In the Years When I Was a Father

Chapter 92: Phoenix Dad (5)

Qi Sheng’s actions today didn’t just leave Qi Ningrui stunned—they left everyone who knew Qi Sheng utterly baffled.

Judging from the way Qi Sheng treated Qi Ningrui today, people couldn’t help but get the illusion that Qi Ningrui might actually be his future heir.

Strangely enough, even though Qi Sheng had only one son—Qi Ningrui—at some point, the entire upper-class circle had quietly come to assume that Qi Sheng would eventually name someone else as his successor.

Many of them were aware of the history between Qi Sheng and the Ning family. Ever since he publicly humiliated Ning Man and openly indulged in affairs, even going so far as to clean out the old guard loyal to Ning Man’s parents, most people stopped holding out hope for Qi Ningrui.

Now that Qi Sheng had taken full control of everything the Ning family once owned, if he were planning to hand it all to Qi Ningrui later, why go to such ruthless lengths in the first place? Especially when Qi Ningrui didn’t even have the power to decide on returning to the country—everyone could more or less guess what Qi Sheng’s true intentions were.

He wanted to completely erase everyone connected to the Nings and reshape the company into something fully his own—Qi Corporation.

Seeing that he was even willing to abandon his own son, people could only sigh: ruthless!

They had all already accepted the narrative of Qi Sheng as a hypocritical, cold-hearted man. But suddenly, Qi Sheng flipped the script. Judging by today’s performance, anyone unaware of the full story might’ve thought Qi Ningrui was the heir he’d been carefully grooming all along.

But these people weren’t so easily fooled by a single gesture. Rather than believing that Qi Sheng suddenly remembered how much he loved his son, they were more inclined to suspect that he was definitely scheming something.

Could Ning Man’s parents still be hiding some assets that hadn’t been handed over? At that moment, many people turned to conspiracy theories, speculating that Qi Sheng definitely had a backup plan. They couldn’t help but pity Qi Ningrui. With a father like that, what kind of terrible karma must he have accumulated in his past life?

While the men were busy doubting Qi Sheng’s motives, the women were more interested in the whereabouts of the ruby.

Socialite #1: “Tsk tsk, that ruby is worth nearly 90 million. I wonder which little vixen has the charm to make Qi Sheng so willing to spend.”

Socialite #2: “Ugh, I almost feel sorry for Ning Man now. I used to dislike her, always acting like she was some goddess, but look at her now. Her husband’s using her family’s money to please some other hussy. Do you think if Ning Man found out, she’d grab a knife and take Qi Sheng down with her?”

Socialite #3: “If it were me, I’d definitely grab a knife and do it. Worst-case scenario, I’d take him with me. Maybe then everything would return to her son. But it’s looking unlikely now.”

Socialite #4: “I heard that Qi Sheng was particularly attentive to Qi Ningrui today. My husband said he almost thought Qi Sheng was grooming that boy as his successor.”

Socialite #2: “Then your husband’s definitely overthinking it. Qi Sheng is absolutely up to something. Honestly, the real question right now is: who ended up with that ruby? With such a grand gesture, she might just be the mother of the future Qi family heir.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. The thing these rich women hated most was when their husbands spent money on their mistresses. A few handbags and jewelry were tolerable—barely—but if a man spent that kind of money just to woo some floozy, that wasn’t something they could tolerate. That was a direct challenge to the legitimate wife.

At this moment, they were all thoroughly sympathizing with Ning Man. They couldn’t help but wonder: how would she react if she found out?

As it turns out, Ning Man did have a strong reaction. Staring at the beautiful ruby in front of her—had this happened ten years ago, she might’ve cheered. Had it been nine years ago, she might’ve thought it was an apology. But this wasn’t ten years ago or nine years ago—it was a full decade later.

And in that decade, Qi Sheng’s relentless cruelty had finally cleared Ning Man’s mind. In the early years, she stayed home every day, crying over his tabloid scandals. She used to weep and argue when he didn’t come home. But after he coldly sent their son overseas, her heart toward him finally died.

Once someone breaks free from emotional manipulation, they usually become wiser and more clear-headed. That was when Ning Man finally began to understand her parents’ good intentions.

She remembered their time together in university, how clumsy and obvious her attempts to hide her family background had been, how she’d laughed and cried during those days.

Her parents had warned her then: Qi Sheng had long figured out her family wasn’t ordinary. But Ning Man didn’t believe them. She argued passionately, saying that Qi Sheng came from a poor background and didn’t understand luxury goods—how could he know the true value of those inconspicuous items?

Back then, she didn’t even need Qi Sheng to explain anything. She had single-handedly argued her parents into silence. She’d been so proud of herself, thinking she was clever. Looking back now, her parents had probably only thought: How could our only daughter be this foolish?

She remembered a period when Qi Sheng grew impatient with her—before they were even married. Her parents were strongly against the relationship, especially her mother, who used every connection to suppress Qi Sheng, even trying to force him to leave her.

Ning Man had sensed Qi Sheng’s pressure then, but her mind was so clouded—so utterly foolish—that even when he treated her roughly in bed, she still made excuses for him.

Back then, she had truly believed she was the one bringing him bad luck.

Her parents were so unreasonable.

She felt so sorry for Qi Sheng.

Now that Ning Man was clear-headed, she couldn’t help but laugh angrily at her past stupidity. She must have been poisoned by melodramatic romance novels back then, because she didn’t think there was anything wrong with Qi Sheng’s abuse. She had even foolishly believed that couples in love had to go through hardships, and that Qi Sheng treated her like that because his love ran deep and his desire stronger.

To hell with “deep love”—if he truly loved her, how could he ever bear to hurt her even the slightest?

Even back then, Qi Sheng had already begun turning the pressure he suffered into retaliation against her. The only reason he didn’t go further was because she still had her parents behind her—he wouldn’t have dared.

Looking at the enchanting ruby in front of her, Ning Man felt no emotional ripple. All she felt now was curiosity—what was that man up to this time?

“Did your dad introduce you to his business partners today?”

“Yeah. I didn’t tell you before, but at the company, Dad’s been really supportive. Not only did he assign Gao Xin to personally guide me, sometimes he even teaches me himself.”

Thinking of Qi Sheng’s recent behavior, Qi Ningrui couldn’t help voicing the hope in his heart: “Mom, do you think Dad might really change?”

Ning Man looked at the hopeful light in her son’s eyes. She knew he still held on to a sliver of belief in the father he once had. She couldn’t bear to shatter his hope—but she also couldn’t sit back and let Qi Sheng manipulate the two of them again.

“I haven’t seen your dad in a long time. If he’s free, could you ask him to come over?”

They had been “in love” for eighteen years, fought for three, and had been separated for seven. During those seven years, Ning Man had spent the most time revisiting their past, replaying their so-called love story in her mind like a film—reanalyzing everything she thought she knew about Qi Sheng.

Ironically, she now found it laughable how terrifying reality could be. She had once been lost in the dream of their love, and only when it completely shattered did she finally understand the real Qi Sheng.

Now that she knew who he truly was, she really wanted to see him face-to-face—wanted to know what scheme he was plotting this time.

Qi Ningrui didn’t know what Ning Man was really thinking. Remembering all the hurt she had endured over the years, he instinctively felt protective of her.

“Mom, I’m not sure yet if Dad is really changing. Let’s watch him a bit longer. If he stays on the straight and narrow, then I’ll bring you to meet him.”

Ning Man smiled at her son’s hesitation. Her silly boy must think she still had lingering feelings for that man and could be won back with just a bit of kindness.

Still, she was genuinely moved by her son’s protectiveness. Her miserable marriage had only one thing worth treasuring—this child in front of her.

“Alright, we’ll do as you say. Just keep an eye on your father. Focus on your work; that’s the most important thing.”

Seeing her son nod, she worried he still had too many expectations for Qi Sheng and reminded him again: “Xiaorui, even though I hope you can reclaim the Ning family’s legacy, if one day you fail, don’t be too hung up on it. More than your grandparents’ assets, what I want most is for you to live well.”

Qi Ningrui took her hand and smiled: “I know, Mom. Don’t worry. Things have been going well with Hongfei. No matter what happens with Lemon or with the Ning Group, your son will always have a fallback.”

Ning Man nodded and carefully put the ruby away. No matter her feelings toward Qi Sheng, she accepted this gem without the slightest guilt. If Qi Sheng was willing to give it, she’d gladly take it—who knew, it might even become her son’s living expenses one day.

The outside world was still buzzing with curiosity about the ruby’s whereabouts, but Ning Man, now reclusive and uninterested in showing off gifts, gave them nothing to go on. The gossiping socialites were practically bursting with frustration.

Right now, the Qi family—Qi Sheng, Ning Man, and Qi Ningrui—were the hottest topic among the upper-class women. Any socialite who didn’t know their story would be suspected of not really belonging in the circle.

They waited and speculated, but no amount of guesswork yielded any concrete answers. The noblewomen were beginning to wonder—did Qi Sheng maybe have a secret jewelry-collecting hobby?

Qi Sheng had no idea how much attention he was getting in the women’s circle. He was already exasperated by the mess left behind by the original Qi Sheng’s philandering past. Ever since word got out about the big ruby purchase, many women he’d once had physical relations with started making moves again. Whether he was going out for a meal, attending meetings, or just parking his car, he’d be “coincidentally” running into them.

Qi Sheng was nearly speechless. Even when he wore a perpetual scowl, there were still women bold enough to throw themselves at him. Apparently, the temptation was just too great—it had stripped them of all reason.

Fed up, Qi Sheng decided to make a bold move. Apart from the house he currently lived in and the car he drove, he transferred all his fixed assets to Ning Man.

The upper-class women watching him were stunned. The beautiful women hoping to cozy up to him were stunned. The entire business world was stunned. Even Ning Man and Qi Ningrui were stunned.

Had Qi Sheng lost his mind?