"What?"
"Shen Tianjun?"
Upon hearing Chu Yingqiu's words, Ye Rudao, Ye Shishi, and Shen Lang were all dumbfounded.
After recovering, Ye Rudao spoke, "Wife, you've mistaken him. He's not Shen Tianjun. He's Shen Lang, Shishi's boyfriend."
"Mistaken him? No, how could I mistake him?"
Chu Yingqiu looked at Shen Lang with shock. "His face is exactly the same as Shen Tianjun's. How could he be anyone else? He is Shen Tianjun."
"Shen Tianjun, I never imagined that at fifty years old, your face would still have no changes. You're still so young. It's too amazing."
As Chu Yingqiu spoke, she pinched Shen Lang's face. "This skin, not a trace of looseness. I really don't know if you're even human."
"But why are you here? You're not welcome here, you bastard. Get out."
Chu Yingqiu had known Shen Tianjun when she was young and had a crush on him. However, she later realized Shen Tianjun wasn't suitable for her and left Longdu, eventually meeting Ye Rudao in Nanling.
Later, Shen Tianjun met Chu Yingqiu's best friend, Song Qingyi of the then-flourishing Song family. They fell in love at first sight and had a son after marriage.
After their son was born, Shen Tianjun and Song Qingyi even called Chu Yingqiu, hoping that she, the most educated woman at the time, would name their son.
Ultimately, Chu Yingqiu, after searching through many books, named Shen Tianjun and Song Qingyi's son Shen Qiye.
Shen Qiye was the smartest child in the world. At three years old, he had a photographic memory. After reading the Thousand Character Classic once, he could write it down flawlessly. By the age of five, he could meticulously copy Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Xu" with such skill that it was almost indistinguishable from the original.
Chu Yingqiu was very fond of the child and had exchanged tokens with Song Qingyi, betrothing Shen Qiye to her own daughter, Ye Shishi.
However, there's a saying that intelligence can lead to early demise. Perhaps because Shen Qiye was too intelligent, even heaven couldn't bear it.
When Shen Qiye was six years old, Song Qingyi took him to Nanling to pay respects to her parents. The plane encountered an accident over the Mingjiang River in Nanling and ultimately crashed into it.
It was the largest aviation disaster in nearly thirty years, claiming over two hundred lives. Only three survived, and Song Qingyi was one of them.
However, although Song Qingyi survived, her son Shen Qiye was neither seen alive nor found dead.
The ensuing chain reaction caused the then-ambitious and flourishing Shen Tianjun to become dejected. Song Qingyi also divorced Shen Tianjun.
For the next nineteen years, Chu Yingqiu, Song Qingyi, and even Shen Tianjun had no contact. But in her heart, Chu Yingqiu harbored deep resentment towards Shen Tianjun.
If Shen Tianjun had shown more responsibility, Song Qingyi wouldn't have suffered alone all these years. It was a pity for her best friend.
Therefore, how could Chu Yingqiu not be furious upon seeing the "Shen Tianjun" before her?
"Madam, I am truly not Shen Tianjun. I am Shen Lang."
Shen Lang couldn't understand why Chu Yingqiu mistook him for Shen Tianjun. Was he really so similar to Song Shadao's senior brother, Shen Tianjun?
No way, no way. Could he really have a connection to Shen Tianjun?
If he was Shen Tianjun's son, wouldn't that make him Song Qingyi's son? Then his godmother would become his real mother.
Shen Lang felt he shouldn't dwell on this too much, because the more he thought, the more painful the eventual disappointment would be.
"Shen Lang?"
Hearing Shen Lang state his name, Chu Yingqiu not only didn't believe him but also said coldly, "Shen Tianjun, you're getting older and more shameless. You always liked playing these impersonation games when you were young. I can't believe you still have such a twisted sense of humor at fifty. Do you think I'll believe you?"
"For the sake of our past acquaintance, I'll give you five seconds to get out of my house immediately, or I'll call the Martial Guards."
Chu Yingqiu said, "The current Martial Guard Commander is your junior brother, Song Shadao, who is also your brother-in-law. If he finds out you've trespassed into my home, I'm sure he'll be very interested in dealing with you."
"Madam, you've misunderstood. I truly am not Shen Tianjun, and I don't know Shen Tianjun."
Hearing Chu Yingqiu's words, Shen Lang looked bewildered and chuckled wryly.
"Yes, Mom, you've made a mistake. His name really is Shen Lang, and he has absolutely no relation to Shen Tianjun."
Ye Shishi also couldn't understand why her mother mistook Shen Lang for Shen Tianjun. Was Shen Lang really that similar to Shen Tianjun? Did they really have some connection?
Thinking of this, Ye Shishi recalled the scene at the airport when Song Qingyi met Shen Lang. She had felt something was amiss then, and now, thinking back, there seemed to be a thousand threads of suspicion.
Ye Shishi always felt that Song Qingyi's gaze towards Shen Lang was not right. It wasn't the look of a godmother towards her godson; it was entirely the look of a mother towards her own son, with an overwhelming amount of doting affection.
At the time, Ye Shishi had thought that Song Qingyi, in her grief for her son, was treating Shen Lang as her own. But now, it seemed worth investigating.
Why did Song Qingyi come to Nanling for no apparent reason? Why was she so happy to see Shen Lang? Why did the proud and aloof Song Qingyi hit it off with Shen Lang so immediately and recognize him as her own son?
Ye Shishi felt that certain things were like pearls on a beaded curtain, being strung together by threads, preparing to reveal a truth to the world.
"You wicked girl, you've learned to lie to me too?"
Hearing Ye Shishi's words, Chu Yingqiu said unhappily, "He clearly looks exactly like Shen Tianjun. How can he not be Shen Tianjun?"
"Mom... he really isn't."
Ye Shishi said, "He's just a poor boy who came to Nanling from the distant Qiulong Mountain to make his way. Even if you stretch it to the farthest degree, he has no connection to Shen Tianjun. How could he be Shen Tianjun?"
"Really... not?"
At this point, Chu Yingqiu's initial excitement subsided, and she calmed down, looking at Shen Lang. She noticed that although Shen Lang looked identical to Shen Tianjun, their temperaments were vastly different.
This wasn't to say Shen Lang's temperament was inferior, but rather that his temperament was of a different kind than Shen Tianjun's.
Shen Tianjun was arrogant and defiant, treating the world as insignificant. In his eyes, you could always see his contempt and disdain for everyone.
But Shen Lang's gaze was deep, his sharpness hidden and unrevealed, ready to strike but not proactively so. He might deliver a fatal blow to those who provoked him, a swift and decisive end, but he would never initiate an attack.
These two individuals were indeed not the same person.
Chu Yingqiu also realized she had mistaken him. She felt a bit embarrassed and said to Shen Lang, "Young Shen, I apologize. I mistook you just now. Please forgive my rudeness."
"It's fine. There are many similar-looking people in the world. It's not strange to mistake someone."
Shen Lang heard this and smiled, but his heart remained suspicious of Chu Yingqiu's words.