Rebirth, but baby, where are you?

Chapter 44

By the time they returned to the Mo estate, Qin Yu had already fallen into a deep sleep, so Mo Shaoheng had someone escort him to a guest room in the annex to rest.

Qin Huanxi gazed thoughtfully toward the annex, in no hurry to expose Qin Yu’s pretense.

Qin Yu’s sudden return to the country, without going back to the Qin estate or telling anyone, struck Qin Huanxi as vastly different from the little uncle in the original body’s memories. The contrast wasn’t that he’d become particularly bad, but rather as if he’d experienced something that left him with a sense of self-destruction, bewilderment, and utter despair.

Mo Shaoheng placed a glass of wine in front of Qin Huanxi, pulled over a chair to sit beside him, and asked softly, “Still thinking about your little uncle?”

Qin Huanxi nodded. “You and Grandfather have such a good relationship, hasn’t he ever mentioned anything about him before?”

Mo Shaoheng thought for a moment. “A little, but I didn’t pay much attention.”

Qin Huanxi smiled wryly. There probably weren’t many people in this world who could capture Mo Shaoheng’s attention. He explained, “Qin Yu is Grandfather’s youngest son, apparently only about ten years older than me. He’s one of the children Grandfather had outside, and after Grandmother passed away, Grandfather brought them back to the Qin estate to raise.”

“An illegitimate son?” Mo Shaoheng indeed had no impression of Qin Yu. The old master had been quite the philanderer in his youth, with more than just one or two illegitimate children. Moreover, the old master would never discuss them in front of him. After all, it wasn’t exactly a glorious matter. He only vaguely remembered that the old master had a very young son who had gone abroad to study early on.

Mo Shaoheng had never even seen what Qin Yu looked like. If they hadn’t encountered him suddenly today, he wouldn’t have remembered such a person existed at all. As the illustrious Qin family was a renowned musical dynasty, aside from the most prominent Qin Huanxi, the Qin descendants all had their various achievements. Someone obscure like Qin Yu had long been buried among them.

Qin Huanxi stroked his chin. “But my impression of this little uncle is quite good. Though he rarely comes home, his accomplishments on the violin are quite profound. He probably understands that with his status as an illegitimate son, staying with the Qin family would be meaningless, so it would be better to develop abroad. With his talent, achieving greater heights is just a matter of time.”

Actually, Qin Huanxi felt that if Qin Yu weren’t an illegitimate son, he would also be the ideal candidate to inherit the Black Diamond. Unfortunately, born into such a great family, reputation always came first. However, those who could see clearly and let go were destined to possess more than those who nitpicked over everything.

Compared to other members of the Qin family, Qin Yu clearly understood this principle better. The old master hadn’t mistreated these children he later brought back to the Qin family, giving them a good education. After all, they were consequences of the old master’s own actions, and he should bear responsibility for them himself.

However, the status of an illegitimate child was inevitably awkward. Qin Yu’s days at the Qin estate weren’t easy, as even young Qin Siyu knew to mock and ridicule this illegitimate little uncle. At first, Qin Yu would be deeply hurt, but over time he became numb to it. Later, he went abroad to study after graduating high school.

In Qin Huanxi’s view, Qin Yu had a very gentle temperament and was easily satisfied. The original body wasn’t particularly close to this little uncle, but he didn’t reject him like the others did. When they met, he would call him “Little Uncle”. It wasn’t exactly warm, but polite and respectful. For Qin Yu, this was precious genuine affection.

“But someone like him is also easily hurt.” Qin Huanxi propped his chin on one hand. “And once hurt, he won’t face it directly. He’ll just choose to flee far away and hide alone to lick his wounds. So I think Little Uncle’s return to the country this time must have been because he encountered something that dealt him a fatal blow. Otherwise, given his personality, getting him to drink alone at a bar would definitely require enormous courage.”

Mo Shaoheng gazed steadily at Qin Huanxi and smiled with pleasure. This person was still as sharp as ever. If it were the former Qin Huanxi, he absolutely couldn’t have given such an accurate assessment of someone unfamiliar.

The former Qin Huanxi actually had a somewhat similar personality to Qin Yu. Gentle to the point of being rigid, not lacking in good upbringing from a great family, but not understanding human nature and worldly affairs. That feeling was like a marionette. At what time, meeting what people, doing what things, all seemed controlled by someone, having to act accordingly.

Mo Shaoheng suddenly remembered something. Previously, Qi Fengyu had mentioned that Ning Shen seemed to be looking for someone. A violinist he had met abroad last year. Ning Shen apparently liked him very much, and people Ning Shen “liked” all bore some resemblance to Ning Xue in certain aspects.

Mo Shaoheng narrowed his eyes. Ning Shen’s sudden arrival in T City, while Qin Yu was also a violinist who had suddenly returned to T City, drinking himself into oblivion at a bar, this couldn’t be a coincidence. The violinist Ning Shen was looking for, whom he had met abroad, was very likely Qin Yu.

“Uncle Mo?” Seeing Mo Shaoheng lost in thought, Qin Huanxi patted the back of his hand. “Uncle Mo gets distracted too?”

Mo Shaoheng looked at Qin Huanxi’s provocative smile, gently set down his wine glass, and pulled Qin Huanxi tightly into his embrace. His palm gently soothed Qin Huanxi’s back, but his eyes were extremely cold. Ning Shen had a crazy obsession with the person in his arms. He absolutely couldn’t let Ning Shen have a chance to get close to Qin Huanxi.

Qin Huanxi didn’t resist, only slowly raised his arms and placed his hands on Mo Shaoheng’s shoulders. He knew Mo Shaoheng definitely had something he hadn’t told him, and this matter was related to the tacit secret between them. He reviewed all the recent events and people he’d encountered, and the only person who fit the criteria was his little uncle from his previous life—Ning Shen!

Qin Huanxi sighed softly and nuzzled his face against Mo Shaoheng’s chest. People from his previous life were appearing before him one by one, becoming entangled with people from this life. He always felt that his current peaceful life was just the calm before the storm. Who knew what else would happen.

But no matter what, in this life he was no longer a person without support. Even if things got worse, he still had this person holding him now by his side. In this life, he would never let past tragedies repeat themselves. At the very least, he would protect those he cherished. His baby and beloved, as well as his trustworthy friends.

In the guest room of the annex, after the housekeeper’s assigned caretaker left, Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes. His clear gaze showed none of the confusion from outside the bar. He looked completely lucid. He got out of bed and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, gently lifting a corner of the curtain. The main courtyard blazed with lights.

He didn’t know why Qin Huanxi would be with Mo Shaoheng, and the two seemed very intimate. Though he’d been abroad, he’d still heard about Qin Huanxi’s car accident. Qin Huanxi was the only person in the Qin family besides his father who treated him kindly, so when he heard that Qin Huanxi had been seriously injured, he secretly returned once to visit him at the hospital.

However, Qin Huanxi had still been unconscious then and didn’t know he had visited. Perhaps because he was also a violinist, he greatly admired Qin Huanxi. Qin Huanxi’s talent made him feel he could never catch up, yet he also genuinely felt proud and happy for Qin Huanxi.

But seeing Qin Huanxi again today, Qin Yu suddenly felt deeply ashamed. Perhaps this was the difference between genius and ordinary people. Qin Huanxi remained that much-admired genius, while he had fallen to the point of drowning his sorrows in bars, recklessly trampling his own dignity. The distance from genius had become insurmountable.

Qin Yu tightly gripped the curtain in his hand, finally releasing it gently and stumbling back to collapse on the bed.

He had once thought the violin was his life’s only passion and dream. No matter how others looked down on his background, as long as he had the violin with him, someday he would stand on high and prove himself, letting everyone see his most brilliant side.

In fact, he had indeed succeeded, but now he was suffering severe backlash.

Qin Yu had countless times reflected. If life could start over, he would rather give up his dreams and quietly be an ordinary person. Even if he stayed with the Qin family enduring everyone’s mockery and rejection, he would be willing, as long as he never had to meet that person again, never had to experience such heart-wrenching pain.

Qin Yu turned over, clutching tightly at his chest with his hands, smiling bitterly in self-mockery. Even now, just thinking of that person, this heart already riddled with holes still cried out in endless agony.

Ning Shen…

Qin Yu had originally thought meeting Ning Shen was the happiness he’d waited his whole life for. Having endured the coldness of human nature since childhood, perhaps precisely because he thirsted so deeply for warmth, when Ning Shen smiled at him, he opened his heart and accepted all of Ning Shen’s care, staying by Ning Shen’s side without hesitation.

The days with Ning Shen, he indeed lived very contentedly and happily. Ning Shen treated him well, tolerating all his little flaws. Even when he occasionally tried to act a bit spoiled with his beloved, Ning Shen would smile and indulge him, making him sigh countless times that he was finally the happiest person in the world.

Even when Ning Shen sometimes made strange requests, buying him clothes he didn’t usually wear, dressing him in completely different styles, making him eat food he didn’t like but didn’t dislike either, whenever he saw Ning Shen looking at him with satisfied and excited eyes, no matter how strange Ning Shen’s requests were, he would willingly accept them, treating them as gifts from Ning Shen.

After all, Ning Shen was domineering in his dealings with others. Qin Yu thought he understood Ning Shen well, which was why he unhesitatingly accepted Ning Shen’s dominance. Yes, he had always thought everything Ning Shen gave was because of Ning Shen’s domineering expression toward him as a lover, and he had happily enjoyed this dominance.

Until last month, when Ning Shen brought him back to S City and he moved into the villa Ning Shen had arranged for him. For the first few days after returning, they lived as sweetly as usual. He even thought that if they could continue like this forever, even without marriage, he would be willing to spend his life with this person.

Unfortunately, reality soon slapped him hard in the face. Ten days after returning to S City, Ning Shen suddenly disappeared without a trace. No matter how many times he called Ning Shen’s phone, it was always turned off. His heart was very anxious, but S City was unfamiliar territory for him, and he had no idea where to look for Ning Shen.

Qin Yu forced himself to calm down. After all, Ning Shen was the person in power in the Ning family, he must have many things to handle. To pass the waiting time, with nothing to do, he wandered around the villa. Inadvertently, he went up to the third floor and opened a door…

Qin Yu no longer remembered how he left that villa. He only knew that when he came to his senses, he was already back in T City. He didn’t dare return home, nor did he dare go back to France where he’d lived for over ten years. He could only find an ordinary small hotel in T City to stay in. He was very afraid Ning Shen would find him.

Only at this moment did he understand why Ning Shen had acted so strangely. All of Ning Shen’s gentleness and tolerance were meant to transform him into that person in his heart. Ridiculously, he had taken all this as romantic play between lovers. From beginning to end, he had been nothing but a substitute.

Hidden in that villa was Ning Shen’s true love. Even though his beloved had turned to dust in this world, no one could replace him, because Ning Shen would only madly transform people he set his sights on into the image of his beloved in his heart, then pour deep affection onto this phantom.

Qin Yu even felt that Ning Shen had already gone mad. When he moved into the villa, Ning Shen had told him that the third floor was where one of his nephews lived, but that nephew had gone out on business during that time. He hadn’t thought much of it then.

Originally, Qin Yu had just wanted to go up and look around. He never expected to see such an unbearable truth. Ning Shen’s so-called nephew was Ning Xue, who had died three years ago. But all the rooms on the third floor contained Ning Xue’s belongings. Bedroom, study, living room, bathroom, and so on. It was all cleaned and organized meticulously, with daily necessities complete, as if Ning Xue truly still lived in that villa.

The more Qin Yu thought about it, the more his whole body felt ice-cold. Ning Shen’s pathological love for Ning Xue had long lost all reason. He was certain that if Ning Shen knew he had opened the rooms on the third floor, Ning Shen would have gone mad on the spot, because he had disturbed Ning Xue’s peace and startled Ning Xue’s soul.

His heart convulsed with wave after wave of pain. Qin Yu curled up his body, tightly gripping the clothes at his chest. Gradually, tears soaked his face, and he let out low whimpering sounds in the darkness, like a wounded little beast.