I Became the Darling of the Wealthy Through Gossip - Chapter 13

The straight-line distance from Jiangcheng People’s Hospital to the Qi Family’s Puyu Hall was only ten minutes. When he left the company, Qi Beichen specifically glanced at the signboard of Puyu Hall. It was a wooden plaque, and the calligraphy on it he didn’t know which calligrapher it came from looked vigorous and powerful, with gold borders. No matter how you looked at it, it looked like a “nouveau riche” establishment.

But this wasn’t the time to look at that. Qi Beixing was the top priority. According to the normal plot arrangement, after the falling-down-the-stairs incident occurred (though the original location was the banquet hall, it had been changed to the company), he would be kicked out of the house directly, and penniless at that.

Qi Beichen suddenly realized that the “swept out the door” event was inevitable; it was just a matter of time.

He walked on the pedestrian overpass, where there were quite a few people selling small items: little porcelain dolls, pinwheels, cotton candy and sugar figures, various flashy cardholders, and that kind of “fortune teller” wearing sunglasses with an inborn-bagua mirror and a bamboo stick tube laid out in front of them.

“Young man, I see that your bone structure is extraordinary; you must have extraordinary achievements.”

Qi Beichen glanced over. “You should say it like this: ‘I carry a baleful aura in my destiny, and I won’t live long’.”

“Young man, you can’t say it like that; words can become reality.”

Qi Beichen just smiled. “Better to die young and be reincarnated to live a young life for generations!”

“You, you, you…”

Qi Beichen held his head high and chest out, taking a few quick steps toward the hospital. “If you don’t have the diamond drill, don’t take on the porcelain work—you won’t be able to do it well!”

The blind fortune teller took off his glasses.

“It’s the 21st century; it’s better to research less of that messy stuff!”

The news of Qi Beixing’s injury spread home immediately—though it wasn’t through their phone calls, but through the trending search list.

I don’t know which god-forsaken, swift-handed person it was who leaked the scene photos without even a shred of covering or processing. On that trending list, it was hilariously absurd: Qi Beixing had a mournful look, Qi Beichen had a smug look, and at the bottom, Qi Run, who had just come on, was open-mouthed, looking utterly surprised.

Qi Beichen sat on the hospital corridor bench, holding his phone. The trending searches appeared one after another. He didn’t know if it was because human nature is inherently prone to gossiping, but the trending topics were pushed down over and over, only to float back up again.

The Qi family’s stock market had also plummeted directly, floating in green, falling straight to the bottom.

[Explosive! Qi family brothers suspected of being at odds!] What odds or not—every time something happens, they beep-beep-beep without end; they really think they’re telegram machines.

[Explosive News! Secret stories of the Qi family’s eldest son!] Qi Beichen was speechless. What kind of secret stories could there be? The biggest secret was that he was a transmigrator, but would they believe it?

[Photo.jpg] The gossipers below were already discussing it heatedly. Qi Beichen wanted to join the battlefield, but thinking that IPs could be traced, if his location were pinpointed and someone caught him by the ponytail, that would be more loss than gain.

The “Whisper, Whisper, Whisper” group exploded instantly.

Liang Han: Did you see the trending search? Qi Beichen, what’s going on? Why did you push Qi Beixing down? Xie Zhixu: One-sided words, how can you believe that? Su Haoxuan: Tsk, Qi Beichen was originally the Qi family’s only seedling, so this situation is normal. This is just a replica of the “Nine Sons Seizing the Throne” or Li Shimin killing his brothers.

Qi Beichen had already cursed these bastards a hundred times in his heart. He didn’t have that intention at all; it was pure slander, complete and utter nonsense.

Xie Zhixu: That shouldn’t be right. After all, Beichen only came out of the orphanage two months ago; when would he have laid out such a big trap? Su Haoxuan: You can know a person’s face, but not their heart. Who knows? Liang Han: You guys look, the picture is clear; this is something he can’t argue his way out of. Xie Zhixu: There’s surveillance, isn’t there? Why not just release it?

Qi Beichen: If there were surveillance, that would be great. I’m currently sitting on a cold mat in the hospital. Which one of you has time to come over and soothe my injured, fragile soul? Liang Han: Ugh, so disgusting… Xie Zhixu: Ugh, so disgusting… Su Haoxuan: Ugh, so disgusting… Qi Beichen: None of you are reliable.

Qi Beichen held his head high, looking at the light in front of him. The incandescent lamp was a bit blinding. If he had known it would be like this, he should have punched him twice and thumped Qi Beixing’s chest a few more times that would have been cathartic.

The noise of people coming and going was giving him a splitting headache.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him, and two big lightbulb-like eyes appeared before him.

Qi Beichen stood up immediately. “Thump…”

The two bumped directly into each other, seeing stars and feeling dizzy.

“Who is it? Poking right in my face!”

Bai Muxuan stepped back a few times. “Qi Beichen, can you not be so impulsive?”

Bai Muxuan rubbed the bridge of his nose that had been bumped by him, and confirmed that the violent impact hadn’t given him a nosebleed.

Qi Beichen paused, then bashfully tugged at his clothes. “Brother Muxuan, why are you here? And in a white coat you aren’t a doctor here, are you?”

Bai Muxuan curled his fingers and flicked Qi Beichen’s forehead. “I say, if you’re that forgetful, you should get a brain CT scan. It’s a loss that I was the one who sent you over; didn’t I say at the time that this hospital is a property of the Bai family?”

Qi Beichen suddenly woke up. How could he have forgotten such an important thing? But, coming to think of it, that meant… “Wuwuwu, what do I do, Brother Muxuan? Qi Beixing, I didn’t push him! And if I had done it, I guarantee he’d have broken arms and legs and ended up in the ICU. Who plays with this kind of childish stuff?”

Bai Muxuan glanced at Qi Beichen. “Beichen, have you considered that walls have ears? Or, just in case, I have a recording pen.”

Qi Beichen immediately grabbed Bai Muxuan’s white coat, wiping and rubbing it on his clothes at will, and blinked hard, though he couldn’t squeeze out a drop of tears after a long time. Still, he said with a hint of a crying tone, “Brother Muxuan, you definitely won’t kick someone when they’re down. Besides, ‘a night of husband and wife results in a hundred days of grace’ we were even in the same bed last night…”

“Stop. Nothing happened between us. However, I saw your mother come. Don’t you want to hurry over and take a look? The trending search won’t go away, but you could try to see if you can mend the relationship.”

Qi Beichen sighed. “Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, I travel toward the mountains. Brother Muxuan, I am a warrior. I hope that when we meet again… well, I hope we have another day to meet!”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I have a surgery. If you encounter any difficulties, you can find me anytime.”

Qi Beichen nodded and watched Bai Muxuan leave. C-3 Ward: this was the vvvvip room exclusive to Jiangcheng People’s Hospital. Qi Beixing’s examinations should all be finished by now; it was highly probable he was complaining right now.

Qi Beichen gathered his spirits and patted his cheeks. “At worst, I’ll just strike out on my own. Who knows, maybe I really can make a fortune.”

Just as he reached the door, voices came from inside.

Qi Beichen wasn’t in a hurry to knock; he just stood quietly at the door, wanting to hear what they had to say.

“Mom, look, I’ve twisted my foot now. If he’s allowed to stay at home, who knows what kind of accidents might happen.”

Su Yao was holding a thermos in her hand and placed it on the small table. “This is pig trotter soup I ordered Auntie Wu to stew; it’s very nourishing. Fortunately, it’s just a twisted foot.”

“Qi Run, look, this is what the good son you recognized has done. Beixing has been by our side since he was a child; it took us so much effort to cultivate him. Even if he’s a triple-tested child, in any case, Beixing is the child we’ve raised for over twenty years and put a lot of heart and blood into.”

Qi Run stood in front of the bed. “I know. Isn’t this just to plug the public’s mouth? It was my fault too. If I hadn’t gone to the dormitory building to look, I wouldn’t have met him, and none of this would have happened.”

“Qi Run, this matter isn’t over. Beixing has a twisted foot now, but what about later? Who knows what he’ll do? What if this is just the beginning? At the recognition party a few days ago, Beixing fell into the water, and he was there too. Can things be such a coincidence?”

“Right, that morning, Qi Beichen stood in Beixing’s room with a knife. Do you know? That’s what I’m afraid of. Qi Run, we can’t take this risk.”

“Then you tell me, what should we do?”

“The master at Nanshan Temple said that Beichen clashes with his parents and cannot be kept at home. Find a reason to send him away. Besides, the things given to him are enough for the rest of his life.”

Qi Run frowned. “What era is this? Still so superstitious. Aren’t you afraid it will really come true?”

“What am I afraid of? Clearly, Beixing is injured now look, there are bruises on his hands and body. You don’t feel heartache, but I do.”

Then Su Yao took Qi Beixing into her arms, looking aggrieved.

Qi Beichen had originally held a try-and-see attitude while listening to them, but hearing this, his heart still turned cold. The plot had shifted, but it still couldn’t escape the fate of being kicked out of the house. By then, who knows what kind of story there would be? In the end, it would be the same outcome: “no person to be found.”

He pushed open the door directly, looking at Qi Beixing on the hospital bed without a shred of guilt. “Dad, Mom, I am your biological son. I heard everything you said just now. Beixing is the child you watched grow up and raised; I’m different. I’m a wild child who grew up in an orphanage. Can’t you give me a little bit of your love? Even a little bit would be enough.”

Su Yao’s face changed immediately. “Beichen, that’s not how you say it. At the previous recognition party, the house and the ring were all given to you. Beixing didn’t get anything.”

“Mom, don’t think I don’t know. Beixing’s birthday is in a few days, right? A limited-edition sports car, plus a house in the city center…”

Qi Beichen thought of the original host and felt sorrow. If he hadn’t been lost back then, would the ending have been different?

“Beichen, you also have shares in the company. Originally, when we just recognized you and brought you back, you couldn’t take over company affairs; Beixing has been practicing in the company for two or three years.”

Qi Beichen sighed and looked at Qi Beixing on the hospital bed.

“Brother, you can’t be like this. Everyone in the family is on your side now. After all, you are the eldest in the family, which everyone acknowledges. I… I’m just a fake young master, an adopted son how can I compare to your noble status?”

Fine. It was just a dog-blood ethics drama; Qi Beichen didn’t want to participate in such things.

“Take everything that’s mine, fine? I’ll leave with nothing. Oh, that’s not right; I don’t have anything to ‘leave’ with anyway. I only have a broken suitcase. ‘If this place doesn’t keep me, naturally there’s a place that will keep me.’ I don’t even want the title of the Qi family’s eldest son!”

Qi Beichen’s cheeks flushed red, and he blurted out these words all in a breath.

Qi Run’s wavering heart suddenly hardened. “Beichen, the Qi family has done its best to make up for the debt owed to you for twenty years. Who knew you wouldn’t have a shred of gratitude and would push Beixing down the stairs? What’s next? Are you going to usurp the throne?”

Qi Beichen gave a cold laugh. “This isn’t usurping the throne, nor is it some ancient feudal drama. I just wanted to tell the media everything you guys have done. You opened an orphanage for lost children under my name, but you pocketed all the profits.”

“Including this jade company wasn’t that also in my name? You said when I was doing the ‘grab-the-future’ ceremony at my hundred-day banquet, I grabbed jade, so you thought of me and started this company. In fact, that so-called guidance from the Nanshan Temple master don’t think I don’t know how many unscrupulous things your real estate company did underground back in the day.”

“Oh, right, and Qi Beixing. When he lost 50 million gambling on stones abroad, that gap was filled with gray funds from the real estate era, right? Dad, Mom, do you really not know how much you’ve covered up?”

The air instantly froze; for a moment, no one spoke. It had to be said that the “God’s perspective” was Qi Beichen’s fourth gold finger—this was his omniscience and omnipotence.

Even Qi Run didn’t know how Qi Beichen knew these things, his face turning from white to green to red.

“Qi Beichen, what do you mean by this!”

Qi Run clearly raised his voice.

“What do I mean? I’m just saying that all of this is unfair. After I went missing at the amusement park back then, did you really investigate with all your might? Or was that a carefully planned conspiracy from the very beginning!”

“SLAP!”

Five finger marks appeared on Qi Beichen’s originally fair face. Being naturally prone to scarring, the area turned into a flaming red patch.

Qi Run was stunned for a second, not expecting Qi Beichen not to dodge, but to take the slap solidly and squarely.

Qi Beichen stood frozen in place, his heart full of sourness first for himself, and second for the original host. “At worst, I’ll just go back. An orphanage isn’t that bad!”

“Qi Beichen, if you step out of this door! Don’t even think about entering the Qi family door ever again!”

“That’s exactly what I wanted.”

Qi Beichen slammed the door and left without looking back, feeling extremely free and easy.

A sound came from behind him.

“Qi Run, how could you be so impulsive? If Beichen says something to the media, what will we do?”

“Mom, what are you worried about? He has no power and no backing; we’ll just suppress the trending search then…”

Qi Beichen didn’t hear what came after. Although he’d taken a slap, he’d said everything he wanted to say. But he couldn’t enter the Qi family anymore, and he probably couldn’t get that suitcase either; now he was truly penniless.

He put his hands in his pockets. The weather outside was indeed nice; the sun felt warm. Should he celebrate escaping the cage of the Qi family?

But Qi Beichen felt inexplicably unhappy. There was a card in his pocket—it was the original host’s, containing probably about ten thousand yuan. It seemed he had to rely on himself from now on.

Qi Beichen looked at his phone and changed his WeChat name: “Fortune Teller — Qi Beichen.”