“My younger brother,” Qin Weidong said calmly.
Qin Zijie raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Your brother? But I could’ve sworn your personnel file says your parents are both deceased. That kind of major detail is listed, but somehow they missed a whole brother?”
Fang Li stepped away from Qin Weidong. He wasn’t as naive as he once was. Two men being this close—it didn’t take much for others to start questioning their relationship. And their relationship, at least for now, was something most people couldn’t accept or tolerate. They’d avoid it like the plague.
Deliberately putting some space between them, Fang Li asked, “Brother, who is he?”
When Qin Zijie heard Fang Li call him “Brother” so naturally, his suspicions only deepened.
Qin Weidong had clearly noticed Fang Li’s subtle move to distance himself, and it stirred an irritation in him. Right now, Qin Zijie felt especially loathsome and unwelcome. He replied to Fang Li, “A colleague from the company.”
“I was in Jinjian at the time. The HR department filled out my file for me. Over the phone, they probably didn’t catch everything clearly.”
Qin Weidong let out a cold smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “But I suppose now the file will have to be redone. Thanks for the reminder, Manager Qin. I’ll make sure it’s complete this time.”
Qin Zijie’s face darkened instantly. He could hear the sarcasm in Qin Weidong’s tone. The transfer order to Kunshan Group had just been issued during today’s meeting—Qin Weidong was going to HQ!
That was where he had been trying to get in!
Damn it. He was still technically a Qin family relative. And this guy—what the hell did Qin Weidong count as?! How did he end up ahead of him?!
“Don’t celebrate too soon.”
Qin Zijie clearly had something else to vent. “You heard about Liu Rui from Wanlei being taken in for investigation today, right? This was your plan from the start, wasn’t it? Just because Liu Rui is Liu Chongyue’s nephew! You and Zhengcheng Auction set this all up—made sure Wanlei beat out the other bidders, only to mess with the contract afterward. Overnight, you bankrupted Liu Rui! All to drag Liu Chongyue down with him! Qin Weidong, who are you working for?!”
Earlier that afternoon, Qin Zijie had already gotten word from his father’s side—Liu Rui had been taken by the investigators. Not a word about the astronomical price he paid to win that mining bid.
The additional deposit for mine restoration and land reclamation alone had totaled nearly fifty million yuan—now, it was all down the drain.
And that wasn’t the worst of it. Rumor had it the investigation team had uncovered large sums in the company’s financial records that had found their way into the pockets of numerous public officials. The most deeply implicated? His own uncle—Liu Chongyue, a senior figure in the Yicheng city leadership.
It was hard not to suspect this was a deliberate move from higher up—a bloodless political takedown.
“Don’t throw around accusations without evidence.”
Qin Weidong ignored his speculation. “The contract clearly states that the winning bidder must use the mined materials appropriately, with high-quality materials used for high-quality purposes. It also prohibits selling raw sandstone to companies outside of Jinyang under the pretense of construction supply, and bans selling premium material at low-end prices. All of this was spelled out in black and white. These terms were considered carefully, both by Chaojiang and higher authorities, to maintain a fair market and support local industries.”
“Save your righteous nonsense for someone who buys it. Who do you think you are? You’re nothing but a dog doing someone else’s dirty work!”
“Watch your mouth!”
Fang Li couldn’t take it anymore when he heard someone insult Qin Weidong like that. Luckily, Qin Weidong stopped him with just a look.
Calm and composed, Qin Weidong turned to Qin Zijie. “Chaojiang wasn’t the first company to include this clause in a transfer agreement. Many regions consider similar policies when developing large-scale mining projects. Frankly, Wanlei’s team just didn’t do their homework. Or maybe… someone tipped them off and made them think they could get away with it.”
“You dare slander me?!”
Qin Zijie’s face twisted in rage. Qin Weidong let out a low chuckle, and it stung like a slap across his face. That laugh was the ultimate humiliation.
Back when Wanlei won the bid, he had ignored his father’s warnings and secretly diverted three million from his dad’s company to buy shares in Wanlei. Naturally, he’d exchanged some intel with Liu Rui.
He had assumed no one would bother checking that clause. Once Wanlei started raking in profits, he could sell off his shares for a fortune.
But now it had all blown up. With Wanlei charged for illegal mining and market disruption, his stake was now worthless paper.
Three million—it wasn’t an amount he couldn’t afford, but it definitely wasn’t pocket change either. Furious, Qin Zijie clenched his jaw. His eyes swept past Fang Li and locked back onto Qin Weidong’s face.
“Qin Weidong, you’re ruthless. But however you climbed up, I’ll make sure you fall the same way. Let’s see whose connections run deeper—yours, or mine.”
The woman beside Qin Zijie had long been too frightened to say a word. Qin Zijie yanked her into his Tiger Head Benz, slammed the gas, and sped away.
After they left, Fang Li’s palms were soaked with sweat. Especially after hearing the venom in Qin Zijie’s voice and seeing the look in his eyes, his heart felt like it was caught in a vice.
He was terrified something might happen to Qin Weidong. He regretted fighting with him earlier. Everything they had built up to this point, they had done on their own. He knew how hard Qin Weidong had fought, step by step, to reach where he was now. Fang Li found it harder and harder to breathe. His face turned pale as he bent over in pain.
“Lili, what’s wrong?! Fang Li?!”
Qin Weidong’s expression changed in an instant. He scooped Fang Li up into his arms, flagged down a taxi under the dark night sky, and rushed to the nearest hospital. By the time they reached the emergency room, Fang Li had already lost consciousness.
Qin Weidong grabbed a passing nurse. The nurse, seeing how pale he was, quickly pushed over a gurney. A blue privacy curtain was pulled closed around them. Qin Weidong caught another person by the arm. “He gets scared—can I stay with him? Just let me stay…”
“There are doctors inside. Family members must wait outside,” the nurse said firmly, pushing him out.
On the wall, the second hand of the clock ticked away. Every passing second felt like torture. That brief emergency procedure made Qin Weidong feel like his entire body was being sliced apart, one inch at a time. He clenched his fists, filled with the urge to tear Qin Zijie limb from limb.
Soon, the doctor came out. “Who’s the patient’s family?”
“I am!” Qin Weidong shot up from the bench.
The doctor removed his mask and glanced at him. “You are…?”
“I’m his brother. Doctor, how is he?”
“You’re his brother? Then you probably already know his condition. He has a severe congenital ventricular septal defect, which has led to impaired heart function and, in turn, insufficient blood flow to the brain. Was he under emotional stress before this? He experienced acute syncope. You’ll need to be extra careful from now on. But he’s so young—has he not had surgery?”
“Doctor, here’s the report from the provincial hospital. The doctors there said his current physical condition doesn’t meet the criteria for surgery.”
Qin Weidong quickly pulled the diagnosis from his jacket pocket—he always kept it close to him.
In the emergency department, only a few essential tests could be performed. The doctor glanced at the report and frowned. “This is serious. If even the provincial hospital can’t operate, then there’s nothing we can do here either. For someone like him, this condition is like a ticking time bomb. He’s stable for now, but the future’s uncertain. You should try taking him to another hospital for further evaluation.”
After leaving the emergency room, all of Fang Li’s vital signs had stabilized. Though he was still unconscious, an oxygen tube was inserted into his nose. Since surgery wasn’t an option, he was transferred to a general ward for observation.
Qin Weidong paid the hospital fees and discreetly slipped the head nurse five hundred yuan. In return, they were moved to a vacant double room.
Qin Weidong didn’t dare step away from the room. He stayed by Fang Li’s bedside, watching over him while he slept. His eyes were fixed on the monitor, its cold glow blinking steadily. One of his ears had limited hearing—just listening wasn’t enough. He had to see for himself that everything was okay.
His phone buzzed in his pocket again and again throughout the night. It wasn’t until the fifth call that Qin Weidong finally picked it up. He stepped into the hallway, opened the door, and answered.
It was Xu Jianchuan. He spoke right away: “Qin Weidong? Where are you? Secretary Li’s been trying to reach you. He said he called you several times but couldn’t get through, so he contacted me. He has something important to tell you…”
“I’ll call him back,” Qin Weidong said and hung up.
He sat on the stairs in the hospital corridor. His handsome face was clouded with exhaustion and silent frustration. He held the phone tightly in his long, knuckled fingers until his hand turned pale with the force of it. He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he suddenly hurled the phone—
Bang!
It shattered violently against the cement steps of the emergency staircase. Pieces scattered in all directions, rolling down the quiet stairwell in the dead of night. Bloodshot red crept into Qin Weidong’s eyes.
He hadn’t climbed high enough. Not even close.
He would remember this debt—every bit of it.
……
When Fang Li finally woke up, it was already the next morning. The hospital curtains were too thin to block the light. He opened his eyes and saw a bright, unfamiliar ceiling. Only then did he realize—this wasn’t home. It was a hospital.
He didn’t feel too bad, so why had he spent the night here?
There was a small clamp on his finger, and his hand had gone numb. He shook it off. He’d never liked hospitals. In fact, they made him nervous. Not seeing Qin Weidong made him even more uneasy, so instinctively, he called out for him.
Instead, a young nurse walked in. “Your family went to pick up your medicine. Don’t move, okay? Let me take your blood pressure first.”
Fang Li’s head ached a little, but he quickly remembered what had happened the night before—he and Qin Weidong had gone downstairs for dinner and run into Qin Zijie. But everything after he fainted was a blur.
When he saw the nurse approaching with a tray, Fang Li was startled. “Nurse, ma’am… what are you doing?”
He’d never been hospitalized before, and now he was even in a private room. The thought alarmed him—could it be that he needed surgery? That couldn’t be! Even if Qin Weidong completely ignored his opinion, this was still something that should be discussed!
After all, it wasn’t his body going under the knife!
The nurse had just set the tray down when the patient yanked the monitor clip off his finger, slipped on his shoes, and made to get out of bed. Alarmed, the nurse stopped him: “Where are you going? We haven’t even taken your blood pressure yet!”
“Hold on! I just need to check something. I’m really fine. I just—really have to pee!”
He rattled off his excuse and darted out of the room, nearly running into Qin Weidong, who had just returned with medicine and a bowl of porridge.
“What are you doing up?” Qin Weidong shut the door behind him. Seeing the nurse still inside, he didn’t reach out to hold Fang Li, but he scolded him anyway: “Your head’s not spinning anymore? Get back in bed.”
Fang Li lowered his voice. “I’m scared to lie down, damn it. Qin Weidong, am I getting surgery or not? You could at least give me a heads-up! It’s all happening so fast—can we not do it?”
He had to put up some kind of last stand. But Qin Weidong had no idea what kind of scenarios were running through his head.
“No surgery. Just get back in bed,” Qin Weidong said. “Or I’ll tell the nurse to stick you with a couple needles.”
“Shit…! You’re seriously cold-hearted!”
Fang Li reluctantly lay back down. In truth, the morning blood pressure check was just standard hospital procedure. Every patient, no matter how long they were staying, went through it.
Besides, in Fang Li’s case, surgery wasn’t an option for now anyway. He’d only need to stay for a couple days for observation. If he didn’t experience any further symptoms today or tomorrow, he’d be discharged.
Seeing him shut his eyes tightly, the nurse figured he was young and shy—especially with his delicate features. She smiled. “No one’s giving you shots. What are you so scared of? You’re fine now.”
Fang Li blushed. Getting comforted by a young nurse like that made him feel like a total coward.
Once the nurse had left, Qin Weidong fed Fang Li some porridge.
Once Fang Li knew he wasn’t getting surgery and was only under observation, he finally relaxed a little. After a moment of thought, he asked, “Last night… what Qin Zijie said, it won’t cause trouble, right? It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t picked a fight with you last night…”
If he hadn’t been on Qin Weidong’s back—if they’d just walked side by side—it might not have looked so bad.
“It’s not your fault. We’re together. You acting up with me is totally normal.”
The truth was, he himself hadn’t been prepared—he still didn’t know how to handle everyone’s speculation about their relationship.
“Then… will he give you trouble because of it?” Fang Li still couldn’t help worrying. He’d been so anxious it made him dizzy and caused him to faint.
It wasn’t like he could help Qin Weidong with anything, and if he became a burden on top of that, he’d really be worthless.
“He won’t,” Qin Weidong said. “The higher-ups have already issued a transfer order. I’m heading to headquarters.”
“Really?!” Fang Li swallowed his mouthful of porridge and smiled with delight. Hearing that made him breathe a lot easier. He’d been afraid Qin Zijie would go around spreading rumors, but if they weren’t working in the same company anymore, it would be a lot better—or at least, that’s what he thought.
“Yeah, really.”
After reassuring him, Qin Weidong’s phone rang again. He glanced at the number and answered the call, still feeding Fang Li porridge with one hand while holding the phone in the other.
Fang Li took a few more bites, but soon couldn’t eat anymore. He’d eaten just before passing out the night before, and after being poked and prodded by the doctors and nurses, his stomach was still bloated. He shook his head, saying he couldn’t eat any more—but Qin Weidong completely ignored him.
Even the doctors had said Fang Li was too thin and needed to eat more.
Qin Weidong scooped another spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and fed it to him.
Still feeling guilty over what had happened the night before, Fang Li kept eating even though he didn’t want to. Watching Qin Weidong on the phone, he thought to himself how miserable he was—when had things reached the point where this bastard was even deciding whether or not he could eat?
As Fang Li silently cursed him in his head, Qin Weidong pried his mouth open again and shoved in another spoonful. Holding the phone between his ear and shoulder, Qin Weidong frowned at his sluggish attitude and mouthed, “Open your mouth wider.”
Fang Li rolled his eyes so hard they nearly hit the ceiling.
Ugh! Seriously?! And to think he’d just been so worried about this guy!
By the time Qin Weidong finished his call, the bowl of millet porridge was empty. Fang Li clutched his now-stuffed belly, curled up on the hospital bed. “Fainting last night was fine and all, but waking up just to be force-fed to death—this is too much…”
“Fang Li, if I hear the word ‘death’ come out of your mouth again, I swear I’ll smack you. Got that?”
Fang Li pouted. “Ooh, I’m so scared. Go ahead and try it—if I don’t kick you or beat you to death with a pillow, I’m not Fang Li!”
Qin Weidong had stepped out to throw out the trash and didn’t catch that. When he came back, Fang Li was already sitting up on the bed, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. But as far as Qin Weidong was concerned, since surgery wasn’t an option right now and he was about to get busy with work, the safest thing would be for Fang Li to stay in the hospital for a few more days so he could rest easy.
Fang Li, however, wasn’t having it. “I haven’t even told my boss at the music shop I’m taking time off! I’ve been in and out of this hospital so many times with no explanation… If I skip work without notice, I’ll get fired!”
He’d worked so hard just to land that job!
Qin Weidong clearly didn’t care about what he saw as a part-time gig that barely covered pocket money. “How much is your boss paying you, anyway? Just stay in the hospital for a few days—I’ll double it and pay you myself. How’s that?”
Axolotl Translations 
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