The terrain of Yan City was square, and the area was roughly divided into five areas: east, west, north, south, and the center.
The Jiang family was located in the Zhonghai District in the center of Yan City, while the He family was in the Huyang District to the north. Even if the road was unimpeded, it would take about 40 minutes to drive from the Jiang family to the He family.
The driver, Uncle Wang, dropped Jiang Chen and the others off, and just as he drove the car into the garage, He Qianyangâs car arrived.
The girl sitting in He Qianyangâs co-passenger seat said: âA few people passed by just now, I think I saw your little cousin, he really looks like you!â
âReally?â He Qianyang backed up the car, took off his sunglasses and said, âThey likely came down to pick me up, letâs go.â
The girl held He Qianyangâs hand and said nervously: âItâs the first time Iâve come to your relativeâs house and I didnât bring anything with me. Wonât it be rude?â
âMy uncle and my aunt are very nice, you will know when you see them later.â He Qianyang said with a smile: âAmong my three cousins, the eldest would never embarrass you on the surface, and the second eldest is the kid you just saw. He is an adolescent and likes to pretend to be cool, showing a cold face to everyone, you can just treat him as a kid with second year junior high syndrome. The third child is the only little princess in our family for several generations, but she has a very good personality, you will definitely like her when you see her.â
The girl repeated what He Qianyang said just now, and after memorizing it in her heart, she raised her head and said, âI just saw that your little cousin didnât have a cold face. And he was chatting and laughing with others.â
âYou really see it correctly? After that kid went to junior high school, I only saw him sneer.â
âItâs not a sneer.â The girlâs delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she still couldnât find a suitable adjective after searching her brain. She could only say simply: âItâs the kind of Prince Charming smile, you know? Itâs very gentle, and all young girls would definitely fall for it when they see it.â
He Qianyang paused, turned around and looked at his girlfriend seriously. When she became puzzled, he put his hand on her forehead: âBaby, either you are blind or you saw it wrong, trust me, my cousin doesnât have that expression.â
Girl: âBut I saw it.â
He Qianyang: âYou saw wrong.â
Girl: âYou donât believe me?â
He Qianyang: âI believe it, but I know my cousin. He may smile, but he canât smile like you said. You really saw wrong.â
Seeing his obviously disbelieving expression, the girl felt a surge of indignation. She grabbed him and strode forward: âI will prove it to you!â
He Qianyang followed her footsteps and was dragged off by her. He laughed as he walked, âIf you want to see him smile, I will use my elder brotherâs prestige to force him to smile for you later. If he doesnât smile like Prince Charming I wonât let him sleep, okay?â
As soon as they entered the door, the girl stopped suddenly. He Qianyang almost had no time to hit the brakes. He put his arms around his girlfriendâs shoulder and said, âWhy did you stop?â
The girl shushed him, pulled him to hide behind a tree, pointed to the front and said, âLook for yourself, if he is smiling the gentle smile of Prince Charming that girls would like or not!â
âWhy are we hidingâŠ..â
He Qianyang was puzzled and looked in the direction his girlfriend was pointing at. When he saw He Qianmin first, he noticed that his expression was indeed much better than what he had seen before. Donât know what he was talking about to the person next to him but it indeed held atrace of the gentleness his girlfriend mentionedâŠ..
No, wait. He Qianyangâs eyes widened a little bit. That boy in front with a sweet and obedient expression and letting people rub his head was really He Qianmin? !
Impossible!
He, did, not, believe, it!
That was definitely not He Qianmin!
He Qianyang let go of his girlfriendâs hand, and walked towards the frightening scene in three steps. The shock on his face didnât disappear as he approached and heard their conversation. Instead, he was even more disbelieving.
Listen to what He Qianmin said:
âââBig Brother, I did all the questions you left last time, and you promised to accompany me for a day, does it still count?â
âââMy cousinâs group of friends like to scream and howl. You definitely would not like it. Letâs play in my room later.â
âââTheir neighborhood compound is full of old men and ladies. Last time he made too much noise on his birthday he was beaten up by my uncle, which is why he came to our house to hold the party now.â
The boy next to him seemed to chuckle, and said with a smiling voice: âIt seems that you and your cousin have a very good relationship.â
âââSo-so, he is just as noisy as He Qianyu.â
âHe, Qian, Min.â He Qianyang adjusted his expression, smiled and enunciated every word of his name, before saying in his most gentle voice: âYou saying that about your brother who usually dotes on you on his birthday, wonât your conscience feel a little bit pained?â
He Qianmin turned his head but when he saw He Qianyang he didnât feel guilty at all. He just turned his head again and said, âThis is He Qianyang, and today is his birthday.â
Jiang Chen also turned around and looked over. When his gaze met He Qianyangâs face, there was an imperceptible pause. His eyes curved in a smile and he said, âHello, Iâm Jiang Chen, happy birthday.â
Not long after his words were uttered, He Qianyangâs girlfriend chased over, tucked her hand in the crook of his arm, and looked at Jiang Chen with a gentle smile, âHello, little cousin, Iâm Qian Yangâs girlfriend Zhu Yao, he often talks about me to you, no, no , itâs he often talks about you to me. Iâm sorry Iâm a little nervous, but itâs nice to meet you.â
The air was quiet for a moment.
âCough cough, hahahahahahahahahahahaâââ
A burst of laughter came from behind. Its owner had yet to appear but his voice already traveled over first, and they knew who it was without even looking over.
Li Nanfeng came over clutching his stomach and leaning against the wall. When he noticed everyoneâs gaze, he stood up straight with difficult and said, âNo, this is just too funny, He Qianyang, didnât you tell your girlfriend what He Qianmin is like? How could there be a case of mistaken identity?â
The corners of Jiang Chenâs lips curved slightly, and he explained: âIâm not Mr. Heâs little cousin, the one next to me is.â
âAh?â Zhu Yao was stunned for a moment, looking at He Qianyang.
He Qianyang looked away, patted He Qianmin on the shoulder, and said, âThis is my little cousin, He Qianmin.â
Zhu Yao blushed instantly, âSorry, sorry, you and my boyfriend look too much alike, I thought you were his cousin, sorry.â
âItâs okay.â Jiang Chen smiled and shook his head.
Because of this little misunderstanding, He Qianyangâs girlfriend, Zhu Yao, hid in the small hall after saying hello. And in order not to be so obvious, she even dragged He Qianyu along, leaving a room full of boys outside.
When Shi Fengyue got out of the car, he went to the guest room to catch up on sleep. At this time, in the courtyard were Jiang Chen, He Qianmin, He Qianyang, and Li Nanfeng who suddenly appeared.
Li Nanfeng was still clutching his stomach and laughing, while He Qianminâs face was dark because of what happened just now, and neither of them had any intention of opening their mouths. It was the first time Jiang Chen and He Qianyang met. Under such circumstances, they could only start the conversation themselves. Fortunately, the gift he brought was right next to him.
âThis is a gift for you.â Jiang Chen said with a smile, âHappy birthday.â
He Qianyang didnât open it in a hurry, his eyes fell on Jiang Chenâs face, and he sighed: âI donât blame Yao Yao for recognizing wrong. If I hadnât seen it with my own eyes, I wouldnât have imagined that there is someone who looks so similar to me in this world.â
âI never imagined it either.â Jiang Chen smiled lightly.
He Qianyang smiled and joked, âMaybe we are long-lost brothers.â
âHe wonât be your brother even if that was the case.â He Qianmin said with a stinky face, âHe would be mine.â After speaking, he turned to Jiang Chen for approval: âRight, Big Brother.â
Jiang Chen lowered his eyes and smiled, âYouâre right.â
He Qianmin was finally in a better mood, curled his lips at He Qianyang and said, âWhat eyes does your girlfriend have? My brother doesnât look like you at all. When you look in the mirror, are you even half as handsome as my brother?â
He Qianyang waved his fist threateningly: âHe Qianmin, you are looking for a beating on my birthday, right?â
He Qianmin grinned, showing his canine teeth: âGo ahead.â
âIâm an adult, I wonât quibble with a little kid.â He Qianyang snorted, then turned to Jiang Chen and asked, âCan I open it?â
âOf course.â
He Qianyang found a nearby step and sat down on the spot where he opened the lid of the gift box, âThis is the first gift I received todayâŠ..Damn, itâs so cool!â
âThis is a robot?â He Qianyang took out the robot inside, looked it over, and said excitedly: âI havenât seen this style on the market before, where did you buy it? Is it a limited edition?â
âOf course itâs limited.â He Qianmin crossed his arms and snorted, âMy brother made it himself.â
âYou made it yourself?â He Qianyang looked up curiously, and Li Nanfeng finally stopped laughing, and looked at the robot in Li Nanfengâs hand after hearing this as well.
He Qianyang fiddled with the robot, but he couldnât find the power button. He Qianmin became impatient, walked over and squatted down. He grabbed it and started it himself, âThis is how you play.â He pressed the start button and put the robot on the ground.
The eyes under the robotâs helmet lit up, turned around to face Jiang Chen and said, âHi, Iâm R01, whatâs my ownerâs order?â
He Qianyang was taken aback, and looked down at the blinking robot on the ground wearing a cool helmet. The eyes under the glass cover suddenly lit up with round pixels.
âThis robotâŠ..â
Jiang Chen said: âR01, your owner is right behind you. From now on, you will only accept his orders.â
R01 turned around, raised his cool little head little by little, and after saving He Qianyangâs image, said: âTo change the command, please enter the password.â
Jiang Chen: â0722.â
âThe password is correct.â R01 walked towards He Qianyang: âHello, owner, I am R01, and I am very happy to be your robot.â
He Qianyang was in a dazed state the whole time, until the little robot patted his leg, he suddenly came back to his senses, and raised his head in disbelief: âThis robotâŠ..it can communicate with me?â
âIt is able to communicate simply.â Jiang Chen said: âBecause it is a gift for you, the initial password I set is your birthday. If you want to change any original settings including passwords, just talk to it directly, and then give the password to it.â
âOkay.â He Qianyang nodded blankly, after a while, he suddenly raised his head again, and said in unison with another voice: âYou made this?â
Li Nanfeng picked up the robot, looked it up, down, left, and right. His Adamâs apple rolled up and down a few times, and he looked at Jiang Chen with unconcealable eagerness in his eyes: âBigwig, can we talk right away?â
Jiang Chen nodded, and said to He Qianyang: âHappy birthday to you again, I hope you will like the gift I gave you.â
He Qianyang took back the robot in Li Nanfengâs hand, looked at it fondly, then raised his head and smiled and said, âThis is definitely the coolest gift I have received so far, thank you, I like it very much.â
âItâs great that you like it.â Jiang Chen said with a smile, âCEO Li and I still have some things to talk about. It seems that Mr. Heâs friends have also arrived, so I wonât bother you for now.â
âDonât call me Mr. He, my cousin call you brother, so we are a family, just follow him and call me Brother Qian Yang.â
âWho are you calling CEO Li? How can our relationship be called so distantly? Call me Brother Feng, from now on I will be your close blood brother!â
He Qianyang and Li Nanfeng spoke at the same time and ended at the same time, and they also glanced at each other at the same time.
Jiang Chen called obediently: âBrother Qian Yang, Brother Feng.â
âCome down early after you finish talking, Iâll introduce my friends to you later.â He Qianyang contentedly went to entertain the friends who had just arrived.
Li Nanfeng couldnât wait to take Jiang Chen upstairs, and said as he walked: âAs long as we confirm the cooperation intention, everything will be arranged by your orders after that, and I will give you the greatest freedom and authority, and will not interfere with any of your research. You donât need to worry about funding, what you have in your hands can definitely convince the board of directorsâŠ..â
When Jiang Chen and Li Nanfeng went upstairs, another car stopped in front of the He familyâs iron gate.
He Qianjian got out of the car, went around and opened the door on the other side, and smiled at the person inside: âHere we are, come on out.â
Above the pastel-colored high-heeled shoes were well-proportioned and slender legs, and a knee-length short skirt which wrapped those long legs. The soft and gentle looking girl in a small designer lady suit got out of the car, and smiled slightly: âThank you.â
He Qianjian bent down gentlemanly: âIt is my honor to serve a beautiful lady.â
Han Qiya brushed her long hair behind her ears, met He Qianjianâs straightforward gaze, pursed her lips and smiled, âI havenât been back for a long time, and Iâm a bit unfamiliar, can Young Master He introduce everything here again to me?â
He Qianjian stretched out his hand and said, âNo need to go to the trouble, letâs go in together, and everyone will come to introduce themselves to you.â
âThat was just a joke of our grandpas.â Han Qiya stretched out her arm to tuck it into the crook of his elbow, and blinked playfully, but the smile in her eyes faded a bit: âWe shouldnât be bound by this old custom and tradition.â
He Qianjian lowered his eyes and said harmlessly, âItâs all up to you.â
There were already quite a few people in the main hall. He Qianyang had always been extroverted. He made friends ranging from fifteen to sixteen years old to thirty or forty years old. When the people gathered together, it was difficult to distinguish them from their age levels. Many also didnât know each other, but most of the people here have met He Qianjian, because he often followed He Qianyang and attended parties that he attended.
Therefore, when He Qianjian led Han Qiya into the door, many people greeted him.
Someone was curious: âYoung Master He, who is this?â
âCurrentlyâââ He Qianjian paused, gave the other a look, and then said with a smile, âA friend.â
The other person understood, held up the champagne and said, âFriends now, but it might not always be friends. Here, I wish you the best in advance.â
Han Qiya took a glass of champagne from the tray and said with a generous smile, âI also wish you and Young Master He a long-lasting friendship.â
The other person paused, and looked at He Qianjian. The smile on He Qianjianâs face faded, but soon recovered: âCome, come, cheers.â
He Qianyangâs birthday party officially started when the sunset began glowing in the sky. He himself was very good at enlivening the atmosphere. In addition, the band that the party planning studio found was a very popular group recently, and everyone soon became excited.
Another rock song ended. A girl in hot pants ran onto the stage, grabbed the microphone and said loudly, âAfter listening to rock for so long! Does anyone want to listen to something quieter! Something more lyrical! A song suitable for a love confession!â
The last sentence ignited everyoneâs enthusiasm for gossip, and they responded one after another:
âYeah!â
âA tribute to love!â
âWho confesses! With whom!â
The girl raised her hand to signal for quietness below, and said with a smile: âSince everyone wants to listen, how about we invite the recognized musical genius, He Qianyangâs cousin He Qianjian, to come on stage and present a violin piece, letâs wish him good luck!â
âOh oh ohâââ
âHe Qianjian! He Eldest Young Master!â
The whistling was accompanied by eager eyes gathering around. He Qianjian paused the hand holding the wine glass, and lowered his head to hide the displeasure in his eyes.
No one discussed this matter with him and just called him onto the stage, treating him as an actor who comes and goes when he was called?
Han Qiya turned her head and said with a smile: âI still remember the piano piece that amazed everyone at your tenth birthday party. I didnât expect you to play the violin as well. It seems that today there will be a treat for the ears.â
He Qianjian raised his head and pretended to be generous: âSince Miss Qi Ya wants to hear it, of course I have to present a piece.â
Under everyoneâs attention, He Qianjian put down his wine glass and ordered someone to go upstairs to get his violin. He stepped onto the stage and jokingly said, âIâve already asked someone to bring the violin, but let me explain in advance that my violin hasnât been practiced for a long time. If I donât play well later, I hope everyone wonât laugh at me.â
There was good-natured laughter in the audience, and someone said: âWho doesnât know that Young Master He is a musical genius. Shocking even Master Waller with a violin piece at the age of twelve. How could he not play it well?â
People who knew He Qianjian all echoed an agreement, and the lively atmosphere did not cool at all during the short waiting period.
He Qianjian smiled on the surface, but he was communicating with the system in his head.
[Help me find the person who plays the violin best within the widest range.]
[SearchingâŠ..the person with the highest violin talent nearby has been found, located 130 meters southwest of you. Are you sure you want to exchange violin skills?]
He Qianjian frowned in his heart: [Who is it, it wonât be too shabby, right.]
[After testing, this personâs violin talent belongs to the top level of the pyramid in the world.]
[And compared to Waller?]
[The talent is higher than Wallerâs, but the skill is not as good.]
He Qianjian was relieved, and the smile on his face was much more genuine and natural. He nodded to the audience, and said to the system: [Of course. There are a few people in the world who can surpass Waller in skill. Okay, then itâll be him.]
[Violin skills are being exchangedâŠ..the exchange was successful, and the host can use it for 30 minutes.]
Second floor.
Jiang Chen, who was discussing the cooperation details with Li Nanfeng, suddenly paused and raised his head.
âWhatâs wrong?â
âItâs nothing.â Jiang Chen stretched his shoulders and said, âThe party should have already started, and the details are almost all discussed, letâs go down first.â
âOkay.â Li Nanfeng closed the laptop and said, âI will hold a board meeting tomorrow, and I pick you up at your home the day after tomorrow. When we arrive at the company, we can finalize more details.â
The two packed up, turned around and went downstairs.
The villa of the He family was similar to a courtyard house. In addition to the courtyard built around the whole house, there was also a three-story sunny garden room in the center of the house. The little study room the two were in was located in the west wing second floor. The west wing was only open to guests, not connected with the northern part where the owner lives, and the main hall where the party took place was on the first floor of the north wing. So if they wanted to go there, they could only pass through the garden room, or take the separate stairs of the west wing, walk around the courtyard and into the main hall.
Li Nanfeng went to call Shi Fengyue, and Jiang Chen went downstairs first. When he reached the stairs, he paused, stood there for a moment, then turned and went down another staircase.
There were a few people here and there in the courtyard, and it wasnât deserted at all, but the place that was even more lively was the main hall with laughter and music.
Jiang Chen came out from the side door of the west wing, and before he even took a few steps, he heard the sound of a violin, playing a melodious tune. He couldnât say anything professional about it, but he knew it was played well.
The violin music, which became more and more crescending, flowed into Jiang Chenâs ears while accompanied by applause. Thinking of the conversation he had just heard, he paused, and slightly pursed his lips. He wondered whose skill He Qianjian had exchanged this time.
âJiang Chen?â A tentative voice with unconcealed surprise called from behind.
Jiang Chen looked back at the sound, and the moment he saw the shy young man with a shy smile under the moonlight, something flashed through his mind, and he hesitated, âYou Jiuyu?â