In the Years When I Was a Father-Chapter 143: The Villain Boss’s Prodigal Father (7)

Two months might not sound very long, but without his son around, Qi Sheng completely let himself go. Every day, he drove around the old city of Beijing, tasting delicious food wherever he found it, snapping photos of beautiful sights when he saw them. Even alone, he could enjoy himself in a leisurely way — reading a book, painting a picture in his spare time — living a relaxed and healthy life like a Zen master.
During this period, Qi Sheng also transferred another fifty thousand yuan to his son. Although the little guy hadn’t said exactly what he was doing, Qi Sheng still felt fairly reassured. Most importantly, even if the money was lost, it was still within an acceptable range for him. If it ended up teaching his son a valuable lesson, it might even help him walk a better path in the future.
Qi Sheng, open to any outcome, continued to enjoy his carefree days. But not long after, his son came back home.
Qi Sheng gave him a careful look — his son was in high spirits, his eyes bright and full of energy. Good. It looked like this trip had gone well.
Qi Sheng didn’t ask for details right away. Instead, he asked, “You flew back? Have you eaten yet?”
Qi Ming’an nodded, then shook his head. He dropped his backpack and flopped down beside Qi Sheng, grabbed the half-finished cup of tea his dad had been drinking, and downed it in one go without a second thought.
Only after quenching his thirst did he have the energy to speak. Looking at his dad, who didn’t even ask what had happened, he raised his brows proudly and said, “Dad, guess how much I made this time?”
Qi Sheng played along, guessing, “You doubled it?”
“Uh… not quite!” Qi Ming’an had originally wanted to surprise his dad with his achievements, but now he realized his father had oversimplified what doing business meant. If doubling your money in two months was that easy, everyone would be rushing into business. Still, he didn’t find his dad’s thinking unreasonable. From as early as he could remember, his father had always made money effortlessly. Even the wine he brewed in his spare time not only provided a worry-free life for them, but also kept their living standard well above the average.
Qi Ming’an wasn’t dumb. Ever since he understood the value of antiques, he had known his father was a very clever man. Lazy sometimes, sure, but clever. Still, Qi Ming’an didn’t want to put all his focus on the antiques market. Though he was still in school, he never missed any news from the South. But getting information from afar wasn’t the same as investigating in person.
“Dad, you wouldn’t believe it — when we got there, we found that goods down south were really cheap. At first, we planned to bring clothes back to Beijing and sell them. But then we ran into issues with logistics — the transportation costs were too high — so we switched to selling electronic watches and tape recorders instead. Brother Zhang plans to set up dedicated warehouses in both Beijing and the South, and form a transport team. I invested a bit in that too.”
Talking about his results, Qi Ming’an was clearly excited. Even after returning, he wasn’t in a rush to eat — instead, he pulled Qi Sheng in and started pouring everything out like spilling beans from a bamboo tube.
Qi Sheng listened attentively the whole time. Hearing that they’d set up their own supply chain reassured him — in an era where communication and transportation were still underdeveloped, supply chains were everything. Though these kids were young, they’d already grasped the key point, so the results were unlikely to be bad.
Once his son finally finished talking, Qi Sheng got up and ruffled his hair. “Alright, let’s go eat. If there’s more to say, tell me after we get back.”
If this summer’s experience was just the beginning, then four years later, all the effort and investment would already have brought rich rewards to Qi Ming’an.
At that time, he was a sophomore in college, and the new semester had just started. His mind was still occupied with business matters, and he wasn’t paying close attention as he rode his bike — which led to him accidentally hitting someone.
Only after the collision did Qi Ming’an snap out of his thoughts. He quickly got off the bike, propped it up, and walked over to the girl he had knocked down.
“Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
The girl wore a white dress, her long hair falling over her shoulders. She was gentle and beautiful. Qi Ming’an had been about to reach out and help her up, but her looks caught him off guard and he hesitated.
“Um… can you get up on your own? If not, I’ll call an ambulance.”
Sun Yuan, half-lying on the ground, had been expecting to be lifted up in a romantic “princess carry,” but the distant politeness of the boy in front of her left her disappointed. She frowned. This wasn’t how their first meeting went in her previous life. Didn’t Qi Ming’an say later that it had been love at first sight? Could things have changed this time because she took the initiative?
Uneasy, Sun Yuan quickly brushed the thought aside. No — in her last life, Qi Ming’an had been willing to kill for her. That wouldn’t change in this life. Deep down, he was cold and ruthless, so it was normal for him to act distant today.
Once she sorted her thoughts, Sun Yuan refocused and looked at Qi Ming’an, her voice a mix of grievance and strength: “No need to call an ambulance.”
With that, she slowly stood up on her own. She had expected Qi Ming’an to help her halfway through, but to her disappointment, he stood still the entire time.
Frustrated, she straightened up but couldn’t help bending down to rub her ankle. Then, with a tone that was part coquettish, part reproachful, she said, “Why weren’t you paying attention while riding? I twisted my ankle — I can’t walk.”
Qi Ming’an frowned slightly at her complaint. Something about this girl felt off. But the number of girls he’d had close contact with in his life could be counted on one hand — he really didn’t understand what she was thinking.
What was she expecting? Compensation? A hospital trip?
Wanting to avoid trouble, Qi Ming’an instinctively took out his phone and started dialing 120.
Sun Yuan hadn’t expected him to show absolutely no sign of caring — treating her like a complete stranger! She was fuming. No wonder she hadn’t picked him in her past life!
Though she thought that way, Sun Yuan wasn’t willing to give up their first encounter. No matter what — just like in the last life — this man must fall in love with her.
She quickly covered Qi Ming’an’s phone with her hand, teasingly complaining, “What’s wrong with you? My ankle just hurts a little, there’s absolutely no need for an ambulance. Just take me to the clinic.” As she spoke, Sun Yuan glanced at Qi Ming’an’s bike behind him, her eyes clearly suggesting he should take her there on the bike.
Qi Ming’an understood the look in the girl’s eyes. If it had been before, he wouldn’t have refused. Since he hit someone, he should take responsibility. But suddenly, a cheerful laugh flashed through his mind, making him want to refuse instinctively.
He thought it’d be easier to just call an ambulance. But just then, he caught sight of a classmate riding over, so he waved him down.
“Zhang Yong, you free now? Help me out with something.”
Zhang Yong had one foot on the ground and one on the bike pedal. Hearing Qi Ming’an, he asked curiously, “What’s up?”
“I accidentally hit her. Can you help me take her to the clinic? I’ll pay you back later.”
Zhang Yong looked over at Sun Yuan, who’d seemed a bit shy earlier but now he could openly check her out. She really was a beauty, and hearing his classmate’s request, he got a bit excited.
Before Zhang Yong could respond, Sun Yuan got angry. How could Qi Ming’an just casually dump her on a stranger? Shouldn’t he be the one to take her? She felt entitled to at least that much from him, and shot a displeased look his way. “Don’t you have a bike? Can’t you take me yourself?”
“I have other things to do, I’m in a hurry.” Qi Ming’an actually didn’t have anything urgent, but he didn’t like the way the girl was looking at him. Maybe it was his imagination, but he felt like she was treating him like prey, and that vague feeling made him not want to get too close to her.
“Don’t worry, I’ll cover the medical expenses.”
Hearing that made Sun Yuan furious. For their first meeting, she had put on makeup, bought a new white dress, and dressed up to look like his ideal type. She even went so far as to play the victim to get closer to him. After all that preparation, he was now talking about medical bills?!
She was so angry she could explode, but didn’t want to leave a bad impression at their first meeting. Reluctantly, she limped over to Zhang Yong’s bike and got on the back seat.
Zhang Yong wanted to get off and help her up, after all, it was rare to get points with a pretty girl. But when he realized her heart was with Qi Ming’an, he shrugged and decided to quietly be the helpful bike driver.
After they left, Qi Ming’an didn’t notice Sun Yuan glancing back at him now and then. He got on his bike and suddenly a girl’s cheerful voice echoed in his mind: “Ming’an, from now on, no girl except me is allowed on your back seat, no matter how pretty!”
Thinking of her bright smile when she said that, Qi Ming’an felt annoyed. Why was he listening to her so much?
He felt his face flush and nervously pushed the image of her smile away, shook his head to calm down, then finally rode off.
Qi Ming’an thought it was just a small incident, but a few days later, while he was reading in the library, a sudden scent made him look up unconsciously.
Opposite him, Sun Yuan took out a book but didn’t even glance at him. Today, her long hair was down again, and her long skirt was gentle and flowing. Confident in her beauty, she didn’t plan to make the first move this time—waiting for him to fall for her instead.
Thinking of her past life, she was brimming with confidence. Quietly reading, though none of the words on the page really entered her eyes. She flipped the pages now and then, the serious study pose briefly giving a peaceful, serene feeling.
Song Xuan walked by in this atmosphere, sat next to Qi Ming’an, put down her bag, and naturally started rummaging through Qi Ming’an’s backpack.
“Ming’an, where’s the wine I asked you to bring?”
“Not here.”
“If you don’t give it to me, I’ll go to your house and get it myself!”
Qi Ming’an was defeated by her shamelessness and laughed, “Too many people steal the wine. My dad locked up the wine room and cellar, and I don’t have the key.”
Song Xuan didn’t care. Boldly, she said, “Other people’s Uncle Qi wouldn’t give it to me, but am I ‘other people’? I’ll ask Uncle Qi myself!”
“You’re so full of yourself.”
“That’s right.” Song Xuan was proud—she was the future daughter-in-law officially approved by Uncle Qi. Could she not be full of herself?
In her heart, she was smug, but didn’t show it on her face. Though usually carefree, when it came to romance, she wanted this wooden guy in front of her to be a little more proactive. But today, she was starting to lose patience.
Women’s intuition about feelings is usually accurate, and seeing a carefully dressed beauty sitting opposite her crush, whose gaze had a hint of hostility toward her, Song Xuan—normally sharp—quietly reached into Qi Ming’an’s right pocket. The casual move didn’t attract his attention, but for the two girls, it was the start of a battle.
Sun Yuan was nearly shocked to see this—this was the younger version of Song Xuan? The famous female diplomat of the Flower Country? Why was she so close to Qi Ming’an?
And Qi Ming’an—didn’t he hate people getting close to him? Yet Song Xuan’s hand was in his clothes and he didn’t react at all, as if this was perfectly normal.
Sun Yuan was still stunned when she heard Song Xuan complain, “Where’s your keychain? Why isn’t it in your pocket?”
Qi Ming’an was interrupted again while reading, but didn’t seem annoyed. He closed the book and lightly tapped the girl’s forehead, “Why don’t you check your bag again?”
The familiar and intimate action deeply provoked Sun Yuan. She had almost forgotten to hide her feelings but diverted her gaze under Song Xuan’s sharp look. For a moment, Sun Yuan felt she couldn’t stay any longer, but she was unwilling to leave so easily. She wanted to know what the relationship between these two really was, and what was going on now.
She had been reborn, but this life seemed different from her memories.