Chapter 23.2

When Liu Xiangnian learned that she was selling the property, he had someone act on his behalf to purchase it, and it was later transferred to his hands. Upon hearing the news in Shanghai, Grandma was so furious she nearly passed out. If she had known, she would have destroyed it herself instead of letting that scumbag get his hands on it. By that time, though, everything was settled financially, and there was nothing else she could do.

Furious—truly enraged by that scumbag—why is it that such a despicable man is still alive today? Fan Qi gripped her soup spoon tightly. “This is just absurd! There’s no limit to how disgusting it can get. Now he’s pretending to be all sentimental. I’m about to throw up!”

“Since he bought it, we can’t take advantage of him. We need to buy it back in a fair and square manner. I want to fulfill Grandma’s last wish in front of him,” Chen Zhiqian said to Fan Qi.

“Buy it back fair and square? What are you going to use to buy it back? Besides, I saw Liu Xiangnian’s reaction when he saw this necklace, he’s just going to pretend to be sentimental. If you want to inherit Fanyuan, maybe. But if it’s inheritance, do you think he’d let you tear it down?”

“If Tianhe is in financial trouble and unable to pay its debts, he’ll have to sell it, whether he wants to or not,” Chen Zhiqian said, his face still swollen from the slap. His voice was distant and somewhat unreal. “I’m just using the necklace to let him know that the Chen family’s descendants have arrived.”

Huh? Why did Chen Zhiqian speak like that? He was still young and hadn’t experienced the mess of things—how could he sound so intent on killing someone? Fan Qi, fearing that he was having a psychological breakdown, said, “That’s not necessary. Grandma would definitely want you to live a good life. As for revenge, let it go. He’ll face his own punishment. Liao Yazhe told me he’s into some shady dealings, so we should still be careful.”

“It’s fine. I know what I’m doing,” Chen Zhiqian smiled. “I didn’t explain it clearly, and that’s my fault. You’re right to be upset with me.”

How should she put it? If the original owner had known Liu Xiangnian was his real grandfather, he would’ve probably immediately tried to latch onto him. She asked, “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll figure it out and go crawling to that scumbag?”

“You won’t,” Chen Zhiqian pointed to the slap mark on his cheek with a smile. “Your moral bottom line is too high.”

Fan Qi proudly responded, “I’ll take your word for it.”

“I’ll never acknowledge him. There’s hatred and resentment between us,” Chen Zhiqian stood up, collected her dishes, and reached out to pat her head. “Your hair’s all full of gel. Go wash up. You must be tired today, and you have an exam tomorrow.”

“Mm.” Fan Qi stood up and, noticing the slap mark on Chen Zhiqian’s face, felt a little guilty. “I’ll get you a can of ice-cold cola for your face.”

“It’s fine, it’ll be better by tomorrow.”

Fan Qi took her clothes and went to the bathroom to shower.

Chen Zhiqian looked at the closed bathroom door, reflecting on the girl inside. She seemed more like a member of the Fan family than the original Fan Qi. She was kind-hearted, a bit impatient, and had a strong sense of justice.

He turned on the TV, and the charity gala news was playing. Society’s elite had attended, and there were several shots of Fan Qi. In the footage, she seemed enthusiastic, but there was still an unspoken air of detachment about her. This quality, however, matched her outfit perfectly, giving off an aura of being aloof. Even the host mentioned, “Jin Xiaohui has been married to the Zhu family for over a year, and her taste is still the same, but Fan Qi really stands out…”

The media in Hong Kong were known for their sharp tongues, especially when it came to female celebrities. If you were too thin, they called you a skeleton, and if you had a bit of meat, they called you a fatso. For them, this was actually a very high compliment.

The camera then cut to Liu Xiangnian, who had donated a porcelain item that fetched the highest bid of the night.

Looking at Liu Xiangnian on TV, Chen Zhiqian’s mind raced.

He had told Fan Qi that he wanted to reclaim Fanyuan for Grandma, but it was never that simple.

In his past life, he didn’t know much about the grudges between his grandmother and Liu Xiangnian, and his father didn’t like to talk about the man. Back then, he was just starting his business when the stock market crash wiped out all the funds, and in desperation, he had decided to sell Grandma’s heirloom.

That piece of jewelry was sold for a sky-high price of 13 million at an auction, bought by Liu Xiangnian.

Liu Xiangnian used the necklace to track him down. After investigating his background, he told him that he was his real grandfather, blaming all past grievances on the war and the isolation of mainland China.

Chen Zhiqian couldn’t make the decision on his own, so he called his father. His father rushed over from mainland China and uncovered the truth from that time. Even when Liu Xiangnian tried to bribe them with his wealth, they firmly rejected him.

But Liu Xiangnian didn’t give up. Knowing that Chen Zhiqian was starting a business, he resorted to despicable means, even orchestrating an accident for his trusted aide, Fang Hao, trying to force him into a corner and make him beg to acknowledge Liu Xiangnian as his grandfather.

And then there was Fan Qi, who came to persuade him to accept Liu Xiangnian, then publicly revealed their marriage, causing a huge uproar.

Later, when Fan Qi got into trouble, rumors spread everywhere, claiming he had killed her, but the true mastermind was Liu Xiangnian.

Liu Xiangnian pushed the young Chen Zhiqian into an abyss of no return, where life and death were uncertain. Yet, before his death, Liu Xiangnian insisted on seeing him and said, “You’re my blood, why can’t you bow your head?”

Liu Xiangnian’s obsession with his bloodline made Chen Zhiqian live his life in guilt—guilt for his friends, for the loving Fan family, and for the tragic death of Fan Qi.

Such hatred wasn’t something that could just be “let go” with ease.

Heaven had given him a second chance, and all he wanted was to settle the score with Liu Xiangnian. But then Fan Qi appeared, complicating everything.

While Fan Qi was showering, she suddenly realized something wasn’t right. She seemed to have forgotten something important—her main purpose was to divorce Chen Zhiqian using this opportunity. How had she gotten so sidetracked?

After her shower, she opened the bathroom door and saw Chen Zhiqian sitting there, lost in thought. She called, “Chen Zhiqian.”

He turned around. “Done showering?”

“Mm!” Fan Qi rubbed her hair as she walked over to sit down. “I need to discuss something with you.”

“Go ahead.”

“How about we find a time to get divorced? You just need to help me keep it a secret from my parents, don’t let them know.” Fan Qi was worried he might not agree, so she added, “You know, I’m not going back to acting anymore. The things they worried about aren’t an issue now. But I’m sure my dad will want me to come home.”

Chen Zhiqian blurted out, “Are you that anxious?”

“It’s not that I’m anxious, it’s just that this thing is a burden for both of us, right? What if you meet a pretty girl at school and want to chase after her without any psychological burden?” Fan Qi squeezed toothpaste onto her brush.

“Are you looking for a partner?” Chen Zhiqian asked her.

“No, it’s just that our parents think we’re a good match, but we both know we’re not right for each other. We got the certificate, but we don’t have any interest in each other even when we lie in the same bed. What’s the point of having this paper?” Fan Qi replied as she brushed her teeth.

Chen Zhiqian understood her point. Even the old Fan Qi, he would have wanted to divorce her, but this version of her had ideas and seemed capable of supporting herself. Moreover, her heartfelt words about Grandma earlier proved she was a person of good character. There was no need for a marriage certificate to bind them. He nodded, “Alright. You let me know when you’re free, and we’ll go back to Shanghai and quietly handle the paperwork. We can figure out a time to explain it to both our parents.”

“I have an exam tomorrow. After the exam, I’ll be free,” Fan Qi said.

“Alright, once you finish your exam tomorrow, we’ll figure out the arrangements.”

Fan Qi went to brush her teeth, and Chen Zhiqian went to his room to get clothes ready for a shower.

After showering, Chen Zhiqian took Fan Qi’s clothes out of the washing machine, put his own in, and then walked into the room. He wanted to ask Fan Qi to hang the clothes, but saw her lying on the bed, already asleep, holding a book.

He hung up the clothes to dry and took the book from her hand. He noticed the canvas bag at her feet and placed it inside.

“Fan Qi, go to sleep properly,” he said softly.

Hearing his voice, Fan Qi mumbled drowsily, “mhm..”

She rolled over, lying flat.

Chen Zhiqian looked at her on the bed. Her T-shirt was almost rolled up to her chest, exposing her pale stomach. He unfolded the blanket to cover her, then went out to tidy up the bathroom. He rinsed the rice for the porridge he would make in the morning, soaking it in a clay pot with clean water so it would cook faster tomorrow.

After finishing, he went back inside, hung up his clothes, and saw that it was too late to use the dryer without disturbing their sleep.

Chen Zhiqian gently nudged Fan Qi, creating space for her to sleep, and then turned off the lights. As he lay down, her arm landed on his body again, and her feet curled up to wrap around him like a koala.

Chen Zhiqian reached out to pull her arm off him and place it on her side. Her skin was smooth, and as he thought about what she had said earlier—about them getting the certificate and having no interest in each other even lying in the same bed—he hesitated for a moment.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, he touched his own face. It hurt slightly and felt hot to the touch.

Looking at the arm resting on him, he thought, “Let her be.”

But of course, she took it further—her foot kicked up again, and it seemed like she wouldn’t stop until she pushed him off the bed. Was she from another life? What kind of person was she in her past life? How did she develop this domineering way of sleeping?

“Fan Qi! Fan Qi!” Chen Zhiqian called out twice.

Fan Qi, waking up from the noise, groggily replied, “What is it? I’m trying to sleep!”

Trying to get her to sleep more neatly, Chen Zhiqian, without thinking, asked, “What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?”

“Jianbing, the Shandong-style mixed grain jianbing, with two eggs, cilantro, and a little spice,” Fan Qi mumbled, finishing the sentence with a couple of lip smacks.

Chen Zhiqian regretted asking. Jianbing? Where was he supposed to get that for her?