"Hubby, the Luo Family will be making big news this afternoon. That ten billion your little brother put in is going completely down the drain. Hehe."
Luo Beishi's laugh sounded adorable just then, with a touch of goofiness.
Huo Cixiao felt his heart shifting toward him a little more.
Damn it! I absolutely cannot be seduced by this wife I got on the cheap! Anyone who covets me will die a miserable death! Really.
His focus gradually drifting off track, Huo Cixiao just wanted to squat in a corner and draw circles. He didn't want to hear anything else.
At noon, Qin Feiyu arrived punctually to wait outside Luo Beishi's classroom. Seeing no sign of Luo Beishi among the students coming out, he grabbed a classmate to ask.
The girl was startled by Qin Feiyu's good looks the instant he suddenly grabbed her arm. What was such a stunningly handsome guy doing outside their classroom?
Qin Feiyu released the female student's arm somewhat sheepishly and said awkwardly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to. I was just a little anxious. I wanted to ask whether Luo Beishi came to class today."
Lan Li looked him up and down. He was probably someone from the Luo Family. Although Luo Beishi usually had a sharp tongue, he had never offended her, and he was quite easy to talk to when dealing with her as class monitor.
"Who are you? What do you want with him?" The suspicion in Lan Li's eyes was plain.
"I'm his biological older brother. I wanted to see him." Qin Feiyu furrowed his brows, feeling very uncomfortable with the doubt emanating from the girl.
"His biological older brother? Luo Beishi has never mentioned having a biological older brother. Does he even have family? We remember how nobody cared when he got sick and fainted at school." Lan Li's words were blunt and exceptionally cutting.
She remembered that she had been the one to stay with Luo Beishi then. His fever had reached nearly forty degrees, yet he hadn't called his family. She immediately understood why.
Qin Feiyu was left speechless... No one had even known when his own younger brother was sick, while Luo Bai enjoyed everyone's love. What right did he have to see him now?
"What? Nothing to say? We've all seen the news about the Luo Family. What role did your Qin Family play in all this?" Lan Li's words were like a knife, one lined with barbs.
Qin Feiyu hadn't expected that not only did Luo Beishi have a sharp tongue, but even the girls in his class were merciless with their words.
"We didn't know. He didn't tell us."
Lan Li said, "Oh? I think you should know perfectly well why he didn't tell you. Wasn't your whole family ganging up to bully Beishi? I can guess just from the look in your eyes. Besides, if you were close, why wouldn't you call him?"
Qin Feiyu had to hand it to her. He had originally come to persuade Luo Beishi, but now he had been berated so thoroughly that he couldn't save face, and he couldn't refute her either.
He took out his phone and tried calling Luo Beishi. Perhaps he hadn't gone far.
But even after several calls, the line was still busy.
Lan Li waited quite patiently for that result, then scoffed. "You've been blocked, haven't you? I knew it. Stop looking for Beishi. He's been in a pretty good mood lately, and I don't want his mood ruined after seeing you people!"
With that, Lan Li walked away with her books in her arms.
Qin Feiyu stood at the door, looking into the empty classroom, then returned empty-handed.
After returning home, he repeated what the female student had said to his mother. But her expression upon hearing that Luo Beishi had been sick was clearly completely different from when she heard that Luo Bai was sick. Normally, hearing that Luo Bai was sick would definitely make his mother frantic with worry.
Now, she merely frowned, with little other reaction.
Hypocrite.
The word suddenly sprang into Qin Feiyu's mind. And he was using it to describe his mother...
"Why don't you stop looking for Beishi? There's no need. Like she said, he's doing very well. I won't be going again either."
With that, he headed upstairs for a nap. He hadn't even eaten since coming home before his mother cornered him with questions. If it had been Luo Bai, she would definitely have fussed over him and made sure he ate first, even cooking for him herself.
Mrs. Qin had no idea that her third son was slowly becoming disappointed in her.
Three in the afternoon.
Luo Ming had only just woken up. He had been hospitalized after being infuriated yesterday, and, clutching his chest, he angrily insisted on returning to the company for a meeting... Suddenly, a large group of inspectors burst into the conference room, demanding their cooperation in an investigation, saying someone had reported them for tax evasion.
At that instant, Luo Ming thought it was over, completely over... Then his eyes rolled back and he fainted again.
With one incident after another hitting the Luo Family, the wealthy families discussed it with relish, never minding how much worse the spectacle became.
Luo Bai hadn't expected the ten billion he had borrowed from Huo Cifeng to evaporate completely over yesterday and today.
What was he supposed to do? It was all Luo Beishi's fault! If he hadn't posted those things online, the Luo Family wouldn't have drawn attacks from so many people!
But he didn't dare contact Huo Cifeng either. He was afraid Huo Cifeng would lose all affection for him.
Keeping vigil at the hospital bedside, he watched his mother walk in wearing jewelry all over, her voice urgent.
"Son, what happened to your dad?"
"His blood pressure was too high, and he fainted. Mom, hurry up and think of something. Dad's company is in this state now... I even helped Dad borrow ten billion. Can't you borrow some from Uncle's family?"
Luo Bai didn't want his dream of becoming a wealthy heir to shatter in an instant like this. He still wanted to do everything he could to salvage it.
"Your uncle's family is struggling too. Their company can't come up with that much money either. Just how big do you think their company is...? Forget ten billion, they don't even have ten million." Liu Fang, Mrs. Luo, sat down on the other side of the bed. Looking at her husband with his eyes tightly shut, she was also at a complete loss.
But she had barely had any schooling, and her younger brother's company had only gotten off the ground with her husband's support.
Asking her to think of a solution now would only make things worse, wouldn't it?
"The company's financial director has been arrested. It won't implicate Father for now, but his company has to pay back taxes and fines. It'll take a lot of money..." Luo Bai clawed at his hair, feeling as though all his worrying lately had started making it fall out.
A gleam suddenly flashed through Liu Fang's eyes. She stood, walked around to Luo Bai, and took his hand. "Son, why don't you borrow some from the Qin Family? Tell them we'll pay them back when we have the money. Your adoptive parents dote on you so much."
Hearing this, Luo Bai regretted it even more. If Luo Ming hadn't insisted on taking him back as his son, there wouldn't have been the substitute marriage or what was happening now.
If this wasn't handled properly, he would have to shoulder even more debt in the future. They might even go bankrupt before long.
Dragging the Qin Family into it now wouldn't help. They couldn't come up with much money to begin with. How could a family of such modest means afford sums in the hundreds of millions? Luo Bai immediately rejected the proposal.
Bzz... bzz... His phone vibrated in his pocket.
He took it out and looked. It was a call from Huo Cifeng. Honestly, just seeing that name now made his hands shake... He simply didn't answer, pretending he hadn't seen it.
What should he do? Ask backup number two for help? Shen Dong, the Shen Family's eldest son.
After some hesitation, he finally unlocked his phone again, which had already stopped vibrating, and texted Shen Dong to ask him out.
Shen Dong had always treated him very well, gentle and considerate, never missing a birthday wish or a gift. He even found different ways to cheer him up every day. Why not give it a try?