CH 1

Beijing, Qingwu Bar.

A casually dressed man leaned back in the sofa, the dim lights in the bar hitting his face such that his tall nose and deep features were accentuated. He was an undeniably handsome guy.

He lowered his eyes and drank glass after glass.

After a while, a man with his hair combed back came over and sat down beside him. He poked at the wine bottles on the table with his finger and asked helplessly, “How much did you drink?”

Qin Zhongyue snorted, “I won’t get drunk even after a thousand glasses.”

As he said that, he sat up and poured a glass of wine for the man with his hair combed back called Li Jun, “You drink too.”

Li Jun declined, “No thanks, I’m quitting drinking and smoking. But will your other half at home let you drink like this? Don’t go back and kneel on a washboard because of this.”

Qin Zhongyue said, “I now have the final say at home, he doesn’t dare lecture me. I can drink as much as I want.”

Li Jun asked with some doubt, “Really?”

Qin Zhongyue heard the doubt in his voice. Feeling a little annoyed, he raised his voice, “Of course. Let me tell you, I was just too lazy to reign him in before so he thought he could do anything he wanted to. Now that I am taking it more seriously, he knows he can’t get on my bad side.”

Li Jun said, “Ohhh, the hen-pecked husband has now turned around and become the master. You don’t often see this. You should call out a few brothers tomorrow to have some fun and celebrate.”

Qin Zhongyue: “What kind of joke is that? I have a wife.”

He then advised bluntly, “Be careful not to get sick.”

Li Jun laughed and said, “I get a physical examination every three to five days so I would be the last one to get sick. But don’t you think that it’s a pity that you got married so early?”

Rich youngsters like them all liked to play, only Qin Zhongyue was special and got married at the age of twenty-two. Since then, five years had passed. There are no impenetrable walls in this world; everyone knew that his wife came from a bad background and is also a man. They didn’t know what kind of charm he possessed.

Qin Zhongyue heard Li Jun’s words and poured a few more glasses of wine. He was starting to have difficulty holding back his words, “There are some things that I have been holding back inside me. I’m only telling you this because I regard you as a brother.” (KKnotes: A good friend)

As soon as Li Jun heard this, he grew interested. He leaned closer, “Tell me.”

Qin Zhongyue was a little drunk. His pale cheeks were slightly flushed, and his eyes were dark. Despite being someone who was almost thirty years old, he still carried a hint of innocence and naivety in him. He lowered his voice and said, “My father really likes my wife.”

Li Jun, “Huh? What do you mean?”

Qin Zhongyue said, “I got to know my wife through my father. He had even threatened that if I didn’t marry him, all of Qin Enterprise’s assets would be given to my cousin.”

Li Jun was shocked, “Given to Qin Wenxuan? No way.”

Everyone knew that Qin Wenxuan that guy was a troublemaker. If those assets were handed over to him, it is estimated that the company would go bankrupt within just a few years.

Qin Zhongyue continued, “Why would I lie about that? After I married him, my father then let him work in the company.”

Li Jun was startled. He suddenly had a bad feeling, “Your father doing all this, it couldn’t be because he wanted to give the company to your wife…..?”

Qin Zhongyue didn’t speak. The more Li Jun thought about it, the more he felt that it seemed possible. He then asked vaguely, “Have you ever thought that…..Your wife’s background…and your father….”

Qin Zhongyue lowered his voice and whispered, “I stole my wife’s and my father’s hair and checked. There is no familial relationship between them.”

Li Jun breathed a sigh of relief. Turns out, Qin Zhongyue had also suspected this possibility. He smiled with difficulty, “Of course that should be the case. With your father’s character, he would definitely not do something as horrible as that to you.”

The two were silent for a while.

Qin Zhongyue reached out to a wine bottle and poured himself another glass.

Li Jun tried to persuade him, “Don’t drink too much. If you get drunk later, I will have to send you back and face your wife’s wrath.”

Please read this from kk translates

Qin Zhongyue snorted, “He dares. I’m the head of the family.”

Li Jun, “Yes, yes, yes. You’re the head of the family.”

Qin Zhongyue raised his head and downed half a glass of wine in one go before falling silent again.

When Li Jun looked at him, he saw that his eyes were red and watery. He was startled, “Old Qin, are you crying?”

Qin Zhongyue muttered, “I don’t feel well.”

Li Jun patted his shoulder, “If you really don’t like your wife, just get divorced.”

Qin Zhongyue, “That’s not possible. My wife is already vice president. Those shareholders will cause a ruckus if we ever get divorced.”

Li Jun couldn’t speak. For the prince of the Qin Enterprise to reach a predicament like this, it could be considered a very first case.

Qin Zhongyue continued, “In fact, he is much better than me in many aspects.”

He then said gloomily, “It’s just that he micromanages everything. Won’t let me drink or smoke, won’t let me go clubbing, and he even set me a 10pm curfew!”

Li Jun nodded. These were things he knew about. Qin Zhongyue’s wife Xie Zhongxing had a strong desire for control, leaving Qin Zhongyue with practically no freedom outside. Even at gatherings between friends, he would call to check on him and order him to get home on time, and, when necessary, there were even times where he would come and pick him up.

Li Jun also knew that Xie Zhongxing didn’t like them, so Li Jun and Qin Zhongyue’s other friends also didn’t like Xie Zhongxing

It had reached a state of both parties disliking the other party.

Qin Zhongyue had just said that he was the head of the family, but he could no longer control himself after drinking too much. He started to pour out secrets no one else knew about.

“Every week I have to make a contribution at least ten times and no less than that and it must also be longer than half an hour each time or he will make the aunty make me nourishing soup to anger me!” (KKnotes: He’s referring to their bedtime activities here hehe.)

“I have to hand over all my salary and bank cards and he would only give me a hundred yuan a day! What can you do with a hundred yuan? Only when I have waited on him enough, he would give me a few hundred more.” (KKnotes: 100 yuan is approximately 15-16 USD)

The more Qin Zhongyue spoke, the wetter his eyes became. He wiped the corners of his eyes and said aggrievedly, “Speaking honestly, the young masters outside are all more expensive than me and will have tens of thousands on them when they go out so I’m at least better than those people. I really don’t know why he wants to manage everything about me. Even the eight million a month spending money my father gives me were all confiscated by him.” (KKnotes: About 1.2mil USD)

Li Jun was left dumbfounded. He didn’t dare continue listening to this. Afraid that Qin Zhongyue would suddenly sober up and then turn around and silence him, he quickly interrupted, “You’ve drunk too much. Hey, give me your phone. Let me call your wife and get him to pick you up.”

Qin Zhongyue paused. His voice lowered and he said in a small voice, “Don’t call him, he’s on a business trip. How else would I dare come out and drink?”

Li Jun: “…..”

…….Who was the one who boasted earlier that they’re the head of the family?

Li Jun got up to snatch away the wine glass, “Don’t drink anymore. I won’t send you home if you get drunk.”

Qin Zhongyue was angry, “Are you looking down on me? I already said that I won’t get drunk even after a thousand glasses! I can go home myself.”

Li Jun: “………..”

He could only sit back down. He internally decided to book a room for him if he gets drunk later.

Qin Zhongyue continued the earlier topic, “If I ever get the chance to do this again, I will never marry him! If my father really doesn’t want to give me the company, I will just let him recognise my wife as his son and that way I will have another brother instead. Giving my wife Qin Enterprise is better than giving it to Qin Wenxuan.”

Li Jun felt complicated inside, “You sure have a big heart.”

Even willing to give another unrelated person a company worth hundreds of billions in yuan.

He also drank some wine. Realising that Qin Zhongyue hadn’t spoken for a while now, he turned to check only to see that this bastard had already fallen asleep on the table.

………..

*

It rained lightly today, the rain pittering and pattering across this old town. Faint mist covered the mountains and forests, wrapping around the roof tiles and cornices, blurring the originally simple town appearance.

Because of this damp and rainy day, the walls had regained a lot of moisture. When the light spring breeze blew in through the window, it rustled the calendar hanging on the wall. The calendar was new with only a few pages torn off. The date it showed was bright red; April 2010.

In this delicate and gentle spring rain, a teenager wearing a bamboo hat and faded t-shirt stood bare feet next to the well, drawing water.

He had a handsome appearance; pale skin, black hair and black eyes, and was about 175cm in height which was neither too tall nor petite. The young man gave off an air of refinement and sophistication nourished from the Jiangnan waters.

He had thin wrists, but he was able to easily lift a bucket full of water. On those hands with slender and pale fingers, one could see thick calluses on his palms.

This was a pair of hands that was accustomed to farm work.

This was the eighteen-year-old Xie Zhongxing.

He skilfully picked up the carrying pole. The two seemingly heavy buckets of clear water swayed dangerously on each end, some of the water spattering onto his mud-stained feet, revealing hints of his fair skin.

But even despite this, he eventually managed to gain control of the buckets and carefully brought them back to pour into the big water tank at home.

After going back and forth several times, the big water tank that was about the same height as him was filled.

Xie Zhongxing at this moment was already very hungry.

The people at home wouldn’t leave any food for him at a time like this so he returned to his room and took out a small candy box but when he opened it, he found that the change in there was gone.

This wasn’t the first time this kind of thing had happened. Xie Zhongxing’s expression didn’t change. He closed the box and placed it back.

He picked up the pole and went back out.

He ate two bowls of dry rice at Grandmother Chen’s house next door for the price of helping her fill a tank of water.

After doing this, Xie Guoxu and Liu Xiu also returned.

Xie Zhongxing’s younger brother, Xie Zi’an, chattered as soon as he entered the door, “Mum, the amusement park was really fun. You should take me again next time.”

Liu Xiu said, “Go my ass. The instant noodles there were priced at fifty yuan a bowl, but you insisted that you wanted to eat it. What a waste of money!” (KKnotes: About 7-8USD)

Xie Zi’an pouted, “It tastes different from ordinary ones. They must have used good ingredients. Why else would they sell it at such an expensive price?”

Liu Xiu, “What could be different about it? Don’t find excuses.”

Xie Zi’an no longer spoke. He saw Xie Zhongxing and shouted, “Xie Zhongxing, have you finished my homework yet?”

Xie Zhongxing was used to him calling him by his full name. With Xie Guoxu and Liu Xiu both indulging Xie Zi’an with his actions, he also didn’t make any attempt to correct him. His tone was light, “I haven’t done it.”

Xie Zi’an jumped up in anger, “It’s already afternoon yet you still haven’t done it?! If I have nothing to hand in tomorrow, I will let my father stop giving you living allowances and let you live off air!”

Xie Zhongxing only briefly glanced at him. Xie Guoxu originally didn’t give him any living allowances anyway.

Xie Guoxu wasn’t embarrassed about this either. He said with a stern expression, “What did you spend the whole day doing today? Hurry and do An An’s homework.”

Xie Zhongxing asked, “Will I also do the college entrance examination for him in the future?”

Xie Guoxu furrowed brows, “What are you talking back for? Your younger brother is much smarter than you, a man with great talents. You think you can match up to him? You should be more self-aware of your limits.”

Xie Zi’an added more oil to the fire, “I just don’t have the time to do my homework. With something like exams, I can easily get into the school’s top ten without much work. Unlike someone, although it’s Nanyang, ranking 800 is useless. Seeing that you might not be able to even pass the college entrance examination, I think there’s no need for you to continue attending school.”

Liu Xiu heard this and agreed, “That is true indeed. If you want to help the family out, you should go out and work to help lighten our load. You father works very hard supporting the three of us. The kid from the Chen family who is two years younger than you is already working in Guangdong and would send back three or four thousand yuan every month.”

Please read this from kk translates

Xie Zhongxing didn’t speak.

Liu Xiu hated this unperturbed look of his. She pursed her lips, “Hurry and finish An An’s homework. We will be going out tonight so you can sort out your own dinner yourself.”

After that, she returned to her room with Xie Guoxu.

Xie Zi’an smiled triumphantly at Xie Zhongxing, “This is my house. If you don’t listen to me, I have a hundred tricks up my sleeve to show you who’s boss. You’d better be well-behaved, or I will tell my parents and they’ll drop you out of school.”

After Xie Zi’an finished saying that, he also entered his room.

There was only Xie Zhongxing left in the living room. He looked around the room. There was no place for him in this small two-bedroom home.

His room was just the balcony which had been converted into a small room.

Is this a home? Xie Zhongxing thought to himself: No, this isn’t.

At the same time but in another place, Qin Zhongyue stepped barefoot onto the Persian carpet worth tens of thousands of yuan per metre and looked at his father Qin Xiangqian with an incredulous look on his clearly youthful face.

Qin Xiangqian found this appearance of his son’s very displeasing to the eye but with guests around, he also couldn’t kick him. He just said with great patience, “Why aren’t you wearing slippers? It’s very impolite.”

He then turned to the guest and smiled, “This child is quite sloppy at home. I can no longer manage him.”

The guest laughed, “Mr. Qin and the young master have a very good relationship.”

Qin Xiangqian said, “How could that be. This child is very mischievous, I am often very troubled over it.”

Qin Zhongyue stared at Qin Xiangqian’s thick head of hair and couldn’t help but grab it.

Qin Xiangqian was angered, “What are you doing now?”

Qin Zhongyue: “Dad, it turns out you haven’t lost all your hair yet.”

Qin Xiangqian: “………”

Qin Xiangqian was annoyed, “Get out and do your homework! Get out of my sight!”

Qin Zhongyue quickly ran away. Qin Xiangqian coughed a few times and continued, “This child is always talking nonsense.”

The guest couldn’t help but glance at Qin Xiangqian’s hairline. He awkwardly let out a polite laugh.

Qin Zhongyue ran back to his room and took in the furnishings in there. He was now very certain that he had been reborn, and it was now ten years ago!

Qin Zhongyue would typically lose his memories after getting drunk, but he had complained to Li Jun about Xie Zhongxing when he wasn’t completely drunk, so he still remembered what he had said.

He was very embarrassed about this. He had actually used the assistance of his intoxicated state to reveal the matters between himself and Xie Zhongxing.

No matter what the situation was like between the two of them, it was still a private family affair, and he would never talk about it to other uninvolved parties. That was his bottom line.

Qin Zhongyue felt a little restless and guilty about this, but fortunately he was reborn, so he didn’t need to be met with Li Jun’s look of pity.

Qin Zhongyue threw himself onto the bed, ecstatic. He had suddenly acquired the chance to redo his past ten years and he was also free! He clenched his fist, his heart filled with ambition, “In this life, I will not marry Xie Zhongxing! I want to be free!!”