The noisy voices kept rising, and William Brooks was almost driven dizzy by the chattering of these aunts and relatives. Just as he was considering whether to pretend to cry a little, a sudden sense of warning surged in his heart, as if a cold and dangerous aura was approaching him. He shivered inwardly, his eyes widening in alarm.

A young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight appeared before him, his face covered with a beaming smile as he leaned in close, endlessly showering him with words of praise, seemingly from the bottom of his heart. Whether it was his tone, gestures, or expressions, everything was so harmonious and natural, filled with sincere emotion and heartfelt congratulations!

William Brooks secretly lamented—what a pity! With this guy’s acting skills, if he had been born in William Brooks’s previous world, he would have been a shoo-in for the Oscar! This guy is just... too good at pretending!

He leaned over in front of William Brooks, and no one else could detect the true emotions hidden in his eyes. But when he lowered his head to face only William Brooks, the hatred in his eyes toward this newborn baby was completely undisguised! From William Brooks’s angle, he could clearly see a cold glint flash in the man’s eyes—an unmistakable mix of deep frustration and murderous intent!

This man is dangerous! William Brooks’s vigilance shot up!

After saying a few words, the young man lifted his head and left William Brooks’s side, continuing to chat enthusiastically with the others, occasionally cracking harmless jokes. In just a short time, he managed to make the atmosphere in the room very harmonious. It seemed this guy was quite popular within the family, and he certainly had a certain charm.

In William Brooks’s heart, he had already firmly memorized this man’s appearance! This person was definitely the first target he needed to eliminate! Keeping someone like this around was far too dangerous for both himself and the rest of the family!

William Brooks let out a cold laugh in his heart. You little punk, you dare show killing intent in front of me? Just wait until I grow up—there’s no way you’ll outsmart me! Maybe an ordinary baby wouldn’t notice your well-hidden malice, but I’m different. I spent all twenty-five years of my previous life hiding just like you. Trying to play mind games in front of me is like reciting the Hundred Family Surnames in front of Confucius, wielding a broadsword in front of Guan Yu, selling axes in front of Lu Ban, or selling herbal wine in front of Du Kang...

A maid walked over. “Madam, the young mistress is awake and wants to see the child.”

“All right, all right, hehehe, I’ll bring my precious grandson over right away. Ah, that poor girl, I really don’t know how her frail body managed to give birth to such a big, healthy boy. Is the nourishing soup in the kitchen ready? Have them bring it over quickly, so Olivia can recover her strength.” The old lady spoke kindly.

Before long, William Brooks felt himself being embraced in an exceptionally warm and comfortable hug. The scent in this embrace was so familiar and dear to him; as soon as he entered it, William Brooks was overcome by a sense of happiness and security, as if no storm in the world could ever touch him while he was held like this...

William Brooks knew that this embrace could only belong to one person—his mother. William Brooks had inexplicably crossed from the road to the underworld straight into this world, carrying the memories of his previous life. He had thought that, as a twenty-five-year-old soul inhabiting the body of a tiny baby, he would surely feel awkward and uncomfortable facing his own mother.

But when William Brooks opened his eyes and saw this beautiful woman with a gentle smile and an expression of unreserved affection as she looked at him, he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of attachment welling up from the bottom of his heart.

In that instant, William Brooks’s dazed mind seemed to return to his previous life, to those all-too-brief, happy childhood days spent with his mother! Suddenly, William Brooks’s nose tingled, and his eyes filled with tears.

The woman before him still bore traces of exhaustion, with strands of hair stuck to her cheeks by damp sweat, but in William Brooks’s eyes, everything about her was beautiful, and his heart was filled with gratitude toward his mother. At this moment, William Brooks made a silent vow in his heart: he would never allow this woman to suffer even the slightest sadness because of him. No one would be allowed to hurt her! Because she was his mother—she was the mother of William Brooks!

“Don’t cry, baby. Mommy’s here, don’t be afraid. Mommy will protect you.” William Brooks’s body gently rocked in his mother’s arms, and he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of peace and comfort welling up from within. A wave of drowsiness washed over him, and William Brooks let out a big yawn, closed his eyes contentedly, and drifted off into a sweet sleep.

In both his previous and current lives, adding up to more than twenty-six years, this was the very first time William Brooks had ever slept so soundly, without a single worry or care!

Book One: Starry Sky Youth

Chapter Seven: The Prestigious Family

A new child was born in the household of Old Lord Brooks—a big, healthy grandson.

General Brooks finally had his first son! Both mother and child were safe, and the newborn’s weight was an astonishing nine jin and eight liang!