VGAB Chapter 38

Ever since it became clear that Qi Rui had taken a wayward path in the storyline, Qi Heng hadn’t paid much attention to him. After all, Qi Rui had become more obedient for the sake of regaining his game account from Qi Heng. Over the past two or three semesters, he hadn’t caused any trouble.

However, recently, Qi Heng had been feeling a bit frustrated because the plot where the male and female leads met had begun.

In the past, Qi Heng didn’t care whether Qi Han was present or absent.

But now, he had shifted most of the company’s affairs onto Qi Han, and Qi Han had dutifully carried out his tasks according to his instructions. If Qi Han were to go missing, wouldn’t that mean he had to personally handle everything?

Qi Heng felt that this wouldn’t work. He had recently developed a keen interest in artificial intelligence and had no time to deal with the pile of company matters.

In the plot, Qi Han was driving when the brakes failed, causing him to plunge into the river, and then he was rescued by the female lead.

To prevent the plot from progressing, Qi Heng decided to have all of the Qi family’s cars thoroughly inspected to ensure there were no safety issues.

However, no matter how careful he was, he couldn’t prevent Qi Han from not driving; he had boarded a boat.

“Master!”

The steward, Sun Yi, looked extremely panicked. “Third Master has been kidnapped on the ship. The kidnapper took him and they both jumped into the water, and we haven’t found them yet.”

Qi Heng furrowed his brow. Could it be that even if Qi Han managed to avoid the risk of falling into the river due to brake failure, he was destined to experience the plot of falling into the water, losing his memory, and being rescued by the female lead?

However, thinking about this now was futile. The immediate priority was to find Qi Han.

Qi Heng contemplated that in the plot, Qi Han didn’t recover his memory for nearly a year and slowly returned to the Qi family.

The reason for Qi Han’s prolonged amnesia was probably because neither the female lead nor he had much money, so they couldn’t afford to go to a major hospital for examinations and treatment.

He could bring Qi Han back in advance and get his head treated, allowing Qi Han to return to the company to work for him sooner.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t make a big fuss while searching for Qi Han. If news of Qi Han’s disappearance got out, it might lead to danger for him.

“Does anyone else know about Qi Han’s kidnapping?” Qi Heng inquired.

The steward, Sun Yi, shook his head. “Third Master had rented a cruise ship for some private time alone. Little did anyone know that the kidnappers had been hiding on the cruise ship and never revealed themselves.”

“First, block the news, and then contact the hospitals to see if anyone recently brought in for drowning incidents matches his description.”

“Master, what about the company?”

Qi Heng’s expression was cold. “I’ll be at the company for now. You’re in charge of Qi Rui during this time. Keep an eye on the people around him. If he dares to engage in early romance, break his legs.”

***

Su Wei found a person by the river, a man who appeared to be from a well-to-do background. However, he seemed unconscious due to the near-drowning experience, so she promptly dialed 120 and had him taken to the hospital.

Due to some personal reasons, Su Wei went to the hospital along with the ambulance. Thankfully, the person’s condition wasn’t life-threatening. After paying the medical expenses, she left her contact information and departed.

However, the next day, the hospital called her, informing her that the person had awakened and wanted to meet his savior.

Su Wei thought about that pale yet still cold and striking face and, after some inner conflict, she went to the hospital.

But she had never expected that the person had actually lost his memory.

The two of them stared at each other in surprise.

“I can’t remember my name, and I have nowhere to go,” the man said, his gaze clear and lost. “So, could you help me find a place to stay? As for the money, I’ll pay you back once I find a job.”

Su Wei didn’t want to meddle in others’ affairs, but this man was just too good-looking, exuding an air of elegance and grace in every movement. So, when he earnestly made this request, Su Wei found herself unable to refuse.

“Well, here’s the deal. I have a vacant room in the apartment I’m renting. You can stay there temporarily until you have the money to move out once you find a job.”

The man’s eyes lit up, and that spark in his eyes made Su Wei’s heart race.

Su Wei hesitated and then asked, “Um, you mentioned that you can’t even remember your own name?”

The man shook his head with an innocent expression. “I don’t remember, but I just gave myself a name. I was rescued yesterday, and I checked the calendar. Yesterday was the 7th, so I’ll call myself… um…”

“What should I call you, Ah-Qi?” Su Wei guessed.

The man smiled slightly. “No, call me Qi Han.”

Su Wei brought Qi Han back to her rented apartment, which had two bedrooms and a living room. Her roommate had moved out, so there was a vacant room for Qi Han to stay in.

However, when Qi Han was getting ready to go out and look for a job, they encountered a dilemma. Qi Han didn’t have an ID or an educational background, and after a couple of weeks of searching, he found that nobody wanted to hire him for jobs that required even a bit of technical expertise.

Even more unfortunate than Su Wei. She had at least managed to find a job as a waitress at a cafe. However, the pay wasn’t high, and both of them struggled to make ends meet.

“I’d say, what’s the use of a good-looking man if you have to support him? You should just break up,” Su Wei’s friend advised when she visited her place and unexpectedly found a man there. Su Wei couldn’t explain the situation.

Combined with the curious looks from their neighbors, Su Wei and Qi Han decided to publicly announce that they were a couple.

Initially, Su Wei’s friend envied her for having such a stunning boyfriend. However, when she found out that Qi Han had no job and was dependent on Su Wei, her attitude changed immediately.

Su Wei found it hard to speak. After spending so much time together, she had realized that Qi Han was genuinely outstanding. However, in this world, people judged based on status and education, and Qi Han couldn’t provide either. That’s why it was difficult for him to secure a job.

“Su Wei, are you even listening to me?” her friend complained, stirring her coffee with a spoon. “And you, you’re a university graduate! Are you planning to hide in this cafe, working as a waitress forever, supporting that pretty boy?”

“Yu Ning, you know that finding a job nowadays is extremely challenging,” Su Wei handed the coffee to a customer at a nearby table and returned to her friend’s table. “Changing jobs isn’t something that can be rushed right now. Besides, if I don’t even do this waitress job, I won’t have money to pay the rent.”

“In that case, both Qi Han and I will end up on the streets.”

“Fine, you keep working as a waitress and supporting that pretty boy with your meager salary,” Yu Ning pushed her cup aside, grabbed her handbag, and left without looking back, her high heels clicking.

“Yu Ning!” Su Wei called out and hurried to the door, but it seemed that Yu Ning was genuinely angry. She drove away without stopping.

“Wei Wei, what kind of friend is she?” the cashier girl remarked. “Even if she’s your close friend, I have to say something. Her words were quite harsh. What’s wrong with being a waitress? As long as you’re not stealing or robbing, you’re still earning money with your own hands!”

“Qiu, I’m really sorry. My friend… she has a bit of a bad temper,” Su Wei forced a smile.

“It’s none of your business,” the cashier girl waved her hand. As the cafe’s only customer finished paying and left, the cashier girl continued, “I heard your boyfriend still doesn’t have a job?”

“Not yet,” Su Wei nodded.

“Hua said she quit yesterday, and the manager mentioned that nowadays girls like looking at handsome guys, so he wants to hire a male waiter. Why don’t you talk to the manager about it?” The cashier girl glanced at Su Wei. “You’re so pretty, your boyfriend should be handsome too, right?”

Su Wei had an idea. “Thank you, Qiu. I’ll talk to the manager about it.”

…

As the end of the shift approached, the manager returned from shopping. Su Wei seized the opportunity to ask and received an affirmative answer.

However, Su Wei waited all night but didn’t see Qi Han return.

It wasn’t until the next morning that she spotted him coming back in disheveled hospital attire.

“Where did you go?” Su Wei’s furrowed brows eased a bit; initially, she thought he might have run away overnight.

Qi Han’s typically cold expression briefly flickered with a peculiar emotion. “Yesterday, I saw a construction site hiring laborers to carry bricks. It pays twenty yuan per hour, and they don’t ask for qualifications or identification.”

Su Wei was taken aback. “So, you went to carry bricks? You worked all night?”

She forcibly took Qi Han’s hand and, to her dismay, saw his formerly slender, elegant fingers covered in wounds.

Su Wei was a mix of anger and distress. “What about these clothes you’re wearing?”

“I was kidnapped. They probably wanted to use me for some kind of human experiment.”

Qi Han pursed his lips. He had spent the whole day carrying bricks, barely earning two hundred yuan. However, he encountered a group of inexplicable individuals who claimed to know him and forcibly took him to a dark clinic.

If he hadn’t taken the opportunity to escape when no one was watching, who knows what those people might have done to him.

“What!” Su Wei’s eyes widened. “In broad daylight, do those people have no sense of law?”

“We should go to the police!”

“We can’t involve the police,” Qi Han held her back. “If we report this, how do we explain my lack of identification? Moreover, those people dared to kidnap me in plain view, they must have some significant influence behind them.”

“I vaguely remember that I might have been pushed into the water before I lost my memory, so I suspect that if my identity before amnesia is exposed, it might bring danger to you.”

“So, are we just going to leave it like this?” Su Wei bit her lip. “To be honest, the moment I saw you, I felt like you might not be an ordinary person. Is it possible that you’re actually an heir from some prestigious family? And then you were targeted?”

Qi Han gave her a glance, showing some approval. “I think it’s very possible. After all, in the memories that have recently surfaced, I seem to have a very cold and aloof elder brother. In those memories, he seemed to be constantly wary of me.”

…

Qi Mansion.

Qi Heng got out of the car, and the steward Sun Yi quickly took the briefcase from his hands.

“Do we have any news about Qi Han?”

Sun Yi hesitated a bit and said, “Master, Third Master was found, but he managed to escape.”

“Master.” The servants in the hall paused and saluted him. Qi Heng nodded and took a seat on the sofa.

“How did he manage to escape? Didn’t we send more people with him?” Qi Heng asked.

Steward Sun Yi placed the briefcase on a nearby shelf and approached Qi Heng, bending slightly. “Our people found Third Master at the construction site. His fingers were all injured, so I had them take him to the Qi family’s private clinic for treatment and also check his head.”

“They said that Third Master was quite compliant and got in the car with them willingly. However, when they reached the clinic, Third Master excused himself to go to the restroom and then escaped through the window.”

Qi Heng rubbed his forehead. “Did you tell Qi Han his original identity, or did you just forcibly take him back to the clinic?”

“We did tell him that we were on his side,” Steward Sun Yi replied with some confusion. “Master, do you suspect that Qi Han didn’t trust them, and that’s why he ran away?”

Qi Heng nodded.

Steward Sun Yi was even more puzzled. “But in that case, why didn’t Third Master refuse to get in the car with them? They probably wouldn’t dare to forcibly keep him.”

Qi Heng felt that perhaps his steward had been influenced by Qi Rui for too long, and his intelligence might have been affected. “How many people did you send to find him?”

A maid approached quietly and placed a cup of tea in front of Qi Heng.

The steward pondered for a moment. “It should be around twenty-something people.”

Qi Heng took a sip of the tea and felt an unusual sense of helplessness. “Twenty-something people. Qi Han has been frail since childhood, and now he’s in an amnesic state. When suddenly surrounded by so many unfamiliar men, do you think he would choose to pretend to be compliant or resist them directly?”

Steward Sun Yi was momentarily frozen, and after a couple of seconds, he stammered, “Are you suggesting, Master, that Third Master saw the people we sent as enemies?”

Third Master might have temporarily complied because he believed he couldn’t escape or fight them off. But once they reached the clinic, he saw an opportunity to run and took it.

Qi Heng’s expression remained cold. “Forget it. Send a new group to approach him, but don’t reveal yourselves. Keep an eye on him to ensure he’s safe. Once I’m done with the matters at the company, I’ll personally go there.”

---