“Butler Shi, why does the young master stay in Chi Wenqiu’s room all day long? He is not eating or drinking; it is so harmful to his body. You should go and persuade him to come out. Besides, he has to handle the funeral of the former patriarch. He needs to eat to have the strength for it.”
Immediately after bringing Chi Wenqiu back, Qu Jing busied himself with trying to please him. He remained indifferent to the outside world. Even when his father died, he merely took one look and continued his efforts to win Chi Wenqiu over.
Everyone knew how much Qu Sinian cherished Chi Wenqiu and treated him as a wife. Qu Jing did not understand the need for boundaries, which made Qu Wenbin so furious that he scolded him harshly.
On the third day that Qu Jing refused to leave the room, the old man came up with his cane, ready to take action.
The few idle servants of the Qu family were terrified. Even the new butler did not dare to stop him, watching as the fuming old man strode upstairs.
“Smash the door open for me! See if he is dead or what. Does he want to be a shrinking turtle for the rest of his life?”
Accompanying Qu Wenbin’s roar, the bodyguards worked together to break down the door. The crowd rushed in and saw two people lying on the bed, their clothes still relatively intact.
Even so, Qu Wenbin felt as if he had lost all face. His old face turned shades of blue and red. He ordered people to drag Qu Jing out and immediately slapped him twice. “You beast! Your father is dead. You are actually still involved with someone else in such an unclear way, and he is just a man! Is it worth acting as if you are possessed? You could like anyone, but it had to be your father’s… You are truly going to anger this old man to death!”
By the end, he could not help but think of his only son who had died, and his voice weakened.
“Grandfather, he is my lover.”
Qu Jing, with his head hanging low, muttered a sentence. He was so stubborn that he would not turn back even if he were beaten to death.
Qu Wenbin clenched his fists until they creaked. He barked, “Get Chi Wenqiu out here for me! Let me ask him properly whether he is with my son or my grandson!”
Receiving the order, the bodyguards stepped forward again to pull back the covers. As soon as a hand touched the person’s wrist, it abruptly recoiled.
“Old Patriarch,” the man whispered.
“What is with all the fuss? If he is not awake, make him wake up!”
“It is not that. It is that he is dead!” The voice of even the most composed man trembled. They were all tough men who had fought on battlefields and had naturally seen many bloody scenes. However, the “sleeping beauty” lying before them had already been dead for about forty-eight hours. There was no possibility of survival. The wounds had even begun to decay.
“No! He is not dead! He has just fallen asleep!” Qu Jing broke free from his restraints and ran to protect his lover.
Qu Wenbin was stunned for a long time before he regained his senses and shouted, “Grab him for me! This is outrageous! It is bad enough that a son of my Qu family fell in love with a man, but is he now refusing to let go of a corpse?”
It was madness. Everyone was mad!
The son was dead, and even the only grandson had become mentally unstable!
It truly was a punishment from Heaven, making the Qu family pay its debts!
“Grandfather, Grandfather! Wenqiu-ge is really not dead. He was just smiling at me! I love him, I love him! I beg you, do not take him away. I beg you! I really cannot live without him!”
Hearing the shrill cries, even the heart of Qu Wenbin, which was as hard as iron, could not help but grow warm with tears. He seemed to age several more years. He no longer had the strength to shout and scream. Instead, he looked at his foolish grandson with clear eyes.
“I am not taking him away. I am just sending him to the hospital for treatment. He is injured, do you know that, Xiao Jing?”
“I know, I…” After fasting for many days, Qu Jing also fainted.
Qu Jing absolutely could not become a murderer; the Qu family still relied on him to continue the bloodline!
Carrying on the family line was not just one person’s responsibility. Qu Wenbin had married into the Qu family and changed his surname. He had been brainwashed into continuing the Qu bloodline. He might not have been a good husband or father, but he was a son-in-law recognized by the Qu family. He had been busy for most of his life and had only raised one Qu Sinian, and the most successful one was also Qu Sinian.
Years ago, when he learned that Qu Sinian refused to marry and had an illegitimate son, Qu Wenbin immediately severed their father-son relationship. However, the law still defined them as father and son; it was not something that could be broken just by saying so.
He had originally thought to take a step back and act as if the child’s mother was dead. He planned to bring Qu Jing back to acknowledge his ancestors after he became an adult so that things would not be too ugly. Who could have imagined that this father and son would be infatuated with the same man one after another? They loved him so much it was a matter of life and death, nearly ruining the reputation of the Qu family.
In the end, the son was dead and the grandson was mad. He still could not protect the bloodline.
Their story spread throughout City S. There were additions and exaggerations, yet the truth was much more explosive and dramatic.
With the fall of the Qu family, the Fu family was eager to hit them while they were down.
At the funeral of Qu Sinian and Chi Wenqiu, the head of the Fu family sent a massive coffin. The exterior was carved in the shape of a clock. He laughed loudly, saying he was sending Qu Wenbin to his end.
Purely for the sake of appearances, Qu Wenbin did not dare to offend him completely. He accepted it with a face full of forced smiles.
A significant commotion came from the kitchen; it turned out that Qu Jing and Fu Ruhuan were fighting. Due to the sensitive nature of their identities, the two families handled it privately.
Fu Ruhuan was suspected of attempted murder, and Qu Jing was convicted of manslaughter. After attending the funeral, he would have to go to court to await sentencing.
For the past two days, Qu Jing had been under strict supervision. Qu Wenbin had only stepped out for a moment to receive guests, but he did not expect trouble to arise anyway. Fu Ruhuan sought out Qu Jing for a fight to vent his anger, wishing he could go down with him.
The scene was too ugly, so the head of the Fu family did not stay any longer. He grabbed Fu Ruhuan and took him back to teach him a lesson.
The rain fell heavily. Dark clouds pressed down gloomily. Large raindrops hit the black umbrellas with a pitter-patter sound.
Wearing a solemn black suit, Qu Jing walked alone into the torrential rain. He stopped in front of the tombstone where his father and his lover were buried together. The rain washed over his haggard face, making it impossible to distinguish rain from tears. His trembling mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were full of grief.
After taking a few deep breaths, he pulled a handgun from his jacket, preparing to take his own life.
Suddenly, as if destined by fate, he whipped his head around to look.
Among the panicked crowd, a person stood steadily holding an umbrella. The edge of the umbrella happened to cover half of his face, revealing only a delicate, fair chin. His red lips were curled in a mocking smile that was all too familiar.
After the initial shock, Qu Jing wanted to rush over. Under the pale curtain of rain, as if in slow motion, he was dragged back by powerful bodyguards. During the struggle, his clothes were torn, and the lethal weapon slipped from his hand. Accompanied by Qu Wenbin’s violent roar, the elegant figure in his eyes gradually drifted away.
“Chi Wenqiu!”
He was hysterical.
The ominous premonition that had lingered for many days finally manifested at this moment. He had truly lost Chi Wenqiu forever.