The door lock clicked. Qin Qing, who had been silently enduring the sharp pain from the anesthesia wearing off, immediately opened his eyes and looked towards the entrance. A middle-aged woman, fashionably dressed and well-maintained, walked in. She took off her shoes with a tired expression and put them in the shoe cabinet.
“Where have you been?” Qin Qing pushed aside the blanket and asked in a faint voice.
Outside, it was the height of summer in July, with temperatures over thirty degrees, yet he was so weak he needed a blanket to maintain his body temperature.
The woman was startled. She clutched her chest and looked at the living room, asking incredulously, “Weren’t the tendons in your hand severed? Why have you already been discharged?”
It seemed she was fully aware of her son’s injuries.
Qin Qing’s eyes darkened slightly. He continued, “Where have you been? I waited for you all night.”
As a mother, she was absent when her son faced the risk of disability.
Shen Mingshu quickly walked into the living room to explain, “I went to raise money for your surgery! I begged all your father’s relatives, but not one of them was willing to lend a cent. How can you be so unlucky? You’re your father’s only son, the heir of the old Qin family. How can they not care whether you live or die? I even knelt down for them, kowtowed to them! But they’re so hard-hearted! When your father passed away, it was the same. As soon as the compensation came through, your grandparents came to our house to cause trouble…”
Shen Mingshu, with a runny nose and teary eyes, recounted the Qin family’s cruelty and greed and her own years of forbearance. This wasn’t an explanation, but a deflection of blame. As if by vilifying a few evil people, she could conceal her own selfishness and coldness as a mother. But in truth, her actions were even more evil than those of the so-called evil people. After her husband died, she didn’t shoulder the responsibility of raising her children. Instead, she exploited her son to the fullest, sucking him dry.
The original owner had fully bought into Shen Mingshu’s act. Whenever Shen Mingshu started crying and complaining, he would forget all the injustices he had endured and sacrifice everything to please his mother. He used harder work to prove to his mother that he could support the family. But supporting a family was never the duty of a twelve-year-old child.
Shen Mingshu collapsed onto the sofa, sobbing. Qin Qing reached out his weak left hand and gently stroked Shen Mingshu’s hair, which smelled of expensive essential oils. His movements were very gentle, but his eyes were icy cold. 996 jumped onto the coffee table with a piece of chicken breast in its mouth, gnawing away with a gleeful, gloating look.
“From now on, you’ll live in this house, being a slave to Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er for the rest of your life. Hmph, this is the price you pay for messing up the plot!”
A glint of light flickered in Qin Qing’s eyes, but he didn’t respond. The door opened again. A young woman in her early twenties, wearing expensive sportswear, rushed in energetically, a pair of pricey sports headphones on her head.
“Phew, it feels so good to run every morning. Mom, I bought you some steamed buns from Liang Ji. Come eat.” The girl carried a bag of buns into the living room. Seeing her mother crying and cursing the relatives again, she didn’t find it strange at all.
“Your hand’s okay? I thought you weren’t being discharged today, so I didn’t buy you breakfast.” The girl glanced at Qin Qing, then walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
She had merely dismissed her brother’s injury with a casual remark, as if it wasn’t a big deal as long as he wasn’t dead.
“Where’s my chicken breast? Who ate it?” The girl shrieked.
With a dull thud, the girl slammed the refrigerator door shut, poked her head out, and demanded, “Brother, did you eat my chicken breast? I’m on a diet. It’s all I eat. Why are you taking it from me? Go out and buy me some chicken breast right now!”
Qin Qing looked at the original owner’s sister, Qin Bao’er, his eyes dark.
Shen Mingshu stopped crying and explained, “Your brother’s hand was cut up. He can’t even move it. How could he have eaten your chicken breast? You probably finished it yesterday.”
“Impossible! There was one piece left last night. I clearly remember it! If Qin Qing didn’t eat it, who did? I don’t care, Qin Qing, go buy it for me now! I’m hungry!” Qin Bao’er walked out of the kitchen and commanded, “By the time I finish my shower, there must be a plate of chicken breast salad on the table. Deal with it however you want.”
Compared to her brother’s injury, she cared more about a piece of chicken.
Shen Mingshu, out of habit, said, “Qin Qing, just go buy her a pack of chicken breast.”
Qin Qing looked down at his right hand, which was throbbing with pain.
Shen Mingshu also looked at the hand, now covered in a cast. A brief flash of embarrassment crossed her face, then she quickly stood up, trying to make amends. “I’ll go buy it. You rest at home. Last night, Miss Zhou called me and said your hand might not be very dexterous in the future—”
She paused mid-step, suddenly realizing something. “Can you still work in the future?”
Qin Qing shook his head, looking dejected, but there was a faint hint of sarcasm in his eyes.
At that moment, Qin Bao’er opened her door again, poked her head out, and asked anxiously, “You won’t be able to work in the future? Then who’s going to pay for my tuition?”
Now she was concerned. Despite having already graduated from university, she stubbornly stayed at home and refused to work, using the excuse of preparing for graduate school exams.
“You’ll have to rely on working and saving up yourself.” Qin Qing sighed softly. “Bao’er, I’m sorry.” His thick eyelashes lowered, hiding the coldness in his deep eyes.
Qin Bao’er was furious. She yelled, “You should get the Zhou family to pay compensation! You got hurt saving their eldest daughter. They have to pay you a million! Oh, and that guy who stabbed you, he has to pay a million too!”
As she spoke, Qin Bao’er’s eyes lit up. She ran out of the bedroom and said excitedly, “I’ll call a mediation TV program and have a reporter cover this. Since you did a good deed, they’ll definitely help you publicize it!”
“Yes, yes! Contact a reporter quickly!” Shen Mingshu also became excited.
996 ran back into the kitchen to rummage for more food. Qin Qing watched the mother and daughter with an expressionless face.
“After the reporter covers it, my face will appear on TV, right? Then the whole country can see me?” Qin Qing asked slowly.
Qin Bao’er looked at him and then froze. His pale face, even with deep exhaustion, couldn’t hide his handsome elegance. The pain made Qin Qing weak, but also intensified his fragile aura. Sitting there, he inexplicably aroused sympathy. Is this… my brother? Is this Qin Qing?
For a moment, Qin Bao’er was confused. Then her tone became even more excited: “Of course! Brother, you’re so handsome. After the show airs, you might become famous overnight! Talent scouts will definitely come looking for you! Having limited dexterity in your hand won’t stop you from acting. You might have an even better future!”
Qin Bao’er quickened her pace, searching for a reporter’s phone number, her cheeks flushing with the fantasies in her head. Her brother was a thousand times more handsome than those top male celebrities! It would be a crime against nature if her brother didn’t become famous! From now on, she could just stay home and enjoy life without doing anything!
But Shen Mingshu’s excited expression froze on her face. She quickly grabbed her daughter’s hand and firmly stopped her. “No, we can’t contact a reporter! The Zhou family is rich and powerful. If we blow this up, we’ll anger them. Their daughter got into a fight with a drunk at a night market. How embarrassing would it be if that got out? No, we’re not contacting any reporters! We’ll approach the Zhou family privately. Don’t do anything rash!”
“What do you mean? Brother saved their family member. Why would they be angry? We have to make a big deal out of this to get more money!” Qin Bao’er shook off her mother’s hand, insisting on contacting a reporter.
“You go to your room. I’ll talk to you there. Don’t disturb your brother’s rest.” Shen Mingshu glanced at Qin Qing and half-dragged, half-pulled her daughter into the room, locking the door behind them.
Qin Qing leaned back on the sofa, shaking his head with a soft laugh. With just a little probing, he already knew that Shen Mingshu was aware of the baby switch, but Qin Bao’er knew nothing. When had she discovered it? The junior high school entrance physical exam? Rh-null blood is extremely rare. The moment she saw the test results, Shen Mingshu must have understood, right?
So, over all these years, she had been able to work the original owner like a beast of burden without a shred of guilt, even destroying his education and future without remorse. He wasn’t her son, so why would she care? But after raising him for so many years, did she feel no affection at all?
“She knows who her biological son is, doesn’t she?” Qin Qing looked at 996, who was running out of the kitchen with a pack of cookies in its mouth.
“She knows, meow.” 996 bit open the packaging and stuck its round head inside.
“Who is it?” Qin Qing asked.
“I’m not telling you! I’ll let you stay in this house for a good long while!” 996 said, muffled inside the bag.
Qin Qing chuckled softly, showing no sign of urgency.
996 pawed the packaging off, chewing the cookies while mumbling indistinctly, “For the next six months, you’ll be a beast of burden for Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er. That’s your punishment! If you’re obedient enough, I’ll find a way to get you back to your own family by then.”
“A beast of burden, obedient enough…” Qin Qing slowly repeated these words, his eyes faintly smiling but hiding thoughts that others couldn’t fathom.
“Okay, I understand.” He nodded, feigning submission, but in reality, he picked up his phone and began searching online for any information related to Zhou Yourou.
Since Zhou Yourou was his benefactor who could help him leave this home, her network must contain people connected to the original owner’s true background. The Zhou family was a wealthy clan, and there was quite a bit of information online. Zhou Yourou was the daughter of the Zhou family’s second branch, while Zhou Linlin was the daughter of the first branch. Because the old patriarch of the Zhou family disliked living in the city and wanted descendants by his side, the first branch sent Zhou Linlin to be raised by him.
After Zhou Linlin was taken to the countryside, the first branch took in Zhou Yourou, the daughter of the second branch, to raise as their own, claiming it was to fill the void left by their absent daughter. The first branch had inherited the vast majority of the family fortune, while the second branch was less well-off, living off a few million in annual dividends. A few million is a huge sum to ordinary people, but to those at their level, it was barely even entry-level.
Therefore, to curry favor with the first branch, the second branch was naturally willing to send Zhou Yourou away. Years later, the rightful heiress, Zhou Linlin, returned. But her replacement, Zhou Yourou, had already taken her place and become the apple of the first branch’s eye. Hence the conflict between the two. Zhou Yourou’s mother was named Ji Zhu. The Ji family was also wealthy and powerful in Haishi. Ji Zhu had an older sister named Ji Lan, who had married into the Qin family, another top-tier wealthy clan in Haishi.
Qin…
A glint of light flashed in Qin Qing’s eyes. He continued his search along this clue and soon found an old black-and-white photo. It depicted a beautiful woman in a qipao—slender eyebrows, captivating eyes, an air of noble mystery, a blooming smile…
The beauty in the photo bore a striking resemblance to Qin Qing, about seventy percent. In her lifetime, she was hailed as the “tear of the era” and the “pearl of Haishi.” And Qin Qing’s appearance was even more exquisite. This woman was the mother of Ji Lan and Ji Zhu, and the grandmother of Zhou Yourou. Ji Zhu had a daughter and a son; her son was only eight years old. Ji Lan had only one son, named Qin Zishi, twenty-five years old, born on the same day, month, and year as Qin Qing. Qin Qing searched for a photo of Qin Zishi and immediately curved his lips into a smile. This clean-cut, handsome face resembled Shen Mingshu by about eighty percent.
“What are you looking at, meow?” 996 craned its neck to ask, its whiskers covered in cookie crumbs.
“Nothing.” Qin Qing immediately closed the webpage and shook his head faintly.
Just then, Shen Mingshu came out of the bedroom, followed by a reluctant Qin Bao’er. Whatever the mother and daughter had discussed, they had apparently abandoned the idea of going on TV.
Qin Qing said flatly, “Don’t go asking the Zhou family for money. I saved that person willingly. It has nothing to do with Zhou Linlin. She already paid for my surgery, fulfilling her responsibility. The Zhou family has extensive connections; they know everyone. If you make a big deal out of this, the whole city will know, and it will cause a lot of trouble. As for the man who stabbed me, he’ll pay whatever the court decides. Don’t make a fuss about that either. This is how things are. Just accept it.”
As he spoke of accepting fate, a faint glint of mocking darkness appeared in Qin Qing’s eyes. Hearing that making a big deal would let the whole city know, Shen Mingshu was indeed frightened. She repeatedly promised not to cause any trouble, even slapping her unwilling daughter to make her behave. Qin Qing shook his head with a quiet laugh, then picked up the remote control and turned on the TV, idly flipping through channels. As luck would have it, Qin Zishi’s face appeared on the screen, and he was being interviewed by the host.
Shen Mingshu immediately rushed over, gazing intently at Qin Zishi.
The greedy look in her eyes faded, replaced by longing and pride. Unconsciously, her eyes reddened. She pointed at the television and said, “Look how outstanding other people’s children are! He’s already an executive at Lanyu Technology at only twenty-five. And then look at you.”
She glanced at Qin Qing and shook her head with obvious disdain. Lanyu Technology was one of the top three high-tech companies in the world, leading the way in future development.
Qin Qing propped his pale cheek on his left hand, his voice low. “If I had been born into a family like his, I might be no less outstanding than he is. Don’t you think?”
Without a second thought, Shen Mingshu retorted, “You? Outstanding? You sell alcohol at a night market stall.”
Qin Qing said flatly, “If I weren’t outstanding, how could I have supported this family at the age of twelve? If I weren’t outstanding, how could I have gotten into a top-tier university while working part-time and studying? If I weren’t outstanding, how could you and Qin Bao’er afford your comfortable, pampered lives? If I had the same family background as Qin Zishi, I believe I would be no worse than him. Don’t you think?”
Shen Mingshu froze. A flicker of guilt flashed in her eyes. Then she hurriedly stood up and said, “I’ll go buy the chicken breast. You rest well. Bao’er, go back to your room and study! The exam is at the end of the year!”
Why did she feel like her son was accusing her? That couldn’t be right! Qin Bao’er pouted and went back to her room. Qin Qing tilted his head and quietly watched Shen Mingshu, shards of dark light constantly flickering in his eyes. When the door slammed shut behind her, he took out his phone and called the original owner’s uncle.
“Hello, Uncle. Did my mom come to borrow money from you last night? No? Auntie saw her playing mahjong on West Street? Yes, she only came back this morning. Yes, she probably played mahjong all night. Okay, I understand. I won’t give her all my money. Goodbye, Uncle.”
Qin Qing hung up. He stared at the slowly darkening phone screen. After a long moment, he let out a soft, mocking laugh. So, the so-called “raising money for surgery” was actually a whole night of playing mahjong. Her own child is her child; other people’s children can be crippled or die for all she cares.
The human heart…
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