Everyone Regrets It After My Death - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: I Didn’t Steal It

Many years ago, Su Mingran had been falsely accused of theft.

The family had been invited to an important dinner. Su Renhua realized he was out of cigarettes and ordered Su Mingran to go buy a pack. Qi Xinghe was making a scene about wanting to go home, so Su Renhua told Su Mingran to buy him an ice cream to quiet him down.

Qi Xinghe insisted on going along.

At the convenience store, Qi Xinghe didn’t just want ice cream; he spotted a cool-looking lighter. Su Mingran told him they didn’t have enough money for it. Qi Xinghe ignored him and stuffed it into his pocket while Su Mingran was paying. When they tried to leave, the anti-theft alarm blared.

Su Renhua arrived quickly. The moment the clerk said, “Your kid stole something,” Su Renhua’s hand flew across Su Mingran’s face.

“Su Mingran! The Su family is rich! Have I ever denied you anything? Now you’ve learned to steal!”

Su Renhua had just lost a business deal and was already fuming; he didn’t bother to investigate, he just vented his rage on Su Mingran. Back then, a crowd had gathered to watch—just like today.

Years ago, Su Mingran had desperately tried to explain that Qi Xinghe was the one who took it. Today, Su Mingran stood tense, his back straight. He didn’t explain for the sake of others; he explained for his own dignity.

“I didn’t take it.” He didn’t even know the guest had been wearing an expensive bracelet.

He spoke each word with heavy emphasis. He didn’t look at anyone; he stared at the open sky through the doorway. He knew no one would believe him. It didn’t matter if they believed him or not—he was telling the heavens: He did not steal.

“If you didn’t take it, who did? Did it grow legs and crawl into your backpack?”

“You were a habitual offender even as a kid, stealing lighters and framing your brother. Now you’re at it again.”

“I should call the police and let them handle this.”

In the living room, Su Renhua roared, pointing a finger at Su Mingran’s nose before carefully handing the multi-million dollar bracelet back to Mrs. Chen.

“Mr. Su, what a ‘well-bred’ son you have,” Mrs. Chen sneered, inspecting the piece.

The clasp was damaged. Mrs. Chen held it up, her voice haughty. “Mr. Su, this limited edition piece is ruined. The gems are scuffed. Forget about our partnership; let’s talk about how you’re going to replace this.”

The Su family’s finances weren’t as robust as they appeared. Paying tens of millions for a bracelet wasn’t feasible, especially for something Su Mingran “did.” Su Renhua realized the partnership was dead and stopped being polite. “I know a master craftsman who specializes in high-end jewelry. You can take it there for repairs.”

Mrs. Chen, a woman who never took a loss, wanted to leverage this for more. “This is a royal heirloom! Even if it’s fixed, will it ever be the same?”

Su Renhua lost his patience and turned cold. “To be honest, this isn’t his first time. He’s a thief. We can’t control him. I’ll just disown him and kick him out. Call the police, have him beaten—I don’t care.”

“He’s an adult. Let him face the consequences of his own actions.”

Su Mo added, his voice dripping with disgust, “Since he stole it, he can explain it to you. He’s disgraced the Su family; he deserves a lesson.”

They were washing their hands of him completely.

Mrs. Chen’s face paled. She hadn’t expected the Su family to discard a son who played the piano so well. She had wanted to use this as a bargaining chip. Seeing she would get nothing out of the Su family, she turned her spite on Su Mingran to save face.

“Fine. Since you don’t care, this thief is coming to the station with me to rot for a few nights. Or,” she paused, looking at Su Mingran with malice, “he can get on his knees, crawl in front of me, and bark like a dog. Then I’ll let it go.”

The damage to the bracelet was actually minor—just a broken metal tab that would cost very little to fix. The “scuffed gems” were a lie.

Su Renhua and Su Mo looked relieved. Su Mo pushed the dazed Su Mingran. “Go on then! Do it!”

Su Mingran stood like a statue.

“What’s with the attitude? Mrs. Chen is giving you a way out. Haven’t you embarrassed us enough?”

To the Su family, this was a generous compromise. Since the “evidence” was in his bag, his life was of no concern to them. Su Mo continued to shove him, but Su Mingran remained upright, his face a mask of numbness.

“Fine! I’ve been more than fair!” Mrs. Chen screamed, her face flushed red. She swung her heavy leather handbag, slamming it into Su Mingran’s face. A metal ornament on the bag sliced a gash into his cheek.

He still didn’t move.

Furious at her lack of leverage, Mrs. Chen pointed at him. “You think you can just get away with this? Ask your father who my husband is! You have no idea what happens to people who cross me!”

Her husband was known to have deep ties with local thugs—brutal men who broke bones for a living. The Su family knew this well, yet no one spoke up. Su Renhua even said, “Take him. Do whatever you want to vent your anger. We won’t interfere.”

As Mrs. Chen began to call her husband to bring his “men” over, Xia Wenxiu walked back in from her walk. “What is going on here?”

Mrs. Chen, who wanted to stay in Xia Wenxiu’s good graces, ran to her crying. “Sister Xia, this family is bullying me!”

…

By evening, the situation had been resolved—by Xia Wenxiu.

As the most respected guest, she used her influence to settle the matter. She gave Mrs. Chen a way to save face and guaranteed, based on her own reputation, that Su Mingran hadn’t done it.

“Mrs. Chen, I’ve seen how this family treats that boy. He wouldn’t steal from you. He was with me most of the time,” she lied gently to protect him.

Another guest added, “It was probably one of the servants framing him. I’ve seen enough; I’m not doing business with the Sus.”

The guests began to leave, murmuring about how the Su family was a “cursed place” and how they had lost their touch, relying on “exploiting pretty young artists” to stay afloat.

Su Mingran followed Xia Wenxiu to her car. He had nothing to give her as a thank you—no money, no status. A simple “thank you” felt worthless.

Xia Wenxiu turned and hugged him. As someone who had lost a child herself, she couldn’t fathom this level of cruelty. “Child, I know you want to thank me, but it was nothing. If you want to repay me, next time we meet, play a song for me on the piano, alright?”

Su Mingran’s nose stung. He nodded vigorously.

Once the cars pulled away, he turned to head to his job, but he was blocked by a group of servants.

“Where do you think you’re going? Mr. Su is waiting to punish you.”

The guest had dropped it, but the Su family hadn’t. He had “shamed” them, and for that, he would pay.

….

Su Mingran was locked in the basement. Su Renhua gave strict orders: no food, no water, for several days.

He was used to this. As a child, any mistake resulted in a trip to this dusty, lightless room. He hadn’t brought anything with him, but he felt around in the dark until he found a tattered paper bag. Inside were three small buns he had hidden there a year ago.

Having been locked up so often, he had learned to hoard. He knew the drill: Su Renhua usually let him out after three days. He curled up on the cold floor, his breathing shallow to conserve energy. He closed his eyes and worried about how he would explain his absence to the coffee shop manager.

Eventually, the door creaked open. Su Mingran shielded his eyes from the blinding light.

Su Minmin stood there, twirling a key. “Hey, you can come out now.”

Su Mingran stood up slowly. His blood sugar was low, making him dizzy. Su Minmin chewed gum, looking at her phone.

She was the one who had stolen the bracelet.

She had loosened the clasp so it would fall off, then picked it up. She didn’t want the money; she wanted the photos for her “Sister Group” to show off. When Mrs. Chen noticed it missing sooner than expected, she had simply slipped it into Su Mingran’s bag. She knew they’d blame him anyway.

She had posted the photos from a clever angle so people would think it was a different, equally expensive piece. The likes from wealthy bachelors were rolling in.

She spit out her flavorless gum. “You should thank me. Dad wanted to keep you in for three days, but I talked him into two.”

Su Mingran walked past her in silence.

“Tch,” Su Minmin rolled her eyes. “Look at you. You can earn money now—if you hate it here so much, why don’t you just leave? Why stay?”

Su Mingran didn’t answer. He went to a nearby faucet and gulped down water.

He wanted to leave. More than anything. But he had to find someone first—the only person who had ever truly been kind to him in this world.