Chapter 207 Mother-in-law meets son-in-law! The Replacement
"Ruoshui, why are you back?"
Xu Ruoshui's mother, Qi Lian, was surprised and delighted to see her eldest daughter return during working hours. She stood up from the sofa in the living room, her silk shawl slipping slightly from her shoulders.
She immediately hugged her daughter tightly, inhaling the familiar scent of her child.
She knew that although her daughter was gentle and soft on the outside, she valued her career greatly and was a workaholic. She usually wouldn't return during work hours unless it was an emergency. She even lived in a private Villa in [Tangquan No. 1], near her workplace, and rarely came home to the main estate.
The mother and daughter had a very close relationship, a bond forged in shared grief over recent events. After hugging for a while, conveying silent comfort, they let go.
Only then did Qi Lian look at the man standing behind her daughter.
She looked at Shen Anyu doubtfully, her eyes narrowing slightly.
'What a handsome man,' she thought instinctively. His presence filled the room. He was tall, impeccable in his suit, and radiated a noble aura that made the luxury of the Xu mansion seem almost common.
Then her gaze shifted back to her daughter, Xu Ruoshui, noticing the flush on her cheeks and the way her hand lingered near the man's.
She asked, a hint of anticipation in her voice:
"Ruoshui... this is?"
Xu Ruoshui held Shen Anyu's large, warm hand and smiled sweetly. It was a smile Qi Lian hadn't seen in months.
"Mom, this is my boyfriend, Shen Anyu. He is... very special to me."
"He brought a huge surprise today! A gift you can't refuse! It's the most important gift our family could ever receive."
Shen Anyu smiled politely, bowing slightly with perfect etiquette.
"Greetings, Auntie. It's a pleasure to finally meet the mother of such a beautiful woman. Now I see where Ruoshui gets her elegance."
He greeted Qi Lian with a charm that could disarm armies.
Qi Lian, now in her forties, could give birth to a great beauty like Xu Ruoshui and a genius like Xu Ruoxue, so she naturally had an excellent appearance herself.
She was a classic beauty. Even though her prime was technically over, she was still a charming woman with lingering allure—a ripe peach that had aged into a fine wine. Her skin was well-maintained, her figure still curvaceous under her home dress.
However, due to the recent scandal of the true and fake young masters and her husband's illness, Qi Lian was somewhat melancholic. Her complexion wasn't very good; there were faint dark circles under her eyes, and a weary sorrow etched into her brow.
"Ah... hello, hello. Mr. Shen. Please sit down. You shouldn't have brought gifts... your presence is enough."
Qi Lian looked at Shen Anyu in surprise, and after realizing what was happening—her workaholic daughter had a boyfriend!—she greeted him with a beaming smile. The gloom lifted slightly.
She had been worrying recently because Xu Ruoshui was already twenty-six or twenty-seven—past the "prime" marriage age in elite circles—and still didn't have a boyfriend.
Of course, it wasn't that Xu Ruoshui's conditions were bad; whether it was her appearance, education, or family background, they were top-notch. She was the dream of every young master in Modu. However, she was busy with work and had no interest in dating, rejecting suitors cold.
Qi Lian and Xu Ruoshui's father, Xu Jianren, were still worrying about what kind of man could possibly win their daughter's heart. They feared she would end up a lonely spinster.
Unexpectedly, their daughter suddenly brought back a boyfriend? And one of such high caliber?
Looking at Shen Anyu's incomparably handsome appearance—his sharp features, his calm eyes—Qi Lian found it amusing.
'So my daughter likes handsome men? She is superficial after all? No wonder she rejected all those talented but average-looking young men introduced for blind dates before.'
But she was still a little uneasy. A mother's instinct.
After all, in this day and age, there were countless cases of "Pretty Boys" (Gigolos) scamming rich, beautiful, lonely women. Was this man after the Xu family fortune?
But looking at his clothes... that suit was bespoke. That watch... a Patek Philippe limited edition. He didn't look like he needed money.
As for what gift Shen Anyu brought, Qi Lian didn't care much. Although the Shanghai Xu Family wasn't a top-tier wealthy family like the Shens or Ans, they had tens of billions in assets and didn't lack material things.
"Auntie, this gift and surprise cannot be refused. It is not something money can buy."
Shen Anyu smiled and shook his head, reading her thoughts.
Then, he turned around and pulled someone from the hallway outside the door.
"Come in."
"Hmm??"
Qi Lian was full of questions. She hadn't expected Shen Anyu's gift to be a person. What kind of surprise was this? A doctor? A specialist for her husband?
Wait a minute…
The young man walked into the light of the chandelier. He was tall, thin, and looked a bit awkward in his new clothes.
Qi Lian looked at his face.
Her breath hitched. Her eyes widened until they hurt.
Xu He's appearance... was remarkably familiar.
His nose and eyes were almost identical to hers when she was young—the same shape, the same set. And his prominent ears... they were exactly like her husband Xu Jianren's ears.
It was like looking at a ghost. Or a mirror image of the past.
For a moment, Qi Lian's expression changed from confusion to shock, then to disbelief. She stood up, her legs trembling.
She said in a trembling voice, barely a whisper:
"You... you are..."
Xu He looked at the middle-aged beautiful woman in front of him. He saw her red eyes, her trembling hands.
He remembered Shen Anyu's instructions: "Be emotional. Be the long-lost son. Your future depends on this performance."
He turned to look at Shen Anyu for confirmation. Seeing Shen Anyu nod subtly, Xu He took a deep breath.
He looked at Qi Lian and said softly, his voice cracking perfectly:
"My name is... Xu He."
Boom!
The two words "Xu He" were like two giant meteorites smashing into Qi Lian's heart, stirring up monstrous waves of emotion.
How could she not be familiar with this name? It was the name of her lost child. The true child of the Xu Family, according to the confession of the nanny Wang Qin.
In other words... this young man named Xu He in front of her was her biological child?
He didn't fall off a cliff and die? He didn't leave no remains? He was here?
"He... He'er?"
Xu Ruoshui's beautiful eyes watched her mother Qi Lian's excited and trembling appearance with a smile through her own tears.
She stepped forward to speak for Shen Anyu, reinforcing his credit:
"Mom... it's true. After An'yu learned about our family's situation, he didn't just offer words. He specifically sent his private team to search for Xu He in the mountains."
"At the time, I didn't hold out much hope. We all thought he was gone. But An'yu... he really found him! He created this miracle!"
"Xu He is still alive! My biological younger brother, your biological son... he is still alive! An'yu brought him home."
Qi Lian's expression was moved beyond words. She looked at Shen Anyu.
The suspicion vanished. The worry about him being a scammer evaporated.
She found him more pleasing to the eye than ever before. He was a savior. A benefactor.
"Good... Good..." she sobbed.
"An'yu... I acknowledge you! I acknowledge you as my son-in-law! You are the only one for Ruoshui!"
"Even if her father disagrees, I won't allow it! If anyone opposes you, they oppose me!"
At this moment, Qi Lian's impression of Shen Anyu soared to the heavens! He had healed the wound in her heart.
Shen Anyu smiled humbly.
But in his heart, he was thinking cynically:
'Is this son-in-law you acknowledge the eldest son-in-law or the second son-in-law?'
'You have two daughters, Auntie. Xu Ruoshui and Xu Ruoxue. And I plan to take both of them. I wonder if you'll still agree then? Or will you call me a beast?'
'Well, by then, it will be too late.'
At this time, Qi Lian looked at her long-lost biological son, Xu He.
She wanted to reach out and touch his face, to confirm he was real, but her hands trembled so much she couldn't.
Finally, she said in a trembling voice, tears streaming down her face:
"He'er... I am your biological mother, Qi Lian. Do you know that? Do you know me?"
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for making you suffer all these years. Mom is sorry... I should have found you sooner..."
Xu He appeared to be a shy, introverted internet-addicted teenager. He looked overwhelmed.
But in reality, he was quite cunning and clever. He had survived in the mountains and become the local child king before being found. And in the original plot, he was a vicious rival to Xu Ping'an.
Coupled with Shen Anyu's specific instructions to "act the part," he knew exactly what to do.
Xu He put on a timid act. He shook his head slightly, looking brave but vulnerable.
"I... I know about the swap. It was a 'Civet Cat for a Prince' situation... Nanny Wang Qin told me."
"You can't be blamed, Mom. I haven't suffered too much all these years. I survived."
Upon hearing this forgiveness, Qi Lian felt a massive weight lift off her chest. She felt relieved and much better.
At this moment, Xu He took a step forward. He looked at Shen Anyu again, then at Qi Lian.
He said emotionally to Qi Lian:
"Mom... can I call you Mom? My brother-in-law... Brother Shen said that you are my biological mother. A great mother who never stopped loving me!"
"As soon as I saw you... I felt a sense of closeness and affection. It's like I'm finally home."
"Of course you can! Oh, my son!"
"I am your mother! From now on, you'll call me Mom every day!"
Qi Lian was full of excitement. She rushed forward and embraced Xu He, pulling his head to her chest. She cried loudly, releasing years of pent-up grief.
Her gaze gratefully fell upon Shen Anyu over her son's shoulder. She found him more and more pleasing to the eye, no matter how she looked at him.
This future son-in-law was truly wonderful. Perfect.
Not only did he find her biological son, Xu He, but he also taught him these words. He prepared him to accept her.
'A great mother! He told him I was a great mother!'
See, how wonderful.
Originally, Qi Lian had thought that the mother and son reunion might be a bit awkward. She feared Xu He might harbor resentment for living in poverty while the fake son lived in luxury.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they met, the mother and son had a warm reunion, without any awkwardness or stiffness. It was all thanks to Shen Anyu's mediation.
Shen Anyu smiled as he watched this touching scene.
He gave Xu He a thumbs-up in his heart. 'Good acting, kid. You earned your gaming PC.'
This younger brother-in-law is a keeper. He knows who holds the leash.
Compared to that annoying, self-righteous fake younger brother-in-law, Xu Ping'an, this real one was truly likable and useful.
...
"Mom..."
At this moment, lurking in the shadows outside the open front door...
Xu Ping'an, who had pushed open the lid of the trash can further to see inside the lighted living room, saw this scene.
His expression was bitter. It twisted into a mask of agony.
He watched Qi Lian, the mother he had called "Mom" for twenty years—the woman who used to hug him like that—embracing Xu He.
He saw her tears of joy. He heard her affectionately calling him "He'er."
'She never hugged me like that recently... she only looked at me with disappointment.'
Xu Ping'an felt as if he had eaten ten thousand tons of Coptis chinensis (bitter herbs); he was bitter, so bitter his mouth tasted like bile, but he couldn't say a word.
He knew that everything from his past had completely left him. It wasn't just money. It was his place in the world.
The return of Xu He, the true young master of the Xu Family, would replace everything he once had. His room, his clothes, his mother's love, his sister's affection.
He was truly a ghost now.
[Ding! The Child of Destiny Xu Ping'an feels bitter in his heart! Plundering +9999 destiny value!]
...
The mother and son were intimate for a while. Qi Lian pulled Xu He to sit on the sofa, asking him questions and showing concern, touching his face, checking his hands. She wanted to compensate him for the past twenty years of maternal love all at once.
Xu He, however, was very clever. He played along perfectly.
He knew that Shen Anyu's status was a hundred times more prominent than that of the Shanghai Xu Family. The Xu Family was rich, but Shen Anyu was a god.
In the future, he would enjoy a comfortable life, achieve great success, and play games to his heart's content... all thanks to this "Brother-in-law."
So, he made sure to glance at Shen Anyu with respect and reliance, further cementing Shen Anyu's position in the family.
[Akarin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep updating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/AkarinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]