Stay or Go
“Knock knock—”
Qi Zhinian said without even looking up, "Come in."
The office door was opened, and the polite and respectful voice of the female secretary sounded slowly: "Mr. Qi, Mrs. Shen is here."
Qi Zhinian said "hmm" to indicate that he understood.
The female secretary raised her hand towards the sofa, then said politely to Cheng Huan behind her, "Mrs. Shen, please go ahead."
After saying this, he turned and left without waiting for Cheng Huan to answer.
Qi Zhinian signed the last document before looking up at Cheng Huan over there.
She didn't sit on the sofa, but stared straight at Qi Zhinian. She took a few breaths as if to calm herself down before speaking, "I don't think I've ever offended President Qi, but what did President Qi mean by giving my husband the paternity test report?"
"You're already divorced." Qi Zhinian corrected him, "Ms. Cheng, forgive me for being blunt, but you've driven yourself into a dead end."
"It was you who pushed me into a desperate situation." Cheng Huan's voice was filled with anger.
Qi Zhinian didn't deny it, but suddenly said something with an unclear meaning: "Chen Qie said that your son is already fourteen years old this year."
Cheng Huan was stunned. He had never expected Qi Zhinian to suddenly mention Chen Yan.
Qi Zhinian didn't wait for her to reply: "If you want to do good for this child, you should leave North City immediately and never come back."
"Mr. Qi, what you said is funny." Cheng Huan stared at him and sneered: "I am Chen Yan's mother, why should I leave?"
"This is what Chen Qie meant," Qi Zhinian said, his voice devoid of emotion, as if he was simply diligently handling a matter. "Chen Qie asked me to tell you—if you want to continue staying in Beicheng, then he will send Shen Yan to Yancheng; if you want your child to continue to stay in the Shen family and receive a good education, then you must leave Beicheng and never come back."
"That's my son!" Cheng Huan instantly became agitated after hearing this, raising his voice and demanding angrily, "Why are you separating him from me?!"
"Isn't Ling Jianghan your son too?" Qi Zhinian seemed puzzled by her anger, looking at her as if she were a mentally ill patient. "If you can be so heartless and cruel to him, what's wrong with you abandoning your own child again for fame and fortune?"
"I'm heartless and cruel?" Cheng Huan seemed to have heard a joke. He stared at Qi Zhinian playfully and laughed for a while before continuing, "Mr. Qi, we're just the same. Back then, weren't you also unscrupulous in order to achieve your goals, and that's why you tricked Sheng Ruoxin into making one mistake after another?"
"Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs," Qi Zhinian said without any expression on his face. "I'm far inferior to you."
"He's such a pitiful person after all." Cheng Huan said this to someone unknown. The anger on his face gradually dissipated, and he said with a half sigh and half sarcasm: "How could he bring himself to such a disaster because of a moment of joy."
Qi Zhinian seemed to understand the meaning of this sentence. He was silent for a while before saying to her, "Ms. Cheng, you can choose to stay or leave."
"President Qi never meddles in other people's business." Cheng Huan seemed unwilling and puzzled: "You and Yun Min already knew that I was married, but why did you choose to tell Chen Qie now?"
Since he didn't want her to stay in Beicheng so much, why didn't he tell Shen Qie about this on the day she and Shen Qie got married? He let her live a comfortable life for more than ten years before trying to force her to leave.
"I had no intention of telling him." Qi Zhinian answered truthfully, "It was because you repeatedly tried to take Ling Jianghan away that I had no choice but to do this."
"Boss Qi," Cheng Huan said, not understanding the connection between the two events. His expression and tone gradually turned unhappy. "I planned to send Ling Jianghan away from Beicheng so that I could continue to stay in the Shen family. But doing so will not harm the interests of your Qi family. You shouldn't force me to be expelled from the Shen family because of this matter."
"Why not?" Qi Zhinian said calmly as he sorted through the documents on his desk, "That brat Wuchen has been inseparable from Ling Jianghan for a long time. As a father, I can't tolerate anyone trying to separate them."
Cheng Huan was completely dumbfounded when he heard this.
Her mouth opened and closed, and she stared at Qi Zhinian in disbelief for a long time before finally finding her voice: "He, they... they are in love?"
"Ms. Cheng, you should go back as soon as possible," Qi Zhinian did not deny it. He raised his head and looked at her with a deep gaze and said, "Go to the Shen family now. Maybe Shen Qie will let you see the child again."
Before Cheng Huan could fully digest the information, Qi Zhinian's voice, faintly warning, rang out again: "After today, the Shen family will find a suitable woman to take your place and look after the child. You don't have to worry about his food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Just leave this place forever. Don't see people you shouldn't see, do things you shouldn't do, or say things you shouldn't say."
After the words fell, the two people in the office fell silent.
Cheng Huan didn't know what he was thinking in this moment of silence. He stood there for a long time before finally turning around slowly.
She walked to the office door in her high heels, but stopped suddenly just as she was about to push the door open.
"It's Cheng Huan's own fault that we've come to this point," she said slowly, turning to look at Qi Zhinian, who was sitting not far away. "It all depends on whether you'll regret it someday."
After saying this, Cheng Huan pushed open the door and left without looking back.
After the office door closed again, Qi Zhinian said slowly, "Come out, the person has left."
"Dad," Qi Chiyue's voice came from the lounge behind Qi Zhinian, "It was only today that I realized there are people as cruel as you."
Qi Zhinian was not angry when he heard this, but he had no intention of speaking in response.
"Before this, my impression of 'mother' has always been great and selfless." Qi Chiyue sat down on the single sofa beside him and continued to speak to himself.
"Not all mothers love their children." Qi Zhinian looked at his daughter with deep eyes. "What's more, her marriage with Ling Yiyan is not perfect."
"Then what did she mean by what she said just now?" Qi Chiyue also looked at Qi Zhinian, his tone not friendly but not impolite: "She said my mother is pitiful?"
"No." Qi Zhinian gave a surprising answer: "She was talking about herself."
…
Just as He Lingjianghan finished listening to the explanation of the Chinese test paper, Qi Wuchen received a message from Qi Chiyue on his phone.
Cheng Huan and Shen Qie divorced overnight, and Cheng Huan will leave Beicheng tomorrow.
Qi Wuchen was silent for a moment after reading the message before typing back: [I thought she would be selfish for once.]
He was even more cruel and traded his youngest son's future for wealth and glory in the rest of his life.
Chiyue: [But she found out about your relationship before she left. Will that have any impact on you?]
[No.] Qi Wuchen replied: [Dad said that the Shen family has a way to control Cheng Huan's words and actions.]
Before Qi Chiyue could reply, Qi Wuchen heard Yun Xiaowan calling out from a distance, "Brother Ling, why is Maotai lying on the ground motionless?"
Ling Jianghan, who was standing next to him, was concentrating on estimating his scores. When he heard this, he subconsciously raised his head and looked towards Yun Xiaowan.
Maotai was seen lying on the ground listlessly, not even bothering to look at Yun Xiaowan who was squatting in front of him.
Qi Wuchen was also puzzled by this: "Why does it look like an eggplant hit by frost?"
Ling Jianghan nudged the person next to him with his elbow, motioning Qi Wuchen to go over and take a look first.
Qi Wuchen stood up, walked to Maotai and slowly squatted down.
He stared at Moutai for a few seconds, then reached out and touched its head.
Seeing that the dog didn't react, Qi Wuchen rubbed the dog from head to toe and said uncertainly: "Is it sick?"
"No way?" Ling Jianghan frowned when he heard that, and stood up to go over and see what was going on.
Unexpectedly, before he could get close, Maotai, who was lying on the ground, turned over without any warning.
"Wow!" Yun Xiaowan was frightened by its sudden movement and sat down on the floor.
Qi Wuchen quickly grabbed the Maotai and put it into his arms.
At this moment, Maotai's two front paws were firmly clinging to Qi Wuchen's arm, and he kept sticking out his tongue and looking at Jiang Han.
"..." Jiang Han stared at the lively dog with an expressionless face.
This is not a disease, it is clearly a murderous intention towards its own owner.
Ling Jianghan was about to turn around and leave when Yun Xiaowan got up from the ground, clapped her hands, and asked doubtfully, "Does Maotai want to play with Brother Ling?"
"I don't know." Qi Wuchen pushed the dog in his arms towards Ling Jianghan: "How about you hold it for a while? I think this little thing seems to like you very much."
Jiang Han hesitated: "I..."
"Try it," Qi Wuchen said, holding the dog and walking a few steps forward. "Try petting it a couple of times first."
Ling Jianghan stared at the Moutai for a while, and finally stretched out his left hand cautiously.
Before his fingertips touched Jiang Han's hand, Maotai tilted his head and rubbed it against his hand, looking very satisfied.
Qi Wuchen waited for Ling Jianghan to pet the dog for a while before putting it into his arms. Ling Jianghan reached out his other hand to hold Moutai steady. The previously lively Moutai immediately settled down and found a comfortable position to snuggle in Ling Jianghan's arms.
Ling Jianghan stood there holding the dog for a while. Seeing that it had no intention of causing trouble, he boldly walked towards the sofa holding Maotai.
Unexpectedly, Moutai had changed from its previous aggressive behavior and was now as obedient as a small pendant in Jiang Han's arms.
Ling Jianghan sat down on the sofa holding the dog. As soon as he turned on his mobile phone, he saw a group message pop up at the top of the screen.
The message was from Sheng Yao, and Jiang Han could see his beaming face even through the screen: [Anyone want to go on a trip together? It's the last winter break of my high school life, and we can't just stay home all the time.]
There were only five of them in the group, and the first to respond was Hu Chen: [Is there no place in North City where you can date?]
Xia Ran immediately jumped out and sent a message: [@Hu, if you can't speak, then don't speak! ]
"Do you want to go out for a walk?" Qi Wuchen sat down next to him with his mobile phone in hand, obviously having seen the message in the group.
"Do you want to?" Ling Jiang Han's gaze fell on his face.
"A little bit." Qi Wuchen answered truthfully, looking at him with curved eyebrows: "I want to be with you."
"Then let's go." Ling Jianghan glanced at Yun Xiaowan who was having fun with Chuyi and said, "Take Xiaowan with you as well."
"Okay." Qi Wuchen picked up his phone and typed happily.
75c: [Jiang Han and I can do it. We'll have a little sister with us.]
Xr: [Then I'll go too! But I'd like to invite a few girls to join us, do you mind?]
Hu: [It’s up to you guys. I’m just going to play games somewhere else.]
Sy: [Sure, more people is better, it’s more lively.]
Xr: [It won't be that many, so how about calling Xu Yao and the others along?]
Qi Wuchen read the message and typed back, "No problem. You guys decide the time and place."
Hu: [Let’s leave as soon as the online lecture is over. Go early and return early.]
Xr: [OK! I'll call you once I've chosen a place!]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
