Chapter 17#

World 1: The Tragic Supporting Male Lead Changes the Script Online#

The knot of the tie was held by Xu Yizhi, and that place was very close to the Adam’s apple.

The warm touch of the fingers and the nervous defense of the vital part being controlled slowly turned into an inexplicable palpitation. Qin Qing rolled his Adam’s apple unconsciously, and then vaguely found that his cheeks were burning.

This was a precursor to blushing.

If he really showed a shy look with flushed cheeks and wet eyes in front of this man…

Qin Qing’s scalp went numb, and he immediately wanted to take a few steps back to break free from the man’s control.

However, Xu Yizhi let go of his tie first, sat back in the chair, propped his forehead, and smiled happily. While smiling, he looked intently at Qin Qing’s slightly flushed handsome face, his eyes radiating with interest.

“Before you join, can I also do an interview with you?” He squinted and said in a lazy tone.

“Please ask.” Qin Qing nodded politely, then licked his dry lips.

“I only have two questions. The first question, what do you hate the most?” Xu Yizhi looked at Qin Qing unblinkingly, his gaze finally fixed on the moist and shiny thin lips.

This question had nothing to do with work. Qin Zishi looked at Xu Yizhi in surprise, and then at Cang Ming.

Cang Ming, who had always been clear about public and private matters, did not raise any objections. He was also looking at Qin Qing, his gaze unusually focused, as if he also wanted to know the answer to this question with too strong a personal meaning.

Their attitude was very wrong! Qin Zishi hid his hands in his trouser pockets and clenched them tightly into fists.

Qin Qing lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then answered, “I hate being misunderstood, suspected, denied, and ignored the most.”

What we hate the most is often what we have to endure. So this answer has revealed Qin Qing’s past. He has always been misunderstood, suspected, denied, and ignored.

It is hard to imagine that someone like him would receive such unfair treatment.

The smile on Xu Yizhi’s face gradually faded, and he asked with dark eyes, “The second question, what do you desire the most?”

Qin Qing frowned in thought, then answered, “I desire to be trusted, chosen, and cherished the most.”

And these three answers can actually be summarized in two words, that is “being loved”. But as life has reached the point of turning into ashes, being loved or not seems unimportant. Trying to live comfortably is the most practical.

Qin Qing raised his eyes slightly and smiled gently at Xu Yizhi. That open-mindedness and relief made him shine.

Xu Yizhi’s dark eyes also lit up, he nodded with interest and smiled.

He didn’t give any comments, just waved his hand and said, “See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Qin Qing said goodbye politely. When he was about to reach the door, he turned back and looked at Cang Ming.

Cang Ming didn’t expect him to look at him. His already straight back couldn’t help but straighten a bit more, his face cold and his eyes dark as he looked back. From the meeting until now, this was the first time Qin Qing looked at him directly.

“President Cang, do you want to apologize to me?” Qin Qing said gently.

“What?” Cang Ming was stunned. Qin Qing was the first person to confuse him with one sentence.

“How about apologizing to me for your preconceived notions, arrogance, and prejudice?” Qin Qing bowed and made a suggestion extremely sincerely.

Cang Ming fell into silence, a pair of cold and stern eyes radiating displeasure and oppression.

Qin Zishi looked at Qin Qing in surprise, and the fist hidden in his pocket couldn’t help but loosen. Just now he thought Qin Qing was terribly smart, but he didn’t expect Qin Qing to start being stupid in a blink of an eye!

Xu Yizhi leaned back on the chair, his thin lips slightly raised, hiding mockery in his eyes.

Qin Qing tilted his head and said softly, “If it were me, my upbringing would not allow me not to apologize.”

This remark…

If Cang Ming doesn’t apologize, it means Cang Ming has no upbringing.

Xu Yizhi covered his lips with his hand and laughed low and happily.

Cang Ming showed a speechless, embarrassed, and forbearing expression. Qin Qing was the first person besides Xu Yizhi to make him suffer such a loss.

Xu Yizhi looked at Cang Ming’s interesting expression, turned from a low laugh to a loud laugh, and clapped his hands slowly, making a crisp sound.

The originally serious and silent conference room became lively at this moment. The other two interviewers finally showed relaxed expressions. Since President Xu is so happy, they shouldn’t be scolded for their unprofessional performance today, right?

Qin Qing held the doorknob, his head tilted slightly, with a faint smile of expectation on his face.

Looking at these eyes full of expectation, Cang Ming’s eyes darkened, and finally he spoke slowly, “I’m sorry.”

Qin Zishi’s loosened fist clenched tightly again, his face almost distorted by uncontrollable shock and jealousy. He had never seen Cang Ming apologize to anyone!

“It doesn’t matter.” Qin Qing’s lips curved slightly, and he smiled gently. The glimmer of joy in his eyes was as beautiful as the stars in the sky.

Looking at his shining eyes, Cang Ming, whose tone was originally stiff, softened his tone and added extremely naturally, “I apologize to you for my arrogance and preconceived notions.”

Qin Qing smiled again. This time the smile was no longer introverted, but became extremely brilliant. It was a scenery brighter than the warm sun of late spring outside the window.

Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi’s eyes darkened accordingly.

Qin Qing opened the door of the conference room and walked out. After taking two steps, he turned back and said slowly, “President Cang, thank you.”

“Thank me for what?” Cang Ming was stunned again.

“Thank you for the opportunity you gave me.” Qin Qing completed the sentence, and then strode away.

He put his hands in his pockets, his receding figure fluttering like a petal in the spring breeze. Looking at his brisk back, one could perceive his joy.

Xu Yizhi laughed loudly, clapped slowly, then looked at Cang Ming and teased, “Is this the last time he appears in front of you? Hmm?”

Cang Ming remembered the arbitrary words he said before, his expression was embarrassed for a moment, the coldness in his eyes quietly receded and turned soft.

He was smiling, but no one could discover it.

Qin Zishi listened to the conversation between Cang Ming and Xu Yizhi, and his heart fell straight to the bottom. No one had ever been able to attract their attention like Qin Qing.

When Qin Qing returned to the Qin family, Qin Huaichuan and others had gone out. He went back to his bedroom to sleep and woke up in the evening.

“What are you doing?” Qin Qing walked to the balcony, his tone very surprised.

“None of your business?” 996 retorted.

“You’ve become like this and you still say it’s none of my business?” Qin Qing squatted down and sighed helplessly.

He saw 996, the little fat cat, leaning against the balcony railing, sticking out its round belly, lying on its back on the ground, holding a cigarette in one paw and a bottle of wine in the other, indulging in smoking and drinking.

Haven’t seen it for a few hours, it seems to have become rounder again. Tobacco and alcohol really fatten.

“You seek your death, I drink my wine, let’s leave each other alone!” 996 roared at Qin Qing.

“Then shall I bring you a plate of dried fish?” Qin Qing stood up, his tone rather helpless.

996 turned its head away and was silent for a moment, then said muffledly, “Bring two plates.”

Qin Qing’s lips curved slightly, seeming to want to smile, but quickly suppressed it, “Okay, bring two plates, you wait.”

After delivering dried fish to 996, Qin Huaichuan, Qin Guangyuan, and Ji Mingtang came back one after another.

“Grandpa, why are you here?” Qin Qing, who was sitting in the living room watching TV, stood up and said with a smile, “Are you here to fish with me? Wait, I’ll go change clothes.”

“Don’t smile if you don’t want to, Grandpa knows you are sad.” Ji Mingtang handed the cane to the servant, walked over and patted his grandson’s back.

“What am I sad about?” Qin Qing looked confused.

“Failed the interview and not sad?” Qin Guangyuan also walked into the living room and said in a muffled voice.

Qin Huaichuan’s face was a bit ugly, but he didn’t say anything. Both elders were present, he couldn’t choose this time to educate the child.

“I failed the interview? Who said that?” Qin Qing narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Zishi has already texted us.” Qin Huaichuan walked to the sofa opposite Qin Qing and sat down, his tone gloomy.

“What did he say?” Qin Qing asked.

Qin Huaichuan unlocked the phone directly and threw it to his son.

Qin Qing picked up the phone and looked through it.

Ji Mingtang sat aside and chattered, “It doesn’t matter if you are eliminated, you come to work at my place. What position do you want? Minister? Director? Manager? Or Grandpa retires early and gives the Ji Corporation to you. You take it to practice, I will steer for you by the side. I can still live for ten or twenty years, I can always train you. Don’t be afraid, Grandpa will always support you!”

This unconditional tolerance and doting made Qin Qing look at Ji Mingtang with extra surprise.

Qin Huaichuan said dissatisfiedly, “Dad, don’t say such things! You can’t spoil the child like this!”

“I just spoil him, you can control the Qin family, can you still control my Ji family? My things, I give to whoever I love.” Ji Mingtang, the stubborn old man, got angry on the spot.

Qin Qing covered his face and laughed low.

Being chosen, being trusted, being cherished. He just said that these hot emotions were unreachable extravagances, and at this moment someone offered them with both hands.

Qin Qing threw down the phone, sat next to Ji Mingtang, put his arm around Ji Mingtang’s shoulder, and said with a smile, “Grandpa, I was hired.”

“What?” Three voices exclaimed at the same time.

“I said I was hired.” Qin Qing only answered Ji Mingtang.

“Isn’t your opponent Gong Cheng?” Qin Huaichuan couldn’t believe it.

“Gong Cheng was eliminated.” Qin Qing said simply.

Qin Guangyuan stood up, his expression extremely serious, “What exactly happened, come to the study with me and tell me properly.”

“Yes, yes, yes, let’s talk in the study.” Ji Mingtang took Qin Qing’s hand and walked to the second floor. He couldn’t wait to hear his grandson’s great achievements.

When Qin Zishi returned home, there was no one in the living room on the first floor, but the shoes of his father, grandfather, and maternal grandfather were placed at the entrance.

“Where are they?” Qin Zishi asked the servant.

The servant pointed to the second floor, “In the study.”

Qin Zishi went up to the second floor. Before approaching the study, he heard bursts of loud laughter, from his father, grandfather, and maternal grandfather. Sentence after sentence of praise, all full of pride and honor.

“Look at my Qin Qing, how smart! So what if he is a Yale graduate? So what if he worked on Wall Street for a few years? Is it amazing? If Qin Qing grew up by my side, who knows how promising he would be now! Maybe he would have founded a company himself and sat on an equal footing with Cang Ming!”

Ji Mingtang’s vigorous voice sounded blusteringly, followed by a burst of proud laughter.

“Grandpa, take it easy, don’t blow the cow’s skin.” Qin Qing teased.

Another burst of laughter erupted in the study, and someone was clapping hands. Everyone was very happy.

Qin Zishi had stayed in this house for twenty-five years, but had never experienced such happiness and wantonness. Chatting so easily with his maternal grandfather, and even teasing him, was something Qin Zishi didn’t dare to think about.

Without the same bloodline, one would indeed be excluded…

Qin Zishi walked slowly to the third floor, every step treading on heavy gloom.

More than ten minutes later, Ji Lan came back from outside. The servant served the food on the table and rang the bell.

Hearing the bell, everyone walked into the dining room and took their seats. Everyone had a relaxed and happy smile on their face. Of course, Qin Zishi’s smile was forced. How painful and tormented he was inside, probably only he knew.

Ji Lan put a piece of braised pork for Qin Qing and said with a smile, “Qin Qing, it doesn’t matter if you failed the interview, you can go to work at Qin Corporation. If you don’t have the ability, ask your father to arrange a leisurely job for you, where you don’t have to manage things, just clock in and drink tea every day. You ask your father to give you some shares, take millions of dividends every year, and live a comfortable and free life, don’t you think?”

This way of “taking dividends and not managing things” is generally the only way out arranged by wealthy families for dandy children.

Ji Lan said this because she wanted her son to stop fighting. What she wanted to protect most was Qin Zishi’s interests.

Ji Mingtang slammed his chopsticks on the table, making a loud bang.

Qin Huaichuan and Qin Guangyuan’s faces also became very ugly.

Qin Zishi suddenly clenched his chopsticks, a layer of fine sweat on his palm. He almost forgot that during the day, his mother texted to ask about Qin Qing’s interview result, and he said some bad things. And to his father, he also sent the same message.

Now the facts are exactly the opposite of what he said, how will the family see him?

His performance today undoubtedly showed his stupidity vividly. He received the best education and got the best resources since childhood, but he couldn’t compare to Qin Qing’s few months of crash study.

Qin Qing’s talent made the originally excellent him look extremely dull. The balance in his father and grandfather’s hearts should tilt towards Qin Qing, right?

Qin Zishi’s emotions surged, jealousy and hatred were hard to calm, but he dared not show it at all.

He lowered his head, his face flushed, and whispered embarrassedly, “Mom, Qin Qing was hired.”

“What? Qin Qing was hired? Impossible!” Ji Lan still didn’t want to believe it.

“Yes, I was hired. Thanks to Qin Zishi’s big face, President Cang let me into the legal department for his sake.” Qin Qing put a piece of broccoli for Ji Lan.

He knew his mother had to maintain her figure every day and couldn’t eat too greasy food.

“Ah, is that so. Then you have to thank Zishi. Look how much he takes care of you.” Ji Lan became happy again.

However, she didn’t notice at all that except for Qin Qing whose lips were slightly curved, the men on the table looked uglier than the other.

Qin Zishi’s flushed cheeks gradually turned purple, so ashamed that he wished he could disappear on the spot. When will Qin Qing let go of the “big face” stalk?

Qin Huaichuan and Qin Guangyuan glanced at Qin Zishi gloomily, feeling an uncontrollable disgust for this adopted son.

Helping Qin Qing speak good words is impossible. Hoping for Qin Qing to fail the interview is Qin Zishi’s real thought. It’s just that he believed too much in academic qualifications and looked down on Qin Qing’s ability, which caused the current awkward situation.

Ji Lan happily helped Qin Zishi pick a piece of fish meat and said gently, “I’m happy if you brothers are friendly and respectful. Zishi, you have read more books than Qin Qing and have stronger abilities than Qin Qing. In the company, you have to help him more.”

“Heh…” Qin Qing picked up a pea and suddenly laughed in a low voice.

Qin Zishi glanced at him quickly, his face so hot that it seemed to be burning. Every word his mother said was a poisonous thorn to him.

It turned out that Qin Qing could make him ashamed and unbearable without opening his mouth!

“Mom, Qin Qing got the job by his own strength. I didn’t help him. My ability might not be as strong as his.” Qin Zishi had to admit this cruel reality himself.

It felt as painful as being cut by a knife in the heart! Those forcibly suppressed feelings of inferiority and panic surged up continuously at this moment.

Sitting on the chair, Qin Zishi felt like he was sitting on a torture device.

“I know how much he weighs. The legal department is not a good department.” Ji Lan muttered.

She was always unwilling to face her biological son’s excellence.

Ji Mingtang couldn’t bear it anymore, slapped the table and scolded, “I really hate that I was too busy with work back then and didn’t educate you well, making you become like this, unable to distinguish between close and distant. Do you think the legal department is a place where anyone can go? Don’t you know that the person in charge of the legal department is Xu Yizhi?”

Ji Lan was stunned. She only knew that Xu Yizhi was the second largest shareholder of Lanyu, but didn’t know his specific position.

“Do you understand how Xu Yizhi started?” Ji Mingtang asked angrily.

Ji Lan shook her head blankly. She only knew that Xu Yizhi and Cang Ming could almost sit on an equal footing.

“Xu Yizhi started with mergers and acquisitions. He has been in the industry for more than ten years and has never failed once. Whichever company he likes, that company will be swallowed up. Can you afford to provoke such a person? Cang Ming looks unapproachable, but actually he is very upright. Xu Yizhi’s methods are completely different. If he targets the Qin family, the Qin family can go bankrupt and reorganize the next day, and become one of the industries in his hands the day after. Why do you think he sits on an equal footing with Cang Ming? How much do you think Qin Zishi’s face is worth in his eyes?”

Ji Mingtang scolded sentence by sentence while slapping the table.

Ji Lan was scolded so much that she couldn’t lift her head.

Qin Zishi’s face was flushed red.

Ji Mingtang looked at his grandson, softened his face, and said earnestly, “Your choice is not wrong. Following Xu Yizhi, what you learn in one year is what others can’t learn in ten years. You have to be smarter, more cautious, and ask him for advice properly.”

Qin Qing nodded silently.

Ji Mingtang’s worried look turned relaxed in an instant, and he said with certainty, “My grandson is so smart, he will definitely be reused by Xu Yizhi. If he doesn’t like you, he is blind!”

Qin Qing covered his teary eyes and sighed with a low laugh, “Grandpa, you really love me too much.”

Ji Mingtang’s cheeks blushed, and then he laughed vigorously, “You are my grandson, who do I love if not you?”

After speaking, the light in his eyes dimmed instantly, staring gloomily at Qin Zishi, and said sternly, “If you want to fight, fight in the Qin family’s territory, don’t have designs on the Ji family. I have changed my will, there is no share for you in the Ji family!”

Qin Zishi raised his head with a pale face.

Ji Lan shouted sharply, “Dad, what are you talking about! Zishi is also your grandson! You watched him grow up!”

Ji Mingtang pursed his lips, his expression cold. Due to various reasons, he couldn’t get close to this grandson since childhood.

At this time, Qin Guangyuan also spoke faintly, “Zishi, just work well in Lanyu. When you graduated back then, I asked you to join the family business as a management level, but you didn’t want to. You said you wanted to be independent. At that time I respected your decision, now I hope you will always stick to this decision.”

What does it mean? His qualification as an heir has been deprived? Qin Zishi looked at his grandfather sitting in the main seat in a trance, and then looked at his father in panic.

After several incidents, the answer to the question of whether the biological son is worth cultivating has taken shape in Qin Huaichuan’s heart.

If even Xu Yizhi is optimistic about his son, why shouldn’t he be? If a few months of crash study can make his son grow to this point, how great is his potential?

With a biological son to inherit the family business, why should he give the Qin family to an outsider? What’s more, Qin Zishi often bought things for Shen Mingshu and Qin Bao’er these days. If the family property was given to him, wouldn’t it benefit those two women with bad intentions?

Thinking like this, Qin Huaichuan said lightly, “Lanyu is an international big enterprise, and its development prospects are definitely better than Qin Corporation. Zishi, just stay in Lanyu and work with peace of mind. Qin Qing, study hard with President Xu, and come back to help Dad in a few years.”

Thus, before the confrontation between the heirs really started, Qin Qing had already won.

Cang Ming gave Qin Zishi a zero score for his performance, so Qin Huaichuan also gave Qin Zishi a zero score. An heir with no foresight, no means and courage, and only ghostly tricks will only bring the family business into the grave.

996, who ran downstairs to check the plot progress after eating dried fish, happened to hear this sentence. It slumped on the ground with a thud, pinching its philtrum fiercely with its claws.

Damn it, it’s killing the cat! Has the plot become chaotic to this extent?

“Qin Qing, buy me a few oxygen tanks quickly, I need oxygen!” 996 shouted tremblingly.

Qin Qing pursed his lips to suppress a smile, but his smile, in Qin Zishi’s view, was the most vicious irony.

If he could, Qin Zishi really wanted to overturn this table and leave angrily. But having lost everything, he could only suppress his humiliation and anger and sit here stiffly.

He must endure! As long as he can still stay in the Qin family, he can find a way to make his father and grandfather change their minds.

Ji Lan shouted with red eyes, “Dad, Huaichuan, you are unfair! Zishi was raised by us personally! How can we treat him like this!”

Qin Qing’s heart suddenly cracked open with a bloody hole, and unbearable pain swept over. This was not his emotion, but the embers left by the original owner’s burning soul.

Perhaps, this was the reason why the original owner left early. He had two mothers, but neither mother loved him.

Qin Qing closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, “I stayed in the Shen family for more than ten years, had no bedroom to live in, no books to read, and no one cared for and loved me. Is this fair?”

Ji Lan, who was ready to argue for Qin Zishi, suddenly became mute.

Qin Qing looked straight at her and asked, “Do you think I have been treated fairly?”

Ji Lan had no words to answer. She knew what kind of life her son had lived. She couldn’t say it was fair, she couldn’t even say that was the treatment a person should receive.

Qin Qing stood up, slowly wiped his hands with a tissue, and said in a deep voice, “Mom, you want to compensate for the unfair treatment Qin Zishi received, have you ever thought about compensating me? Can you give me more of your care? Can you give me more of your attention? Can you give me more of your love?”

Ji Lan fell into an extremely embarrassed silence. She couldn’t. She was still partial to the child she raised personally. The twenty-five years of mother-son relationship was irreplaceable.

Qin Qing shook his head slowly and smiled bitterly, “Mom, look, this is the biggest unfairness.”

After speaking, he turned and left.

Ji Mingtang glared at Qin Zishi and Ji Lan fiercely, and then chased after him.

Qin Guangyuan and Qin Huaichuan were silent for a moment, and said in unison, “Zishi, move out.”

The chopsticks held in Qin Zishi’s hand fell on the table with a clatter.

996 was stunned, then raised its paws and shouted helplessly, “Give me a can of oxygen! Quick! I’m suffocating!”