Rebirth: My Childhood Sweetheart Came into My Arms

"Young Master He, someone is looking for you."

"Who?"

"The other party did not give their name, only said they would wait for you in the corridor."

When the waiter found He Ningqiu, he was chatting with the second young master of the Zou family about the latest gossip in the entertainment industry.

Seeing He Ningqiu remain motionless, Zou Yi, who was leaning back on the sofa, gently swirled the wine in his glass and asked, "Second Young Master He, aren't you going to go and take a look?"

"They didn't say their name, so they must be someone unimportant." He Ningqiu smiled slightly, ignoring the waiter. "Brother Zou, what did you just say? Go on."

Zou Yi took a sip of champagne, a subtle, enigmatic smile playing on his lips.

He and He Ningqiu were both the second sons in their families. The difference was that he was their biological son, while He Ningqiu was adopted from an orphanage.

The obvious difference made Zou Yi despise this so-called "second young master of the He family" from the bottom of his heart, and he felt that He Ningqiu's fawning was nothing more than a clown trying to attract attention.

But he still wanted to see this guy's sycophantic and subservient behavior.

So he deliberately stirred up some trivial entertainment gossip, belittling the actors while elevating himself, and incidentally giving He Ningqiu the opportunity to fawn over him.

That's absolutely hilarious!

"Anyway, those women in the entertainment industry can be slept with if you pay them. Didn't a few celebrities come to the banquet tonight? They look glamorous on the outside, but they've already been used up."

"Really? Yi-ge, you've played this before?"

"Everyone says they've been through the wringer, how could I possibly accept that? Only someone as naive as you would think highly of them."

"..."

Zou Yi's second half of his sentence was clearly sarcastic. He Ningqiu wasn't stupid, so he could tell, but he didn't dare to show his dissatisfaction. He could only agree with a smile and say, "Yes, I grew up in an orphanage. There's still a big difference between me and you guys."

To avoid being criticized by others, one must first learn to criticize oneself. He Ningqiu firmly believed in this and thought that as long as he relentlessly criticized himself, Zou Yi would stop mocking him.

But he seriously underestimated the inherent flaws of the spoiled brat.

Zou Yi finished the wine in his glass and, as if directing a servant, said to He Ningqiu, "Go and pour me another glass of wine."

He Ningqiu was taken aback.

The bar was a bit far from where they were sitting, and they had to walk through the crowded hall to get there. If Zou Yi really wanted to drink, he could have just asked a waiter to do it for him.

But he didn't.

"Oh, and could you also get me some dried fruit?"

"Um……"

He Ningqiu reluctantly accepted the wine glass, cursing Zou Yi's ancestors in his mind.

So what if he's a rich kid? What's so great about him? If his father hadn't said that he was going to cooperate with the Zou family and asked him to befriend Zou Yi, he wouldn't have had to put up with this.

He Ningqiu walked to the bar while muttering to himself. Just as he picked up the champagne, he heard people whispering to each other.

"Everyone's saying the second young master of the He family is adopted, but I don't think it's that simple. The He family is so wealthy; if they adopted someone, they'd definitely want a share of the inheritance. Wouldn't that cause a huge uproar?"

"What adoption? Just take that polite talk with a grain of salt. If you ask me, that child is Mr. He's illegitimate child."

"Hey, keep your voice down, there are so many people around..."

He Ningqiu was so engrossed in listening that his hand accidentally trembled while pouring the wine, and the wine spilled all over the floor.

The guests were startled and quickly took a half step back, especially the women in skirts, who held up their skirts as if afraid of getting their expensive dresses stained.

"Who is this person? So clumsy, they almost splashed me with water."

"Go away, go away, get away from me..."

The noise quickly attracted the attention of the waiters nearby.

"Sir, please let us handle this."

"..."

The waiter ushered He Ningqiu aside and bent down to clean up the mess on the floor.

He Ningqiu stood there, the echoes of those people's discussions still ringing in her ears, her chest tight and unable to breathe.

Although he attended the banquet today as the "second young master of the He family," how many people in the vast sea of ​​people truly acknowledge his identity?

Adoption, illegitimate child...

Various labels were stuck to his body like shackles and chains, weighing him down so he couldn't lift his head.

He Ningqiu walked back absentmindedly, completely forgetting about pouring the wine. When he was almost at the corridor, someone suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled him into a dimly lit corner.

"Who... um!"

Before He Ningqiu could finish speaking, his mouth and nose were covered.

"It's me!" the woman said in a low voice, the pungent scent of her perfume making He Ningqiu feel suffocated.

He hurriedly pried the woman's hand away, turned around, and stared in surprise.

Standing before him was none other than his birth mother, Xiao Shan.

"mom?!"

"Shh..." Xiao Shan put a finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.

He Ningqiu made a swallowing motion. "What brings you here?"

Instead of answering, Xiao Shan asked, "How long has it been since we, mother and son, last met? I just asked the waiter to call you, but you didn't come. What's wrong? Don't you miss your mother after all this time apart?"

"Of course I want to, but..." He Ningqiu looked around warily, "But Dad doesn't allow us to meet, does he?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shan immediately adopted a smug expression and said, "Don't worry, your dad knows I'm here. He's the one who gave me the invitation."

"Did he give you an invitation?"

"What's with that look on your face, you brat? I'm your own mother, what's wrong with him giving me an invitation?"

That's what they say, but...

These two people were clearly more wary than anyone else before.

Seeing He Ningqiu's blank expression, Xiao Shan continued:

"Tonight's dinner is a social gathering. You can chat with whoever you want without arousing suspicion. It's actually safer here than meeting in private."

"Of course, your dad also feels sorry for me and doesn't want me to not see my precious son for so long."

Xiao Shan shamelessly told lies, attempting to elevate her own status in this way.

However, the truth is that she had been pestering He Lianghan for a long time in order to get a ticket to the banquet.

When He Lianghan first heard her say she wanted to attend the banquet, he refused without a second thought and advised her to behave herself and not cause trouble.

But who is Xiao Shan?

There's nothing she can't get if she wants it.

So for the next few days, she began bombarding He Lianghan with text messages and phone calls... In the end, He Lianghan couldn't take it anymore and gave her the invitation.

After showing off her status in He Lianghan's heart, Xiao Shan turned her attention back to He Ningqiu.

"Son, you look really handsome today. This outfit suits you perfectly."

Since officially moving into the He family home, He Ningqiu's standard of living has improved significantly. Even the suit he's wearing today was custom-made by a studio several days in advance, exuding the air of a wealthy young master from head to toe.

Xiao Shan saw this and was delighted.

You see, her biggest wish in this life was to marry into a wealthy family and make her son a pampered young master. Now that He Ningqiu has undergone a complete transformation, she feels that this battle is already half won.

"Is he handsome? He's alright, but he's definitely not as good as He Ziyu." He Ningqiu's tone carried a hint of self-abandonment.

After being insulted and slandered by the young master of the Zou family, He Ningqiu's mood plummeted, and she even regretted attending tonight's banquet.

He thought that as long as he got a ticket to high society, he could rise to the top quickly, until reality dealt him a heavy blow.

In their eyes, he was nothing at all; only someone like He Ziyu, the legitimate eldest son of the He family, could receive true respect.

Xiao Shan, unaware of what He Ningqiu had been through, assumed he was simply being self-deprecating and quickly retorted, "What are you talking about? What does that brat He Ziyu have that you can compare to?"

"What makes him inferior to me?" He Ningqiu couldn't help but retort. "He's the son of He Lianghan and his legal wife, he's already won at the starting line, no matter how hard I try, I can't catch up."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shan's face immediately fell.

"So what if he's the son of the legal wife? If it weren't for that vixen Zhou Ying seducing your father back then, would he have given birth to that little brat He Ziyu before me?"

"Even if she seduced Dad, people still respectfully call her Mrs. He in public. But what about you? You can only hide in the shadows, doing things that can't be seen by others..."

Before the words were even finished, a crisp "snap" sound rang out in the air.

Xiao Shan's chest heaved, and her hand, which had been striking He Ningqiu's left cheek, trembled slightly.

"He Ningqiu, you've really grown some guts. You've only been in the He family for a few months, and you dare to talk to me like that?"

"..." He Ningqiu stood there, stunned, her cheeks burning with pain.

Xiao Shan seemed genuinely angry, continuing to ramble on: "If I hadn't brought you into this world sixteen years ago, would you be enjoying this superior life? I raised you with such difficulty, and this is how you repay me?"

He Ningqiu's eyes were slightly red, and her hands were clenched into fists.

He felt wronged, so wronged he was heartbroken.

He's obsequious outside and subservient at home. Is he destined to be a worthless person, unworthy of living?

Tears streamed down He Ningqiu's face and fell to the ground. An unprecedented sense of powerlessness swept over him, engulfing him like a tidal wave.

After all, he was her own son. Even after scolding him, she felt sorry for him. Thinking of the grievances He Ningqiu had suffered in the He family, Xiao Shan's heart softened and she hugged him.

"I'm sorry, Ning Qiu, I acted impulsively..."

Having accumulated too much grievance, He Ningqiu couldn't hold back any longer and started sobbing while hugging Xiao Shan.

"Don't cry, don't cry, Mom just doesn't want to see you belittle yourself..."

"He Ziyu is the rightful heir to the He family, but so what? As long as you work hard to climb up and trample him underfoot, one day everything in the He family will be yours..."

As soon as Xiao Shan finished speaking, a round of applause broke the silence.

The two people who were hugging each other shuddered, and then quickly separated as if they had been electrocuted.

A figure slowly approached from not far away. As the distance closed, He Ningqiu saw the person's face clearly, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.

"elder brother……"

He Ziyu had a cold smile on his lips, his arms crossed over his chest, and he calmly scrutinized the mother and son opposite him.

"I never understood why He Ningqiu went further and further astray."

"Now I finally understand."

"As the saying goes, one is influenced by one's surroundings. With a mother like you teaching him by example, even the best child will eventually fall into the abyss."