Chapter 72 A Fateful Tribulation: A Fate He Could Not Escape…

"I'm very busy lately, preparing my thesis, so please don't come to see me."

While using her ear and shoulder to hold the phone steady, Yu Kui revised her thesis on the keyboard. "Besides, I'll be able to go back in a few months."

This is her fourth year abroad. Originally, she planned to return to China in her second year, but she encountered a good internship opportunity and wanted to pursue further studies, so she stayed for three more years.

Next year, I'll be able to go back to work in China.

"It's getting cold, remember to keep warm," came a deep, pleasant male voice from the other end of the phone. "Wear more clothes when you go out, don't catch a cold."

"Okay." Yu Kui stood up and stretched. "You too, don't always be so busy with work, you should take a break from time to time."

"Mm," the man replied softly. "I'll come see you on New Year's Day and take you out to have some fun."

Yu Kui looked helpless, "Going back and forth takes too much time, you might as well—"

She suddenly fell silent halfway through her sentence and began flipping through the calendar on her desk. When she saw a date that was highlighted, her heart jumped. "Xie Xingzhi, are you still listening?"

"Hmm?" The man on the other end of the phone raised an eyebrow. "When did I hang up on you beforehand?"

"Xie Xingzhi," Yu Kui's voice became serious, "Are you busy with work right now?"

“I’m still at the company,” the man glanced at the time. “I still have more than two hours before I get off work.”

"Are you busy lately?"

“There are a few projects,” Xie Xingzhi countered, “What, you want me to go there ahead of time?”

Yu Kui stared intently at the date before New Year's Day. "Is it okay?"

Yu Kui clenched her fist secretly. "Can you come see me before Christmas? New Year's Day is too far away."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a man's chuckling voice: "What, you missed me?"

Yu Kui wasn't in the mood for jokes. "Can you come?"

“Come on,” Xie Xingzhi said. “Even if it’s raining knives from the sky, I still want to see my best friend, Xiao Yu.”

“Okay,” Yu Kui breathed a sigh of relief. “Buy the ticket now. I have to see you before Christmas, or I’ll break up with you and never talk to you again.”

"I understand," Xie Xingzhi said. "You went to all this trouble to invite me to come see you, how could I not go?"

His voice was low, as if he was deliberately suppressing the joy in his tone, "Wait for me."

The two hung up the phone shortly afterward.

Yu Kui looked at the calendar again. It was already mid-December, just over ten days before New Year's Day. But just the day before New Year's Day, Xie Xingzhi's parents suddenly came to the city where he worked, saying that they were getting old and wanted Xie Xingzhi to return to City C to develop his career and take on the responsibility of supporting his elders and starting a family.

In the novel, Xie Xingzhi finally escaped his family of origin, but he did not follow their suggestion. He only said that he would give them alimony, but he would no longer live with them.

These words directly angered Xie's father. Coupled with his habit of domestic violence after drinking, he immediately grabbed a kitchen knife and angrily accused Xie Xingzhi of being heartless, ungrateful, and disowning his family. He said that if he had known Xie Xingzhi would turn against him, he should have strangled him to death back then.

Xie's mother also wanted her son to go back with her, so she tried to persuade him to consider her feelings and give in to Xie's father.

“Let’s go home,” she said with great heartache. “After all these years, even the biggest knot in your heart should be untied by now. Your father and I came here specifically to see you. Your father also promised me that he will never lose his temper because of drinking again, and that our family will be happy together.”

She looked at Xie Xingzhi pleadingly, hoping that her son could still be as obedient and sensible as before.

Unfortunately, Xie Xingzhi, now twenty-six, was no longer the little child who used to obey her every word.

“I will not go back.” He said coldly, “Neither now nor in the future, I will go back. That place is no longer my home.”

He didn't look at Xie's father, but instead focused his gaze on Xie's mother. "If you want to divorce him, I'll find you a place to move out. If you don't want a divorce, then that's it."

"What did you say?" Xie's mother's eyes immediately reddened. She hadn't expected her son to say such hurtful things. "I'm your closest person. If I hadn't given birth to you, if I hadn't protected you, you...you would have been..."

"You beast!" Xie's father, his eyes bloodshot, lunged at Xie Xingzhi with a kitchen knife, the blade aimed at his neck. "Since you don't acknowledge me, then give me back my life!"

After saying that, he swung the kitchen knife at Xie Xingzhi, his face contorted as if he wanted to cut off Xie Xingzhi's head!

Xie Xingzhi dodged backward, grabbed the knife hilt with his bare hand, and started arguing with his father in the living room.

Xie's father cursed and his bulging eyes resembled those of a cold-blooded animal. He kept pressing the blade against Xie Xingzhi's neck, but unfortunately, he was too old, while Xie Xingzhi was in his prime. In the contest of strength, he quickly lost to Xie Xingzhi.

Seeing that Xie Xingzhi was about to take the kitchen knife away, Xie's father roared at Xie's mother, "What are you still standing there for!"

As if waking from a dream, Xie's mother instinctively rushed over and blocked Xie Xingzhi's hand, crying out, "He's your father! Don't you remember? He held you when you were little and took you to the park. He was very good to us..."

"Have you forgotten?" She looked into Xie Xingzhi's eyes. "When he wasn't drinking, he never hit Mom. He even bought you toys and said he would take us on trips in the future... He's your father, you can't hurt him..."

Xie Xingzhi looked at her sorrowful face, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes. But that moment of hesitation gave Xie's father an opportunity, and he directly slashed Xie's neck with the blade.

A terrified scream rang out, and Xie's mother released Xie Xingzhi's hand as a large amount of blood gushed from his neck.

Xie's father used a kitchen knife to slit his carotid artery.

Xie Xingzhi stared intently at him and his father, clutching his wound as he reached for his phone on the sofa, but his father kicked him away. He yelled at his trembling mother, "What are you standing there for? You filthy bitch, do you want him to kill us?!"

"No, no!" Xie's mother looked at her son's blood-stained face and instinctively wanted to call the police, but then she heard Xie's father say, "If you dare to harm me, I'll kill you too!"

He had been completely consumed by alcohol, his eyes filled only with the madness of seeing blood. "Come here, hold him down!"

He sternly ordered Xie's mother, "Come here!"

Xie's mother froze, and subconsciously walked to Xie Xingzhi's side. Looking at his staggering figure, she wanted to cover his wound, but when she met Xie Xingzhi's cold eyes, she couldn't think of anything. She instinctively obeyed Xie's father's instructions and forcefully pressed down on her son's struggling body.

Blood flowed like a river from his neck, and he collapsed heavily to the ground. In his last moments, he heard his mother's pleading voice, "I held him down, I held him down! Please don't be angry anymore, I'll do whatever you say, I'll do whatever you say..."

The novel does not mention that Xie's parents were punished, but Xie Xingzhi's ending stands in stark contrast to Tao Jiang and Qin You's happy and sweet life.

Both characters are bound by their families of origin, but Tao Jiang, thanks to Qin You's redemption, escapes all darkness and lives a happy life. Xie Xingzhi, on the other hand, is killed by his own parents.

These inhuman parents may seem normal, but they have long since gone mad.

Although Yu Kui knew the novel by heart, she still felt a lump in her throat whenever she thought about Xie Xingzhi's ending.

Although she had tried to distance herself from him because of the plot, as they spent more time together, she couldn't bear to let him go to that end.

She didn't want Xie Xingzhi to die alone; she didn't want him to follow the fate of the novel.

She wanted to change his life.

Yu Kui kept track of the time and called home almost every day, urging Xie Xingzhi to come over as soon as possible. She wanted to take him on a picnic.

Seeing how anxious she was, Xie Xingzhi showed her a screenshot of the plane tickets he had bought, saying, "It'll only take two days, I won't keep you waiting too long."

Seeing that he bought tickets for the 20th, Yu Kui breathed a sigh of relief. "Have you finished the handover? I don't want to have to watch you handle work when I take you out to play."

“It’s being processed,” Xie Xingzhi said with a smirk. “I’ve taken a two-week break this time, so I can spend Christmas with you and also ring in the New Year together.”

When Yu Kui thinks of New Year's Eve, she thinks of the ring hidden in the Little Prince's breast.

“Xie Xingzhi,” she said in a very soft voice, “you are actually a very timid person.”

"Huh?" The man didn't hear what she said clearly. "What's wrong with me?"

"Xie Xingzhi, I'll be graduating next year," Yu Kui said. "Will you come pick me up when I return to China?"

“I’ll go abroad to help you move,” the man scoffed. “Otherwise, you’ll be dragging your feet and who knows how much longer you’ll drag this out.”

"We'll see," Yu Kui said, looking at the swirling snow outside the window. "Have you gone home?"

"Hmm." Xie Xingzhi was about to speak when there was a sudden, urgent knocking on the door.

"An assistant?" Yu Kui asked. "Are you busy again?"

Xie Xingzhi frowned. His assistant would give him advance notice if he needed to come over.

“It should be,” he said with a smile. “I’ll go check.”

Yu Kui instinctively wanted to hang up the phone, but then she heard a loud shout from outside the door, "Open the door! Open the door for me right now!"

The harsh roar immediately gave her a bad feeling.

"Xie Xingzhi," she couldn't help but ask, "who came from outside?"

“You’ve got the wrong neighbor’s door,” the man said casually. “That’s all for today. I’ll call you again tomorrow.”

“Don’t hang it up,” Yu Kui said immediately, “I’m worried about you being home alone.”

Xie Xingzhi paused for a moment, "Are you afraid something might happen to me?"

"Don't hang up," Yu Kui said, her palms sweating as she listened to the increasingly loud shouts outside the door. "Otherwise, I'll ignore you."

Xie Xingzhi sighed deeply, "Alright."

He didn't hang up the phone, but opened the door and saw the middle-aged man and woman standing outside. His eyes instantly turned cold.

"So you really do live here!" The middle-aged man stared at him with cloudy eyes and a gloomy expression. "You got into university and became a big boss, so you're not going to acknowledge your biological parents?"

He strode past Xie Xingzhi into the living room, looked at the simple and cozy decor, sat down on the sofa, and stared at Xie Xingzhi, "What are you looking at! Your father's here, aren't you going to serve tea and water? Do I have to remind you, the junior, what you should do?"

“Ah Zhi,” Xie’s mother glanced at her son and explained in a low voice, “You’ve been out for so long, your father and I have been very worried about you. We met with your high school classmate a few days ago and got your address from him. Don’t blame us for coming uninvited.”

After saying that, he lowered his head and sat down next to Xie's father.

Hearing their conversation, Yu Kui's heart leaped into her throat. She anxiously called out into the phone, "Xie Xingzhi, what happened to you? Do you need me to call the police?"

"What are you standing there for?" Xie's father put his shoes on the sofa and sneered, "You've made it big, but your mother and I aren't dead yet. As long as I'm alive, you're my son, and you have to do whatever I tell you to do."

"It's nothing," Xie Xingzhi said calmly. "You don't need to worry. My parents came to see me. They'll call you back later."

He then hung up the phone.

"Thank you, Xingzhi!" Yu Kui cried out, her face drained of color. "Thank you, Xingzhi!"

She didn't know what went wrong; the plot that was supposed to happen in ten days had suddenly started ahead of schedule.

Logically speaking, Xie Xingzhi's life trajectory is quite different from that in the novel. Even if Xie's parents wanted to find him, they would have to go through a lot of trouble. However, they managed to find out Xie Xingzhi's address accurately from his high school classmates.

This high school classmate must know Xie Xingzhi very well, or be very familiar with Xie Xingzhi's brothers, otherwise why would he tell Xie's parents such a precise location?

Yu Kui paced anxiously inside the house. She immediately looked up the phone number for the property management office and told them that Xie Xingzhi was feeling unwell, asking them to come upstairs and find him right away. Then she called Sun Chaoyang, who had started the business with Xie Xingzhi and was one of Xie Xingzhi's trusted associates. She used the same excuse to ask him to bring some people over to check on things.

Upon receiving the news, the property management staff and Sun Chaoyang immediately said they would rush over.

Seeing this, Yu Kui called Xie Xingzhi again, but the call never went through.

In her anxiety, she called the property management again to ask if they had found the patient, only to be told that they were still on their way.

At this point, Xie's parents had already mentioned that they wanted Xie Xingzhi to return to his hometown, "move the company back, find a woman to marry, and give me and your mother a grandson."

Mr. Xie said matter-of-factly, "We've raised you for so many years, it's time for us to enjoy our retirement."

He looked around the spacious apartment, his eyes darting back and forth. "If you don't want to go back, that's fine too. Your mother and I will move here and live with you. You can arrange for me to become a major shareholder in the company, and I'll work with you from now on."

He drank quite a bit on the way here, and his breath reeked of alcohol. "Your mother stays at home washing clothes and cooking for us, taking good care of us, father and son."

He made a firm decision and said, "Arrange it for me tomorrow."

“No,” Xie Xingzhi said coldly. “I will not leave you here, nor will I go back to your hometown with you. If you need money, I can provide you with alimony. Go back tomorrow.”

"What did you say?" Xie's father jumped up from the sofa, staring at him fiercely. "Say it again!"

Xie Xingzhi did not avoid his gaze. "I said, I do not agree to your request."

"You unfilial son!" Father Xie strode forward and slapped him across the face. "I think you're tired of living, you ungrateful wretch!"

“Old Xie,” Xie’s mother hurriedly grabbed him and pleaded, “Talk to the child properly. A-Zhi is not an unreasonable person. He will understand us.”

“No,” Xie Xingzhi said firmly, “I can’t go back.”

"You," Xie's mother said, her eyes revealing obvious disappointment, "how could you have become like this?"

From childhood to adulthood, Xie Xingzhi was always very filial to her. When she was beaten by her husband, he stood in front of her like a little soldier. He was her proudest son.

But now, his eyes are cold, his attitude is resolute, and he looks as if he wants to sever all ties with them, which is very different from the son she remembers.

“You’re not my son,” Xie’s mother said instinctively. “My son wouldn’t say something like that.”

She stared at Xie Xingzhi with an almost piercing gaze, blurting out, "Who exactly corrupted you? Who taught you to talk to me and your father like that? Don't you want to acknowledge me as your mother anymore? Have you been instigated by those little bitches outside and want to abandon me? Huh? Say something!"

In front of her husband, she was like a punching bag subjected to endless humiliation, always submissive and begging for mercy. But when facing her son, she became incredibly sharp, her eyes filled with a chilling oppression, as if she wanted to crush her son in the palm of her hand.

Overwhelmed by emotions, even her eyebrows and eyes became ferocious.

Like a female ghost who had been drowning for many years, bloated and eroded, the fire burning in her eyes was no longer the care a mother has for her son, but a twisted, cruel, and insane hatred and resentment.

He is my own child, how can he escape my control?

"Why bother telling him all this?" Xie's father shoved Xie's mother away violently. "This ungrateful beast should have been thrown out to feed the dogs the moment he was born!"

He said to Xie Xingzhi in a condescending tone, "I'm not discussing this with you, I'm ordering you. If you don't obey, the company will be shut down."

He traveled a long way to get his son home, not simply to bring him back; the company was his ultimate goal.

Xie Xingzhi looked into the two men's identical eyes, his face expressionless. "My answer remains the same. If you don't want to leave tomorrow, I'll have someone send you back now."

"How dare you!" Xie's father was so angry that his eyes turned red, and he looked at Xie Xingzhi with hatred. He glanced at the kitchen not far away and rushed in almost impatiently. When he came out, he was holding a sharp kitchen knife. "If you don't listen to me today, you'll pay me back for this life!"

After saying that, he ignored Xie's mother's screams and rushed towards Xie Xingzhi, pointing the blade at his neck. "After you die, your mother and I will have another baby, and we'll still live a good life."

Seeing the approaching blade, Xie Xingzhi's expression changed for a moment. No matter how calm he was, he still felt dizzy when he saw his father ruthlessly trying to kill him.

"Old Xie!" Xie's mother rushed forward to stop him. "What are you doing? Even if Azhi is disobedient, he's still our son. If you hurt him, what will I do in the future..."

After saying that, she tried to grab the kitchen knife, but Xie's father slapped her twice across the face, yelling, "Get out!"

When Xie's mother was knocked to the ground and looked up again, she only saw Xie Xingzhi and Xie's father fighting. Her vision went black, and she hurriedly crawled over to try to separate them. But Xie's father said, "He doesn't even recognize us anymore, why do you still care about his life or death? If you dare to help him, I'll beat you to death today, and all the wealth and glory will be mine!"

Xie's mother paused, watching helplessly as Xie's father pressed the blade against his son, expecting him to beg for mercy. However, Xie Xingzhi did not speak, but instead snatched the kitchen knife away.

"You bastard! What are you standing there for!" Xie's father shouted, "Hurry up and help me! If we don't teach him a lesson today, he won't know who he is!"

As if waking from a dream, Xie's mother looked at Xie Xingzhi's overly cold eyes and subconsciously went over to restrain him, saying, "Xingzhi, your father didn't mean to hit you. He was just too angry. As long as you apologize properly, he will definitely forgive you."

She grabbed Xie Xingzhi's clothes and, together with Xie's father, tried to wrest the kitchen knife from him. Xie Xingzhi looked at her impatient appearance, a dark shadow flashing across his eyes. That deeply hidden emotion was submerged in his narrow eyes the moment Xie's mother was about to touch the kitchen knife.

Thinking she had subdued him, Xie's mother was about to speak to her husband when she saw him, drunk, using a kitchen knife to cut his son's neck!

Xie's mother's pupils contracted sharply. Just as she was about to stop him, Xie's father said, "If you don't listen, then you can die! All of you, die!"

Terrifying memories flooded her mind: the frequent beatings and death threats that made even breathing painful. She stood motionless until her father shouted at her, at which point she went forward to help like a walking corpse.

Only one thought remained in her mind: she and her husband were one. It was right for her husband to teach her a lesson when their son did something wrong. She couldn't be a loving mother; she had to be a strict one so that her son could come back to her.

Until the blade drew near Xie Xingzhi—

Until her husband broke into a hearty smile—

She held Xie Xingzhi's hands down tightly.

She wants her son to come back so that they can live together as a family.

Didn't she say that her husband used to treat her very well, and that he promised to take good care of her and their child? She believed he would keep his word.

As long as my son stops being so willful, that's all that matters.

As long as their son can be the same as before, the three of them will never be separated.

The blade flashed, followed by a sharp "crack," and then the air fell silent.

Fresh blood dripped from his arm and fell onto the clean floor with a "plop" sound.

Whose blood is that?

The woman slowly raised her head, and the moment she saw her son's face, she couldn't help but scream.

"Ah!" she cried out, standing up as if possessed.

However, Xie's father grabbed her hair and slammed her against the wall.

it's all over.

When the property management staff broke down the door, they saw Xie Xingzhi's arm covered in blood.

"Mr. Xie!" The property manager rushed over and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Xie Xingzhi raised his head, revealing a cold and stern face.

Yu Kui called Xie Xingzhi many times but no one answered, so she booked a flight back to China immediately. She wanted to see Xie Xingzhi right away.

During the two hours she waited to board the plane, a jumble of random thoughts flooded her mind. She was afraid that Xie Xingzhi would end up like the characters in the novel, and she was also afraid that he would get hurt.

Her fingers trembled uncontrollably as she regretted not having sent him abroad sooner, so he could have avoided the danger.

But she also knew that if she couldn't completely resolve the issue with Xie's parents, they would be like time bombs, ready to explode in Xie Xingzhi's life at any moment.

Xie Xingzhi could not truly avoid them, nor could she truly let go of the worries in her heart.

I just hope things aren't as bad as she thinks.

In the novel, he had nothing to cherish, so he gave up on life not long after his mother suppressed him.

But now that he has a successful career and friends like them, will he make the same choice again?

More than ten hours later, the plane landed.

She contacted Xie Xingzhi again, and this time the call finally went through. The moment she heard the familiar voice, Yu Kui's tense nerves finally relaxed. "I'm back in China."

She said to Xie Xingzhi, "Where are you now? I want to see you."

"The hospital." Xie Xingzhi paused for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice, "I'll have my assistant come pick you up right now."

"I took a taxi." Yu Kui dragged her suitcase and arrived at the hospital by taxi.

She jogged to the ward door, and just as she was about to push it open, a man in a suit came out. When he saw her, he looked surprised. "Yu Kui? The boss was just about to ask me to pick you up by the roadside."

"Where's Xie Xingzhi?" Yu Kui ignored him and walked into the ward with her suitcase. When she saw Xie Xingzhi's arm wrapped in gauze, her eyes changed. "Are you alright?"

Xie Xingzhi shook his head and sat up from the bed. "The wound has been stitched up, but you still need to stay in the hospital for observation for another day."

Yu Kui sat down beside him and carefully examined his neck. Seeing no injuries, she felt relieved. "After you hung up the phone yesterday, I guessed something bad had happened to you, but I couldn't get through, so I thought I'd come back to check on you..."

She had her head slightly lowered, her eyelids shadowed by lack of rest, and her hair was disheveled and draped over her shoulders, clearly indicating that she had rushed back from abroad.

Seeing how concerned she was about his safety, Xie Xingzhi's fingertips trembled slightly, and his eyes seemed to be brimming with intense emotions, but he still pretended to be calm and said, "I'm fine, I just suffered a minor injury. You shouldn't have come back."

“There’s no right or wrong,” Yu Kui raised her head, her eyes slightly red. “You’re my friend, and I’d worry if I suddenly couldn’t reach you.”

“I know,” Xie Xingzhi stared intently at her, as if trying to imprint her image in his heart forever. “I’m fine, don’t be afraid.”

"What exactly happened?" Yu Kui asked him, "How did you suddenly get injured? Who came looking for you?"

Even if she knew the plot of the novel, she could not reveal it to Xie Xingzhi.

Before Xie Xingzhi could speak, Sun Chaoyang said viciously, "It's the boss's parents. I don't know what's wrong with them. They used to ignore the boss, but now they insist on coming over and even want to kill someone. I really don't know what they're thinking."

Yu Kui's breath hitched, and she turned to Xie Xingzhi for confirmation. The latter's expression was very calm: "They wanted me to go back to City C, but I didn't agree, which led to the argument."

He did not hide his family background. "They were in poor mental condition. After giving their statements at the police station yesterday, they were sent to a mental hospital for diagnosis. The results were not optimistic. On the doctor's advice, I have sent them to a mental hospital."

He looked at Yu Kui and said softly, "I will have the caregiver take good care of them from now on."

His words were concise, but in reality, after Xie's parents were admitted to the mental hospital, he arranged for someone to cause an accident that broke both of their legs, so that even if they wanted to do evil later, they would not be able to leave the mental hospital.

They will never see him again in their lifetime.

“My relationship with them has never been good,” Xie Xingzhi said, looking at Yu Kui’s calm face. He explained in a low voice, “When I went back to City C before, I gave them alimony so they could enjoy their retirement. But they wanted to join the company and control my life. I disagreed, which angered them. If you hadn’t sent Sun Chaoyang and the property management company over, I don’t know what would have happened next. Thank you, Yu Kui.”

He didn't want her to be exposed to the dark side of his life, but since it had already happened, he wanted her to know the truth rather than keep it a secret.

"So that's how it is," Yu Kui said, still shaken. "Thank goodness you're alright, otherwise I..."

Seeing that she wasn't afraid of her family of origin, Xie Xingzhi finally smiled faintly, "Thank you for coming back to see me."

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head slightly. Although his expression was calm, his heart was not at peace.

He was already used to his parents' attacks and insults; he cared more about Yu Kui's thoughts and worried that she might distance herself from him because of it.

“It’s good that you’re alright,” Yu Kui looked into his eyes. “You can’t choose your parents, but you can decide your own life. As long as your inner world is independent and rich, and as long as you can feel peace and happiness in your life, then they can’t affect you.”

"When we live in this world, other people's expectations are not important. What matters is your own thoughts, what kind of person you want to become, and what kind of life you want to live. As long as you have your own judgment, those broken and painful memories are wounds that do not need to be avoided."

"Xie Xingzhi, in your heart, do you represent yourself, or your parents?"

She asked him, "Are you the Xie Xingzhi I know, or the Xie Xingzhi who will lose his mind in the future? Are you the Xie Xingzhi who will come to find me during the earthquake, or the Xie Xingzhi who is afraid of going crazy?"

"Are you Xie Xingzhi, who is trying to break free from his family of origin, or Xie Xingzhi whose heart is filled with darkness?"

She looked into his eyes, not wanting to miss a single spark of light in them.

Xie Xingzhi did not avoid her gaze and answered without hesitation, "I am the Xie Xingzhi you know, I am myself."

Yu Kui finally smiled. "I believe you, Xie Xingzhi."

"I believe the Xie Xingzhi I saw."

Xie Xingzhi laughed, but his eyes were watery. He stared intently at Yu Kui, wanting to reach out and hug her.

"Ugh," Sun Chaoyang, standing at the door, felt a pang of irritation. "What are you doing? Have you forgotten I even exist?"

Yu Kui blinked and changed the subject, asking, "When can you be discharged from the hospital?"

"This afternoon," Xie Xingzhi said, "Are you tired? I'll book you a hotel so you can go and rest first."

"I'll be right here," Yu Kui said, lying by the bedside. "I'll be with you as you leave the hospital."

At this point, she suddenly remembered something, "Why would your parents come looking for you so late at night? Did you give them your address?"

"It's all because of that beast Xu Ye!" Sun Chaoyang said angrily. "He came to us before, saying he wanted to join the company and make money with us. The boss disagreed and had him kicked out. After he went back, he spread the word about our company everywhere and deliberately tried to get the boss's parents to come over..."

Mentioning his high school friend, Sun Chaoyang became indignant, "He didn't know our boss's address originally. He insisted on sending us local specialties, and thinking of our past friendship, I gave him our boss's address. I never expected..."

“It’s my fault,” he said, his eyes red. “If I had been more careful, none of this would have happened.”

Fortunately, Xie Xingzhi was not in mortal danger, otherwise he would never have been able to eat or sleep peacefully for the rest of his life.

Yu Kui remained noncommittal upon hearing this, after all, Xie Xingzhi was his childhood friend.

But Sun Chaoyang knew that Xie Xingzhi had already fallen out with Xu Ye, yet he still revealed the address. What about the future? If someone else becomes close to him, will he inadvertently implicate Xie Xingzhi again?

This time, Xie Xingzhi escaped death because he wasn't determined to die, and the property management arrived quickly enough. But what if he hadn't been so lucky? What would Xie Xingzhi have done then?

"We're opening a branch in City C. You should go there after the New Year," Xie Xingzhi said calmly. "Don't associate with Xu Ye anymore, or we won't even be able to remain brothers."

Sun Chaoyang's current success is due to Xie Xingzhi's guidance. In addition, Sun Chaoyang is sensible and obedient, and takes the initiative to go out and solicit business. Xie Xingzhi is also willing to let him be his assistant. However, if he makes a wrong judgment due to emotional reasons, he will not show any mercy.

He can still distinguish between public and private matters.

“I know,” Sun Chaoyang was also frightened this time, “I’ll definitely give him a few good punches when I see him.”

In reality, Xu Ye had already been put in prison by Xie Xingzhi's connections. He was never a law-abiding person, so it was too easy to find something on him. Now that he's in prison, it's uncertain whether he'll be able to get out unscathed.

He wouldn't let such a potential threat continue to cause trouble.

Yu Kui glanced at the time and asked Xie Xingzhi if he was hungry, saying she would go out to buy lunch.

"I'll have the hotel deliver it." Xie Xingzhi made a phone call, and soon after, along with lunch, a bed arrived.

After dinner, Yu Kui lay down on the bed to catch up on her sleep.

These past ten-plus hours have been incredibly time-consuming and exhausting for her; she's so tired she can barely keep her eyes open.

"Xie Xingzhi," she mumbled, struggling to stay awake, "It's so good to see you safe and sound."

It's wonderful to see you change your destiny.

The man's expression froze.

Yu Kui had already drifted off into a sweet dream.

Xie Xingzhi leaned against the headboard, gazing at her with obvious tenderness in his narrow eyes.

He never expected Yu Kui to come back specifically for him, nor did he expect her to care about him so much.

Perhaps, his place in her heart was far more important than she imagined.

This guess made his blood boil.