Chapter 22 The abortion pills did what you wanted; the child was finally gone. ...
When Qin Lingchuan woke up to bright sunlight, there was no one beside him.
He was dressed properly, his belt was fastened, and his arms were re-bandaged and tied in knots.
He didn't hear a thing about when she left.
He has an excellent alcohol tolerance, so there's absolutely no way he would forget things after drinking.
Just as I was about to get up, I glanced at the bedside table and saw an envelope under the lamp.
Qin Lingchuan suddenly had a bad feeling. He opened it and found 200 yuan in cash inside. He shook it and found some coins.
He planned to call T, only to find that all his contact information had been blocked.
Qin Lingchuan laughed in exasperation. Did they really think he was a male model?
It's only worth 201 yuan?!
With a calculating glint in his eyes, he planned to go find Ruozhen, but on the way, he heard the news that Xia Ruozhen and Aunt Xia had an accident together.
When he arrived, all he saw was blood everywhere and Youzhen rushing over.
Since then, Youzhen has been under Zhou Yuanli's control.
Unable to contact Youzhen, Qin Lingchuan went to negotiate with Zhou Qingyue first.
Since being stabbed in London, Qin Lingchuan has unexpectedly benefited from the misfortune and ended up getting involved with Zhou Qingyue.
After all, the Zhou family was still ruled by his grandfather, and he was happy to enjoy family life.
After all these years, Zhou Qingyue has finally found his eldest grandson.
The eldest grandson, who used to play on his lap and wouldn't enter the house without seeing him, has finally returned.
Yuanli was fine, but he didn't like his second daughter-in-law, Fan Jia, which led to him having to bury his child.
Now that he has another person to help him manage things, he is overjoyed.
Qin Lingchuan stood in the study on the second floor of the Zhou family's old house. He had secretly memorized the layout of the room, and he deliberately did not look at the safe.
With his back to the black lacquered bookcase and facing the old man, he said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "The Zhou family has always wanted to annex the Xia family. I am making plans for you, but also for my own sake."
Zhou Qingyue scrutinized him with keen insight. Admittedly, there was a hint of calculation mixed in with his sincerity, but he was still smug: "This is my good grandson. However, that Xia Youzhen is a major concern for me. As you know, she and Yuanli are close."
Qin Lingchuan acted first and reported later, having been prepared in advance: "You are also a granddaughter-in-law, but now you have more than one grandson."
Zhou Qingyue stood up, leaning on his dragon-headed cane, and walked to the window. "I've heard about this from Lao Li. You were originally engaged to her sister. Although Youzhen and Zhou Yuanli didn't have a formal engagement banquet, their relatives and friends all assumed they were a couple. If your siblings are involved in this situation, the gossip will be terrible..."
"I don't care what people say," Qin Lingchuan sneered, his voice cold. "Besides, the one I'm engaged to is Miss Youzhen. She's the one who attended the engagement banquet, and she's the one I'm going to marry. It's just that someone switched the invitations."
Old man: "Is that so?"
Qin Lingchuan: "Besides, her aunt hasn't been found yet, and the other 30% of the shares haven't been acquired. You don't want things to remain unresolved indefinitely, do you?"
The old man tapped his cane again and again, reiterating his inner turmoil with each tap.
Qin Lingchuan continued to offer advice: "As long as we get rid of her aunt and keep Youzhen firmly under my control, then the control of the Xia family will all be yours, right?"
The old man's expression suddenly changed: "Xia Youzhen! Xia Youzhen! Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman. What kind of bewitching potion did she give you two brothers to make you fight over her to this extent?"
Like the sky before a typhoon, the wind blows and the clouds move quickly and heavily, and you never know when a downpour will strike.
Qin Lingchuan remained calm, glancing at her without much emotion: "Women are not included in my rules of the game. Grandpa only said whether or not you want the 30% share."
Zhou Qingyue glared at Qin Lingchuan, wishing he could dig his entire body out of this space, only to be tricked by a junior at the very end.
He waved his hand, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, signaling Qin Lingchuan to leave.
Qin Lingchuan put on an extremely filial act, silently withdrew, and even closed the door behind him.
Things went much more smoothly than he had imagined. With such a scandal in the family, old stories from over twenty years ago were being brought up again. If the old man refused to acknowledge the family out of consideration for his dignity, he would naturally use the shares as leverage.
Unexpectedly, the old man not only accepted the offer, but also entrusted him with managing the hotel business.
Qin Lingchuan made only one request: to move into the Zhou family's house.
Zhou Qingyue readily agreed. He needed someone to keep Zhou Yuanli in check. The Zhou family had always been clean, and he couldn't let his spoiled grandson do whatever he wanted, or send the whole family to prison to live out their old age.
Qin Lingchuan naturally obtained the combination to the safe in the study.
To his surprise, the safe contained no valuables or confidential documents, but a small paper star.
Judging from the creases in the paper, this paper star is probably about the same age as him.
He had seen the same one at Aunt Xia's place; it was left to her by her mother.
Unexpectedly, a woman was deceived for a lifetime using such a cheap star that could be bought for a few cents in a small commodity market.
She handed over her ancestral secret recipe and family business, and eventually died far from home.
To some extent, Qin Lingchuan saw his mother's shadow in Youzhen.
He couldn't let her repeat the same mistake.
Fate seems to keep turning; is this his punishment?
Qin Lingchuan became increasingly restless; he wanted to see Youzhen immediately and couldn't wait a moment longer.
Just as I stepped out of the study, Fan Jia walked towards me.
He still maintained the last shred of gentlemanly manners towards this woman: "Aunt Fan, are you here to see Grandpa?"
Fan Jia looked a little flustered: "No, I came to see you."
Qin Lingchuan glanced at the depths of the corridor and led her to the corner: "Aunt Fan, please get straight to the point."
Fan Jia hadn't spent much time with people his age in a long time. Apart from her own son, she wasn't sure what kind of talk young people liked to hear these days: "We've never really had a proper conversation."
She glanced at Qin Lingchuan's expression, her expression impassive.
"From the moment I saw you, I knew you had some connection to our family. You might not realize it, but your features are strikingly similar to Yuan Li's. Your temperament is similar too."
Qin Lingchuan kept glancing down the corridor. He knew that Zhou Yuanli always liked to stand in shady places and collect other people's private affairs.
Aunt Fan continued, "I called you here to tell you that I never intended to take this position, and neither did Yuanli. I know, I know you like Miss Xia. Yuanli is still young. If he did anything in the past that offended you or Miss Xia, I apologized on his behalf. I only have this one son, and I only want him to take care of me in my old age. Please don't hurt him."
Qin Lingchuan looked at her coldly: "What kind of person do you take me for?"
Fan Jia knew she disagreed, and slowly looked up at him: "I know I've held this position for many years, and now, giving you the Zhou family's business is nothing..."
Qin Lingchuan narrowed his eyes suddenly: "'Give way'? You're really generous!"
That's not what I meant...
Qin Lingchuan knew perfectly well what was going on and didn't intend to continue the conversation: "You just said that Zhou Yuanli and I are similar in temperament. But I don't think so. Zhou Yuanli is gentle and refined, but I..." He suddenly turned around and looked directly at Aunt Fan, "...have a terrible temper. So, you must never mess with me, and don't mess with Youzhen either, or you won't be able to afford the consequences."
Under his powerful aura, Aunt Fan couldn't help but take a step back: "I... what did I say wrong?"
She was wrong. Qin Lingchuan was an arrogant man; how could he accept charity from others? But what about Zhou Yuanli?
They were, after all, half-brothers, and their personalities were similar. Zhou Yuanli had lived a life of luxury and absolute authority for over twenty years, where he was the head of the household. How could he possibly accept the sudden appearance of an older brother?
Sure enough, Qin Lingchuan then asked, "Is this your idea, or Zhou Yuanli's idea?"
Fan Jia shook her head repeatedly: "No, no, I haven't said anything to him yet. These are just my womanly views. If I said anything wrong, you, a grown man, shouldn't argue with us women."
Qin Lingchuan said indifferently, "The news reached you so quickly, how could Zhou Yuanli not know?"
"He really didn't tell me."
His conversation with the old man in the study was absolutely private. Since Aunt Fan already knew about it, the news must have already spread.
Did Youzhen find out too?
He even recorded it. Knowing the old man as he did, he wouldn't use such a treacherous trick.
I'm afraid that he has lost his power now, and Zhou Yuanli has installed recording and camera devices everywhere in the house.
Qin Lingchuan walked straight past her, leaving behind only one sentence: "I want to take back what is rightfully mine. Also, don't call me Lingchuan anymore, call me Young Master."
·
"At this point, in order to regain his status as the eldest grandson of the Zhou family and the Xia family's assets, he sacrificed most of his own assets and was hunted down by Zhou Yuanli's men. It was only on that rainy night that you saved him."
After hearing what her aunt said, Youzhen could hardly believe her ears.
Jin Yu carefully moved closer to her and supported her, afraid that she might fall down in her excitement.
"So, the secret recipe originally belonged to Qin Lingchuan's mother, and therefore originally belonged to him. And he used his own assets to acquire the Xia family's company?"
The aunt nodded: "This child always does things quietly. I've been lying in the ICU for so many days, think about it, why didn't Zhou Yuanli take the opportunity to get rid of me? It's all because Ling Chuan secretly protected me."
Aunt pushed the wheelchair forward and took Youzhen's hand: "It's my fault. I shouldn't have planted the seeds of revenge for you. All these years, I haven't been able to resolve the knot in Lingchuan's heart. I've lived for decades in vain. It seems I always give up halfway through things and have never succeeded in anything."
“No, Auntie,” Youzhen raised her little face, her eyes filled with determination, “If it weren’t for your mediation, Qin Lingchuan would have taken revenge on our family without a doubt…”
"What your aunt means is that since you two got engaged by some strange twist of fate, why don't you just stay together like this? I know he's pregnant with your child..." She tightened her grip on Youzhen's hand, "Xiao Jiu, be yourself again. Ever since your student days, you've lived in Xiao Qi's shadow. It's time for you to step out of it."
"No!" Youzhen suddenly stood up. It was precisely because of this child that she could not do this.
"I'm going back." With too much stuff in her head, Youzhen couldn't process it all at once. She walked out blankly, stumbling along.
Jin Yu was a little worried: "Sister Youzhen, are you going back now? You haven't eaten yet."
"I...I'm going back, I'm going back to eat, I'm...I'm full..." she mumbled incoherently, while her aunt called after her, "Youzhen, go check on Lingchuan!"
Youzhen walked out the door without looking back.
As darkness fell, the guests dispersed.
The hall was a mess, just like the mess she had made of the incident.
The door to the study on the second floor was ajar, and everything was as calm as if nothing had happened.
She knew that Zhou Yuanli must be inside right now.
Nothing that happened today went smoothly for him. Just like the art studio was to Qin Lingchuan, Zhou Yuanli liked to stay in the study to relieve his worries.
Qin Lingchuan lived in the detached house on the east side. After thinking for a moment, Youzhen still pushed open the door to the study in front of her.
The door was only a crack open, letting in the light from the corridor.
Zhou Yuanli leaned against the desk with an air of aloofness, swirling his wine glass, clearly waiting for her.
Youzhen changed back into her own clothes, her face bare of makeup.
Zhou Yuanli's expression brightened for a moment, and he couldn't take his eyes off her: "I didn't even realize that Youzhen has grown up so much. When did she become so beautiful?"
He straightened up, walked closer step by step, raised his hand and slowly stroked Youzhen's left cheek, his eyes filled with intense longing: "I single-handedly molded you, and Qin Lingchuan is so infatuated with you. I never knew you were so charming."
Youzhen suddenly hid from him; it was the first time she had ever done so: "Senior brother, you..."
"Little Jiu, my dear Little Jiu. You really can't be tamed, you and Qin Lingchuan plotted to trap me?"
Youzhen wasn't sure how much he knew, so she used the same calm tone she used to use when speaking to him: "I didn't."
"No? Okay, take this bowl of soup to Qin Lingchuan and I'll believe in your loyalty."
Youzhen glanced at the medicine bowl on the desk; it was still steaming.
What kind of medicine is it?
Zhou Yuanli chuckled softly and whispered in her ear, "You had an abortion. Anyway, the child isn't yours, so you won't pity him, will you?"
Youzhen suppressed her panic and said sarcastically, "I don't understand what this has to do with my loyalty."
"Oh?" Zhou Yuanli chuckled again, a chilling sound, the air he breathed near her ear was cold, making her want to dodge away.
"Then there is a second way."
Youzhen turned to look at him and asked, "What is it?"
Zhou Yuanli suddenly grabbed her collar: "Don't forget, you're my fiancée now."
Realizing what he was about to do, Youzhen opened the door and ran out, but Zhou Yuanli grabbed her arm and pulled her back abruptly, then began to explore her red lips with even greater intensity.
The air reeked of alcohol: "What are you pretending for in front of me? You were the one who came to my study to find me. Don't you know the child is yours? Why did you come back here?"
The wooden door was kicked open with a loud bang, and the two people at the desk froze.
Qin Lingchuan stood against the light, so his expression was not visible.
Youzhen quickly pushed Zhou Yuanli away, and Zhou Yuanli wisely dusted off his sleeves and deliberately bumped into Qin Lingchuan.
Qin Lingchuan stood with his hands behind his back, furious: "This is the plan you came up with? Offer yourself to him so you can get the evidence back?"
“I have my own methods, it’s none of your business.” Youzhen straightened her collar and sat up straight.
Zhou Yuanli had used brute force, and her arm was bruised. She quietly lowered her sleeve and put her hands behind her back to prevent Qin Lingchuan from seeing it.
“What if I insist on interfering?” He stepped forward and saw the bowl of abortion pills.
The heat gradually dissipated, leaving behind the aroma of medicine.
Qin Lingchuan's long, slender fingers covered it, and Youzhen couldn't lift it no matter how hard she tried.
The two were secretly competing with each other.
Youzhen tried to snatch it away with both hands, but still couldn't. Suddenly, she stood up, tears welling in her eyes: "Why are you doing this to me!"
Qin Lingchuan looked at her again, searching her gaze.
"Our Xia family has wronged you. We've done so many things to hurt you, so why are you still so good to me? I can't bear it, I can't do it!"
Qin Lingchuan looked at her calmly: "You knew everything?"
"Yes, I know everything. Even if I'm at fault for things getting to this point, I feel like a fool for not telling me anything." A little of the medicine spilled as she struggled to hold on.
Qin Lingchuan grabbed her with one hand, which, unfortunately, was the spot where Zhou Yuanli had pinched her earlier and left a bruise: "I don't care. Those are all grudges from the previous generation. They caused me to lose my home when I was young. Let's pretend nothing happened before, and start over, okay? It's not too late."
Youzhen clenched her fist tightly, the diamond in the ring cutting her hand painfully, and tears fell in large drops. She took a few deep breaths, but still couldn't overcome the barrier in her heart.
If he knew this was her child, conceived through such despicable means, how disgusted he would feel about himself.
Once you've been foolish, you can't be selfish a second time.
This was the retribution she received for recklessly pursuing this man that night; it finally backfired on her.
Unable to overcome her inner demons, Youzhen steeled her heart and said, "I can't do it. Please let me go."
Qin Lingchuan's eyes were bloodshot, and his hand on the back of hers tightened unconsciously: "Is this your answer after you know the whole truth? You still can't accept me, you still can't accept this child?"
"Youzhen, do you want me to drink it?"
Qin Lingchuan's eyes shone with a turbulent light, one hand clutching his shirt tightly at his stomach: "You don't want it?"
Youzhen pulled her hand away from his palm: "I have no right to ask you to stay."
"What if I told you that the person I love is you, Xia Youzhen!"
Youzhen stared at him in shock: "What did you say?"
Qin Lingchuan stepped forward and brought the abortion pill closer: "I said, the person I love is you, Xia Youzhen!"
Youzhen felt suffocated; the room was unbearably hot and stuffy.
“I have only ever loved you from beginning to end, and I have never confused you with your sister. The person I wanted to marry both times was you. Stop deceiving yourself.”
"How...is this possible?" Youzhen was dumbfounded.
Qin Lingchuan felt words were inadequate, and all he wanted to do was pull the person into his arms: "How could this be? Yes, I don't think it's possible either. My heart aches when I see you cry, and I go crazy when I see you hurt. And you, did you ever love me?"
"I..." Youzhen was stunned. Qin Lingchuan loved her? And the Zhenzhen he called was also her? Then weren't her various behaviors these past few days even more unforgivable?
Qin Lingchuan went a step further: "What I'm asking isn't whether you've ever liked someone or had your heart flutter, but whether you've ever loved someone."
An awkward silence spread between the two of them.
Qin Lingchuan curled her lips in a self-deprecating smile; her silence was the answer.
"As you wish." Qin Lingchuan waved her hand away, picked up the medicine bowl, and drank it down in one gulp.
Tears mingled with the smell of medicine, and were swallowed together.
He finally left her. Youzhen realized what was happening, grabbed his collar, and pulled him back: "No!"
Qin Lingchuan ignored her, and Youzhen smashed the medicine bowl: "You're not allowed to drink it."
Qin Lingchuan had already drunk half a bowl of wine and no longer looked at her, only staring blankly into the void.
Youzhen remembered that look in his eyes when the bandages had just been removed, when she denied that she was her sister.
The medicine took effect quickly. Qin Lingchuan suddenly clutched his abdomen with one hand, unable to straighten up due to the pain, and groaned softly between his lips.
Youzhen supported his exhausted body, her mind a jumble of emotions: "Tao Bei! Where is Tao Bei?"
Tao Bei never strayed too far from him, and sure enough, he came in upon hearing the noise and was startled to see the broken porcelain shards on the ground.
Youzhen raised her voice slightly: "Go and call Dr. Huang quickly!"
Tao Bei's brain didn't have time to react; like a robot that had received an order, he turned around and ran outside.
Youzhen practically carried him on her shoulder: "Lingchuan, Lingchuan, where's your pregnancy-preserving medicine? Don't you carry it with you every day? Take one now."
His pockets were empty, and Qin Lingchuan's face was pale: "I used it all up when I was on a business trip."
Yes, he was so weak when he came back; it must have taken so much medicine to keep him alive.
Youzhen touched his belly haphazardly and stroked his face haphazardly: "I won't allow anything to happen to you, and I won't allow anything to happen to the baby."
Just a few minutes later, Tao Bei arrived with Dr. Huang and shoved her aside: "Miss Youzhen, please have mercy on our boss. Do you have to torture him to death before you feel at ease? Our boss has suffered so much because of you, and you just..."
Qin Lingchuan forcefully held down Tao Bei's hand, signaling him to shut up.
Tao Bei had no choice: "Fine, I'll shut up, I won't say anything more. Even in this state, you still insist on protecting her, Boss."
Several people carefully helped Qin Lingchuan back to the East Wing. Doctor Huang was also annoyed: "Boss, how many times have I told you? No matter how superb my medical skills are, I can't withstand your constant antics. I'm an old man, and today you young lads from Taobei dragged me out of bed. My legs are about to break."
Tao Bei interrupted him: "Dr. Huang, you should say less. The master is so angry with Miss Youzhen, and he still gets scolded by you."
Qin Lingchuan said coldly, "Tao Bei, you can leave now."
Tao Bei looked anxious: "How can that be? I have to stay here to take care of you."
Qin Lingchuan sneered: "Take care? What do I need to take care of after losing my child? Am I not pathetic enough? Do I need a tour...?"
Dr. Huang gave Tao Bei a wink, and Tao Bei had no choice but to leave first.
The bright moon hangs high, casting a layer of silvery light on the white wall.
Youzhen was still waiting outside the door, huddled up on the ground, biting her lip and sobbing silently.
Tao Bei almost didn't see her.
Youzhen suddenly stood up, her vision went black, but she didn't let go of his sleeve. After a while, she asked, "How are you?"
Tao Bei sneered, "As you wished, the child is finally gone."
"Impossible, impossible." She said, and was about to walk inside when Tao Bei stopped her. "If you don't want your boss to die too soon, you'd better not see him."
"He kicked you out too, didn't he? He's always like this, he puts everything on his own."
Tao Bei said, "Now that things have come to this, there are some things I have to say. Even if the boss beats me up, I have to say them."
Youzhen covered his face as he heard suppressed cries of pain coming from the bedroom. He... he was in so much pain!
"The boss knows he's no longer of any use to you. If Miss Youzhen wants to take back the Xia family business, leaving him is indeed a wise choice."
How did he know?
He knew all along...
Her reaction was exactly what Tao Bei had expected. He nodded slowly: "He knew as soon as you started coming and going from the study. Even if you were only willing to stay because of those materials, he was willing to give you whatever you asked for."
No wonder, no wonder she found some information so easily.
"The boss has always longed for a home. He was incredibly excited when he learned he was pregnant with your child. But you see it as a condition of exchange, a price to pay, even so..."
Even so, he still played along with her in this charade, turning a blind eye to her slip-up.
He had nothing left to give, only his sincere heart, which she then discarded and trampled upon at will.
He remained conscious throughout the ordeal, enduring the torture without even taking morphine.
Tao Bei observed her expression: "Everyone says that Miss Xia has a good personality, always greets everyone with a smile, and is kind and considerate, but she is ruthless towards the master."
Youzhen kept shaking her head, but upon hearing the last sentence, she suddenly raised her head and asked expectantly, "Can I go to the art studio?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: I got to the art studio scene and then realized I forgot to write a scene from before! [crying emoji] I'll see where to add it tomorrow. [chin resting on hand]
I'm starting to pursue my husband tomorrow night; my due date is around Friday. [Let me see...]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
