DPT chapter 66

After taking Zuo Chi home, Qin Xu called a taxi to Qin Yanren’s residence.

Opening the car door, he stood before the courtyard gate, feeling an indescribable unease. His relationship with Qin Yanren was more akin to business partners with blood ties than a father and son. If it wasn’t something urgent, Qin Yanren wouldn’t have insisted he come over right after his plane landed.

He pressed the communication button by the courtyard, and soon a housemaid came to open the door and led him to the living room.

In the living room, besides two maids, there were four people. Qin Yanren and his wife sat in the middle of the sofa, both looking serious.

In a wheelchair beside them sat a man in his thirties. With a glance, Qin Xu recognized him as Qin Rui. Unlike his frail appearance in bed, Qin Rui now had short hair and sat up straight. Although his legs were obviously weak, his presence was still powerful.

Qin Rui had woken up?

Qin Xu speculated about the reason for Qin Yanren’s summons, thinking it was likely to restore the Qin family heir position to its rightful owner. It was never truly his, so he didn’t mind.

However, there was one unexpected person sitting on a separate sofa.

Sheng Li, dressed in a suit but with a rogue-like demeanor, sat with his legs crossed, playing with a USB drive in his hand. He raised an eyebrow at Qin Xu, then glanced at the wall clock.

What was Sheng Li doing here?

Qin Yanren asked, “Didn’t you arrive in S City at three? Why are you only here now?”

Qin Xu: “I went to the hospital to see Zuo Chi.”

Sheng Li said sarcastically, “You really are a diligent boyfriend, showing up just in time for his discharge.”

Qin Yanren coughed twice, feeling a headache coming on from the tangled relationships between his two sons and Sheng Li and Zuo Chi: “Qin Xu, sit down and let’s talk.”

Qin Xu sat on another sofa, as far from Sheng Li as possible.

“Zuo Chi’s car accident wasn’t an accident. The car was actually targeting someone else, probably you. If you hadn’t been out of the country, you would have been the one hurt. And it wouldn’t have been just a tendon tear and fractures.”

Qin Yanren’s words dropped like a bombshell in Qin Xu’s mind.

“What?!”

Qin Xu had never considered the possibility that the accident was deliberate, but with Qin Yanren pointing out the facts, it only took him a few minutes to piece it all together.

The person in the wheelchair, Qin Rui, was a living example.

He knew the background of the Qin family and was aware of the internal strife over the inheritance, but he thought it was just about money and power distribution. He hadn’t imagined it would involve risking lives.

If he had known beforehand, he wouldn’t have agreed to be Qin Yanren’s nominal heir.

“Who did it?” Given Qin Yanren’s certainty, he must have solid evidence.

“Qin Xuan,” Sheng Li said. “The evidence is in this USB drive. I watched the surveillance footage. In the two weeks leading up to Zuo Chi’s accident, a black car appeared behind your car three times. It didn’t follow for long, and the distance made it hard to see the person inside. The car owner was traced to one of Qin Xuan’s subordinates.”

Sheng Li continued, “The driver who caused the accident had just gotten his license. Coincidentally, he trained at a driving school owned by the parents of one of Qin Xuan’s college friends. I also looked into the driver’s background. He’s a slacker living off his parents, never having worked since graduation. Only recently did he start job hunting because his mother got sick. He failed to find a job and decided to get a license to drive a taxi.”

“He needed money, and Qin Xuan had money, so Qin Xuan used him to orchestrate another accident, not expecting Zuo Chi to be in the car instead of you.”

Qin Xu broke out in a cold sweat. He wasn’t familiar with Qin Xuan and believed he hadn’t angered him. Would Qin Xuan really want to kill him just because of a position of inheritance?

And if it wasn’t for him picking up Zuo Chi that day, Zuo Chi wouldn’t have had an accident!

His voice was hoarse. “In court, this can’t be considered evidence.”

“Right. So I investigated Qin Rui’s accident. I thought it would be more difficult after over a year, but unexpectedly…” Sheng Li placed a USB drive on the table. “This contains evidence of Qin Xuan plotting against Qin Rui.”

“I only care about Zuo Chi,” Sheng Li said. “Since Qin Xuan wasn’t targeting Zuo Chi, as long as Zuo Chi clears any ties with your Qin family, such accidents won’t happen again. But if Qin Xuan doesn’t pay the price, can you feel at ease?”

“I could go directly to the police, but think about it. If Qin Xuan gets detained and sentenced, how will the media report it? It would affect the Qin family’s stocks.” Sheng Li spoke meaningfully. “Since it’s a family matter, it’s more appropriate for me to hand over the USB drive to the head of the Qin family.”

Qin Xu was shocked. He didn’t have much interaction with Sheng Li, and it was always related to Zuo Chi. His impression of Sheng Li was that he was reckless and immature, but he didn’t expect this side of him.

Qin Yanren understood that because of the marriage alliance with the Zuo family, there was no affection left between his family and the Sheng family. Sheng Li wouldn’t help them without a reason.

Qin Yanren said, “Name your terms.”

Sheng Li was concise. “First, terminate the cooperation with the Zuo family. Second, Zuo Chi’s company is still in its startup phase. If it could get investment from the Qin family, it would develop more steadily.”

Qin Yanren squinted at Sheng Li. “I thought you’d make demands related to the Sheng Group.”

Sheng Li shrugged. “How about it?”

Qin Yanren looked at Qin Rui, who had remained silent. Qin Rui’s face was cold, and due to his stiff body, even nodding was slow.

Qin Yanren’s eyes were a bit moist. This was his proud Alpha son…

Qin Yanren’s wife wiped her tears with a handkerchief, her eyes filled with resentment towards Qin Xuan.

Qin Yanren said, “I agree to the first condition. As for the second, the Qin family isn’t just up to me. If Zuo Chi’s company is worth investing in, I can persuade the shareholders.”

“Don’t worry about that. Zuo Chi’s abilities are evident to everyone.” Sheng Li had unconditional faith in Zuo Chi’s capabilities, his lips slightly curling as he spoke.

Qin Xu was emotionally conflicted. Even after leaving the courtyard, his mind was still filled with various thoughts.

Sheng Li continued discussing investment matters with Qin Yanren and Qin Rui inside. Zuo Chi sent him a message asking if they could still have dinner together that night.

Qin Xu stared at Zuo Chi’s nickname “Chi” and felt a wave of guilt. Zuo Chi had taken the hit for him and got hurt because of him.

And when Zuo Chi was hurt, he was abroad. Despite the circumstances, not being there to care for Zuo Chi was an undeniable fact.

He said he minded Sheng Li appearing in Zuo Chi’s hospital room, but Sheng Li had uncovered the person behind the car accident while he didn’t even know it wasn’t an accident. As an Alpha, he felt ashamed and defeated for not protecting his boyfriend.

How much did Zuo Chi know about the accident? What did he think?

Qin Xu replied: Sure, where do you want to eat?

Zuo Chi: My left hand is inconvenient, and I don’t want to attract attention eating out. Let’s eat at your place or mine.

Qin Xu: I’ll come to your place. What do you want to eat? I’ll go to the supermarket.

Zuo Chi: Let’s just order takeout.

Qin Xu wasn’t in the mood to cook either: Alright, I’m coming over now.

He arrived at Zuo Chi’s place at six o’clock. Zuo Chi had just finished a video conference. Hearing the doorbell, he went to open the door and bent down to find slippers for Qin Xu. “The takeout hasn’t arrived yet.”

Qin Xu picked up a pair of cotton slippers. “I’ll do it myself.”

“What do you want to drink? There’s soda water and lemon tea in the fridge,” Zuo Chi said. “I can also make some black tea.”

Qin Xu: “No need, I’m not thirsty.”

Zuo Chi looked up. “But your voice is a bit hoarse. You should drink some water to soothe it.”

Qin Xu forced a smile. “Then I’ll have soda water.”

Qin Xu’s usual smile was warm and inviting, but now his eyes were devoid of joy.

Zuo Chi sensed something was wrong. “What’s up with you?”

“Chi,” Qin Xu said, “You know the car accident wasn’t an accident, right?”

Zuo Chi was stunned. “Yes.”

Qin Xu asked the question that had been troubling him for a long time. “Did you… ever suspect me?”

Before they uncovered Qin Xuan’s clues, wasn’t he also quite suspicious? Zuo Chi was driving his car, and he just happened to be at the airport before the accident to go abroad.

In Zuo Chi’s eyes, could he have been the one who stabbed him in the back?

“No,” Zuo Chi looked directly at Qin Xu. In those deep brown eyes, Qin Xu saw his own reflection. “I know you’re a good person.”

Hearing this answer, Qin Xu’s heart settled halfway. In that situation, it would be understandable for Zuo Chi to doubt him, but he didn’t want to be suspected by the person he liked.

“Thank you,” he sighed. “Are you giving me a good person card?”

“You’re good. I’m telling the truth, not just to brush you off. You’re gentle and considerate, tolerant and generous. Your love for life can inspire those around you. You’ve given me a lot of energy. I’m really grateful to have met you and consider you my friend.” Zuo Chi took out the engagement ring Qin Xu had given him from his pocket. “But I still have to return it to you.”

He originally planned to bring up the breakup during dinner, but now that the conversation had started, he mustered the courage to say it.

“The pheromone compatibility suggests we’re a good match, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. Or maybe being a good match doesn’t necessarily mean liking each other.” Zuo Chi held Qin Xu’s hand and returned the ring. “Because you’re so good, I can’t hold onto you and prevent you from meeting the person truly meant for you.”

“I kind of expected this,” Qin Xu felt a pang of sadness but maintained a faint smile. He closed his fingers around the ring.

Zuo Chi: “Qin Xu, I…”

“Don’t say sorry,” Qin Xu interrupted. “You gave me a chance. We tried, but there’s no feeling between us. You have nothing to apologize for.”

“Zuo Chi, meeting you has been the happiest thing for me since returning to China,” Qin Xu said, opening his arms. “Let’s have one last hug.”

The hug was short but warm and peaceful. Zuo Chi gently held Qin Xu’s back, his nose filled with a faint coffee scent.

Even in parting, Qin Xu remained gentle and dignified: “I’m sorry I can’t stay by your side. You said you didn’t want to keep me from meeting someone new, and I don’t want to hinder you from making a heartfelt decision. But Zuo Chi, you deserve respect and love. You always have more than one option. If you find out in the future that he’s the wrong choice, you still have the right to correct it.”

Zuo Chi stared at him blankly: “I’m not saying we should break up because of Sheng Li.”

“I know,” Qin Xu smiled. “But you still like him, don’t you?”

Qin Xu continued: “I don’t know what you two went through before, why you broke off the engagement, but the first time I met Sheng Li, I knew he liked you. His concern for you was written all over his face, like a high schooler at sixteen or seventeen. Selfishly, I thought he wasn’t good enough for you, hoping I could gradually replace him in your heart. But now I think maybe your bond with him is something no one else can undo. No matter how good I am, I’m still ‘someone else.'”

Zuo Chi pouted, a bit annoyed: “I was blind.”

“Yeah, you were blind,” Qin Xu joked. “I’m quite a catch in the marriage market, you know. Want to reconsider?”

Zuo Chi laughed along with him, but tears welled up at the corners of his eyes.