Inside the Qin family villa.
Ding Pingli looked at the wall clock and sighed. “Why hasn’t that child come home yet? It’s already past ten.”
Qin Guojing’s face darkened. “Why do you even care? If he wants to die out there, let him! Just pretend he was never our son to begin with. Without him, this house would be much more peaceful!”
“How can you say something like that, Old Qin? No matter what, Yi is still our biological child,” Ding Pingli frowned.
“So what if he is? If he had even half of Xiaofeng’s kindness and sensibility, I wouldn’t say such things! Tell me, ever since we brought him back, has anything good happened in this family?” Qin Guojing sneered.
“Ah…” Ding Pingli couldn’t refute him.
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, deep down she knew it was true.
Three years had passed since Qin Yi returned, and nothing but trouble followed. Especially for Xiaofeng—he’d suffered more in those three years than in the decade before. He’d been to the hospital more times than she could count, and every incident seemed to be related to Qin Yi.
She really couldn’t understand why Qin Yi had to bring chaos to this house. Was it all because of Xiaofeng’s adoption?
But Xiaofeng was so sensible—couldn’t they just get along?
Even if Qin Yi was trying to compete for attention as the biological son, he should still consider everyone else’s feelings. Xiaofeng had lived with them for over a decade. Even without blood ties, their bond ran deep.
Maybe it was those years out on the streets that shaped Qin Yi’s rebellious nature. Maybe he really was beyond saving.
“Dad, Mom, has Brother Qin Yi not come back yet?” Qin Xiaofeng slowly came downstairs, his face full of worry.
“Oh Xiaofeng, why are you out of bed again? Didn’t I tell you to rest properly?” Ding Pingli immediately stood and hurried up the stairs to support him.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I’m feeling a lot better now.” But just as he finished speaking, Xiaofeng suddenly clutched his mouth and started coughing violently.
Ding Pingli was so distressed that she wished she could suffer in his place.
“How is that getting better? Xiaofeng, please listen to Mom and go back to rest. Let us worry about Qin Yi.”
“But… but it’s raining so heavily outside. If Brother Qin Yi has nowhere to stay, he’ll catch a cold, especially since he left without eating dinner tonight.” Qin Xiaofeng stubbornly tried to come downstairs again. “I want to go find him. If he doesn’t come home, I won’t be able to sleep. Today’s events were all because of me. Brother Qin Yi wasn’t even at fault.”
Hearing her precious son say this, Ding Pingli’s feelings were both touched and conflicted.
Sigh…
He wasn’t even their real son, yet he was more considerate than her biological child. So kind-hearted.
Just thinking about what happened before dinner—what he said and how he acted—Ding Pingli’s heart chilled as a mother.
Why did things have to turn out this way?
The heavens really played a cruel joke.
“Xiaofeng, don’t worry about that guy,” said Qin Xueying, the third sister, from the living room. “He’s always hanging around with shady people. He’s probably off somewhere doing who-knows-what.”
“I bet even if we find him, he’ll just blame us for meddling. Didn’t he scold Second Sister for trying to stop him from leaving? He’s an ungrateful brat who doesn’t know how to appreciate kindness.”
Xiaofeng quickly said, “Third Sister, don’t say that about Brother Qin Yi. He’s actually really kind to me!”
Qin Xueying sighed. “Xiaofeng, you’re too kind. You’ve been fooled by his sweet talk. If he really cared, would you have nearly died from an allergic reaction? And did you forget how your hand got fractured last time?”
Xiaofeng lowered his head, unable to reply.
Ding Pingli, seeing her son upset, quickly said, “Enough, enough, let’s not talk about this. Xiaofeng, don’t worry. I’ve already sent someone to look for Qin Yi. Just go get some sleep. When you wake up, he’ll be back.”
“Really?” Hope lit up in Xiaofeng’s eyes.
“Of course. Now be good and go to sleep.”
“Okay!”
Ding Pingli helped Xiaofeng back into his room.
No one noticed the glint of cunning in his eyes.
“Qin Yi… Qin Yi.”
“Stay outside forever. Don’t come back.”
“Best if you die out there in this heavy rain, in some place no one will ever find you.”
“Bringing you back was a mistake from the beginning.”
“It took three years, but finally, I’ve kicked this nuisance out.”
“Everything that once belonged to you… I’ll enjoy it for you.”
“Ha!”
…
After putting Qin Xiaofeng to bed, Ding Pingli returned to the living room. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“We still need to find Xiao Yi. Xiaofeng’s health has always been poor. If he worries too much and falls ill again…”
Before she could finish, Qin Guojing cut her off. “Do you think I don’t want to? The problem is, where the hell do we find that little bastard?”
The room fell silent.
They all knew Qin Yi hung around unsavory people, but none of them knew exactly who.
“Should we call the police?” Ding Pingli suggested.
Everyone instantly opposed her. “No!!”
Qin Guojing lit a cigarette. “Qin Yi’s identity as our biological son hasn’t been made public. The outside world still thinks Xiaofeng is our real son.”
Qin Xueying added, “That’s right, Mom. You know how many enemies we have in the business world. If word gets out, they’ll make a huge deal out of it. Qin Yi’s side doesn’t matter—what about Xiaofeng?”
After a long silence, Qin Huizhu finally spoke. “Xiaofeng’s health is fragile. He couldn’t take the blow. If someone uses this to stir up trouble, it could hurt him deeply. We must keep this a secret.”
Seeing everyone so opposed, Ding Pingli opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.
She had to think about Xiaofeng’s feelings. He was such a good boy—she didn’t want him hurt anymore.
“How about this: tomorrow we check the school? Xiao Yi may have a bad temper, but he’s never skipped class,” Ding Pingli suggested after some thought.
“He had the nerve to run away, and you think he’ll go to school?” Qin Guojing sneered.
“Just try, okay? We can’t let Xiaofeng keep worrying. He might seem strong, always thinking of others, but I know—he’s actually very sensitive.”
Ding Pingli sighed. “If Xiao Yi doesn’t come back, Xiaofeng will blame himself. And if that causes mental issues… it’ll be a big problem.”
The others exchanged looks. Qin Guojing’s expression was gloomy.
He didn’t want to see that brat again anytime soon.
Qin Xueying curled her lips. If not for Xiaofeng’s feelings, she hoped Qin Yi would never come back. He was such an eyesore.
“Mom, I’ll go to the school tomorrow,” Qin Huizhu said at last. “If I don’t find him there, I’ll look into who he usually hangs out with. We’re bound to find some clues.”
Ding Pingli nodded. “Thank you, Huizhu.”
“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll find him,” Qin Huizhu said, patting her mother’s hand.
At the same time, she swore silently to herself:
She would never let Qin Yi hurt Xiaofeng.