Chapter 103
Father and son cried as they hugged each other. The nightmare that lasted for several years finally dissipated. They brushed away the clouds and mist and saw the gentle smile of their true love beneath the dazzling radiance.
Yang Yun had died of illness. During the year when Qiao Shao went missing, day and night, she tried to think of ways to find her son. After numerous sleepless nights, she fainted. She thought it was fatigue, but a physical examination revealed it was liver cancer.
Qiao Zongmin almost driven crazy at the time. Yang Yun hugged him and said, “Da Qiao, I think Xiao Yi will definitely be back.”
Qiao Zongmin hugged her like a drowning man holding onto the last piece of driftwood.
Yang Yun said warmly, “I’m going to fight this disease for my son. Believe me, he will come back safely.”
It was like Qiao Zongmin’s heart was being cut by a knife, but he couldn’t collapse. Half this family had already collapsed. He must stand firm.
Although the existing medical technologies couldn’t cure liver cancer, as long as you have enough money, you can continue to prolong your life. Medicine was progressing all the time, new drugs and treatments were also being developed. Given their standing, Yang Yun would be provided with the best treatment.
They just needed to delay it for a year and then another year and then five years. There may be new breakthroughs, and there may be new progress in the treatment of incurable diseases…
But Yang Yun’s mental condition was weak…
During that one year of Qiao Shao’s disappearance, Yang Yun had difficulty sleeping at night. Every day she endured the pain of a blunt knife wearing out her heart. She held out despite the difficulties and received the painful treatment all because she wanted to find her son.
Qiao Shao returned a year later. Yang Yun was like a tight bowstring that had been loosened. She was simply determined to live her life without regrets.
Actually, Qiao Shao’s rejection and fear of her didn’t overwhelm her. She simply rejoiced that her child had come back. Her wish that she prayed for day and night had been fulfilled. She was even willing to give her life. Her only wish now was for her child to live a safe and peaceful life.
Until the moment before her death, Yang Yun said to Qiao Zongmin, “Tell Xiao Yi, I am very satisfied.” She dreaded that once Qiao Shao became clear-headed, he would blame himself.
She had left a letter for Qiao Shao. But Qiao Zongmin didn’t dare give it to Qiao Shao, but now he could.
Qiao Shao opened it with shaking hands, and read every single word and line. His eyes were blurred with tears.
His mother told him that she had been very satisfied with her life. She was very happy to have met Qiao Zongmin, and she was very happy to have given birth to Qiao Shao. She had been very happy throughout the many years of her life. And now that her son has finally came back, she was perfectly content.
A life isn’t measured by its length of time. Ten years filled with happiness isn’t any shorter than a hundred years of life and she has had the most glorious life.
Qiao Shao cried himself to sleep.
There was only so much a human’s spirit could bear. Qiao Shao remembered everything and accepted everything, and this used up a lot of his mental strength.
Although was tired out, he no longer had nightmares. He held the letter that his mother gave him, and his dream was warm and peaceful.
He seemed to have returned to his carefree childhood, back to his parents’ side, overflowing with the purest love and feeling of being loved.
Only when Qiao Shao had fallen asleep completely did Qiao Zongmin turn to look at He Shen. “Come.” He dropped this word and quietly walked out the door.
He Shen took another look at Qiao Shao. Feeling that he wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon, he followed Qiao Zongmin out.
Qiao Zongmin went back to the third floor and opened a locked door. He Shen paused in his steps. Qiao Zongmin walked in. He didn’t even have to look as he picked up a remote control and turned on the projector.
A video appeared on the pale screen.
He Shen took a look and his hands clenched into fists.
Qiao Zongmin also stared unblinkingly at it. His voice was very low and somewhat empty. “This woman is called Qi Jingyi …”
The high-definition video on the screen showed the scene that Qiao Shao told them about. How he met this woman, how he helped her and how he had been abducted …
When listening to Qiao Shao’s retelling, He Shen had been full of doubts.
The Shen Hai Building was located in the downtown area. The entire area should have been peppered with surveillance cameras. Qiao Zongmin had lost his son. How could he not find this monitoring, how could he not find this woman?
Qiao Zongmin said, “His mother and I have never restrained him. We would indulge him if he wanted to go out and play. Although we had a bodyguard following him, the man had been careless. He thought this was the Shen Hai Building, the safest place for him. Moreover, we haven’t had an incident for so many years, so I had let down my guard.” Then something went wrong.
Every time he thought of this, Qiao Zongmin blamed himself. He sighed and continued, “After Shao Shao disappeared, we quickly found this piece of surveillance. We also found all the information about this woman, but no follow-up was found.
He told He Shen about this woman.
Qi Jingyi was a woman who had completely mad gone mad because she had lost her son.
She was a single mother. Her husband had filed for a divorce because she had a mild mental disorder. She was even left with their slightly autistic son. She had a hard time raising her son and was in a very sorry state. But even after striving so hard to live, she had caused her son’s death — she had gone out and forgot to turn off the gas. Her ten-year-old son died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Then she went crazy.
Qiao Zongmin paused and said, intricate and obscure, “When the police found these, they weren’t optimistic.” If it had been a simple abduction, no matter how much money they wanted, Qiao Zongmin would get his son back. But no one could imagine what a mental case like her would do.
He Shen understood, “Qi Jingyi didn’t leave the bas.e.m.e.nt for an entire year, so there were no clues to look for.”
Qiao Zongmin nodded and said, “We all thought she’d died.” Taken Qiao Shao to die together.
The monitoring filmed Qi Jingyi abducting Qiao Shao, but didn’t capture where she took him.
The police had found that underground parking lot where Qi Jingyi was located, but they never found the hidden room.
After that, the police checked all the means of transportation, and even went over the city’s surveillance repeatedly, but unfortunately they turned up with nothing.
It was like these two had disappeared into thin air. If they were living, they hadn’t seen them and if they’d died, they hadn’t found their corpses.
Who could have thought that Qi Jingyi had been hiding in such a confined s.p.a.ce?
After her son died, she had lived an abnormally normal life. It took her two years to prepare. She h.o.a.rded a lot of convenience food and mineral water. She just wanted to stay in this safe place forever with her “son”. This time she won’t let him encounter any danger; won’t let him be discriminated against by anyone again; won’t let him leave her again.
After Qiao Shao returned, the police quickly found the room and saw Qi Jingyi’s body. Although Qiao Shao couldn’t say a single word, couldn’t describe what he had experienced that year, just judging from the results, they had a vague guess.
An out and out tragedy, an unexpected calamity.
Qi Jingyi didn’t have a target for her kidnapping. When she saw Qiao Shao, she just thought that this child was really good-looking. Only her child could be so good-looking, so she took him away.
This was the entire cause and effect.
Qiao Shao’s mind received severe trauma that year. After returning home, he was afraid of adult women; he was afraid of the quiet, and he was afraid of the word “mom”.
If Yang Yun weren’t ill, Qiao Shao would have recovered slowly and grown to accept his mother once again, but Yang Yun couldn’t hold on.
Qiao Shao had just been turning for the better when he heard news of his mother’s death. Self-blame, guilt, fear, pain … countless emotions pressed down on his nerves like mountains. When he could no longer bear it, his body initiated a self-protection mechanism and he forgot everything.
Turning off the projector, Qiao Zongmin looked at He Shen. “Do you think you are suitable for him?”
He had gone straight to the point and it made He Shen’s back tense.
There was nothing to be done about this. Qiao Zongmin must have seen through it. This willingness to guard him regardless of the time of day or night, wasn’t something a normal friend could do.
He Shen lowered his eyes and said, “I like him.”
With a bang, the remote control hit the back wall and smashed into pieces.
Qiao Zongmin’s voice was extremely cold. “I am asking if you think you are suitable for him!”
He Shen’s throat was blocked by a piece of lead, heavy and rough.
Qiao Zongmin said, “You’re both men. Would your family accept the two of you? Can this society accept you? Qiao Shao is finally recovering. Will you drag him into another abyss!”
He Shen’s thin lips tightened into a line. He said hoa.r.s.ely, “I will protect him.”
Qiao Zongmin grabbed his collar and looked at him from up close. “Don’t fool me with such frivolous words.”
His voice was low, filled with the imposing manner and oppressive power possessed only by those who have been in positions of power for a very long time.
He Shen was at an absolute disadvantage. How could a 17-year-old boy compare to this man who occupied such a heaven and earth shaking position in the world?
Most people would have long been intimidated by Qiao Zongmin until they could no longer lift their head, but He Shen looked up. He stared at Qiao Zongmin and with an almost stubborn tone, said, “I will definitely protect him!”
Qiao Zongmin stared at him, He Shen didn’t look away, didn’t waver the slightest bit.
Inside the dark room filled with the heavy weight of the past, the two powerful men faced off with swords drawn and bows bent.
“Get out.” Qiao Zongmin let go and ordered He Shen out.
He Shen was concerned about Qiao Shao.
Qiao Zongmin looked at him, his eyes condescending. “Get out!”
He Shen’s eyes dropped slightly, and he bowed to him. “I’m sorry.”
Qiao Zongmin looked at him coldly.
He Shen continued, “I want to be with him anyway.”
Qiao Zongmin picked up something at random and threw it at He Shen.
He Shen didn’t dodge, and his forehead was scratched by a flying ashtray, causing it to bleed.
Qiao Zongmin didn’t even look at him. “Don’t let me see you again!”
He Shen’s eyes were bleak, and he apologized again and left.
He didn’t go to see Qiao Shao, but left Qiao’s house and stood outside the door.
Clouds that had been hazy for the whole day finally couldn’t stand bear the load and torrents of rain came pouring down.
He Shen stood there motionless, Qiao Zongmin’s words echoing in his mind.
Are you suitable for him? Are you suitable for him!
He Shen’s fingers trembled, and he laughed mockingly at himself.
He doesn’t deserve him, but he wants to give him all his love for the rest of his life.
The rain was heavy, and the rising water made the street turn foggy. He Shen stood on the spot, ramrod straight; like a lighthouse in the fog, unusually clear and extremely steady.
Qiao Zongmin looked away and made a call. “Lao Chen, take the child in.”
Qiao Shao was in good shape when he woke up. Qiao Zongmin came in just in time and asked him, “Are you hungry? Aunt Wu can cook you some rice porridge in a moment.”
Qiao Shao’s belly grumbled immediately in response. “Very hungry.”
Qiao Zongmin immediately said, “I’ll get the porridge.”
“No need,” Qiao Shao got straight out of bed, “I’ll go to the dining room to eat.”
Qiao Zongmin saw that he was in a good state of mind. The knot in his heart loosened. “I’ll go with you.”
Qiao Shao looked around. He wanted to say something but hesitated.
Qiao Zongmin pretended not to see it.
Qiao Shao wanted to find his mobile phone but Qiao Zongmin urged him, “Come and eat.”
Qiao Shao looked for a long time but couldn’t find his phone, so he could only go to the dining room first.
After sitting down, he looked around …
Qiao Zongmin stirred the rice porridge bowl for him. “It’s a little hot. Be careful when you eat it.”
Qiao Shao couldn’t help it any longer. “Dad, where’s He Shen?”
Qiao Zongmin: “…”
Qiao Shao cleared his throat and said, “Did he go back?” He Shen had kept watch over him for two days and two nights. It’s only to be expected that he’d go back to rest.
Qiao Zongmin said, “Eat.”
While eating his rice porridge, Qiao Shao tried to judge Da Qiao’s expression.
How could Qiao Zongmin not understand his thoughts? His family’s little whelp was so simple-minded it made him uneasy!
Da Qiao put down his bowl and chopsticks and said, “You like that kid that much?”
The spoonful of rice porridge went down the wrong way. He choked from fright. “Cough … cough …” His face was flushed red. “Da-dad, what did you say…”
Only when he was feeling guilty did he call Da Qiao ‘dad’.
Qiao Zongmin sighed. “What are you getting panicky about? Dr. Zhang reminded me years before that your future partner may be male.”
When Qiao Shao heard it, he wanted to hide under the table even more.
Qiao Zongmin said, not quite willingly, “Dad doesn’t care whether you like men or women, but how can it be that Xie Shen kid …”
Qiao Shao wasn’t happy to hear that. He looked up at his father and said unflinchingly, “What’s wrong with him? Did he choose to be born in that kind of family? Could he choose what kind of bloodline he has? He was raised in mud but grew up straight and true, shouldn’t we admire him all the more! ”
Qiao Zongmin: “…”
Anyway, everything was out in the open, and Qiao Shao no longer panicked. He put down his chopsticks and said, “Comrade Da Qiao, please take off your colored gla.s.ses and take a good look at He Shen. Just what is wrong with him?”
Qiao Zongmin glanced at the wet boy standing at the door from out the corner of his eyes. Inwardly, the boss was unhappy.
Qiao Shao said, “He Shen has taken first place in the exams time after time. He learns things quickly and accurately, and he isn’t afraid of hardships. Do you know how many pits the Xie Family had dug for him? Making him earn 10 million in three years! Just how old is he? Putting this kind of demand on an ordinary high school student would be a joke. But he can do it! He’s doing it without any start-up capital, without any contacts, with no help from anyone! ”
Qiao Shao threw in a diss for his dad. “I bet you couldn’t do it when you were seventeen!”
Qiao Zongmin: “……………”
The more Qiao Shao said, he more riled up he got. He defended loudly, “You have no idea how good he is. He’s so smart and he’s willing to bear hardships. He has patience and perseverance. Oh … you haven’t seen him play basketball. He’s so handsome I tell you … Shots that I can’t make, he … ”
He hadn’t finished speaking when he followed Da Qiao’s line of sight to see He Shen at the door.
Qiao Shao Shao blinked: “Eh …………………”
Qiao Zongmin regretted calling in this stinky boy!
The author has something to say: I antic.i.p.ate that Da Qiao will get sprayed again today.
When you put yourself in his shoes, Da Qiao’s thinking is actually not wrong [covers face]