My Youth Began With Him

”Damn, it feels good watching you squabble with people. You’ve still got that razor-sharp tongue of yours, just as sharp as it was back in the day,” Zhu Lingling laughed, ”I think this stubbornness of yours must have been why Qin Chu fell in love with you in the first place.” At this, Zhu Lingling seemed to realize that she had said the wrong thing. She coughed, taking the conversation in another direction, ”What I mean is, even Young Master Huo got a verbal lashing from you. You’re amazing. Teach me your ways, great master!”

”I’m done taking apprentices,” Huo Mian joked while giving off a big smile.

”Look at you, acting all cheeky. Humph! Like you’ve actually taken apprentices before,” Zhu Lingling teased back.

Time spent messing about with girlfriends always passed quickly.

The two would never cause trouble at night-time establishments. By the time they finished their drinks, it was already late into the night. They each took a separate cab home.

Arriving back at her rented apartment, Huo Mian changed into a nightgown and messaged Zhu Lingling.

”I’m home, Lingling, what about you?”

Zhu Lingling replied almost instantly, ”Got home safe. I’m going to take a shower. Go to bed soon, good night!”

Just as Huo Mian was about to turn her phone off, she received a text message. The number ended with 8866, which she recognized to be Qin Chu’s.

”Asleep yet?”

Two simple words. However, without knowing why, Huo Mian felt her heart thundering in her chest. It had been seven years since she last felt like this. It was strange, really.

After a moment of thought, she promptly deleted the message, turned off the phone, and went to bed.

On the other end of the line, at the Hillside Manor-

Not seeing a reply after a while, Qin Chu realized that he wasn’t going to receive anything tonight. Knowing Huo Mian’s personality, there was no way she would text him back.

Getting up, he walked down the stairs. Stopping before the wine rack, he picked out a bottle of red wine.

Just then, heavy footsteps sounded from behind him. Without needing to ask, he had a rough idea of who it was.

”Chu, come here for a second. I have something to ask you.”

Qin Yumin hadn’t been sleeping well lately. Waking up in the middle of the night, he heard movement coming from downstairs, so he went down to investigate. As he had guessed, his son wasn’t asleep yet either.

Qin Chu unhurriedly poured himself a glass of wine, then walked to the living room and sat down on the couch. With his head lowered, he gently swirled his glass.

The navy-blue night robe he wore showed off his sculpted face perfectly. His eyes lowered, and his long fingers were tapping intermittently on the side of the wine glass. It was a sight that could intoxicate any woman.

Seeing his son in this light, Qin Yumin felt a strange absence of familiarity.

”I heard about the meeting today. You dismissed the Greenfield Manor Plan?”

”I did.” His answer was extremely straightforward.

”Why?” Qin Yumin demanded, slightly enraged.

”I don’t like it.”

”Nonsense. Business isn’t done based on likes and dislikes. If that were the case, GK would have gone bankrupt long ago. Chu, I handed GK over to you because I believe in you, but you can’t be so reckless.”

”I have my reasons for what I did. If you don’t trust me, then do it yourself. You know that I’ve never had any interest in a boring job like this in the first place.”

”You…” Qin Yumin was left speechless with rage.

A moment later, Qin Chu suddenly raised his head, his eyes catching the light for a moment. ”Dad, do you still remember our wager from seven years ago?” he asked.

At this, Qin Yumin paused for a moment but remained silent.

Seven years ago, he had made a bet with his son, a wager on a very important matter.

”What are you trying to say?” Frowned, Qin Yumin asked Qin Chu.

”Not much. I just wanted to remind you that I’ve done everything you requested, so isn’t it time for you to return the favor?”

Hearing this, Qin Yumin’s expression darkened.

However, in the end, he only said this, ”I don’t care how, but I want this quarter’s performance improved by 15 percent. Otherwise, the Greenfield Project will commence, and you will be demoted,” he huffed. ”Don’t think that, just because you’re my son, I can’t do anything to you.”

With that, Qin Yumin turned brusquely and left. It was easy to see that he was angry.

Although he didn’t say a word about the promise from seven years ago, Qin Chu knew that his father understood what he meant.

As for GK’s performance, he thought, I can raise it by fifteen percent with my eyes closed. I wonder why Father brought up such an unchallenging task so solemnly.

At five in the morning, Qin Chu was woken by a series of noises.

At the door stood a middle-aged man in a black suit. Behind him were eight members of the Special Police Unit, with their guns in hand.

”Doctor Qin, sorry to disturb you. There’s been an emergency and we really need you right now.”

His mother and father were shocked and confused. On the other hand, Qin Chu’s expression was calm. ”Give me a minute to change.” With that, he turned around and walked upstairs, hands tucked inside his pockets.

After her son left, Mrs. Qin asked, pale and trembling, ”Yumin, our son... did he get in trouble with someone important?”