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"No one knows a child better than their father," Qiao Tianxin helped his wife up and pulled the blanket over Qiao Ziyuan's body. "With the support of the Qiao family, Ziyuan can love whomever he wants."

He continued soothing his wife, "I didn't mention it before because I was afraid you'd be overwhelmed. It doesn't matter who Ziyuan likes, he's still our son. The only difference is that his partner is of the same sex. What truly matters is that our family stays together and safe."

Looking at the still unconscious Qiao Ziyuan, Qiao's mother also came to terms with the situation. With reddened eyes, she held Qiao Tianxin's hand tightly, "You're right. As long as Ziyuan is healthy and safe, as long as he wakes up, I'll agree to anything."

Meng Zhou was clearly unprepared for this turn of events. "Are you all crazy? Qiao Ziyuan is gay! He's gay! Gays are perverts; he's disgracing your Qiao family! Yet, you forgive him?"

As Meng Zhou spoke, Shi Boren delivered a fierce kick to his back, making him stumble forward and fall face-first onto the floor. Just as he tried to get up, he saw a pair of rubber-soled sneakers in front of his eyes.

Chu Yuening raised both hands, her slender fingers intertwining quickly to form a hand gesture. Her lychee-shaped eyes held a faint coldness.

The red string suddenly became scorching hot, causing Meng Zhou to feel excruciating pain in his wrist. He sprawled on the floor, clutching the red string and begging for mercy.

"Ahh! It hurts so much!"

Chu Yuening ignored his cries, her fingers forming a sharp slash in the air.

In an instant, the red string snapped, and the black copper coin fell off, suspended mid-air by an inexplicable force. She erased the eight characters of his birthdate from the coin, one stroke at a time.

"Have mercy on me!"

With each erased stroke, Meng Zhou's cries grew more pained. He tried to grab Chu Yuening's ankle, but she stepped back before he could touch her pants.

Fenpo, seeing her grandson's unbearable torment, felt both heartache and desperation. Helpless, she pulled him into her embrace, hoping to alleviate his suffering. Meng Zhou clutched at Fenpo's sleeve, drenched in sweat with pale lips. "Grandma, I won't dare again. Please beg the master for me. I truly won't dare. Have mercy."

Fenpo wept, tears streaming down her face, holding Meng Zhou tightly. "Ah Shui, you did such a terrible thing; you must take responsibility."

"Pervert?" Chu Yuening spoke slowly.

Meng Zhou lifted his head through the pain.

"When you were fourteen, you were delighted to discover Qiao Ziyuan's sexual orientation because you had always wondered why the Qiao family didn't have a daughter. If they did, marrying their daughter would be akin to acquiring half of the Qiao family's fortune," Chu Yuening said.

She asked, "Is that right?"

Meng Zhou had grown up poor, with parents on the mainland. It was only due to Fenpo that he could come to Hong Kong. Since childhood, he had envied the Qiao family's luxurious mansion, and the gap in their living standards had widened over time. As Meng Zhou matured, his psyche had become distorted.

He never imagined that his dark thoughts would be detected.

"Is that so?" Chu Yuening asked again.

Intense pain surged, and Meng Zhou frantically nodded. "Yes! Yes!"

Chu Yuening ignored his response, continuing to draw with her fingers. Another stroke etched the character, "So, you pretended to be gay to stay by Qiao Ziyuan's side for ten years. You concealed your true sexuality very well; others thought you were uninterested in women, but in reality, you were simply too afraid – afraid that Ziyuan would find out."

"Qiao Ziyuan rejected your countless declarations of love. Due to Fenpo's influence, he couldn't bear to be too harsh, still treating you as a close friend."

"You started to feel discontented, wanting to join the Qiao Corporation. Ziyuan said he couldn't help, so you asked him to appeal to his Uncle Qiao. But Qiao Ziyuan didn't do it because he knew your abilities weren't suited for the Qiao family business."

Chu Yuening saw an image play out before her eyes.

Meng Zhou, seeking a change in fortune, sought out a geomancer skilled in dark arts. He held two copper coins and personally tied them with a red string.

The refined young man happily received the coins. Meng Zhou told him they were birthday gifts, saying that the brothers could each have one, symbolizing their bond as lifelong friends, coaxing Qiao Ziyuan into wearing one.

"If he's a pervert, what does it matter if you pretended to be gay to gain control of the Qiao family's wealth?"

Disgust tinged Chu Yuening's gaze. "Everything obtained through despicable means will eventually come at a price."

As the last word echoed, it was wiped off the copper coin.

Meng Zhou let out a pained cry as a large amount of golden gas detached from his body and drifted towards the hospital bed.

Fenpo released Meng Zhou. Her already hunched back became even more crooked. She bowed to Qiao Tianxin, who hurriedly helped her up. Qiao Tianxin had deep feelings for this nanny; he supported Fenpo with both hands, gazing at the lying Meng Zhou with a sigh.

"Fenpo, don't get too agitated," he said.

"Tianxin, I'm sorry," Fenpo wept, covering her aged face. "I've caused Ziyuan to end up like this. I have no face to see you anymore. I'll take Ah Shui away; we won't show up in front of you two again in the future."

Qiao Tianxin sighed. "I respect your choice, Nanny Fen. You raised me, and if you ever encounter difficulties, remember to seek me out."

Given the current situation, it truly wasn't suitable for Fenpo to remain in the Qiao family.

Qiao Tianxin could only choose to protect his own child.

Fenpo, with the somewhat dazed Meng Zhou, got up. When they left the room, Meng Zhou stumbled, then was knocked over by a nurse's cart after taking a few steps. Ultimately, he was hit on the head by an IV stand.

Shi Boren watched in astonishment, rubbing his head. "How unlucky can one be?"

"He has already returned all the stolen fortune to Qiao Ziyuan," Chu Yuening explained. "His own luck isn't sufficient to repay the debt."

"Will Meng Zhou suffer bad luck for an entire lifetime?" Shi Boren eagerly interjected.

Zhou Fengxu interrupted, "I've already told you that Meng Zhou's inherent luck isn't enough to repay it. So, would one lifetime be insufficient?"

"That's right," Chu Yuening nodded. "He will endure misfortune for three consecutive lifetimes."

"Ah—" Shi Boren couldn't help but gasp in sympathy. "Truly miserable."