“It’s almost the new year. When are you coming home?”
Qin Hao looked at him and sneered, “My mother has passed away 20 years. This is the first time you’re asking me when I’m coming home. It’s rare.”
Qin Chongwen looked ashamed.
“I-It was Dad’s fault in the past. I neglected you and Jianjia. You’re the eldest son of the Qin Family. The Qin Family still needs your support. It’s almost the new year. If you’re not very busy with work, come home.”
“What’s the point of saying all this now?”
“Sister and I don’t care if you ignore us or not. As for being the eldest son of the Qin Family, am I not the eldest son of the Qin Family in the past? I didn’t see you say that the Qin Family still needs me to support them in the past. You only seem to dislike me every time we meet.”
“Why? Do you regret it when you realize that the woman you doted on has been cheating on you and that your daughter is actually not your biological daughter?”
“No, I’m not… I-I…” I couldn’t say a complete sentence for a long time. Qin Chongwen suddenly didn’t know what to say.
Everything he said was wrong.
“In the past, when we needed Father, Father didn’t care about us. Now that Sister and I are already past the age where we need Father, Father doesn’t have to say these things to us anymore. How we interacted in the past, we’ll still get along in that manner in the future. I’m the eldest son of the Qin Family after all. I won’t abandon the Qin Family. Father can completely rest assured about this.”
“As for returning to the Qin Family, there’s no need for that for now. I’m used to living outside. I still have work for a few days during the new year, so I probably won’t go back. Father doesn’t have to wait for us for the new year’s reunion dinner.”
Qin Chongwen moved his lips, wanting to say something, but he didn’t say anything in the end.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll make a move first.”
“H-Hao’er!”
“Anything else?”
“Y-you seem to have changed a lot.”
Qin Hao smiled coldly, “Changed a lot? I’ve always been like this. It’s just that I was young in the early years, I would have died at Bai Shuangshuang’s hands long ago if I didn’t pretend to be silly. I was only pretending, but I’ve been used to it all these years. I almost forgot what I was like originally.”
Qin Chongwen’s body swayed.
“Father, why are you so shocked? Isn’t this normal? When my mother passed away, Sister was less than 10 years old and I was only a few years old. Without anyone to protect me, I naturally had to think of a way to protect myself.”
“Could it be that even now, Father still feels that Bai Shuangshuang is a kind person?”
“Father, don’t say anything about why we didn’t tell you. Back then, you were charmed by Bai Shuangshuang. You married her even before my mother passed away for a year. Would you listen to us? And you scolded us at every turn whenever Bai Shuangshuang complained to you.”
“Fortunately, I became capable after I joined the army and Sister moved out of the Qin Family. Otherwise, how could we still stand here safely?”
“Why didn’t you return it to her after you grew up and became capable?”
“Return it to her?” Qin Hao sneered, “Is Bai Shuangshuang worthy for us to deal with her?”
“Look, Sister and I didn’t do anything. Didn’t she also not have a good ending?”
“However, there’s another reason why we didn’t deal with her.”i
“Before my mother passed away, she asked Sister and I to be filial to you. If Sister and I deal with Bai Shuangshuang, with your protection of Bai Shuangshuang, the little bit of relationship we have left will probably be worn away. If that’s the case, how sad would my mother be in the ground?”
“Oh right, actually I already knew about Bai Shuangshuang and Min Guili, and I also knew that Qin Bailu isn’t your daughter. I just couldn’t be bothered to tell you.”
After saying that, he got into the car without looking back, started the engine and drove away.
Qin Chongwen stood rooted to the ground in a daze.
He was filled with regret.
He seemed to have aged a few years instantly.
Huo Siyu, who was sitting in Qin Hao’s car, naturally heard their conversation.
Along the way, Qin Hao was silent. Huo Siyu looked at him. There were a few times when she wanted to say something to comfort him, but she didn’t know what to say.
Hence, the two of them remained silent the entire way.
Till they reached their apartment.
After they went upstairs, Qin Hao entered the passcode and went in first, followed by Huo Siyu.
“A-are you okay?”
Qin Hao stopped in his tracks and turned to hug her.
He didn’t say anything and just hugged her.
He was hugging her too tightly and Huo Siyu felt a little uncomfortable. She wanted to push him away, but she put her hands down halfway.
“Qin Hao, are you alright?”
“Not very well.”
These words…
Huo Siyu was a little speechless. She was not good at comforting people, especially a tough man like Qin Hao.
She didn’t know what to do, so she hugged him and patted his back gently.
However, Qin Hao let go of her and held her shoulders as he looked down at her. “Aren’t you angry?”
“?” Huo Siyu was stunned.
She shook her head. “I’m not angry. Why should I be angry?”
“I’m not what you think I am. Don’t you think I’ve lied to you?”
“Duh. I thought you were saying something. So it’s this. Don’t think too much about it. I know you didn’t mean it. After all, that’s your protective shell when you’re young…”
As she spoke, Huo Siyu paused. She was afraid that Qin Hao would remember something sad if she mentioned it.
“Anyway, I’m not angry. Don’t worry. You’re not only like that in front of me. Everyone probably sees you the same way.”
Qin Hao wanted to say that it wasn’t.
His subordinates and Second Yin knew very well what kind of person he was.
Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to say it out loud.
“On the other hand, are you alright? Your father…”
“Are you really not angry?”
Seeing that he was obsessed with this, Huo Siyu could only shake her head. “I’m not angry. Really. Not at all.”
“Then, do you think you won’t be used to interacting with me like this?” As he spoke, the honest look on Qin Hao’s face completely disappeared. His eyes were so abstruse that they seemed to suck people in. His outstanding facial features were also emphasized, making him look mysterious and noble.
Huo Siyu was stunned.
Then, she realized that she was actually staring at him in a daze. Huo Siyu was a little embarrassed.
She coughed dryly and looked away slightly.
She was indeed not used to facing Qin Hao.
“I won’t. No matter what, you’re still Qin Hao, right?”
“Besides, if you can accept me as a killer, can’t I accept you, who’s a little different from usual?” This was the truth.
She didn’t expect Qin Hao to accept her so easily. It would be a lie to say that she wasn’t touched.
After all, Qin Hao’s identity was there.
Wasn’t it just that there was a different him hidden under his honest and protective shell? Couldn’t she accept that?
To be honest, not only could she accept it, but she also felt sorry for Qin Hao.
Although she had led a wandering life on Ghost Slaughter Island and experienced so much hardship, her parents had treated her very well when she was still living in the Huo Family.
However, Qin Hao…
“Rainy, I’m very happy.”
“Happy about what?”
“I’m glad you’re not angry and still willing to accept me like this.” With his personality, he wouldn’t have said those words to his father. He would instead turn and leave.
He thought since his little fiancée was present.
Min Rufeng had told him to be careful about letting the truth come out one day. He had always taken it to heart, but there had been no opportunity for him to talk about it until just now…
Yes, he had schemed back then to let his little fiancée hear that.
Although he had wanted to say those words for many years, he wouldn’t have said them if it wasn’t to play that trick.
“But for some reason, even though I’m very happy, I still feel uncomfortable.”
It was normal to feel uncomfortable.
Huo Siyu thought.
If it were her, she would probably not even want to say anything when her biological father, who had ignored her for many years, finally noticed her one day and apologized and regretted it.
It was still good that Qin Hao was like this.
She stepped forward and hugged him. “The past has become the past. We still have a long way ahead. Everything will be fine.”
“Will you always be with me then?”
Huo Siyu was stunned. She looked up at him and saw him staring at her with his dark eyes that were so deep that he wanted to suck her in.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He had asked so seriously.
And so suddenly…
“I-I think so.”
Qin Hao tightened his grip on her. “Then Rainy will accompany me tonight?”
“Am I not accompanying you here? I’m staying here tonight. I don’t intend to leave.”
“I mean, you’ll stay in my room tonight to accompany me.”
“You…” Huo Siyu blushed.
“Rainy, don’t be nervous. It’s not what you think. I remembered a lot of things from the past and I feel very uncomfortable. I want you to accompany me.”
“Just keep me company. I won’t do anything.”
“Please?”
There was no way to reject such a pleading tone!
“Just to keep you company? Without doing anything?”
Qin Hao blushed “embarrassedly”. “I-If Rainy wants to do something, it’s okay too.”
“…” Huo Siyu.
In the end, the two of them really covered themselves with the blanket and chatted.
They didn’t even kiss like they usually did.
Of course, purely chatting was just an excuse. Huo Siyu felt very uncomfortable. They did not say a word, what were they chatting about?
She maintained her posture with her back facing Qin Hao and didn’t dare to move.
Qin Hao knew that he shouldn’t overdo it.
However, later on, he “subconsciously” pulled her into his arms when he was “asleep”.
Huo Siyu was already tense and Qin Hao trapping her in his arms made her even more nervous. She tried to remove his arms, but Qin Hao simply hugged her too tight for her to remove them. She could only compromise.
She didn’t know when she fell asleep.
However, she did not know that as soon as her even breathing sounded, the sleeping Qin Hao opened his eyes.
He smiled and kissed the top of her head before hugging her and closing his eyes.
He slept exceptionally soundly that night.
***
The next day.
Yan Jinyu booked a restaurant and asked Min Rufeng, Xi Fengling, and Huo Siyu out. Of course, she also sent Feng Yun a message.
Yin Jiujin didn’t accompany Yan Jinyu. After sending her to the restaurant, he turned and went to the Mount West Villa. He said that he had some work to do.
Huo Siyu didn’t bring Qin Hao and Huo Xuan along either.
It was just the four of them.
Half an hour before the agreed time, the four of them arrived.
They didn’t order anything and were all waiting for Feng Yun.
Yan Jinyu was playing games on her phone while the other three were chatting. It wasn’t very lively, but the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.
Huo Siyu glanced at her phone. There were still two minutes to the agreed time. “Beauty Yu, I’m afraid Bai Ye won’t come.”
Yan Jinyu moved her gaze away from the phone. “It’s fine if he doesn’t come. We’re just taking a gamble. If he doesn’t come, we’ll treat it as a small gathering with only the four of us.”
Her words stunned the three of them.
This sentence sounded fine at first, but it was said by Yan Jinyu, so it gave them a huge impact.
Yan Jinyu always had a smile on her face. She looked very warm, but she was actually the coldest and most steady of the four of them. She rarely said such emotional words.
“Beauty Yu…”
Huo Siyu’s eyes were teary. She was about to speak when the door of the private room was pushed open and she was interrupted.
The four of them retracted their emotions and looked over.
Then, their expressions changed.
“It’s almost the new year. When are you coming home?”
Qin Hao looked at him and sneered, “My mother has passed away 20 years. This is the first time you’re asking me when I’m coming home. It’s rare.”
Qin Chongwen looked ashamed.
“I-It was Dad’s fault in the past. I neglected you and Jianjia. You’re the eldest son of the Qin Family. The Qin Family still needs your support. It’s almost the new year. If you’re not very busy with work, come home.”
“What’s the point of saying all this now?”
“Sister and I don’t care if you ignore us or not. As for being the eldest son of the Qin Family, am I not the eldest son of the Qin Family in the past? I didn’t see you say that the Qin Family still needs me to support them in the past. You only seem to dislike me every time we meet.”
“Why? Do you regret it when you realize that the woman you doted on has been cheating on you and that your daughter is actually not your biological daughter?”
“No, I’m not… I-I…” I couldn’t say a complete sentence for a long time. Qin Chongwen suddenly didn’t know what to say.
Everything he said was wrong.
“In the past, when we needed Father, Father didn’t care about us. Now that Sister and I are already past the age where we need Father, Father doesn’t have to say these things to us anymore. How we interacted in the past, we’ll still get along in that manner in the future. I’m the eldest son of the Qin Family after all. I won’t abandon the Qin Family. Father can completely rest assured about this.”
“As for returning to the Qin Family, there’s no need for that for now. I’m used to living outside. I still have work for a few days during the new year, so I probably won’t go back. Father doesn’t have to wait for us for the new year’s reunion dinner.”
Qin Chongwen moved his lips, wanting to say something, but he didn’t say anything in the end.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll make a move first.”
“H-Hao’er!”
“Anything else?”
“Y-you seem to have changed a lot.”
Qin Hao smiled coldly, “Changed a lot? I’ve always been like this. It’s just that I was young in the early years, I would have died at Bai Shuangshuang’s hands long ago if I didn’t pretend to be silly. I was only pretending, but I’ve been used to it all these years. I almost forgot what I was like originally.”
Qin Chongwen’s body swayed.
“Father, why are you so shocked? Isn’t this normal? When my mother passed away, Sister was less than 10 years old and I was only a few years old. Without anyone to protect me, I naturally had to think of a way to protect myself.”
“Could it be that even now, Father still feels that Bai Shuangshuang is a kind person?”
“Father, don’t say anything about why we didn’t tell you. Back then, you were charmed by Bai Shuangshuang. You married her even before my mother passed away for a year. Would you listen to us? And you scolded us at every turn whenever Bai Shuangshuang complained to you.”
“Fortunately, I became capable after I joined the army and Sister moved out of the Qin Family. Otherwise, how could we still stand here safely?”
“Why didn’t you return it to her after you grew up and became capable?”
“Return it to her?” Qin Hao sneered, “Is Bai Shuangshuang worthy for us to deal with her?”
“Look, Sister and I didn’t do anything. Didn’t she also not have a good ending?”
“However, there’s another reason why we didn’t deal with her.”i
“Before my mother passed away, she asked Sister and I to be filial to you. If Sister and I deal with Bai Shuangshuang, with your protection of Bai Shuangshuang, the little bit of relationship we have left will probably be worn away. If that’s the case, how sad would my mother be in the ground?”
“Oh right, actually I already knew about Bai Shuangshuang and Min Guili, and I also knew that Qin Bailu isn’t your daughter. I just couldn’t be bothered to tell you.”
After saying that, he got into the car without looking back, started the engine and drove away.
Qin Chongwen stood rooted to the ground in a daze.
He was filled with regret.
He seemed to have aged a few years instantly.
Huo Siyu, who was sitting in Qin Hao’s car, naturally heard their conversation.
Along the way, Qin Hao was silent. Huo Siyu looked at him. There were a few times when she wanted to say something to comfort him, but she didn’t know what to say.
Hence, the two of them remained silent the entire way.
Till they reached their apartment.
After they went upstairs, Qin Hao entered the passcode and went in first, followed by Huo Siyu.
“A-are you okay?”
Qin Hao stopped in his tracks and turned to hug her.
He didn’t say anything and just hugged her.
He was hugging her too tightly and Huo Siyu felt a little uncomfortable. She wanted to push him away, but she put her hands down halfway.
“Qin Hao, are you alright?”
“Not very well.”
These words…
Huo Siyu was a little speechless. She was not good at comforting people, especially a tough man like Qin Hao.
She didn’t know what to do, so she hugged him and patted his back gently.
However, Qin Hao let go of her and held her shoulders as he looked down at her. “Aren’t you angry?”
“?” Huo Siyu was stunned.
She shook her head. “I’m not angry. Why should I be angry?”
“I’m not what you think I am. Don’t you think I’ve lied to you?”
“Duh. I thought you were saying something. So it’s this. Don’t think too much about it. I know you didn’t mean it. After all, that’s your protective shell when you’re young…”
As she spoke, Huo Siyu paused. She was afraid that Qin Hao would remember something sad if she mentioned it.
“Anyway, I’m not angry. Don’t worry. You’re not only like that in front of me. Everyone probably sees you the same way.”
Qin Hao wanted to say that it wasn’t.
His subordinates and Second Yin knew very well what kind of person he was.
Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to say it out loud.
“On the other hand, are you alright? Your father…”
“Are you really not angry?”
Seeing that he was obsessed with this, Huo Siyu could only shake her head. “I’m not angry. Really. Not at all.”
“Then, do you think you won’t be used to interacting with me like this?” As he spoke, the honest look on Qin Hao’s face completely disappeared. His eyes were so abstruse that they seemed to suck people in. His outstanding facial features were also emphasized, making him look mysterious and noble.
Huo Siyu was stunned.
Then, she realized that she was actually staring at him in a daze. Huo Siyu was a little embarrassed.
She coughed dryly and looked away slightly.
She was indeed not used to facing Qin Hao.
“I won’t. No matter what, you’re still Qin Hao, right?”
“Besides, if you can accept me as a killer, can’t I accept you, who’s a little different from usual?” This was the truth.
She didn’t expect Qin Hao to accept her so easily. It would be a lie to say that she wasn’t touched.
After all, Qin Hao’s identity was there.
Wasn’t it just that there was a different him hidden under his honest and protective shell? Couldn’t she accept that?
To be honest, not only could she accept it, but she also felt sorry for Qin Hao.
Although she had led a wandering life on Ghost Slaughter Island and experienced so much hardship, her parents had treated her very well when she was still living in the Huo Family.
However, Qin Hao…
“Rainy, I’m very happy.”
“Happy about what?”
“I’m glad you’re not angry and still willing to accept me like this.” With his personality, he wouldn’t have said those words to his father. He would instead turn and leave.
He thought since his little fiancée was present.
Min Rufeng had told him to be careful about letting the truth come out one day. He had always taken it to heart, but there had been no opportunity for him to talk about it until just now…
Yes, he had schemed back then to let his little fiancée hear that.
Although he had wanted to say those words for many years, he wouldn’t have said them if it wasn’t to play that trick.
“But for some reason, even though I’m very happy, I still feel uncomfortable.”
It was normal to feel uncomfortable.
Huo Siyu thought.
If it were her, she would probably not even want to say anything when her biological father, who had ignored her for many years, finally noticed her one day and apologized and regretted it.
It was still good that Qin Hao was like this.
She stepped forward and hugged him. “The past has become the past. We still have a long way ahead. Everything will be fine.”
“Will you always be with me then?”
Huo Siyu was stunned. She looked up at him and saw him staring at her with his dark eyes that were so deep that he wanted to suck her in.
Her heart skipped a beat.
He had asked so seriously.
And so suddenly…
“I-I think so.”
Qin Hao tightened his grip on her. “Then Rainy will accompany me tonight?”
“Am I not accompanying you here? I’m staying here tonight. I don’t intend to leave.”
“I mean, you’ll stay in my room tonight to accompany me.”
“You…” Huo Siyu blushed.
“Rainy, don’t be nervous. It’s not what you think. I remembered a lot of things from the past and I feel very uncomfortable. I want you to accompany me.”
“Just keep me company. I won’t do anything.”
“Please?”
There was no way to reject such a pleading tone!
“Just to keep you company? Without doing anything?”
Qin Hao blushed “embarrassedly”. “I-If Rainy wants to do something, it’s okay too.”
“…” Huo Siyu.
In the end, the two of them really covered themselves with the blanket and chatted.
They didn’t even kiss like they usually did.
Of course, purely chatting was just an excuse. Huo Siyu felt very uncomfortable. They did not say a word, what were they chatting about?
She maintained her posture with her back facing Qin Hao and didn’t dare to move.
Qin Hao knew that he shouldn’t overdo it.
However, later on, he “subconsciously” pulled her into his arms when he was “asleep”.
Huo Siyu was already tense and Qin Hao trapping her in his arms made her even more nervous. She tried to remove his arms, but Qin Hao simply hugged her too tight for her to remove them. She could only compromise.
She didn’t know when she fell asleep.
However, she did not know that as soon as her even breathing sounded, the sleeping Qin Hao opened his eyes.
He smiled and kissed the top of her head before hugging her and closing his eyes.
He slept exceptionally soundly that night.
***
The next day.
Yan Jinyu booked a restaurant and asked Min Rufeng, Xi Fengling, and Huo Siyu out. Of course, she also sent Feng Yun a message.
Yin Jiujin didn’t accompany Yan Jinyu. After sending her to the restaurant, he turned and went to the Mount West Villa. He said that he had some work to do.
Huo Siyu didn’t bring Qin Hao and Huo Xuan along either.
It was just the four of them.
Half an hour before the agreed time, the four of them arrived.
They didn’t order anything and were all waiting for Feng Yun.
Yan Jinyu was playing games on her phone while the other three were chatting. It wasn’t very lively, but the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.
Huo Siyu glanced at her phone. There were still two minutes to the agreed time. “Beauty Yu, I’m afraid Bai Ye won’t come.”
Yan Jinyu moved her gaze away from the phone. “It’s fine if he doesn’t come. We’re just taking a gamble. If he doesn’t come, we’ll treat it as a small gathering with only the four of us.”
Her words stunned the three of them.
This sentence sounded fine at first, but it was said by Yan Jinyu, so it gave them a huge impact.
Yan Jinyu always had a smile on her face. She looked very warm, but she was actually the coldest and most steady of the four of them. She rarely said such emotional words.
“Beauty Yu…”
Huo Siyu’s eyes were teary. She was about to speak when the door of the private room was pushed open and she was interrupted.
The four of them retracted their emotions and looked over.
Then, their expressions changed.
