Qin Nian lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing the scars hidden beneath the white tee. His slender waist and overly thin back were marked with winding scars.
Time had faded these scars, but on Qin Nian’s overly pale skin, even the faint pink lines stood out starkly.
His adoptive parents were never kind people. From a young age, Qin Nian was subjected to beatings and scoldings. Doing less work would earn him a beating, eating a bit more would get him blamed. Being hit and scolded was a regular part of his childhood.
As a child, Qin Nian didn’t understand why he, their child, was treated so harshly. Every time his adoptive parents mocked him, their eyes held something he couldn’t comprehend.
It was as if his suffering brought them joy.
And when he was taken back to the Qin Family, his adoptive parents seemed somewhat unwilling.
Pointing at the scars, Qin Nian said, “Do you see these? These scars were given to me by your biological parents.”
When he mentioned biological parents, Qin Jiaxu’s brow furrowed imperceptibly, a flash of disgust in his eyes.
“You took my life. Every moment you enjoyed in the Qin Family was bought with every beating I endured in the countryside.”
“Shouldn’t I blame you?”
Qin Jiaxu clearly hadn’t expected Qin Nian to say such things. In his upbringing, no one had ever dared to blame him. The Qin Family treated him like a precious gem, never letting a harsh word reach his ears. In his life, a few tears could solve anything.
But Qin Nian wasn’t buying it.
Just as Qin Jiaxu was at a loss, a voice came urgently from the hallway.
“Xiao Xu, why are you crying?”
The newcomer was Qin Nian’s biological brother, Qin Jiawei.
The young man bore a slight resemblance to Qin Nian.
As soon as he arrived, he pulled Qin Jiaxu into his arms and angrily asked Qin Nian, “What did you say to Xiao Xu to make him cry?”
Before Qin Nian could respond, Qin Jiaxu clutched Qin Jiawei’s sleeve and said, “Brother, don’t blame Nian Nian. It’s my own problem.”
Though he said this, two more tears fell as he spoke.
He was grateful that Qin Jiawei had arrived just in time, allowing him to avoid Qin Nian’s questioning.
Qin Nian watched Qin Jiaxu’s tears fall like rain, and then looked at Qin Jiawei, who held Qin Jiaxu protectively, as if Qin Nian were some villainous intruder who had bullied Qin Jiaxu. It was like a scene straight out of a melodramatic TV drama.
One of those over-the-top evening soap operas.
Qin Nian couldn’t help but think, if he were the villain in a soap opera, what should he do next? Should he loudly accuse Qin Jiaxu of being a fraud, or perform a dramatic showdown in front of his brother?
With these thoughts, Qin Nian actually laughed.
The laughter was jarring in this setting. Qin Jiaxu didn’t understand why Qin Nian was laughing and momentarily forgot to cry, while Qin Jiawei, hearing the laugh, felt his suspicions confirmed and angrily said, “So it was you who made Xiao Xu cry, and you’re laughing? You have no manners at all.”
Qin Nian stifled his laughter slightly. Since realizing he had been reborn, in less than half an hour, he had been constantly berating his past self, from intelligence to taste. How lacking in love had he been to devote himself to this dull-witted brother?
Looking at his hostile brother, then at the aggrieved Qin Jiaxu, Qin Nian asked, “Do you believe my words, or Qin Jiaxu’s?”
Qin Jiawei reacted as if he’d heard a joke, sneering, “If I don’t believe Xiao Xu, should I believe you?”
Qin Nian nodded. “Since that’s the case, Qin Jiaxu already said it wasn’t me who made him cry. Why don’t you believe him?”
He looked up and smiled.
Qin Jiawei was momentarily speechless.
It took him a while to respond, “I don’t believe Xiao Xu only because he’s too kind-hearted. Even if bullied, he’d soften and hide it for some people.”
“Since you’ve already decided, why bother asking me?”
With just a few words, Qin Jiawei was silenced again.
The two across from him finally stopped crying and fuming, instead sinking into an awkward silence.
Qin Jiawei, at a loss for words, could only mutter, “No manners, but sharp-tongued. Definitely from the countryside.”
Qin Nian had heard such remarks countless times in his past life, each time leaving him despondent.
But now, hearing it left him unfazed, only wanting to send them away to avoid further annoyance.
At last, Qin Jiaxu spoke up, awkwardly, “Brother, you misunderstood. I was just overwhelmed seeing Xiao Nian. It really has nothing to do with him.”
He tugged at Qin Jiawei’s arm, acting like a younger brother pleading with his elder, then turned to Qin Nian with a smile, “Mother and Father aren’t here, but I think we shouldn’t skip the welcome party for Xiao Nian. The Qin Family’s friends and relatives should meet him, right? I’m planning a gathering at the Qin Family tomorrow night, inviting those closely connected to us to introduce Xiao Nian.”
Though he didn’t understand why the previously reserved Qin Nian had suddenly become so aggressive, Qin Jiaxu felt he needed to stick to the plan.
Looking at that smiling face, Qin Nian said, “That’s very considerate of you.”
Qin Jiaxu finally breathed a sigh of relief, as if he’d finally received Qin Nian’s approval for his efforts. “That’s good. I won’t disturb your rest then.”
Qin Nian glanced at the two of them, smiled slightly, and closed the door.
As the door shut, he heard Qin Jiawei’s complaint outside, “Jiaxu, why are you being so nice to him? It’s obvious he has no good intentions.”
Qin Nian tilted his head. No good intentions?
He hadn’t done anything, really. Although Qin Jiawei’s blind defense of Qin Jiaxu was expected, his hostility toward Qin Nian seemed rather unwarranted.
With these thoughts, Qin Nian walked to the bathroom mirror, finally realizing how disheveled he looked.
His hair, long untrimmed and unkempt, hung messily. The bangs, left unattended for so long, were heavy, nearly covering his forehead and eyes. Combined with his pale skin and perpetually tense expression, he appeared gloomy and difficult to approach. No wonder Qin Jiawei had assumed the worst about him.
Qin Nian casually brushed his bangs aside, revealing a pair of almond-shaped eyes. The corners of his eyes lifted slightly, giving the impression of a perpetual smile, with a hint of alluring ambiguity.
Qin Nian was indeed good-looking, his features perfectly inheriting the best of the Qin couple. But in his past life, living in Qin Jiaxu’s shadow, he never quite grasped how others perceived his appearance.
But it didn’t matter anymore. In his past life, he cared too much about others’ opinions, and look where it got him. Why bother with what others think?
He let his bangs fall back down.
Staring at his reflection, he pondered the recent events and recalled the so-called welcome party from his past life.
In his previous life, upon returning to the Qin Family and seeing Qin Jiaxu’s perfect, confident demeanor, he was consumed by inferiority.
He was deeply grateful when he learned Qin Jiaxu was throwing a party for him. After all, with his parents too busy to care and his brother harboring inexplicable hostility, only Qin Jiaxu seemed to acknowledge him, even going to the trouble of organizing a welcome party.
But as a newcomer, before he could adapt to the Qin Family, Qin Jiaxu was eager to host a party involving many influential families. It seemed a bit too hasty.
Qin Nian still remembered how he embarrassed himself at that party.
The event was perfect, from the venue’s decor to the lighting, and even the guests were carefully selected friends of the Qin Family.
The only misfit was himself, painfully ordinary. It was his welcome party, yet he couldn’t even speak fluently. The disdainful looks felt like knives, and in the end, Qin Jiaxu had to step in and save the day.
Thus, the entire party became a showcase of Qin Jiaxu’s understanding and brotherly love.
Qin Nian shook his head, trying to force himself not to dwell on unpleasant memories. As he moved, his overgrown bangs pricked his eyelids painfully. Qin Nian looked at himself in the mirror again and decided to find a barbershop after freshening up. His long hair was simply too inconvenient.
After a quick wash, Qin Nian left his room.
The house was just as he remembered, with servants and maids occasionally passing through the hall and kitchen. Even when they saw Qin Nian, they didn’t greet him, merely lowering their heads and hurrying away.
The servants’ attitudes often reflected the master’s. In the Qin Family, almost no one cared about this so-called real young master.