Rebirth

[Content warnings: The main pairing isn't fixed-there are three contenders. The side pairing is fixed. Feel free to pick your ships and ship wildly. The bottom isn't sexually exclusive (only among the tops), and he's a bit of an everyone's darling (///ˊㅿˋ///). Includes forced love, romantic rivalry, and kink. Don't read if that's not your thing!]

[Please don't let chapters pile up before reading, my lovelies. Every bit of encouragement keeps me going! Leave lots of comments-everyone's welcome (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡]

[Leave your brains here, please (⊙ꇴ⊙)]

Smack!

A vicious slap struck Lin Xingye across the face, hard enough to send his frail body crashing to the floor.

Before he could react, the man in front of him launched into a stream of abuse. "Lin Xingye, you filthy bitch! Get the fuck out of my sight!"

The man radiated fury. His otherwise handsome features were twisted by his vicious expression, making him look utterly repulsive.

He spat on the floor as he spoke. "Pah! Fucking bad luck! Just try bullying Qin Ke again!"

One insult followed another, leaving no room for a rebuttal.

The young man behind him had red-rimmed eyes. He gently tugged at his shirt. "Hanwen, don't do this. Xingye... he didn't mean it..."

The aggressive man's expression softened instantly. He took the young man's hand in his. "You're just too innocent. Stay away from him from now on!"

The two exchanged tender words as though no one else were there, then prepared to leave. Before going, the man cast a disgusted glance at the frail figure on the floor, who was clutching his face.

The young man called Qin Ke looked back with apparent sympathy, but his eyes held deep mockery, and his lips curled maliciously.

Qin Ke knew Lin Xingye was watching him too. Making no attempt to hide his malice, he mouthed, "How pathetic."

Their footsteps gradually faded, leaving silence all around.

There was no one to help him. He could only endure the pain and slowly haul himself up against the wall.

He couldn't hold back his tears. Large drops fell one after another.

Anyone who had witnessed that scene without knowing the truth would have thought he was some sort of villain. But the man protecting that young man was-

Li Hanwen, his husband of eight years!

Yet misfortune never came alone.

His phone suddenly rang. He hurriedly answered, asking anxiously before the caller could speak, "How is she? I'll get the money for the operation, I promise. Just give me a little more ti-"

"Young Master Xing!"

Aunt Liu's tearful voice cut him off.

An indescribable terror surged through him.

He could only pray over and over, trying to reassure himself. No, no, it couldn't be...

"That beast, Li Hanwen! He knew perfectly well that Madam's condition couldn't wait, but just because that lover of his was angry!"

"He had people force the hospital to delay Madam's operation! The doctor had already agreed to operate first! But he insisted that if they agreed to do it for us, they should agree to do it for everyone else!"

"He pressured the hospital! They missed the window for surgery... Madam... Madam..."

Aunt Liu's sobs grew louder, yet they sounded increasingly indistinct to him.

The voice in his ear grew fainter. Then he realized it wasn't Aunt Liu's voice growing quieter-he was losing the ability to hear it.

Wave after wave of ringing filled his ears. His head throbbed painfully, and his breathing quickly became shallow and frantic.

"Why... why..."

His eyes were bloodshot. Tears covered his face, which had grown so thin he was almost unrecognizable. His whole body trembled uncontrollably as a chill rose from the soles of his feet straight into his heart.

He couldn't understand. Why had this happened?

His mother had always treated Li Hanwen so well. No matter how much he hated Lin Xingye, why had he taken it out on her?

They had demanded that he come apologize, and he had. Hadn't they said that as long as he knelt and apologized, they would let his mother have the operation?

Why?

There was no point asking why anymore.

None of it meant anything now.

The young man's frail body curled in on itself uncontrollably. He wrapped his arms tightly around himself, his lips covered in wounds where he had bitten them.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have believed him... sob..."

Darkness overwhelmed his vision, just like the situation he was trapped in.

Everyone had turned against him. He was utterly alone.

Suddenly, wind roared somewhere ahead. He thought he could faintly hear someone calling him.

Was I starting to hallucinate?

But the voices gradually grew clearer.

"Xingxing, my little star. Mommy's here. I'll always protect you."

"Don't worry, big brother. I'll always be on your side! Your little brother is pretty amazing!"

"You little brat! So you still remember the way home? Aunt Liu made all sorts of delicious food today..."

"Young master, you must be happy! If you miss my cooking, just ask, and I'll make it for you!"

One voice after another belonged to the people who loved him most, the people he loved most-the most precious, unforgettable figures in his memories.

Slowly, a smile entered the young man's empty eyes. Step by step, he walked toward the roaring wind.

Everyone he knew stood there, smiling and waving to him.

His tears poured out like floodwater through a broken dam, flowing without end.

Feeling an uncontrollable sob escape, he clamped a hand over his mouth, trying to smother the wail about to burst out.

But it brought him no relief. Instead, his breathing suddenly grew frantic.

"Cough... cough, cough!"

The blood-red color in his palm gradually faded to an ashen gray.

"Dad, Mom, Momo. Xingxing's coming."

Amid the light and shadows, his steps quickened until he was running forward with all his strength.

The wind howled past his ears, but he couldn't hear it. All he knew was that his family and friends had come to take him home.

With only those scattered glimmers of light in his eyes, he grasped that warm hand and leaped down without hesitation.

The stairwell door burst open, but whoever had arrived caught only a fleeting glimpse of the young man's back as he jumped from the window.

"Lin Xingye!!!"

As his consciousness drifted in a haze, he seemed to hear someone ask him a question.

[If you could do it all over again, what would you want to do?]

[I'd want to...]

"Mr. Lin?"

His eyes snapped open. The face before him looked somewhat unfamiliar. Lin Xingye frowned slightly and tried to lean back, only to realize he was sitting in a chair with a backrest.

It was the familiar executive chair in his CEO's office.

Although this sudden turn of events startled him, Lin Xingye could only remain calm for now and avoid letting anyone notice anything amiss. "Who are you?"

The woman smiling sweetly at him froze at those words.

The impeccably dressed woman wiped nonexistent sweat from her forehead and gave a couple of awkward laughs. "Haha, you're so funny, Mr. Lin. I'm your secretary, Chen Xiaoyan. Little Chen."

Only upon hearing that somewhat familiar name did a few related memories surface.

She was the secretary who had seduced Li Hanwen, then helped him secretly transfer the Lin family's assets.

She had only gotten this position through her connection to relatives on his mother's side of the family. Who would have thought she was such an ungrateful snake?

Not that she had ended up any better off. Li Hanwen had soon discarded her as a scapegoat.

A trace of disgust flashed through Lin Xingye's eyes, and his tone grew impatient. "If you have something to say, say it. And keep your distance."

Chen Xiaoyan had no idea what she had done to offend this young master, but she didn't want trouble. She immediately stepped back twice. "Sorry, sorry. It's Mr. Li-the younger one. He's waiting outside."

At that familiar form of address, his fists clenched instinctively. He thought he knew when he was.

It was eight years ago, on the day they had first met.

"I understand. You can go."

Only after Chen Xiaoyan left did he slowly relax his taut nerves and survey the familiar surroundings.

Ever since Li Hanwen had swindled him out of the company, he had never set foot here again. Every familiar furnishing in the room, the family portrait sitting on the desk.

He really had been reborn...

"Heh heh heh..." A burst of crazed laughter erupted inside the office.

Outside, Lin Xingmo paused just as he was about to push the door open. Hadn't their dad only forced his brother to work at the company for a week or so? Had work already driven him insane?