Chapter 79

Qin Yue heard the answer and sighed, a touch of melancholy in his eyes. Still, he was moved by the sincerity in both of them.

“…What if his family gives up on him? What if he’s no longer the favored heir of the Xie family? Would you still feel the same?”

“To me, Xie Huai is just Xie Huai,” Qi Xu replied, meeting Qin Yue’s eyes. “Why, did the Qin and Xie families suddenly dig up some long-lost heir out there?”

“……”

Well, there went the emotional moment. Kids these days sure weren’t like they were in his generation.

Qin Yue rolled his eyes. “You’re really a match for Ah Huai, you know that? With that mouth of yours, I bet the two of you roast each other for fun.”

Qi Xu adjusted the cushions behind his back until he was comfortable. “Not exactly roasting each other to death. Couldn’t bear to.”

Qin Yue snorted with mock outrage. “So I came all this way just to get drowned in your PDA, huh? I heard you barely touched lunch. Was it not to your taste or something else?”

Xie Huai might be under house arrest at the old Qin estate, with his phone confiscated, but his people were still moving. Messages from his second aunt and uncle were being passed around, and the elders were pretending not to notice the three of them sneaking into the “punishment room.”

That’s how Qin Yue ended up visiting Xie Huai—with news that Qi Xu hadn’t eaten much—only to find him calmly practicing calligraphy at a desk.

Old-school discipline. When emotions ran wild, the elders made you copy texts. Supposed to calm the mind and train your temper.

Qin Yue always said it was useless. The entire Qin family had volcanic tempers, and no amount of calligraphy had ever changed that.

He’d been locked up for a day once, too—same punishment. Convinced his older brother and second sister to help him copy lines. They got caught and ended up in lockup with him.

“It was good,” Qi Xu said. “But I felt dizzy. I just… want to eat his cooking.”

Qin Yue clicked his tongue. “My darling nephew can cook now? Seriously? Is it even edible?”

Qi Xu stared up at the ceiling, his voice drifting into a fond murmur. “Sweet and sour pork, tangy ribs, fried egg with five-spice sauce… when he’s in a good mood, he’ll make them for me.”

When Huai was in a good mood, he’d cook, let himself be bitten without protest, accept Qi Xu’s touches, and even respond to them. But if he was in a bad mood? A slap or two wouldn’t be surprising.

Qin Yue’s mouth watered just hearing the list. All those sweet and tangy dishes—he could guess exactly what flavor profile Qi Xu liked.

“Fine, I’ll make sure he cooks for you. I’ll have it delivered later.”

Qi Xu blinked. “There’s a kitchen in the punishment room?”

Qin Yue answered, “Fully stocked. The only thing missing is communication tools—no phones, no internet. Everyone in the family knows he’s grounded, but that hasn’t stopped a line of people from pleading on his behalf. The front gates are practically trampled flat.”

The difference between people really was staggering. When he got grounded, not a single soul begged for mercy on his behalf.

Suddenly, Qin Yue remembered something. He pulled a letter from inside his jacket and handed it to Qi Xu. “Almost forgot. Back in the day, they used carrier pigeons. Now it’s me—risking collective punishment to pass your message.”

Qi Xu raised a brow and took it. He hadn’t expected Xie Huai to have the presence of mind to write a letter. With no phone, he really had no choice but to go old school.

He opened it and recognized the familiar handwriting instantly—even though they’d just been in each other’s arms the night before, it already felt like it’d been forever.

The letter was short:

“Rest well in the hospital. I’ll take care of things outside.
Don’t force yourself to eat if you can’t.
I’ll make sweet and sour pork for you tonight.
First professional exam’s next week—don’t slack.
Go over the key points I marked. Again.”

“Be good. Wait for me.”

Qi Xu let out a helpless laugh.

Here he was, being worried over by someone who was literally under house arrest. From big things happening outside to his upcoming finals, Xie Huai was still trying to handle everything.

And now he wanted him to behave? Not a chance.

Qi Xu didn’t have a proper envelope on hand, so he tore a page from his notebook to write back, slipping the reply into Xie Huai’s reused envelope.

Once he finished writing, he told Qin Yue, “Tell him to focus on reviewing. I’m not giving up first place without a fight.”

Qin Yue tucked away the envelope, feeling a little… weird. Somehow, he’d ended up as the messenger between these two. At this rate, he figured he’d be the one kneeling to serve them tea at their wedding.

“Jeez,” he muttered. “You saying that just reminded me—you two are both freshmen. Anyone who doesn’t know better would think I’m helping underage lovers sneak around.”

After reading Xie Huai’s letter, Qi Xu felt his emotions settle. For the first time, he understood how Huai must’ve felt during that business trip—restless and constantly worried.

At least now, when he missed Xie Huai, he knew the other person was missing him just as much.

If brainwaves were visible in this world, he figured theirs would be tuned to the same frequency by now.

Having lived through everything once already, Qi Xu had learned: as long as you’re still alive, anything’s possible. Life itself is the biggest advantage.

He joked lightly, “You’re not gonna get strip-searched when you go back, are you?”

Qin Yue waved him off with a smug grin. “Relax. Who’d dare stop me?”

Qin Family Estate

The moment Qin Yue stepped through the front gates, a deep, commanding voice barked from inside:

“Stop right there.”

He jumped a little, spine stiffening at the sound. Turning around, he saw an old man with a full head of silver hair, still sharp and imposing despite his age. The aura of authority rolled off him in waves.

“Dad,” Qin Yue said dryly. “You’ve only got one youngest son. If you scare me to death, you won’t have any left.”

The old man barked, “Nonsense! Can’t you act a little more proper?”

Qin Yue shrugged casually. “I’ll come back and chat later. I’m going to check on Ah Huai.”

Everyone in the house knew he was passing messages—but they all pretended not to notice. This time, though, the old man called him out directly.

“You’re bringing him news from that kid again, aren’t you?”

Qin Yue held up the envelope between two fingers. “It’s a love letter, Dad. Want to read it? Might make you feel young again for a second.”

The old man’s face darkened visibly, but Qin Yue acted like he didn’t see a thing. “Even if you try to break them up, they’ll still end up together. And I hear your grandson hasn’t even officially won him over yet. You’re not planning to keep him locked up forever, are you? If you are, Second Sister’s going to have a word with you.”

Speak of the devil—Qin Huansi showed up just in time to deescalate the situation.

“Dad, when are you going to let Ah Huai out?”

As she spoke, she gave Qin Yue a look, and he used the moment to slip past and go inside.

Facing his daughter, the old man’s tone softened a little, though his frustration still lingered. “He can move freely around the house, can’t he? Does that really count as confinement? If there weren’t guards at the gate, he would’ve left already. You think this house can actually hold him?”

Qin Huansi replied, “True. Not even a three-meter-high wall could stop him. But he knows you and Mom are still angry—he’s staying put because he’s willing to accept the punishment.”

The old man stayed silent, though his expression grew more somber. She was right—Ah Huai had accepted it willingly. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have kneeled without a word while he delivered those few heavy strikes.

He’d held back, of course, but the blows still landed solidly on his back. Not a single complaint. Just stiff-backed defiance.

Exactly the kind of behavior he had raised him to uphold: A man only kneels to his parents. A man does not shed tears lightly.

That morning, all those teachings came back to life.

It was obvious—that boy was his grandson.

That night, Qi Xu finally got to eat the sweet and sour pork that Xie Huai had promised to make. For once, he didn’t throw it up.

The staff who came in to collect the dishes looked visibly relieved.

After a few days of rest, Qi Xu’s dizziness had lessened. He still got a little woozy sometimes, but the nausea was almost gone.

During his hospital stay, he focused quietly on studying. No one came to bother him, and he barely touched his phone. The VIP room felt more like the perfect study space than a place for recovery.

Xie Huai, still under house arrest, would occasionally call him using Qin Yue’s phone—though most of those calls got cut off.

Half the time, he’d hear Qin Yue’s voice saying, “My dad’s here,” or “My mom just walked in.”

Every call felt like a sneak attack.

Still, Qin Yue came every day to pass along messages, often staying over an hour to chat. He’d tell Qi Xu stories from Xie Huai’s childhood, just to keep him company and lift his mood.

There were always people standing guard at the hospital room door, making sure everything stayed safe and calm until the day he was discharged.

But even that couldn’t slip past the old man.

The day Qi Xu was supposed to leave, he had already changed and packed. But Chen Wei showed up at the room—with the old man.

Qi Xu wasn’t surprised.

He had avoided video calls because of the head injury, opting for voice calls only. But with someone as sharp as the old man, it didn’t take long for suspicion to grow.

Elder Shen entered the room, supported by Uncle Li. His eyes immediately locked onto the bandaged wound on Qi Xu’s forehead. Even though it was covered and the injury wasn’t visible, just hearing the words “car accident” had shaken him to the core.

Qi Xu stepped forward and gently took his hand. Uncle Li quietly stepped aside, though he still looked on with concern.

Qi Xu offered a reassuring glance and said warmly, “I’m fine. It’s just a minor injury.”

The old man scolded softly, unwilling to let go, eyes inspecting him head to toe. “You don’t tell me about something this serious? Just keep hiding it, huh? The more you keep things from me, the further apart we grow.”

His voice cracked as his eyes reddened.

Qi Xu gently reassured the old man, “I won’t keep anything from you again. From now on, I’ll tell you everything.”

The old man grumbled, still upset, “If I hadn’t accidentally found out that he was grounded by the Qin family, and you kept dodging my video calls—what, were you two planning to shoulder the whole thing alone and leave this old man completely in the dark?”

Xie Huai had deliberately kept the car accident under wraps. When the old man tried to look into it, all he could dig up was that it was a freak accident—nothing that pointed to foul play. There was no way he could have guessed it was something orchestrated.

Qi Xu had no intention of telling him the truth. The last thing he wanted was for the old man to worry.

“I wasn’t planning to keep it from you for long,” Qi Xu said. “I’m heading back to the old house today.”

Old Mr. Shen had already guessed that Xie Huai being grounded probably had something to do with his own grandson. These past few days, Old Mr. Xie had shut his doors to all visitors, likely just to avoid being confronted.

“I can’t interfere with the Qin family,” he said, “but I’ll try to talk to your Grandpa Xie. This is something the two of you have to face together.”

Qi Xu nodded. “You don’t need to worry. We’ll handle it.”

The old man didn’t say anything more. He let out a heavy sigh. All he could do now was pray to the Buddha every day, hoping his stubborn grandson would finally get what he’s longed for. After all these years of struggle, maybe things would finally go his way.

Qi Xu helped the old man into the car, only to be surprised when he saw Shen Fengkai in the driver’s seat. He looked every bit the dutiful chauffeur, even stepping out to open the door for them.

Qi Xu politely thanked him once they were seated. “Thank you.”

That simple thank you hit Shen Fengkai like a gut punch. If he replied with You’re welcome, it’d be like admitting they were now so distant, they were no closer than a passenger and his Uber driver. But if he said nothing, then it meant there really was nothing left between them.

He held it in for a long while, then finally blurted out, “Aren’t you supposed to have a boyfriend? What’s going on with you and Xie Huai? Did he force you?”

Qi Xu: “…”

“Psych ward’s on the sixth floor. Take your time. No rush.”

But Shen Fengkai swallowed those last words back down. He drove them back to the old house in total silence—and ended up staying there, too.

Later, Qi Xu finally learned why Shen Fengkai had been acting so off: the Shen household had erupted into utter chaos.

Shen Zhuohai and Zeng Yun had gotten into a shouting match. In a rage, Zeng Yun left and returned to her family home. Shen Zeyu had tried to mediate but got slapped across the face by Shen Zhuohai for his efforts—and had his position at Shen Corporation revoked.

Shen Zeyu stormed out of the house, and shortly after, someone caught him on camera in a public spat with Qi Guohui. The photos quickly made their way online.

Recently, Shen Zeyu had been unusually high-profile. Whether it was in the news or on his own social media, everything about him exuded a smug, victorious energy.

But then came the video.

It clearly recorded his argument with Qi Guohui. Netizens quickly figured out who Qi Guohui was—that gruff middle-aged man was his alleged foster father.

The footage showed Qi Guohui hurling vulgar insults, while Shen Zeyu, shedding his polished, princely image, screamed right back at him in the middle of the street.

Public opinion exploded.

In an attempt to stop things from spiraling, the two men staged a teary father-son reconciliation to put a lid on the drama.

Just as things were settling down, however, a new audio recording dropped—and dragged the entire Shen family back into the spotlight.

“Qi Xu? He’s just some bastard who showed up halfway through. Why should my dad give him his shares?”

“Sure, your dad’s the youngest and most spoiled son, but even your third uncle has to warn you—Old Master Shen already wrote his will. All his shares will go to Qi Xu. What exactly do you think you’re fighting for?”

“That old man is totally biased. The will doesn’t include your dad, your eldest uncle, or your little aunt. Only Qi Xu. Who knows what kind of spell he put on him.”

Multiple voices were captured on the recording. Anyone familiar with the family could recognize them.

And once again, the public outrage reignited—louder and hotter than before.

[Whoa. Did I just tune into a real-life corporate family war?]

[Wait, who was who? I only recognized the first voice—wasn’t that the fake young master? So all that well-mannered charm was just an act? And that “dad” he kept talking about—turns out he’s Qi Xu’s real father.]

[Didn’t President Shen always say he treats everyone equally? This is what equality raised?]

[Pretty sure the Shen family patriarch is still alive. And now they’re already scheming over the inheritance. Sounds like those later voices weren’t even his biological kids. The audacity.]

[Call me a conspiracy theorist, but why was the fake young master so smug all the time? Oh, right—because the Shen family was ridiculously biased and gave him all the leverage.]

[The rich are terrifying. Even after being accepted into the family, he’s still being plotted against. If I were the real young master, I wouldn’t have survived the first day back home.]

At this point, the Shen family was backed into a corner—and had a choice to make.

Protect them all and go down together?
Or cut them loose and try to survive?

The recording had spread like wildfire, despite their efforts to suppress it. Shen family connections or not, they couldn’t stop the internet. Within two hours, the audio was everywhere.

But Qi Xu? He couldn’t care less.

What happened online had nothing to do with him. It didn’t affect his life. No one even mentioned it in front of him.

Shen Fengkai had made a point to shield him from the news—like he was some caveman who didn’t use the internet.

Old Mr. Shen, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate. The moment the scandal hit, he decisively cut ties with several Shen family offshoots and had them formally expelled from Shen Corporation. From now on, they were out.

Meanwhile, Qi Xu tuned out the chaos of the outside world and focused entirely on one thing: his final exams.

On the day of the first exam, the bandage on his forehead had finally been replaced with a smaller adhesive strip. The injury was still noticeable.

He ran into Li Yan and the others on the stairs of the academic building. His two dormmates hadn’t seen him in nearly a week, and their eyes went wide at the sight of the gauze on his forehead.

“Xu-ge! What happened to your head?”

Qi Xu replied jokingly, “Just… tying my hair to the beam and stabbing my thigh with a needle. You know, old-school study grind.”

Li Yan gasped. “Wait, for real? Damn, you’re going that hard for finals? Take care of yourself, man.”

Feng Zhenjie rolled his eyes. “That technique doesn’t even involve the forehead. You totally walked into something, didn’t you?”

Qi Xu gave a half-nod. “Yeah. Walked into a wall.”

Li Yan looked around, seemingly expecting someone. “Where’s Huai-ge?”

Qi Xu was wearing Xie Huai’s scarf. As if sensing something, he looked up instinctively—

—and his gaze locked precisely onto Xie Huai, coming through the crowd in the same style of scarf, just a different color.

They hadn’t spoken or seen each other in a we80ek. It wasn’t unbearable, but the days had stretched longer than usual. Qi Xu had kept a calm head, focusing on exams, but what he was really waiting for wasn’t the test—it was this moment.

He smiled faintly. “There he is.”