Everyone Regrets It After My Death - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Brief Freedom

After leaving the hospital, Su Mingran took the bus back to the Su estate, only to find all his belongings discarded in the courtyard.

A few sets of clothes worn thin over the seasons, basic toiletries, and the laptop he had spent so much time and effort saving for. Among the pile, the laptop was the only thing of value.

He rushed over, clicked the power button, and let out a long breath when he saw it was unharmed. He picked up his tattered backpack—now featuring a new hole—stuffed everything inside, and headed toward a small red-brick structure in the back of the property.

This “house” was a small outbuilding that bordered the edge of the villa grounds. For Su Mingran, it was a peaceful sanctuary. He wouldn’t have to see the Su family every day, no one would be watching him, and Little Huang could live here with him.

The crude brick shed had no bathroom—meaning he’d have to share with the servants—but that wasn’t a major issue. The room was dusty and the bed was nothing more than a wooden plank, but it was nothing a good cleaning and a small mattress couldn’t fix.

In Su Renhua’s eyes, banishing Su Mingran to a place even the nannies wouldn’t live was a punishment. To Su Mingran, it was heaven.

He no longer had to leave the house before dawn to avoid being yelled at. He didn’t have to endure Qi Xinghe’s constant harassment or walk on eggshells. He could sleep as late as he wanted, and Little Huang could jump through the window whenever he pleased to play.

…

Su Mingran enjoyed three days of bliss, but he soon realized his head wasn’t getting any better despite the medicine. Every night, the pain intensified.

He visited a small local clinic. The facility was modest, with only a few doctors and outdated equipment. After a lengthy examination, the doctor sighed. “I suggest you go to a major hospital. Your hand as well. A small clinic like ours can’t handle complex issues.”

Su Mingran understood, but he didn’t have the money. He needed to save.

The doctor, sensing his financial distress, suggested, “If the pain isn’t unbearable, I can prescribe something else for now. Avoid fine motor tasks with your hand. Try to use your left hand for writing and get plenty of rest.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Su Mingran nodded.

On his way back, he checked his balance at an ATM. The last hospital visit had cost him several hundred yuan. He needed to take on more jobs.

…

This week, Su Mingran had few classes. He asked his classmates about part-time openings. He already had a lucrative gig as a private tutor, but the family was currently traveling abroad.

A classmate introduced him to a job at a coffee shop. It was a full-day shift and quite exhausting, but the pay was decent. Su Mingran accepted.

On his second day, Su Mingran proved to be exceptionally skilled. His customer service, brewing techniques, and even his latte art were superior to employees who had been there for years. The manager was so impressed he added an extra 200 yuan to his pay.

The shop’s five employees were all students. One of them, Li An, happened to be in Su Mingran’s department and nudged him during a shift.

“Why is a top student like you switching jobs? I heard you had a high-paying tutoring gig. We’re all jealous,” Li An said while washing dishes.

Su Mingran had entered university with the highest score in the school. He had beaten out a dozen other applicants for that tutoring job based on his grades alone.

“They’re on vacation, and I happen to need money,” Su Mingran explained.

Su Mingran was a favorite among professors and well-liked by peers because he was always willing to help. However, rumors about him were plenty. On the first day of school, he had arrived with nothing but a backpack. No one had ever seen his parents, and he lived extremely frugally. Some guessed he was from a poor mountain village and offered to help him apply for financial aid, but Su Mingran always declined, saying he didn’t qualify.

Technically, he didn’t. Aid required an investigation into family finances, and since the Su family was wealthy, he was ineligible despite their refusal to support him.

“No wonder you’re here. But seriously, how did you learn latte art? I’ve been practicing forever, and the manager says mine looks like a pile of… well, something else.”

Su Mingran kept his head down. His right hand was struggling to grip things, so he had to adapt—holding the cup with his right hand and the milk pitcher with his left. “I learned from someone.”

Back in high school, he had wanted to live in the dorms but had no money. He spent his afternoons working in various restaurants to save up. He didn’t just learn coffee; he learned how to make desserts, too.

“Wow! You can even do this with your left hand? I’m useless!” Li An exaggerated with a loud groan. Su Mingran couldn’t help but smile, revealing a faint dimple that caught the eye of a passing customer.

As they were closing up that night, Li An shared some gossip. “The rich are on another level, man. I just saw a news report—the son of a real estate tycoon is looking for a childhood friend. He’s offering a 10-million-yuan reward!”

“Is this a Cinderella story? Prince meets beautiful girl, prince grows up and realizes he’s in love…”

“Quit talking and take out the trash so we can go home,” Su Mingran interrupted.

“Right, right.”

…

After finishing the cleaning and locking up, Su Mingran bid his classmate goodbye and walked down the quiet street.

The sky tonight was empty of stars and moon. He found himself thinking about the 10-million-yuan reward. He also wanted to find someone, but he had no money. He needed the Su family’s connections to find any traces of information. That was why he couldn’t leave for good—yet.

On his fourth day at the shop, Su Mingran returned home at his usual time. After 10 PM, the Su villa was locked to outsiders. Aside from the main family, no one was let in, so Su Mingran always climbed the wall.

Just as he hopped over today, he ran into Su Renhua.

Su Mingran brushed the dust off his clothes and raised an eyebrow. Su Renhua almost never looked for him. If he was here at night, it was because he wanted something.

Sure enough, Su Renhua spent five minutes berating him for “loitering” before stating his purpose.

“The family banquet that you ruined last week has been rescheduled for tomorrow. You haven’t forgotten the piano, have you? You’ll play a piece for the guests.”

Despite needing a favor, Su Renhua maintained his arrogant “Master of the House” posture, as if allowing Su Mingran to play was a grand gift. Seeing Su Mingran’s lack of reaction, Su Renhua sneered, “Since your grades are so poor, you should be more humble. I’m giving you a chance to show off in front of people. You should be grateful instead of giving me that sour face.”

Su Renhua didn’t know his son at all. He assumed Su Mingran only knew a few basic tunes, but Su Mingran was actually a master of the classics. He was talented in painting, vocals, and sports—the ideal student every parent dreams of.

When Su Mingran first returned home, his grades were at the bottom because he had missed so much school. Su Renhua had initially been interested, but after seeing the low scores a few times, he branded him his “worst son” and never checked again.

In reality, Su Mingran’s grades had skyrocketed in his second year of high school. But because Qi Xinghe was terrified his father would look at Su Mingran differently, he bribed several top students to help him cheat. Qi Xinghe flaunted his “high scores” at home, and no one bothered to look at Su Mingran’s actual work.

When it came to the national college entrance exams, Qi Xinghe couldn’t cheat his way through. His results were abysmal. He cried for days, blaming a “bad night’s sleep,” and his doting parents paid a fortune to get him into a famous arts academy.

Su Mingran had recognized his parents’ true nature long ago. During high school, a music teacher had taught him piano. Later, while working at a restaurant, he would play when the regular pianist was out. Eventually, the owner realized he was better than the professionals and hired him to play regularly.

Su Renhua only knew Su Mingran could “play a bit,” and he intended to use Su Mingran’s “mediocre” skills as a foil to highlight his beloved Qi Xinghe.

Normally, Su Mingran might have agreed just to avoid a lecture. But he didn’t want to take time off work, and he certainly didn’t want to play piano with an injured hand just to entertain his father’s guests.

“I’m not going.”

The three words made Su Renhua explode. “Su Mingran! I gave you life and raised you! You can’t even do this one small thing? It’s just a piano, not a bomb! Why won’t you go? What right do you have to refuse?”

Su Renhua’s shouting startled Little Huang, who was watching from the shadows. The dog began to bark fiercely. Ever since Qi Xinghe had attacked him, the dog had become increasingly aggressive toward anyone who approached or spoke loudly. He was only calm around Su Mingran.

Su Renhua narrowed his eyes at the sound and shifted his strategy to a threat.

“I know you’ve been keeping this beast out here. If you go to the banquet, I’ll overlook the dog. If you don’t, I’ll have someone slaughter it tonight for a snack.”

Su Mingran stared at his father for a long moment, then let out a hollow, mocking laugh.

This man, his father, was no better than a beast himself.