Chapter 9

“Didn’t you say it would take seven days? Why are you back on the fourth?”

This brief separation made my feelings crystal clear: I really cared for him, even more than I had imagined.

“You certainly remember the timing well.”

Qi Ruochen had a top-tier business mind, so naturally, he saw right through me. He knew I’d been missing him and counting down the days.

“I missed you. There’s nothing embarrassing about admitting that.”

The corners of my mouth curled up uncontrollably. I had lost. Just like the Ji Xiaoxia in the original novel, I had fallen completely in love with him.

“Alright. You worked hard today. Open your gift and see if you like it.”

After I’d had my fill of being clingy, I went to open the gift. It was a ruby bracelet. The rubies were exceptionally large, and the quality made it look incredibly expensive.

“This is too expensive. Besides, I’m always losing things.”

“If you lose it, I’ll buy another.”

The way Qi Ruochen used to talk was annoying, but I absolutely loved this current extravagance. No woman dislikes jewelry; those who say they don’t usually just can’t afford it.

I happily held out my hand. “Then put it on for me.”

Qi Ruochen deftly fastened the bracelet and gave my face a stroke with his large hand. “It looks good. It makes your skin look so fair.”

The contrast in Qi Ruochen’s personality was almost too cute to handle. He used to speak so coldly and had a deadly sharp tongue. Now, when he whispered sweet nothings with that peerless face of his, there wasn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t feel lightheaded.

“Smooth talker.”

I was done for. I was truly being charmed into losing my mind. If Qi Ruochen told me to jump off a building right now, I probably wouldn’t refuse immediately.

“I rushed to catch a flight back. I’m hungry.”

He no longer acted superior. His down-to-earth way of speaking was intoxicating.

“Dinner is ready. Let’s go eat.”

For once, he didn’t talk about company business. Instead, he talked about his childhood. He spoke of his mother’s affair and how everyone questioned his lineage, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

“Don’t be sad anymore. You’re a wonderful person. Those things from the past can’t hurt you anymore.”

I truly felt for him. That powerful exterior was likely just a mask to hide deep-seated pain.

“Mhm.”

He smiled at me many times that day, leaving me dazed and infatuated. I thought our happy life together was finally beginning.

I never imagined that three days later, I would be lying on an operating table.

Chapter 41: Defying Fate

“Qi Ruochen, I beg you, don’t take my baby away! It’s your child too!”

I pleaded with him through tears. I thought it was just a routine prenatal check-up; I never expected to be strapped to an operating table.

“Ji Xiaoxia, I’ve made up my mind. As long as you get rid of the child, we can start over.”

I didn’t understand why he hated this child so much, to the point of not allowing it to enter the world.

Didn’t he like children? He had bought so many baby supplies and even redecorated the house. I had always thought he would be a good father.

“No! I admit I hesitated at first, but I love you, so I want to have your baby!”

I broke down in sobs, desperately begging Qi Ruochen. I thought he was possessed and tried to snap him back to his senses.

“Ji Xiaoxia, don’t push me, okay?”

“What is wrong with you? Please, don’t let them kill my baby!”

I struggled with all my might to break free, but I was powerless. As long as Qi Ruochen didn’t change his mind, I was just a fish on a chopping block.

“See for yourself.”

It was as if he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. He had the doctor hand me a piece of paper. Once I saw it clearly, I realized it was a paternity test report.

“When did you do this?”

My memories began to race backward. When Qi Ruochen said we had to wait a few days and his attitude became ambiguous, he must have been planning this test.

That check-up after he left for his business trip… that must have been when he made his move.

“No wonder. So you had it all planned out. You never trusted me. A prenatal paternity test requires at least five weeks of pregnancy—no wonder you told me to wait a few days!”

I understood everything now. The tears that had been gushing a moment ago suddenly dried up completely.

“I can overlook the past. As long as you get rid of this bastard child, I can treat you as well as I did before.”

“How can you be so stupid? You were tricked! The baby is yours! I’ve never been with anyone else!”

I knew Qi Ruochen wouldn’t believe me, yet I kept explaining feebly. I couldn’t fathom how things had devolved to this point.

“Don’t be afraid. It won’t hurt. It’ll be over soon.”

He turned to leave. It seemed I was right—he believed the scientific results and refused to believe there could be a mistake. He only wanted me to return to the version of me that fit his ideals.

“Qi Ruochen! Why won’t you believe me? You’ll regret this! You bastard! If you kill your own child, you’ll live the rest of your life in agony!”

He was gone. The doctors were preparing for surgery. It seemed everything was set in stone.

I didn’t want to accept this fate. Since this child had come to me, I had to protect it, regardless of Qi Ruochen.

If he didn’t want to acknowledge it, fine. This child would belong only to me.

I tried desperately to think of a way to save myself when I suddenly spotted the calendar in the operating room.

“Doctor, what time is it?”

“3:10 PM.”

I suddenly remembered that in the original book, the final scene took place at 3:20 PM today. Ji Xiaoxia died on the operating table.

Had I gone in circles only to end up at the original conclusion? I was going to die in ten minutes.

No, the ending wasn’t written yet. Since I knew what was coming, I could change it.

“Doctor, please wait ten more minutes. I’ll show you a miracle!”

The doctor looked at me in confusion, seemingly unwilling to entertain my delusional rambling.

“Doctor, the heavens do not want you to take this child. In ten minutes, it will snow.”

Chapter 42: The Bastard

“I’m sorry, I’m not superstitious. It’s not winter, and it hasn’t snowed in this city for ten years.”

This was my last chance. My face was flushed, and I was crying so hard I could barely speak.

“Please, have a heart. These ten minutes will change my life.”

Perhaps pitying me because I was crying so hard my nose was running, the doctor risked Qi Ruochen’s wrath and halted the procedure.

The sky, which had been clear just moments ago, suddenly filled with dark clouds. Daylight turned to night in an instant.

Qi Ruochen, seemingly worried about me, had been waiting at the door and now burst back into the operating room.

“It’s snowing! It’s actually snowing!”

I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed everything in the original book was true. My gamble had paid off.

The doctor and several nurses hesitantly told Qi Ruochen what I had just said. After they finished, they refused to perform the surgery and left.

The sky outside soon brightened again. Qi Ruochen looked at me with a strange expression.

“Why? How do you always know things before they happen?”

“If I said I was an immortal, would you believe me?”

If only he really believed that, he wouldn’t try to harm me again. At the very least, he ought to put me on a pedestal.

“There were so many things before that you seemed to know. Who are you, really?”

He seemed almost afraid of me. I sneered inwardly; a man as ruthless as him had no business being afraid of anyone.

“In five minutes, a rainbow will appear, stretching across the entire sky.”

That was the final sentence of the original book. Once I said it, it meant my “special privilege” was completely used up.

“Nonsense.”

“Then do you dare to bet? If I’m right, let me go and let me keep this child.”

Qi Ruochen was always proud; how could he resist a bet? My words only provoked his competitive nature.

“Fine.”

I lay on the operating table while he stood by the window. Five minutes later, a long rainbow appeared in the sky.

He stared at me for dozens of seconds, then walked over and untied the restraints on my wrists.

I gave him a hard slap. The last time I had hit him felt like a lifetime ago.

*Slap!*

I used a lot of force, but Qi Ruochen didn’t flinch. “I don’t care what kind of monster you are. Now that you’ve provoked me, don’t even think about escaping.”

My baby was safe, but I couldn’t stand being falsely accused. I thought it over—the only person capable of tampering with the results had to be Yan Qingshu.

I needed to contact him. I needed to get evidence to prove my child’s lineage. As for Qi Ruochen’s heart, it was truly filthy. I didn’t want it anymore.

I was trying to find a way. My time had now exceeded the timeline of the original ending, but I could still extract information from before.

Qi Ruochen didn’t come home for several days. When he finally returned, he was dead drunk. He didn’t even shower, crawling into bed fully clothed and lying down beside me.

“Get away from me.”

Seeing him approach, I had a stress response and immediately covered my stomach.

“Ji Xiaoxia, it’s true that I’m not a child of the Qi family. Why do you want to keep that bastard? Life as a bastard is truly miserable.”

What? The original author never said Qi Ruochen wasn’t a Qi. He was so drunk he didn’t seem to be lying.

Had I not reached the real ending? Was there a sequel or a side story I hadn’t seen?

“Ji Xiaoxia, how am I supposed to accept this? I’ve always been so proud, but I’m actually a bastard. I thought I found someone to love, only to end up raising another bastard.”

He began to cry in agony. I felt for him, but my words remained sharp. “So annoying.”

His voice stopped, but he started getting restless and began pawing at me.

Chapter 43: Take Me Away

Realizing he was trying to pull off my clothes, I fought him with everything I had, kicking and hitting him.

“You pervert! If you touch me, I’ll kill you!”

When he covered my mouth, I smelled the heavy scent of alcohol, making my head throb.

“Let go of me, my stomach hurts.”

I wasn’t exaggerating. My insides felt like they were twisting into knots, and waves of pain radiated from my abdomen.

He suddenly stopped, bracing his hands on either side of my body, his eyebrows twitching slightly as he spoke.

“Aren’t you an immortal? Why don’t you predict whether the baby will survive if I continue?”

He was still obsessed. If this kept up, I’d have a miscarriage sooner or later.

“Fine. Move aside and let me cast a spell.”

He really had drunk a lot; he actually lifted himself up slightly to give me some space.

“Go to hell!”

He gave me the opening I needed. I raised my foot and kicked him hard in his vitals. He let out a pained groan and I kicked him right off the bed.

Seeing that he wasn’t moving, I quickly packed a few things, preparing to make a run for it.

I tried several sneaky methods, even willing to crawl through a dog flap, but the Qi family security was airtight.

I had no choice but to go back. Qi Ruochen had actually fallen asleep on the floor. I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Fearing the bastard would freeze to death, I threw a thin blanket over him.

The next day, the Qi household was incredibly lively. Yan Qingshu arrived with my father and stepmother. Although I hated them all, I was willing to go if they could take me away.

“What a disgrace to the family. Xiaoxia, since you’ve already had an affair, just go with Mr. Yan.”

I could tell the old man had taken a hefty bribe; he was clearly siding with Yan Qingshu.

“Fine. I’d like nothing more.”

Qi Ruochen rushed back from the office, pulled me into his arms, and glared fiercely at Yan Qingshu.

“I just spared you, and here you are looking for trouble. You really don’t know how to show gratitude.”

I was a bit surprised. Qi Ruochen hadn’t promised me he’d let Yan Qingshu go, but it turned out he’d handled it quietly.

“I’m here to take my woman and child away.”

With that one sentence, all of Qi Ruochen’s nobility shattered. He lowered his head slightly, the light in his eyes fading.

Ji Huaqiang also stepped in to stir the pot. “Nephew Qi, my daughter is truly not worthy of you. How about this: I’ll take her for now, and we’ll follow up on the divorce proceedings later.”

Divorce?! That was a foreign concept to both Qi Ruochen and me.

“You’re not taking her.”

I don’t know where Ji Huaqiang found the courage. He used to bow and scrape before Qi Ruochen, but today he’d suddenly grown a spine.

“Mr. Qi, don’t push people too far. Are you planning on illegal imprisonment?”

Qi Ruochen patted my shoulder. “That depends on what the person involved wants.”

Qi Ruochen was dreaming. If I had a chance to leave, I certainly wouldn’t stay here to be tormented by him.

“I want to go with my father.”

Ji Huaqiang played along with a display of fatherly affection. “Xiaoxia.”

I glanced at Qi Ruochen. He was clearly deeply hurt; his eyes were red.

“She can go. But we’ve only been married a few days, and she cheated and got pregnant with someone else’s child. Shouldn’t the bride price be returned?”

Legally speaking, a large portion of the bride price should indeed be returned. But Qi Ruochen had given a hundred million, and the old man had already squandered a good chunk of it.

“This… aren’t you making things difficult? Where would I get that much money?”

Seeing the plan about to fall through, I looked at Yan Qingshu. “Take me away.”

Yan Qingshu seemed to be threatening my father. “Future father-in-law, you have it.”

Chapter 44: No One to Lean On

“Fine, then I’ll return the bride price to you. How petty.”

Ji Huaqiang was rarely this firm, yet he seemed terrified of Yan Qingshu. He must have been caught in some sort of blackmail. It seemed it took a true villain to deal with him.

My father started making calls—cash transfers and listing some real estate with agencies to sell.

“I’ll cover whatever is missing.”

Yan Qingshu made a grand gesture, solving the money problem. I couldn’t believe it—I could actually leave!

“Ji Xiaoxia, are you really that happy?”

Qi Ruochen’s expression was hideous. He looked like he’d just stepped in dog shit as he stared at me furiously.

“Of course I’m happy. Once we’re divorced, we’ll have nothing to do with each other ever again.”

「好，我也很期待。」

We exchanged harsh words, then went our separate ways.

I didn’t want to go to Yan Qingshu’s place; I didn’t think his character was much better than Qi Ruochen’s. After a lot of smooth-talking, I went back to the Ji family’s first.

My stepmother wanted to team up with my ‘green tea’ stepsister to bully me, but how could I possibly let myself be wronged? I immediately turned the Ji household upside down.

Yan Qingshu kept pressing my father for the money he’d lent. Since the house was listed but wouldn’t sell, my father forced my stepmother to sell all her shoes and bags.

Because of these trivial matters, the house was a mess every day, filled with arguments. My stepmother and Ji Xiaochu took turns crying daily, making a fuss about wanting to kick me, this ‘bringer of disaster,’ out.

The three days since I’d returned felt longer than thirty years. I was pregnant, uncomfortable, and my temper was shot. I actually started to miss my days with Qi Ruochen.

I usually just holed up in my room, but I couldn’t stand being cooped up anymore. I wanted to sit on the sofa and watch some TV, but as soon as my stepmother saw me, she came over to pull and tug.

「Ji Xiaoxia, you jinx, get back to your own home! Look what you’ve done to this place! I don’t know what possessed your father to insist on bringing you back, costing our family so much money!」

「Stepmom, stop yelling. I can’t hear what’s happening on TV.」

These past few days, I’d argued with her enough, and I’d put her in her place several times. Now she was looking for trouble again, and I really didn’t have the energy.

「What are you watching TV for? You shameless cheating woman, you good-for-nothing! Give us back our money!」

「That wasn’t yours to begin with. It was Qi Ruochen’s. Isn’t it normal to give it back?」

I swear, this family… each one is thicker-skinned than the last.

「I don’t care! Then you go earn it back! You marry that Mr. Yan right now, or else go sell yourself!」

Slap! I couldn’t take it anymore and slapped her.

「If someone’s going to sell themselves, it should be you! You only married my dad for money anyway, so what’s the difference who you sell yourself to?!」

My stepmother crashed to the ground with a ‘thud,’ kicking her legs wildly.

「Huaqiang, look! Look how your wonderful daughter treats me? Wuwuwu.」

Ji Huaqiang was inherently an indecisive, weak man. With all the commotion in the house these past few days, he’d long since hidden in his room and refused to come out.

Ji Xiaochu heard the noise and ran downstairs from upstairs. 「Ji Xiaoxia, you dare hit my mom? I’ll fight you to the death!」

Before her slap could even reach my face, Qi Ruochen arrived.

He brought the police. He’d found criminal evidence of my father’s fraudulent accounting, and today he was here to make arrests.

The company’s commercial case had wide-ranging implications. All three members of the Ji family were arrested. My ears had been ringing from all the noise, but now it was finally quiet.

「Ji Xiaoxia, let’s see who you’ll rely on now?」

「Mr. Qi, the betrothal gifts have been returned to you. Just wait to receive the divorce papers. Don’t harass Ji Xiaoxia anymore in the future.」

Yan Qingshu suddenly appeared. I felt like I’d seen a savior and immediately ran behind him.

第 45 章挫败

「Ji Xiaoxia! Get back here!」

Qi Ruochen surely didn’t expect the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Yan Qingshu deliberately exposed my father, holding leverage over him, precisely to make him investigate.

「My apologies, Mr. Qi. All’s fair in war. You’ve fallen for my trap again.」

「No wonder you let Ji Xiaoxia stay with the Ji family.」

Qi Ruochen understood, and so did I. I had thought it was my silver tongue that had successfully fooled Yan Qingshu back then.

「If Ji Xiaoxia were with me, wouldn’t you have to find a way to deal with me? I’ve been thoroughly taught a lesson by you; I know how capable you are.」

Behind Yan Qingshu, I felt a chill run down my spine. This man was truly too devious.

Qi Ruochen stopped talking to Yan Qingshu and called my name instead.