Qin Nian was dead.
He died during a kidnapping.
As two gunshots echoed simultaneously in the warehouse, the kidnapper was shot dead, and he fell like a puppet with its strings cut.
In that moment of collapse, his gaze still followed the three people at the warehouse door.
He held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that this time, since he was gravely injured, they might finally turn their attention to him.
Then he saw his biological parents and his brother, leaving him with nothing but their backs.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw them rushing frantically towards Qin Jiaxu, embracing the unharmed young man tightly, murmuring Qin Jiaxu’s name as if relieved to have survived.
At that moment, Qin Nian felt an indescribable pain spreading from his dying heart, a pain that seemed to tear his body apart. He couldn’t tell if this pain was caused by the bullet inside him or by the bitterness in his heart.
He instinctively tried to clench his fist, as he had done many times before when his hopes for familial love were dashed, but this time, he found that his arm was too weak to respond.
Even in death, he couldn’t understand why his life had turned out this way.
He was the Qin Family’s biological child, after all.
Qin Nian thought he must have died because he could indeed see his own body, though he didn’t know what he had become. He had consciousness, but only just.
His view was high, allowing him to see every corner of the warehouse.
It was as if he were dreaming.
He watched as, after his death, police and doctors surrounded his body. A relatively young officer, after confirming his death, glanced at the Qin family gathered nearby. They seemed like a happy family, completely forgetting that another family member lay dead nearby.
In Ning City, the Qin Family was considered prominent.
Thus, the news of the Qin Family’s mistaken adoption was a common topic of conversation among the people of Ning City.
Officer Zhang Yuan had long heard the gossip about the Qin Family. They had finally found their biological child, yet it was unclear why the Qin Family was so unwelcoming to him. Seeing it today, it was more than just unwelcoming; they didn’t treat Qin Nian as family at all. Otherwise, how could they ignore him even in death?
He sighed, called for his colleagues to have the coroner transport Qin Nian’s body to the car, and then approached the four members of the Qin Family, the Qin couple and their two sons.
Zhang Yuan nodded to the four of them and then slowly spoke, “The other hostage has been confirmed dead. After identification, it was determined to be Qin Nian. My condolences.”
Instantly, silence fell among the four.
Mrs. Qin, Liu Baixu, seemed to suddenly remember that she had another child in the warehouse. Her previously calm eyes flickered, and she was the first to speak, her words faltering, “Is… is that so… Nian Nian…”
She murmured, and suddenly her foot slipped, causing her to sway.
Qin Jiaxu hurriedly stepped forward to support her, his eyes filled with sorrow, his words still concerned for the woman beside him, “Mother, don’t be too upset. The doctor said you shouldn’t have too much emotional turmoil.”
Watching this scene, the floating Qin Nian wanted to laugh. What was this? Liu Baixu didn’t look sad at all. She was probably just scared of seeing a dead person for the first time.
“Yes, Mother, don’t be too upset. The thug who killed little Nian has also been shot dead, so it’s like avenging him,” said Qin Jiawei, the eldest son of the Qin Family.
If Qin Nian were still alive, he thought he would be laughing so hard he couldn’t stand up straight. Even the term “little Nian” was used. From the moment he returned to the Qin Family, one of the people who treated him the worst was Qin Jiawei, who always addressed him coldly by his full name.
Now, he was actually using the term “little Nian” for the first time.
Qin Nian, oh Qin Nian, you lived most of your life and probably never thought that the dead Qin Nian would be the good Qin Nian, the good son of the Qin Family, the good brother of Qin Jiawei.
If dying for Qin Jiaxu was the reason, then it would be the culmination of your otherwise unremarkable life.
So what is this, a happy ending for the Qin Family?
Qin Nian watched coldly as the two brothers helped Mrs. Qin away. He wanted to follow, tried several times, but found that even though he was light and floating, he couldn’t move at all. The police car carrying his body was about to leave, sirens blaring.
As the vehicle started, Qin Nian felt an unbearable tearing pain from inside out. The farther the vehicle drove, the more intense the tearing sensation became. Qin Nian wanted to curl up to protect himself, but it didn’t help ease the pain at all. Eventually, he was overwhelmed by the intense pain.
…
Qin Nian awoke with a start.
He sat up abruptly from his sleep.
What met his eyes was a beautifully decorated room, his own room.
But wasn’t he dead?
Qin Nian thought belatedly.
Could it have been just a dream?
But that dream was too real, the bitterness of unfulfilled desires, the pain of not being cared for or accepted by his family, too real for Qin Nian to ignore.
Especially the unwillingness before death, the heartache that left Qin Nian unable to shake it off. He sat on the bed, dazed, unable to react.
He picked up the phone beside him, intending to check the time. The heavy feel of the phone in his hand felt off. It was only then that he realized he was holding an old smartphone. He remembered this phone; it was given to him by his adoptive mother after his high school graduation. At that time, smartphones had just come out and were not as advanced in weight and resolution as later models.
Why had the phone beside him turned into this? An absurd thought arose in Qin Nian’s mind, and as if to prove his idea, the phone screen lit up, displaying the current date and time.
August 14, 2017
It was the third day after he had just returned to the Qin Family four years ago.
So those things that happened before his death, being abandoned, were not a dream but had truly happened.
Qin Nian couldn’t believe his rebirth, then covered his face and laughed. As he laughed, tears soaked his palms.
It seemed even fate thought his previous life was too cheap and worthless, giving him a chance to live again.
As Qin Nian thought this, a sudden knock came from outside his room.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
The knocking pulled Qin Nian from his thoughts. He looked towards the door, remembering that on his first day back, Father Qin was busy with work, and a French master’s art exhibition was happening in Ning City. It was the master’s first exhibition there, very prestigious and rare, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So, art-loving Mrs. Qin was also too busy to care for him, attending the exhibition with her wealthy friends.
Completely ignoring that their biological son had just returned to the Qin Family.
So the only one who came to see him was the young man who had occupied his place for 18 years, Qin Jiaxu.
The person knocking was well-mannered, pausing after three knocks before knocking again.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Qin Nian took a deep breath, composed himself, and got out of bed to open the door.
Sure enough, it was Qin Jiaxu.
Qin Jiaxu looked just as he remembered.
Kind, gentle, like a rabbit easily startled.
His features were not particularly outstanding individually, even a bit ordinary, but together they were very pleasant, making people want to get close.
Raised in luxury by the Qin Family, his privileged aura made people overlook any flaws in his appearance.
However, that was the source of Qin Nian’s inferiority in his past life. No matter how hard he tried to learn upper-class etiquette, the bad habits from his original family couldn’t be erased, making Qin Jiaxu seem even more noble by comparison.
This contrast almost made Qin Nian more self-conscious, widening the gap between him and Qin Jiaxu.
He knew what people said about him behind his back, that he was like a clumsy imitator.
If it were his past life, Qin Nian would have been distressed to the point of heartache, but having given his life once, thinking back on these things now felt like a clean slate, and he didn’t care anymore.
At the door, Qin Jiaxu smiled, though his eyes couldn’t hide the shyness of meeting someone new, “Are you Qin Nian?”
Gentle and harmless, with a hint of guilt.
Qin Nian nodded.
He knew that if things followed the same path as before, Qin Jiaxu would start crying any moment now.
Qin Nian counted silently in his heart, three, two, one.
Sure enough, the next moment, Qin Jiaxu’s eyes welled up with tears. He bit his lip, his voice perfectly tinged with a sob, as if trying hard to control his emotions but still letting a sob slip through, making him seem endearing.
“I’m… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take your place. Because of me, you must have suffered a lot.”
Qin Jiaxu’s eyes glistened with tears, and he even reached out to grab Qin Nian’s hand.
Even though he knew Qin Jiaxu’s move, Qin Nian was still startled by his approach, instinctively stepping back a few steps.
He really didn’t like having too much contact with this person.
Qin Jiaxu hadn’t expected such a strong reaction, thinking the boy in front of him was rejecting him, his eyes filled with even more tears, “Are you blaming me?”
In his past life, Qin Nian, due to years of silence and solitude, was at a loss in such situations, even feeling that Qin Jiaxu was also a victim of the mistaken adoption.
But having lived again, he realized how laughable he had been.
Qin Jiaxu seemed aggrieved, yet he was advancing by retreating, coming in with tears to seek forgiveness. If he truly felt sorry, how could he act like this? It was just a stance of, “I’m already this pitiful, you should forgive me.”
As for being a victim, he remembered during the adoption scandal, Mrs. Qin refused to send Qin Jiaxu back, and Qin Jiaxu privately told him he wanted to return to his original family, hoping Qin Nian would persuade Mrs. Qin.
And Qin Nian foolishly went to Mrs. Qin about it, because in his heart, no one would want to be separated from their biological parents, especially someone as kind as Qin Jiaxu, who must also want to reunite with his family.
When he mentioned it, the Qin Family was dining. As soon as he finished, Mrs. Qin flipped the table, pointing at Qin Nian and asking, “Qin Nian, are you trying to drive me to my death?”
Her manicured nails seemed ready to poke his eyes out.
His biological brother Qin Jiawei loudly accused him of having malicious intent.
Qin Nian was at a loss, hoping Qin Jiaxu would clarify for him, and Qin Jiaxu did “kindly” defend him, crying in Mrs. Qin’s arms, “Mother, don’t blame Qin Nian, he’s just trying to help me.”
Standing there, Qin Nian, unsure of what he did wrong, watched Liu Baixu and Qin Jiaxu comfort each other.
Looking back now, he realized how hopelessly foolish he had been.
Such a simple verbal trap, and he hadn’t seen through it. If Qin Jiaxu truly wanted to return to his blood family, why make him speak? He could have gone to Liu Baixu privately.
Some things Qin Jiaxu could say to Liu Baixu without issue, but coming from Qin Nian, it became an attempt to drive Qin Jiaxu away.
An image of malice vividly painted.
Qin Nian coldly watched the young man in front of him, looking pitiful. He knew Qin Jiaxu was putting on a show for those who would come later, but since he wanted to act pitiful, Qin Nian decided to help him.
He grinned and uttered a few words, “Why not?”