Qi Xiaolin had already sent men to investigate everything that happened during Ren Jue’s childhood, but over a decade had passed and very few clues remained.
Since the last time Ren Jue badmouthed Yan Qingming, Qi Xiaolin had been considering replacing Ren Jue in his current position.
Jiang Ling stood in the corner, watching Ren Jue stay in Qi Xiaolin’s study for a long time before emerging. When Ren Jue looked up and met Jiang Ling’s gaze, he felt a subconscious sense of guilt. Jiang Ling’s eyes seemed to see right through everything.
Ren Jue turned to leave, but Jiang Ling called out to him, “Ren Jue, aren’t you overestimating your importance to Qi Xiaolin? To him, we are all just dogs paid to do a job. You cannot bear the consequences if your lies are exposed.”
Ren Jue stopped and turned to look at him with a mocking smile. “What is this? Are you feeling bitter because you are watching me take the identity of your beloved?”
Jiang Ling wore a faint smile. “Of course not. I just find it disgusting that a sinister, hidden maggot like you would use his old name.”
The contempt in his eyes was undisguised. He knew Ren Jue’s true nature better than anyone. Back in the days when the dog kennel was their training ground, this animal, to survive, had not hesitated to push his best friend into the jaws of the dogs. He watched as that person was torn to shreds without a hint of regret, doing it solely to buy himself time to live. Greed, malice, vileness, and jealousy were perfectly embodied in Ren Jue.
The smile on Ren Jue’s face stiffened. He said in a deep voice, “Don’t act so noble. You would rather watch him suffer than tell Qi Xiaolin the truth, wouldn’t you? Isn’t it because you are afraid that if Qi Xiaolin treats him too well and wins him over, you will lose your chance? We are the same type of person at our core; you are just as selfish and self-serving as I am. We have all known for years that Yan Qingming is Qingyan, but we kept silent. Since you don’t want Qi Xiaolin to know, you might as well leave that dead name to me.”
Jiang Ling looked at him and said, “I have no intention of stopping or exposing you. I just want to tell you that since you have chosen to do this, do it flawlessly. I know the whereabouts of the hypnotist who brainwashed Qingming back then. He knows everything that happened to Qingming in his childhood.”
He looked at Ren Jue with smiling eyes. “I will help you as much as I can. I can help you live a life of luxury as a master, but you only need to do one thing: make Qi Xiaolin return Qingming to me.”
The person he had been longing for for so long was finally about to become his.
For several days, Yan Qingming did not see Qi Xiaolin, but there were always people guarding outside the hospital door. He could not go anywhere and had to stay in the hospital until his discharge.
On the day he was discharged, he was taken back to the villa. Before he even entered, he felt something was wrong, for instance, seeing Ren Jue sitting leisurely in the courtyard playing with a pet dog.
A dog?
Qi Xiaolin had sworn up and down that he hated dogs, so when had he secretly brought home a Teddy?
Qi Xiaolin was talking to Ren Jue in the courtyard, and it did not look like they were discussing official business. Qi Xiaolin stared at Ren Jue and asked, “Do you truly not remember anything about your childhood?”
Ren Jue scratched his head in embarrassment. “I have some hazy fragments, but I don’t know if they are dreams or reality.”
Qi Xiaolin pursed his lips.
Jiang Ling had suggested sending the scrap of cloth recovered from Island A and Ren Jue’s blood to the hospital for testing. The result confirmed that the blood on the cloth was Ren Jue’s. The cloth was old, and although it had faded, it could still be identified as the clothing Qingyan wore last. Yan Feng’s words were true; Ren Jue was Qingyan.
Too much time had passed. Everything from the past was somewhat blurry to him. He could not even clearly remember Qingyan’s appearance, but he still felt that if Qingyan were still alive, he would not be like Ren Jue.
Qi Xiaolin was lost in thought when a voice pulled him back to reality.
“Since they are both dogs, it shouldn’t be a problem if I bring Karl over, should it?”
Unbeknownst to them, Yan Qingming was already standing beside him, looking down at the Teddy on the ground.
Before Qi Xiaolin could answer, Ren Jue spoke up, “That won’t work. A Blue Bay Shepherd is a ferocious breed; it will bite my dog to death.”
Yan Qingming looked at him in surprise, not expecting Ren Jue to speak in such an authoritative tone. He said, “Karl is very obedient. He won’t bite your dog randomly.”
Although Karl was wild, he was most obedient to him.
Ren Jue said, “I said it won’t work, and that’s that.”
His tone was hard, as if this were his home.
Yan Qingming frowned. “That’s an odd thing to say. Why do you sound like you are going to live here?”
Ren Jue choked, not knowing how to retort. He did want to live here, but Qi Xiaolin would not allow it. Even when he claimed his own house had problems and wanted to stay temporarily, Qi Xiaolin refused.
Before Ren Jue could speak, Qi Xiaolin interjected, “Yan Qingming, be more polite to Ren Jue!”
His tone was stern and commanding. He did not know why, but he could not bring himself to associate the name “Qingyan” with Ren Jue.