clearly realizing the complexity of the situation. Bo Xiyun had already gone through additional procedures due to his name change, and now, the current situation would undoubtedly make things even more complicated for him.
"Let's take him away first," Yi Zhongshen said in a deep voice. "Let him rest for a few days, and we can slowly sort out the rest of the issues."
He asked someone to contact the bodyguards who were following Bo Xiyun to bring the boy back as soon as possible.
However, this time, the bodyguards returned with quite an ominous message.
"What?" Gu Sheng thought he misunderstood, "Couldn't you get in touch with them?"
"Weren't the bodyguards following him all the time?"
Yi Zhongshen frowned as he listened to the explanation from the bodyguard on the phone.
"Mr.Bo seems to have noticed us a long time ago. He looked back at us several times on the way. Just now, he went to the school staff quarters to find a teacher. Before entering the residential area, he suddenly stopped and told us to go back, saying that we don't need to follow him. He asked us to convey his thanks to Senior Yi for the hard work," the bodyguard explained.
(Tn: the body guard said Xiao Bo but I changed it because it doesn't sound professional)
Gu Sheng was taken aback. Hearing this, he suddenly recalled his previous speculation – that something might have happened between Bo Xiyun and Yi Zhongshen, as if they had some kind of conflict.
Looking at Yi Zhongshen, he saw the young man tightly pursing his lips, his face growing even colder. He continued to listen to the conversation on the phone in silence.
"We can't do anything about it. We can only wait in the residential area," the bodyguard continued.
Typically, protective bodyguards wouldn't reveal themselves. When Bo Xiyun stopped at the gate of the residential area and called out to them, the bodyguards had stepped forward, intending to assure him that they meant no harm.
However, they hadn't anticipated that Bo Xiyun had already guessed their identities and firmly refused their protection.
He was resolute in handling things on his own, not wanting to trouble Senior Yi.
The residential area was not very large and not convenient for hiding their presence. So the bodyguards didn't follow him but stayed more discreet within the area, prepared to wait for Bo Xiyun to come out.
As a precaution, they also stationed someone at the back door of the residential area.
But they didn't expect...
"There's another small gate in that residential area, locked with a chain, usually not opened. We waited for a long time and didn't see the person. Only then did we notice that it seemed like Mr.Bo had slipped away through a small gap in the chain of that gate. Afterward, we searched nearby but couldn't find any trace of him."
Gu Sheng stopped midway and picked up his phone, dialing Bo Xiyun's number.
"Beep... Beep..."
The ringing tone in the call kept echoing, making him anxious.
Gu Sheng furrowed his brows, "Could Bai Gelei be causing trouble for Xiyun again?"
"No," Yi Zhongshen's voice was somewhat hoarse but very clear, "Bai Gelei is constantly under surveillance, and he hasn't come himself or sent anyone."
Gu Sheng was taken aback.
Yi Zhongshen had directly put Bai Gelei under surveillance?
"And not the Liu family either," Yi Zhongshen's eyes darkened, "The two people from the Liu family who came to Q city are still at the internet café, and they haven't shown any intention of looking for Xiao Yun, either online or offline."
Gu Sheng was speechless for a moment.
At this moment, Gu Sheng truly appreciated the tangible results of his friend's busyness in the past few days. In Q city, Yi Zhongshen was able to quickly gather so much information and have a firm grasp on the movements of so many people.
If both parties were not involved, then at least his junior's personal safety should not be a problem.
As Gu Sheng was contemplating this, the waiting tone on his phone suddenly stopped.
"Why didn't Xiyun pick up?" Gu Sheng furrowed his brows and was about to call again when he received a WeChat message from Bo Xiyun.
["What's wrong?"]
Gu Sheng immediately asked.
["Where are you right now?" Gu Sheng was considering how to bring up the topic of taking the young boy back to B city when he noticed a pause on the other side and then received a reply.
["I'm going out to clear my mind."]
Gu Sheng hesitated. Bo Xiyun must have heard that information, and his mood must be affected. Perhaps he needed some space for himself.
Gu Sheng thought for a moment and asked Yi Zhongshen, "How about we let Xiyun have some quiet time for now?"
Yi Zhongshen's frown didn't loosen.
"The bodyguards went to search for him shortly after he left through the small gate. If it was just him, he wouldn't disappear so quickly," Yi Zhongshen said, feeling that something was amiss.
"Xiyun might have been taken away by someone, or someone deliberately erased his traces," he continued.
Gu Sheng asked, "Who would do such a thing?"
Bai Gelei and the Liu family seemed to be inactive, right?
"You keep trying to contact him," Yi Zhongshen instructed.
After that, he turned to the bodyguard on the phone again and said, "Track his phone's location, right away."
*
When the news about the Liu family's revelation spread, Bo Xiyun also quickly learned about it.
Previously, the truth about his real identity had already caused a big stir. Now, with this major reversal of events, more people became curious, and the commotion caused by the Liu family's disclosure made almost everyone aware of it.
Upon learning the truth about his true background, Bo Xiyun didn't have much extra emotion. Over a decade ago, when Bai Gelei brought him back, Bai Gelei didn't act like a responsible father. At that time, Bai Gelei was not in a rational state; he had been deeply traumatized due to his loss of reproductive ability and was in a frenzy.
Bo Xiyun initially believed that Bai Gelei's behavior was an exception, a result of his extreme personality. It was only later, after Bai Gelei frequently interacted with those who shared the same condition, that Bo Xiyun gradually realized how desperate these men were to prove their virility. They were willing to try various bizarre and even absurd methods, resorting to using dubious drugs in hopes of achieving even a slight improvement.
Bai Gelei's behavior became increasingly radical as a result. His relentless efforts to reclaim the child from the Liu family were driven more by his own venting of frustration than genuine concern for the child.
Growing up in such a family environment, Bo Xiyun didn't have many expectations for familial affection. When he learned that he might have been sold to the Liu family for money by the Bo family, he didn't react with much emotion.
Now, facing the revelation of his true background, he remained similarly composed. Whether he belonged to the Bo family or not, or if he had no parents at all, didn't seem to matter much to him.
However, Bo Xiyun realized that in the eyes of others, this seemed like a significant matter. The news had indeed spread widely, and within half a day, many classmates and friends had sent him messages, offering their cautious words of comfort.
Bo Xiyun replied to each message, expressing his gratitude.
However, after replying to some of them, his WeChat messages started to experience delays and seemed to be stuck. Bo Xiyun decided to put the messaging on hold and respond later.
Before the messaging issue, he also received a message from Xu Xinyi. Unlike other friends, Xu Xinyi sent him a few pictures she had taken herself.
The photos showed her attempt to make a dessert following an online recipe, but the result was a disaster. The once golden and chewy cheesecake turned into charcoal, completely fused with the burnt bottom of the pan, making it impossible to distinguish any color difference.
Looking at the photos of the dessert gone wrong, Bo Xiyun couldn't help but chuckle and replied with a message of understanding.
[Take care.]
Xu Xinyi quickly replied again.
[Be happy!]
Bo Xiyun smiled.
[Thank you.]
Not only did Bo Xiyun receive messages from classmates and friends, but he also received a call from his homeroom teacher.
"Xiyun, are you available now? How about coming over to my place?" the teacher asked.
Bo Xiyun left the library and went to his homeroom teacher's home, which was located in the residential area for faculty members of the school. When Bo Xiyun arrived, the teacher's house was lively as the Lunar New Year was approaching. Many relatives had gathered together, chatting and playing cards in the living room.
Amidst the festive atmosphere, Bo Xiyun walked in, feeling the cold winter chill still lingering on him. He looked quite lonely, standing there all by himself amidst the cheerful gathering.
With people scattered all over the house, the homeroom teacher took Bo Xiyun to the master bedroom to have a private conversation.
"Xiyun, you are aware of the situation regarding your student status, right? There might be some matters that need to be addressed," the homeroom teacher explained.
When Bo Xiyun received the call from his homeroom teacher, he had already guessed what the matter was about. After all, when he was coerced by Bai Gelei to make changes before, he had troubled the teacher quite a bit.
The homeroom teacher then provided him with a detailed explanation. The school had recently contacted the education bureau and checked Bo Xiyun's student records. When Bai Gelei kicked Bo Xiyun out of the house, he had also directly transferred his household registration information, and Bo Xiyun's household registration was temporarily registered in the community where he was living.
Moreover, Bai Gelei had altered his records, including his parents' information and birth certificate, to match the content provided by the Liu family, stating that his parents were from the Bo family and that he was born in the neighboring city where the Liu family resided.
However, now that the truth had been exposed, it was revealed that all these documents and certificates were falsified by the Liu family. As a result, Bo Xiyun's student status was affected and needed correction.
Since Bo Xiyun was only attending a regular high school, the urgency of changing his student status information might not have been so pressing. However, the key issue was that Bo Xiyun had recently been accepted to T University, and the university was waiting to verify his student records after the New Year.
This situation meant that Bo Xiyun had to prepare all the correct documents before his records were transferred to T University. Time suddenly became extremely tight.
If the matter was not handled properly, Bo Xiyun's acceptance to T University could be affected, so the homeroom teacher urgently called him to discuss the situation.
During the conversation, the teacher's tone remained gentle and considerate of Bo Xiyun's emotions. The teacher didn't mention anything about time constraints, difficulties, or severe consequences. Bo Xiyun inferred these aspects on his own.
The teacher said, "I will help you apply for the necessary forms. There should be standard formats for these kinds of situations, so we'll follow the procedure. We gained some experience last time, and this time we don't need to rush. We'll try to handle it as soon as possible, so you can have peace of mind."
However, Bo Xiyun had already dealt with the personnel in charge of records before, and he knew that it wouldn't be as simple as the teacher made it sound. Revising his records for the second time might create more complications in the process. It might even lead to misunderstandings and possible rejection due to unauthorized alterations.
However, in front of the teacher, Bo Xiyun only nodded and said, "Thank you so much for your hard work."
During their conversation, the bedroom door would occasionally be opened, and curious relatives' children would poke their heads in, but the homeroom teacher would shoo them away. Finally, the teacher decided to lock the door.
After discussing everything, there was another knock on the door, and this time it was the teacher's own daughter. She sweetly called for him from behind the door, asking him to help her with some handicraft.
The homeroom teacher went to open the door, and Bo Xiyun followed along. As soon as the door opened, the little girl rushed into her father's arms. The teacher lifted his daughter, and she rested her head on his shoulder, curiously looking at Bo Xiyun while nibbling on her finger.
Bo Xiyun smiled at the little girl, and she giggled back, affectionately calling him "handsome brother."
The homeroom teacher patted his daughter's back and corrected her, "It should be 'handsome big brother.'"
Bo Xiyun chuckled and said, "Either one is fine."
The teacher said, "Xiyun, why don't you stay for a while today? Let's discuss the application form."
He then gestured towards the kitchen where a delicious aroma was wafting, saying, "My elder brother just arrived, and he's stewing pig's trotters and pork ribs. It smells great; it'll be ready soon."
Bo Xiyun appreciated the teacher's concern and kind invitation to spend the New Year in a lively atmosphere, but he politely declined, not wanting to trouble the teacher.
"I'll first go to the police station to find the policewoman who helped me with the household registration last time and ask for her assistance in checking the birth certificate," he explained with a valid reason. Despite the teacher's attempts to persuade him otherwise, Bo Xiyun remained firm in his decision and bid farewell.
Before leaving, he received candy plates from some of the children and filled his pockets with the candies they gave him. Bo Xiyun left the residential area of No.1 Middle School and checked the time. With the New Year approaching in just a couple of days, the police station was about to close for the holidays. He planned to go there today to inquire about his situation.
Time was tight, and taking a bus would be time-consuming, so Bo Xiyun hailed a taxi. He specifically picked out two pieces of peppermint candy from the ones given by the teacher. He put one in his mouth and tucked the other under his tongue, trying to alleviate any potential motion sickness during the taxi ride.
Among the candies given to him, peppermint candy was the most abundant, as the children didn't like its taste and only took the sweet ones.
Whether the peppermint candy really worked or because Bo Xiyun didn't check his phone this time, he didn't feel severe motion sickness when he got off the taxi.
As he left the taxi, he glanced inside the car for a moment and said, "Thank you, driver."
As Bo Xiyun walked a few steps, he noticed some movement not far behind him. He decided to stop and turned to face the empty street.
"Come out," he said calmly.
There was no response or sound from the deserted street. Bo Xiyun glanced around, then turned back and said, "If you don't come out, I'll leave, and you can't follow me."
He didn't have the energy to play hide-and-seek with someone.
Upon his words, there was movement behind him, and a tall, slender figure stepped out from the alley.
Bo Xiyun looked at the person with slight interest, asking, "You?"
The person who emerged from the alley had a handsome and elegant appearance.
Bo Xiyun had thought it might be someone from the Liu family coming to find him, or perhaps someone sent by Bai Song on behalf of Bai Gelei. He didn't expect it to be Bai Xiu.
But thinking about it,Bai Xiu could represent the family even better than his cousin.
Bai Xiu showed some curiosity and asked, "How did you know someone would come?"
"The taximeter and the company logo on that taxi were from different companies," Bo Xiyun replied.
Bai Xiu raised an eyebrow, "So it wasn't a regular taxi."
Moreover, the taxi drove to his specified location but deliberately turned around and parked across the street, clearly indicating that someone was nearby.
"Not surprising, you're so attentive," Bo Xiyun replied.
Bai Xiu chuckled and explained, "It's my friend's car, and he often customizes the paint job. Recently, he thought it would be fun to make it look like a taxi."
He added, "The car's chassis is more stable, which reduces motion sickness."
Bo Xiyun looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "Do you have something to talk to me about?"
Bai Xiu approached a few steps, speaking gently, "I asked the teacher about your situation and figured you might need some help."
He pointed to the police station not far away and continued, "I have a friend on duty there today. If you need to handle any business, I can accompany you."
Bo Xiyun shook his head, "It's okay, I can handle it myself."
"Brother," Bai Xiu called him softly, "let me go with you. With an extra person, it'll be more convenient for you in case you need to wait in line or run any errands."
Bo Xiyun still declined the offer, but Bai Xiu was insistent on joining him.
Until they reached a sheltered spot, Bo Xiyun finally stopped and sighed.
"Bai Xiu," he suddenly addressed him, asking, "If I was just a beggar bought on a whim, and all those memories of us together during your childhood were fake, then everything about me being your brother is also false, isn't it?"
Bo Xiyun didn't sound accusatory even though he straightforwardly exposed Bai Xiu's lies, maintaining a calm tone.
Bai Xiu was momentarily at a loss for words.
Bo Xiyun continued calmly, "If you went to such great lengths to play a prank on me, it's really unnecessary. I won't give you the satisfaction you desire."
Previously,Bai Song had always tried to provoke him to see him get laughed at, but he never succeeded. So why bother with this, Bai Xiu?
Now, Bo Xiyun didn't have any spare time to entertain him. He simply lowered his head to adjust his sleeve, preparing to go to the police station.
"You should go back for now, goodbye."
"Xiyun... Brother!"
Bai Xiu called him again, but this time, his voice was no longer as steady and gentle as before. There was a slight trembling in his tone.
"I'm sorry, it's because... because I like you!"
Bo Xiyun paused his steps, turning back.
Bai Xiu stared directly at him, with an unusual sense of unease in his gaze.
"I didn't intentionally want to deceive you because... I didn't want you to recall those terrible memories of begging when we were young, so I just took the opportunity to be your distant cousin," he explained, clenching his hands tightly, his tone slightly lower.
"But we really did play together. When you were injured, you stayed at the Liu family's place for a while. I've never had a friend my age whom I could spend so much time with, and I became reliant on you."
Bo Xiyun licked the last bit of the mint candy from under his tongue.
Bai Xiu's tone sounded sincere, and his eyes looked genuine.
However, Bo Xiyun still couldn't confirm.
His memory had no recollection of that period of time. Initially, he thought it was due to the haziness of his memories, but now it seemed more likely that his early experiences were too painful, causing his mind to unconsciously seal away those memories for self-protection.
Bo Xiyun was also unsure.
He didn't know if Bai Xiu was telling the truth or not.
"Brother," Bai Xiu called out softly once more, this time with a hint of pleading in his voice.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you."
"Even if we don't bring up that matter," Bo Xiyun moved the mint candy to the side with his tongue, "why do you like me?"
(Tn: remember he put two in his mouth?)
"Can childhood experiences have such a profound impact?"
"We haven't seen each other in over a decade, and we might have become completely different people."
Bai Xiu's face still appeared slightly pale, but he smiled. "No, that's not true."
"Regardless of the time, you have always been the calmest, most rational person."
Bai Xiu looked at him, speaking softly, "The person I like has always been you, just like this."
Bo Xiyun pursed his lips, confirming that Bai Xiu wasn't joking.
But he could only calmly and rationally tell Bai Xiu, "I'm sorry, I can't accept your feelings."
Bai Xiu's face turned slightly red with disappointment. He lowered his head and spoke softly, "That's okay... Brother, I just want to be able to help you."
"If you're doing better, I'll be happy."
Bo Xiyun wasn't actually as cold-hearted as he seemed, but now that Bai Xiu had expressed his feelings, he couldn't lead him on.
"Thank you, but I can handle it myself."
"If I need help, I'll ask for it."
Bo Xiyun paused for a moment and continued, "Also, I think your feelings for me might just be a childhood habit or dependency. Maybe, if you spend more time with other friends, you'll realize that it's not love."
Bai Xiu finally looked up but gently shook his head. "No, Brother."
He asked, "Do you know why I could tell that Teacher Yi liked you back then?"
"Because the way he looked at you was exactly the same as how I looked at you."
Bai Xiu smiled, "You are a rare treasure."
As Bo Xiyun looked at Bai Xiu's handsome face, he slightly furrowed his brow.
Ever since Bai Xiu mentioned Yi Zhongshen, Bo Xiyun subconsciously thought differently.
And now, he noticed something even more distinct.
Because after Bo Xiyun clearly rejected him...
Bai Xiu's demeanor seemed to become even more excited.
______________________________________
Tn: This Liu family sounds awful to me. How big of a jerk you should be to laugh at a kid who suffered so much in his childhood??? They feel nothing? How?
And Author please don't make everyone love Bo Xiyun...
Everyone who is closely introduced except for Gu Sheng are magically in love with BXY? My Lord...
Last thought: Looks like author forgot that now BXY transmigrated into original BXY