After dumping the poor tycoon, 18
During breakfast, neither of them mentioned the kiss, as if it were just a trivial matter.
When Qi An'an had eaten about 80% of her fill, she suddenly asked, "Has your father been looking for you again?"
Gu Shi stopped drinking water, his sharp gaze falling on her face, his tone hardening, "What do you want to say?"
The Qi family is facing internal and external troubles, and he doesn't want her to waste her energy on the Qi family.
On the other hand, he didn't have a good impression of the Qi family, and her accident five years ago... wasn't necessarily an accident.
Qi An'an shook her head and said seriously, "I hope things can be simpler between us. I don't want my family's affairs to get involved."
Gu Shi looked at her steadily and said, "Just don't worry about it."
"How can I stay out of my family's affairs?" She didn't want the Qi family to implicate him, as that would also affect her mission progress.
She changed the subject, saying, "But there's nothing I can do to help."
Gu Shi said, "You're quite self-aware."
"Ah, everyone says I lack self-awareness, but how come you seem to have it?"
"..."
Gu Shi was silent for a moment, then said, "Have Lin Zheng help you move your things over. After today, you won't need to go to the sanatorium anymore."
"Lin Zheng?"
"He likes people to call him Xiao Lin, it makes him sound more like a working-class person."
"...He's quite interesting."
Gu Shi glanced at her upon hearing this.
Qi An'an thought she had said something wrong, "What's wrong?"
He looked away and shook his head.
She asked, "So, will we be staying in hotels from now on?"
"You have a problem with that?"
"But I want to go home and visit first."
Gu Shi replied curtly, "Whatever."
Sensing the air becoming stuffy, Qi An'an pretended not to notice, slowly finished the water in her glass, and then spoke, "I have a house that I haven't lived in yet. I checked, and the house is still in my name. Should we move in there sometime?"
Gu Shi: "..."
He seemed to pause for a moment, but the chill emanating from him still made people want to stay away. "No need."
"Okay," Qi An'an said, only mentioning it briefly.
He wanted to stay in a hotel, probably because it was convenient. Her villa was in the middle of nowhere, and she had only used it twice before for parties.
Moreover, she used to constantly make grand promises like "I want to give you a home," and Gu Shi probably still has some psychological trauma from that.
——
Gu Shi took a while to change clothes today and left very late.
Qi An'an went back to sleep until she was woken up by Jiang Mei's phone call.
Jiang Mei's claim that Qi Ning was an illegitimate child has been exposed, making Qi Dong's situation even worse.
Jiang Mei implied that Qi Dong was utterly worthless in her words.
Seeing her ex-husband in this state, she felt a sense of satisfaction.
But Qi An'an was caught in a dilemma.
She should be focusing on Gu Shi, but the house is a mess... Can she really just stand by and do nothing?
As if knowing her thoughts, Xiao Hei firmly said, "I don't care, I don't look, I don't know. An'an, we just need to appease the Chosen One, the rest is none of our business."
Qi An'an nodded, "Mm."
Yunxiao Sanatorium.
Qi An'an cooperated with the physical examination, and then returned to the ward with Zeng Xiaoxia.
Zeng Xiaoxia was very emotional, and she kept talking the whole way, "It's good to be discharged from the hospital. I don't have to run around anymore, and it will be more comfortable to stay at home. But remember to get plenty of sunshine, pay attention to a balanced diet, and don't rush into exercising, lest it have the opposite effect. You need to go for a follow-up visit every now and then..."
Qi An'an nodded at the right moment, "I know, I know."
“You child…” Zeng Xiaoxia smiled helplessly, and finally said, “You finally made it through. Luckily you persevered. I’ve seen too many people who have to give up treatment… sigh.”
Qi An'an followed up with her question, "Didn't you say my medical expenses had stopped? Who was the kind person who helped me pay them back? Can I find out their identity so I can repay them in the future?"
Zeng Xiaoxia nodded, "There are records, but I'm not very clear about them. Also, some people do good deeds but don't want to leave their names, so I need to ask the colleague in charge of this."
Qi An'an felt that this kind person was very likely Gu Shi and wanted to confirm it.
"Then could you please ask for me, Sister Xiaoxia?"
"good."
Zeng Xiaoxia agreed.
Since Qi An'an had nothing else to do, she went along with her.
As they passed a building, Xiao Hei asked in confusion, "Qi Ning is here."
Why is Ke Qining here?
Qi An'an stopped and looked at the quiet building in front of her, feeling a sense of unease.
"Sister Xia, who lives here?"
Zeng Xiaoxia looked up, her expression somewhat complicated. She wasn't sure whether she should say anything, so she simply said, "They all have some mental issues. I don't know anything else."
"oh……"
Qi An'an nodded.
She slowed her pace and, as she passed the gate, her gaze fell upon Qi Ning's back.
"Sister Xiaoxia, I saw my brother. I'll go check on him and then I'll come find you later."
Qi An'an left a message and ran into the building.
At the reception desk, she went straight to the point and asked, "Hello, who is Qining visiting?"
Qi An'an's face was a passport to Yunxiao Sanatorium, and almost all the medical staff were very patient and gentle with her.
People who don't know her might think she's the owner of this nursing home.
Soon, Qi An'an got the elevator card.
Room 501.
Qi An'an came to the door and looked in through the small glass window.
The spacious room, though not cluttered with many items, still looked messy, with pillows and blankets scattered on the floor, as if the patient had just thrown a tantrum.
Further inside, there was a woman in a wheelchair, and Qi Ning squatting in front of her.
The woman living here is named Wenci. She suffers from intermittent mental illness and was brought here a year ago.
Qi Ning visits her almost every month.
Wen Ci is the woman Jiang Mei mentioned, Qi Dong's mistress.
However, Jiang Mei was not familiar with her, and even less expected that she lived in Yunxiao Sanatorium.
It seems that Wen Ci and Qi Ning have been in contact for quite some time now.
Wen Ci looked ten years older than Jiang Mei, with a lot of gray hair, not to mention the wrinkles on her face.
"Ah Ning, you've finally arrived. I think I heard someone mention Qi An'an. What happened to her? Wasn't she dead?"
The hoarse voice sounded like it came from an old man, which was very eerie.
Qi An'an hesitated between leaving and staying. Just as she was about to take a step away, she suddenly heard a heavy slap!
She looked inside in surprise and saw the woman in the wheelchair raise her hand and slap Qi Ning. The force was so great that she could feel it even through the door.
That guy is really crazy.
Is there anyone who would hit someone like that?
"Ah Ning, you're lying to me! Didn't you say she was dead? Why is she still alive and well?!"
The hysterical voice rang out, and Qi An'an found it jarring.
Qi Ning kept his head down, his eyelids drooping quietly. There was a faint taste of blood in his mouth, but it didn't bother him at all.
"Mom, my sister isn't dead." His voice was low, only Wen Ci could hear it. "She's doing very well."
That last sentence felt like a sharp blade to Wen Ci, piercing right into her wounds.
Her eyes were bloodshot, and she suddenly grabbed Qi Ning by the neck. "How could she! Qi Ning! Are you helping her! How could she not be dead? What will happen to my son!"
Qi Ning gripped the wheelchair armrests tightly, the veins on the back of her hands bulging, but she did not resist.
With a "click," the door was pushed open, and a figure quickly walked in.
Qi Ning was clearly facing away from that direction, but he knew who that person was.
Even in her frenzy, Wen Ci clearly recognized her. She stared at Qi An'an, as if frozen in time, "Qi...Qi An'an!"
"Qining, get up."
Qi An'an pried Wen Ci's hand away, pulled Qi Ning up, and frowned as she looked at his face and neck.
"Why is my sister here?" Qi Ning calmly adjusted his shirt collar, seemingly oblivious to the handprint on his cheek.
Qi An'an replied, "Why would I come? Don't you know?"
Qi Ning has been registering visits quite frequently this month. Yesterday, he came to see Wen Ci after he finished visiting her.
It seems he deliberately revealed Wen Ci's existence to her.
But she had no idea what he was really thinking.
Qi Ning's eyelids drooped. "Is my sister angry with me?"
Qi An'an used to think he was just quiet and reserved, but now she thinks he's more like a dull and lifeless person.
"I'll talk to you later." After she finished speaking, she looked at the woman in the wheelchair and sized her up from head to toe.
Wen Ci had been calling Qi An'an so affectionately, but now that she actually saw her, she looked like she'd seen a ghost, her eyes filled with terror. "A Ning, come here, come to Mommy's side."
Qi Ning didn't move.
Wen Ci seemed to have an extremely strong desire to control him. When she saw that he didn't listen to her, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "A Ning! Didn't you hear what your mother said to you?"
Qi An'an stepped in front of Qi Ning, "Shall I go over there and let you hit me?"
"Qi An'an, this has nothing to do with you, get out of here!!"
"You've seen me before, but I don't recognize you. Have you been secretly investigating me?"
"Don't think too highly of yourself! Besides, I have nothing to do with the Qi family, so you don't need to come here to laugh at me!"
Wen Ci picked up the breakfast box next to her and angrily threw it at Qi An'an!
Qi Ning pulled her aside to avoid it.
The lunchbox smashed against the wall, spilling dumplings and soup all over the floor.
"Get out! All of you, get out!"
Wen Ci's eyes were bloodshot as she stared fiercely at Qi An'an.
Qi An'an found it jarring, so she took Qi Ning's hand and walked towards the door.
Qi Ning remained a good-natured puppet, quietly following her out of the ward.
Qi An'an asked the nurse for an ice pack, handed it to Qi Ning, and the two walked into the deserted glass corridor.
Faint noise could be heard coming from some unknown ward.
"Does she often hit you?" Qi An'an sat down beside her.
"More when I was a child."
"Aren't you in pain? You won't fight back?"
"When she's lucid, she's very nice to me."
Qi An'an stared at his unmoved expression, speechless for a moment. After a long while, she finally blurted out without any politeness, "Are you stupid?"
Qi Ning was still smiling, but there was no light in her eyes. "Then... what should I do?"
It's normal for stray dogs to be bullied; they're just silly and happily run up to anyone who smiles at them.
Qi An'an felt his smile was very strange, and suddenly reached out and pinched his face.
He had an ice pack on one side of his face, while the other side was slightly distorted from being pinched by her. His dazed look made him seem much more real.
Qi An'an asked, "Why did you tell her I was dead?"
Qi Ning gently pushed her hand away and whispered, "It's annoying to ask all the time."
"She really wants me dead?" She paused. "And what about you? Do you want me dead? That way you could be the sole heir of the Qi family. Of course, it seems there's nothing to inherit now."
They might even end up with debt.
The idea that children should pay for their parents' debts is a common one.
"What answer does sister want to hear?" Qi Ning was neither guilty nor flustered; her tone was even somewhat serious. "Death is peaceful, but living seems pretty good too."
Qi An'an: "...You dare to say anything."
Qi Ning chuckled softly.
But soon, his smile disappeared, and he slowly said, "She wanted to kill you and even carried it out. The accident that caused you to become a vegetable was her doing."
Qi An'an: ?
Her plan to fake her death was her own, so how did it turn into murder?
These things weren't mentioned at all in the plot!
Xiao Hei was also completely bewildered.
Until Qi Ning said, "She's not in good mental health and often talks about this."
Qi An'an: "Don't make things up without evidence."
She hadn't expected Qi Ning to bring these things up with her.
After all, she was his biological mother.
Qi Ning: "Mm."
Qi An'an then said, "Don't go to the company today, I'll go home with you."
"Are you going home?"
"Hmm, are there no rooms left for me?"
Qi Ning blinked gently, "How could that be?"
Qi An'an was about to go home with Qi Ning when, unexpectedly, she was blocked by two burly men as soon as she stepped out of the building.
"President Qi asked us to take Miss home."
"..." Is this what you call sending someone home? It's clearly a kidnapping.
Lin Zheng watched the car carrying the Qi family bodyguards leave while making a phone call to Gu Shi.
"Mr. Gu, Miss Qi has been picked up and taken home by two bodyguards."
The person on the other end simply responded and then hung up.
Lin Zheng couldn't understand President Gu's romantic drama-like love affairs either; he was only responsible for diligently carrying luggage.
——
That evening, Gu Shi returned to the hotel and stood at the door for a long time before finally opening it.
The room was dark and silent.
She hadn't lived here for many days, but how could he have gotten used to her presence so quickly?
Gu Shi picked up his phone, then put it down again.
He dragged his heavy body into the bathroom, and with a soft ring of his phone, he picked it up from the side, ignoring his still wet hands.
Qi An'an: A-Shi, are you back at the hotel? I'm going to sleep now, goodnight.
Gu Shi stared at the message for a long time before typing out a single word: "Mm."
He understood what Qi Dong meant.
Qi Dong originally intended to use her as a bargaining chip in exchange for investment.
At the Qi family home, Qi An'an, wrapped in a blanket, leaned comfortably against the headboard. Only after seeing Gu Shihui's message did she put down her phone.
The Qi family's old house has been inhabited by three generations. The small estate covers a large area, and in five years, it seems that there has not been much change here.
However, this property will likely be mortgaged.
Qi Dong had just spoken to her earnestly, telling her to stay at home with peace of mind, but she knew exactly what he was planning.
Now the whole circle knows that Qi Dong is selling his daughter, and they're all laughing at him.
Qi An'an got out of bed, pushed open the door and went out.
The corridor was chilly. She arrived at Qi Ning's door, knocked twice but no one answered, so she simply opened the door and went in.
Qi Ning was indeed taking a bath.
She sat on the small sofa by the window and picked up an open magazine to read.
A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened and Qi Ning stepped out.
With a towel wrapped around his lean waist, he dried his hair with one hand, and stopped in his tracks when his gaze fell on Qi An'an, his expression stiffening slightly.
Qi An'an looked up and saw the scars on his body. She wasn't surprised, but her voice turned cold. "She did this?"
After her initial surprise, Qi Ning quickly regained her lifeless demeanor. "Hmm. What brings you here, sister?"
He didn't even try to cover up those ugly scars.
He knew his true identity since he was old enough to understand things, because Wen Ci would come to see him every week, and sometimes Qi Dong would be there too.
Wen Ci has mental problems. She is very kind to him at times, but she will also use violence against him if he says something that makes her unhappy.
He felt like he might be crazy too. He wasn't afraid of pain; even when Wen Ci scalded him with boiling water, he didn't utter a sound.
She called him a monster.
Qi Dong initially blamed Wen Ci, but later he also cursed the mother and son as monsters.
Qi An'an didn't let Qi Ning change the subject, "Did she do all of this?"
Qi Ning gestured to her hands, her arms covered with countless knife scars. "Some of them I did myself."
Qi An'an suddenly stood up, "Are you crazy, Qi Ning!"
Qi Ning met her gaze, then lowered her head. "I'm sorry, sister, I scared you."
Qi An'an was at her wits' end. She searched through her memories but still couldn't figure out when her younger brother had become like this.
After all, she had only been in this world for less than a year, and the memories she had of being with Qi Ning were not even ones she had personally experienced.
“I’ll go with you to see a psychologist tomorrow,” she said solemnly.
Qi Ning nodded seriously, "Okay."
Seeing how obedient he was, Qi An'an felt very complicated.
His mind has become so twisted.
But he took the initiative to confess to her... What was he thinking?
Her phone suddenly vibrated. Qi An'an saw it was Gu Shi and answered without thinking, "A-Shi?"
The voice, which had been serious just moments before, instantly became soft and sweet.
Qi Ning stared intently at her vivid features.
In his memory, this older sister seemed to have no worries and was always so happy, especially in front of Gu Shi.
Do you know where that blue cup on the coffee table is?
Gu Shi's businesslike voice came from the phone.
Qi Ning heard it too.
He knew exactly what that man was thinking.
Qi An'an seemed oblivious, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "I don't quite remember, did you take it back to the study?"
Gu Shi: "I didn't see any."
Qi An'an: "Then..."
Before she could speak, Qi Ning, who had already moved closer, whispered, "Sister, why don't you go back to your room first? I'll get dressed and come find you."
"Oh, okay..." Qi An'an took her phone and walked out.
Suddenly, Gu Shi on the other end of the phone asked, "Where are you?"
Qi An'an belatedly realized what was happening. She glanced back and wondered if her younger brother was doing this on purpose.
Qi Ning smiled at her, her expression pure and innocent.
She walked out of the room and answered Gu Shi, "I'm in my brother's room, talking to him about something."
Gu Shi's tone was so cold and hard it was as if he were stating a fact: "Let's talk without clothes on."
Qi An'an: "...He just finished showering, but he has a bath towel."
She told him honestly, lest he overthink things in the hotel and pile all the blame onto her...
Besides, Qi Ning is her younger brother, so what's so great about being jealous?
"Did you find the cup?" she asked, getting back to the main point.
A cold snort came from the phone, and the call ended.
Qi An'an: "..."
It's so sour it'll kill him.
She suddenly turned around and flung open Qi Ning's room door.
Qi Ning was about to change her pants when she heard the noise, so she could only press down on the loose bath towel to cover herself.
Even the most composed and yandere person will inevitably break down at this moment.
"elder sister?"
Qi An'an stood at the door, her eyes fixed on his embarrassed state, feeling great. "If you trick me like that again, I'll beat you to death."
Qi Ning: "..."
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