In this life, Chang Fei has experienced many unpleasant things, but he believes that today was the most unpleasant, and there’s only one thing he deeply regrets.
Especially that thing he did in that infamous place where the most people died—he only realized afterward how reckless he was.
But in the end, if it weren’t for what happened that day, perhaps the incident that nearly killed him wouldn’t have occurred either.
Though he never wanted to admit it, he realized his life was truly a mess!
When did it all start going wrong?
Oh, right, it was from that time—before he was even born into this world.
His mother, once a gentle and virtuous lady (or so she claimed?), who could grace the halls and cook in the kitchen, with top-notch looks and both literary and martial talents, gave up her inheritance and eloped with his naturally charming (or so they say?) father.
She even sold the jewelry she brought from home to start a business with his father.
But who would’ve thought, just a few years into their marriage, his dad would… have an affair!
Yes, to his mom, the former wasn’t the issue; the latter was the real problem!
His mom was furious!
She ran away, pregnant!
And that “ball” she was carrying? That was Chang Fei!
So, Chang Fei was supposed to live a lavish life in a grand family mansion, surrounded by maids and indulging in decadence!
But what happened instead?
From that moment on, he was stuck living a tough life with his stubborn mom.
Fortunately, Chang Fei inherited his parents’ good traits—good looks and intelligence.
Of course, he’d never admit his father had anything to do with it.
He believed his looks came from his mom and his brains from his grandfather.
So, Chang Fei made up his mind: he’d either become an actor, a painter, or…
Well, anything, really—as long as he didn’t become a scumbag like his father and could live happily with his mom.
But his mom shattered his dreams.
Why did his beloved mom suddenly decide to hand him over to someone else to raise?
What was wrong with her? Was she planning to go down in a blaze of glory with his scumbag dad?
If he didn’t see a news report about his scumbag dad dropping dead, would his mom ever come back?
He could understand being heartbroken, but Mom, you picked a scumbag dad, fine—but the people you paid to take care of your son were all scumbags too!
Is your judgment really that bad, or did you use up all your luck giving birth to such an outstanding son like him?
If Chang Fei hadn’t been clever, secretly transferring a large sum of his mom’s (hidden) money meant for his care using his hacking skills, and playing dumb to hand over his pocket money to those scumbags, he’d probably have no way out.
When he found out they planned to sell him to traffickers, Chang Fei decisively followed his mom’s revolutionary spirit and ran away.
When he first escaped, he wanted to act like a big shot, but after nearly being betrayed twice by greedy adults, he learned two lessons.
First, he was too young—telling people he had a ton of money didn’t make them see him as a boss; it made them see him as a fat sheep.
Second, don’t flash your wealth—sometimes, even if you’re capable, the sight of money can drive people crazy and make them forget their conscience.
This taught Chang Fei two skills: staying low-key and pretending to be pitiful.
Soon, while wandering, he met a kind-hearted auntie who, coincidentally, was the director of an orphanage.
She was out collecting bottles to buy supplies for the orphanage when she accidentally “picked him up” like a bottle.
Of course, that’s what she said, but Chang Fei didn’t buy it.
Still, it seemed like a good opportunity, so to avoid being found by those eyeing his mom’s savings, he disguised himself as a silly little girl and hid in the orphanage for a few years.
His days in the orphanage were the happiest times Chang Fei could remember.
But, as fate would have it, storms come unexpectedly.
The director, who worked tirelessly to care for these abandoned “flowers of the nation,” fell ill from overwork.
To make matters worse, the director’s family, who hadn’t been heard from in ages, showed up at this exact moment, wanting to tear down the orphanage to build houses!
They didn’t even pay the director’s hospital bills—weren’t their intentions obvious?
That’s when Chang Fei realized the world didn’t just have scumbag fathers but scumbag children too!
The more he saw, the less he wanted to become like them.
So, he used his savings to pay the director’s hospital bills.
During that time, he had to take care of his little friends at the orphanage.
After much chaos and sneaky pranks, they managed to save the orphanage, but the next morning, it caught fire—possibly set by those scheming relatives who didn’t get their way.
Luckily, everyone was doing morning exercises in the yard, so when the fire flared up, they all escaped.
After that, his friends were transferred to another orphanage.
But Chang Fei was undocumented, so before anyone could take him away, he fled.
A scumbag dad, a runaway mom, people plotting to steal his money and nearly selling him, the orphanage director falling ill after he arrived, and the orphanage burning down soon after.
Chang Fei’s young heart was filled with resentment; flipping the middle finger at the heavens, he gave up on himself and decided to take revenge on those jerks.
For a long time, he gathered others like him, forming an anonymous online “freedom guild” that issued tasks to punish scumbags.
He never expected that the network he built would become more formalized over time, even accidentally registering as a legitimate, large-scale organization that could be hired by the government, earning him significant profits.
During that period, Chang Fei’s young, unguided heart swelled with arrogance.
As the true leader who assigned tasks and paid salaries on this platform, no one dared oppose him, fueling his pride even more.
At that time, he thought he’d reached the peak of what most people could only dream of, believing he’d never fear anyone again.
But if it weren’t for that person and those events, he might have become the youngest, most notorious criminal in history before reaching adulthood.
He didn’t want to dwell on those memories—reminiscing was for the weak version of himself from the past.
Now, at thirteen, someone once told him thirteen was already grown-up.
It was time to mature; he’d graduated from his “edgy” phase and needed to do something grown-up.
He decided to take the middle school entrance exam and experience school life—the kind of thing a normal adult would do.
Unfortunately, the world loves to deliver cruel blows.
He studied hard for over half a year, got excellent grades, even took first place.
But he underestimated the world!
His grades were bought by someone else?
Why did they have to buy *his* grades?!
How was a hardworking student like him supposed to feel about that?
Even more infuriating, the student who bought his grades was none other than his scumbag dad’s son—born six months earlier from that mistress!
What kind of sick joke was this?
Chang Fei nearly lost it and ordered his organization to take out that little bastard!
But looking at the iron ring on his wrist, he gave up—if he did that, how would he be any different from the scumbags he despised?
Wouldn’t that drag him back to the time he least wanted to remember?
So, he let it go.
But that didn’t mean he’d give up fighting for his rights.
On the first day of school, he disguised himself to confront that jerk’s son.
Unfortunately, his plan was too naive.
The guy was an absolute narcissistic idiot!
Worthy of being his scumbag dad’s son, he threw a check in Chang Fei’s face!
Chang Fei was furious, but… well, there were no consequences!
Even if he could’ve done something, he shouldn’t.
But why was the check only for a thousand yuan?
Whatever, better than nothing.
Chang Fei pulled himself together and went to work at the KTV where he used a fake identity.
Since promising that person to reform, he’d found a relatively honest job, even if it was partly to appease that guy.
But he didn’t expect to run into that rich young master again!
Chang Fei lowered his head, “accidentally” trying to spill a drink on him.
Sadly, plans are just plans—reality had him spilling the drink on a girl nearby instead.
Then he got fired and didn’t even get that month’s “honest” wages.
Time to find a new job…
Leaving the KTV, it was raining.
He didn’t bother with an umbrella, walking alone in the rain.
The screeching sound of tires braking hard against the pavement reached his ears, and as he turned, blinding headlights dazzled him.
He didn’t freeze but instinctively dove forward, narrowly dodging.
The car swerved to a stop in the middle of the intersection.
A familiar face appeared from the rolled-down window: “Kid, you looking to die?”
What a small world—it was his half-brother, his enemy.
Chang Fei opened his mouth to retort, but the guy snorted, tossed a few hundred bucks at him, and prepared to drive off.
Then, with a loud “slap,” a girl stormed out of the guy’s car, furious.
The guy, who’d been acting tough, immediately started groveling, but the girl didn’t even glance back.
Chang Fei was thrilled.
Seeing his half-brother get humiliated was the best gift he could’ve received!
He wanted to rush up and give the girl a grateful hug!
But she didn’t notice him, the muddy kid, at all.
No matter—he didn’t care if she noticed him.
This was enough to keep him happy for a long time.
Watching the two leave, one after the other, Chang Fei rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyeing the sports car with a sly grin.
He pulled out his phone: “Hello? Uncle Yao? My car broke down. Can you come to it? Yeah, the address is the route. Thanks”
***
Shang Zhi’s note:
The overall direction remains unchanged, with revisions and expansions, slight adjustments to character traits and experiences.
This is the official Matchmaker’s Dragon Boat Festival Chapter 1, revised for the festival.
Shang Zhi has paid attention to refining the plot, hoping readers will enjoy it.
(Note: The story is slow-paced, not a feel-good read, with lower logic in the early stages, focusing on humor and some potentially off-putting elements. Explanations come after entering the cultivation world. Readers sensitive to early-stage protagonist struggles should proceed with caution.)
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