Nan Qing opened her eyes in astonishment and stood frozen in place.
The bright, ornate wall lamp illuminated Qin Mubai's face, revealing a striking handprint with clearly visible finger marks.
The boy, bathed in the light and shadow, stared blankly at his palm for several seconds before he came to his senses.
Her round, moist eyes stared directly at the familiar face before her. She tried to force a smile, but there was no trace of it on her pale face.
Even her forced smile was bitter; Nan Qing's voice trembled, and large tears slid down her cheeks.
" Qin Mubai, I once firmly believed that if there was anyone in this world who wouldn't give up on me, that person would definitely be you."
But you don't want me anymore either.
"You abandoned me, just like you abandoned a dog."
"I've called you 'brother' for so many years. Even if we're not related by blood, was all that kinship fake?"
"Why do you just abandon me like that, kicking me out whenever you want? Don't I have a heart, Qin Mubai? Don't I feel sad? I was dragged from the villa entrance and thrown to the ground all by them. Didn't it hurt?"
"Those people chased me, surrounded me, bullied me, and looked for any opportunity to pick a fight with me. They even pushed me into the pool by the head. Aren't I scared?"
Why didn't you even give me time to react? Why are you acting like nothing happened?
You even expect me to calm down and listen to you?
Where were you when I was bullied? Where were you when I was kicked out of the Bai Family? Where were you when those people insulted me, retaliated against me, and surrounded me to beat me up?
"I hate you, Qin Mubai."
"I hate you, I don't want to see you again, please don't show your face in front of me!"
Tears blurred her vision. Nan Qing wiped them away, a dull ache in her chest.
"I won't ignore you."
Qin Mubai's throat was dry, and he looked down at him.
"I'm sorry I'm late."
"It's my fault, I didn't keep my promise."
"But you're right, I really don't deserve to be your older brother."
A painful struggle flashed in Qin Mubai's eyes, then he closed them.
Every time you call me "brother," I feel like I'm filled with guilt.
The lights were dazzling.
Nan Qing wiped away her tears and sneered coldly.
Stop putting on airs.
He turned and left, and Qin Mubai quickly followed. His tall figure blocked the light from the wall and also hindered his progress.
Those dark eyes welled with pain, and she lowered her stance.
"You don't have to listen, Qingqing."
Qin Mubai moved with lightning speed, pulling Nan Qing's arm and slipping her a card, speaking very quickly.
"It's not like home outside; you have to be careful when making friends. I'm very grateful to Mr. President Huo for helping you when you needed assistance, giving you a place to stay."
"But everyone has their own life. There's a big age gap between you and President Huo. When you were young, you didn't know any better and always treated him that way. I'm worried that he might bully you or take advantage of your young age to deceive you and lead you down the wrong path."
Nan Qing stared at the card in her hand, then slowly looked up.
" Qin Mubai, what do you mean?"
"I don't know if you should call this a relationship, but Qingqing, this relationship came too hastily, and you got together with him when you had no other choice. President Huo much older than you and very shrewd—"
Are you implying that he's taking advantage of someone in distress?
Nan Qing slapped the card against Qin Mubai's chest, unsure of what expression to make.
" Qin Mubai, what are you pretending to be, playing the good guy?"
" Huo Yuzhou is much older than me, but aren't you much older than me? Huo Yuzhou is meticulous, and you're some kind of naive man?"
"Don't tell me you didn't know what I would suffer when you had the Bai Family kick me out."
Looking at Qin Mubai's ashen face, Nan Qing felt a bittersweet satisfaction. Almost maliciously, he closed the distance between himself and Qin Mubai.
"Don't you know very well that I'm arrogant and domineering? I bullied Huo Yuzhou and then Bai Ruanruan. I've offended everyone. But you indulged my misbehavior and failed to raise me into a good child."
"I have a terrible personality, my studies are a mess, and I only got into the entertainment industry because of my family connections. Everyone online is criticizing me. You know, without the Bai Family, I can't even support myself."
What you know, others also know.
"Do you know Qi Bin? That sycophant who always followed me around wagging his tail. He got so many benefits from me, but when I finally asked him for help, he tried to sell me off."
"Sell him to that bald, beer-bellied old lecher, older than my dad, with a face full of acne--"
Qin Mubai clenched his fists tightly, and the veins on his arms bulged.
Nan Qing, however, remained oblivious, revealing all the malice in her heart.
He said that old man had noticed me a long time ago, and he wanted to introduce me to him—
" Qingqing!"
Qin Mubai's mature and handsome face was filled with dark, stormy anger, and his arms were trembling.
Nan Qing, however, seemed oblivious, looking at him with a sudden, curved smile.
"What do you think I should do, Qin Mubai?"
"I only have a few dozen yuan on me. The cheapest hotel on the group-buying app costs fifty or sixty yuan a night. I don't even have money for food."
Qin Mubai's eyes suddenly darkened. "What did you say?"
He clearly left him so much money...
Stop being so sarcastic.
"I must be crazy to tell you this. Are you smug to hear how unlucky I am?"
The card slipped from her clothes and fell to the ground. Nan Qing took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
" Qin Mubai, I won't take your money anymore."
"Let's go our separate ways, and I don't want anything to do with you anymore."
Qin Mubai acted as if he hadn't heard him, bent down and picked up the card, stubbornly stuffing it into Nan Qing's hand.
"There's 60 million here. The house in Hujiang Bay is already renovated, and you're the registered owner. Your personal information has already been entered into the system. Aunt Liu from the family will come to take care of you, and you can move in anytime..."
Nan Qing looked at him coldly, "I won't move in."
Qin Mubai paused for a moment, then quickly resumed his normal movements.
"Aren't you supposed to be dating?"
His voice was very soft, as soft as willow catkins that would disperse at the slightest touch in the spring air.
" Qingqing, adults need to be on equal footing when dating. Even if the gap is too big to be on equal footing, you should at least be independent. How can you move into his house when you have nothing?"
"Could you move out first? I won't bother you too often."
"Are you going to teach me to be independent now?"
Nan Qing seemed to have heard something interesting, and looked up at him.
" Qin Mubai, why didn't you teach me to be independent when you raised me into a useless person? What were you doing all this time?"
Qin Mubai unconsciously tightened his grip on Nan Qing's arm, his face bitter.
I thought we'd always be brothers.
"Of course children can be naughty, your big brother will always protect you."
Even if you enjoy playing.
Even if you are a failure.