The Qin household was in chaos. Zhou Linlin chased after Qin Qing and found him by the artificial lake in the residential complex. He stood in the orange-red sunset. The lake reflected a blaze of orange light, shimmering as if on fire. This breathtakingly beautiful scene only accentuated Qin Qing’s solitary figure. Zhou Linlin walked over softly, imagining Qin Qing silently crying. But the Qin Qing with his back to her had a lazy, contented smile on his face.
996 was lying by the lake, using its chubby paws to scoop at the fish in the water, drool dripping from the corners of its mouth. Hearing footsteps, Qin Qing turned around. His originally lazy smile changed in an instant to profound sorrow. The faint flush at the corners of his eyes seemed saturated with sadness. Seeing him like this, Zhou Linlin’s eyes reddened too.
“Are you feeling any better?” she asked cautiously.
“Why did you help me?” Qin Qing’s voice was hoarse.
“Because you’re a lot like me. I can empathize with your pain.” Zhou Linlin smiled bitterly.
“Having been caught in the rain yourself, you want to hold an umbrella for others?” Qin Qing curved his lips into a smile. This girl truly appealed to him.
Zhou Linlin’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded slightly.
“Thank you.” Qin Qing sighed softly.
Zhou Linlin quickly waved her hand. “Don’t thank me! Actually, I should thank you! Because you’re so handsome, someone recorded a video nearby the day your hand was cut and posted it online. Zhou Yourou’s shouting was also recorded.”
Qin Qing thought for a moment and understood. “‘Even if I beat you to death today, my uncle can handle it’? That line?”
“Yes, that line. Netizens were furious and immediately started digging up information on Zhou Yourou’s uncle. My dad realized the situation was serious, had the PR team take down the video, and made my second uncle take Zhou Yourou back. I heard that the police arrested her as soon as she got home.”
Zhou Linlin covered her mouth and snickered. “I’ve been back for over a year, trying every day to get rid of her, but she always outsmarted me. You helped me resolve this as soon as you arrived, and you also made my parents see Zhou Yourou’s true colors. So, I want to thank you.”
Qin Qing couldn’t help but smile and waved his hand. “No need to thank me.”
“You’re smiling.” Zhou Linlin said happily. “You look best when you smile.”
Qin Qing’s smile became even warmer. He shook his head and sighed. “Let’s go back. Some things must be faced eventually.”
Just then, 996 managed to scoop a two-pound fish out of the lake.
It quickly used its paws to hold down the flopping fish, excitedly making a racket: “Qin Qing, did you see that, Qin Qing? I caught a really big fish! Meow meow meow, it’s really big! Am I amazing?”
Just moments ago, it had been scowling and complaining non-stop, but now it was this happy. What a silly, fat cat…
Qin Qing chuckled again and shook his head, praising it telepathically, “You’re amazing! I bet you’re one of the most powerful divine envoys, aren’t you?”
This flattery hit 996 right in the sweet spot. It affectionately hooked Qin Qing’s ankle with its tail, then opened its mouth and swallowed the two-pound fish whole. Two seconds later, it spat out a complete fish skeleton.
Qin Qing: “…Truly amazing!”
Qin Qing went home to pack his things. He silently walked to the balcony and stuffed the few pairs of jeans and T-shirts from the cardboard box into a backpack.
Ji Mingtang took a few steps onto the balcony, leaning on his cane, and said through gritted teeth, “You’ve been sleeping here?”
Qin Qing nodded silently.
Zhou Linlin added fuel to the fire: “He’s been sleeping here since middle school.”
Ji Lan affectionately stroked her son’s head, then turned and glared venomously at Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er. Shen Mingshu quickly pulled her daughter behind Qin Zishi, making him extremely uncomfortable. Because of a mother like this, his position in the Qin family would become very delicate.
“Alright, let’s go.” Qin Qing zipped up his backpack.
“That’s all you’re taking?” Ji Lan asked incredulously.
Qin Qing smiled bitterly. “Everything I own is here.”
Ji Lan looked at the not-quite-full backpack, then at the various high-end clothes of Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er strewn around the living room. The veins on the back of her hand bulged as she clenched her fists. This was the life her son had lived in Shen Mingshu’s home?
Zhou Linlin muttered quietly, “If Qin Qing weren’t so good at studying and didn’t get tens of thousands in scholarships every year, Shen Mingshu wouldn’t have even let him go to middle or high school.”
Qin Guangyuan couldn’t listen anymore. In an extremely gloomy tone, he said, “Don’t take those things. Grandpa will buy you new ones when we get home. Let’s go.”
Qin Qing gripped the straps of his backpack. Ji Lan gently stroked her son’s arm, then slowly took the backpack from his hands and tossed it onto the metal cot.
“Son, let’s go home,” she whispered, her voice choked.
Qin Qing nodded, but instead of walking towards the entrance, he walked to Ji Mingtang’s side and took the old man’s arm. “Let me walk with you.” He always knew who in a crowd needed the most care.
Ji Mingtang could no longer suppress his grief. Looking at this face that resembled his late wife’s by sixty or seventy percent, tears streamed down his aged face.
“If only we had found you sooner. Child, how much have you suffered all these years?”
Could they have found him sooner? They could have. As early as when Qin Qing was twelve years old, Shen Mingshu had known the truth. But for the sake of Qin Zishi’s future, she had concealed it for over a decade! And during those years, she had constantly exploited and mistreated her own grandson! Sorrow was instantly incinerated by fury. Ji Mingtang glanced at Shen Mingshu with dark eyes and even showed disgust towards Qin Zishi.
“Let’s go. There’s no need to ever come back to this house!” Ji Mingtang said in a deep voice, holding his grandson’s hand tightly.
Shen Mingshu cowered further behind Qin Zishi. Qin Zishi smiled stiffly and awkwardly, feeling that the “mother and sister” hiding behind him were not family, but two hot potatoes. Qin Guangyuan and Ji Lan quickly followed, clustering around Qin Qing, constantly speaking words of comfort. Qin Huaichuan’s expression had also soured. He glanced at Qin Zishi and spoke gruffly, “Let’s go!”
Seeing that his father was still willing to invite him home, Qin Zishi breathed a quiet sigh of relief. As he was leaving, Shen Mingshu grabbed his sleeve, refusing to let go, calling him “son” over and over. Qin Bao’er also suggested her brother stay for a few days to bond. Qin Zishi almost laughed in exasperation. Bond with them? What would the Qin family think? He’d probably be stuck here and never be allowed to return.
The Qin family now wanted nothing to do with Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er! Qin Zishi left after all. Shen Mingshu knew that if she forced her son to stay, he would have no share in the Qin family’s property. She had endured for over a decade; she could continue to endure. Inside the stretch limousine, Qin Qing sat flanked by Ji Mingtang and Qin Guangyuan, facing Qin Zishi. Qin Huaichuan sat beside Qin Zishi.
996 sat on the floor, using its chubby paws to paw at the door of the car’s mini-fridge. If Zhou Linlin hadn’t found the two old men first and had them take the lead in the family recognition, perhaps Qin Huaichuan wouldn’t have come for Qin Qing at all. After all, Qin Zishi was the heir he had meticulously groomed for over twenty years, who had now achieved brilliant success. It would be a shame to give him up.
But the old men’s thoughts were certainly different from his. Blood ties were what mattered most to them. Whether Qin Zishi could hold onto his position as heir was now very much in question. Qin Zishi smiled kindly at Qin Qing, as if he harbored no ill will. Qin Qing also curved his lips into a gentle smile. His handsome face instantly bloomed, and his peach-blossom eyes sparkled with moving light. The dimly lit car suddenly brightened because a source of light had appeared. Ji Mingtang looked at this familiar smile, and tears rolled down his face. This was his true grandson! This was someone who carried his wife’s blood!
Ji Mingtang held Qin Qing’s hand tightly and said, his voice choked, “After we get back, I’ll take you to sweep your grandmother’s grave. She will be very happy to see you.”
Qin Qing also held the old man’s hand tightly and nodded with a smile. He didn’t say any flowery words, nor did he affectionately call him “Grandfather.” He simply patted the back of the old man’s wrinkled hand, gently, again and again. But this comfort was enough. Ji Mingtang glanced at Qin Zishi with dark eyes and secretly resolved to revise his will as soon as he got home. Everything in the Ji family belonged to Qin Qing. No one could take it away.
Qin Zishi’s smile remained gentle, his expression unchanged, but inside, his mind was churning with chaos. How could he not feel Ji Mingtang’s change in attitude? The Ji family had only two daughters, no sons. Their property should have belonged to him, the eldest grandson. But now, the situation was completely different. And then there was the Qin family…
Qin Zishi looked at Qin Huaichuan’s grim face, and the smile at the corners of his lips faded slightly. 996 pulled a bottle of cola from the mini-fridge, gulped it down, then lay on its round belly at Qin Qing’s feet, gloating, “Meow, let me tell you some bad news. By messing up the ‘returning to the ancestral family’ plot, you won’t get any points for future plot points involving Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er.”
Qin Qing looked out the window, showing no reaction.
996 glared at him and continued, “You’re a supporting male character. Your screen time is limited to begin with. Now that Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er’s plots have been cut, you’ll get even fewer points. If we can break the loop and move on to the next mission, you’ll need to pay 200 points for the transmigration fee. Without the fee, you’ll be sent back. You know what happens if you get sent back, right?”
Qin Qing finally looked down at the chubby little cat. Of course, he knew what would happen if he was sent back. With his body and soul already shattered, there was only one path: death.
“You’ll never see that person in your heart again.” 996 flicked its tail proudly. “That’s the price of disobedience!”
“Are there many plot points involving Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er?” Qin Qing asked.
996 raised its chubby paw and looked at its smart brain. “At least ten scenes, adding up to 100 points. That’s quite a lot. What, having second thoughts?”
Qin Qing curved his lips and asked, “What’s the next plot point involving them?”
996 looked at its smart brain. “You buying them a large villa.”
Being treated like that, yet willingly acting as an ATM for Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er even after returning to his biological parents’ home – the original owner was truly foolish. The more he indulged these two insatiable people, the more he pushed away his own parents, and the more he would incur the displeasure of the entire family. If he actually followed these plot points, Qin Qing could imagine the situation he would be in. And perhaps the original owner had given up on life precisely because he was trapped in such a predicament with no way out.
Qin Qing sighed inwardly. “Human greed is bottomless. After buying a mansion, the next plot point would be buying a luxury car? Then finding Qin Bao’er a good job? Then finding her a wealthy boyfriend? Then sending them hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan in allowance every month? The chasm of desire only deepens. They are bottomless pits that can never be filled.”
996 looked at the script, then at Qin Qing. Its wide green eyes betrayed its surprise. Holy meow, Qin Qing had guessed correctly! All of Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er’s plot points could be summed up in one sentence: pestering Qin Qing for this and that.
Qin Qing glanced at the chubby cat and curved his lips into a smile. “The next plot point is buying a mansion?”
“Yes. Are you going to follow it?” 996 asked hopefully.
Qin Qing turned his head and looked at the home that was receding into the distance, the home that had once been his. His eyes held boundless gloom. Ji Mingtang immediately tightened his grip on his grandson’s wrist, afraid he might be upset. After a full minute, when the familiar residential building had disappeared from view, Qin Qing turned back and gently wiped the slightly reddened corners of his eyes with his fingertips.
“Are you reluctant to leave?” Ji Mingtang asked with concern.
Qin Qing nodded silently. Tears shimmered in his dark eyes as he spoke with longing: “I had planned to save enough money by the time I turned twenty-five to buy my mom a new house. But now…”
His hoarse voice caught in his throat, unable to continue.
Ji Mingtang and Qin Guangyuan patted Qin Qing’s shoulders from both sides and sighed, “What a good child. Even after how Shen Mingshu treated you, you still want to be filial to her.”
Qin Zishi shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Why did he suddenly feel like he was sitting on pins and needles?
Just then, Qin Qing looked up at him and said bitterly, “My mother hates me. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to appear before her again. I’ll have to trouble you to take care of her and Bao’er from now on. If there’s anything you can do to help them, please do, okay? Their house is already very old—the kitchen leaks constantly, the soundproofing is terrible, and Bao’er often complains that she can’t study properly. I’ve saved over two hundred thousand yuan here, enough for a down payment. I’ll transfer it to you, and you can buy it in your name…”
No intelligent person would let Qin Qing finish that sentence.
Qin Zishi quickly waved his hand. “No need! I’ll pay for the house myself!”
Qin Huaichuan, who had been silent, suddenly cast a gloomy glance at him.
Qin Zishi quickly added, “I’ll use my own money to buy them a house. I’ve been working at Lanyu Technology all these years and have saved up my salary.”
Only then did Qin Huaichuan withdraw his dark gaze. Qin Qing’s offer to buy Shen Mingshu a house showed his filial piety, good manners, and deep sense of loyalty. Such a child was reassuring to have around. But Qin Zishi buying Shen Mingshu a house meant using the Qin family’s money to subsidize the Qin family’s enemy, completely different in meaning. Qin Guangyuan nodded and raised no objection.
Ji Mingtang, however, sneered, “My grandson slaved away for Shen Mingshu for over a decade, tasting nothing but bitterness. Now, as soon as they’re reunited, her biological son is buying her a house. What a good deal she’s made!”
Qin Zishi dared not respond. But Qin Qing patted the old man’s hand and said softly, “I called her ‘Mom’ for twenty-five years.”
No explanation was needed. Just the word “Mom” was enough to express the original owner’s feelings; even after being betrayed, sacrificed, and sold out, he bore no resentment.
Ji Mingtang was both furious and deeply moved. With reddened eyes, he patted his grandson’s back and kept sighing, “Good child, such a good child.”
Qin Qing hugged the old man’s thin shoulders and tightened his arms.
Thus, the matter of buying Shen Mingshu a house was silently agreed upon by everyone, except Qin Qing only had to speak, while Qin Zishi had to pay.
“Discuss the house purchase with Mom. Let her choose. She always wanted to decorate a home herself, but unfortunately, I could never help her fulfill that dream.” Qin Qing spoke with a bitter tone, expressing that regret.
Given Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er’s greedy natures, an apartment would certainly not satisfy them. Qin Zishi would inevitably have to spend millions or even tens of millions to buy them a villa. After buying the villa, there’d be renovation; since the villa was remote, wouldn’t they need a car? After buying the car, there’d be monthly gasoline bills, living expenses, clothing expenses, and so on…
Much more trouble lay ahead! Qin Zishi, who had some understanding of his mother and sister’s characters, could only suppress his anger and frustration and nod stiffly. What else could he do? 996 was stunned.
Qin Qing looked down at it and chuckled softly, “Did I get the plot points for buying Shen Mingshu a house?”
996 looked at the red checkmark in the mission list and said through gritted teeth, “You got them.”
“If any more plot points involving them come up, let me know, and I’ll have Qin Zishi handle them.” Qin Qing looked out the window, his tone lazy.
At this moment, he didn’t resemble a bitter supporting male character at all, more like a villainous mastermind.
996: “…Dammit, you win.”
Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er, who had originally been leeches clinging to Qin Qing and draining him dry, making him miserable and suffering, had now become Qin Zishi’s burdens! That’s not how the script was written!
Qin Qing blinked, his eyes sparkling with shrewd light. “Is Qin Zishi one of the destined couple?”
996 was already deflated. It nodded weakly. “Yes, he’s the bottom.”
“The what?” Qin Qing frowned.
“He’s the bottom! Top and bottom, top and bottom. Don’t you understand?” 996 rolled its eyes irritably.
Qin Qing searched the original owner’s memories and finally nodded in understanding. “Top and bottom, two men? Interesting.” He tapped the leather seat with his slender fingertips and asked, “So, is Qin Zishi the one who gets a terminal illness and dies, causing the world to keep restarting?”
996 nodded again, its tone weary. “Yes, he dies every time.”
Qin Qing pondered for a moment, his eyes shifting, then smiled with evident amusement.
Just vibes, late nights, and coffee keeping this translation project alive. If you want to help fuel the next chapter, Ko-Fi and PayPal are linked below.
