Qiao Wenxing walked through the cold wind, his mind a chaotic mess. He wandered into a convenience store on the street and bought a pack of cigarettes without realizing it. Standing at the store's entrance while lighting a cigarette, he looked up and caught sight of himself in the mirrored glass.
His hair was tousled by the night breeze, and he had forgotten to shave, leaving him looking rather unkempt. To make matters worse, he had gained weight.
In the past year, he had worked hard in M City, indulging in cigarettes and alcohol during social gatherings, working late into the night. The fitness routine he had maintained for many years was now disrupted, and he had slowly let himself go, becoming out of shape. Before he knew it, he had gained weight, and his once handsome features had lost their former sharpness, giving him a lethargic and even greasy appearance. He looked much like those middle-aged corporate workers, overwhelmed by mortgages and children's tuition, tired of their daily grind.
Staring at his reflection, Qiao Wenxing felt shocked. How had he become like this?
A year and a half ago, he was still the dashing young master of the Qiao family, celebrated in the media alongside Han Yanyan as a golden couple and elite in the business world. How had he turned into this?
For a moment, Qiao Wenxing even questioned his own identity. Why was he here? Why did he, the esteemed young master of the Qiao family, have to chase after small business deals worth tens of thousands or even a hundred thousand, trying to flatter others? That kind of money was less than what he used to spend on a single sports car or a vacation.
Standing there in a daze, the cigarette slipped from his mouth and fell to the ground. The store attendant noticed something was off and approached, picking up the cigarette with a gentle voice, "Sir? Sir? Are you alright?"
Qiao Wenxing snapped out of his daze and looked at her blankly. The attendant felt a bit uneasy about this seemingly abnormal man and quietly took a step back, asking softly, "Are you okay?"
He instinctively replied, "I…" then halted.
"I want to go home." Suddenly, Qiao Wenxing felt as if he had woken from a long dream. It was time to awaken from this slumber! He stared at the attendant and abruptly declared, "I want to go home!"
With that, he pushed open the convenience store door and rushed out. The cold wind rushed in, causing the attendant to shiver, mumbling to herself, "Is he crazy?"
Qiao Wenxing returned home.
He took nothing with him. His clothes, his car, his company, his wife and children—he left all of it behind, heading straight for the airport alone, buying the next available flight back home.
When he stepped through the door, it was already midnight. Qiao’s mother had been hospitalized that day due to high blood pressure from distress, and Qiao's father was also not home. The vast, luxurious house felt empty, save for the housekeeper who grabbed his hand, tears of joy streaming down her face. "You're finally back."
This housekeeper had raised him since he was a child, and they shared a deep bond.
Upon seeing her, Qiao Wenxing truly felt like he was home, his eyes becoming red. He eagerly inquired about his parents and learned that his mother was still in the hospital, while his father was there with her. He immediately rushed to the hospital.
However, by the time he arrived, both his parents were already asleep, so he sat in a chair in the corridor, waiting until dawn.
When Qiao's father saw him, he was struck by how his once-beloved son now looked haggard, with sunken eyes and unkempt facial hair, like a ghost. In just one year, he had let himself become this way. Qiao’s father felt deeply disappointed in him—thankfully, he still had another capable son.
Overwhelmed with shame, Qiao Wenxing longed to go see his mother, but Qiao's father stopped him, scolding, "Look at what you’ve become. Do you want your mother to worry even more? Go wash up and change clothes!"
This was a high-end private hospital, equipped with everything. Qiao Wenxing took a shower, shaved, and someone from home brought him fresh clothes. He tidied up and rushed to see his mother. When she saw him, her face reflected both happiness and disappointment.
"What are you back for now!" she exclaimed angrily.
Her own son had lost the title of heir and would now have to rely on the status of his illegitimate brother. Just thinking of that made Qiao's mother’s blood pressure rise again, leading to a chaotic scene in the hospital room.
After a great deal of effort, when her condition stabilized, Qiao's mother insisted she did not want to see him. Outside the hospital room, Qiao's father told him, "Don’t upset your mother. You should go home for now."
In a daze, Qiao Wenxing turned to leave, but Qiao’s father called out to him again, "Tonight, I’ll ask Cheng Yu to come home as well. You two brothers should catch up."
Throughout his journey back home, Qiao Wenxing felt as if he were in a dream, completely unaware that in the entire night he had been gone, Bai Yue had not even called him once.
He returned to his luxurious house, and everything seemed just as before. His little brother, who was only a few months old, had not moved in; the house appeared unchanged. Yet Qiao Wenxing could feel that everything had transformed.
Lying on his bed, he reflected on the past year, a long dream that left his heart aching. He closed his eyes, clutching the shirt over his chest.
At that moment, Han Yanyan was in her office. She, too, had work to do, after all, as a woman destined to inherit the Han Corporation.
She suddenly felt something was off and hurried out of her office, only to find the secretaries in the outer office sitting calmly at their desks, looking at her with surprise.
"Ms. Han, what’s wrong?" they asked.
"Did we just have an earthquake?" Han Yanyan asked, astonished. "I felt like there was an earthquake just now. Did you all not feel anything?"
They all shook their heads in unison. Han Yanyan was unconvinced; her sensation had been very clear, and she couldn't be mistaken. She called the cleaner over, but the cleaner also shook her head, saying she didn’t feel anything at all.
With a heavy heart filled with suspicion, Han Yanyan returned to her office and called Qiao Chengyu, "Did you feel the earthquake just now?"
Qiao Chengyu replied, puzzled, "Earthquake? No."
Han Yanyan heard him step out of his office to ask others. After a while, the area around him became quiet again, and he laughed, "Maybe you just slept too late yesterday and imagined it. I won’t disturb you today. Get some good rest."
Han Yanyan scoffed at him. Suddenly, he added, "Oh, that one came back last night."
Han Yanyan raised an eyebrow, "Oh? I didn’t receive any news. Why so sudden?"
Qiao Chengyu replied, "I didn’t hear anything either. My dad asked me to come home tonight to meet him formally. He probably decided last minute to come back."
"No wonder," Han Yanyan understood. After all, yesterday, the news about Qiao Chengyu taking over the position of president had been publicly announced.
"The crown prince has returned; are you scared, little prince?" Han Yanyan teased.
Over the phone, she heard Qiao Chengyu chuckle softly. He said, "Some things aren’t about who was born first but who stands tall."
This man, now brimming with energy, was at the peak of his life, radiating confidence and charm. Han Yanyan liked this side of him; in fact, she didn't even need extra sleep that night. She was young and in good health, more than capable of handling anything.
Not long after hanging up with Qiao Chengyu, she received a call from M City, from someone assigned to Bai Yue. They urgently reported back to her.
"What? Bai Yue?" Han Yanyan was taken aback. She hadn't expected Bai Yue to find herself in such a situation. "What's going on now? Is she out of danger? What happened?"
“We don't know yet. But Bai’s younger brother said his sister-in-law went missing, and they’re too scared to contact her," the person replied.
Interesting. These people still didn’t know that Qiao Wenxing had returned home.
"Just leave them be," Han Yanyan said. "Let’s see how long they can keep this from Qiao Wenxing."
By evening, Qiao Wenxing finally met his half-brother, Qiao Chengyu, whom he had known existed all along but had never met face to face. He had seen Qiao Chengyu's photo in the news and knew that they bore some resemblance.
If it had been in the past, Qiao Wenxing would have been the more gentle one, while his younger brother tended to have a cooler demeanor. Between the two, it could have been said there was little to distinguish them. But now, as Qiao Wenxing had clearly become overweight and lost his youthful vigor, even after showering and shaving, standing next to the energetic and sharp Qiao Chengyu made the difference stark. Qiao Wenxing felt an overwhelming sense of defeat and frustration.
"Big brother," Qiao Chengyu said respectfully.
Qiao Wenxing managed a weak smile. "Second brother."
"From now on, take good care of your younger brother," Qiao’s father declared, establishing the hierarchy—who ruled and who served.
Qiao Chengyu said, "Auntie’s health isn’t great. Brother, don't worry too much. First, focus on taking care of Auntie. Once she is better, we can discuss these matters."
Qiao’s father nodded, signaling that the authority was now handed over to Qiao Chengyu.
The tide had turned; from now on, he would be the one who relied on others. Qiao Wenxing was lost and powerless.
Fortunately, he still needed to visit his mother at the hospital, so Qiao’s father didn’t insist that the three of them eat together.
Stepping out of the study, Qiao Wenxing wished to leave this place swiftly. However, Qiao Chengyu called him back: "Big brother."
Qiao Chengyu took a couple of steps forward and said, "Yanyan has been really concerned about you. When Auntie feels better, you should bring your sister-in-law home so we can all have a meal together."
At that moment, Qiao Wenxing recalled Han Yanyan, his former fiancée, as well as Bai Yue, his current wife, feeling a bit awkward as he nodded in agreement. After wandering for over a year, his former pride as the young master of the Qiao family had waned, and he felt overshadowed by his more assertive half-brother.
On the way to the hospital, he finally thought of Bai Yue. It had been a full day and night since he had returned home, yet she had not called him once? A flicker of curiosity crossed his mind. He pulled out Bai Yue’s phone number and hesitated before shutting his phone off. He just wanted some peace.
A natural bond exists between mother and son; despite her disappointment and anger towards Qiao Wenxing, upon seeing his dejected state, she felt a pang of compassion and cried, forgiving him. However, she could not forgive Bai Yue, whom she blamed for leading her son astray and causing him to lose his status as heir.
She continued to scold Bai Yue incessantly, and Qiao Wenxing didn’t dare to mention that he was already married to Bai Yue, nor that she was pregnant. He resolved to wait until his mother calmed down before speaking about it.
One day had passed since he went missing, and Assistant Feng managed to contact him. But since Qiao Wenxing had returned home, he no longer cared about that struggling little company. He decided to end that part of his life.
He casually asked about Bai Yue. Assistant Feng stated that Bai Yue hadn’t called the company for her. A sense of unease crept into Qiao Wenxing, but he had returned suddenly and really didn’t want to face Bai Yue. He consoled himself and didn’t call her.
Three days later, he learned that Bai Yue had lost the baby and nearly bled to death. The call came from his brother-in-law, who angrily questioned where he had been while his sister lay in the hospital. Where had he been fooling around?
At that moment, Qiao Wenxing had just brought his mother home from the hospital and was left stunned by the news.
He told Qiao’s mother he needed to return to M City to deal with some matters. Sensing something was off, Qiao’s mother pressed him, eventually uncovering the truth about Bai Yue’s marriage, pregnancy, and miscarriage. Her face turned pale with fury. But with her son having been led astray before, seeing his anxious expression made her realize he wasn't one to be easily stopped. In frustration, Qiao’s mother decided to give up trying to control Qiao Wenxing.
Though she claimed to let go, he was still her son. Just as Qiao Wenxing was about to head out, Qiao’s mother called after him, "Take a few people with you."
Returning to M City, Qiao Wenxing was no longer the small fry businessman of a few days prior. He had reclaimed the identity of the young master of the Qiao family. Even without the title of heir, "Young Master Qiao" still had an unreachable grandeur for ordinary people.
When he saw Bai Yue, she was out of danger but had lost all color, lying there with a vacant gaze, looking as if her spirit had left her. Upon seeing him, Bai Yue stared blankly for a moment before tears streamed down her face.
During his impulsive departure, such a tragedy had befallen Bai Yue, renewing a bitter pang of guilt and heartache in Qiao Wenxing. He embraced Bai Yue tightly, repeatedly saying, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
Bai Yue, sobbing heavily, shook her head.
Qiao Wenxing asked, "What exactly happened?"
Bai Yue lowered her head, weeping, "I slipped and fell."
Qiao Wenxing frowned and looked up, noticing Bai Yue's parents standing aside with strange expressions, their eyes flickering.