C1 Qi Xiao

"Qi Yun, tell your brother to come out now! Even if our Lin family were nothing but dogs, we'd still be better than your worthless brother. Does he even deserve to be my sister's husband?"

In front of the dilapidated rental house, a young man with a rainbow of dyed hair was shouting incessantly.

Across from him stood a girl, seventeen or eighteen years old.

She was dressed in faded, cheap market-bought clothes, her delicate face makeup-free, clutching a worn canvas bag patched up in several places. She watched the approaching young man with apprehension.

Qi Yun, the second daughter of the Qi family.

Decades earlier, Qi Yun's grandfather had built a fortune from nothing, carving out a niche for the Qi family in the business world of West River City. The Qi family then flourished, producing a succession of talented individuals who expanded their influence, making them one of the most prominent families in the city.

But three years ago, disaster struck the Qi family. They were sabotaged from the shadows, their connections severed, and even targeted by hired killers, leading to their rapid downfall.

Nearly all of the Qi family's direct lineage perished, leaving only Qi Yun and her brother, who had lost his sanity from the trauma.

As a result, Qi Yun, still a minor, had to shoulder the burden of their survival. She juggled school and work to provide for them both, and at night, she cared for her mentally impaired brother, day in and day out.

"I've already told you, my brother is not well. His mental state is far from normal. How could he possibly sign anything for you?"

Backed against the door with no escape, Qi Yun faced Lin Cheng's relentless pressure.

"Insane? So, he's a madman? Hahaha!"

Lin Cheng mocked her mercilessly. "I don't care whether he's mad or not. If you don't bring him down today, we'll take matters into our own hands!"

"You!" Qi Yun was livid, her pale face flushed with anger. But against such a rogue, she felt powerless. "You're going too far!"

Hearing this, Lin Cheng's smirk grew wider, and he stepped even closer, nearly invading Qi Yun's personal space.

"Going too far? I'm just getting started. What are you going to do about it, huh?"

Qi Yun was simultaneously gripped by fear and anger, her eyes rimmed red as she fought back the tears.

In her moment of confusion, a chilly female voice cut through the air.

"Enough, Lin Cheng. We're wasting time. Let's go in ourselves."

A statuesque woman in a chic OL suit stepped out of the car.

Her hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, and atop her refined nose perched a pair of plain glasses. Her lips, a subtle shade of red, were set in a sensual pout, though her gaze remained icy and piercing.

The woman spared Qi Yun a brief glance and spoke without a trace of warmth:

"Yun, it's been a while."

A flicker of joy crossed Qi Yun's face at the sight of the woman.

But the indifference etched on the woman's features quickly reminded her that this was no longer the tender-hearted Sister Suxin, but Lin Suxin, the formidable president of Lin's Group.

"Sister Su... Sister Suxin, my brother... he's not yet well. You can't just..."

"Yun, your brother has had me waiting for three years. The engagement ends today," Lin Suxin declared, her tone icy.

Qi Yun's lips trembled, words failing her.

Without another glance, Lin Suxin strode into the low-rent building and pushed open the worn iron door of the Qi family's dwelling, with Lin Cheng close on her heels.

Upon entering, a foul odor wrinkled Lin Suxin's brow, but the sight of the young man in the living room made her forget the stench.

He was striking, with well-defined features and a head of neatly cropped hair, dressed in a pristine white shirt.

The young man seemed lost in a daze, occasionally wincing in pain as if grappling with an immense torment.

Lin Suxin's eyes fixed on the figure slumped on the sofa, and she said coldly:

"Do you even recognize me? Qi family's eldest son, Qi Xiao!"

Qi Xiao, however, remained unresponsive, the anguish in his eyes deepening, as if flecks of light were dancing within them.

Lin Cheng interjected, "Sister, remember, this guy's lost his wits. He probably doesn't even recall his own name, let alone recognize you."

Watching the once-brilliant Qi family heir reduced to this vacant state, Lin Cheng felt a surge of revulsion, especially when he thought of his impeccable sister being tied to such a man by an engagement.

Lin Cheng stepped up to Qi Xiao, bellowing, "Hey! Moron! Do you even know your last name?"

Yet, Qi Xiao remained unresponsive to Lin Cheng's taunts, his expression vacant, with only his eyebrows twitching slightly.

Seeing Qi Xiao's foolish demeanor, Lin Cheng's anger flared. Lin Suxin was the Lin family's brightest gem, and this imbecile thought he could marry her? It was like a toad lusting after swan meat.

With a loud smack, Lin Cheng threw the annulment papers onto the coffee table and yanked Qi Xiao up from the couch. "I've always found this pretty boy repulsive, looking so clean and pure, like he was born to be a trophy husband!"

Lin Cheng continued his tirade, stepping forward to slap Qi Xiao's cheek. "Oops, my bad, I misspoke. Who would keep a simpleton like you? Even my black dog is more useful; it guards the house. You're nothing but a useless fool!"

Lin Suxin watched the scene unfold with a flicker of impatience in her eyes. "Enough, Lin Cheng. We have more important matters to attend to."

"Got it, sis," Lin Cheng replied, his face sour with resentment. He turned back to Qi Xiao, a sneer spreading across his face. "I wonder if the Qi family's golden boy can still write. Oh, that's right, I forgot he's a dimwit now. He can't even talk, let alone write, hahaha!"

Lin Cheng then pulled out a dagger, eyeing Qi Xiao with ill intent. "But no matter, a thumbprint will do just as well—using your own blood."

He sneered viciously as he grabbed Qi Xiao's hand, poised to slice it open with the blade.

Just then, Qi Yun gathered her wits and burst into the room. Seeing Lin Cheng with the dagger, she went white with shock.

Qi Yun dashed forward, shoving Lin Cheng aside and wrapping her arms protectively around Qi Xiao, her voice trembling with tears, "What are you doing? Stop bullying my brother!"

Pushed back, Lin Cheng's temper flared. "You wretched girl, how dare you push me? Looking for trouble?"

He raised his hand to strike Qi Yun, but in that instant, a strong grip clamped down on Lin Cheng's wrist.

"Who did you just call a whore?"

"The whore is obviously..." Lin Cheng began, but a sudden chill seized him, as if the room's temperature had plummeted to freezing.

Turning in astonishment, Lin Cheng saw that the speaker was Qi Xiao, who had been standing there, seemingly lost in a daze.

Lin Suxin and Qi Yun also stared in surprise at Qi Xiao, who had snapped out of his stupor. His eyes, once dull, were now piercing, sharp as blades.

"Wow, the Qi family's young master sure has a way with words. Impressive!"

Lin Cheng scoffed, struggling to free his hand from Qi Xiao's vice-like grip, to no avail.

"What's this about? Release me! Or you'll regret it!"

Qi Xiao, however, tightened his hold instead of letting go, causing Lin Cheng to howl in pain as his arm felt like it was being crushed.

"It's breaking! It's going to break! Let go, let go!"

Qi Xiao regarded Lin Cheng with a cold detachment and huffed.

"Since when did the Lins become so fragile? I barely exerted any force and here you are, screaming bloody murder. If I were to apply a bit more pressure..."

"Brother, please don't!" Qi Yun interjected, seizing Qi Xiao's hand.

Breaking Lin Cheng's arm would be a disaster; the Lin family might not be a powerhouse, but they were not someone the Qi family could afford to cross at this time.

Qi Xiao released Lin Cheng, but upon hearing Qi Yun's voice, his eyes reddened slightly.

"Yun," he said, looking at her with a gaze full of longing, leaving Qi Yun both shocked and puzzled.

"Brother? Are you... better now?"

Qi Yun was still reeling from the joy of her brother's unexpected recovery. He had been incoherent just that morning; how had he suddenly come back to himself?

Qi Yun, who had been on the brink of tears, now beamed with joy at the sight of her brother's lucid demeanor.

Lin Suxin, witnessing Qi Xiao's return to clarity, was filled with incredulity. She had been certain, from recent reports, that Qi Xiao was still lost in his foolishness just days before.

Lin Cheng's shock at Qi Xiao's sudden lucidity was short-lived. After all, trash is trash—awake or not, what difference did it make?

Humiliated by someone he considered worthless, Lin Cheng spat out curses and brandished his dagger at Qi Xiao, only to be intercepted by Lin Suxin.

"Let it go, Lin Cheng."

With a meaningful glance from Lin Suxin, Lin Cheng, still simmering with resentment, reluctantly lowered his hand.

Lin Suxin's gaze shifted to Qi Yun, her expression a mix of emotions, before settling on Qi Xiao with an icy stare.

Her feelings were a tangled mess. The Lin and Qi families had been close before tragedy struck the Qis. Despite her lack of fondness for Qi Xiao, she had always cherished Qi Yun as if she were her own sister.

But now, whether Qi Xiao had been feigning foolishness or not over the past three years, it was irrelevant. The Qi family's fate was no longer her concern; it was all too late.

Lin Suxin bit her lip and spoke:

"Now that you're conscious, sign this annulment agreement. The Lin family will have no further ties with you."

Qi Xiao met Lin Suxin's gaze and offered a slight, serene smile.

"The engagement can certainly be broken, but it will be I, Qi Xiao, who breaks it off with the Lin family!"