1.11

After Qiao Chen and Wei Zhennan got married, they mainly lived in their villa at the city. It was an easier commute to and from work than if they stayed at the house in the mountains. However, if they were not busy, then they'd also hop over to the seaside manor and stay for a while.

Just as the Qi company was about to collapse, Mr. Qi and Qi Yuxuan had no choice but to make their way to Wei Zhennan's house. They needed to ask him to lend his hand. He was the only person with the strength to reinforce the company so it wouldn't collapse.

Mr. Qi and Qi Yuxuan were escorted into the living room by the servants. Wei Zhennan sat in his living room as he leisurely enjoyed a cup of coffee and read the daily newspaper. The two men greeted Wei Zhennan and sat down. Just as they took their seats they saw Qiao Chen walking down the stairs. They were dumbfounded.

Wei Zhennan stretched his hand out, and Qiao Chen held it as he sat beside him. Wei Zhennan introduced him to Mr. Qi and Qi Yuxuan, "I want to introduce you to Qiao Chen. He is my significant other. We've been married for about three or four years now."

"Beichen? You're Beichen aren't you?" Mr. Qi asked excitedly. "You aren't dead after all!"

"I am Qiao Chen not Qi Beichen. Qi Beichen died due to a kidnapping three years ago." Qiao Chen calmly replied.

Qi Yuxuan's complexion was particularly ugly. Why wasn't Qiao Chen already dead? Not only that, but did Wei Zhennan just say that the two were actually married?

"I know you're angry because I didn't choose to save you, but Yuxin suddenly went into labor. It was a premature birth. She said that if I didn't save Yuxuan first then she wouldn't go to the hospital either. The decision to save you would have probably killed their lives, so…" Mr. Qi quickly explained. He thought that Qiao Chen was still angry because he left Qiao Chen for dead and saved Qi Yuxuan instead. He wanted to explain everything to Qiao Chen. Even though, after the whole situation ended, Qi Yuxin didn't go into premature labor. She successfully birthed the child two months after the whole ordeal passed.

"Chief Qi, you don't need to tell me these things. I honestly couldn't care less. Qi Beichen may have been concerned with those matters, but he's dead now. He died in the hands of those kidnappers." Qiao Chen said. He didn't lie either. In the past life, Qi Beichen was brutally murdered by the kidnappers. Then the rebirth happened, and Qiao Chen was the one who came back.

"Father, we should be talking about business matters. We can talk about other matters later." Qi Yuxuan reminded Mr. Qi.

After the reminder, Mr. Qi recalled why they came in the first place. Get Wei Zhennan to help us with our company. He relaxed himself and said, "Director Wei, we've come to see you because out company needs help. You understand our company's state of affairs and are the only one who can help us. Your favor would be remembered for a lifetime. Please help us. The Qi family and our future generations would be forever grateful."

"What do you think? Should I help them?" Wei Zhennan asked Qiao Chen.

"The Qi Company is like a crumbling piece of dead wood. There's no use in saving it anymore. Even if we rush in to help them, the Wei Conglomerate wouldn't really benefit much in the end." Qiao Chen analyzed.

"You are also a part of the Qi family. How could you say something like that?" Mr. Qi unhappily questioned.

"My last name is Qiao. I'm not a part of the Qi family." Qiao Chen answered.

"He's not wrong." Wei Zhennan supported, "He is a part of the Wei family now. He has no longer has anything to do with the Qi family."

"What? A part of the Wei family?" Mr. Qi asked as doubt spread across his face. He was too surprised at the sight of Qiao Chen earlier, so he hadn't heard the part Wei Zhennan said about them being married.

"We've already gotten married. So of course he is a part of the Wei family. Do you want me to show you the marriage certificate?" Wei Zhennan offered. He was quite proud of it, so he honestly wanted to just show off their marriage certificate whenever he could.

"You're married? But you're both men! How can you do something so immoral?" Mr. Qi denounced. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Then he gave Qiao Chen a look of criticism and condemnation.

Qi Yuxuan hadn't spoken a word as he stood beside Mr. Qi. He watched the couple and saw the two hold hands- as well as the matching rings on their fingers. Jealousy and resentment flooded his very soul.

"This is our own business. If Mr. Qi has a problem with it, then I will ask you to leave and never look for us again." Wei Zhennan defended his beloved. He was very unhappy with Mr. Qi's reproach.

Mr. Qi was immediately at a loss. He wanted to lecture Qiao Chen because of his gay marriage, but he felt Wei Zhennan's anger. He came here today because he wanted to ask Wei Zhennan to save his company. If Wei Zhennan wouldn't step in and lend a hand, then his company would fall into ruin.

"Father, since 'Beichen' and Director Wei are married, then that means that the Qi family is considered relatives. For Beichen's reputation, Director Wei should help us anyways." Qi Yuxuan interjected. He reminded his father that he could take advantage of Qiao Chen and Wei Zhennan's relationship to restore the company.

Mr. Qi composed himself and said, "Director Wei, you see… Since we are family now… The matter with our company, will you…"

Qiao Chen was impressed by Mr. Qi and Qi Yuxuan's quick mood change. They really had such nerve.

"I am me. The Qi family is the Qi family. I'm only going to say it one last time: I have nothing to do with the Qi family. The Qi family matters have nothing to with me. I will not help you. Wei Zhennan won't help you either. Please leave." Qiao Chen said to Mr. Qi and Qi Yuxuan. Finally, he invited them to leave.

"How can you say that, Beichen? Regardless of what you say, you are still father's son. You have the obligation to help the Qi family in times of need." Qi Yuxuan argued.

"Who are you to say this? It was you, not me, who was raised in the Qi household for over 20 years. Furthermore, why don't you tell me this? When you were younger, you knew already knew you weren't the Qi family's biological son. Why did you keep it a secret?" Qiao Chen stared Qi Yuxuan down as he replied.

Qi Yuxuan glanced at his father, lowered his head, and stopped talking.

Mr. Qi had no better option. He had to pull out all the stops and said, "Beichen, even though I didn't raise you, you still wouldn't be alive without me. You would even exist if it weren't for me. Be a man. Know how to be grateful, because the greatest gift I've given you is life."

"You have neither raised nor conceived me. You were more like a sperm donor, and I have to be grateful for that?" Qiao Chen said, "Even if I am alive because of your little contribution, what happened when I was abducted by those kidnappers? You chose to save Qi Yuxuan, so my life was returned to you. It was you yourself who gave up my life."

Mr. Qi's face turned red at Qiao Chen's words. He was speechless. He didn't know whether what he felt shame or anger. It was possible that he felt both.

"You already sacrificed my life to save Qi Yuxuan's. I don't owe you a single thing. You don't need to use any father-son ties to threaten or coerce me either. In my mind, we don't have anything like that at all." Qiao Chen continued.

Having had enough, Qiao Chen stood up and said to Wei Zhennan, "See our visitors out." Then he walked back up the stairs to the room. He no longer paid attention to Mr. Qi and Qi Yuxuan.

Mr. Qi and Qi Yuxuan were partly escorted and partly rushed out by the Wei servants and security guards. They would never be able to meet with Wei Zhennan and Qiao Chen ever again.

The Qi Company quickly declared bankruptcy. Even the houses that had the mortgages paid off were taken away. The family had to move into a mere two-bedroom apartment building.

The Qi family, who lived a life of luxury, had to experience such a disgraceful day. Qi Yuxin had princess sickness. Every day, she threw tantrums and nitpicked and fussed over every little thing. Nothing fit her standards. Qi Yuxuan no longer coaxed or appeased her like before. He constantly quarreled and fought with her. So the Qi family had constant squabbles and arguments they had to deal with everyday along with their loss of wealth.

Right when the Qi family went bankrupt, Qi Yuxuan wanted to divorce Qi Yuxin. Now he had his excuse. He filed for a divorce and cited the reason for divorce as emotional discord. Obviously Qi Yuxin refused to divorce the one man she dreamed of marrying and was finally able to marry him. Of course, Mr. Qi would have forbid it as well.

After the Qi family's bankruptcy, Qi Yuxuan also went back to Shu Wenjie. It was only Shu Wenjie who was able to offer him the life of luxury he desired. It was possible that he could have helped Qi Yuxuan make a comeback as well. Therefore, he did all he could to win Shu Wenjie back.

On Shu Wenjie's side, he accepted Qi Yuxuan back. Soon, he'd began urging Qi Yuxuan to quickly divorce Qi Yuxin. The problem with that was that even though Qi Yuxuan repeatedly brought up the subject of divorce, Qi Yuxin just wasn't willing. Mr. Qi also cursed Qi Yuxuan for his ingratitude every time he suggested a divorce. Qi Yuxuan had enough of the Qi family. He felt like he was suffocating in the two-bedroom apartment. He knew his life shouldn't have been like this- he deserved better. He figured that there was a better path to follow, so he wanted break away from them as soon as possible.

In order to divorce Qi Yuxin, Qi Yuxuan resorted to domestic violence. He beat Qi Yuxin. He even extended his hand to Mr. and Mrs. Qi. Nowadays, Qi Yuxuan spent most of his time beside Shu Wenjie. He ate with, drank with, and courted Shu Wenjie every day. Occasionally, he went on trips and spent the night out. Then he'd come home and argue with Qi Yuxin so she would sign the divorce papers. She'd refused. Then she'd just hit him and leave.

Even though everything deteriorated to this state, Qi Yuxin fiercely held onto the marriage and refused to divorce Qi Yuxuan. Even Mr. Qi advised her to just accept the divorce. "Just forget about it and let that ungrateful beast hit the road." However, Qi Yuxin wasn't willing to let Qi Yuxuan go free and unfettered.

....

Qi Yuxuan helped the drunken Shu Wenjie out of the elevator. They were in a bar's underground parking lot. They walked to Shu Wenjie's car. In his drunken stupor, Shu Wenjie refused to get in the car. He put his arms around Qi Yuxuan's neck and began kissing him.

Qi Yuxin was hidden behind a stone pillar. Her face distorted as she watched the two. Her eyes filled with hatred. She looked like she wanted to chop the men into pieces.

Qi Yuxin quietly approached the couple who were fairly engrossed with kissing each other. She took out the stun baton and electrocuted Qi Yuxuan until he lost consciousness.

Shu Wenjie saw Qi Yuxuan suddenly collapse onto the floor. The alcohol impeded his thinking as he stood there confused. Then he looked up and saw Qi Yuxin. She immediately shocked Shu Wenjie until he passed out as well.

...…

The next day, Qiao Chen saw news headlines. It reported that, "The Shu Conglomerate's heir, Shu Wenjie and Qi Yuxuan were found castrated in an underground parking lot. The police were quick to catch the perpetrator. They used the lot's surveillance cameras and identified the suspect as the wife of one of the victims, Qi."

Qiao Chen wasn't surprised to see the news segment. It was him who had Qi Yuxin taken to the parking lot of Qi Yuxuan and Shu Wenjie's regular bar.

Mrs. Shu practically cried her heart out after she found out that her son was castrated. Her heart wrenching sobs were heard throughout the hospital. After she found out that it was Qi Yuxin who committed the assault, she vowed to make Qi Yuxin suffer a consequence far worse than Shu Wenjie's own pain.

Qi Yuxin was arrested by the police and Mr. Qi wanted to find Qiao Chen to save her. However, he wasn't able to even take a glimpse of Qiao Chen's face. Qiao Chen was nice enough not to kick him while he was down. How was he even able to save Qi Yuxin anyways?

[Accidents will happen, you cannot prepare for everything and unexpected events will occur. But if you willfully caused these events to occur, then you should have died a long time ago.]