Chapter 17: The Qiao Family of Harbor City

The private jet came to a halt, the warm and humid air permeating the winter of the harbor city.

Si Yuchuan’s face was tense, his steps hurried.

He climbed into the already waiting Phantom and spoke coldly, “Go to the Qiao residence.”

The vehicle sped forward. The Qiao family home sat halfway up the mountain, overlooking the sea with a commanding view.

Si Yuchuan had no time to admire the scenery. He pushed open the car door and strode into the house.

A well-maintained middle-aged woman greeted him, her fair skin making the dark circles under her eyes particularly noticeable.

Si Yuchuan stopped and steadied her. “Aunt Xia, how is Uncle Qiao?”

“He broke a leg. He regained consciousness an hour ago. The doctor just left,” Aunt Xia said, fighting back tears at the corners of her eyes as she led Si Yuchuan inside.

A tall man lay on the bed, his head wrapped in bandages, his left cheek noticeably swollen, and his fractured left leg suspended.

Upon seeing Si Yuchuan, his eyes brightened. “Ah Chuan, you came?”

Si Yuchuan sat on a chair beside the bed, relieved to see him fully conscious. “Uncle Qiao, how did such a terrible accident happen when you were fine just moments ago?”

Uncle Qiao chuckled softly, “Just an accident. I’m not going to die. Sorry for making you come all this way.”

Si Yuchuan’s handsome brows furrowed deeply. “Don’t say such things.”

Uncle Qiao dreaded this look from Si Yuchuan—so young, yet so mature in speech and deeds, always ready to point out his mistakes.

Taking advantage of Si Yuchuan’s imperfect Mandarin, Uncle Qiao would get overwhelmed during their arguments and end up stammering a reluctant apology.

He closed his eyes and pretended to be dead.

Aunt Xia chuckled quietly at this and came over to pull Si Yuchuan aside. “He’s fine now. Ah Chuan, let’s step outside and talk.”

The servants had already prepared tea and snacks. Aunt Xia selected an orange-flavored candy and handed it to him.

Si Yuchuan’s tension seemed to melt away, his expression softening. “Aunt Xia, I’m no longer a child.”

Aunt Xia pulled him closer, placing the candy in his palm as she had when he was little. “Yes, if your parents could see how handsome you’ve grown, they’d be very proud.”

Si Yuchuan’s gaze drifted into the distance. He barely remembered what his parents looked like now.

As time passed, their images grew more and more blurred. Even the old Si family mansion bore no trace of their existence.

Yet, thousands of miles away, the Qiao family still carefully preserved albums of his parents.

Aunt Xia flipped through the photos, reminiscing. “Look, how much I resemble your mother. People always joked that we were sisters with different fathers and mothers.”

Si Yuchuan’s mother and Aunt Xia were close friends. Though married and living far apart, their families kept in frequent contact.

He took the group photo and examined it. The image was of low resolution, but the two mothers stood in the center, both about five foot seven, with long curly hair, strikingly similar at first glance.

If one looked closely, his mother’s eyes were more narrow, while Aunt Xia’s were rounder and brighter.

In front of them stood two children: thirteen-year-old Si Yuchuan himself, and the five-year-old Qiao family daughter.

That was their last photograph together.

Aunt Xia sighed. “Eighteen years have passed. If only that accident hadn’t happened…”

Years ago, Si Yuchuan’s parents had escorted the Qiao family of three to the Yan City airport. On their return trip, a car accident claimed his parents’ lives despite rescue efforts.

The Qiao family, having heard the news, never boarded the plane. They rushed to the hospital to see their old friends one last time, but their young daughter went missing there and has never been found.

Both families bore wounds so deep that even after many years, they had yet to heal, though everyone had learned to hide the pain better.

After all, life must go on.

Aunt Xia closed the photo album, hesitating before speaking. “Uncle Qiao and I have long had a thought—we want to adopt you as our godson. I wonder if you would agree, Ah Chuan?”

They never found their daughter and had no other children. Over the years, Si Yuchuan’s frequent visits showed his care, something they deeply appreciated.

They lost a child, and Si Yuchuan lost his parents. If possible, forming a godparent bond could bring solace to both sides.

Aunt Xia looked up at Si Yuchuan, who was much taller than her, uncertain of his feelings.

In recent years, his demeanor had grown increasingly cold and distant.

Si Yuchuan did not immediately answer.

A few years back, Aunt Xia would sometimes joke that even if they found their daughter, he would still have to honor the childhood engagement they had arranged.

Now that she proposed becoming godparents, it seemed she had finally let go of hope.