Shi Guogang, still desperate to salvage the situation, began, “Brother…”
But Shi Guoqiang, without a second glance, pointed directly towards the gate. “It’s late, and my second brother has a lot of moving to do, so I won’t keep you. Ningning is unhappy, and I don’t have time to help you move.”
With those final, cutting words, Shi Guoqiang pulled Shi Ning away, leaving no doubt: this was an expulsion order. They were, truly, being cast out of the Shi family.
Shi Guogang tried to follow, to plead, “Brother…”
But Qin Heye simply stood in his path, a towering, effortless barrier. He regarded Shi Guogang with a cold, unwavering stare. Not a word was needed, no extra movement. Just his silent presence, emanating a frigid, formidable aura, was enough to command awe, instil fear, and silence any protest.
Seeing Shi Guogang rendered speechless, Qin Heye turned and strode purposefully after Shi Ning.
Shi Qingyin and Shen Xizhou finally clambered out of the swimming pool. Shi Qingyin, still seething, began to question Shen Xizhou, “Why did you…”
Bang!
Shi Guogang’s open palm connected sharply with Shi Qingyin’s face. The force of the blow silenced her, a trickle of blood appearing at the corner of her mouth as her head snapped sideways. Shi Guogang’s voice, though not overtly cold, held an unmistakable command. “Apologize to Mr. Shen.”
Despite the public humiliation and the pain, Shi Qingyin was visibly terrified of her father. She dared not refute or resist his orders . Head bowed, she mumbled to Shen Xizhou, “I’m sorry, Brother Xizhou, I was too impulsive just now.”
The sight of the slap seemed to elicit a flicker of sympathy in Shen Xizhou. He waved a dismissive hand. “Forget it.”
Shi Guogang offered no further blows or reprimands. He simply stated, “Let’s go home,” and turned away, leaving Shi Qingyin trembling in his wake.
Back in the grand living room, Shi Guoqiang remained sullen, seated rigidly on the sofa, utterly silent. His demeanor was gravely serious, radiating an intimidating presence that commanded fear even without a word of anger. In this moment, he seemed even more formidable.
Shi Ning, feeling a pang of guilt despite her performance, softly called out, “Dad.”
Shi Guoqiang looked up at her, his gaze heavy with unspoken questions. “Have you been thinking about Dad like this for the past three years?” he asked.
Shi Ning nodded.
Shi Guoqiang sighed, his gaze filled with self-reproach. “It’s Dad’s fault. Dad thought you sisters had a good relationship, but he didn’t know it was like this in private. If Dad could have communicated with you earlier, you wouldn’t have stayed away from me three years. And I wouldn’t have blamed you for not understanding your parents’ hearts.”
Seeing his apology, Shi Ning quickly shook her head. “It has nothing to do with Dad, I don’t blame Dad. All of this is because Shi Qingyin had wicked intentions and deliberately poisoned the relationship between us, father and daughter. You can’t use other people’s mistakes to punish yourself with guilt and make the real perpetrators perfectly invisible.”
Shi Guoqiang felt a profound sense of relief at Shi Ning’s considerate and understanding words. He looked at her seriously. “Dad hasn’t touched your 300 million betrothal gift. Together with the dowry, the total is 660 million. Dad has put it in a family trust for you.” He paused, a troubled look crossing his face. “I was going to tell you, but Yinyin said that you spend lavishly, often order male models, and frequent casinos, and that you would squander all the money. So, I didn’t tell you.”
It was a stark realization: Shi Qingyin had truly been two-faced, speaking one thing to his face and another behind his back.
Shi Ning was astonished by the truth about the betrothal gift. “Dad didn’t sell me as a commodity, but gave me a dowry,” she murmured, a flicker of emotion in her voice. “What about the gap in the company’s capital chain?”
“The company’s capital chain has no problem,” Shi Guoqiang assured her. “Taking out more than 300 million for your dowry made funds a bit tight, but…” He looked up at the tall, elegant figure of Qin Heye. “Heye introduced several partners, and with some flexible operations, everything will be fine soon.”
Just a few short sentences from him had exposed the inconsistencies in Shi Qingyin’s elaborate lies.
Shi Ning looked at Qin Heye, a heartfelt gratitude blossoming within her. “Thank you,” she said, genuinely touched. She had once sworn she would rather die than marry him, yet he had been so good to her and her father.
Qin Heye’s brow furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure. “It’s only natural for a couple to support each other. Don’t be so polite to me.” He found it made their connection seem too formal, too distant.
Shi Ning offered him a sweet smile. “Well, then, I won’t be polite to my husband!”
Qin Heye’s furrowed brows relaxed at her words, and a gentle smile touched his eyes. Shi Guoqiang, observing the warm interaction between his daughter and son-in-law, also smiled contentedly.
Shi Ning then turned to Shi Guoqiang, her expression serious. “Dad, let’s have a good chat and uncover all the two-faced things Shi Qingyin has said over the years.”
Shi Guoqiang agreed without hesitation. “Okay.”
Qin Heye, sensing the intimate father-daughter discussion ahead, began to excuse himself. “You two chat, I…”
Shi Ning interrupted him, her eyes wide and blinking. “You should listen too! Shi Qingyin has been in and out of our house frequently for the past three years; she must have caused a lot of trouble between us!”
Qin Heye calmly stated, “She didn’t provoke me.”
“Huh?” Shi Ning questioned, surprised.
“I haven’t been alone with her,” Qin Heye explained simply. “I didn’t want to listen to her talk, and I didn’t want to learn about you from other people.” Because no one knew her better than him! And for three years, he had almost never allowed Shi Qingyin to spend more than two minutes alone with him, or to exchange more than three sentences.
Shi Ning was stunned, then smiled sweetly at Qin Heye. “I believe you, but you still have to listen. This is how we’ll know how big misunderstandings can become without timely communication! I don’t want us to have such misunderstandings in the future!” This time, Qin Heye didn’t refuse. Shi Ning was talking about them and their future, a lifetime together.
Next, Shi Guoqiang and Shi Ning began their heart-to-heart, a painful process of confronting the past.
“The first time I ran away from home late at night,” Shi Ning recounted, “Shi Qingyin said that my dad never looked for me, and just hoped that I would die outside and bring another women home.”
“Bullshit!” Shi Guoqiang roared, slamming his fist down. “I looked for you all night and was about to call the police, but it was Shi Qingyin who claimed she found you! She said if I didn’t let you calm down, you would disown me!”
Shi Ning and Shi Guoqiang exchanged speechless glances. Another lie.
“Dad,” Shi Ning continued, “why didn’t you remember my birthday and never gave me a birthday present!”
Shi Guoqiang’s face darkened further, his old features etched with grievance. “I give you birthday presents every year! Why did you throw them into the trash can?”
Shi Ning’s voice dropped. “…Shi Qingyin said that it was Dad’s ‘wife outside,’ my stepmother, who gave me the presents to provoke me.”
“‘My wife outside,’ ‘your stepmother’?” Shi Guoqiang’s face was utterly disgusted. “Bullshit! I only have your mother as a wife! And you only have one mother! If you want a stepmother, it would have to be your mother’s reincarnation!”
Very good, Shi Ning thought. Another misunderstanding orchestrated by Shi Qingyin.
“I began to dislike Dad because Shi Qingyin said that you cheated on Mom during her pregnancy,” Shi Ning revealed, her voice gaining a bitter edge. “She said it caused Mom to have a miscarriage, dystocia, and severe bleeding, which led to her death! That’s why I started to hate you! I thought you were the murderer who killed my mother, and that you were still keeping a mistress outside.”
When Shi Guoqiang heard this, a raw fury consumed him. His hand gripped the sofa armrest tightly, restraining himself from interrupting Shi Ning. Once she finished, his suppressed rage erupted. He wanted to kill someone. Shi Qingyin had even slandered his profound love for his wife! If his wife had misunderstood and failed to visit him in his dreams, he would have been truly wronged!
“Bullshit! Your mother and I had a very good relationship! I never cheated! After your mother died, I never kept any other women!” He spread his hands in exasperation. “Do you know what your father has been through these past twenty years?” Shi Guoqiang looked at Qin Heye. “Anyway, your husband knows what I’ve been through!”
Qin Heye understood immediately. A faint blush touched his cheeks, and he averted his gaze, not wanting to acknowledge such a thing. After all, no matter how much he controlled himself, he couldn’t help but think about Shi Ning…