Chapter 20: Breath of Sunshine

Cai Li, who had snapped out of it, was now terrified and pleading, “Mr. Qi, I was coerced. It was all Qin Hu. He took my son and threatened me, forcing me to do as he said. He’s a desperado; I couldn’t take the risk. I only have one child, I…”

Qi Dashan, still shaken, kicked him in the chest, “Your child is a child, but Qi Mu and Yin Xiuzhu aren’t?”

Cai Li winced in pain but continued to beg for mercy, “It’s my fault, all my fault. I scared the young masters, but I never intended to hurt them. Later… later, I released Yin Xiuzhu. If it weren’t for me…” He hurriedly took out the ropes, frantically explaining.

Qi Dashan’s scalp tingled with anger, “Cai Li, do you think I’m an idiot?”

Cai Li trembled at his roar.

Qi Dashan said, “Your son was kidnapped, why didn’t you come to me? What does Qin Hu want? Isn’t it just money? If you had asked, would I not have helped you?”

Cai Li was speechless. He stammered, “That… that much money, it wasn’t… it wasn’t possible…”

“You know perfectly well whether it was possible or not!” Qi Dashan grabbed him by the collar and glared at him. “You just wanted the money for yourself. If you truly cared about your son, you wouldn’t have done something this despicable!”

One sentence exposed all the hidden thoughts deep within Cai Li’s heart.

Yes…

Qi Dashan was right about everything. His son had been kidnapped, and he should have gone to Qi Dashan. Qi Dashan would have definitely helped him, but he was unwilling to accept that.

Four years. It had been four whole years. He had stayed by Qi Dashan’s side, watching him grow more successful and earn more money, seeing his son get whatever he wanted!

By day, there were endless gold, silver, and diamonds at Qiqiao Jewelry; by night, he lived in a small apartment of less than a hundred square meters. He was flattered by others but was just a driver. The stark contrast made him deeply resentful.

Why! Sixteen years ago, Qi Dashan was just a petty thug, but after marrying the eldest daughter of the Qiao family, he soared to success, climbing higher and higher!

If Qi Dashan had been born into wealth, that would be one thing, but he was once a petty criminal, a worthless nobody who couldn’t even get a decent meal, the dregs of society. Why did he have what he has today? Why!

This jealousy, discontent, and inexplicable hatred swelled and fermented in Cai Li’s heart, finally ignited by Qin Hu’s instigation.

After impulsively carrying out the deed in a fit of anger, he panicked again.

Yin Xiuzhu saw through his intentions. With just a few words, he managed to further throw him off balance. The jealousy and resentment in his heart dissipated instantly, replaced only by endless fear and unease—who was Qi Dashan? Who was Qin Hu? How could he possibly expect a good end after doing something like this?

When Qin Hu was about to commit an outrageous act, Cai Li completely lost his bearings and allowed Yin Xiuzhu to command him.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” Cai Li was filled with extreme regret. Clinging to Qi Dashan’s leg, he said, “I was wrong, I know I was wrong. I just lost my mind…”

Qi Dashan no longer bothered to argue with him: “Save these words for the prison!”

***
Yin Xiuzhu had a dream.

In the dream, there was a little child, over a year old but still unable to walk. He sat in an empty house, staring blankly outside.

Outside, people were talking, but he couldn’t understand them. He just felt that the elongated shadows looked like wriggling worms, ugly and disgusting.

A woman’s screams, a man’s angry shouts, and the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. The sound wasn’t sharp at all; falling on the thick carpet, it was unusually dull. This dullness was like the beat of a drum, making his head buzz.

The man left, and the woman came in. She was very beautiful, but her face was ferocious.

The child did not feel close to her; he was even somewhat afraid of her. He timidly moved back a bit, but the woman had already grabbed him, her fair hand clutching his neck and squeezing hard.

The child’s eyes widened, struggling helplessly and blankly like a fish out of water.

The woman eventually let go of him but slapped his face mercilessly, leaving swollen red marks on his tender face with her cold, hard fingers.

The child burst into tears, and the woman became hysterical until someone pulled her away.

Yin Xiuzhu suddenly opened his eyes, feeling a cold sensation on his cheek, and the faint scent of medicine lingering in the air.

At first glance at the woman in front of him, it seemed he was still in the dream. His dark eyes suddenly narrowed.

Qiao Jin was startled and said softly, “It’s okay, Xiaozhu, it’s me.”

Her voice brought Yin Xiuzhu back to reality. He lowered his eyelids and asked softly, “Aunt Qiao, Qi Mu…”
Qiao Jin replied, “He’s still asleep. Don’t worry, he’ll be fine after a night’s rest.”

Yin Xiuzhu nodded.

Qiao Jin asked him softly, “Are you hungry?”

“I’m fine,” Yin Xiuzhu replied. “I don’t feel like eating.”

Qiao Jin wanted to say something else but noticed the hand signal her husband gave her. She said, “Alright, then. Take some rest, and let me know if you need anything.”

Yin Xiuzhu simply nodded silently.

Qiao Jin left the room, looking at Qi Dashan with a face full of worry.

Qi Dashan still couldn’t calm down. No one knew the extent of the shock he felt when he saw that scene. Who could have imagined that a thirteen-year-old boy would… would…

Qi Dashan closed his eyes.

The forensic doctor’s words still echoed in his ears: “This child’s grip strength is significant, and his knife-holding posture is steady and precise. If he had panicked and stabbed the assailant with a reverse grip, the assailant might have retaliated after being injured. But he chose to hold the knife correctly, using his right hand for leverage, aiming for the back of the assailant’s heart.”

It was a truly decisive and ruthless strike. Even for an ordinary adult, it might be impossible to act so resolutely in such a situation.

If he had not received any training, then he indeed had extraordinary talent.

These words had a deeper implication: a highly intelligent, prematurely mature child with an antisocial personality could have a very dangerous future…

After taking a deep breath, Qi Dashan pushed the door open and entered the room.

Yin Xiuzhu sat quietly, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Qi Dashan walked up to him, patted his shoulder, and asked, “Are you okay?”

Yin Xiuzhu turned to look at him and said softly, “Uncle Qi.”

Qi Dashan felt a mix of emotions. He comforted him, saying, “Don’t overthink it. This was self-defense; you’re not in trouble. You don’t need to worry about anything else. I’ll handle it and ensure no one finds out.” He paused and added, “You shouldn’t carry any mental burden. Cai Li has been brought to justice, and Qin Hu, he didn’t…”

Before he could finish saying “Didn’t die,” Yin Xiuzhu interrupted, “He’s dead.”

Qi Dashan was taken aback.

Yin Xiuzhu said, “I know.”

Qi Dashan paused, deciding not to hide the truth from him any longer. “He got what he deserved.” Whether it was his imagination or not, Qi Dashan felt that Yin Xiuzhu wasn’t afraid of having killed someone. It seemed he didn’t even care about it.

What did he actually care about?

Yin Xiuzhu looked at him and said, “Uncle Qi, can you do me a favor?”

Qi Dashan’s expression turned serious as he said firmly, “Tell me.” The immense gratitude he felt toward Yin Xiuzhu for saving Qi Mu was something he could never repay in his lifetime.

Yin Xiuzhu said, “I want to become Yin Zhenggong’s son.”

Qi Dashan was stunned.

Yin Xiuzhu asked softly, “Under what circumstances would a paternity test be unable to determine blood relations?” He seemed to be asking himself, but it was Qi Dashan who understood the question.

Qi Dashan replied, “Twins…”

Yin Xiuzhu lowered his eyes. “Is there no more advanced technology that can detect the true result? Something that couldn’t be determined ten years ago might be possible now.”

Qi Dashan understood, feeling a tightness in his chest, and asked, “Do you really want to return to that family?”

Yin Xiuzhu’s voice was light but incredibly firm, “Yes.”

He wanted to protect Qi Mu; he wanted to safeguard him for life. If even Qi Dashan couldn’t do it, he needed more power, stronger and greater.

Qi Dashan steadied himself and said, “Alright, I’ll help you. But I have one condition.”

Yin Xiuzhu replied, “Please, go ahead.”

Qi Dashan bit his lip and, with some difficulty, said, “Can you see a therapist regularly?” He quickly added, “Not that there’s anything wrong with you, but after experiencing something like this, it’s good to…”

“Yes, I will, thank you,” Yin Xiuzhu interrupted, smiling at Qi Dashan. “I understand. You have my best interests at heart.”

Seeing his genuine demeanor, Qi Dashan breathed a sigh of relief.

When Qi Mu woke up, he was still groggy. “Mom, where’s Yin Xiuzhu?”

Qiao Jin unable to speak for a moment, just hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face.

Qi Mu became anxious. “What’s wrong? Mom, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Qiao Jin choked up. “I just hope you live a good life, that’s all.”

Qi Dashan later explained the situation to Qi Mu, but he left out Yin Xiuzhu’s actions. He only mentioned that Cai Li’s phone location had been exposed, allowing the police to arrive in time and rescue them from danger without further incident.

Qi Mu panicked. “Where’s Yin Xiuzhu? Did he go home? Is he alright? Was he scared?”

He then felt regretful. “I made him suffer with me. He’s so timid; he must have cried a lot.”

Thinking of the boy who was so calm it was almost cold, Qi Dashan didn’t know how to respond.

Qi Mu said, “I’ll call him!”

Qi Dashan stopped him. “Yin Xiuzhu just got home. Let him rest for a bit. I’ll take you to see him in a few days.”

Only then did Qi Mu relax. Throughout the conversation, he never mentioned Cai Li, focusing only on comforting his mother and trying to cheer her up until she finally smiled through her tears.

However, late at night, when Qiao Jin came to tuck Qi Mu in, she saw his tear-stained pillow and heard his muttered words in his sleep.

“Uncle Cai… why…”

Why would someone who had been picking him up for four years do something so terrible?

Qi Mu didn’t understand.

But he couldn’t ask, and he didn’t dare cry openly. He didn’t want to make his parents sadder than they already were.

Qiao Jin’s face was covered in tears as she bent down and kissed the corner of his eye.

Yin Family.

The black-haired boy was curled up on his bed, finally asleep.

He hadn’t covered himself with a blanket; his smooth ankle lay exposed, untouched even by the moonlight.

He slept deeply, his black hair covering his eyes and eyebrows. Beneath his high nose, his lips were slightly curved upward—he had escaped from his nightmares, tightly clutching something in his arms.

It was a shirt: blue with a light white collar, carrying the scent of sunshine.