If he destroyed it, he could take everything for himself.
He could obtain the happy family that Cui Leilei had once dreamed of with all his heart.
His father and mother would attend his parent teacher meetings. They would accompany him to amusement parks. They would scold him and lose their tempers at him but they would also hold him in their arms and comfort him.
He would have an older brother who was protective of his family and just a little strict, rather than the brother from his previous life who had deliberately plotted to kill Cui Leilei so that he could monopolize the family fortune.
Cui Leilei wasn’t greedy for money at all.
He only wanted something.
He humbly, desperately wanted a family bond.
That was all.
He only wanted familial affection.
As his thoughts followed the idea of destroying it and began to veer wildly off course, Cui Leilei suddenly felt as though something was gradually eating away at his mind.
The pain was so intense that his entire body began to twitch.
Without realizing it, a trace of gloom appeared in Cui Leilei’s bright eyes. He lowered his head and stared darkly at the black strand of hair in his hand.
The long strand lay pinched between his fingers, no different from an ant held in his palm. He could destroy it with ease.
Yet, for some reason, a flame suddenly ignited within his heart.
In the very next moment, Cui Leilei felt as though he were holding a red hot iron in his hand.
His palm burned with unbearable pain. The sensation spread from his hand toward his brain, as though it intended to burn away that sudden, inexplicable malicious thought lodged inside his mind.
Two opposing emotions collided and tangled within Cui Leilei’s head.
In the end, they transformed into the novel’s descriptions, one sentence after another.
【The enormous Cui family had been ruined.
No one would believe it but that was the absurd and ridiculous truth.
The root of everything lay only in the excessive favoritism of the Cui couple toward Cui Leilei. It was merely because they favored the fake son they had raised themselves.
Cui Leilei’s spoiled, arrogant, reckless, selfish and self centered personality had, in fact, been cultivated through the subtle influence and example set by the Cui couple.
Looking back on the time when the couple had first built their fortune, they, too, had been people who valued profit above all else. They had ignored their business partners’ repeated pleas and ruthlessly forced them to repay their debts.
They had also once become overbearing after gaining wealth, purchasing vast stretches of land and constructing an ancestral residence that looked extravagantly rich and magnificent.
They had also once…
But the Cui couple would never recall any of those past events.
They would only stubbornly and perversely insist that everything was Shen Qian’s fault.
They would rely on their blood relationship to condemn Shen Qian as utterly deranged.
They would never reflect on themselves.】
“What’s wrong?”
Cui’s father stepped into the room. He had originally intended to put on an act, nitpick a little and find fault with his son’s cleaning but what he saw instead was his own bear cub, who seemed to have suddenly become an entirely different person.
Those bright, lively eyes that were usually full of energy were now filled with ruthlessness and fury. He looked like a wounded mother hen, desperately clinging to the last remnants of her instincts as she spread her wings to protect the chicks behind her. His head was held high as he stared at the imposing eagle circling overhead and an aura of desperate, all or nothing killing intent burst from him.
Cui’s father had only seen that kind of expression once before.
It had been back when Cui Leilei was going through his rebellious phase, skipping classes, acting like the leader of a gang and playing the hero by forcefully standing up for Xu Congcong when the latter was being chased down. At the time, Cui Leilei had been struck on the back of his head with an iron rod.
The expression on his face had been sinister, carrying a bloodthirsty killing intent. Blood had poured continuously from his head yet he hadn’t been afraid of the pain in the slightest.
That was despite the fact that Cui Leilei had always been terrified of pain. Even getting an injection would make him howl and beg the doctor to spare him, sometimes going so far as to shout, “Put down the needle!” before running straight out of the clinic.
Yet, at that moment, the spoiled brat had been like a man made of iron. There had been nothing left in his eyes except the determination to fight back.
Remembering the blood covered figure he had seen after receiving the news and rushing over, Cui’s father shuddered with lingering fear. He hurriedly raised his arms and pulled Cui Leilei into his embrace.
“Leilei, did you have a nightmare? Is that it? Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Your dad is here. Everything’s fine.”
The sudden embrace, carrying a faint, refreshing scent of mint, stimulated a shudder throughout Cui Leilei’s body.
Feeling the person trembling in his arms, Cui’s father carefully patted and stroked his son’s back, doing everything he could to make him feel the intimacy and security conveyed through physical touch.
Normally, this rough, straightforward man believed in the principle that a filial son could be raised through discipline and punishment. If he didn’t put on a stern expression and act like a strict father, that alone already counted as being a loving father in his book.
But he couldn’t help it.
Cui Leilei had been excessively clingy since childhood. He was always attached to people, constantly seeking affection and was even more timid than a little girl.
It was only after Cui’s father had become wealthy and started pursuing culture as a way to show off that he had heard a psychologist explain that this was an illness called skin hunger syndrome.
Patients with the condition would become especially dependent on kisses, hugs and other forms of physical affection, using them to obtain a sense of psychological security.
Without that reassurance, they might become insecure, develop severe rebellious tendencies, grow into people who bullied the weak while fearing the strong, or even retaliate against others out of jealousy when they saw someone else receiving affection.
For example, they might see a kindergarten teacher patting another child on the head or hugging them in encouragement and then seek revenge.
The sudden recollection of Cui Leilei’s past behavior, one incident after another, made Cui’s father even more anxious.
He hurriedly curled his finger and flicked Cui Leilei’s forehead again.
Back then, Cui Leilei had never committed such a childish act as retaliating against other children but he had indeed been somewhat insecure. He would often hide inside the wardrobe or stand in front of the mirror and ask, “Mirror, mirror, am I not handsome? Why does everyone keep disliking me? Why don’t the other children want to play with me?”
After flicking him several times in succession, Cui Leilei’s pupils trembled from the pain. He slowly raised his eyes and looked at the hand that had attacked him.
Even though Cui’s father had retired, his hands were still rough. Calluses were clearly visible to the naked eye, layered thickly across his skin.
Those heavy calluses spoke of the hardships he had endured when he once made a living carrying bricks. They also told the story of the effort he had poured into struggling upward, fighting to become someone important and successful.
Even now, Cui’s father still attended a university for senior citizens, practicing calligraphy day after day.
There was also a scar on his middle finger. The mark had remained clearly visible even after all these years, silently revealing how serious the injury had once been.
Images of his father’s hard work and relentless pursuit of learning flashed through Cui Leilei’s mind. His eyes reddened slightly as he lowered his head and looked at his own hands.
Apart from occasionally pretending to be obedient, mopping the floor and acting spoiled to earn pocket money, Cui Leilei had never done any truly strenuous work. He had never performed any real household chores.
Even if the family didn’t have assistants, they still had servants in the traditional sense, as well as his father, mother and older brother.
Therefore, Cui Leilei had genuinely been raised in luxury. His fingers had never touched spring water, as the saying went. He had been so pampered that he rarely even picked up a pen.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Cui Leilei’s gaze fell upon the black strand of hair wound around his finger.
It should have been a stark contrast between black and white but the distinction abruptly stopped at the root of the hair.
A section of white hair.
It looked as though it had been stained with bright red blood. Like a sharp blade, it reminded Cui Leilei that he needed to remain rational and stay awake.
“Dad…”
Cui Leilei’s lips opened and closed several times, moving restlessly as he struggled to find the right words. Facing the concern in his father’s eyes, he became so nervous that he didn’t know how to explain himself.
“Are you tired? I told you writing a thesis would be difficult. We don’t need to rush, do we? How about you go look at some travel itineraries first? Once Leilei graduates, we’ll travel around the world. We’ll visit every corner of the globe. How does that sound?”
Cui’s father looked at his son, whose sinister gaze had disappeared but whose entire expression had visibly wilted. His heart was filled with nervousness but he didn’t allow it to show on his face.
Instead, he maintained a loving expression and raised his hand to vigorously rub Cui Leilei’s head.
Cui Leilei lowered his eyes in dejection, unwilling to meet his father’s sincere gaze. His voice was so quiet that it was almost inaudible.
“Dad, I… I feel like I might be sick. Like there’s something wrong with my brain. I think I might be crazy. Just now… just now, I actually thought I was a terrible person. An evil, terrible person. Selfish and willful and…”
Before he could finish speaking, Cui Leilei suddenly felt as though someone had clamped a hand around his neck and squeezed hard. He found it difficult to breathe.
His emotions collapsed in an instant. Gritting his teeth, he blurted out:
“I even dragged our entire family into bankruptcy.”
The moment the words fell, Cui Leilei felt the atmosphere around him sink into an eerie silence.
Compared with Cui Leilei, who was tense and on edge, practically reacting as though danger lurked everywhere, Cui’s father simply looked at his son.
Cui Leilei’s entire body was rigid, as though he had done something wrong and was waiting to be punished.
Then his father suddenly burst out laughing.
With one arm around Cui Leilei’s shoulders, Cui’s father adopted the familiar manner of two close brothers and pressed his son down to sit on the edge of the bed.
“Is this because you’re about to graduate and your mother, I and your older brother occasionally discuss business matters with you? Did all that make your brain start running wild? Bankruptcy? Isn’t that a joke? Raise your head and take a look at the furnishings in your father’s room. The paintings are by contemporary masters and every single one is worth tens of millions and those brushes, ink, paper and inkstones on the desk? They’re antique treasures I bought at auctions. All of them together are worth more than a hundred million.”
Cui Leilei’s heartbeat immediately sped up.
“But.. but you’re famous in the collecting world for being a complete sucker! You’ve made the wrong call so many times. What if… what if someone sets you up and you go bankrupt? What will happen then?”
“You little bear cub, hurry up and shake the seawater out of your brain.”
Cui’s father brought both hands down onto Cui Leilei’s head, his voice dropping slightly.
“Have you forgotten the trust fund and the ridiculously expensive insurance your mother and I gave you? Even if we went bankrupt, you’d still have no trouble living comfortably for the rest of your life. Bankruptcy is common enough these days. If we successful businessmen don’t make thorough preparations for every possibility, can we still call ourselves successful?”
“But…”
“But what? I’ve been paying your five insurances and one housing fund for you all this time!”
Cui’s father spoke with force and certainty.
“If you don’t trust those funds, surely you trust the country’s policies, right? I was the one who stamped your internship report, remember? At the time, I specifically told the company’s human resources department to enroll you in social insurance at the highest contribution level. Once you retire, you’ll be able to receive six thousand yuan every month.”
Cui Leilei’s eyes widened in astonishment.
His brows drew tightly together.
“Five insurances and one housing fund? A trust fund?!”
Right!
What about Cui Leilei’s trust fund?
One of the principles of a trust fund was known as a special bankruptcy isolation system.
【It could ensure that a beneficiary would not lose their rights to the trust property they were entitled to simply because the settlor went bankrupt or incurred debts.】
Put simply, even if the Cui family’s company went bankrupt and owed tens of millions in debt and the creditors took the matter to court, the court would still be unable to force Cui Leilei to repay those debts.
Cui Leilei would remain wealthy.
Extremely wealthy.
Because his trust fund contained two billion yuan.
Of that amount, one billion had simply been deposited in the bank, with the interest used for investments and business operations.
State owned banks wouldn’t go bankrupt.
As the son of a businessman, Cui Leilei might have been an absolute academic failure but when it came to clauses that affected his own interests, he knew them clearly.
He had been made to memorize them backward and forward, often with someone tugging on his ears as they drilled the information into him.
Not to mention social insurance.
That had been one of the key points emphasized by his teachers in class.
During his fourth year of university, they had even offered a specific course on employment for university students.
Thinking about the country’s welfare system and the strength of the nation, Cui Leilei suddenly felt as though he had grabbed hold of a lifeline.
He had found a way to fight back against the malicious thoughts that threatened to destroy everything.
His eyes immediately reddened and he lowered his head as he began to cry.
“Dad, what if you spoil me so much that I become a terrible person? I feel like there’s something wrong with my brain. It feels like it’s broken.”
As he spoke, Cui Leilei felt immensely grateful that he had once acted recklessly during his embarrassing, overly dramatic teenage phase.
After seeing what had happened to Xu Congcong, he had remembered the bizarre hit and run like incident in his previous life that had resulted in his death. He had furiously beaten someone and he had also been struck in the head himself.
Thinking about it, Cui Leilei panted and immediately repeated himself.
“Dad, my brain is broken. It’s a side effect. I’m hallucinating.”
Looking at his son, who seemed like a frightened bird startled by the slightest movement, suddenly shrinking into a tight little ball, Cui’s father’s heart clenched violently.
Back then, he had arrived just one step too late after bringing people with him.
He had watched as Leilei protected Xu Congcong like a mother hen shielding her chick, his entire body covered in blood.
Afterward, Leilei had spent half a month lying in the intensive care unit.
And once he woke up, the aftereffects had begun to appear.
He had nearly developed a stress related disorder. He had become increasingly unable to stand the sight of blood and even more terrified of pain. That was why he had also become more and more delicate and prone to acting spoiled.
The more Cui’s father thought about it, the more his heart ached for his son.
He carefully raised his arms and embraced Cui Leilei, as though he were soothing the precious, beloved grandson he had dreamed of having.
His voice was extraordinarily gentle and affectionate.
“All right. Daddy’s holding his big, chubby son. Once Leilei has calmed down, we’ll go see a doctor together, okay?”
Cui Leilei gripped his father’s clothes tightly and gave a muffled hum of acknowledgment.
Then he asked, “Okay, Dad. Do you think it’s possible that when the psychologist was treating me, they secretly hypnotized me and implanted some kind of suggestion? Maybe they wanted me to drive a wedge between everyone and destroy the Cui family?”
Cui’s father raised his hand and rubbed the back of Cui Leilei’s head. Then he forcefully pressed his son against his chest so that he wouldn’t have to look at his bear cub’s face and get angry.
A psychologist secretly hypnotizing someone and planting suggestions?
That was absolutely the kind of plot found in novels, television dramas and movies.
So, the bear cub who had put all his reincarnation talents into his face really had nothing in his brain.
It had nothing to do with being hit in the head.
He had simply been born this way.
Therefore, there was no need to get angry.
It had nothing to do with the old Cui family.
This particular problem was innate.
While comforting himself, Cui’s father simply patted Cui Leilei’s head and pressed him more firmly into his arms.
Cui Leilei struggled fiercely for quite some time. Then, in a depressed voice, he began howling.
“Dad, give me a response! Give me a look! Otherwise, I’m going to start overthinking everything!”
“I’ll take you to the hospital for a scan. The doctor might still be able to save your dog life.”
As he spoke, Cui’s father became so angry that he directly grabbed the flesh at the back of Cui Leilei’s neck and dragged him away.
“Otherwise, I have every reason to suspect that you’ve caused some trouble and are acting spoiled because you want to buy more things. Or perhaps you don’t want to write your thesis and are looking for someone to write it for you. Cui Leilei, I’m warning you. It had better not be the latter. Otherwise, I’ll beat you with a feather duster.”
Cui Leilei: “…………”
Cui Leilei glanced at the strand of hair that was still hanging from his hand.
He remained silent for three seconds.
Then he really did cling to his father and follow him to the hospital for a brain scan.
…….
As he looked at the CT scan, Cui Leilei used the corner of his eye to watch the doctor smoothly swipe his card.
Then he slowly glanced at the structure of his own brain once more.
With great solemnity, he nodded.
Getting a scan was quite useful after all.
At the very least, Cui Leilei had become more cautious and learned one important lesson: Before conducting a paternity test, he needed to exchange some money for cash. He couldn’t habitually use his hospital VIP card or Zhifubao to pay, or he might leave behind evidence.
Or perhaps he could simply find a private investigator to handle the matter?
As he considered this, Cui Leilei’s eyes suddenly lit up.
As a leading young master among the rich and spoiled, he might not have every kind of resource at his disposal but a private investigator? That was certainly something he could arrange.
Cui’s father glanced sideways at his son, who had suddenly become cheerful again and helplessly sighed.
He asked the doctor several more times to confirm that Cui Leilei hadn’t suffered some sort of brain malfunction from staying up late to work on his thesis.
Only after confirming that there was no problem did he finally relax a little.
“Since we’re already here, come with me to visit your Uncle Li.”
After confirming that his old illness hadn’t resurfaced, Cui’s father immediately grabbed Cui Leilei by the ear and led him toward the inpatient department.
As they walked, he continued, “You’d better behave yourself. Do you understand that Lili has taken a liking to your older brother? The Li family is one of the top aristocratic families in Yancheng yet their daughter has actually set her sights on my son, a nouveau riche’s kid.”
Just thinking about it made him feel fantastic!
Cui Leilei let out an exaggerated, “Oh!” before immediately putting on an innocent, harmless smile.
“Understand understand I understand completely.”
The father and son continued chatting and joking as they walked. However, the moment they stepped out of the elevator lobby, they unexpectedly encountered a group of black clad bodyguards with solemn expressions blocking their way.
The bodyguard at the front spoke coldly.
“Sorry, this entire floor has been reserved. Please leave immediately.”
Cui’s father stared at him in disbelief.
“Which family are you from? In Yancheng, on my old Cui’s territory, you’re telling me that you’ve reserved an entire floor?”
Cui Leilei cast a sidelong glance at the bodyguards. None of them carried any recognizable markings associated with the prominent families of Yancheng or the surrounding areas.
His brows gradually knitted together.
This hospital was practically the most exclusive of all the hospitals for the wealthy. The patients it accepted were, at the very least, worth more than ten billion yuan. To maintain its prestige and exclusivity, it even operated through a membership referral system.
No one behaved like such a nouveau riche inside this hospital, simply reserving an entire floor.
“The floor has indeed been reserved. If you have any questions, you may contact the hospital administration yourself.”
The bodyguard’s voice remained cold and emotionless.
“Please leave. Our chairman prefers peace and quiet. Please depart quietly. Otherwise, we’ll have to escort you downstairs. Thank you.”
Cui’s father’s expression darkened immediately.
As Cui Leilei turned his head, he caught sight of his father’s angry face. The descriptions from the novel once again surfaced involuntarily in his mind, making every hair on his body stand on end.
His father did indeed possess some of the unpleasant habits associated with nouveau riche businessmen.
For example, now that he had achieved success and fame, he had become increasingly concerned about his reputation and pride. He couldn’t tolerate someone in Yancheng, not even within this small sphere of influence, failing to recognize him, let alone refusing to show him proper respect.
Thinking about this, Cui Leilei nervously swallowed. He raised his hand and tugged at his father’s sleeve, speaking in a low voice.
“Dad, think about your big, chubby grandson. Just consider this an opportunity to accumulate blessings for your future grandson. There’s no need to argue with this kind of person or use a tactic where you take advantage of someone while they’re ill and finish them off. Let’s contact Uncle Li instead.”
At the mention of a big, chubby grandson, Cui’s father took several deep breaths in succession before turning around and heading back toward the elevator.
“I’ll call Old Li. I absolutely have to find out which bastard is putting on airs. He’s acting like he has a bigger sense of grandeur than your father, bringing an entire group of black clad bodyguards here.”
The elevator doors finally closed.
The bodyguard glanced sideways at the assistant, who had come out after hearing the commotion. His voice carried a hint of nervousness.
“Was President Shen disturbed?”
The assistant spoke earnestly.
“Xiao Jia, you know that President Shen is going to be living in Yancheng from now on, right? You need to be a little more tactful with your personality. Don’t offend visitors who come to see him because of the way you speak and end up causing trouble for President Shen.”
Xiao Jia nodded expressionlessly.
Seeing this reaction, the corners of the assistant’s mouth twitched.
He knew that Xiao Jia was simply like this. He placed President Shen above everything else and had an inflexible personality.
The assistant decided it was better to turn around and return to the hospital room.
However, the moment he pushed the door open, he saw President Shen pressing both hands tightly against his forehead, his entire face twisted in pain.
The assistant’s heart immediately ached.
“President Shen, you…”
“I’m fine and I’m completely clear headed.”
The man addressed as President Shen, Shen Qian, spoke each word distinctly.
Although the pain on both sides of his head was splitting and this particular bout of headaches had already continued intermittently for an entire week, the dreams he had experienced in the past had become increasingly clear.
They had allowed him to completely break through the many doubts and mysteries that had previously surrounded him.
Hearing the firm, unquestionable voice reach his ears, Assistant Xiao Bai gritted his teeth and forced himself to shift his gaze away.
He didn’t look at President Shen’s pained expression or the clarity in his eyes.
Come to think of it, perhaps it really was a case of heaven being jealous of a gifted person.
Shen Qian possessed extraordinary intelligence and outstanding looks. He was practically perfect.
Yet, he had been born with an illness.
A headache disorder caused by deficient qi and blood.
According to traditional Chinese medical records, the illness was described as having a【long course, a persistent and difficult to cure nature and a tendency to relapse.】
Even in the modern era, with its advanced medical technology, there was still no effective cure.
Anyone who heard about it would probably think it was a joke.
Yet, reality was precisely this absurd.
Shen Qian was completely unaware of the emotions and reflections occupying his assistant’s mind. When he noticed that the pain had temporarily eased, he slowly exhaled.
Then he lowered his eyes and looked at the person who had become a clue during this illness, Cui Leilei.
He flipped through the information once.
Then again.
And again.
Shen Qian’s gaze lingered darkly on the section listing Cui Leilei’s college entrance examination results.
When he finally spoke, his voice carried a faint heaviness.
“Xiao Bai, how many points did you get in mathematics on your college entrance examination?”
Assistant Xiao Bai, who had been directly addressed, froze.
Although he didn’t understand why President Shen was asking, he immediately recalled his own academic history. After hesitating for a moment, he answered awkwardly.
“President Shen, I was recommended for admission. I didn’t take the college entrance examination.”
“………… Then have you ever heard of someone scoring thirty six points in mathematics?”
Xiao Bai was dumbfounded.
“How many points? Someone like that… our human resources department definitely wouldn’t hire such a talent.”
President Shen nodded wholeheartedly.
“I feel the same way. This person really is a talent. Truly, an extraordinary talent!”
I actually lost to someone like this in my previous life.
In my previous life, I actually allowed someone like this to jump around again and again and again and again and again and again!
“So this is definitely true love.”
Shen Qian delivered the excuse for his own failure with powerful conviction.
“Otherwise, I have absolutely no way to make sense of the logic behind my own actions. According to big data analysis, only unreasonable love, only love itself, could lead to something like this.”
Xiao Bai was completely dumbfounded.
“True… true love?”
“It should be true love. I…”
Shen Qian felt the needle like pain strike his head again. He raised his hand and covered his forehead.
“Don’t call the doctor. Go get me a set of college entrance examination papers and let me clear my head. This time, I was definitely driven mad by anger.”
