Returning to Parents' Seventeen
Chapter 141: How Was It Switched?

Chapter 141: Chapter 141: How Was It Switched?

Although she had expected it, Sang Menglan was still unable to hide her surprise and confusion when the fact was laid bare before her. "How could this be?"

She couldn’t understand what was really going on.

How exactly had Xu Chuning and Xu Zhiyan been switched?

Shen Yubai, on the other hand, was much calmer. He clearly knew from Shen Sinian that even if he hadn’t noticed, the Xu family would have found out in a few years.

But, then Xu Chuning would have faced even more hardships and grievances.

"Yubai," noticing Shen Yubai’s silence, Sang Menglan called him, "Why aren’t you saying anything? What should we do now?"

Shen Yubai lowered his gaze, "Mom, what do you think we should do?"

Sang Menglan was silent for a while, then said solemnly, "The result is out. Since the current Zhixian is not your Uncle Xu’s biological daughter, they should be informed of this result."

As for what Xu Yiming and the others would do after knowing this, Sang Menglan had no idea and couldn’t interfere either.

Shen Yubai thought the same, just that... before doing so, he needed to have a chat with Xu Chuning first; he could sense that Xu Chuning wasn’t eager to acknowledge the Xus.

He needed to know the reason why she didn’t want to recognize them.

Thinking this, Shen Yubai told Sang Menglan, "Mom, please keep this a secret for now."

Sang Menglan puzzled, "Why? Didn’t you have me collect a hair sample precisely for—"

Before she finished speaking, Shen Yubai explained, "I need to ask for Xu Chuning’s opinion first."

"..." Sang Menglan was startled, "If she disagrees with you telling Uncle Xu, you won’t mention it?"

Hearing this, Shen Yubai couldn’t respond immediately.

He fell silent for a few seconds, equally puzzled, "I don’t know."

All he knew was that he couldn’t let Xu Chuning continue to suffer. Sang Menglan and the others might not be aware, but Shen Yubai knew what the schoolmates were saying about Xu Chuning behind her back.

Meanwhile, the other person who wasn’t a true blood relation of the Xu family was enjoying top-tier treatment at the school.

If Xu Chuning grew up in the Xu family, she wouldn’t be so exhausted, wouldn’t have to agonize for a long time over buying a backpack or a new set of clothes. She wouldn’t need to endure traveling home for seven or eight hours, arriving in pain.

Seeing Shen Yubai like this, Sang Menglan sighed softly, "Alright, I promise to keep it a secret for now. As for your classmate, you communicate with her as soon as possible."

Shen Yubai nodded.

After talking with Sang Menglan, Shen Yubai went back to his room and sent several messages to Shen Sinian.

Half an hour later, Shen Sinian called him.

"...Got the report?"

Shen Yubai hummed, "Do you know why she doesn’t want to return to the Xu family? Besides being attached to Aunt You, are there other reasons?"

Shen Sinian wasn’t so sure, "I only know that she’s attached to Aunt You."

Shen Yubai frowned, "When she returned to the Xu family later, was Xu Zhiyan still there?"

"No." Shen Sinian had previously lied to Shen Yubai, "But she still kept in touch with the Xu family; Xu Zhiyan had already stopped living with the Xu family by the time I was born."

"How’s her relationship with Uncle Xu?" asked Shen Yubai.

Shen Sinian responded, "Not very good, they are a bit afraid of her, and their relationship is quite strange."

At that time, both Shen Yubai and Xu Chuning were too busy, and Shen Sinian also wasn’t very clear about the specifics. He only knew roughly what had happened; the detailed nuances were unknown to him.

By the time he was sensible, those issues with the Xu family had already been years past and rarely brought up.

Shen Yubai furrowed his brow.

Shen Sinian continued chattering on the phone for a while, and finally said, "Are you going to ask Ningning?"

Shen Yubai: "What do you think I should do?"

"I think you should go." Shen Sinian was very angry, "I get very angry every time I see her showing off in front of Ningning."

She seized everything from Xu Chuning while still presenting herself as superior.

"Displaying power and prestige?" Shen Yubai asked, "When did this happen?"

Shen Sinian: "You don’t know?"

Shen Yubai with a serious tone: "When did it happen?"

"Just last semester," Shen Sinian mumbled, "after I dismantled her in the cafeteria, every time she saw Ningning, she looked down on people."

Once they met outside school, Xu Zhiyan even scornfully sized up Xu Chuning from head to toe, clearly despising her.

Shen Yubai: "Why haven’t you told me about this?"

Shen Sinian: "...I forgot."

He wasn’t one to tattle, especially since at that time Xu Chuning and Shen Yubai seemed to be having conflicts, and it had been several days since he had seen Shen Yubai.

Naturally, he let the matter slide.

Shen Yubai sighed in resignation, "Anything else?"

Shen Sinian: "Not for now, how do you plan to talk to Ningning about it?"

"Just say it directly," Shen Yubai answered.

Shen Sinian was surprised, "Aren’t you afraid Ningning will ignore you?"

"Whether she ignores me or not, I still have to say it," Shen Yubai said firmly.

Shen Sinian thought for a moment, "True, if she ignores you, I’ll speak up for you."

Shen Yubai: "Should I thank you in advance?"

Shen Sinian chuckled: "You’re welcome."

He had other matters to attend to and hung up after speaking with Shen Yubai for over ten minutes.

Looking at the disconnected call, Shen Yubai logged onto QQ and opened Xu Chuning’s chat.

After opening it, he stared at their past conversations, unsure of how to start. The issue was significant, making him feel timid, afraid, and worried.

After a long silence, Shen Yubai sent her a message: [What are you doing?]

Xu Chuning saw Shen Yubai’s message half an hour later; at the time he sent it, she was explaining summer homework to Cheng Mingyin. After returning from Pingning, Cheng Mingyin had been busy with her summer homework, completing what she could and seeking time to consult Xu Chuning at a little shop when stuck.

The shop was not busy after lunch.

Xu Chuning had time for tutoring, and once Cheng Mingyin figured things out and started to work, only then did she pick up her phone.

Glancing at the message from Shen Yubai, lost in thought, Xu Chuning responded truthfully: [Explaining problems to Cheng Mingyin, do you need something?]

Shen Yubai: [School starts the day after tomorrow, how is your preparation going?]

Xu Chuning: [Prepare what?]

They didn’t seem to have anything to prepare, right?

Shen Yubai: [Isn’t there a school-opening ceremony? Aren’t you to be on stage as a representative of outstanding students?]

Xu Chuning: [... You reminded me, I haven’t written my speech yet.]

Yesterday, Mou Xue had approached her to speak on stage as a representative of this session’s outstanding students.

Shen Yubai: [...]

Xu Chuning: [Won’t talk now, I need to go work on my speech draft.]

Shen Yubai stared at the offline message alert, speechless. He pinched his brow in thought and decided, let it be, he’d ask her after she writes her speech.

Key times, he couldn’t disturb her.

However, what Shen Yubai didn’t expect was that he didn’t find an opportunity to ask Xu Chuning out that day. In the following two days, Xu Chuning was extremely busy, not even replying to his messages.

Suddenly, it was the evening before school started.