T/N: Hey there, since both the Gong and Shou families are translated as the “Lu family” in English, I’ll use italics for the Shou family and regular font for the Gong family to tell them apart.
It was an ordinary afternoon, as ordinary as it could be. The sun was just right.
The scenery outside the window receded like a kaleidoscope. Although it was early autumn, Yancheng was enjoying the crisp air of the season, so it didn’t feel cold at all.
A luxury car sped toward a certain destination.
In the back seat sat a tall, slender boy. He leaned against the window, sunlight falling on his face. His skin was so fair it seemed to glow, and tiny, fine hairs were visible. The boy had beautiful eyes with long, slightly curled lashes and a high nose bridge. He was exceptionally good-looking.
Lu Xingmian watched the scenery outside the window expressionlessly. It felt increasingly desolate as they moved further away from the city. The scenery outside was unfamiliar to him, and the place he was going to was also unfamiliar. Perhaps, ever since half a year ago, everything had become unfamiliar to him, an unfamiliar environment, an unfamiliar family, and unfamiliar familial affection.
The luxury car drove for a full two hours, traveling from the city center to the remote suburbs, before finally stopping in front of a villa. This was the Lu family’s villa, and from its desolate exterior, it was clear no one had lived there for a long time, nor had it been cleaned in ages.
The driver had been impatient the entire way. After dropping Lu Xingmian off at his destination, he impatiently pulled his belongings from the trunk, almost roughly throwing them onto the ground. He then slammed the trunk shut, stepped on the gas, and drove away without a word.
He was likely concerned about running into traffic on the way back to the city and missing dinner. The driver, however, felt a twinge of resentment, wondering why it had to be his misfortune to drop off Lu Xingmian, someone so unwelcome in the Lu household.
Lu Xingmian stared at the luxurious yet desolate villa in front of him. Two minutes later, he picked up his luggage and left.
Two hours later, Lu Xingmian appeared in an ordinary residential complex. The real estate agent beside him was beaming and delighted. In her career, this was the first time she’d encountered such a straightforward client. He only looked at one apartment and decided to rent it on the spot. She wished all her clients were this decisive.
Of course, it was also because her young client had given very clear requirements, and she had immediately brought him to this complex as requested. The young client was very satisfied with the place and promptly paid a year’s rent. The agent became even more enthusiastic, telling Lu Xingmian all the advantages of the complex: there was a bus stop right outside, and it was very close to a high school.
Lu Xingmian already knew this, of course. He chose this place precisely because it was close to the school, which would also be his school. He would spend his final year of high school there. In less than half a year, Lu Xingmian had already transferred schools twice. He hoped he could stay here until he successfully took his college entrance exam.
His new apartment lacked many things. Lu Xingmian went to a nearby market and bought quilts, sheets, duvet covers, and various daily necessities. His parents had kicked him out of their home, but fortunately, they showed a tiny bit of mercy by giving him 500,000 yuan for living expenses. The condition was that Lu Xingmian was not allowed back to the Lu family without their permission, as they were terrified he might harm their beloved son again.
Lu Xingmian spent an hour at the supermarket and another hour at a nearby store, basically getting all the necessities. After returning, he put on new sheets and duvet covers, replacing many old items with new ones. He then thoroughly cleaned the room until there wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere.
After he finished cleaning, it was completely dark. Lu Xingmian was drenched in sweat from the effort and was hungry. He then noticed that half of the living room lights were out, which explained why it was so dim. He made a mental note to buy a light bulb tomorrow and replace it.
Lu Xingmian boiled a pot of hot water and made instant noodles for his dinner. While waiting for his noodles, Lu Xingmian opened his Moments feed. The first post was from Lu Sihang, it was strikingly prominent.
Lu Sihang was showing off that his parents had taken him to an evening banquet hosted by the Lu family[mfn]The ml’s family[/mfn], the foremost wealthy family in Yancheng. Being invited by the Lu family signified a certain status in Yancheng. He boasted that his formal attire was custom-made for him by his parents, and even the expensive brooch he wore was specially bought for him by his parents from abroad. The leather shoes on his feet were also new, bought by his parents. Every line conveyed one message: his parents loved him dearly; he was their precious darling.
Lu Sihang also posted a photo of the three of them. The smiling boy in the middle was Lu Sihang, and beside him, with kind, doting smiles, were Lu Sihang’s parents. Both were dressed in luxurious, expensive clothes, typical of high society. Those two were not only Lu Sihang’s parents but also Lu Xingmian’s biological parents.
Lu Xingmian knew, of course, that Lu Sihang had deliberately posted this photo to show off to him, as if telling him, and challenging him, that Lu Sihang was the true young master of the Lu family, and he was nothing.
Lu Xingmian remembered when he left the Lu family, Lu Sihang, who usually acted obedient in front of their parents, had fiercely whispered in his ear, “Song Xingmian, why did you come back? You don’t belong in this family at all. Mom and Dad love me. Song Xingmian, as long as I’m here, I will never let you return to this home. Mom and Dad are mine, and no one is allowed to take them away.”
The more savagely he spoke, the more it revealed how much fear he harbored inside. He was terrified Lu Xingmian would snatch everything from him, which was why he had done so many things.
Lu Xingmian smiled as he looked at the Moments post, then immediately blocked Lu Sihang. Everything Lu Sihang had painstakingly tried to fight him for, Lu Xingmian no longer cared about.
After finishing his instant noodles, Lu Xingmian went to shower. After an afternoon of tidying, he was covered in dust and sweat. After showering, he felt completely refreshed.
He had spent the whole day rushing around and thoroughly cleaning the rental apartment. Lu Xingmian intentionally made himself very tired, thinking that most people, after such a busy and tiring day, would fall asleep the moment their head hit the pillow.
Yet even after silently counting twenty thousand sheep while lying in bed, Lu Xingmian still felt no trace of sleepiness. His heart longed for rest, but his mind simply wouldn’t comply. Even with his eyes shut, he just couldn’t fall asleep.
This state was incredibly uncomfortable.
He had been suffering from insomnia like this for three months already. At first, Lu Xingmian turned to melatonin to help him sleep. But even then, it only granted him three or four hours of rest, and only at the start. After half a month, even with an increased dosage, he could barely sleep one or two hours. Taking melatonin also came with severe side effects: the next day, he would suffer from splitting headaches, nausea, and intense discomfort. So, Lu Xingmian no longer dared to take melatonin unless it was absolutely necessary.
Out of twenty-four hours a day, his daily sleep time was less than five hours, and this had been going on for over three months already. In those three months, Lu Xingmian had lost more than ten jin[mfn]Approx. 11 lbs[/mfn] in weight. Yet six months ago, his sleep had been perfectly normal. It was only after returning to the Lu family that things changed, leaving him plagued by sleepless nights.
Six months ago, Lu Xingmian still bore the surname Song. Then one day, when he came home from school, two strangers were waiting inside, claiming they had come to take him away. It was at that moment he discovered that his current parents weren’t his birth parents. His biological father’s surname was Lu, and the Lu family was a prominent, wealthy family in Yancheng.
The Lu family had discovered their real son and naturally wished to bring him back home. Meanwhile, Lu Sihang, originally from the Lu family, was now the child of the Song family. Lu Xingmian, as the rightful heir stepping into a wealthy family, and return to the Lu family appeared to be a classic fairy tale ending. But it only seemed to be so.
It was already three in the morning, and Lu Xingmian had counted a hundred thousand sheep. Though utterly drained, sleep still eluded him. This night felt incredibly long to him. Tossing and turning, the symptoms of insomnia made him extremely uncomfortable. A person’s endurance has its limits, and when those limits are exceeded, one can break down.
Reluctantly, Lu Xingmian reached for his melatonin. Holding a few tablets in his palm, their strong milky scent still lingering, he stared at them for a moment before returning the pills to the bottle and sliding it back into the drawer. He couldn’t distinguish which was worse: the headache and nausea of the next day or the current inability to sleep. Sometimes he felt the after-effects of the next day were more unbearable.
As he tossed and turned, Lu Xingmian suddenly thought of something. He logged onto Taobao and typed “lullaby voice chat.” Sure enough, many shops appeared. This was a method Lu Xingmian had suddenly thought of out of desperation — finding a “sleep-coaxing” service online and treating a dead horse as if it were alive[mfn]It’s an idiom meaning to continue trying to do something that is pointless or has no chance of success[/mfn].
He randomly clicked on one, checked its reviews, and after comparing several, Lu Xingmian placed an order directly with one shop. This shop boasted the highest sales and countless mostly positive reviews, all praising the soothing voices of the “brothers” and “sisters” that effortlessly induced drowsiness, ideal for those struggling with insomnia. Lu Xingmian found himself tempted.
It was past three in the morning, yet after placing the order, customer service immediately contacted Lu Xingmian, asking about his requirements. Lu Xingmian said he wanted a pleasant voice that could lull someone to sleep. Based on his request, they quickly gave him contact information, stating that this person was their most popular “sleep-coaxer.”
The customer service was very enthusiastic and thoughtfully told him that if he wasn’t satisfied, he could switch people at any time until he was.
Lu Xingmian added the contact.
