Inside the police station, Qi’s father touched the bruise on his face and sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes dark and menacing as he glanced at the few thugs sitting on the side.
“Speak up, why were you fighting?” A young policeman leaned against the desk, notebook in hand, ready to take notes.
A yellow-haired youth sitting in the corner grinned and replied cheerfully, “You see, it’s just a personal grudge! We won’t fight again!”
“I wasn’t asking you!” The officer, clearly familiar with the group, turned his attention to Qi’s father, who looked more refined. “You, tell me, why were you fighting?”
“Officer, I really don’t know why these people…”
“Bullshit! If you hadn’t deliberately stepped on my brother’s shoes, who the hell would care who you are?” A young man in ripped jeans stood up and spat at Qi’s father.
“Sit down! Did I ask you? Do you want to stay here for a couple of days?” The policeman knocked on the table, obviously experienced in dealing with these kinds of thugs.
“You’re the boss, Officer.” The man in ripped jeans immediately saluted clumsily, smiling as he sat down.
The officer made a few notes in his book, clearly understanding that the fight was over some petty issue.
“Who’s your boss? Alright, get out of here. Don’t let me catch you again.”
“Officer…” Qi’s father started to speak but was pulled outside by the yellow-haired youth.
Once outside the police station, Qi’s father watched as the thugs swaggered away, his face dark with anger.
He knew there was no point in dealing with those hooligans. Not only would he get no compensation, but they might cling to him and cause even more trouble in the future.
Looking down at his dirty, torn suit, Qi’s father winced with heartache. This was his only custom-made suit, now ruined.
It was all money down the drain. Thinking of money, Qi’s father stopped adjusting his clothes.
And then there was that little bastard, Qi Chen, who also wanted to go against him.
Just because he found some useless lawyer to try and cut ties, did he really think Qi Yaohui would be scared off that easily?
If Qi Chen thought he could avoid giving him money, he was dreaming.
Qi’s father pulled out his phone and sent a message. Before long, he received a reply.
“Well, isn’t this a coincidence?”
————————
In a somewhat crowded supermarket, two men in masks and hats were picking out fruits and vegetables.
The shorter boy seemed a little uncomfortable, occasionally pushing the taller man away or lightly patting the man’s arm whenever he rolled up his sleeves.
Though his actions indicated reluctance, the force behind them was soft and lacked any real resistance.
Before he could push him far, the tall man would lean right back or even offer his arm for another pat.
A few young girls stood nearby, pretending to browse vegetables, but they kept glancing up at the pair, whispering and giggling among themselves.
Since the elevator incident, Wei Xicheng had been dying to figure out what went on inside Shen Zhe’s head.
He was the CEO of a big company, someone who had navigated the entertainment industry for years without a single scandal. He, of all people, should know how to avoid suspicion and stay away from cameras. Yet, he kept dragging Wei Xicheng into the busiest places.
Last time, when they were spotted, Shen Zhe even said, “Everyone knows now.” Seriously, if everyone knew, it would be a problem!
They had barely had two days of peace, and now Shen Zhe was immaturely dragging him to a supermarket. Wei Xicheng could already imagine the headlines tomorrow: “Friendly Emperor Shen Zhe Spotted at the Supermarket” or “Low-Key Emperor Suspected of Coming Out” — pulling him down along with it.
“Baby, what do you want to eat? I think my cooking has improved a lot recently.” Shen Zhe held up a cabbage, turning back to look at Wei Xicheng. Even through the mask, Wei Xicheng felt like he could see the curve of Shen Zhe’s smile.
“Okay.” Wei Xicheng silently complained in his head, but outwardly, he was still the quiet, easy-to-bully little softie.
“Baby, what do you want to eat?”
I want to eat your lips so you’ll stop talking!
“Anything’s fine.” Wei Xicheng pulled down the brim of his hat. As a new celebrity who had just weathered a storm of rumors, it really wasn’t a good time for him to be caught in another scandal.
“Alright, baby, let’s go pick up some meat.” Shen Zhe put the vegetables into the cart and naturally took Wei Xicheng’s hand, leading him toward the meat section.
As the two walked away, a wave of restrained squeals and whispers came from the direction of the young girls.
Wei Xicheng tried to pull his hand away, but failed.
Sensing the resistance, Shen Zhe glanced back at him, the only part of his face visible — his eyes — showing a trace of pleading.
“Don’t worry, they won’t recognize us.” To prove his point, Shen Zhe dragged Wei Xicheng toward the busiest section of the store.
Wei Xicheng felt helpless, but what could he do? He had chosen this man, and now he had to stick with him.
He had thought Shen Zhe was Sheng Huasen, but later realized that although they had many similarities, there were also subtle differences. You only noticed them after spending enough time together.
“Son! Qi Chen!”
A commotion broke out in the distance.
Qi’s father stuffed his phone back into his pocket, looking disheveled with bruises on his face and messy hair.
He had spotted the two men’s striking figures and walked straight toward them, wiping away tears as he went. The dust on his face now had streaks where the tears had cleared paths.
“Xiao Chen, I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have ignored you all these years, but you can’t treat your own father like this!” Qi’s father cried as he walked, and by the time he reached the pair, his face was covered in tears, looking pitifully sincere.
“Your mother ran away, leaving just the two of us to depend on each other. Now that you’ve climbed up the social ladder, you want to abandon me too?” Father Qi suddenly reached out to grab Wei Xicheng’s arm.
Wei Xicheng felt nothing but disgust toward Father Qi, a deep, physical revulsion. He swiftly pulled back his arm, avoiding Father Qi’s touch.
Father Qi reached out again, but this time, Shen Zhe firmly grabbed his arm, as if just now noticing him, and let out a startled shout.
“Shen Yingdi (Film Emperor Shen)! Even though you’re with Xiao Chen now, you can’t interfere with the personal affairs between a father and son!”
The mention of Qi Chen’s name had already stirred a slight commotion, but the words “Film Emperor Shen” ignited the supermarket.
The girls who had been secretly watching Wei Xicheng and Shen Zhe screamed in excitement and quickly took out their phones to start recording.
Shen Zhe’s fans came from a wide range of age groups, and in this supermarket, besides the fans, there were many curious bystanders. After all, the name “Film Emperor Shen” was like a magnet for attention.
“Mr. Qi, I believe the lawyer made it very clear to you last time. I don’t want Xiao Chen to be caught up in unnecessary accusations.” Shen Zhe scanned the area; by now, a crowd had formed around them. He raised his voice and said loudly, “Excuse me, please make way.”
After speaking, he pulled the young man into his arms and began pushing through the crowd, trying to leave.
Father Qi wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip away so easily. He wiped his face, collapsed on the ground, and grabbed Wei Xicheng’s pant leg. “Xiao Chen! Even if you blame me for not providing you with good resources over the years, you can’t treat me like this!”
The surrounding murmurs grew louder. Wei Xicheng was barely holding back the urge to kick Father Qi. Just then, a hand gently covered his ear.
“Don’t worry, Nina and the others will be here soon.”
Wei Xicheng leaned into Shen Zhe’s embrace, his mind flooded with flashes of memories.
Supermarket staff arrived to help disperse the crowd, and about ten minutes later, Nina arrived with two security guards. They successfully escorted Wei Xicheng and Shen Zhe out, along with Father Qi.
Once inside the van, Father Qi’s pitiful demeanor was gone, replaced with a shamelessly defiant attitude.
“You little bastard, you think you can get rid of me? No chance.” He glanced at Shen Zhe, his tone becoming even more venomous. “You’re nothing more than a plaything to him. You really think you can make it big? In the end, you’re just selling yourself…”
“Enough.” Wei Xicheng held back Shen Zhe’s hand and stared straight at Father Qi. In all his thousands of missions, this was the time he felt the most emotional.
He looked at Nina and the others, then turned back to Shen Zhe, who was gazing at him with concern, as if wanting to explain something but holding back because of the people around.
“And what about you? What do you count as?” Wei Xicheng asked, his voice steady and cold. “A scumbag? A beast? Less than an animal?”
“You little bastard, how dare you talk to your father like that?!” Father Qi raised his hand, but before he could strike, the security guards restrained him.
“Are you even worthy?” Wei Xicheng’s voice was icy and emotionless. “Father? Do you think you deserve to be called a father? Since the day I was born, have you ever taken care of me? Aside from using me as a tool to make money, have you ever treated me as your son? Have you ever thought about anyone but yourself? Having a father like you is the worst luck imaginable. You’re just wearing human skin and you think that makes you human?”
After saying this, Wei Xicheng felt a weight lift off his chest. He didn’t know Qi Chen or care about his family background, but seeing someone who belonged on a stage destroyed by this piece of scum was intolerable.
Not to mention, he had insulted Shen Zhe. That was also intolerable.
Nina stood dumbfounded, watching as the usually timid Wei Xicheng delivered such sharp and cutting words. It was completely unlike the submissive boy she knew. Was this the result of being oppressed for so long? Did it awaken his potential?
She turned to look at her boss. Would Shen Zhe still like Qi Chen now that his personality had changed so drastically?
Shen Zhe sat beside Wei Xicheng, also lowering his gaze. They both shared the same expression, yet conveyed completely different emotions.
The boy’s eyes, slightly hidden beneath his bangs, though indifferent in tone, revealed hints of loneliness and fear. His shoulders trembled slightly.
Meanwhile, the man next to him, despite his lowered eyes, radiated a powerful aura. His childish antics were reserved for the boy, but in this situation, he remained cold and composed.
Wei Xicheng’s mind raced with thoughts. If this man couldn’t accept this change in him, then perhaps they would never have any connection in the future, and he’d never trust anyone in any parallel world again.
“If you have something on your mind, always say it out loud.” Shen Zhe suddenly held Wei Xicheng’s hand, his voice calm like the calm before a storm. “Nina, open the door and let Mr. Qi out.”
That was the last time Wei Xicheng saw Father Qi. Shen Zhe used some unknown means, and Father Qi was imprisoned for many years. By the time he was released, he was already an old man with white hair.
Shen Zhe reclaimed the house under Father Qi’s name and put it under Qi Chen’s name.
As for the supermarket incident, there were no negative news stories circulating. Instead, the headlines were more along the lines of “Rising Star Qi Chen and Film Emperor Shen Zhe Spotted Together at Supermarket.”
No matter how many times Wei Xicheng asked, Shen Zhe never revealed how he dealt with Father Qi. Over time, Wei Xicheng simply forgot about him.
Grant finally persuaded Shen Zhe and Wei Xicheng to shoot a joint cover for a later issue of ‘People’, which garnered even more attention. Qi Chen’s path to stardom became smoother.
Before long, the actress Bai Lingwan gained recognition in a small production but was not signed by Jingnian. Wei Xicheng heard about it and was puzzled—was his butterfly effect really that strong?
It turned out that Jingnian’s resources were all offered to Wei Xicheng first, so the other artists had to wait their turn. Eventually, many of them jumped ship, and by the time Wei Xicheng won the Best Actor award, Jingnian had become his personal studio.
Shen Zhe, on the other hand, had reinvested his earnings into the financial sector, making more money than ever.
Wei Xicheng placed his trophy next to Shen Zhe’s, smiling. “I do have some talent, don’t I?”
Shen Zhe wrapped his arms around him from behind, his deep voice whispering hot breaths against Wei Xicheng’s earlobe. “Mm.”
Wei Xicheng, controlled by the arms around his waist, turned around to face the man wearing a cartoon apron. From the apron pocket, the man pulled out two men’s rings.
Shen Zhe kissed Wei Xicheng’s forehead, then slowly knelt on one knee in front of him, holding his gaze. “Qi Chen, you’re my guiding star. I want to be with you, for this life and forever.”
“Pfft.” Wei Xicheng took the ring from his hand. “Alright, give me your hand.”
.……………………………
’Shen Zhe v’: Meeting you has been the greatest luck of my life. [Attached image]
Two hands wearing rings intertwined, resting on the chest of a man wearing a cartoon apron.
‘Author’s Note’: The first 20 comments on this chapter will receive red envelopes~ Did you guys think this chapter was extra long today?
I originally wanted to make Father Qi suffer, but I’m ignorant of the law! I just couldn’t figure out how to do it!
By the way, I confess that I sent Huang Mao to beat up Father Qi.
