Hey, lovelies *insert guilty gif*. I’m very sorry for the extremely long hiatus. I’m happy to announce that I’m officially back. Thank you for reading the book so far, and I look forward to finishing it with you<3. I’ll push for 3-4/5 chapters per week as an apology.
The two groups were arguing more and more fiercely, and had started shoving each other.
996 urged, “Hurry over and protect Zhou Yourou. Whatever you do, don’t let her get hurt!”
Qin Qing stood still, not moving. “Is this my fourth mission?”
“Yes. Don’t ask so many questions, just do it. As long as you protect Zhou Yourou, something very good will happen next. Hurry up and go!” 996 repeatedly patted the back of Qin Qing’s shoe with its chubby paws.
But Qin Qing still didn’t move. “She doesn’t seem to need my help.”
Completely different from the gentle, lovely persona she had pretended to have earlier, Zhou Yourou was now arrogant, aggressive, and fierce-looking. She grabbed the drunkard’s wife and repeatedly bashed the poor woman’s head with her designer bag, which was covered in rivets.
“Do you know who my uncle is? Even if I beat you to death today, my uncle can handle it! Let’s see who dares to arrest me!”
The more she spoke, the angrier she got, leaving the drunkard’s wife’s head covered in bloody welts. Qin Qing shook his head and finally walked over. Zhou Yourou didn’t need his help, but the poor woman certainly did.
996, thinking he was going over to follow the plot, quickly instructed, “Protect Zhou Yourou! She is your benefactor!”
The drunkard’s wife couldn’t take the pain anymore and cried out, “Husband, come save me.”
The drunkard, who had been surrounded and beaten by Zhou Yourou’s hangers-on, saw his wife’s head covered in blood. His murky eyes turned bloodshot, and he grabbed a sharp knife from a nearby night market stall and charged at Zhou Yourou. Qin Qing’s pace remained unhurried.
996 urged incessantly, “Hurry up, meow! Run!”
Zhou Yourou panicked for a moment when she saw the sharp knife thrusting towards her. The drunkard’s wife, whose hair she had been pulling, took the chance to break free and run away. Without the human shield, Zhou Yourou, without a second thought, pulled Zhou Linlin in front of her. Zhou Linlin was stunned. She had come to mediate, never expecting this to happen.
The tip of the knife was inches away. No one had time to react; they could only watch with wide, fearful eyes. But Qin Qing, who had been strolling leisurely, suddenly accelerated. At this critical moment, he reached Zhou Linlin’s side and grabbed the sharp blade with his bare hand. Blood flowed from between his fingers, dripping in strands onto the ground.
Complete silence.
Zhou Linlin was shielded behind Qin Qing. The wind couldn’t reach her, the rain couldn’t touch her, even the thick smell of cooking oil smoke dissipated, leaving only the pleasant floral scent emanating from Qin Qing. She was protected. Truly, completely, without a single gap. The drunkard looked at Qin Qing’s pale face, then let go of the knife handle and slumped to the ground, weak in the limbs.
He had almost killed someone just now! Qin Qing slowly opened his palm, removed the knife embedded in his flesh and bone, tossed it aside, turned to face Zhou Linlin, naturally hiding his blood-soaked right hand behind his back, and comforted her gently, “Don’t be scared. It’s okay.”
Zhou Linlin, her whole body stiff, slowly looked up, stared blankly at Qin Qing, and tears welled in her eyes.
Qin Qing used his uninjured left hand to ruffle her hair, comforting her again, “It’s okay.”
Being protected, then comforted so gently, so patiently, so meticulously by someone, and that person had been so severely injured…
Unable to hold it in any longer, Zhou Linlin burst into loud sobs. Trembling, she held Qin Qing’s uninjured left hand and cried out anxiously, “Let’s go, I’ll take you to the hospital right now! Call the police! Someone call the police for me? I’ve been drinking. Is there anyone who hasn’t been drinking? Drive for me!”
She looked around for help. The group of young men who had been there earlier quickly took out their phones to call the police and also offered to drive Qin Qing to the hospital. They felt incredibly remorseful. If only they had known Qin Qing would rush in to save someone, they wouldn’t have just stood by and watched. But Qin Qing, despite his serious injury, was calmer and more composed than anyone.
He asked a night market stall owner for a piece of rope to tie around his right wrist to stop the bleeding, and also for a clean towel to wrap around his bloody hand. Noticing parents with young children eating late-night snacks nearby, he endured the pain to remind them, “Kids, don’t look.” Then he even managed a gentle smile before asking Brother Jiang for a jacket to cover his blood-soaked right hand.
Before leaving, he looked at the drunkard’s wife and said gently, “You should come to the hospital too. Get your wounds treated first. We’ll deal with the rest later.”
The drunkard’s wife suddenly burst into loud, wailing sobs. The anger, fear, and confusion had passed. Faced with such a gentle and calm Qin Qing, she finally released all her negative emotions. The drunkard quickly scrambled up, knelt on the ground, and repeatedly kowtowed to Qin Qing, apologizing. If Qin Qing’s injuries were severe, he would certainly go to prison.
Qin Qing avoided the drunkard, handed several designated driver business cards to the drunkard’s friends, and asked them to find someone to take the couple to the hospital. Only then did he leave with Zhou Linlin.
As Zhou Linlin walked, she wiped away tears, constantly admonishing, “They stabbed your hand, so why are you still worried about them? You’re too much of a pushover. You’ll be bullied to death like this!”
She had no time to think about Zhou Yourou, who had used her as a knife shield. Qin Qing’s injury was the most important thing. She would have plenty of time to deal with Zhou Yourou later. Zhou Linlin turned back, shot a fierce glare at the still-shaken Zhou Yourou, and then helped Qin Qing into her sports car. The young man whose sleeve had been dirtied earlier jumped into the driver’s seat, slammed on the gas pedal, and they sped away.
996 also jumped into the car in time, meowing with anger.
“I told you to save Zhou Yourou, so why did you save Zhou Linlin? You’ve completely messed up the plot! Meow, my head hurts so much, meow!” 996 rolled around in the car, clutching its round, big head.
But Qin Qing, his face covered in cold sweat, closed his eyes and slowly fell into a coma. Just before losing consciousness completely, he struggled to say to Zhou Linlin and the young man, “I’ll sleep for a while. Don’t worry.”
Even in such a dire state, he still used his gentleness to protect those around him. Zhou Linlin was terrified, crying and screaming for help in the car. The young man quickly called the traffic police to request an escort. With several police cars clearing the way, they were able to get Qin Qing to the hospital as fast as possible. The next morning, Qin Qing woke up in the hospital bed. Beside him sat Zhou Linlin, looking exhausted and haggard.
“You’re awake?” she said, overjoyed. “I bought you breakfast – plain congee and steamed buns. Let me feed you.”
“My hand—”
Qin Qing turned his head to look at his right hand, now in a cast.
“The tendons in your hand were severed, but the doctor reattached them. It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” Zhou Linlin forced a smile.
“You don’t have to hide it from me. I can handle it.” Qin Qing sat up halfway, speaking very calmly. When he had rushed forward to save Zhou Linlin, he had already prepared himself for death or injury.
Zhou Linlin’s eyes reddened. She lowered her head to avoid his still gentle and forgiving gaze, and choked out, “The doctor said your hand was very badly injured. Even after reattachment, your fingers won’t be as dexterous as before. I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I’m sorry.”
Zhou Linlin covered her face and sobbed quietly. Apart from her grandparents, Qin Qing was the best person she had ever known. And such a good person had ended up like this because of her. Qin Qing’s hands used to be so beautiful! Slender, long fingers, well-defined knuckles, rounded, pinkish fingertips, like jade carvings. But now, but now…
Overwhelmed with grief, Zhou Linlin’s quiet sobbing turned into loud wails. Qin Qing smiled helplessly, gently ruffling the young woman’s hair as he comforted her. He was extremely patient and seemed to possess endless gentleness and tolerance. Gradually, Zhou Linlin managed to shake off her guilt and self-reproach. 996 sat perched on a nearby cabinet, rolling its eyes repeatedly.
That’s not how the script went! The person who should have been sitting by Qin Qing’s bed crying this morning was Zhou Yourou. After breakfast, Qin Qing insisted on being discharged. Zhou Linlin couldn’t talk him out of it, so she had to take him home, promising to accompany him to every follow-up appointment.
“Qin Qing, are you really your mom’s biological son?” Zhou Linlin asked, trying to make small talk to keep him a little longer just as he was about to get out of the car.
“What do you mean by that?” Qin Qing paused, his hand on the door handle, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
“Last night, I called your mom using your phone. I told her you were seriously injured. The first thing she asked was whether the surgery was expensive.” Zhou Linlin frowned in displeasure. “I told her I’d pay for everything and asked her to come to the hospital immediately, but she never showed up. Qin Qing, is she really your mom?”
Qin Qing smiled meaningfully. After obtaining the original owner’s memories, he had already sensed something was wrong. He looked down at his cast-covered right hand and said thoughtfully, “If she’s not my mother, then whose mother is she?”
Zhou Linlin pouted. “I guess you’re right. Not all parents love their children. Mine are the same. I didn’t go home all night, and they didn’t call to check on me either.”
“Did you call them?” Qin Qing asked in return.
“No. If I did, they’d just think I’m being a nuisance.” Zhou Linlin frowned in irritation.
“Then maybe you could try calling them in the future, just to let them know where you are. Perhaps they do care about you, but they’re worried about being too controlling and making you dislike them.” Qin Qing gently advised, then opened the car door and got out.
“Goodbye.” He bent down slightly and smiled as he said farewell.
996, who had been hiding under the seat, quickly jumped out too.
“Goodbye.” Zhou Linlin waved reluctantly, then seemed to remember something and quickly added, “Qin Qing, you have Rh-null blood. Don’t get hurt again. The doctors had a really hard time finding a blood source for you last night!”
Qin Qing was taken aback for a moment, then nodded with a smile. “Okay, I understand.”
Qin Qing walked into the original owner’s home. It was an apartment of about eighty square meters. The decoration wasn’t exquisite, but it wasn’t bad either. The living room sofa was piled with women’s clothes, and the coffee table was stacked with empty takeout containers, left carelessly by the original owner’s mother and sister, waiting for the original owner to come home from work and clean up.
Even though they had received the call and knew their son/brother was seriously injured, no one was home that morning. The original owner’s mother, Shen Mingshu, and sister, Qin Bao’er, were both absent. They hadn’t called or sent a text message to inquire about Qin Qing’s condition. It is said that true character is revealed in times of crisis. Qin Qing saw no true character, only indifference. He walked through this not-so-small home, observing.
996 followed closely, asking curiously, “What are you doing?”
Qin Qing curled his pale, thin lips slightly and sighed. “I’m looking at the life of a slave.”
On the balcony was a one-meter-wide metal cot. Qin Qing was 185 cm tall; lying on this cot, he couldn’t even stretch out his legs. The cot was covered with yellowed bedding and a worn-out bamboo mat. Beside the cot stood a cardboard box containing a few cheap T-shirts and a pair of faded jeans—the original owner’s entire possessions. Qin Qing smiled sarcastically. It was hard to imagine that for over a decade, the original owner had curled up in this less-than-two-square-meter, musty corner, enduring the summer heat and winter cold day after day.
Qin Qing turned his head to look at the two closed doors on either side of the living room. Behind those doors were large, soft beds, brand new air conditioners, dressers full of skincare products, and large wardrobes full of clothes. Even the air smelled of expensive perfume. Those were Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er’s rooms.
Clearly a family, yet they lived in two different worlds. The original owner was so destitute, while Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er lived in such luxury. They didn’t need to work, nor did they endure hardship or exposure to the elements. They were flowers carefully cultivated by the original owner.
The original owner thought this was a warm home he had built with his own hands, but Qin Qing only saw coldness and selfishness. After her husband died, Shen Mingshu claimed she was too frail to work, so the original owner, only twelve years old at the time, shouldered the responsibility for the family.
But over so many years, had Shen Mingshu ever actually been sick? She took better care of herself than anyone; her smooth face showed no trace of age. Her claim of being too weak to work was merely an excuse to escape the burdens of life. She couldn’t support her son and daughter alone, so she simply chose not to.
The original owner had started working outside the home in his first year of middle school. Too many dirty and tiring jobs drained his energy, yet he still got into a key university. But in the end, to pay for Qin Bao’er’s education, he gave up that opportunity, one that could have changed his fate, at Shen Mingshu’s urging. He had sacrificed everything for this family.
Leaving the cramped balcony, Qin Qing sat down on the living room sofa and asked in a slightly somber tone, “Am I really Shen Mingshu’s son?”
996 jumped onto the coffee table and said irritably, “Originally, you weren’t. But even if you don’t want to be her son from now on, you’ll have to live this way for the rest of your life! Do you know that if you had saved Zhou Yourou, your fate would have changed dramatically? You would have lived a life a thousand or ten thousand times better than now! I told you, she was your benefactor!”
The script stated that after saving Zhou Yourou, Qin Qing would be taken to the hospital by her. Zhou Yourou would discover he had Rh-null blood and that his eyes looked remarkably like her grandmother’s (her grandmother also had Rh-null blood). So she would start investigating. This investigation would lead to a shocking discovery: Qin Qing was actually the biological son of her aunt, while her aunt’s current son, Qin Zishi, was Shen Mingshu’s biological son. The mix-up happened because both families’ husbands had the surname Qin, and a careless nurse made a mistake.
Zhou Yourou and Qin Qing were actually cousins. After uncovering this earth-shattering secret, Zhou Yourou would deliberately get close to Qin Qing and warmly win him over. Then, six months later, on the day of Qin Zishi’s 24th birthday banquet, Zhou Yourou would bring Qin Qing and the paternity test results to reveal the truth. She hated Qin Zishi because he had stolen the person she secretly loved. She wanted revenge. She wanted to cast Qin Zishi down from the clouds into the abyss.
So, six months later, Qin Qing would return to the Qin family, becoming a top-tier second-generation rich heir in Haishi City. Unfortunately, Qin Qing had already butterfly-effected away this part of Zhou Yourou’s plot.
To provoke Qin Qing, 996 said viciously, “Serves you right for messing with the plot. Now your life will never get better! You can live like a dog in this house! And when the world resets, your soul will be scattered to the winds! I wanted to take you out of this death loop alive, but you wouldn’t listen to me! This is your punishment! Hmph!”
996 spat at Qin Qing, then ran into the kitchen, pried open the refrigerator, and burrowed inside to gnaw on a piece of chicken breast.
“Om nom nom, my soul power is very strong. I can withstand hundreds of world resets. More task-takers will come in later. I can bind with them and continue doing missions. I still have a chance to get out. But you won’t. You’ll die here. You’ll never see the person you care about again!”
Still not satisfied, 996 continued to provoke Qin Qing while chewing on the chicken breast. Qin Qing leaned back on the sofa, his handsome face as calm as water.
“Didn’t you say fate is unchangeable?” he slowly asked.
996 was stumped. For a long time, it didn’t know how to answer. Qin Qing pulled a blanket over his slightly chilled body and slowly closed his eyes. He was waiting. Waiting for the unpredictability of fate, or the inevitability of fate…
Elsewhere, Zhou Linlin, who was driving, suddenly slapped the steering wheel and said with sudden realization, “I remember now! I thought Qin Qing looked familiar. Doesn’t Zhou Yourou’s grandmother look just like him? And Zhou Yourou said her grandmother had Rh-null blood. Qin Qing has it too! With so many coincidences, can they really be coincidences? No, I need to look into this!”
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