Chapter 320

Ji Fei was taken aback, looking at the three people present with surprise. Qin Xian wasn’t going to attend his grandfather’s birthday banquet?

Unable to hold back, Ji Fei asked, “Why? Does he have issues with his grandfather?”

“No, strictly speaking, it’s that he won’t go back to Y City,” Qin Yan replied, her eyes filled with worry.

The Qin family had originally risen to prominence in Y City, where they were a prominent clan. Due to historical policies and various other reasons, Grandpa Qin knew they couldn’t remain stagnant or be left behind by the times. Thus, the Qin family was among the first to shift their business focus to this new location.

At that time, however, Grandpa Qin was already getting on in years, so he had to entrust the task to his children.

Qin’s Father, the second eldest among his siblings, had a very harmonious relationship with his brothers and sisters. It was during this period that he took on the responsibility of leading the Qin family, bringing most of the family’s resources to this new city and stabilizing the Qin family’s business empire.

Many of the Qin family’s extended relatives also gave up their long-established lives in Y City during that time, following Qin’s Father to seek new opportunities and development here.

Of course, it’s unwise to put all your eggs in one basket. Y City, as well as overseas, still had Qin family businesses, which were left to Qin’s Father’s other siblings to manage.

Only Qin’s Father moved his entire family to settle permanently in this new city.

Grandpa Qin, along with his eldest aunt and third uncle, remained in Y City, while the fourth uncle was in a neighboring city, and the fifth and sixth uncles were abroad.

Usually, the Qin family only managed to gather in full during Grandpa Qin’s birthday celebrations.

But ever since Qin Xian came to this city, he had never returned.

As Ji Fei listened to everyone’s words, her brows furrowed into a deep frown. She couldn’t help but feel there was a big story here.

However, the thought that this might be related to Qin Xian made her somewhat uneasy, as such a story likely wouldn’t be a good one.

The Qin family didn’t beat around the bush either. Given how close Ji Fei and Qin Xian were now, it was best for her to understand certain things.

“Actually, it’s all my fault,” Qin’s Mom began, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her as she recalled the past.

“It’s not your fault. It’s our responsibility as parents,” Qin’s Father immediately comforted her.

This only made Ji Fei even more anxious.

“Let me explain,” Qin Yan stepped forward, taking on the task.

The origin of the matter was also tied to the Qin family’s decision to shift their business focus. When Qin’s Father came here to build their new life, Qin’s Mom naturally followed to support him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

At that time, Qin Yan was already five years old and could attend kindergarten, so bringing her along wasn’t a problem. However, Qin Xian was still very young, only two or three years old. Bringing him along would have been too much for Qin’s Mom to handle, especially since Qin Xian had already been identified as a high-IQ child, much like Qin Xi, and required specialized nurturing and guidance.

Thus, Grandpa Qin made the decision for the couple to leave Qin Xian in their hometown. After all, Y City was indeed the most developed in every aspect at the time, making it more conducive to fostering a child prodigy. Besides, with their closest family members there, taking care of Qin Xian wouldn’t be an issue.

Qin Xian had always been exceptionally intelligent and understanding, to the point where it was heartbreaking. When the reasons were explained to him, he didn’t cry or make a fuss. Reluctantly, Qin’s Father and Qin’s Mom left with Qin Yan to start their new life.

Here, it’s worth mentioning one person—Grandma Lv, Grandpa Qin’s second wife.

The six Qin siblings all shared the same biological mother, who passed away after giving birth to the sixth child. Grandma Lv had originally been a close companion to the late Mrs. Qin, and after Mrs. Qin’s passing, she stayed with the Qin family, helping to care for each of the children. She was deeply respected by the family.

She later married and had a child, but her husband passed away early, so she lived in the Qin family with her only daughter.

There was no drama here—Grandma Lv was a woman of the old era, deeply rooted in traditional values of loyalty and service. It was Mrs. Qin’s dying wish that Grandma Lv marry Grandpa Qin, fearing that any other stepmother might mistreat her children. Grandpa Qin, wanting to honor his wife’s wishes, agreed. Both were decent people, and they spent their lives together in harmony.

To show that she would never bear children who might compete with Mrs. Qin’s children for the family inheritance, Grandma Lv secretly took a sterilizing agent before the marriage. Thus, all the Qin siblings, except for the daughter Grandma Lv brought from her previous marriage, were full siblings.

This harmonious family dynamic meant there was never any internal strife within the Qin family, making them somewhat of an anomaly in Y City.

It was also because of this environment that Grandma Lv took care of the grandchildren with all her heart, which was why Qin’s Father and Qin’s Mom felt comfortable leaving Qin Xian in their hometown.

However, as Qin Xian grew older, problems began to surface in his personality.

At first, it was thought that his high IQ made it difficult for him to integrate into the world around him, so he gradually became less talkative. But the situation worsened. By the time Qin Xian was five or six, Qin’s Father and Qin’s Mom realized they couldn’t leave him there any longer and decided to bring him to live with them.

Unfortunately, at that time, Qin’s Mom was pregnant with Qin Zhao, and the pregnancy was particularly difficult, requiring her to be hospitalized for extended periods. Thus, the plan to bring Qin Xian over was postponed.

After that, Qin Xian’s condition deteriorated further. He barely communicated with anyone, and during that time, the family in their hometown began to suspect something was wrong. They tried various solutions, such as sending Qin Xian to a summer camp for high-IQ children. However, when he returned, he barely ate or drank and showed no emotional response.

Grandpa Qin immediately sought out a psychologist for Qin Xian, who diagnosed him with autism accompanied by memory confusion and a gradual loss of emotions. That year, Qin Xian was eight years old.

Qin’s Father and Qin’s Mom dropped everything and took Qin Xian to seek medical help everywhere. However, at that time, the field of psychology wasn’t as advanced, and mental illnesses were difficult to treat. The only explanation they could find was that Qin Xian’s condition was due to a lack of parental companionship. From then on, Qin’s Father and Qin’s Mom kept him by their side.

It was also when Qin Xian was nine that he met the oblivious little Ji Fei.

Over time, Qin’s Father and Qin’s Mom noticed that Qin Xian wasn’t emotionally detached—he was just holding back. There was still a spark of vitality within him; it just needed to be ignited.

As time passed, Qin Xian gradually returned to normal. However, whether the person he became was his true self or a result of his psychological struggles, no one could say for sure.

But one lingering effect remained: Qin Xian refused to return to Y City.

At first, when Qin Xian’s emotions were muted, he rarely expressed likes or dislikes. The first time he clearly expressed his feelings was when they tried to take him back to Y City—he vomited, then developed a fever and fell into a coma.

Hearing this, Ji Fei finally spoke up after a long period of stunned silence.

She asked, tense and defensive, with a hint of hostility, “Was it because he had a bad childhood in Y City? Was someone secretly mistreating him?”

Qin Yan replied, “We asked him. He said no.”