Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Ning Yichu felt He Shixia was up to no good, so he pushed him away. "Who said you could make plans for me? Move aside."

He Shixia had no choice but to back off, though reluctantly.

Back at the Ning household, Ning Shaoren had toyed with the idea of giving Ning Yichu the five percent of Kangning's board shares to buy him off—after all, those shares were tied up with the board and wouldn't fall into the hands of other Ning family members anyway. At this point, giving them to Ning Yichu might actually serve some purpose, and getting the word out might help salvage the Ning family's reputation for mistreating him, right?

He'd thought as much and said the same to Ning Zeqi and Ning Zeshu. However, it was still five percent of Kangning's shares, so Ning Shaoren was still dragging his feet, thinking of stalling for a few more days. After all, Ning Yichu was still filming the show and couldn't come back to sign the agreement.

But the very next day, the Ning family found itself in hot water yet again—

Lu Xi, unable to obtain the collectible she was obsessed with, just went ahead and leaked Kangning's trade secrets to a competing hotel as revenge.

After Elder Ning was paralyzed, Lu Xi had seized every chance to rummage through the Ning house for the collectible. When Elder Ning passed away two days ago and the Ning family descended into chaos, Lu Xi had the run of the place. Although she didn't find the collectible, she accidentally opened one of Elder Ning's safes and discovered some of Kangning's trade secrets.

However, leaking trade secrets to a competitor meant the Nings would come after her for sure. So, Lu Xi boarded an international flight back to Sheffield and sent the email just before takeoff, switching to airplane mode as the plane departed.

Lu Xi wanted to twist the knife for the remaining Nings, so not only did she leak the trade secrets, but she also simultaneously emailed the Ning family to inform them about the leak.

The email hit Ning Shaoren like a ton of bricks, and he rushed back to the Ning house. As soon as he entered, he shouted, "Where is Lu Xi?!"

Han Wenhua, who had already returned earlier, answered, her face grim, "I just asked around. Lu Xi left this morning and hasn't returned. Her phone goes straight to voicemail, but on the desktop of her room's computer, there's a screenshot of a flight itinerary. I checked, and the flight has already taken off—it's a direct flight from City A to Sheffield. She's probably made a run for it back to her family and deliberately left the flight info on her desktop to mock us!"

Ning Shaoren couldn't believe it. "She really left? What's wrong with the servants? Are they blind? They watched her leave and didn't notify us!"

A servant spoke up in their own defense, "Madam didn't bring any luggage when she left, just a small handbag. Aside from not asking the family driver to take her, she looked no different from when she goes shopping. Besides, the young master is still at home. We never imagined she was leaving the country..."

Hearing this, Ning Shaoren's jaw tightened. "Hah, she prepared well! She didn't even take her own son, Shaozhi. That heartless—! How did our Ning family end up raising nothing but ungrateful snakes!"

Han Wenhua frowned. "How did she find out about those secrets she leaked?"

The thought never crossed Ning Shaoren's mind that Lu Xi might have searched the house herself. He snapped, "It's Ning Yichu again! He must have given Lu Xi the idea! He won't rest until he's torn this family apart! Leaking trade secrets is an economic crime. I'm going to report him to the police!"

Han Wenhua rolled her eyes. "How? Do you have any evidence? Lu Xi was the one who directly leaked the secrets, and now she's abroad. Her family is there. Do you really expect her to come crawling back on her own so you can have her arrested?"

Ning Shaoren immediately deflated.

The fact that the competitor had obtained Kangning's trade secrets was now a reality. Although it might not cause immediate problems, it was only a matter of time before it blew up in their faces. Kangning was bound to suffer another heavy blow. If the board found out this was caused by infighting within the Ning family, Ning Shaoren would be raked over the coals by the board again.

Ning Shaoren slumped into a chair dejectedly. "I really... I'm actually getting scared of Ning Yichu now. If only we hadn't brought him back all those years ago, or later, if we hadn't thought keeping him would bring more benefits. It would've been better to cut ties with him earlier..."

Han Wenhua felt like sighing too. "It's all your and your father's fault. I said back then that we should treat him well so he'd develop feelings for the Ning family when he grew up. But you and your father thought putting on a kind act was too much work and insisted that suppressing him until he had no mind of his own would work. And now look, we ended up with the worst of both worlds."

"You're one to talk about me and Dad! Weren't you the one who complained about pretending being exhausting back then? You said you'd cook for him, but you came back complaining about being tired after just opening a can of bird's nest. How dare you criticize me and my dad? My dad is dead, let him rest in peace!" Ning Shaoren retorted.

Han Wenhua couldn't be bothered to play the filial daughter-in-law anymore. "Thanks to your dad, even after dying, he left Lu Xi to give the Ning family a 'great gift.' Not only was he disgraceful in his old age, but he even lied about the promised collectible. Well, now she's taken her revenge! At this rate, by the time you die, Kangning might be nothing but an empty shell!"

The couple was at it again. After their fight, that evening Ning Shaoren watched the show's live stream. Seeing Ning Yichu and He Shixia head back to their place, he sent Ning Yichu a message, promising to give him the five percent of board shares once he finished filming the show. He hoped Ning Yichu would back off and stop making trouble for the Nings.

The leak of trade secrets by Lu Xi actually had nothing to do with Ning Yichu. He didn't even know Elder Ning had been so deceitful that he couldn't produce the collectible at all.

However, among the people Ning Yichu had arranged in advance, there was an old servant of the Ning family—one of the rare few who'd dared to sneak him help now and then. Although the old servant hadn't been able to do much in the past, it had left a lasting impression on Ning Yichu.

This time, Ning Yichu asked the old servant to keep an ear to the ground for any movements within the Ning family. There was no need to eavesdrop intentionally; just if they heard or saw anything unusual during their normal work, to let him know. The old servant agreed.

During the day, when Ning Shaoren and Han Wenhua were talking at the Ning house, they didn't bother to lower their voices, so the old servant heard everything and promptly informed Ning Yichu.

Having already learned from the messages sent by Ning Zeqi and Ning Zeshu the day before that Ning Shaoren planned to give him the five percent of Kangning shares, and now knowing about Lu Xi leaking trade secrets and fleeing back to Sheffield, Ning Yichu saw it coming.

But that later part of the conversation between Ning Shaoren and Han Wenhua...

Ning Yichu blinked.

So, Ning Shaoren and Han Wenhua had indeed known about his background from the very beginning, even before Ning Zeshu's news came out, when they first brought him back to the Ning family. They had even originally planned to pretend to be loving...

They must have known who his biological parents were and saw him as a bargaining chip to be "held onto" in hopes of gaining benefits. But pretending to be affectionate towards an "investment product" was too much for them, so they chose to indulge their true natures, leading the entire Ning family to suppress him, hoping to break Ning Yichu's spirit. That way, even if his biological parents found him in the future, he would only listen to the Ning family and work for their benefit.

This matter genuinely puzzled Ning Yichu, causing him to recall details from the original book's plot in his dreams that night.

At the same time, the ugly faces of the Ning family members kept flashing in his mind. The disgust woke Ning Yichu up, and he dry-heaved over the side of the bed.

The sound jolted He Shixia awake and he instinctively came to the bedside, gently patting Ning Yichu's back. His mind caught up a moment later, and he asked worriedly, "A Ning, should I call a doctor to check on you?"

Ning Yichu brushed off He Shixia's hand, his voice somewhat weak. "No need."

Then he pushed himself up from the bed edge. Without going to the bathroom to change out of his pajamas, he simply put on the jacket lying nearby and walked out.

He Shixia was momentarily stunned, then hurried to follow. "A Ning, where are you going? Do you want some water? I can get it for you..."

Ning Yichu didn't feel like talking right now, so he ignored him and kept walking straight ahead.

The night-shift staff had set up tents outside the guests' accommodations. Hearing movement, they prepared to grab their cameras and follow. Ning Yichu waved them off. "Please don't follow. I just want to clear my head. You all rest."

He Shixia quickly grabbed a bottle of mineral water and followed Ning Yichu. He also said to the hesitant staff, "Let it go. The live stream won't miss this bit. We'll be careful and come back soon."

The staff consulted the director and ultimately didn't follow.

In the early hours of the morning, the surroundings on the deserted island were pitch black, with only moonlight illuminating the path. Ning Yichu lowered his head, focusing on the faint light. Despite his low mood, he didn't step recklessly. He followed the light, slowly making his way toward the sound of the waves.

He Shixia followed closely behind, ready to act as a cushion if Ning Yichu stumbled.

They walked all the way to the seaside. He Shixia followed Ning Yichu to where the seawater could reach their feet. Seeing Ning Yichu about to walk further, He Shixia finally reached out and stopped him. "A Ning..."

Ning Yichu stopped and looked at the shimmering line where the sea met the sky in the night, chuckling softly. "Just wanted to step in the water, not planning to kill myself. I'm not that crazy... Did you bring water? Let me have a sip."

He Shixia unscrewed the cap of the mineral water bottle and handed it to Ning Yichu. He watched Ning Yichu drink, his expression still not very relaxed.

After drinking, Ning Yichu glanced at He Shixia's expression, then took a few steps back and sat down on the sand where the seawater couldn't reach. He took a few more unhurried sips of water.

Only then did He Shixia relax a little and sat down beside Ning Yichu.

Ning Yichu handed the water bottle back to He Shixia. He Shixia took it, drank a couple of sips himself, then screwed the cap back on.

Ning Yichu frowned, deliberately picking a fight. "You drank from it. What if I want more later?"

He Shixia couldn't help but laugh. "Then we can pour a little out first to rinse the bottle mouth?"

Ning Yichu ignored him and turned back to gaze at the distant sea.

He Shixia thought for a moment, then reached out and gently stroked Ning Yichu's hair. "A Ning, did you have a nightmare?"

Ning Yichu was annoyed by his touch but couldn't be prompted to raise his hand to stop him. He simply gave up and said, "You harassing me in my dream, does that count as a nightmare?"

Hearing this, He Shixia sounded pleasantly surprised. "You dreamed about me?"

Ning Yichu: "...You're so annoying."

He Shixia readily complied. "Sorry."

After a while, Ning Yichu spoke softly again, "I dreamed of the Ning family. They were vile."

He Shixia also lowered his voice, "They're practically destitute and family-less now, except for Ning Shaoren's family, whom you intentionally left behind. You want to deal with them personally after the show ends, right?"

Ning Yichu, feeling tired, didn't bother with his usual provocations. "Yeah, and there are still some things I want to figure out. The Ning family members have plenty of weaknesses; they're actually not hard to deal with. That's why I managed to handle most of them so quickly in this lifetime... But in my previous life, I was essentially destroyed by that not-so-hard-to-deal-with scum. So, who's the more useless one when you think about it?"

He Shixia gently took Ning Yichu's hand.

Having come out in the early hours and been exposed to the sea breeze, Ning Yichu's hand felt a bit cold.

"I'm the useless one," He Shixia said. "I failed to take care of you in my last life, and I haven't been much help in this one either. You've been running yourself ragged handling it all. Although the Ning family members are trash, taking them down one by one isn't actually easy. You've put in a lot of effort. Now that things are mostly settled, with just the final touches left, it's normal for you to feel troubled and weighed down."

Ning Yichu turned his head to look at He Shixia and suddenly remembered something. "By the way, what happened to He Dingbang and the others after they were kicked out of the He family?"

He Shixia had previously said he would handle He Dingbang and ensure his life after leaving the He family wouldn't be easy. Ning Yichu had been busy dealing with the Ning family on the show lately and had almost forgotten about He Dingbang.

He Shixia had been monitoring the situation, but since nothing particularly noteworthy had happened and Ning Yichu hadn't asked, he hadn't brought up this unpleasant topic. Now that Ning Yichu asked, he replied, "The former grandfather was kicked out penniless. At his age, he had nowhere to go. Although he looks down on his son He Dingbang, he still latched onto him."

Hearing the term "former grandfather," Ning Yichu chuckled.

He Shixia also smiled and continued unhurriedly, "But He Dingbang himself is unreliable—no money, no job. He resents his father for ruining his comfortable life but can't shake him off, so he and his father ended up pestering his second son, He Rusong."

"They did think about looking for their eldest daughter and even went to her gallery. But He Ruxue cherishes the hard-won opportunity to stay in the He family. Grandmother had previously warned her not to have any further contact with He Dingbang and the others, so He Ruxue naturally avoided them. The security at her gallery isn't for show either. The former grandfather and He Dingbang got the door slammed in their faces and had to settle for pestering the more accessible He Rusong."

"It's not that I want to defend the He family's upbringing, but objectively speaking, He Dingbang's children were raised under Grandmother's watch. Seeing that her eldest son had gone astray, Grandmother was stricter with the illegitimate children he brought home. She didn't let them be freeloaders at home either; they all had their own careers. They're still slightly more presentable than the Ning family's so-called 'virtuous ones.' Although they relied on the He family's support when starting out, they were mostly able to stand on their own two feet. They haven't reached the point where they'd collapse immediately without the He family."

"Of course, this is just what's visible on the surface. For all we know, they've committed crimes in private that just haven't been dug up yet."

"In short, He Rusong, with his fairly successful bar, was certainly making enough to support He Dingbang and his father. But He Rusong doesn't want to, especially if he's the only one footing the bill. I also promised you I wouldn't let He Dingbang have an easy life, so I had someone cozy up to him and egg him on to drink too much and cause trouble at the bar. He Rusong, already impatient, finally had an excuse to throw the former grandfather and He Dingbang out."

Then Qin Kai and He Dingbang decided to look for the third son, He Rulin. But He Dingbang, a father who only cared about his own fun in the past, had no idea where He Rulin's company was located. It was Qin Kai who remembered.

However, company gates aren't as easy to enter as bar doors. He Rulin deliberately avoided them. Qin Kai is old, He Dingbang is no spring chicken and completely unable to endure hardship, so the father-son pair lacked the stamina to wait around.

Then they saw online that He Rulin was being criticized over Ning Yichu's college entrance exam choices and his company was under attack. Qin Kai and He Dingbang figured He Rulin probably wasn't reliable either. Following him might even get them implicated and targeted by Ning Yichu again. So they decided not to look for He Rulin and turned to the fourth daughter, He Ruyue, instead!

He Ruyue has her own design studio, but the staff there are often flying all over the country, even globally. The office is practically empty except for security and cleaning staff. Qin Kai and He Dingbang came up empty again.

Next was the fifth daughter, He Rufeng. She was unlucky and not as ruthless as her older siblings. She was already being pestered by the newly adult He Ruzhu, who's never worked a day in his life. Seeing Qin Kai and He Dingbang, she ignored their disheveled state and instead urged them to take He Ruzhu away quickly, saying paying for a son's university tuition and living expenses was the biological father's responsibility.

Qin Kai and He Dingbang initially thought, 'This daughter is soft-hearted, great! We'll have security in our old age!'

However, before He Rufeng could even speak to shoo them away, He Ruzhu couldn't sit still. He hurriedly urged his grandfather and father to leave, terrified that He Rufeng might really kick him out too. He had worked hard to latch onto He Rufeng; how could he let others steal his meal ticket? He Rufeng isn't stupid. Even her soft heart has its limits. Could she possibly tolerate supporting three people—grandfather, father, and brother—all by herself?

So, Qin Kai and He Dingbang were driven off, cursing their ungrateful descendants all the way. During this time, they'd pawned or sold off anything in their luggage worth a dime. With no one to provide for them, they had, just two days prior, grudgingly moved from a hotel to a small alley inn.

"Probably in a few more days, the two of them will be sleeping on the streets," He Shixia said. "Out on the streets with nothing to fall back on in their old age. A Ning, do you think that's acceptable?"

Ning Yichu smiled slightly. "Based on the events of my previous life, your former grandfather didn't have many years left even living in luxury. In this life, he'll probably pass away even sooner. When that time comes, only He Dingbang will be left wandering alone. How utterly miserable, right? But he loved freedom his whole life; spending his old age so freely is poetic justice."

"I'll make sure someone's always watching him to ensure he remains this 'free,'" He Shixia said.

He Shixia chuckled softly and nodded, asking, "Can I handle reaching out to them for you?"

Ning Yichu replied cheerfully, "Sure, I'm tired of looking for people anyway. They're all illegitimate children He Dingbang brought into the He family. They must be very curious about their biological mothers. I'll send you their respective mothers' information later. You find them and send them updates about their children with He Dingbang. I bet they'll be dying to come knocking."

"People in their thirties suddenly having a biological mother appear... I'm very curious about how your cousins will react..."

"Their biological mothers are different, but they share a common trait: they love money and bully the weak while fearing the strong. Back then, He Dingbang just wanted children. After they gave birth, he coerced and bribed them into disappearing. They took the money and, fearing He Dingbang's supposed power as the He family's eldest son—though he actually had little real power, but they didn't know that—remained quiet for decades. In that regard, He Dingbang's judgment of people was quite accurate. It's one of the few things he got right in this life."

After finishing this part, Ning Yichu continued organizing his thoughts. "So, that leaves the Ning family with Ning Shaoren, Han Wenhua, Ning Zeqi, and Ning Zeshu. The He family has your parents, you... and the child in my belly. Once everything is handled, I can start my new life in this lifetime."

Regarding this, He Shixia's expression remained unchanged. He hummed softly, "Then... shall I wish you a happy new life in advance?"

Ning Yichu was suddenly amused by him. Then he reached over and took the water from him. After talking so much, he was thirsty.

After taking a few sips, Ning Yichu remembered that He Shixia had also drunk from this bottle earlier.

But since he'd already drunk it, Ning Yichu couldn't be bothered to make a fuss.

He screwed the cap back on, then extended a hand to He Shixia. "Too lazy to walk. Carry me back."

He Shixia smiled. "My pleasure... Can I carry you in my arms? I want to see your face."

Ning Yichu raised an eyebrow. "What, afraid you're carrying a ghost on your back if you can't see the face?"

He Shixia readily nodded. "In the dead of night, in the wilderness, it is quite scary. Will A Ning indulge me?"

Ning Yichu couldn't be bothered to argue with him. "If you drop me because you can't see the road, I'll deal with you ahead of schedule."

Hearing this, He Shixia couldn't help but laugh. He picked Ning Yichu up in a princess carry and slowly walked back.

Finally seeing He Shixia and Ning Yichu return, the night-shift staff breathed a sigh of relief.

Just like last time, He Shixia carried Ning Yichu directly back to the bedroom and placed him on the bed.

Then he paused, realizing a problem. "...Sorry, I forgot we were just sitting on the ground. My pants are probably dirty. I should have changed first. A Ning, I..."

Ning Yichu's arm around He Shixia's neck suddenly pulled down slightly. Then, somewhat clumsily, he bit He Shixia's lip.

He Shixia was completely stunned this time, his voice caught in his throat.

Ning Yichu looked at He Shixia's face and blinked lightly.

Although rationally he felt he shouldn't continue, Ning Yichu was inexplicably in the mood right now.

So he smiled at He Shixia. "If you say anything else to ruin the mood, I'll bite you to death."

Ning Yichu's face was so close. He Shixia barely managed to look away, his gaze falling awkwardly on the wardrobe containing the box with the "model." "I'll get it for you..."

Ning Yichu's teeth moved downward, biting He Shixia's neck.

He Shixia's throat moved slightly. Then he lowered his head and kissed Ning Yichu's lips, casting all those hypocritical, mood-killing words to the wind.

"Shh—your breathing is too loud. They'll hear," Ning Yichu gasped, glancing at the camera in the corner.

He Shixia also looked over, confirming the camera was still well covered, before continuing to undo the buttons of Ning Yichu's pajamas.