Chapter 5
Editor: Princess
Qin Huanxi moved easily and smoothly among the guests, chatting with people who were likely all deeply passionate about music. They were musicians from all over the world, clearly impressed with his earlier performance. When they talked to him, their faces carried a bit of warmth, like they were pleased with him, but mostly there was admiration in their eyes. Some of them even invited him to join their concerts.
Because of this, Qin Huanxi handled everything with relative ease. But when it came to the invitations for concerts, he hesitated. Ever since waking up in this body, he had been carefully thinking about what to do next. Besides the urgent need to find his son, he had also been wondering if he should continue living the original owner’s life.
The original owner of this body had resisted his fate fiercely but was powerless to fight back. However, Qin Huanxi could feel that deep down, the original owner truly loved playing the violin. It was precisely because of this passion that he didn’t want the violin to become just a tool for bringing honor to the family, something that would bind him for life to what he loved most.
The original owner had carried far too many burdens—burdens so heavy they suffocated him and made him unwilling to wake up again. That’s why Qin Huanxi was determined not to let the past repeat itself. He was more willing to fulfill the original owner’s wish, which, when you got down to it, boiled down to just two words: ‘freedom’.
The original owner wanted to shake off the halo of genius and the crushing weight of expectations placed on him. He wanted the freedom to choose which competitions and concerts to participate in. If he didn’t feel like practicing, or if he was in a bad mood, he could gather a bunch of friends, drink until he was completely wasted, or find an empty spot to scream and shout, letting out all his pent-up emotions.
Instead of having his entire life boxed in by the word ‘must’—he must spend a set amount of time practicing the violin every day; he must compete in this important competition; he must attend this concert because it would elevate both his and the family’s reputation…
“Qin Huanxi, your grandfather is getting old, and dad and mom don’t have much road left to walk. The future of the Qin family is all on your shoulders now, so you must work even harder.”
“Qin Huanxi, you must show your talent on the international stage. You have to gain everyone’s recognition, only then can you bear the future of the Qin family. You have to work hard…”
“Qin Huanxi, you are the most outstanding member of this generation in the Qin family. How far the family can go depends on your efforts…”
“Qin Huanxi… Qin Huanxi… Qin Huanxi…”
Qin Huanxi’s grip on his wine glass tightened suddenly, his heartbeat quickening. It took him a moment to relax his hold and let out a soft sigh. Looking around, he noticed Old Master Qin chatting happily with a few world-renowned musicians, so seizing the moment, he skillfully came up with an excuse to politely decline the enthusiastic conversations of the other guests and slipped out of the banquet hall.
Maybe it was because this body was still recovering from severe injuries and couldn’t handle alcohol well, but his mind was a mess right now. Memories belonging to the original owner kept flooding into his head, and those heartfelt admonishments struck deeply. Even though his soul had taken over this body, the memories left behind were etched in his heart like scars.
His head hurt a little. All he wanted now was to find a quiet corner to feel the breeze and calm himself down. Honestly, he didn’t find it hard to understand how the original owner felt. In fact, he could relate deeply, because he had once forced himself to accept a fate imposed on him, all because of the word ‘responsibility’.
Actually, he couldn’t help but envy the original owner sometimes. The original owner loved playing the violin but was tied down to a fixed path because of it, losing his freedom. Wheareas he too, had loved the violin since he was a child, but had given up the path of becoming a violinist for the sake of the family business and never reached the same heights as the original owner.
Still, saying this now felt a bit like speaking from a comfortable position. After all, sometimes people needed to put themselves in others’ shoes to find contentment, otherwise their hearts would only grow greedier.
Qin Huanxi had just walked a short distance when he felt that distinct gaze fall on him again. And following his instincts, he turned around and saw someone he probably wouldn’t forget in his two lifetimes—Mo Shaoheng!
He took a sharp breath, only for his headache to worsen immediately. He couldn’t help but think back to four years ago—no, now it should be seven years ago—when he woke up in Mo Shaoheng’s bed. And everything that happened after could only be described as ‘completely unbelievable’.
Qin Huanxi forced himself to calm down. He wasn’t ‘Ning Xue’ anymore, what’s more Mo Shaoheng would probably never know in this lifetime that they had a son together. So pulling his emotions back in check, he gave Mo Shaoheng a polite smile and nod before turning away quickly, leaving the other’s line of sight.
He found a flowerbed not far from the banquet hall and sat down. From here, he could see the main entrance of the hall, but the lively atmosphere inside wouldn’t disturb him—it was quiet and peaceful. Relaxing his body, he leaned back against the chair, catching the rich fragrance of flowers from the bed.
The Qin family’s estate might be better described as a manor or villa complex. Although it had undergone numerous renovations and expansions over the years, it still carried an air of antiquity, which only added to its value. The estate was sprawling, with several villa-style buildings. In addition to the grand banquet hall hosting tonight’s birthday celebration, there were separate guesthouses for visitors to stay.
The Ning family had been wealthy too, living in villas and mansions that many envied. But compared to the Qin family’s estate, the homes he used to live in felt almost shabby. It left him marveling time and time again—this truly was the home of a family renowned worldwide as a musical powerhouse!
After resting for over ten minutes, Qin Huanxi’s muddled head finally cleared up a bit, and his headache subsided. And not wanting the old man to realize he had snuck out of the banquet hall, he stood up to head back. But as soon as he took a step, he sensed several dangerous presences rushing out from the other side of the flowerbed.
His body reacted instinctively, dodging to the side. However he had overestimated the strength of this recently recovered body, because his will was strong, but his body couldn’t keep up. He managed to avoid the attacks from the two in front but couldn’t escape the one who struck from behind. Pain shot through the back of his neck, and his vision went dark as he collapsed.
Just before he hit the ground, someone caught his body hurriedly. Before losing consciousness, Qin Huanxi silently made a vow to himself. If he still had Ning Xue’s body, these small-time thugs wouldn’t have stood a chance. Once he got through this senseless disaster, he would definitely retrain all the skills he had learned before.
“What do we do now? Are we really taking him away? This is the Qin family’s estate.”
“Young Master Pan said we just need to take him to the guesthouse. He’ll handle the rest.”
“Hurry up and move him. If someone sees us, not even Young Master Pan can save us.”
“But I have to say, this guy’s pretty good-looking…”
“Stop talking nonsense. Are you sure he’s not some bigshot’s young master? Look at his clothes—what if he’s someone important?”
“What’s there to be afraid of? We’ve got Young Master Pan. Stop dawdling and move! If someone shows up, none of us are getting out of here.”
As the noisy voices gradually faded away, disappearing down the shadowy path lined with trees, a petite figure stepped out from the shadows. Qin Siyu clutched her mouth with one hand and gripped a tree trunk tightly with the other, struggling to control her trembling body, however her beautifully made-up eyes, framed by delicate eyeliner, gleamed with barely concealed glee.
After a long while, once she was certain no one else was around, she released her hand from her mouth. A light laugh escaped her lips, but her excitement quickly spiraled out of control, turning into maniacal laughter. “Qin Huanxi, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Blame your own damned luck! Even the heavens don’t want to let you go. That car accident couldn’t kill you, but let’s see how you escape this time!”
Hatred and the thrill of revenge filled her eyes. Scenes of Qin Huanxi’s dazzling performance at the birthday banquet played out in her mind. All the guests had their eyes on him, the black diamond elevating him once again to the center of attention. The applause, the praise, the fame, all of it went to him.
“Siyu, I heard Qin Huanxi got invited to another concert, and this time it’s in Vienna, the music capital! Your cousin is amazing. If I had a cousin like that, I’d be grinning in my sleep and walking with my head held high, haha…”
“You talk as if you usually walk around with your head down. Show me what that looks like!”
“Get lost, I was just making a point!”
“Hahaha, but seriously, Qin Huanxi is amazing. He’s been invited to so many internationally renowned concerts. I really admire him. He’s still so young, yet he’s already achieved what many artists can’t in a lifetime.”
“Siyu, congratulations! I heard your cousin won another award. I saw the interview on TV yesterday.”
“Siyu, I heard your cousin…”
Everyone only knew about Qin Huanxi in the Qin family. But what about her, Qin Siyu? What did she even count as?
She covered her ears, desperately trying to block out the voices invading her mind. She crouched down, curling into herself, wanting to scream at the top of her lungs. She wanted to tell everyone that the Qin family didn’t just have Qin Huanxi—there was also her, Qin Siyu. If given the chance, she was sure she could go further than Qin Huanxi ever could.
She would. She absolutely would…
She opened her mouth, but her throat was so tight that no sound came out. Her eyes were bloodshot as she glared at the end of the tree-lined path, her hatred slowly giving way to a twisted sense of satisfaction. She had heard every word those men said earlier, loud and clear. It seemed that this so-called ‘Young Master Pan’ had taken a liking to Qin Huanxi’s face and wanted to claim it for himself.
She smirked coldly. Although she usually avoided those useless, good-for-nothing rich boys, she knew well enough about their shady and unspeakable hobbies.
For the sake of the Qin family’s reputation, she couldn’t let outsiders know about this. But if word of it reached her grandfather or those within the family who were itching to see Qin Huanxi humiliated—or better yet, if they witnessed his disgrace firsthand—they would definitely revel in his downfall. Let’s see how arrogant Qin Huanxi could be after that.
Her eyes narrowed, her cold smile deepening as she headed toward the guesthouse.
On the other side of the flowerbed, Qin Cong’an leaned lazily against the trunk of a lush tree, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile.
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