Chapter 18: Driven Crazy by Love, Refusing a Marriage Alliance

Qin Mohuai’s thin lips curved slightly, his eyes flickering with a sharp, sickly gleam. “Grandfather, how did you know I bought a pink diamond? And how did you just happen to know I brought it today?”

Before Qin’s grandfather could explain, Qin Mohuai stood up. The tall, handsome man had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his features strikingly defined.

“I get it. You think I’m still sick. You’re treating me like a mental patient, watching my bank statements, monitoring my every move. What do I even mean to you? Am I just a spiritual crutch since my parents died? Should I have died with them in that car crash?”

The atmosphere instantly turned tense, so suffocating it made everyone hold their breath.

Qin’s grandfather’s face darkened.

This brat’s acting up again!

Qin Mohuai scoffed lightly. “If I can’t even control my own future, how am I supposed to run the Qin Corporation? How can I expect anyone to respect me? Do you genuinely want me to be happy, or are you using this marriage to manipulate me, to feed your twisted craving for power?”

“Stop talking nonsense!” Qin’s grandfather slammed his dragon-head cane to the ground, producing a deafening crack.

The butler hurried to support him.

“Third Young Master, please don’t say anything anymore. The old master truly cares for you! If he really wanted to control you through marriage, he would’ve had you marry the young lady, not carefully pick out a woman who’s fertile and yet a stranger to you.”

Ouyang Jing: ?

So, in front of me, you’re saying I’m just a baby-making tool? If I marry into the Qin family, will I have any say or freedom at all?

What a suffocating, crazy family.

Qin Mohuai slouched back into the sofa, crossing his long, lazy legs. His blue hair, tied up in a small tuft, bounced as he turned his head, a rebellious strand sticking up defiantly.

“Then let me marry Xia Yuan. I’d be happy to let Grandfather have his way.”

Qin’s grandfather paused, glaring. So, this whole crazy outburst was just to set up that line?

He let out a laugh, more out of anger than amusement.

“Get out of my sight!”

Qin Mohuai stood up swiftly, chuckling coldly. “Grandfather, if Grandmother knew you had a thing for a young woman in her twenties, especially one with a body so suited for childbearing, she’d probably leap out of her grave to deal with you.”

Qin’s grandfather raised his cane, ready to strike him.

Butler: “Master, please calm down! The third young master is just saying all this in anger, none of it’s serious. When he was young, he studied so hard just to help ease your burdens…”

Ouyang Jing followed behind Qin Mohuai, feeling like an insignificant figure whose presence didn’t matter.

“Mr. Qin!”

She called out, but Qin Mohuai didn’t stop. Biting her lip, Ouyang Jing added, “Your… little tuft is really stylish!”

Qin Mohuai halted, turning around. His cold, deep eyes softened just a little with a hint of warmth. “My wife tied it for me.” His proud tone was an odd, endearing contrast to his otherwise intimidating aura.

He was like a handsome, otherworldly being from an apocalyptic landscape, someone who would use a gleaming blade to cut down all who defied him. Yet in front of his weakness, he’d sheathe that blade, tie up his hair, and gently coax his wife.

Ouyang Jing shook her head, almost dazzled by his beauty.

“Mr. Qin, I long for a love that’s free and unfettered, not a marriage where having children is a must. I’m sure you don’t want to be engaged to me either.”

“Miss Ouyang, I’m the opposite. A love and marriage that I can fully control is more suitable for me.”

Ouyang Jing couldn’t help but ask, “You really love Xia Yuan because she’s truly the right one for you?”

Qin Mohuai didn’t answer. He simply got into the Maybach and shut the door, sealing off any prying eyes from the outside world.

–

At Shenghai Estate, Xia Yuan was watching a reality show called Dream Trainees, in which Xia Yuze was a contestant.

She curled up on the couch, half of her pale, delicate face buried in her dark hair. Her long, thick black lashes drooped lazily, and though her gaze was indifferent and serene, it carried a hint of sultry allure. In the next moment, however, she cutely pouted her red lips, seemingly bored.

Although the contestants were handsome, they all had the same kind of good looks—nothing particularly captivating or unique.

Including Xia Yuze 🙂

When Qin Mohuai got home, he clenched the ring box in his hand and went upstairs to find his wife.

“Baby, you are my heart~”

The second-floor living room was open-concept, even though there was a twelve-panel hunting screen that Qin Mohuai liked, it didn’t really provide much privacy.

As soon as Qin Mohuai stepped in, he heard the high-pitched voice of some guy from the tablet. His eyes darkened with a cold, threatening gleam as he stared down at the man on the screen. Meanwhile, Xia Yuan, with her bare shoulder exposed, was blissfully unaware of the danger lurking behind her.

Xia Yuan loved to walk around barefoot, so the entire second floor was carpeted, making her footsteps nearly soundless. Sometimes, when Qin Mohuai came home from work, she would hide around a corner and jump out to scare him.

The devious man would always act startled, and then, naturally, pull her into his arms and kiss her against the wall, claiming it was his way of “making up” for the shock.

Little did she know that she had a faint, sweet scent about her, one that Qin Mohuai could detect from a distance. Pretending to be scared was just his excuse to sneak a few bites of her soft, tender skin before dinner.

He was born privileged, never having encountered difficulties in school or work, but late at night, he often felt lonely and empty. Xia Yuan’s presence had nourished his barren spirit, filling the missing piece of his heart.

Everything about Xia Yuan was perfect for him. Yang Yi said she was a love scammer, but Qin Mohuai knew the truth. He wasn’t an invincible god; the reason he had never fallen was simply because he hadn’t encountered a trap designed specifically for him.

If Xia Yuan was that trap, he was willing to stay in it forever and never wake up. Hopefully, she could keep him trapped for a lifetime.

As Xia Yuan stretched, she caught a glimpse of Qin Mohuai out of the corner of her eye. Just a moment ago, she had seen his reflection on the screen and thought it was just her longing taking form. She didn’t expect him to actually be behind her!

He stood there silently, his face pale, giving off a gloomy aura, like a water ghost crawling out of a well, reeking of dampness and decay.

Is capitalism so full of resentment? The evil sword spirit was born too early—he missed his chance.

Xia Yuan’s fair feet pressed into the soft couch as she carried her warm, fragrant body and leapt into Qin Mohuai’s arms.

Qin Mohuai instinctively caught her, his eyes hollow, as though his soul had been drained, leaving behind only a beautiful shell.

She was genuinely afraid of Qin Mohuai when he was in this pre-breakdown, standby mode because she could never predict what he would do next.

“Honey, I was just watching Yuze’s show, and for some reason, I suddenly missed you~. There was thunder earlier, and my heart was pounding with fear. Feel it! Is it beating fast? Every beat is saying, ‘I want my husband to hold me.’”

What a little sweetheart.

Qin Mohuai’s dark, brooding gaze softened slightly. He not only placed his hand over her chest but also gently rubbed it. His voice hoarse, he murmured, “It really is beating fast.”

He didn’t know if what she said was true or not. It didn’t matter, as long as she was by his side.

Later that night, after Xia Yuan had fallen asleep, Qin Mohuai opened his eyes. He grabbed several bottles, poured out a handful of pills, and shoved them into his mouth. The bitter taste spread across his tongue.

Every year, as the anniversary of his parents death approached, Qin Mohuai’s mental state became unstable. His sensitivity, paranoia, and extremism would magnify a hundredfold. On the day of the anniversary, he would completely change, and everyone around him would suffer for it.

It would be best to send Xia Yuan away until after the anniversary, then bring her back. But Qin Mohuai was reluctant to part with her, even for a little while.