In the Years When I Was a Father

Chapter 88: Phoenix Dad (1)

When Qi Sheng returned to the system space from the world of the quintuplets, he still felt a bit reluctant, thinking of those silly children who had knelt by his bedside, crying uncontrollably in his final moments. Seeing his sadness, 277 specially told him that Qi Yuxi would be able to reverse-travel back.

“His consciousness in the original world still exists. Once his life in this world ends, he’ll return to the original world.”

Qi Sheng was stunned for a moment. Thinking of Qi Yunxiao, who had been so childish in front of him, he smiled. Once back in the original world, Qi Yuxi would be the best guardian those children could ever have.

Qi Sheng rested in the system space for several days. It wasn’t until the final day that he sat once again on the Emotion Purification Chair to strip away the feelings from his current life.

When he opened his eyes again, he had already received the storyline of the new world.

Looking at the enchanting beauty lying beside him, Qi Sheng sighed inwardly as he withdrew from her embrace—trust the system to always arrange something for him at just the right moment.

The beauty beside him wasn’t sleeping very deeply. Seeing that Qi Sheng was about to leave, she struggled to sit up and tried to keep him.

“President Qi, it’s so late—why not wait until tomorrow to leave?”

“I have other matters to attend to.”

After speaking, Qi Sheng glanced at her again. Thinking of what was going to happen tomorrow, he added, “Our relationship ends here. Tomorrow, I’ll have my secretary contact you.” Without another glance at her calls, he left coldly and ruthlessly, embodying the very image of a scumbag who turns his back the moment he pulls up his pants.

You couldn’t blame Qi Sheng for cutting things off so cleanly. A few more months and there might have been a child involved—handling things then would have been far more complicated.

While he left decisively, the beauty on the bed no longer looked as seductive as she had moments before. In a fit of anger, she threw things around, unable to comprehend why Qi Sheng, who had clearly been infatuated with her, would suddenly turn so heartless.

Just as she was about to secure her long-term golden meal ticket, it was snatched away. How could she accept that? She picked up her phone and started calling her friends for help.

Meanwhile, Qi Sheng left the hotel and drove home alone, already feeling a headache coming on at the thought of his son returning tomorrow.

Unlike the other worlds, in this one, his son was already twenty-five years old. His return to the country wasn’t some warm family reunion—if anything, it could be summed up as the Avengers Assemble. And this “Avengers” list? Only two names: his current wife and son.

After receiving the storyline of this world, Qi Sheng spent a full hour expressing his disdain for the original host. If in the previous worlds the original hosts could still be redeemed with some excuses, this one was utterly beyond saving.

The original host was truly a “golden phoenix flying out of a mountain valley.” No one knew what he had been raised on—he had none of a rural person’s simplicity, and his cunning mind could run circles around city folks.

He had excellent grades, was good-looking, flexible, and an expert at pretending. Relying on his image of being diligent, upright, and reliable, he quickly charmed a bunch of naive girls. Though he looked calm on the outside, he was secretly thrilled. Without drawing attention, he chose to go after Ning Man, a rich and beautiful young woman disguised as a poor student.

Ning Man—now Qi Sheng’s wife—couldn’t be more aptly described as a rich beauty. Her father was a top tycoon in the home appliance industry, her mother a power player in a major e-commerce brand. Two powerhouses, yet they raised a sweet but foolish daughter.

Qi Sheng thought again and felt that wasn’t quite right. Her parents were indeed formidable, but they were too busy with their careers and neglected their only daughter.

Ning Man grew up in a home lacking in parental affection. Most of the friends around her only associated with her because of her status. In this way, she became someone “so rich she had nothing but money”—lonely to the core. After reading a romance novel one day, she was struck by inspiration and decided to disguise herself as an average girl studying far from home.

There were many girls who liked the original host, including other rich beauties. But it was Ning Man who successfully beat out all the love rivals and bagged the school heartthrob. She was both proud and delighted, growing even more fond of the original host.

During their school years, Ning Man thought she was incredibly lucky. The gentle school heartthrob falling in love with a “plain Jane” beauty—wasn’t this true love?

Naturally, she cherished true love with great care. So when she was about to graduate, she nervously and apologetically confessed her rich-girl identity to the original host.

And so the two of them began a classic, old-school emotional rollercoaster: the original host acted hurt; she coaxed him. He feared he wasn’t worthy and wanted to break up; she pleaded with him to stay. He couldn’t bear to part with her and began striving to improve himself; she supported him from behind with everything she had.

At the time, Ning Man was utterly blinded by the original host’s tenderness—or perhaps his disguise was simply too perfect. In her eyes, they were living a god-tier love story, a destiny forged over three lifetimes.

Ning Man was deeply immersed in love, but unfortunately, her parents were not so easily fooled.

No matter how mature the original host tried to appear, to Ning Man’s seasoned and business-savvy parents, he was full of holes. Naturally, opposition from them was inevitable. In fact, during the first few years, the original host was constantly suppressed and pressured by them in all sorts of ways.

During that period, the original host almost couldn’t take it anymore. But, well, even Qi Sheng had to admire his resilience. If only he had better intentions, a poor boy falling for a rich girl wouldn’t have been such a problem.

Unfortunately, instead of breaking under pressure, the original host became twisted under endurance. Harboring deep grudges and resentment, he doubled down—showering Ning Man with more affection while working harder than ever to prove himself.

This behavior genuinely surprised Ning Man’s parents, not to mention Ning Man herself, whose heart was already completely his.

Initially, she had started to doubt things under her parents’ persuasion. But the original host used real actions to prove that he was with her because of who she was, not what she had.

Ning Man was fully convinced by the original host and stood firmly on his side throughout the conflicts with her parents. For the first two years of their marriage, she even cut off all contact with them. Their relationship only began to ease after the birth of Qi Ningrui.

Looking at their baby grandson and their daughter who was utterly devoted to her husband, Ning Man’s parents eventually chose to accept the original host—even though they were fully aware of his ambition.

Their logic was simple: so what if he was ambitious and cunning? As long as they were around, their daughter would never suffer. And once their grandson grew up and took over the family business, he would protect her, ensuring that the original host wouldn’t dare mistreat her.

They thought it through well. But so did the original host.

His ability to adapt, endure, and bide his time served him well. He worked hard, doted on his wife, adored his son, and even refused to take advantage of his powerful in-laws’ connections.

His unconventional approach truly caught Ning Man’s parents off guard. After nearly ten years of gradual adjustment, their attitude softened. For the sake of their grandson, they stopped deliberately making things hard for him and even began offering subtle guidance and help in business.

It was during this period that the original host’s career began to take off. In just five years, his small company of a little over a hundred people rapidly expanded, becoming a recognizable name nationwide.

Success fed his ambition. He knew growth would plateau soon, and just as he was looking for ways to push the company forward—Ning Man’s parents met with disaster.

The couple had a tradition of traveling together at least once a year. This time, they were caught in a landslide during one such trip and tragically died.

As leaders in their respective industries, their deaths were a major shock. The Ning Group, now without a clear leader, and the 40% stake in Lemon E-commerce held by Ning Man’s mother became hot topics in the business world.

It was then that the original host saw his chance.

Qi Sheng couldn’t help but sneer at the thought of how the original host had used a few tricks to easily obtain the inheritance held by Ning Man and their son.

With no one left to stand over him, and now the real power behind two major corporations, the original host ascended to become a true industry leader. And, like so many men who gain wealth and power, he became bloated with arrogance—this was especially true for him.

He tore off his carefully crafted mask. His long-suppressed hatred for Ning Man’s parents finally erupted.

The first time he hit Ning Man, it was simply because she mentioned her parents at home. He also struck his son for the first time because Qi Ningrui stood up for his mother.

That argument was like a switch, completely exposing the original host’s true nature.

He no longer had any patience for Ning Man. Her tears and protests only irritated and amused him. The hatred he had buried deep inside, the resentment and bitterness—he could now finally release it all.

He began indulging in extramarital affairs without restraint. His patience for his son evaporated.

Qi Ningrui cried, pleaded, tried everything. But no matter what he did, the gentle and loving father of the past was gone forever.

Desperate to bring that version of his father back, he tried everything—only to be heartlessly shipped off overseas by the original host, under the pretense of pursuing his studies.

As Qi Sheng recalled these events, his forehead twitched with pain. The original host had gone completely off the rails. Even if Qi Sheng wanted to redeem himself now, he didn’t even know where to begin.

While he raged at the original host’s actions, the son, Qi Ningrui, wasn’t holding back either.

He and his best friend He Hongfei had been studying abroad for seven years. He Hongfei was well aware of everything that had happened in the Qi family during that time. Seeing the somber, fierce look on Qi Ningrui’s face, he knew exactly what his friend was thinking as they prepared to land. He couldn’t help but offer advice:

“Ningrui, don’t act rashly this time. Your dad isn’t someone you can easily go up against. Right now, both the Ning Group and Lemon E-commerce are in his hands. If you confront him head-on, you’ll only end up hurt.”

Qi Ningrui was still drowning in pain. It took a long pause before he finally unclenched his fists and said with bitter sarcasm:

“I won’t be foolish again, thinking that no matter what, I still matter to him. Ha. Some people really are amazing—they can pretend to be a loving father for over a decade…”

“He got what he wanted, so why is he still so heartless? Pretending to still care should be easy, shouldn’t it? Why is it so hard for him?”

Maybe it was the impending return home, but Qi Ningrui’s emotions surged again. Once, he had hoped his father had simply lost his way. But now, it was clear—this man had no heart at all.