Chapter 72: Chapter 72: You Got Your Snot on My Leg

“Grandma! Great-Grandma! You can’t just stop halfway! What on earth does that mean? What do you mean my brother isn’t my brother, and my mom isn’t my mom? If my mom didn’t give birth to me, then who did?”

He slapped his forehead as realization dawned. “Ohh, I get it now! It’s because my dad cheated on my mom first, so my mom cheated on him back. So you’re saying my mom isn’t my real mom and my dad isn’t my brother’s real dad… because I’m a bastard! That’s why… that’s why my dad and mom don’t like me and just ignore me…”

Shen Zhiyao looked at him with a sympathetic expression. Through his sniffling, he tried to save face, saying, “I know you feel sorry for me right now. To be honest, I’ve long suspected I wasn’t my dad’s biological son. I just never thought… I really wasn’t my dad’s biological son… Waaah…”

Shen Zhiyao sighed. “I do feel sorry for you, but not because of your family background. It’s because of your intelligence. Sigh, how can you be this stupid?”

With tears still glistening in the corners of his eyes, Jin Fan asked pitifully, “What do you mean? Was I wrong?”

Shen Zhiyao said, “You are your father’s only son, and you are Jin Huai Zhong’s only blood heir!”

Jin Fan felt even more wronged. “Then why did you say I’m not my mom’s biological son?”

Shen Zhiyao was truly speechless. ’With an intellect like that, how has he even survived this long?’

Seeing that Jin Fan couldn’t figure it out, Shen Zhiyao had no choice but to explain everything to him from the beginning.

Jin Fan’s biological mother was Jin Huai Zhong’s first wife. His current mother is Jin Huai Zhong’s second wife.

Because the first wife was ill-fated and short-lived, she passed away after giving birth to Jin Fan.

Tragically, she had been with Jin Huai Zhong when he was dirt poor, only to die from complications during childbirth just as his career was taking off.

Jin Fan had just been born at the time and had no memory of it.

Jin Huai Zhong had no time to take care of Jin Fan, so he hired a nanny to look after him.

The young nanny was beautiful and cared for the child meticulously, even treating Jin Fan as if he were her own. Jin Huai Zhong was very grateful.

But later, that gratitude turned into a private affair.

The young nanny underwent a transformation and became Mrs. Jin.

Soon, Mrs. Jin had a child of her own, and naturally, her attitude toward Jin Fan soured.

Although Jin Fan saw Mrs. Jin as his mother and had always believed she was his biological mom, her concern was only ever superficial. In reality, she paid him no mind, sometimes even spoiling him rotten to ensure he’d grow up to be a useless playboy.

That was why, after the car accident that nearly killed him, Mrs. Jin only feigned concern. After spending a single day at the hospital, she immediately flew abroad to attend her biological son’s graduation ceremony.

Hearing this, Jin Fan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He wanted to laugh because he was Jin Huai Zhong’s only son and, therefore, the sole legal heir.

He wanted to cry because his mom was suddenly not his mom anymore…

Jin Fan wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve. “How is that possible? I’ve called her ’Mom’ for over twenty years! She *is* my mom! How could she suddenly not be?”

Shen Zhiyao patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Don’t be sad just yet. Take a moment. I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle what I’m about to say next.”

Jin Fan pouted and sobbed, “My life is already this miserable. What else could there possibly be that I can’t handle?”

Shen Zhiyao said, “The one who swapped your destiny was Mrs. Jin. She gave your destiny to Jin Muyang.”

Jin Fan burst into loud wails and threw himself at Shen Zhiyao’s feet, clutching her ankle. “WAAAAAH, Great-Grandma! My life is so tragic! You have to save me!”

His family history had just been revealed, and now he was being told… his stepmother and half-brother had stolen his destiny, turning him into a jinx.

According to Shen Zhiyao’s prophecy, he would sever ties with Jin Huai Zhong at the age of thirty, be kicked out of the family, and ultimately end up destitute, freezing to death in a pile of trash.

And the ones responsible for all of it were the mother he had always loved and respected, and the half-brother he rarely ever saw…

Mrs. Jin had never once considered him her son, but he had genuinely called her “Mom” for over twenty years. He had truly thought of her as his mother.

He remembered his 18th birthday. Jin Huai Zhong, as usual, was a no-show, but Mrs. Jin had promised Jin Fan she would be there to celebrate with him.

But alas, he put the candles on the cake, sat in the living room, and waited… and waited. He waited until the candles had all burned down, but Mrs. Jin never came.

It wasn’t until Jin Fan called her that he learned Mrs. Jin was tied up with social engagements overseas and couldn’t make it back. She told him to have a servant celebrate with him instead.

That night, Jin Fan ate the cake with tears in his eyes, sobbing, “If you had something to do, why didn’t you tell me earlier? Why didn’t you let me know? Why did you promise to celebrate with me… giving me hope only to crush it? Is it fun, treating me like a dog?”

Another time, Mrs. Jin took him and Jin Muyang abroad to see the world.

The place was crowded, and in a moment of carelessness, Jin Fan got separated from Mrs. Jin.

Jin Fan was only twelve years old then, but he was already quite independent. He knew not to run around in a situation like that; he had to stay put and wait for his mother.

Cartoons always said that your mom would definitely come back for you, so you must never run off. You have to wait for your mom to come find you.

But he waited and waited. He waited until the tourists had dispersed and the street was completely deserted, but his mother still didn’t come.

The small figure stood there, lonely and stubborn, desperately making excuses for Mrs. Jin in his heart: ’No, Mom must have had to leave for something important. Could something have happened to Jin Muyang? It’s okay, I’ll be good! If I just wait a little longer, Mom will come back for me.’

In the end, a local passerby couldn’t bear to watch any longer, bought him a plane ticket, and sent him home.

But Mrs. Jin only belatedly said, “Oh! Xiao Fan, I forgot you came abroad with me this afternoon, too. I thought I only brought Muyang.”

She had completely and utterly forgotten about him. Because she usually only took Jin Muyang out, she had forgotten she’d brought an extra child with her that day.

“No, this isn’t real…” Jin Fan suddenly started to laugh, but his laughter soon turned into tears.

Snot and tears smeared all over Shen Zhiyao’s leg. “Great-Grandma, I know your fortune-telling is amazing. But no matter how amazing you are, you can still make mistakes! You must have gotten it wrong. Even if she’s not my real mom, I’ve still called her ’Mom’ for over twenty years! Even if you raise a dog for over twenty years, you’d grow attached to it! How could she treat me like that? It’s impossible, impossible!”

“I know this is hard for you, but it’s the truth.” Shen Zhiyao looked down at him, her expression cold. “Don’t be upset. This is something that has to be dealt with, and crying won’t solve anything.”

Jin Fan only cried harder. “Waaaah… Great-Grandma, after everything I’ve been through, you won’t even let me cry… You’re too cruel! Waaah…”

Shen Zhiyao made a disgusted face. “Your snot. It’s on my leg. That’s disgusting. I’m a germaphobe.”

Jin Fan: “…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep