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Chapter 10
Editor: Princess
After breakfast, Mo Shaoheng had business to attend to, so he got up and bid farewell to Old Master Qin.
Qin Siyu’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately felt this was a great chance to get closer to Mo Shaoheng, so she wanted to personally see him off. She quickly walked up to Old Master Qin, her voice soft and coy as she called out, “Grandpa…”
But before she could finish her sentence, Old Master Qin turned to Qin Huanxi and said, “Huanxi, you see Shaoheng off for me.”
Old Master Qin didn’t even glance at her. There was no need to guess—her expression must have been awful. He himself felt quite helpless about the whole situation.
It wasn’t that he favored Qin Huanxi or that he didn’t love his other grandchildren. Because whether it was the palm or the back of his hand, it was all flesh, so how could he not love his own family?
But at some point, his grandchildren had started scheming more and more, learning how to manipulate others at such a young age.
If they had only been plotting against outsiders, he could have let it slide. But they were targeting their own blood—Qin Huanxi. How could that not chill his heart?
He had wanted to give the younger generation more chances to prove themselves. He was getting old, and the future of the Qin family would have to depend on them.
But once one’s heart was tainted with distractions, their passion for music would no longer be pure. No matter how hard they practiced, every note they played would carry the hidden resentment buried deep inside them.
Otherwise, when Qin Huanxi was unconscious, he wouldn’t have agreed to let Qin Siyu take his place in the performance. He had truly wanted to trust them.
Even in the days leading up to the birthday banquet, when Qin Huanxi had already woken up, he still hadn’t planned to change the performer. But ever since Qin Huanxi regained consciousness, Qin Siyu’s resentment had also returned, and her practice sessions deteriorated day by day.
He wasn’t blind to Qin Siyu’s feelings for Mo Shaoheng. It was precisely because he saw it so clearly that he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
He knew exactly what kind of person Mo Shaoheng was—they had been friends for over a decade. Qin Siyu’s feelings for Mo Shaoheng would only lead to heartbreak. So better a short pain than a long one—he had to cut off her thoughts of him before she sank any deeper.
In truth, the one he was worried about the most wasn’t Qin Siyu, because although she harbored resentment and dissatisfaction toward Qin Huanxi, she hadn’t lost her nature—she didn’t have a truly malicious heart. The one who truly concerned him was Qin Cong’an. When he was younger, Qin Cong’an’s talent wasn’t much different from Qin Huanxi’s, but unfortunately…
Old Master Qin sighed softly. He was old now, and he could no longer control these children. He only hoped they would wake up sooner rather than later, becoming true musicians worthy of respect, instead of spending all their energy scheming against their own family. Otherwise, by the time this generation passed, the Qin family would be left with only Qin Huanxi.
Qin Huanxi didn’t miss the complexity in the old man’s eyes. Obediently, he stood up and said, “Yes, Grandpa.”
Old Master Qin looked at Qin Huanxi and smiled in satisfaction. At least he still had one grandson he didn’t have to worry about.
“Old Master Qin, I’ll take my leave for today. I’ll visit again another time.” Mo Shaoheng walked up to Qin Huanxi and turned back to speak to the old man.
“Alright, alright. I’ll have someone prepare tea and wait for you. I still want you to play a game of chess with this old man. Out of everyone here, your chess skills are the best—even Huanxi can’t compare.” Old Master Qin laughed heartily, as if he had just remembered something pleasant.
Qin Huanxi lifted a hand and lightly rubbed the tip of his nose, pretending to be aggrieved. “Grandpa, Uncle Mo is about to leave, and you’re still taking this chance to expose my weaknesses. Are you trying to let him laugh at me? My chess skills might not be as good as his, but at least I can play the violin. How about this—next time you and Uncle Mo play chess, I’ll provide background music for you?”
“Hahaha…” This time, Old Master Qin was truly happy. Maybe it was because he had experienced life and death, and let go of many burdens, but his grandson’s personality had become much more cheerful. Waving his hand, he said, “You and that sharp tongue of yours—this old man can’t win against you. Go on, go on.”
Qin Huanxi also laughed, tugged at Mo Shaoheng’s sleeve, and shot him a glance before the two of them left the living room. Truth be told, he wasn’t trying to act all obedient—this wasn’t really his nature. He just couldn’t stand seeing an old man feeling down, so he could only find ways to cheer him up.
As Qin Huanxi walked ahead, he suddenly felt an intense gaze fixed on him. And when he turned around, he saw Qin Siyu standing among the crowd, staring at him with a look full of hatred.
The corner of his lips curved into a half-smile, half-smirk, and the moment he saw her freeze in shock, he withdrew his gaze.
He had said it before—aside from Old Master Qin, he didn’t care what anyone else in the Qin family thought of him. Whether they liked him or hated him, as long as they didn’t try to mess with him, he could turn a blind eye. But if anyone dared to go as far as trying to kill him, he would make sure to eliminate them before they even had the chance to make a move.
He had already died once, so until he found his son and took his revenge, he wasn’t about to risk his life over these irrelevant people. He didn’t have the time to waste on them. Now that the birthday banquet was over, it was time for him to return to school. Only by leaving the Qin family and gaining more freedom would he have a real chance of tracking down his son.
Mo Shaoheng, who was walking alongside Qin Huanxi caught the subtle shifts in his expression from the corner of his eye. The fleeting cold glint in his gaze—he had seen it clearly. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he suddenly felt that this man was full of mysteries. Even he couldn’t completely see through him anymore.
**
The driver who had come to pick up Mo Shaoheng was already waiting at the front entrance of the Qin family estate, and the bodyguards who had been hidden in the shadows stepped forward as well.
Qin Huanxi stopped in his tracks and said, “Uncle Mo, take care on the road.”
Mo Shaoheng looked at Qin Huanxi, hesitated for a moment before saying, “You too.”
Qin Huanxi smiled and nodded firmly. “En, I will. See you!”
“See you.” After saying this, Mo Shaoheng got into the car and signaled for the driver to leave.
Qin Huanxi stood there, watching the car disappear into the distance. The bodyguards also followed suit and left. It was then that a thought struck him—ever since waking up in this body, aside from the Qin family estate, he hadn’t stepped outside at all. He was going back to school in a few days, so maybe it was time to take a walk outside.
In his past life, although he was from S City, he had also attended university in T City. That car accident had taken three years from him—he wondered if T City had changed much since then.
A sense of eagerness welled up inside Qin Huanxi. He quickly headed back to the main hall, only to find that the crowd had already dispersed. The only person left was Old Master Qin, resting on the sofa.
When the old man heard that he wanted to go out, he didn’t object. Instead, he called for the butler and had him arrange a driver.
Qin Huanxi actually wanted to drive himself and wander around alone. If possible, he planned to stop by a detective agency first to have them investigate his son’s whereabouts. But given that he had just had an accident not long ago, there was no way the old man would feel at ease letting him go out alone. So, he had no choice but to accept the butler’s arrangements.
Since Qin Huanxi didn’t have anywhere specific in mind, he just had the driver take him for a drive through the bustling streets. T City was a developed metropolis, and in these past three years, it didn’t seem to have changed much. It was still as lively and prosperous as ever. The skyscrapers and shops lining the streets also looked pretty much the same.
A wave of nostalgia washed over Qin Huanxi for no apparent reason. He had the driver take him to the nearest shopping plaza, then pushed open the car door and said, “Uncle Chen, I’ll get out and walk around for a bit. You can wait for me at the café across the street. I’ll meet you there later.”
The driver looked troubled and said, “Little young master, the old master specifically instructed me to stay with you.”
Qin Huanxi frowned. He knew the driver was just following Old Master Qin’s orders to keep him safe, so he didn’t want to make things difficult for him. Just as he was about to nod in agreement, a familiar small figure caught his eye. He froze on the spot, feeling as if his entire body had turned to stone.
His mind went completely blank. He couldn’t hear anything around him anymore—only the sound of his own pounding heartbeat. He desperately wanted to tell himself to stay calm, but at this moment, staring at that young, innocent face, he realized his whole body was shaking, his legs had gone weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
Xiao Jing…
Qin Huanxi’s eyes burned with heat, and at this moment, he suddenly realized he wasn’t as strong as he had imagined. The overwhelming longing for his son had made his emotions spiral out of control more than once. He lifted his foot, wanting to step forward, but his legs felt as heavy as if they were weighed down by a thousand pounds. He barely managed to take a step, but his body lurched forward unsteadily.
“Little young master!” The driver reacted quickly, catching Qin Huanxi just in time. When he looked up, he saw Qin Huanxi’s reddened eyes and was startled. Carefully supporting him, he asked worriedly, “Little young master, are you alright? If you’re not feeling well, we should head back. The Old Master will worry.”
“I’m fine…” Qin Huanxi gently pushed the driver’s hand away, trying his best to steady his trembling body.
His gaze was fixed on that small figure, carefully taking in every detail, as if he couldn’t bear to miss even the tiniest feature. His son’s delicate little face had matured slightly, but he was still as adorable and beautiful as he remembered. His skin was still fair and soft, and he had grown taller, but he had also gotten thinner.
Three years… He had only closed his eyes for a moment, and when he woke up, three years had already passed, and his son was gone. A deep, inexplicable panic took hold of him, and all of a sudden, he didn’t have the courage to step forward anymore. It suddenly hit him—what he lost wasn’t just three years of time; he had lost his very identity. He was no longer Ning Xue.
Qin Huanxi felt a stinging in his eyes, and something warm slid down his cheeks, but he didn’t have the strength to wipe it away.
“Little young master…” The driver panicked at seeing Qin Huanxi suddenly lose control.
Mo Shanshan had just finished breakfast with Mo Siyuan and was about to send him to school when she suddenly felt a burning gaze land on her and Mo Siyuan. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on Mo Siyuan’s small hand and quickly turned to look. A short distance away, about ten meters away, stood a person.
The person’s red-rimmed eyes made her heart clench instinctively, but when she recognized that it was Qin Huanxi, she immediately let down her guard and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She and Qin Huanxi were both alumni of T University. Though they didn’t interact much, she believed he wouldn’t do anything to harm them.
She had no idea what had happened to Qin Huanxi or why he was looking at them with such an expression—it was completely different from the impression he usually gave off. Still, she politely nodded at him as a greeting before leading Mo Siyuan into the car.
By now, Qin Huanxi had gradually regained his composure. He watched the car slowly drive away from his sight, his hands clenched into tight fists for a long time before he finally relaxed them. Turning to the driver, he said, “Uncle Chen, please don’t tell Grandpa about what happened today. I don’t want him to worry.”
The driver nodded but still looked a little uneasy. “Little young master, are you sure you’re really alright?”
Qin Huanxi smiled. “Hmm, let’s go.”
Without waiting for a response, Qin Huanxi turned and walked ahead, knowing the driver would follow. At that moment, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over him. The tension that had been pressing on his heart for so long had finally lifted completely. His son was doing well—that was the best news he had received since his rebirth.
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