novelraw Chapter 94: Phoenix Dad (End)
Chapter 94: Phoenix Dad (End)
Being transferred to work by Qi Sheng’s side, Qi Ningrui was definitely curious.
When he was younger, he had seen his father buried in work, but had never known what exactly he was doing—until now, following him closely.
To train Qi Ningrui, Qi Sheng would hand over any non-urgent documents for him to handle first, only stepping in afterward to revise and improve them. For urgent matters, Qi Sheng would handle them himself, then forward a copy for his son to study.
Whenever he met with business partners or held negotiations, Qi Sheng brought his son along. And soon, everyone dealing with Qi boss realized—having his son around made him even harder to deal with than before.
So… your son actually gives you a power-up?
Qi Sheng had no idea what those who kept losing ground in front of him were thinking. And even if he did, he’d just smile and say: Yes, I’m powered up. Didn’t you see the admiration in my son’s eyes?!
Right now, Qi Ningrui really did admire Qi Sheng. In just a few short months, he had been completely won over by his father’s sheer competence. Following him around, he not only learned an incredible amount every day, but even picked up tricks on how to deal with those old business foxes. After they wrapped up a major business project late at night, Qi Ningrui simply went home with his father to stay the night.
By then, it was already deep into the night. The spacious villa still felt cold and empty even with two people inside. Qi Ningrui collapsed onto the sofa to rest for a moment. Watching his father prepare to go upstairs, he couldn’t help but ask, “Dad, are you not planning to go home? Mom’s actually been talking about you lately.”
Qi Sheng shook his head. “It’s better this way. Your mom’s finally willing to go out and enjoy herself a little. I’d rather not disturb her.”
Qi Ningrui frowned, a little unhappy. His mom had already brought it up—why was this man still being so stubborn? Didn’t he realize this was a perfect chance to reconcile? The two of them had been together every day recently, and Ningrui knew his father hadn’t done anything out of line. Which made him even more confused—was he planning to just stay stuck in this stalemate with Mom forever? Noticing his son’s displeasure, Qi Sheng walked over and patted him on the head. “Alright, it’s late. Adult matters—we’ll handle ourselves. Go get some rest.”
Qi Ningrui pouted. The composed, mature young man who carried himself so well outside now looked like a sulky kid. “I’m turning twenty-six in a few months. I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t care what you say—just put some effort into it!”
He truly couldn’t figure out what was going on between his parents. They weren’t divorced, his father was clearly changing for the better… yet he never made any gesture to apologize. Of course, in Ningrui’s eyes, gift-giving didn’t count. Especially when his father never gave them in person, always making him deliver them instead—it felt completely insincere!
That said, he wasn’t overly anxious. He had a vague feeling that both of his parents were in a better place now.
Ever since he’d gotten involved in more core company operations, he’d noticed his mother visibly relaxing. Where once she’d shut herself away in the Ning family’s old home, now she was finally willing to go out and breathe a little. Sometimes, she’d even ask how his father was doing.
His father, meanwhile, was behaving oddly as well. On major holidays, he’d always buy a gift—but only a gift. Nothing more. Not a single word.
In the past, he used to keep the villa swarming with housekeepers and bodyguards. Now? For some reason, only one housekeeper remained, coming in occasionally to clean and cook. The standard four bodyguards were gone. It was strange. If the villa complex hadn’t had such excellent security, Qi Ningrui might’ve been worried his father would get robbed again.
He didn’t actually want to force them to reconcile. He was just puzzled. He couldn’t figure out what either of them were thinking.
Qi Sheng saw the confusion in his son’s eyes, but had no intention of explaining. If Ning Man wanted to see him, it certainly wasn’t for reconciliation. If his guess was right, she still had doubts about him. Meeting him—yes, she wanted that. But her real goal was to clear those doubts.
As for the villa that seemed empty to his son, Qi Sheng didn’t find it lacking at all. It was rare to be in a world where, once he finished raising his son, he had no further burdens. So he might as well enjoy a carefree bachelor’s life.
Five years later.
He Hongfei looked at his friend, who had had a bit to drink and was now slumped on the sofa, and laughed at him. “What’s wrong, Mr. CEO? Weren’t you the one crying and begging to come back and seize power? Now that you’ve seized it, why don’t you look happy?”
Qi Ningrui loosened his slightly constrictive tie, gave him a glare, then continued lying on the sofa, weakly muttering, “Get lost. Still making fun of me… Being a CEO is not human work at all. I’m busy as hell every single day, don’t even get a moment of freedom. Tell me, why did I ever show the slightest ambition to my dad about wanting to be CEO?!”
Qi Ningrui felt utterly miserable. Yes, when he first joined the company, it was to “seize power.” But back then, he had been worried his father would ruthlessly take everything from the Ning family. Now, things had gone too smoothly—he had become the largest shareholder and powerholder of both Lemon and the Ning Group. But every single day was absolute hell: if he wasn’t flying in the air, he was stuck in an office swamped with paperwork, or meeting business partners. Compared to his friend’s leisurely lifestyle, it was like he was working harder than an ox and waking earlier than a rooster. And when he scrolled through his dad’s social media? That just rubbed salt in the wound: Today I climbed this insane mountain. Tomorrow I discovered some beautiful scenic spot. Every time he saw it, he regretted it so much he could practically turn green.
What the hell was I even thinking back then?!
He Hongfei, seeing him like this, couldn’t resist teasing, “Alright, alright, Mr. Youngest Billionaire on the Rich List, if you’re going to sleep, at least go to your room. Don’t say I didn’t warn you—your secretary said when she left earlier that you’ve got a big meeting tomorrow at ten.”
Qi Ningrui groaned at the thought of tomorrow’s meeting, covered his face with a pillow, and just wanted a proper vacation. “I don’t want to go. I can’t take this anymore—I need to call my dad. If he can climb cliffs like that, there’s no way he should be retiring this early!”
He sat up and started looking for his phone. When the call finally connected, Qi Ningrui immediately went full pitiful mode: “Dad, your son’s about to die from overwork. Can’t you come back and help me out?!”
Qi Sheng, at the time, was enjoying a laid-back retirement in a remote mountain village overseas. Every day he’d drive around with his dog—either taking scenic drives or going fishing. One man and one dog, never lonely. In fact, his days were rich with activity, and he was thoroughly enjoying his carefree lifestyle. Seeing his son’s miserable face now, he just laughed and said, “Be good, work hard. If you really want to take it easy, get married and have a kid, just like I did.”
Qi Ningrui was not amused—his dad had no conscience! A year ago, without so much as a warning, the man pushed him into the CEO seat and even transferred all of his shares to him.
Overnight, he became the youngest billionaire in the country. Qi Ningrui didn’t feel like smiling at all. After nearly four years working alongside his father and successfully reviving a struggling subsidiary, just when he was about to brag to his old man, he got completely blindsided by this massive transfer of assets.
Qi Ningrui sighed. His life was just pitiful—his dad had “abandoned” him, his mom had too, and now he was drowning in endless overtime and an unending mountain of work.
Thinking of his mom, he made another call, this time to Ning Man. “Mom, how long are you planning to stay at the resort? Don’t you miss your son?”
Ning Man, now much more radiant, looked even younger amidst her relaxed and joyful life. Hearing her son whining, she quickly comforted him, “If you’re that tired, just hurry up and find someone to marry. Didn’t your dad say he’d cover for you for three months if you got married? Isn’t that the perfect excuse for a long break?”
Qi Ningrui grumbled again—there it was, always with the ‘find someone’ talk. But where was he supposed to find someone? He had zero free time! The people he met every day were either shrewd old men or bulky middle-aged guys. Where was this ‘someone’ supposed to come from?
Still, seeing his mom living so well, he didn’t worry too much. Although he was still puzzled about his parents’ current state. The two of them got along so well when they were together—why had one run off to a remote mountain village overseas, and the other hidden away at a countryside resort?
He didn’t get it. He really didn’t. Adult matters truly were beyond him.
After hanging up, Ning Man was immediately pestered by the friends beside her.
“Hey, so what’s going on between you and Qi Sheng? From the way you were just talking, it doesn’t sound like you still hate him. You two never even divorced. And every year, he still spends a fortune buying you gifts. Are you really not thinking about getting back together? You’re both over fifty now, and he has changed a lot these past few years. You really have no plans? Just gonna keep living separately like this?”
Ning Man smiled faintly and gently stroked the jade necklace around her neck—the very one Qi Sheng had bought her for over 100 million a few years ago. Thinking of him, Ning Man shook her head and didn’t say much.
Even though Qi Sheng had behaved admirably in recent years, Ning Man had remained guarded against him. In fact, she had even taken the initiative to visit him at his place a few times. Their initial meetings weren’t exactly friendly—Ning Man had hated him so much that, even while holding back, she was still full of suspicion.
Bit by bit, she tested the waters. And Qi Sheng could only meet her with patience, step by step. After three such visits, Ning Man’s attitude gradually began to soften.
At first, Qi Sheng didn’t understand why—and even muttered about how mysterious a woman’s heart could be. It wasn’t until he personally delivered the newest jade necklace to her that he finally had a revelation.
“Keep it. Give it to anyone you want. I won’t take it.”
Qi Sheng was confused. Hadn’t she accepted the gifts he had his son deliver before? Why was she refusing now that he had come in person?
Not understanding what the woman across from him was thinking, Qi Sheng pushed the necklace toward her. “Just take it. There’s no one else I could give it to but you.”
Ning Man shook her head, stared at the necklace for a while, and said, “If you meet someone you like in the future, you can give it to her.”
Qi Sheng thought she was testing him, so he responded patiently, “You’re my wife. Giving it to you is only natural.”
He even felt he’d handled it well. Unfortunately, the woman in front of him didn’t seem pleased. She stared at him, unblinking, for a long time before finally speaking.
“He was the one who owed me, not you. There’s no need for you to do all this.”
One sentence left Qi Sheng speechless. No wonder her attitude toward him had changed so suddenly—she had already figured it out.
Qi Sheng didn’t take the necklace back. Instead, he looked at her curiously. “Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”
Ning Man shook her head and gave a bitter smile. “If you had become him a few years earlier, maybe I wouldn’t have noticed. But those years, I was constantly revisiting the past between him and me. I know exactly what kind of person he was. You two are fundamentally different people. Even if you try to mimic his habits, it’s not the same.”
Qi Sheng didn’t say anything else. Whether or not his identity was exposed didn’t really matter—he had already taught Qi Ningrui well. Even if he left now, there wouldn’t be a problem.
Qi Sheng had already started planning for a life of freedom, when he suddenly heard the woman across from him speak in a faint voice.
“You came. So… where is he?”
Qi Sheng replied, “He’s gone, of course.”
“That’s good.”
For a moment, silence fell again. Qi Sheng didn’t know what to say next, and Ning Man didn’t know how to begin.
After a long time, Ning Man finally looked up and asked him, “If you hadn’t come, what would he have been like?”
Ning Man honestly couldn’t figure out Qi Sheng’s background. She was simply too curious about this question: If this person had never appeared, then what would the man who had spent nearly twenty years with her have done to her and her son?
She asked it out of curiosity, but wasn’t sure if he would even know the answer.
Fortunately, Qi Sheng did know. After a moment’s thought, he gave her an answer: “He would’ve had another child.”
That one sentence was all she needed. He didn’t need to elaborate. Ning Man instantly understood everything. She really had come to know that man so well—she’d guessed exactly what he would do.
She sneered inwardly, her hatred toward that man growing even deeper. After calming her emotions for a while, she looked at Qi Sheng and said, “Thank you for everything you’ve done. And thank you even more for teaching Xiao Rui. If… I mean, if you don’t mind, please continue looking after him…”
“I will. He’s a good kid. I really like him.”
Ning Man nodded, holding back her tears, and thanked him again. She had planned to leave right away, but Qi Sheng called out to her.
“Take the necklace with you. If you don’t like it, you can give it to Xiao Rui as pocket money in the future.”
Ning Man touched the necklace again. She thought back to their conversation that day, to the man’s persuasion at the end, to how—almost as if bewitched—she ended up accepting the necklace. She thought of his departing figure, leaving the country. A voice deep in her heart whispered with regret: If only he had come a few years earlier.
Her friends were still trying to convince her of something, but Ning Man didn’t feel like listening. She looked at the steaming teacup in front of her and smiled softly. This was fine too. In this life, it’s rare to live with such clarity.