In the Years When I Was a Father

Chapter 16: The Playboy Dad (16)

One year later, when the college entrance exam results were released, Qi Wenfeng stared at the college application system for a long time in silence. Qi Wenyu, who had come to find him, couldn’t help but smirk as he watched his brother staring blankly at the computer.

“What’s wrong? Still hesitating?”

Qi Wenfeng, feeling frustrated and irritated, looked up and glared at the person who was obviously teasing him. “What’s there to hesitate about? What other choice do I have besides F University?”

He didn’t want to talk to him any longer, so he grabbed the car keys from the table and walked out.

Qi Wenyu, understanding the situation, wasn’t bothered. He had already graduated and was planning to go out for a trip with his two younger brothers, but now it seemed that one was too busy to go and the other was in no mood…

He turned to look for Qi Sheng but, seeing his father busy mixing perfumes, couldn’t help but twitch his lips. His dad truly had so many hobbies now!

When Qi Sheng finished his task, he looked up and saw his eldest son standing nearby, a bit curious. “Why aren’t you discussing with your brothers where to go?”

“Probably because no one wants to go…” Qi Wenyu explained the situation with Qi Wenfeng.

“Is he not going back to the Music Academy again?” Qi Sheng asked, somewhat surprised.

Qi Wenyu thought it was indeed a possibility. Qi Sheng didn’t care much about what his younger son was feeling at the moment. “It’s fine. If they don’t want to go, I’ll go with you. You can choose wherever you want.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Wenyu was somewhat tempted. He didn’t have much interest in the so-called graduation trip, but every year his father required all three of them to go out at least once during the summer. This year was no exception. However, the idea of going with his father made him more interested.

At this moment, Qi Wenfeng had parked the car outside the Music Academy and was staring at the students coming in and out, feeling a little frustrated.

With the summer vacation just around the corner, there weren’t many people coming or going. Qi Wenfeng lazily leaned against the car seat, lost in thought.

The music teacher Qi Sheng had hired for him was also a professor at this school, and he had visited this place many times before, so he was very familiar with it. Unfortunately…

By the time Qi Sheng and Qi Wenyu were enjoying a carefree day on a small island, Qi Wenfeng looked helplessly at his mother’s eager eyes. “Mom, I just finished the college entrance exams. Can’t you let me relax for a bit?”

“It’s been almost a month. Isn’t that enough? Has Grandpa said anything about arranging a position for you yet?” Zhou Yan couldn’t help but get excited. After eighteen years of waiting, her son was about to join the Qi family business!

“Not yet. I’ll probably have to wait until Dad gets back to discuss it.” Qi Wenfeng replied dismissively. He hadn’t been in the mood to think about it in the past few days.

“I don’t understand you. You’re about to enter the real battlefield. You can’t lose your drive now!” Zhou Yan frowned, unable to understand her son’s mood.

Qi Wenfeng was already in a bad mood these past couple of days, and hearing his mother say this made him a little angry. “Mom, I’m only eighteen. Who doesn’t want to do something they like at this age? Why do you always want me to join the company and work?”

Zhou Yan felt like she might have pushed him too hard. She understood that her son, at this age, probably just wanted to have fun, so she gently persuaded him. “Son, they can’t compare to you. They wish they had the chance to work, but you’re not just going to work for someone else; you’ll be working for your own family business. This is for your future. Once the Qi family is yours, I won’t force you anymore. You can do whatever you want…”

Qi Wenfeng could no longer hold back his feelings. “Mom, why do I have to fight for the Qi family? Dad loves me so much, even if I never work a day in my life, he’d be willing to support me. Why can’t I live like Dad, a carefree rich kid? Why do I have to fight and slave away for the company?”

Zhou Yan frowned, looking at her son in confusion. “Son, are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten what people have been saying about us all these years? You have to fight for your place in the Qi family. I want to see who will still dare to look down on us when you’re the head of the family!”

Qi Wenfeng knew there was no way to reason with her and didn’t want to say anything that would hurt her feelings. No matter what others thought about their family, there were things he couldn’t say.

Seeing her son’s unhappy expression, Zhou Yan gently comforted him. “Son, just bear with it for a few more years. Think about it—once you’re the head of the Qi family, all the wealth will be at your disposal. You can do whatever you want, and there will be a bunch of people trying to please you. Think about what the future holds for us…”

“Enough, I get it…” Qi Wenfeng said weakly. He realized some things couldn’t be explained from the start.

Unable to endure hearing his mother’s “logic,” he came up with a random excuse to brush her off.

Back at the Qi family home, Qi Wenfeng opened the computer on his desk and logged into a large interactive platform. He had released three songs on this platform, one of which had even reached the top spot for a while. His account now had over a million followers, with fans constantly asking when he would release a new song. It was at moments like these that he felt the happiest.

Many record companies and platforms had reached out to him, but he had rejected them all. Some music industry insiders guessed that the songs he released couldn’t possibly have been made without a professional team, leading them to believe either he already had a team or didn’t need the money. Although they lamented that such a talented and versatile singer couldn’t be poached, they didn’t persist in contacting him.

But his cute fans, crying out to hear him sing live, made Qi Wenfeng go through the comments one by one. In the end, he uploaded his latest song, freshly completed.

Qi Sheng, lounging on a beach chair and soaking up the sun, received the fresh coconut his eldest son handed him. As he listened to the new song from his youngest son, he said with little emotion, “Ah, poor child!”

Qi Wenyu, sitting on the other side, looked at his rather unreliable father and said nothing.

The song quickly became a hit, and Qi Wenfeng’s fanbase grew significantly. More and more people became curious about him. This song gained even more popularity, and naturally, it attracted more attention from listeners. Many people went back to search for his previous songs, finding that each one had a unique style, with every song better than the last. He was considered a hidden gem of a singer.

Many fans became even more eager for their idol to appear in front of them, leaving comments crying out for live broadcasts. Qi Wenfeng was satisfied with how well his new song had done, but he knew that it still wasn’t the right time for him to show himself!

Qi Wenyan, scrolling through his father’s social media, saw photos of the father and son enjoying a leisurely vacation. His eyes turned red with jealousy. He then turned to look at the work report on his computer, nearly losing his composure. With a ‘role model’ like his father, how were they three still so diligent? It was almost a miracle.

Qi Wenyan continued to work hard on his reports but couldn’t help frowning when he saw a call coming in on his phone. These people really didn’t know when to give up!

From Shen Yao’s relentless attempts to get closer to him, to Shen Ping calling him personally, Qi Wenyan had gone from amused to numb. Xu Ning, perhaps feeling guilty, had never contacted him directly, though she had called Qi Wenyan a few times. After the dust settled on their issues, the three of them had started shamelessly contacting the Qi family again.

A few years ago, the money Xu Ning had obtained hadn’t allowed them to live a comfortable life. Shen Yao’s restless nature, after realizing that his cousin Shen Yan was now living a luxurious life, was unwilling to settle for less.

He secretly took some of the money and began leading an extravagant life with a minor playboy.

Shen Yao was a schemer. Most of the time, he led the playboy into spending more money. The playboy was naive and had plenty of cash. Shen Yao was also good at fighting, and they seemed to hit it off. At first, they lived a somewhat indulgent life, and Xu Ning and her husband didn’t notice anything unusual with their son. But everything changed when their group got into a fight at a bar with a drunk man.

The playboy wasn’t entirely foolish. He knew better than to pick fights with someone he couldn’t handle, but the drunk man was dressed in ordinary clothes with nothing valuable on him. When they got into an argument, the playboy didn’t hesitate, dragging Shen Yao along to beat the man up.

They frequently got into fights, and didn’t think much of it after. But little did they know, this time they had picked the wrong person to mess with.

It turned out the drunk man was from a wealthy family in Beijing. He had run away from home due to family conflict and ended up in Haishi. Unfortunately, he had sold all his valuable possessions, which was why he was dressed so simply when he clashed with the playboy.

Eventually, the man returned to get revenge, and the playboy was the first target. However, Shen Yao didn’t escape unscathed. After all, it was mostly him encouraging the fighting, so the wealthy second-generation man hated Shen Yao deeply as well.

In the end, the Shen family had to pay a large sum of money, and their newly bought house had to be sold to cover the costs. Shen Yao ended up in the hospital for two months.

The once-wealthy Shen family found themselves once again broke, and their attention turned to Qi Wenyan and Qi Wenyu.

It was bad enough that their new house, which they had only lived in for a couple of years, had now turned into a shabby rental. It was something no one could accept.

Looking at his son, still recovering, and their family’s lack of income, even Shen Ping, who had begun to give up, started focusing on the two Qi children.

Shen Yao, seeing that even his father’s calls were being ignored, couldn’t help but curse. “That ungrateful wretch! Dad raised him for over ten years, and he dares not answer your calls!”

Shen Ping was also frustrated, and his usually calm face now showed some displeasure. Shen Yao, unwilling to give up, turned to his mother and asked, “What about Qi Wenyu? Mom, you’re his real mother. If he dares not give you money, just go to his company and cause a scene. I heard his company is in a prime location in the financial center, with monthly rent in the tens of thousands! He still lives in the Qi family home. Isn’t it easy for him to buy you a house?”

After failing to reach out to him multiple times, Xu Ning, frustrated with her pampered son, lost her patience. Why could the eldest son open his own company at such a young age, while her youngest son kept causing trouble? If her youngest son hadn’t gotten into that fight back then, perhaps her eldest son would have been the one to take charge of the Qi family. She could have gradually built a relationship with him, and maybe he would’ve shown her some filial affection.

Now, after a brief taste of a better life, they were back to square one, thanks to her troublesome son. In a fit of rage, Xu Ning slapped Shen Yao across the face. The Shen family was in chaos, and Qi Wenyan still didn’t know that his refusal to answer a call had led to a family feud. Even if he did find out, he would probably just laugh it off.