Chapter 151: Last time
HuMing's sudden appearance left everyone deeply shaken.
No matter how she looked at him, Han YunXi was convinced the person standing before her was Han HuMing. At the same time, Han ShuYi harbored doubts about this boy's identity. Even though Han LiTian had confirmed he wasn't HuMing, ShuYi couldn't help but recall the smile HuMing had on his face before he fell off the cliff.
That memory sent an involuntary chill down his spine.
If this person really was Han HuMing, then the implications of his actions were truly terrifying.
HuMing, on the other hand, didn't dwell on the matter. Since his identity had already been clarified, he saw no reason to linger.
"Wait..."
Han YunXi reached out, attempting to grab HuMing's arm, but he effortlessly sidestepped her.
"Miss, there should be boundaries between different genders. Besides, I'm not interested in any of this. If you continue to bother me, I might need to speak with the principal."
Just as HuMing finished speaking, the principal himself emerged from the school building.He hurried over and spoke apologetically, "I'm sorry, HuMing. These students are siblings of Han HuMing. His disappearance has understandably left them a bit emotional."
"I can empathize with their feelings," HuMing replied calmly, "but that doesn't mean I'll tolerate being pushed around. If incidents like this persist, I don't see any reason to continue attending this school."
Losing a student as academically gifted as HuMing, someone who rivaled Ye QiuXue in ability, was out of the question for the principal. That kind of talent brought great prestige to the school.
With that in mind, the principal straightened his expression, dismissed the crowd of onlookers, and turned to Han ShuYi and Han YunXi to explain.
"I've already called your father. He asked you two to stay out of this for now. He'll handle verifying HuMing's identity himself."
Han YunXi frowned, her gaze fixated on HuMing, while Han ShuYi nodded reluctantly.
Just then, a car pulled up behind them, and Han LiTian stepped out.
Han YunXi immediately rushed to her father, grabbing his hand and asking anxiously, "Dad, is he really not HuMing?"
"Don't rush to conclusions just yet. We're not certain," Han LiTian replied, his eyes flickering with uncertainty as they landed on HuMing.
In truth, LiTian was reluctant to believe this boy could be Han HuMing. If it turned out to be him, why had he pretended to be injured? And after recovering, why had he chosen to return?
Was it revenge? Or simply a desire to sever ties with the Han family?
Stepping closer to HuMing, LiTian spoke evenly, "Young man, would you mind giving me your fingerprints? If you're truly not Han HuMing, the prints won't match."
HuMing took a deep breath, clearly trying to maintain his composure. In the end, he extended his hand and pressed his fingerprint onto the device.
"This will be the last time."
"Understood. If the results confirm you're not him, we won't trouble you further."
Without another word, HuMing turned and headed back toward the school.
Han LiTian, however, wasted no time. He was eager to verify HuMing's identity and uncover the truth about this boy.
As HuMing's figure disappeared around the corner, Han YunXi stared after him, unsure of what to say.
Beside her, Han ShuYi offered quiet reassurance. "If he's truly HuMing, we should be happy. But if he's not, we'll continue searching for him."
Han YunXi didn't respond, instead walking off toward her classroom.
---
A boy who bore an uncanny resemblance to Han HuMing had appeared, piquing everyone's curiosity.
This time, HuMing was assigned to the same class as Han YunXi.
Throughout the lesson, Han YunXi couldn't stop staring at him, trying to find traces of the HuMing she knew in this stranger.
Unfortunately, the differences between the two were stark.
When the teacher announced that HuMing had earned a near-perfect score to qualify for the elite class, the entire room erupted in astonished murmurs.
After all, up until now, the only person capable of such an achievement was Ye QiuXue.
And yet, this boy---who bore an uncanny resemblance to Han HuMing---had managed to do it again.
At this revelation, many began to reconsider the idea that he was Han HuMing.
No matter how much effort Han HuMing could put in, how could he possibly leap from being an average student to Ye QiuXue's level in such a short time?
Han YunXi's gaze dimmed noticeably.
Once again, she found herself more convinced that this boy was not Han HuMing.
"Alright, aside from HuMing, we also have another new student joining us today."
She glanced toward the door and softly called for the new student to come in.
A girl walked in with steady steps, her appearance immediately drawing the admiration of many in the class. When Han YunXi saw her, she froze momentarily before a smile spread across her face.
"Please introduce yourself," the teacher said, turning to the girl.
"Hello. My name is Kang Xin," the girl said calmly, her face devoid of expression, her voice cool and composed.
The simplicity of her introduction sent a slight chill through the room.
Though Kang Xin's appearance was striking, her demeanor reminded everyone of Ye QiuXue when she first arrived---so cold it made people shiver.
Even the teacher couldn't help but twitch at the corner of her mouth. Kang Xin's admission test scores had been exceptional, but it was clear she wasn't the talkative type.
As Kang Xin made her way to her seat, Han YunXi suddenly grabbed her wrist, her eyes brimming with anticipation.
"Kang Xin, look at him! Is he HuMing?!"
The class turned their attention to this exchange, surprised and curious.
Was this girl somehow connected to HuMing as well?
From his seat, HuMing muttered under his breath, "Again? Does everyone in this school have a connection to Han HuMing?"
Kang Xin slowly turned to look at HuMing. The moment her eyes landed on him, she froze briefly before shaking her head with quiet certainty.
"YunXi, he's not Young Master."
"But he looks exactly like Han HuMing, doesn't he?"
"His habits are completely different. The Young Master never drank strawberry milk."
At that, everyone's gaze instinctively shifted to the carton of strawberry milk sitting on HuMing's desk.
At that moment, they recalled what HuMing had once told SuLiu---that he disliked strawberry milk.
Han YunXi opened her mouth, stunned, but could not offer any further argument.
---
Meanwhile, Han LiTian was in the process of arranging a fingerprint comparison, eager to find out the results.
What he couldn't have known was that the fingerprint sample in his possession had already been switched.
The mastermind behind this swap was currently on a phone call.
"Hello, President Liang. I've completed the task. The fingerprints will never match."
"You've really gone to great lengths. Thank you."
"No, it's I who should be thanking you, President Liang. After all, you helped save my family. You're practically a second father to me."
"Alright, let's keep in touch."
On the rooftop of a high-rise building, Liang Feng stood with one hand in his pocket and the other gripping his phone tightly.
His sharp gaze glinted in the sunlight.
"You've finally returned."