CH 23

Of the two reporters sent over by Cage, one was surnamed Huang, called Huang Jingnan, a valiant-looking woman, and the other was surnamed Li, called Li Gui, a tall and thin young man.

The male and female combination gave them flexibility to switch between rough and gentle, direct and indirect, such that they’re able to endure through all sorts of hardships. The two of them interviewed students from different classes on a hot day like today and were able to dig out the facts regarding the event at the time.The classmates who were interviewed expressed sympathy towards Xie Zhongxing.“Reporter sister, you have no idea. Every time I see Xie Zhongxing in the cafeteria, he would always be eating the cheapest vegetables, without a single piece of meat in sight. Our school’s uniforms don’t look very good, yet he wears them every day. Based on that, we all thought his family was poor but when his parents came today, his mother was wearing a gold bracelet and necklace set and was also dressed very fashionably. She didn’t look poor at all.”“Yeah, Xie Zhongxing appeared very poor. At an age like this, surely your family would be worried? Even if it’s not a smart phone, they would at least buy a flip phone or a brick phone to ensure that you can be reached but he didn’t have a phone and we’ve never seen him call his family. Even during the parent-teacher meetings, no one came.”“I share a dormitory with him. He wouldn’t get hot water on a cold winter’s day and would use cold water to wash with. A bottle of hot water is only a few cents, yet he wouldn’t get it. Every morning, he would eat bread and at most he spends seven yuan a day, but I saw that his parents were well-dressed today. They didn’t look like people who lacked money.”There was also a very beautiful female student who asked to be interviewed and revealed some shocking news, “Reporter sister, Xie Zhongxing’s younger brother Xie Zi’an attends Fifth High School and he didn’t appear poor at all. He would always have the latest smartphone, his shoes would cost several hundred yuan and he would also wear clothes that cost one or two hundred yuan. Rather than being poor, his family even owns a house and a car.”Huang Jingnan asked, “How did you know about this?”The female student snorted, “Because my older sister is his younger brother’s girlfriend.”The female classmate who offered to be interviewed was Jin Kui.She told Huang Jingnan her guesses, “Xie Zi’an came to our school to find his brother last time and I told him that his brother was first in the school, but he wasn’t aware of this. I think Xie Zhongxing probably kept it from his family. Reporter sister, just think about it. In what kind of situation would a child hide their good results from their parents?”Huang Jingnan had gradually become quite invested in digging out the truth behind this matter, “Thank you for providing us with this information. We will investigate this matter further. Please don’t tell anyone about this for the time being.”Jin Kui naturally agreed.Huang Jingnan and Li Gui left the school, “We need to interview Xie Zhongxing’s parents.”“Go directly to Yunshui Town. I already have the address.”After reaching a consensus, Huang Jingnan and Li Gui drove directly to Yunshui Town.After arriving at Yunshui Town, they didn’t immediately interview Xie Zhongxing’s parents and instead interviewed the local neighbours first.“Huh? Xie Guoxu and his wife? They’re not bad, pretty nice people.” A young man scratched his face and continued, “I once didn’t have money and Brother Guoxu lent me some. He makes a lot as a foreman on a construction site, at least a hundred thousand a year I believe?”“Guoxu is very generous. He would always pay twice as much as the others at dinner banquets and would even lend his car to others. One time my grandmother returned from the city late at night and there were no cars around so we asked if he could pick her up and he did it without saying a word of complaint.”“What? His son? He has two sons. The younger one is attending Fifth High School, I think? His grades seemed to be pretty good. The older one isn’t doing well. I heard he’s attending the best high school, Nanyang High School, but his grades are nothing to talk about. Brother Guoxu is often too embarrassed to mention it.”“The eldest son is very diligent. I see him doing farm work and housework whenever he’s back from school. He’s very sensible. Brother Guoxu however doesn’t seem to like him much. I heard from my grandmother that he often doesn’t feed him so he would always come to our place to get some food. I work in the city and don’t often come home and it’s inconvenient for my grandmother to do a lot of things. This child would help out with the jobs that require manual labour so giving him a bite to eat isn’t a problem.”“Now that you have mentioned that, it does seem that Brother Guoxu doesn’t treat his eldest son very well. He never brings his eldest son along when going out. That one is called Xie Zhongxing, right? I don’t think they ever brought this child back to their hometown during Lunar New Year. I’ve delivered dumplings to him a few times during new years but we’re all neighbours so it might be crossing the line sticking our noses into Brother Guoxu’s family’s situation. That child is quite unfortunate.”Huang Jingnan accurately captured a key information, “They’re not locals?”“Yeah, they’re not locals. Their hometown seems to be Liao City? It’s quite far from here. Since they’ve bought a car and a house here, they’ve settled down here.”“Brother Guoxu has lived here for almost eighteen years. I remember when the two of them first moved here, his wife’s belly was still big, and she was pregnant with the younger one.”After interviewing the neighbours, Huang Jingnan had a strong guess in her mind. She asked Li Gui, “What kind of situation would make a married couple who is still pregnant and with a young baby settle down in an unfamiliar town thousands of miles away from home?”Li Gui, “There must be something going on.”Huang Jingnan, “It might even be a big issue!”When she said this, her eyes shone a bright light.After lying in wait all afternoon, the two of them finally captured Xie Guoxu and Liu Xiu.As soon as Xie Guoxu saw Li Guo’s camera, his expression changed, “What are you doing?!”Xie Guoxu covered his face, “Who allowed you to interview us? Go, go go! Hurry and leave! I won’t answer any of your questions!”Huang Jingnan asked loudly, “Excuse me, Mr. Xie, is your eldest son Xie Zhongxing really your biological son? Have you ever confirmed this matter?”Xie Guoxu was angered, “Get lost! I’m not accepting any questions!”After saying that, the two of them ran into their yard and slammed the door behind them, shutting them out.Li Gui asked, “Why did you ask a question like that?”Huang Jingnan said, “I suspect that they’re not actually Xie Zhongxing’s biological parents. This kind of thing isn’t uncommon. But as for whether or not this is really the case, we will need to go to their hometown and see.”After saying that, she smiled brightly and asked Li Gui, “You coming?”Li Gui answered decisively, “Of course! Let’s go!”The two partners smiled at each other and headed straight for Liao City without stopping.*In the evening after school, Qin Zhongyue was a little reluctant to leave, “Why don’t you go home with me?”Xie Zhongxing, “I’m boarding at the school.”Qin Zhongyue sighed, “I still want to talk to you more.”Xie Zhongxing looked at Qin Zhongyue and his tone softened, “We will still be seeing each other tomorrow.”Qin Zhongyue made a sound of realisation and hit his palm with his fist, “I can buy you a phone! Why didn’t I think of that?”Xie Zhongxing knew that if he said he would buy it, he would really buy it, so he immediately refused, “No need. I’m very busy with my worksheets and papers.”Qin Zhongyue thought of his noble status as first place in the school and said with some awe, “I really must be blind. I thought you were just blindly completing those worksheets the entire time.”Xie Zhongxing, “……”Xie Zhongxing asked, “What made you think that?”Qin Zhongyue’s expression was solemn, “I just thought that since you’re so good-looking, your academic performance must conversely be weak? To be good looking and also have amazing grades, those kinds of people don’t exist.”Xie Zhongxing, “……”Xie Zhongxing again wanted to laugh but he held it in. He said with an equally solemn expression, “Although I am good looking and have good grades, I’m poor.”Qin Zhongyue waved his hand indifferently, “So what? You will be rich in the future. I can use my virginity as a guarantee.”Xie Zhongxing, “…….”This was his second time hearing Qin Zhongyue talk about his virginity.Qin Zhongyue didn’t know what he was thinking and continued to express emotionally, “With you so perfect, I feel that I am not worthy enough to walk next to you.”Xie Zhongxing said sincerely, “….Don’t underestimate yourself. You are also perfect. Tall, rich and handsome, everyone likes you.”Qin Zhongyue looked at him and blinked a few times before smiling brightly, “I know.”If he wasn’t good, would Xie Zhongxing be married to him? HEHEHEHE.He’s also excellent!Xie Zhongxing is excellent and this indirectly means that he is also excellent!!Qin Zhongyue who was easily coaxed happy by Xie Zhongxing’s words, cheerily returned home while Xie Zhongxing returned to his dormitory with Zhong Yiming.On the way back, Zhong Yiming asked subtly, “You seem to have grown quite close to Qin Zhongyue lately?”

Xie Zhongxing made a sound of affirmation.Zhong Yiming fell silent. He and Xie Zhongxing had shared a dormitory for two entire years, and he was extremely certain that Xie Zhongxing was straight and had no knowledge about matters in that regard. Qin Zhongyue however was different.The way he looked at Xie Zhongxing wasn’t quite right. If he said that he didn’t have those kinds of thoughts towards Xie Zhongxing, Zhong Yiming would most certainly not believe in that lie.But he also couldn’t say anything about this. If he accidentally said too much, he might expose himself instead.Zhong Yiming inwardly sighed. He then asked, “I have a few problems I am having trouble with. Do you have time after returning to the dormitory?”Xie Zhongxing nodded, “I do.”Zhong Yiming smiled, “Then I’ll have to trouble you.”On the other end, as soon as Qin Zhongyue arrived home, he suddenly thought of a problem ----Since Xie Zhongxing is a big study tyrant, did he still need to put up an act in front of him?Qin Zhongyue stood frozen in place. Very soon, a red flush spread across his face. What’s the point of acting now? He should just admit that he’s a study slag.Qin Zhongyue raised his hand and fanned himself as he calmly thought to himself: Since he has already reached this point, he should at least have an acceptable grade! Studying still needs to be done and he still needs to take the exam for Tsinghua and Peking University. Getting into the same university as Xie Zhongxing also isn’t a bad idea!Qin Zhongyue suddenly became motivated.*Several calm and peaceful days passed by after this incident. Xie Guoxu didn’t come to the school to find Xie Zhongxing and Xie Zhongxing also didn’t contact his family, but he would occasionally learn about Xie Zi’an’s current situation from his enthusiastic junior sister, Jin Kui.Jin Kui said to him, “The reporters went to Xie Zi’an’s school and also interviewed my sister. My sister truthfully told them about his spending habits and Xie Zi’an got angry at her. How funny is that? He even borrowed money from my sister to buy a game console. A one thousand five-hundred-yuan game console. He actually said that he can afford it if he says he can afford it. What a genius.”Xie Zhongxing’s expression remained unchanged. Jin Kui continued, “His academic performance also isn’t that good. My sister said that his grades have fallen a lot. Last year he was in the top one hundred in the grade but now he’s five or six hundred in rank. There was even one time where he came last. Despite all this, he told my sister that he’s no worse than you. How hilarious.”Xie Zhongxing heard about Xie Zi’an’s matters but he also soon forgot about them. He had once thought about getting along with Xie Zi’an when he was young but Xie Guoxu and Liu Xiu’s attitude towards him had also influenced Xie Zi’an, resulting in this irreconcilable relationship between them.Xie Zhongxing had long learned not to pay attention to his affairs. His life motto was to not waste time on people who didn’t matter. Jin Kui however was telling him about these matters with good intentions so he quietly listened to her speak.When Jin Kui was done talking about Xie Zi’an, she suddenly remembered something and asked cautiously, “Um, senior, I just wanted to ask, about the matter of your parents selling you off, is that true?”Xie Zhongxing answered, “Perhaps.”When Jin Kui heard this, she felt that it seemed very likely. Even if it wasn’t the kind of selling that violated the law, it was still most certainly not a good thing. She couldn’t help but get angry, “I don’t think senior is their biological son! Other parents would hold high hopes for their child yet yours would rather push you into the mud. Senior, I think you should get a DNA test done. There is a DNA test centre not far from the city centre, it takes only ten minutes by car. I can help you out with the costs. You can just pay me back when you can in the future.”When Xie Zhongxing heard this, his eyes flickered slightly, “DNA test?”Jin Kui said, “Yeah! The test itself costs about two thousand yuan and the results are usually out within three days. I can lend you the money for it first.”Xie Zhongxing: “No need, thank you.”Jin Kui: “Senior, you should think about it. You don’t need your parents with you either. All you need is their hair or something with their saliva and they can check it for you.”Xie Zhongxing, “….I will think about it.”Jin Kui insisted with a serious expression, “Senior, you must think about it properly. If they’re not your biological parents and they’re treating you this badly, senior, you can consider leaving this family. Don’t be tied down by this fake kinship.”Xie Zhongxing looked at her eyes and could see concern in there. His heart felt warm, “I know, thank you.”Jin Kui waved her hand, “No need to thank me, I just really want you to live a good life. Senior, good luck.”After receiving Xie Zhongxing’s answer, she turned and left with a reassured mindset.Qin Zhongyue walked out from the corner and stopped beside Xie Zhongxing. As he watched Jin Kui’s leaving figure, his tone carried a hint of sourness, “Does she like you? She even came all the way here to tell you those things.”Xie Zhongxing turned to look at him, “Don’t talk nonsense.”Qin Zhongyue was a little upset when he saw that he wasn’t denying it. He lowly muttered, “You’re still a high school student. You shouldn’t be dating at this age.”Xie Zhongxing suddenly developed some curiosity towards him, “Have you ever been in a relationship?”Qin Zhongyue asked back, “Have you?”Xie Zhongxing said, “No.”Qin Zhongyue also said, “Neither.”He lowered his voice and whispered quietly, “I’m still a virgin.”Xie Zhongxing, “…….”Alright, this is the third time.Qin Zhongyue was secretly pleased, “No one around me is a virgin anymore. Only I am.”Xie Zhongxing was also a man, so he more or less understood how a man thought. As far as he knew, there should be very few men who would be proud of being a virgin and on the contrary, they would typically be ashamed instead. Hearing Qin Zhongyue say that he’s still a virgin with such a proud look, he didn’t know what to say, “I thought that you would be popular since you’re so handsome.”Qin Zhongyue puffed out his chest, looking very proud, “That’s right, I’m very popular. Many girls would confess to me but I turned them all down.”Xie Zhongxing asked, “Why did you turn them down?”Qin Zhongyue’s expression remained righteous, “Because high school students shouldn’t be dating!”Xie Zhongxing, “……”Xie Zhongxing said with sincerity, “You’re right.”Qin Zhongyue then asked, “So are you a virgin?”Xie Zhongxing, “…….”Qin Zhongyue said, “Why aren’t you answering? Don’t be shy. Your right hand doesn’t count.”Xie Zhongxing looked away, “……Yes.”Qin Zhongyue immediately smiled and stretched out his hand, “For the Virgin League, cheers!”Xie Zhongxing glanced at him. When he saw the look of encouragement in his eyes, he couldn’t help but be speechless, but he still stretched out his hand and gave him a high-five.Qin Zhongyue suddenly thought of something and asked, “By the way, what type of person is your ideal type?”Xie Zhongxing asked back, “What about you? What is your ideal type?”Qin Zhongyue couldn’t help but look at Xie Zhongxing’s face. His expression was solemn, “…..Won’t boss me around, a gentle and virtuous wife who will give me freedom.”Xie Zhongxing felt that there seemed to be a story behind those words of his. Although Xie Zhongxing hadn’t spent much time with Qin Zhongyue, he gave him the feeling that if he spent an hour trying to get to know him properly, he would definitely discover that-------he had wasted an entire hour.Based on this impression of him, Xie Zhongxing didn’t ask Qin Zhongyue about the story behind those words of his that sounded like he had gone through a lot.Qin Zhongyue’s expression only lasted for a few seconds. He immediately started to pester Xie Zhongxing, “You still haven’t told me what your ideal type is.”Xie Zhongxing thought for a few seconds and said, “I don’t have an ideal type. If I like them, then anything can be my ideal type.”When Qin Zhongyue heard this, he wasn’t satisfied, “That’s too vague. You don’t sometimes try and imagine what your future partner would be like?”Xie Zhongxing thought about it, “Then, loyalty I guess.”Qin Zhongyue thought about it. That was most certainly something he had managed to do in his last life. He only served Xie Zhongxing alone!

Then the Xie Zhongxing from his previous life should be quite satisfied with him?Qin Zhongyue couldn’t suppress the emotional rush inside him. He continued to ask, “What else? Are your requirements so low, you only want loyalty?”Because of Qin Zhongyue’s pestering, Xie Zhongxing finally opened up. He carefully thought about it and said calmly, “I’m actually fine with anything. She can be gentle or strong, beautiful or plain. As long as I like her, I am willing to accept any form of her.” (KKnotes: You probably know this already but he/her in Chinese sounds the same. Xie Zhongxing here is talking about a woman.)Qin Zhongyue thought about it and felt that something didn’t seem quite right, but he also didn’t know what wasn’t right. He continued to ask, “And? Would you be the type who likes to control who your partner talks to and would forbid them from hanging out with their friends?”Xie Zhongxing glanced at him and thought seriously about this possibility. The corners of his lips rose slightly, “I won’t. Even if they’re my partner, they should have their own personal space. I won’t control who they talk to.”Liar!Qin Zhongyue: “Think about it carefully. You really won’t?”Xie Zhongxing said with certainty, “I won’t.”Qin Zhongyue was a little confused. But you did it in your last life.But he soon didn’t have the time to think about this matter. At this moment, his phone rang.Qin Zhongyue dug out his phone and was stunned when he saw that it was from Cage. He answered it, “Hello, Brother Cage?”Xie Zhongxing narrowed his eyes and moved a little closer to Qin Zhongyue but because Qin Zhongyue’s phone was rather high tech, he couldn’t hear the other party at all.Qin Zhongyue suddenly glanced at Xie Zhongxing and spoke loudly, “No way, is that really true?”Cage’s end was also filled with excitement, “Yes, it’s true. It will be on the news tonight at 8:30. You should tune in.”Qin Zhongyue hung up and looked blankly at Xie Zhongxing. After swallowing a few times, he quietly spoke up, “Brother Cage’s end discovered a few things. You might need to mentally prepare yourself.”Xie Zhongxing looked at him, “Go on.”Qin Zhongyue swallowed with much difficulty. He said cautiously, “The reporters went to your hometown. You are probably not your parent’s biological child. It’s likely that you’re your father’s older brother’s child.”Xie Zhongxing’s eyes widened slightly. He was a little in shock, “My father’s older brother?”Qin Zhongyue said, “Come to my place tonight. It will be on the news at 8:30 in the evening.”That night, Xie Zhongxing asked for leave and went with Qin Zhongyue to his place.For the first two hours, Xie Zhongxing sat on the soft and comfortable leather sofa at Qin Zhongyue’s place, his mind completely blank.He’s really not Xie Guoxu’s biological son?Although he had suspected it countless times in his life, whenever he saw their similar facial features, he couldn’t refute that they were blood related.Sitting beside him, Qin Zhongyue remembered what Cage told him through the phone and felt that the entire situation was very dog-blood. (KKnotes: Dog-blood basically refers to a situation that is outrageous/absurd/melodramatic. Like those clichés and dramatic tropes you see in novels/dramas etc. Eg: Makjang dramas LOL)Seeing Xie Zhongxing sitting there calmly but with an unfocused look in his eyes, Qin Zhongyue felt extremely distressed inside.He couldn’t help but wrap his arm around his shoulder and ask quietly, “It’s almost half past eight. Do you want to eat something first? You didn’t eat much during dinner.”Xie Zhongxing said softly, “No thanks. I’m not hungry.”Qin Zhongyue no longer said anything. He gently patted Xie Zhongxing’s shoulder, silently comforting him.After a few minutes, it was half past eight. The local news for A city began to broadcast its first headline. They had even used Qin Zhongyue’s, “Shock! A Prospective Tsinghua and Peking University Student Forced by His Parents to Drop Out of School to Work, Is This a Loss of Morality or a Distortion of Human Nature!”, which was very attention grabbing.A recording of Huang Jingnan interviewing students in Nanyang High School was shown. She had interviewed many students but only three shots were retained for the final broadcast, including the information revealed by Jin Kui.Huang Jingnan then went to interview the neighbours as well Xie Guoxu and his wife. After being turned away by Xie Guoxu and his wife, she even drove down to the Liao City that was mentioned by the neighbour.As a reporter, they had their own channels that they could go through. Huang Jingnan was able to find Xie Guoxu’s hometown without much effort and was eventually able to dig out the truth after interviewing the neighbours there.“Xie Guoxu, I know him. His father and I are co-workers and we’re very close.”“Did he commit a crime out there? Oh, it’s not because he committed a crime. That child has been up to no good since he was little. Compared to his older brother-----”Huang Jingnan accurately captured the key word. She interrupted the neighbour and asked, “He has an older brother?”“Yes. He and his older brother are twins. They looked exactly the same as children, but they no longer looked like each other after growing up. His older brother’s called Xie Qinghe. His brother’s very handsome and also very intelligent. He even got into Shanghai’s something dan, Fudan? I think that’s the name? Anyway, it was a good university. His parents were elated. On top of his good looks and intelligence, that child, how should I put it, his personality is also particularly good. Very down-to-earth and honest. I remember one time during winter, a few children went fishing in the reservoir and one of them fell in. As soon as Qinghe saw the child fall in, he immediately jumped in and rescued him.”“It was in the middle of winter, several degrees below zero. He just jumped in without any hesitation. The child was saved but he fell ill. I think he was only in junior high school at the time? That child was still at an age where he was growing. His mother gave him Chinese medicine for several months straight after this. His father would always complain to me about how much of a good person this child is. If he didn’t know how to swim and something happened to him while he tried to save that child, how upset would his parents be?”“Where is he now? Now….haa, it was another rescue incident. It happened many years ago, so I no longer remember it well. It was probably in 1992 and it was also during winter. Only a few days later and it would’ve been New Year’s Eve. He suddenly ran out and got into an accident. I heard that a dump truck slipped across the road and was about to hit a child. He had rushed over to push the child out of the way and instead……His parents almost cried themselves blind. He still hadn’t graduated from university yet. After graduating from university, he surely would’ve landed a good job. The truck driver who hit him was poor and didn’t have any money but he ended up paying them two hundred thousand yuan. But how could that amount be compared to raising a university student? His parent’s health also declined after this and soon left the world the next year. It was such a pity. The family was doing fine originally, why did he have to bother with that child. That child’s life is a life, but his life is also a life. He’s really too kindhearted.” (KKnotes: 200,000 yuan is approx. $31,000 USD)“Huh? Did Qinghe have a girlfriend? Let me think…I think he did? Wait a minute, let me call for someone. Yuan Hai! Yuan Hai!”“What, dad?”“Come here. This is a reporter. She’s here for an interview. Tell her about the Xie family’s Qinghe. Did he have a girlfriend?”“Oh that…let me think…I think so. I remember him mentioning that he was dating a very beautiful person. Their family seemed to be pretty well-off and the other party’s parents weren’t happy with him. I don’t know about the rest but he’s someone who tends to keep things to himself. If it’s not something very troubling, he wouldn’t say anything about it. I think when he told me about this at the time, he was probably under a lot of pressure. I’m not sure if they broke up afterwards but I think they probably did.”Huang Jingnan asked the neighbour, “Then about Xie Qinghe’s younger brother, Xie Guoxu. Can you tell me more about him?”“Xie Guoxu….He cannot be compared with his brother. Despite being twins, how could they be so different? Since young, he was lazy, never liked to study, liked to lie and steal, and would often hang out with little hooligans outside. Anyway, he was the complete opposite of his older brother. His father would often beat him, and that child would fight back and hit his father. With him like this, how could his parents not like Qinghe? Qinghe was never spoiled and instead very sensible. He would often help out with farm work and housework during his elementary school years and even knew to give his parents birthday presents, not even forgetting Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. Whenever the school gave out prize money, he would buy clothes and shoes for his parents and wouldn’t spend a single cent on himself.”It could be seen that this neighbourhood grandfather really liked Xie Qinghe. Whenever he talked about Xie Qinghe, he couldn’t stop talking. Huang Jingnan however had to cut him off and ask about Xie Guoxu.“Xie Guoxu’s girlfriend? Yes, he did. That rascal couldn’t go on after high school and started working instead. He brought back a girlfriend the next year ---- It’s his current wife, called Liu Xiu. Liu Xiu was from the city and had high standards. When she dated Xie Guoxu, there was no talk of marriage. They were still young at the time and his parents weren’t in a hurry after all. But I later heard his parents complain that Liu Xiu’s family wanted one hundred thousand as dowry.” (KKnotes: Approx $15,500 USD)“At that time, one hundred thousand wasn’t a small amount. His family could be considered as being pretty well-off but even they couldn’t gather that much so this matter continued to drag on. Anyway, even until his older brother got into an accident, the two of them didn’t get their marriage certificate. After his brother got into an accident, his parents also left the world the next year, so the compensation that was given to them probably fell into his hands. That was probably how their marriage came about.”“How many children does Xie Guoxu have? Doesn’t he only have one? Do they have a second child now? I’m not too certain about this. I’ve only seen him bring back one during new year. What was his son’s name again? Xie Zi’an?”“There’s also another son? I’ve never heard of that. And he’s one year older that Xie Zi’an? That’s impossible. Xie Guoxu often brings Liu Xiu here, how would I have missed the big belly?”“Dad, why are you paying attention to whether someone’s wife’s belly is big or not?”“…..Anyway, the wife’s belly is like a fire that cannot be contained by a piece of paper. If it was big, it would be very obvious. It cannot be missed.”…..The reporters continued with their interview. They asked several more neighbours and they all said that they didn’t see Liu Xiu with a big belly before the birth of Xie Zi’an.At this moment, Qin Zhongyue who was sitting in front of the TV was no longer in a mood to continue listening to the report. He looked at Xie Zhongxing worriedly, his voice weak, “D-don’t cry.”Facing the lights coming off the screen, one could clearly see the tears that were welling up in Xie Zhongxing’s eyes. It seemed as if it would flow down any second.Just as Qin Zhongyue pulled out a few sheets of tissue with some panic, wanting to help wipe his tears, Xie Zhongxing looked over, “It’s okay, I’m not crying.”Qin Zhongyue: “…..Calm down first. This is good news. I told you you don’t share the same air as them and don’t seem like family. You should have probably suspected it too. It’s almost certain now.”Xie Zhongxing didn’t speak. He just reached over to take the tissues from Qin Zhongyue’s hand and lightly turned away and wiped his face with it.Qin Zhongyue spoke carefully, “That Xie Qinghe is probably your biological father. He’s a great person, much better than Xie Guoxu.”When Xie Zhongxing heard this, he found it a little funny. Although he knew that he was comforting him, but wouldn’t saying something like that make him more upset instead?Xie Zhongxing let out an almost inaudible ‘en’.

The calm expression he had always sported had finally cracked open. He found it difficult controlling his emotions and not be affected by this news.After seeing this, he was already certain that he wasn’t Xie Guoxu’s biological son. His biological father was a very, very good person, a hero who was willing his sacrifice his life for others. He was more noble and great than he had ever imagined.But no matter how good his father was, he wasn’t able to see him even once.Xie Guoxu had occupied his father’s position for eighteen entire years!Xie Zhongxing’s entire body grew hot. Qin Zhongyue had also noticed this. He looked at Xie Zhongxing’s flushed cheeks with some worry and asked quietly, “Let’s not watch anymore? Take a bath and rest?”Xie Zhongxing softly let out an ‘en’.Qin Zhongyue pulled him up, brought him to the bathroom and helped fill the tub with hot water. He even put in a small shark shaped bath bomb, filling the bathroom with a nice fragrance. It however was unable to sooth Xie Zhongxing’s mind and heart like last time.Qin Zhongyue brought over a new set of pyjamas and asked him with some worry, “You will be okay bathing alone?”Xie Zhongxing slowly nodded, “I’ll be fine. You should do what you need to do.”He then added, “Thank you.”Qin Zhongyue left the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He stood in place and grabbed at his hair a little awkwardly before glancing back at the bathroom door and then proceeded to drag a chair over to the door and sit outside.After taking a bath, Xie Zhongxing was met with Qin Zhongyue sitting right outside the door the moment he opened it. He was startled by this sight, “What are you doing sitting here?”Qin Zhongyue glanced at his face and saw that even the corners of his eyes were faintly red. It looked like he had just cried. He swallowed awkwardly and said, “I was afraid of you wanting to end your life.”Xie Zhongxing, “…….”Xie Zhongxing said, “I am indeed considering it.”Qin Zhongyue was shocked, “Don’t! Don’t be too impulsive! You’re only eighteen years old, there are still good times ahead. Don’t think about ending your life just because of a trivial matter like this!”Seeing him so nervous, Xie Zhongxing breathed out. His voice carried some warmth, “I’m just joking with you.”Qin Zhongyue slowly calmed back down, “….Can you not joke about things like this? It scares me.”Xie Zhongxing faintly bent the corners of his lips to form a smile. He then once again said sincerely, “Thank you.”Qin Zhongyue looked at his delicate face which had been stained a faint red colour because of the bath and asked with a low voice, “Do you need me to sleep with you?”Xie Zhongxing didn’t immediately refuse. He raised his head, his eyes meeting Qin Zhongyue’s eyes that were filled with worry and concern, “……En.”Qin Zhongyue rubbed his ears, “You want me to sleep with you?”Xie Zhongxing said, “Let’s chat.”Qin Zhongyue immediately agreed.Xie Zhongxing watched Qin Zhongyue with some confusion as he laid out some sheets on the ground, “You can sleep together with me.”Qin Zhongyue replied without batting an eyelid, “My sleeping habits aren’t good, I’m afraid of kicking you off the bed. I’ll just sleep on the floor!”Xie Zhongxing took in Qin Zhongyue’s muscular limbs and fell silent.After turning off the lights, Xie Zhongxing spoke up first, “Let’s sleep together. Even if there’s carpet, it can be quite cold at night.”Qin Zhongyue said, “My sleeping habits are really bad.”Xie Zhongxing, “It’s okay. My sleeping habits are good. You won’t wake me up.”When Qin Zhongyue heard this, he internally thought to himself: That is true. Xie Zhongxing’s sleep quality has always been very good. He would sometimes do it with him while he’s sleeping, and he still wouldn’t be awake even when it’s over.When he thought of this, Qin Zhongyue could feel a certain part of himself stand back up again.He felt strong despair inside. Why. Why was he unhappy about it, even finding it troublesome back when he could do it as many times as he wanted in the past yet now he’s always thinking about it.Even at a time like this, he’s thinking about those useless thoughts. He’s a beast!A beast!Qin Zhongyue really didn’t understand. Before he could seriously think about this problem, he heard some rustling next to him and it was followed by a warm body squeezing into his sheets. Xie Zhongxing’s clear and pleasant voice sounded next to his ears, “If you don’t sleep on the bed, I’ll sleep with you on the floor.”Qin Zhongyue, “……”He felt very despaired. With some difficulty, he said, “Don’t….Don’t get so close!”Xie Zhongxing was silent for a while, “What’s wrong?”Qin Zhongyue didn’t dare to speak. He had a small urge to cry. He could only do his best to calm the power surging inside him.Xie Zhongxing said, “Let’s get sleep on the bed.”Seeing that he wasn’t answering, Xie Zhongxing didn’t mind. He lowered his voice further, “Let’s sleep on the bed.”Qin Zhongyue: “……..”Qin Zhongyue finally succumbed, “Okay, okay. You get in first.”Xie Zhongxing got out of the sheets first.Qin Zhongyue used this chance to recover slightly and then calmly got into Xie Zhongxing’s bed.Xie Zhongxing left a lot of space for him. He had the moderately thick blanket pulled up to his face, covering a large half of it, and his voice was a little muffled, “Thank you.”Qin Zhongyue said, “You’ve already sat that too many times. You really don’t have to be so polite.”Xie Zhongxing no longer spoke.A long time later, Qin Zhongyue asked, “Now that you know that Xie Guoxu is not your biological father, what are your plans?”Xie Zhongxing pulled away the blanket and answered lowly, “I want to know if they really had the intention to sell me off that day.”Qin Zhongyue was silent for a while. He then asked cautiously, “What if it’s true?”Xie Zhongxing, “I want to sue them.”Xie Zhongxing turned to look at Qin Zhongyue. Although they were in the dark, Xie Zhongxing could still see Qin Zhongyue’s profile. His voice softened somewhat, “I’m not that good of a person you think I am. I like to hold grudges.”Qin Zhongyue said without much concern, “It’s good to hold grudges. This way, no one will bully you.”He was already used to Xie Zhongxing’s personality. If his personality wasn’t like this, it would’ve been difficult for him to support an enterprise as big as his family’s.In particular, he liked to protect the weak. Qin Zhongyue had been protected by him many times. That kind of feeling was very nice.When Qin Zhongyue thought of the fact that, in addition to having a liking to govern over him, the Xie Zhongxing in his previous life had also treated him rather well, he couldn’t help but feel complicated inside.If it wasn’t for the fact that he was too controlling and cold-hearted, that Xie Zhongxing was really the perfect wife.Xie Zhongxing was completely unaware of these thoughts of his. He was moved when he heard Qin Zhongyue’s words but he didn’t want to give his thanks again so he could only fall silent.Both of them fell asleep with different thoughts in their minds.*The next day, the Xie Family was no longer peaceful.

Last night, Xie Guoxu and Liu Xiu both had other matters bothering them so they didn’t watch TV, but as long as one household in Yunshui Town watched the news, the Xie Family’s matters could no longer be kept hidden. Very soon, the news spread across the town.When Liu Xiu left to buy groceries early in the morning, she noticed that everyone in the town was looking at her with a strange look in their eyes.She was annoyed by those stares, but she maintained her calm and went to the usual store to buy some meat. As soon as the boss saw her, her expression darkened, “Oh, I wonder who this is? Since you’re still able to eat meat every day, does that mean that your elder brother’s compensation money still hasn’t been used up?”Liu Xiu’s heart skipped a beat. She loudly chastised, “What nonsense are you talking about?!”The boss snorted, “You still don’t know? Everything about your family has been shown on TV. Your family’s Xie Zhongxing isn’t your biological son, is he? I knew it. I was wondering why I don’t see you bring him along with you. That child’s someone who can easily get into a top university, yet you want him to drop out? What a joke.”Liu Xiu was shocked, “Don’t talk nonsense, that is not the case!!”The boss continued, “Those reporters have even gone to your hometown to strip you bare so don’t try and argue your way out of this! Of all places, you had to move to our town and ruin our town’s reputation, in turn affecting the tourists and the town’s development. Let’s see who will treat you well after this!”There was another person at the shop. Hearing the boss’s words, that person also added their thoughts, “That child is such a good child, yet you’re trying to ruin him. He’s first place in the school in all his exams and even got a scholarship. If it was another family, they would’ve spoiled him rotten, but you, you treat him as if he was a weed. You don’t feel your conscience hurting when you use that child’s father’s compensation money to buy your house and car?”As soon as those words were spoken, all the blood in Liu Xiu’s body rushed into her head and her entire face was dark red, like the colour of pig blood. She no longer wanted to buy meat and, without daring to say a single word to refute them, she turned around and ran.There were still a lot of people staring at her on her way back. She now finally understood what those gazes meant.She was so embarrassed, she wished there was a hole in the ground for her to hide in!When she got home, she turned on the TV and it just so happened that another station was broadcasting this very news! Her heart raced like crazy. She suddenly realised one thing at this moment. Xie Guoxu and she had really become famous across the country!!This realisation made her feel as if she had fallen into a cave made of ice. A chill travelled down from her head to the soles of her feet.Xie Guoxu also returned not long afterwards. He similarly had an extremely unpleasant expression.As soon as Liu Xiu saw his expression, she knew that he had also run into troublesome matters outside.Xie Guoxu cared a lot about his reputation and image, and because of this he would grit his teeth and lend out money to people who come asking for them even if he didn’t have much himself. At this age, he wanted the respect and praise from others.But it was now all destroyed by that Xie Zhongxing!Before long, Liu Xiu was faced with Xie Guoxu’s angry outburst, “I told you to give him away back then, but you were greedy for that five thousand yuan. Look at us now. We’re famous!”Liu Xiu’s face was red with anger, “Wow, you're accusing me now? You should face your own conscience and ask yourself first, if you hadn’t taken the initiative to help your brother receive his girlfriend’s one hundred thousand breakup fee, would your brother have gotten into an accident? Don’t you know that you’re the one who caused his death?! If anyone is at fault, it’s you! I’m the unfortunate one here. Back then, you didn’t have any money or a job. I wasted all those years with you because I was blind!”Xie Guoxu sneered, “You think I don’t know you well? Back then, if not for the fact that Xie Qinghe had a girlfriend, you would’ve already thrown yourself at him. You clearly spent all those years with me, waiting for a chance to get into Xie Qinghe’s bed. You should look at yourself properly in the mirror. Except for me, who would want you? Xie Qinghe most definitely wouldn’t have even given you a single glance!”As soon as those words were spoken, Liu Xiu was enraged. Using both her arms and legs, she fought with him, “Xie Guoxu, you have no conscience!!”Xie Guoxu slapped her away a few times and Liu Xiu screamed and charged at him again.The fight went on for half an hour. Liu Xiu was a woman after all, and her strength was no match for Xie Guoxu who worked on a construction site all year round. She was soon beaten such that her face was covered in bruises.Liu Xiu laid on the ground moaning and groaning and then she suddenly started to snicker, “When his maternal grandmother sent him here, I boldly used your brother's name to ask for an extra two hundred thousand yuan for child support. The breakup fee, child support money and the compensation money. Altogether, it should add up to five hundred thousand which we used to buy your car and house. His mother didn’t know that Xie Qinghe was already dead at the time. Say, now that things have become like this, when his mother finds out, would she take revenge?”Xie Guoxu’s eyelid twitched. He didn’t speak and just took out a cigarette and lit it.He recalled that oppressive air back when Xie Zhongxing’s maternal grandmother sent him over. Even now, he felt a little fearful inside.This mustn’t become a big issue. It must not become a big issue.Xie Guoxu’s fingers that held his cigarette trembled slightly.He must go and find Xie Zhongxing to talk this out.*When Xie Guoxu arrived at the school, because classes hadn’t started yet, he was unable to find Xie Zhongxing.He had now become very well-known. All the students in Nanyang recognised him, but not one of them were willing to tell him where Xie Zhongxing was. Some even lied and gave him incorrect information, making him run around aimlessly.Xie Guoxu wouldn’t give up. He called Wang Yuxue’s number, but the call was also declined.He circled the place in frustration. Everyone was turning against him!Before Xie Zhongxing could take more than a few steps after leaving the cafeteria, a female classmate came over and told him in a very gentle tone, “Senior, your father is guarding the door to your classroom, waiting for you to come.”Xie Zhongxing remained expressionless and just nodded, “Got it.”The female classmate then lowered her voice into a whisper, “Senior, we’re all on your side. You must get into a good university and infuriate your father!”Another girl elbowed her, “Don’t call him father. That person’s not senior’s father.”The female classmate immediately apologised, “It was out of habit. Sorry about that, senior.”Xie Zhongxing smiled at her, “It’s fine.”After watching the two girls leave, Xie Zhongxing withdrew his gaze.Qin Zhongyue tightened his vocal cords and copied, “Senior, good luck.”Xie Zhongxing glanced at him, “Why are you doing this?”Qin Zhongyue spoke sourly, “That little girl called you senior so sweetly.”Xie Zhongxing responded to that with silence.Qin Zhongyue spoke with some vicissitude, “And you smiled at her. Your smile isn’t precious anymore.”Xie Zhongxing, “?”Qin Zhongyue suddenly asked, “Do you want to earn some spending money? Give me a smile and I’ll give you ten thousand! How is it? Isn’t it a good deal?”Xie Zhongxing looked at him, “I have always wanted to say something to you.”His expression was so serious, it made Qin Zhongyue also stop and listen seriously, “G-go on. I’m listening.”Xie Zhongxing said, “I know you are rich, but I hope you can be a little more restrained when you’re spending money.”Qin Zhongyue, “……….”W-wait a minute. He wasn’t his wife yet, but why did he want to manage this already?With how well-off his family was, he needed to be more restrained? Really? Humph!Qin Zhongyue asked timidly, “What if I don’t?”Xie Zhongxing responded calmly, “Then I can’t do anything about it.”When Qin Zhongyue heard this, his heart immediately came back to life--------This! This was the taste of freedom!Xie Zhongxing continued: “Let’s do it this way. Although I can’t control others, I’ll help you save your money on my end. You can give me ten yuan for every smile.”When Qin Zhongyue heard this, his heart once again turned numb----Compared to him receiving two hundred more after doing it ten times at night, the matter of Xie Zhongxing’s smile costing ten yuan was pretty much going back to where he started?Despite thinking this inside, his lips however couldn’t help but say the opposite, “That’s too little, your smile is a priceless treasure. It’s at least worth one hundred yuan!”