Chapter 11: Astonishment—Is Qin Tianhai Only 18 Now?

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Yun Zhi gently patted Zhang Shuying’s hand and said, “Aunt Zhang, let’s go inside and get the report first. We can discuss everything else later, take our time to plan.”

Yun Zhi knew that Zhang Shuying wasn’t truly indifferent toward Xiao Hu; it was just that in recent months, Xiao Hu had hurt her feelings and disappointed her, so she spoke out of frustration.

Xiao Hu’s health was poor. Qin Fugui was busy working hard to earn money, while Zhang Shuying was occupied with household chores. Their focus on Xiao Hu’s health inevitably meant some neglect in his education.

But the child was still young, and starting to emphasize education now still left a good chance for things to be set right.

As for Gong Xiurong’s greed, Zhang Shuying was thoroughly disappointed. Naturally, she had no affection for Qin Nannan, whom she had never gotten along with, which was why she even said she hoped Qin Nannan wasn’t Qin Tianhai’s biological daughter.

Zhang Shuying said, “Alright, let’s see the results first.”

Soon, the two obtained the paternity test report.

The results showed that Zhang Shuying and Qin Nannan were not biologically related.

Both Yun Zhi and Zhang Shuying had anticipated this result. Seeing it now gave them a sense of settled finality.

Zhang Shuying sighed deeply but said nothing more.

If it really came to filing a lawsuit to reclaim the gifted money from Gong Xiurong, the scene would surely be very unpleasant.

Even though Qin Nannan was not Qin Tianhai’s biological child, Qin Xiao Hu was.

Moreover, Qin Nannan remained Xiao Hu’s sister, just with different fathers.

As long as Xiao Hu was the link, the Qin family’s ties with Gong Xiurong would remain tangled and unresolved.

Yun Zhi said, “Aunt Zhang, it’s getting late. I’ll take you home first.”

Zhang Shuying replied, “Yun, since it’s almost nine o’clock by the time you get me home, why don’t you just stay at my place tonight?”

Yun Zhi thought about it but declined.

So much had happened today—whether it was her claim to have a special medicine to cure Xiao Hu, or the fact that Qin Nannan wasn’t Qin Tianhai’s biological daughter, or how they would handle Gong Xiurong going forward—

These were family matters for Qin Fugui and Zhang Shuying.

Yun Zhi could offer advice but couldn’t make decisions for them.

Her earlier words about unreliable biological grandsons and the possibility of adopting trustworthy godchildren were just preparations for the worst-case scenario, so that if Xiao Hu insisted on living with his mother, Zhang Shuying wouldn’t be caught off guard.

If biological grandchildren couldn’t be relied on, who could guarantee godchildren would be any better?

Zhang Shuying probably realized this too and didn’t press the matter further.

After more than an hour, they arrived at Wuping Town.

Qin Fugui was already waiting outside their small Western-style house.

Although he had just spoken to Zhang Shuying on the phone, he still worried. His wife was a bit directionally challenged, and without company, she would only dare to stroll around the nearby streets of the small town, which had just two or three streets and a simple layout.

Zhang Shuying had said someone was with her, but Qin Fugui asked, and none of the few close “sisters” of Zhang Shuying had gone to the city that afternoon.

Who was accompanying her? Could she have been deceived?

Then he saw a flashy red BMW parked in front of their house. The driver’s door opened, and out stepped a stunning beauty.

The young woman walked around to the back, opened the rear door, and helped down an elegantly dressed and dignified elderly lady—

That elderly lady was his usually drab wife!

Qin Fugui’s eyes widened in surprise.

This girl drove a BMW and carried the demeanor of a wealthy young lady; there was no way she came to scam them. Could it be that his wife was the one who had fooled the young woman?

No, his wife didn’t have the wit for such deception!

Qin Fugui furrowed his brows deeply.

Zhang Shuying thanked Yun Zhi and invited her inside to rest for a while.

Yun Zhi took down Zhang Shuying’s shopping bags from the car trunk and said, “Aunt, it’s quite late now, so I won’t come in. I’ll visit another day. If there’s anything, we can always contact each other through WeChat or phone!”

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Zhang Shuying reminded Yun Zhi to drive carefully and prioritize safety.

Yun Zhi greeted Qin Fugui, who did not know her identity but, seeing how well she cared for his wife, smiled politely and said, “Thank you for escorting my wife home. Drive safely on the road, and come visit us when you have time!”

After Yun Zhi’s car drove off, Qin Fugui immediately changed his expression. “Wife, who is that girl? Since when did you meet her? Why haven’t you told me?”

Zhang Shuying replied, “Why so many questions? Help me bring these things inside first.”

Once home, they had to talk about what needed discussing.

But how they spoke, Yun Zhi did not know.

Wuping town didn’t even have a decent hotel, only some shabby inns. Whenever possible, Yun Zhi wouldn’t compromise on her comfort.

Back in N City, she booked a mid-range chain hotel.

After freshening up and just as she was thinking about Qin Tianhai, wondering if he had found a safe place at this hour, her phone received a private message from him.

Qin Tianhai: [photo]

The photo showed five pale green sprigs of small grass, some large, some small, looking lush and vibrant.

Yun Zhi’s eyes lit up. Could this be the rare “Vitality Grass” she had heard about?

She quickly scrolled down.

Qin Tianhai: “Yun, great news! This time we got five full sprigs of Vitality Grass! Judging by their quality, we should be able to make ten bottles of the tonic that strengthens the body. My team just finished fighting a pack of over a dozen Gale Wolves. Luckily, I brought enough people and was well prepared. No major injuries, just some minor wounds.”

Qin Tianhai: “Tonight we’re staying in a cave abandoned by a black bear. We’ll head back early tomorrow morning, and by tomorrow afternoon we should be back in a safe city!”

Qin Tianhai: “Yun, I remember you said you’d visit my parents and Xiao Hu today. Did you see them?”

His tone was anxious.

Yun Zhi knew that if Qin Tianhai didn’t get a reply, he would worry even more.

She thought for a moment and replied, “I just arrived in N City today and ran into some unexpected issues. I’m handling some personal matters first. I’ll visit Uncle and Auntie tomorrow afternoon!”

It wasn’t that Yun Zhi didn’t want to talk about the Qin family’s current situation; there was just too much going on, and she didn’t know where to start.

She only selectively shared a bit, but given Qin Tianhai’s age and mindset, he would sense she was hiding a lot and probably start overthinking.

Better to wait until he was safely out of the Misty Forest.

Qin Tianhai responded, unsure if it was disappointment or relief: “Alright, tomorrow then. Once you convince my parents to agree to Xiao Hu taking the special medicine, I’ll find an alchemist to help make it! The making only takes half a day.”

“The harvested Vitality Grass can be stored in a jade box for up to a month.”

So, if all goes well, Yun Zhi could have the medicine as soon as the day after tomorrow — though she wondered how many bottles Qin Tianhai planned to give her as payment.

Qin Tianhai had said the tonic only worked on ordinary people and was basically useless for martial artists.

Being from a privileged background, he probably didn’t lack cultivation resources that could be exchanged for these medicines.

Maybe, besides the three bottles needed for Qin Xiao Hu and the two elders, Yun Zhi could try to trade for the rest herself…

Yun Zhi: “Got it. Qin brother, rest well. Let me know when you’re back in the city tomorrow.”

Qin Tianhai: “OK.”

The next morning, Yun Zhi explored N City and bought many local specialty foods.

At noon, Zhang Shuying called.

She mainly wanted to ask about the special medicine.

She said that even if they wanted to sever ties with Gong Xiurong, they had to wait until Xiao Hu’s health improved first.

Otherwise, if Xiao Hu got upset after arguing with his grandparents and mother, his emotions might flare, triggering a heart attack or even death like his father.

This was something the elderly couple absolutely did not want to see.

All other matters had to depend on Xiao Hu’s health to decide the next steps.

If Xiao Hu’s illness couldn’t be cured, these might be his last years…

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They might as well spend money on the only grandson to buy motherly love, letting him be as happy as he could.

Any reckoning with Gong Xiurong would have to be postponed.

If Qin Xiao Hu got better, healthy as anyone else… what Zhang Shuying and Qin Fugui most wanted was to beat the boy’s stubborn behind well!

Make him understand why the flower is so red!

And naturally, settle the score with Gong Xiurong as soon as possible!

As for Qin Fugui, after Zhang Shuying said many good things about Yun Zhi, and since Qin Fugui had met her and thought she wasn’t a scammer, plus she said the medicine was free, he agreed for Xiao Hu to try one dose to see if it worked and had no obvious side effects before continuing with a second dose.

What they didn’t know was that the so-called special medicine was actually only one dose.

If Yun Zhi hadn’t been able to give Zhang Shuying a precise answer before, now that Qin Tianhai had the Vitality Grass, she felt more confident.

“Aunt, the medicine should be ready in one or two days at the earliest, or three to five days at the latest. Once it’s done, I’ll tell you right away.”

Zhang Shuying: “Alright, Yun, I’ll be waiting for your good news!”

Not long after hanging up, Qin Tianhai sent another message: “Back in the city. My father is the city lord, so I’m very safe here.”

Yun Zhi checked the time; it was just past one in the afternoon.

She hadn’t expected that Qin Tianhai’s current father was the city lord, so he really was very safe in the city.

Qin Tianhai: “Yun, actually, you went to see my parents and Xiao Hu yesterday, right? Was there something you didn’t want to say that’s why you didn’t tell me last night? Knowing you, if you couldn’t visit because of private matters, you would have messaged me immediately after arriving in N City, not waited until I asked.”

Qin Tianhai had been worried about this and had set off early today, so he returned quickly.

Yun Zhi was impressed by his cleverness; he had figured it out.

Yun Zhi: “Qin brother, you really can’t keep anything from me.”

Yun Zhi: “But before I say anything, I have to ask—do you still have a heart condition in this life?”

Qin Tianhai was silent for a long moment before replying, “Actually, I’m eighteen this year, with a ninth-level martial novice strength, and I’m about to become a first-level martial artist. I have a good chance to enter the top ten martial arts universities nationwide in the martial arts entrance exam three months from now. In this third-tier city, I’m ranked among the top three prodigies. In short, I’m very healthy—strong enough to kill a cow with one punch!”

Qin Tianhai: “Moreover, I’ve been in this world for over three years now. Besides my parents and Xiao Hu, my attachment to my past family was deep, but I’ve let go of others who aren’t important.”

Qin Tianhai’s mental age was still that of a man in his thirties. How could he possibly mention to Yun Zhi, a young woman fresh out of college, the fact that his ex-wife had cheated on him in his past life?

So he could only hint at it subtly.

If Yun Zhi knew nothing, that was best—his pride as a man was intact!

If she already knew, then this was his way of telling her not to worry that he couldn’t handle the blow!

He was no longer the Qin Tianhai of the past, who suffered from heart disease and couldn’t endure emotional shocks!

Yun Zhi: ...

Damn, she had been calling him “Qin brother” all this time, but he turned out to be an eighteen-year-old high school boy!

She had thought that Qin Tianhai was at least in his twenties, or even thirty or forty, in the martial arts world!

Yun Zhi: “... You should have said so earlier! I was worried you were too fragile and might collapse if you heard bad news! Does this mean the medicine you promised is off the table?”

Yun Zhi edited the recordings she made after meeting Zhang Shuying yesterday, removing silent parts, including their conversation, the dialogue with Gong Xiurong, the phone call with Zhang Shuying today, and some photos and short videos, then sent everything to Qin Tianhai.

“Listen to these first.”

“After you finish, tell me—was your last heart attack in your previous life triggered by catching your wife cheating? Who was the lover? After you woke up in the hospital, did she say anything nasty?”

Probably because she now knew Qin Tianhai was a resilient eighteen-year-old boy both physically and mentally, Yun Zhi felt free to gossip.

Qin Tianhai: ……

Qin Tianhai: “Well, I’ll listen to the recordings you sent first. We can talk later if there’s anything! [awkward soybeans.jpg]”