Father Zuo pressed his fingers to his brow. His wife had always spoken with conviction, saying that her mother had pitied Old Master Xiao back then and given up a lot of the family property. She often spoke up for her mother’s sense of unfairness. But in truth, his wife simply felt there wasn’t enough money to spend and wanted a legitimate excuse to ask for more.
Anyway, all his son needed was a passable justification to deal with the Xiao family. Father Zuo weighed the matter for a moment and slowly nodded. “Alright.”
This son was not his only child. If Rongcheng blew it, he would just abandon him in time.
Zuo Rongcheng hadn’t expected his father to agree so quickly. He thought to himself, The old man must have had it with the Xiao family these past years and is happy to spend money to teach them a lesson for once. Since the old man agreed, it’s his money anyway!
He immediately said, “I’ll get in touch with the master right away.”
Father Zuo waved his hand, meaning “Get lost.”
Zuo Rongcheng jogged back to his room, followed the contact information on the master’s business card, and placed an order with coded words at a designated online shop. After paying, he didn't forget to screenshot the deposit and send it to his father, waiting for his dad to reimburse him.
With this matter settled, Zuo Rongcheng flopped onto his bed and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
Meanwhile, at the Xiao family’s old residence, two neighborhoods away from the Zuo family, no one could sleep except Qin Jingzhou—though honestly, Qin Jingzhou didn’t need to rest every day. The original host did. Lately, the original host’s illness had often flared up, and it had been ages since he’d gotten a decent night’s sleep. Long-term insomnia was sheer agony—no exaggeration—and that’s why, when a resentful lover stabbed him, the original host went with the flow and simply gave up.
Qin Jingzhou got up, took a shower, changed into a white knit sweater and jeans, and strolled leisurely downstairs toward the small dining room.
Old Master, Old Madam, and Eldest Brother Xiao had clearly been sitting there for a while. Qin Jingzhou looked the family over. “Didn’t sleep all night?” Then he grinned. “You look pretty lively, though.”
Lively was an understatement. The old couple were practically bursting with joy, their blood pressure surging through the night.
They knew their youngest son better than anyone. Over the years, they had given in to his every whim, yet they always worried that if another episode struck, they might lose him entirely.
Who could have imagined that once he found his long-lost twins, their son’s condition would miraculously stabilize? So in the eyes of the old couple and Eldest Brother Xiao, even if their son had made a mistake accepting the pair, they might as well let things be and treat the kids well. Now, not only had their son chosen right, but everything had worked out perfectly—double happiness indeed.
As for whatever trouble the two children brought, nobody in the Xiao family considered it a real problem.
Last night, Eldest Brother Xiao had already arranged for professionals to look into the twins’ adoptive father. While the kids were still upstairs, he asked his brother, “What about Wanwan? Does she still want to work in the entertainment industry?”
Qin Jingzhou replied, “I don’t think so. Both kids prefer studying. Brother, help me find a few patient teachers to tutor them.”
Eldest Brother Xiao, Xiao Jinhai, still feeling guilty, was more than willing to follow his brother’s instructions. “I’ll handle it personally.”
Qin Jingzhou thanked his brother, then asked the housekeeper to fetch the kids.
The twins had struggled to sleep last night too, but their spirits were good. That DNA test they got overnight was the ultimate reassurance.
When Qin Jingzhou saw his daughter and son sit beside him, he took the initiative to explain, “I’m sure you’ve noticed the strange atmosphere in the house. To be precise, everyone is trying to please me, afraid I’ll be upset.”
Having grown up always watching other people’s moods, the twins were incredibly perceptive to others’ feelings.
The daughter sensed her father liked her, so she gathered her courage and answered, “Yes.”
Qin Jingzhou continued, “When I was little, I was kidnapped and almost killed. Your grandparents and Uncle have always felt guilty about it. I never felt like they owed me though. On the contrary, I was lucky to be born into such a good family. My only problem is, I have a hard time with myself. When I’m well, I’m like anyone else. When I’m sick, it’s not a big deal—I just don’t want to live anymore.”
This was also what the original host had always wanted to say to his parents and brother.
The twins were stunned.
Old Madam wiped away tears.
Qin Jingzhou stood up and gently hugged his mother, then looked at the speechless Old Master and Eldest Brother Xiao. “To be honest, sometimes I think it’d be easier for all of you if I just left. Eventually you’d get over it and move on.” He turned to look at his still dumbfounded children. “But it’s different for the kids. They’ve already lost their mother. If I don’t step up… Before finding Wanwan, I started to understand how you all felt when I was kidnapped.”
Old Madam couldn’t hold it in any longer. She hugged her youngest son, sobbing.
Qin Jingzhou gently patted her back. “It’s a good thing.”
For the sake of his two children, the youngest son had a reason to keep going. Although Old Madam was caught between joy and sorrow, the happiness outweighed the pain, so she whispered, “I know. I’m happy.”
Having calmed the Old Madam a little more, Qin Jingzhou returned to his seat and tousled his daughter’s hair. “After breakfast, Daddy will take you to terminate your contract.”
Wanwan sniffled, then looked up and replied, “Okay.”
Qin Jingzhou then asked his son, “Want to come too?”
Wanwan tugged on her brother’s sleeve. “Come on, big brother. It’s fun to show off a little!”
Zhao Jinbao nodded. He was filled with mixed feelings now. At first, he’d held some resentment, but after hearing those words from his biological father, he couldn’t stay unmoved. Now that he’d felt his father’s sincerity, as long as their father didn’t make things impossible, he and his sister would try to meet his expectations—just like their grandparents and uncle did.
After breakfast, Qin Jingzhou spoke again. “I’ll be moving back in. Living together is the best way to strengthen our bond. By the way, your uncle may not live with your grandparents, but his place is next door.” With that, he went to his room to change clothes.
When Qin Jingzhou came back in formal wear, both kids were ready too. They were sitting beside the old couple looking at photos.
Eldest Brother Xiao was still talking, “Your Aunt is a university lecturer, she’s abroad at an academic conference. Your two cousins are in college, neither of them is in Capital City…”
Wanwan looked nothing like the timid girl from the commercial, and said, “Uncle, would you like us… to stay with you?”
Qin Jingzhou came over. “Your uncle wants to come with us. He’s worried.”
Eldest Brother Xiao was exasperated. “You two are impossible.”
Qin Jingzhou gave his brother a hug, then embraced Old Master as well. “I have to shower everyone with equal affection.” Hugging his family was something the original host had always wanted but never did.
With the youngest son even able to make a joke, the old couple visibly relaxed.
In the end, Qin Jingzhou did take his “big brother in mother-hen mode” with them to help his daughter terminate her contract.
After learning last night about the trouble Wanwan’s agent had caused, every member of the entertainment company’s board and management had been sleepless. Now, seeing the Xiao brothers arrive together, the Chairman and executives couldn’t bend over backwards fast enough. The Xiao brothers hadn’t even spoken, yet the Chairman already felt a chill running down his back.
You couldn’t blame the Chairman for being wary. This time wasn’t about business interests. If they put themselves in Little Master Xiao’s shoes, anyone would be furious—even to the point of wanting to fight to the death.
Qin Jingzhou ignored the Chairman and went straight to the dejected agent. “Why don’t you explain why you picked my daughter.”
To be honest, the company Wanwan had signed with was second-tier in the domestic market, but legitimate. Put simply, their modus operandi was clear: while there were unspoken things best left unsaid, they always insisted on mutual consent.
As for Wanwan’s agent, after meeting Xiao Jinhai last night and witnessing Young Master Zuo’s pitiful state with his own eyes, he knew there was no hope for leniency—intelligence might not be a must in this business, but emotional intelligence certainly was.
He had come clean to his direct superior last night and had already considered the worst-case scenario. Now, he presented himself as someone resigned to fate, awaiting the final verdict. “It was Sister Feng. She’s extremely jealous and told me to destroy Wan—no, Miss Xiao. The trap was set by Young Master Zuo, and while only rich kids participated, things always got out of hand.”
A senior executive suddenly stood up. “Slander! Do you have any proof?”
The agent gave a bitter smile. “I’m about to end up in jail. What do you think? I have the entire chat log. Is that enough?”
The executive wanted to retort, but colleagues on either side forced him back into his seat.
The Chairman spoke coldly. “The actress the company’s been grooming had a thing with this idiot.” He paused, then looked earnestly at Qin Jingzhou. “We accept responsibility and will pay damages, please, Little Master Xiao, show us mercy!”
Qin Jingzhou didn’t respond. He simply asked his daughter, “What do you want to do?”
Wanwan lowered her voice. “If he wants to go to jail, let’s make sure he gets his wish.”
Here, “he” actually referred to all of them.
The words were soft, but there was real menace in them—the very outcome the executives dreaded. Taking things public meant the Xiao family wouldn’t settle in private. With irrefutable evidence, the agent in question, the furious executives, and the absent “Sister Feng” would all end up in jail.
For a listed entertainment company, having executives, actors, and agents appear in a police bulletin was a disaster. The stock price would definitely crash, and while the company might not go broke, it would never fully recover.
Qin Jingzhou agreed with his daughter. “Alright.”
Suddenly, one of the executives glared at Wanwan. “Your contract is still with the company! If you won’t let me go, then I won’t let Zuo Rongcheng off either! Zuo Rongcheng is your cousin!”
Wanwan hesitated for an instant.
Qin Jingzhou got to his feet. “This is pointless. Let’s go.”
Xiao Jinhai smiled slightly. “Completely pointless. People just dig their own graves.”
As the Xiao brothers walked out, the Chairman clutched his chest and then slapped the executive across the face. “I should never have brought you into this world!”
After leaving the agency, Qin Jingzhou said to Eldest Brother Xiao, “They’re still putting on a show for us, even now.”
Xiao Jinhai’s tone didn’t waver. “Bankruptcy’s the best thing for everyone.”
Qin Jingzhou was about to say more when he suddenly saw four streams of pure evil qi appear overhead, coiling precisely around the necks of Eldest Brother Xiao and the twins. The last strand floated down to Qin Jingzhou, who caught it casually. “Fate’s Son really has some tricks up his sleeve.”
The System piped up: “Shouldn’t we avoid alerting them for now?”
“The World Will wants me to teach people to fish, so I won’t overstep.” Qin Jingzhou replied, “Today I’m going to take a look at the world across from here. Get me the list of everyone who died or resisted the pirate invasion until the last moment in the plot.”
The System perked up. “You got it!”