Chapter 69

Shen Yuan came out from the turn of the staircase with a dark expression and walked down step by step.

His chest felt so stuffed with emotion it was about to burst—everything tangled together, impossible to sort out. How could Qiao Hailou be this infuriating, every word stabbing straight into his heart?

Shen Yuan shot him a cold look and sneered. “You’ve really got manners, don’t you? You think this is your house? Running into someone else’s home to curse at the owner, and doing it so self-righteously—you’re really something.”

His eyes were fixed solely on Qiao Hailou; he didn’t notice his uncle at all. Li Chen was completely dumbfounded. He had never seen Shen Yuan look so sinister and violent before and was genuinely stunned.

Qiao Hailou stared straight back at him and asked calmly, “Am I not telling the truth?”

Shen Yuan was so angry his pointing finger trembled. He took a deep breath. The thing he had gone to such lengths to hide had been ripped open in one breath by Qiao Hailou—had all these years of painstaking effort been for nothing? His uncle had treated him so well; if he still harbored resentment, wouldn’t that make him an ungrateful, heartless ingrate?

Shen Yuan had already come down the stairs and was standing right in front of Qiao Hailou, his back straight as a drawn sword. The two of them were like blades meeting edge to edge, sharp and unyielding, neither giving an inch. Shen Yuan glared at him and said, “The truth? You started out swearing up and down that you liked me, that you came to my house for me. And before you’d even said a few sentences, you started insulting my uncle? Who does that? Did I fucking ask you to run your mouth?”

Qiao Hailou mocked him. “You’re pretty eloquent when it comes to tearing me apart. At first, I really did plan to swallow my pride and beg for forgiveness, to take you back. Heh—who knew? I put so much thought into it, made so many concessions. And you? You’d already decided to break up, hadn’t you? Why didn’t you tell me you’d decided to study abroad?”

Shen Yuan felt a flicker of guilt, but he still clenched his teeth and stubbornly shot back, “My education is my business. Do I have any obligation to tell you?”

Qiao Hailou laughed in anger. “Fine. Fine. Fine. No obligation, huh? That sounds really nice. Shen Yuan, don’t you think you’re being a bit hypocritical? You blame me for not liking you enough, for not being responsible enough—so I change. I seriously write you into my life plan. I give up my stance on never getting married. And you? How do you treat me? You run into a little trouble and you’re ready to kick me to the curb?”

He really hadn’t handled this well, but Shen Yuan had no intention of admitting fault. “Is it wrong for me to protect myself? Yes, you told me you’d changed—but just because you say it, I’m supposed to believe you? Give up my dreams and my education for a few light, empty words of yours? You just said yourself you can’t guarantee you’ll always like me, so why the hell did you bring a marriage application? If you’re already doubting whether you like me, isn’t you falling out of love just a matter of time? On what basis am I supposed to believe you?”

Qiao Hailou stepped closer. “Did I ever tell you to give up your education? And how do you know that if you’d told me, I definitely would’ve made you give it up? When I said I can’t guarantee it, that doesn’t mean I doubt that I like you now. There’s no doubt about it—I like you now, without question! I just don’t want to make some hollow, meaningless promise meant to deceive people—”

Before he could finish, Shen Yuan’s eyes had already reddened. He craned his neck and cut him off. “It’s not meaningless! Just because you think it’s meaningless, does that mean you don’t even say it? I know it’s unrealistic, but unrealistic or not, when someone likes another person, they should have that kind of irrational impulse—there should be at least a moment where they want to spend forever with someone. You don’t have that with me, so what right do you have to say you like me? You’re just temporarily interested in me. And I’m not like your past lovers. Yes, I like you, but I don’t like you that much—not enough to give up myself and bend to you in everything. That’s why your arrogance and pride aren’t satisfied, why you can’t accept it.”

Qiao Hailou was truly on the verge of losing his mind. “If I never had a moment where I wanted to be with you forever, why would I come here? I came here because I want to be with you—I came to take you back! I said I don’t want to make empty promises, so I want to show you with my actions, okay? If I said pretty words, would you believe me? Haven’t I already said enough nice things lately? And yet you still hid the studying-abroad thing from me, still guarded yourself against me!”

Shen Yuan said, “You lie as easily as breathing. Only a ghost would believe you.”

Qiao Hailou said, “Fine. You don’t believe what I say? That’s okay. How about something written in black and white, legally binding—would you believe that? I’ll write you a prenuptial agreement right now. If I change my heart and abandon you, you get half my assets. Would that make you believe me?”

Shen Yuan didn’t hesitate for a second. “There’s no lawyer here. What you write won’t have any legal effect!”

Qiao Hailou replied decisively, “Fine! I’ll call a lawyer over right now to witness it!”

As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and dialed immediately. “Old Ye, I need a lawyer right now. Send your firm’s best marriage lawyer over immediately… What for? What else could it be? I’m getting married. Yes. Now. Immediately.”

It seemed he really did arrange for a lawyer in just a few sentences.

Shen Yuan didn’t even have time to react. His face flushed red; once he came to his senses, he immediately changed his tune and shouted nonsense. “Half is too little—that’s a price you can afford! If you’ve really got the guts, write that you’ll give me everything in the divorce!”

Qiao Hailou didn’t hesitate. “Fine! Everything!”

Shen Yuan froze. “How could you possibly give me everything? You’re definitely lying!”

Qiao Hailou raised a hand. “I’m not going to go in circles with you about whether I’m lying. When the lawyer gets here and writes up the agreement, you sign it and get it notarized. Then you won’t have to worry that I’m lying.”

Shen Yuan took a breath. For a moment, he didn’t even know where to start attacking Qiao Hailou. His heart was racing, his face burning, as he said skeptically, “I already told you I don’t like you that much. Why are you still insisting on marrying me? Don’t call a lawyer. I don’t want to marry you. Normal people get married because they love each other. You just want to lock me down and bind me! Are you using the same dirty tricks you use on your enemies on me?”

“Yes!” Qiao Hailou glared at him viciously. “You are the biggest enemy of my life. I’m crazy, I’ve lost my mind, I’m not thinking straight—and I still fell for you, you ungrateful little bastard! No matter how much love I pour into you, you still don’t believe I love you. Tell me—what other way do I have? Normal? I’m not normal anyway. Do you think you are?”

Shen Yuan… really didn’t dare say he was normal either. He paused, considering how to keep fighting with Qiao Hailou.

Qiao Hailou took out a fountain pen he carried with him. There happened to be a few blank sheets clipped inside the folder he’d brought for the marriage application. He sat down on the sofa, pulled out the paper, and started scribbling out a prenuptial agreement.

Seeing that he seemed to be serious, Shen Yuan finally panicked. “What are you writing? Don’t write it!”

Qiao Hailou insisted. “I’m writing a prenuptial agreement that says if we divorce, I give you all my assets. If I don’t write it, you won’t believe I like you! I’m only afraid that after I write it, you won’t dare sign it.”

Shen Yuan wasn’t strong enough to stop him and couldn’t block him at all. Completely unable to prevent it, he panted and said, “Fine. Write it. Go ahead. You think I wouldn’t dare sign? We’ll see who’s scared then. I’ll be thrilled—I’ll sign it and divorce you immediately. Let’s see if you dare give me all your money.”

Qiao Hailou sneered. “As long as you dare sign it, I won’t give you a chance to divorce me for the rest of my life.”

At that moment, Li Chen, who had been so absorbed in their argument that he’d almost been forgotten, finally spoke up. “Both of you, shut up!”

Shen Yuan and Qiao Hailou, who had been pushing and shoving, stopped and looked at him.

Li Chen said to Qiao Hailou, “You really think my house is your territory now? This is my home. Even if you call a lawyer, I won’t let them in.”

His emotions were too complicated. He asked in disbelief, “Qiao Hailou, are you trying to abduct my kid right in front of me???”

Qiao Hailou: “…”

Shen Yuan: “…”

Li Chen sternly ordered him to leave. “I don’t want to use violence. For the sake of our many years of acquaintance, I’ll give you one last bit of courtesy. Get out.”

Qiao Hailou sat there like an immovable pillar, not shifting an inch, his skin unbelievably thick. “Then I’ll have to offend you today. I can’t leave.”

This was the first time in the six or seven years Shen Yuan had known Uncle Li that he’d ever seen him hit someone.

The scene quickly descended into chaos. At first, Shen Yuan worried about his uncle—he was so refined and gentle, while Qiao Hailou looked like a mob boss who obviously knew how to fight. Shen Yuan was afraid his uncle would get hurt.

But after Qiao Hailou was grabbed and took several punches without fighting back at all, Shen Yuan switched sides and started worrying about Qiao Hailou instead. They’d just been arguing, and it hadn’t been like this, but now he saw blood at the corner of Qiao Hailou’s mouth and nearly burst into tears.

Panicked, Shen Yuan’s body moved before his mind did. He rushed to stop Li Chen. “Uncle, Uncle, don’t hit him—his injuries just healed…”

Then he turned and yelled at Qiao Hailou, “Is getting beaten here fun for you? Are you a masochist? Why aren’t you fighting back?”

Qiao Hailou said, “If I fought back, wouldn’t you just get mad at me?”

Shen Yuan said irritably, “Then leave!”

Qiao Hailou replied, “I’m not leaving. If I leave now, I won’t have a wife anymore.”

Driven to desperation, Shen Yuan blinked, and the tears that had been hovering in his eyes finally fell. He ground his teeth and said, “Qiao Hailou, do you really have to push me like this? Aren’t you still forcing me?”

The moment those tears fell—

Both Qiao Hailou and Li Chen stopped.

Qiao Hailou felt as if those tears had fallen straight onto his heart. In an instant, all his anger vanished. “Crying again. Every time you cry and throw a tantrum, you know I can’t do anything about you.”

Shen Yuan tilted his head up, glaring at him through tear-filled eyes. “You think I want to embarrass myself like this? You’re the one who forced me!”

Qiao Hailou’s face was covered in bruises, looking utterly disheveled, at a complete loss. “Stop crying, please. I’m begging you, my little ancestor. What do you want me to do?”

Shen Yuan snapped imperiously, “Stop fighting with my uncle. Leave. Right now.”

Qiao Hailou swallowed his frustration, still hesitating. “Tell me you believe that I like you, and I’ll leave. Otherwise, I’m not going.”

Shen Yuan had no choice. “I believe you like me. I believe it, okay?”

True to his nature, Qiao Hailou went back on his word. After Shen Yuan said it, he still didn’t leave. He took out a handkerchief, trying to wipe Shen Yuan’s tears, even reaching for his hand.

He didn’t touch it.

Li Chen stepped between them. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Qiao Hailou said hesitantly, “I can’t just make him cry and then turn around and leave.”

Blocked by Li Chen, he could only look helplessly at Shen Yuan, pacing anxiously in place. “Hey, my young master, my little ancestor, I’m leaving. I really am. I won’t push you anymore, okay? Stop crying. If you stop crying, I’ll go.”

Shen Yuan knew he shouldn’t cry anymore, but for some reason, the tears surged even harder.

Li Chen truly couldn’t understand these two.

If they were in love, they fought like they had an eight-lifetimes-old grudge. If they weren’t, they were inexplicably clingy.

And they dared to do this right in front of him.

Enough. First, he’d throw Qiao Hailou out.

This was all that bastard’s fault.

After Qiao Hailou was kicked out, he squatted outside the Li family home for a long time, smoking half a pack of cigarettes.

An hour later, the marriage lawyer finally arrived, out of breath. “President Qiao, I’ve prepared all the documents. Is it just you here? Why are we waiting outside? And… where is your fiancée?”

Qiao Hailou flicked away the half-smoked cigarette and ground it out under his shoe. “My wife won’t let me in.”

“Draft the prenuptial agreement first. I’ll sign it now.”

“Write that if I divorce, all my assets go to the other party.”

The lawyer froze, his hand trembling. “What? Are you sure?”

Qiao Hailou didn’t hesitate. “I’m sure. Write it.”

The lawyer hurriedly drafted the agreement. After Qiao Hailou signed it, he folded it once and stuffed it into the mailbox at the Qiao family home, then shouted up at the building like a shameless hooligan, “Shen Yuan! I’ve signed the agreement—it’s in the mailbox. Remember to take it.”

“After you sign it, bring it to me and we’ll get it notarized.”

He shouted, but no one responded.

The lawyer was far more uneasy than he was and asked tactfully, “Mr. Qiao… I don’t know what happened, but aren’t you being a bit impulsive? Are you sure you want to get married? Like this?”

He couldn’t imagine how such a shrewd businessman could make a decision this foolish. Even writing it had felt unbelievable.

Qiao Hailou said firmly, “I’m not being impulsive. Sometimes you need the courage to bet everything.”

He’d gone all in.

Either a total victory—

Or a complete loss.

And he believed he wouldn’t lose.