My Substitute CEO Bride

Clint did not say much at the banquet. He did not know what to say. All the congratulatory words spoken by Artoile were handled by his master. His master wanted to make him happy, but Clint did not know why he should be happy. Perhaps it was just the atmosphere. This coming-of-age ceremony made him feel as though he were an outsider, a 'rare treasure' on display for others to admire. Various bigwigs whose names he could not remember kept arriving. Each one greeted his father with a smile and then, seemingly as a formality, It was as if he had no thoughts of his own. Clint just wanted to escape. The chaotic environment made him uncomfortable.

greeted him too.

He felt like a guest, tense and awkward. Even his conversations with his father were brief and forced.

He did not know what to ask. He was curious about his siblings, but when he asked, his father brushed him off with vague answers. Clint realized it was not the right time to ask these questions. When the banquet ended, people began to gradually leave.

Clint then went to the bedroom prepared for him. As he stared at the clean, tidy room, he was unsure if he should enter.

Then, his mother's voice broke the silence.

"Go on in. It was prepared just for you."

Only then did Clint notice his mother standing beside him. She had aged and was no longer as he remembered. He instinctively responded with politeness, "Okay... Thank you."

Hearing this, his mother felt a mix of emotions.

Clint entered the room and sat obediently on the bed, feeling lost as he looked at his mother.

He remembered her as very beautiful. She used to have her signature wavy hair and had a graceful figure. She was always smiling at him with her red lips and white teeth. She had large, bright eyes, and a prominent nose-a true classic beauty.

Now, she was still beautiful, but her hair was shorter, no longer wavy but straight. Her figure seemed smaller, almost like a delicate doll. She had lost some teeth, and her eyes were lined with wrinkles when she smiled.

Clint's parents were already around 50 when he was born. Another 17 years had passed. Now, he did not know how to converse with them.

His mother forced a big smile and said, "Clint, you've made us proud. You've brought honor to our family."

Clint responded simply.

"Stay for a few days. Everyone at home misses you."

"Okay."

Clint nodded. It was not that he wanted to appear somber; he genuinely did not know how to

Ce with his parents. His were his elders, and he net

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could use the formal etiquette his master taught him. However, they were his biological parents. novelbin

Landrich said one should not be too formal with family and one could just relax. However, how did one relax?

To his parents, he was a genius. To his master, he was a prodigy note seen in a century. He could not relax around them because he was

expected to maintain the image of a genius. en

"M-Mom," Clint called as she turned to leave.

"Yes, Clint?" she smiled brightly.

"Where are my brother and sister?" Clint asked the question that had been bothering him.

"Oh, they're busy. They couldn't come today."

"And... where are they now?" Clint pressed.

"Well, your sister is married and doing very well. As for your brother, he's abroad. Yes, he's far away doing business."

"I see." Clint did not ask further. He knew she was lying. They did not want to tell him the truth, so asking was futile.

Thus, the day ended. Clint did not stay long. He needed to resume his decade-long seclusion. He had no strong attachment to this home and felt almost nothing for it. When he returned to the sect, no one noticed anything amiss.

However, the question still gnawed at him-why were his parents hiding his siblings' whereabouts from him?

He did not understand. He had to use his own means to find out the truth.

Back at his secluded spot, his master left him with a single warning not to let his thoughts wander before departing.

Many times, Clint could easily enter

a state of self-forgetfulness to cultivate. This time, however, he could not calm his heart. He had to find out the truth, no matter what.

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