“...What gift?”
Following the rules of hospitality, Wen Tingxue couldn't bring herself to drive him out.
She would entertain him openly.
Shang Ziqian casually glanced at Xie Jinyi, who was visibly tense.
He couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
Yesterday, when he exposed her, she hadn't seemed this nervous. She truly treated people differently.
"My gift is rather special, Miss Wen. It's best if you're mentally prepared."
Shang Ziqian reminded her with a faint smile.
Wen Tingxue: "..."
Wen Tingxue felt he had drunk fake wine today; he was acting incredibly bizarre.
"What exactly do you want?"
She asked directly, and Yu Wenli also fixed his gaze on him.
It was clear that if he dared to act rashly, Yu Wenli would make him pay.
Shang Ziqian smiled, looking down.
Rarely did he want to do something good, yet everyone was looking at him like this.
They were like dogs biting the benevolent Lu Dongbin, unappreciative of good intentions.
After a silent grumble, Shang Ziqian spoke:
"Don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble today. I just wanted to tell you..."
He looked up and inadvertently saw the fading bloodstain on Xie Jinyi's face.
His heart ached slightly, and some words remained unspoken.
"I met Que You downstairs and had him bring the gift up for you. You're welcome."
After holding his gaze for a few seconds, his phone suddenly rang, rescuing her from the awkward situation.
Under the pretense of answering the call, Xie Jinyi calmly walked out of the private room.
The moment she was out of his sight, Xie Jinyi leaned against the wall, her legs weak, trying to steady herself.
She swiped to answer, and Shang Ziqian's gloomy, stern voice flowed from the receiver.
"If you don't want me to expose you on the spot, you'd better prepare the money obediently. Don't test my patience."
With that, he hung up.
Shang Ziqian looked up, his gaze fixed on his reflection in the elevator wall.
There was a hint of mockery, a trace of ferocity.
Actually, he truly wanted to reveal everything.
His purpose for coming here today was to expose Xie Jinyi's true face, but...
It was just a little short.
He still succumbed to money.
Succumbed to Xie Jinyi.
"Ding--"
The elevator door opened, and Shang Ziqian, scratching his hair, walked out dejectedly.
After a few steps, someone grabbed his fingertip.
The next second, a cute, childish voice chimed in.
"Benefactor Brother~ Why are you sighing again? Sighing will stunt your growth~"
A little girl with pigtails tilted her fair face up, her eyes like black grapes blinking.
Lively and adorable.
"Brother is already very tall; he doesn't need to grow any taller."
He picked her up, pinched her little cheek, and asked, "Why are you still here? Where's your daddy?"
"Daddy went to buy food~~ Does Brother want anything to eat?"
She clumsily poked her phone watch with a tender finger, her voice soft and sweet, "I can ask Daddy to bring it for you~"
Shang Ziqian's brow twitched. "Brother doesn't want anything."
"Oh," the little girl replied obediently, then said to the man on the phone:
"Brother is like me. Daddy, did you hear that? Answer if you heard!"
"Mhmm, Daddy heard. Jiang Jiang and Brother will wait for Daddy here."
"Okay~"
Shang Ziqian: "..."
He knew it would be like this.
This child was definitely his lifelong nemesis.
He couldn't scold her, couldn't reprimand her, only dote on her.
"Benefactor Brother~"
Her tender little hand gently smoothed the frown lines on his brow.
"Why do you always frown? Are you unhappy about something?
"Tell Jiang Jiang, maybe Jiang Jiang can help you~"
Shang Ziqian: "..."
What could a fourteen-year-old kid help him with?
But inexplicably, he said, "Brother regrets something."
"Regret what?" Jiang Jiang tilted her head in confusion. "Did Brother do something wrong?"
"Regret..."
Shang Ziqian looked up.
Actually, he wasn't entirely sure what he regretted.
Although he didn't know Xie Jinyi's schemes in their entirety,
He had a tendency to enjoy watching the show without caring about the consequences.
In fact, he had even participated in the initial minor skirmishes.
However, with the incidents involving Wen Bin and the art festival, he began to realize that Xie Jinyi might be crazier than he imagined.
Even more ruthless.
But he still refused to admit that the girl he had cherished in his heart for so many years
Could be someone who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
He used work to numb himself, to stop himself from thinking too much.
Until the underground casino was shut down.
He and his brothers were jobless and penniless.
They were so clean they couldn't even scrape together enough money for a pack of cigarettes.
He had no choice but to approach Xie Jinyi, intending to trick her.
See if he could extort some money from her.
He got the money, but his heart was broken.
His suspicions of many days were confirmed.
He couldn't describe the feeling even to himself.
He had stayed up all night, tossing and turning, replaying the scene of Wen Tingxue standing up for herself.
She was clearly timid, yet she always displayed incredible mental fortitude in moments of crisis.
Having grown up on the streets, he believed most strongly in righteousness.
Wen Tingxue inexplicably appealed to him. Otherwise, considering her relationship with Yu Wenli, he wouldn't have let her off so easily.
It was precisely because of this that he truly didn't want to see such a pure and innocent girl repeatedly deceived by Xie Jinyi.
No one could guarantee when Xie Jinyi might change her mind.
And when that happened, the person who would be hurt the most would not be Xie Jinyi.
But Wen Tingxue.
Therefore, he deliberately chose a time when everyone was gathered to reveal Xie Jinyi's schemes.
However, at the last moment, he remembered he had no money and couldn't bear to see Xie Jinyi distressed.
"No matter what Brother has done wrong."
Her small hand once again smoothed the creases between Shang Ziqian's brows.
"Brother is a good person in Jiang Jiang's heart~ A very, very good person~"
Shang Ziqian gave a bitter smile. How could he be a good person?
He had been born with sin.
His parents were murderers, so he was inherently tainted.
He would never be associated with good people in this lifetime.
Jiangcheng's largest amusement park was owned by the Chi family.
With a word from Chi Zerui, the amusement park tonight belonged to Wen Tingxue.
The fireworks were beautiful, showcasing the designer's meticulous effort.
But the game segment was even more thoughtful.
It incorporated everyone's ideas.
It was incredibly engaging.
Wen Tingxue was completely immersed, completely oblivious to Chi Zerui's departure mid-way.
President's office.
A dispirited young man leaned against a swivel chair, drinking.
His slightly tipsy, narrow eyes stared blankly at several computer screens in front of him.
Each screen displayed real-time surveillance footage from different areas.
But his gaze always followed Wen Tingxue.
When she smiled, he smiled.
When she frowned, he frowned along.
Chi Ye entered and saw his pathetic, frantic state.
He couldn't help but kick him over. "Can't you have a bit of backbone?!"
Chi Zerui was caught off guard. The newly opened bottle of alcohol poured over his head, the coolness seeming to alleviate his inner turmoil.
He simply finished the bottle over his head.
Exuding the strong scent of liquor, Chi Ye frowned in disgust. "Digging graves in your past life must be why you're my nephew in this one."
Chi Zerui ignored him, sitting on the floor, reaching for another bottle on the table.
Fumbling, he finally grabbed a full one.
As he opened it, his hand trembled, and the bottle fell onto the carpet, spilling most of its contents.
Chi Zerui stared blankly at the still-flowing alcohol. "Even the bottles are against me now."
With that, he kicked the bottle far away.
The bottle, struck suddenly, grazed Chi Ye's leather shoe and smashed against the wall with a harsh cracking sound.
Chi Ye glanced at the shattered expensive liquor, his alluring long eyebrows furrowed.
"Had enough of throwing a tantrum? If you haven't had enough, come with me to the boxing ring. I'll spar with you."
Chi Zerui, like a child, sprawled on the floor, head bowed in silence.
The atmosphere was silent for a few seconds. Chi Ye stepped forward and kicked him. "Do you remember what I told you?"
"..."
Chi Zerui closed his eyes in annoyance. "I remember, but I won't pursue her, and I certainly won't let her know I like her, so..."
He looked up, his clear black and white eyes filled with crimson, faint traces of tears shimmering within.
"You have no reason to touch her."
Chi Ye: "..."
Perhaps it was too unexpected. Chi Ye stared for about three to five minutes before remembering to pull over a chair and sit down.
He peered down at him and asked, "Have you thought this through?"
He had raised the brat himself; he knew his personality best.
When he encountered someone he liked, not pursuing them was not his style.
Especially when he liked her this much.
He liked her so much that he went to great lengths for her, yet never uttered a word.
He liked her so much that he was listless the entire summer, spending his time either at the boxing gym or the bar, apart from study time.
He even gave up his favorite sleeping in, waking up early every day to run.
All to restrain himself from contacting her.
Chi Zerui lowered his eyes, his voice hoarse. "It's not that I've thought it through, but I simply don't have the right."
From the moment he abandoned her at the high-speed rail station, he had lost his right to compete.
Moreover, that person was Yu Wenli, who had taught him and saved him.
How could he compete with Yu Wenli for her...
Tears welled up in Chi Zerui's eyes repeatedly, and he suppressed them repeatedly until he could no longer hold them back.
He buried his face in Chi Ye's lap, crying like a child who had accidentally lost his favorite toy.
"Uncle, I met her first, and she relied on me the most at the beginning...
"Every time, I was the first to discover news unfavorable to her, so why?
"Why couldn't I be the one to stay by her side in the end? Why? I'm not resigned, I truly... am not resigned."
Chi Ye was stunned for a few seconds before reaching out to stroke his nephew's head.
He had always thought the brat was different from them.
But he had forgotten, once a rake falls in love, it's fatal.
Perhaps it was fate. Many in the Chi family were devoted lovers, and most met unfortunate ends.