NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6 - Goodbye, Qi Xueyao
Chapter 6 Goodbye, Qi Xueyao
Changing into slippers, Qi Lin walked to the luxurious dining table made of redwood and sat down.
In 2002, Qi Lin’s family already owned billions in assets, living in a villa and driving a Mercedes. This was what people often refer to as being born with a silver spoon in your mouth.
Unfortunately, Qi Lin’s father, Qi Feng, made poor management decisions later on, turning their farming business into a heavy asset burden.
Later, a swine fever outbreak devastated the entire farm, leaving the family financially ruined overnight. Of course, part of the reason was Qi Lin himself, who only indulged in eating, drinking, and having fun, leaving no one to take over the family business.
It wasn’t that Qi Lin wasn’t smart or lacked business talent. It was simply that his father spoiled him too much. Whatever Qi Lin wanted, he got. If he didn’t want to work, he didn’t have to, as long as his father could still manage. This allowed Qi Lin to continue being a privileged second-generation rich kid.
With such a doting father, why would any rich kid work hard to become a corporate slave?
The redwood table was laden with delicacies that Qi Lin loved—Spanish ham with celery, steamed small grouper, Boston lobster, braised lion’s head meatballs, wagyu beef cutlets…
Qi Lin was a meat lover. Aunt Chen, who had been cooking for the Qi family for years, knew Qi Lin’s tastes like the back of her hand. His parents spoiled him so much that meals at home were tailored to his preferences.
In the past, Qi Lin had these gourmet meals every day and took them for granted. Now, having experienced the bankruptcy crisis in his previous life, Qi Lin felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity and nostalgia as he looked at the table of food. Bite after bite, he ate with incredible satisfaction.
Watching Qi Lin eat so happily, Aunt Chen said kindly, “Little Lin, you’re still growing. Eat as much as you like. If it’s not enough, I’ll cook more for you.”
Hearing this, Qi Lin suddenly thought of something.
He put down his chopsticks, stood up, and gently pushed Aunt Chen into a chair at the dining table.
“Aunt Chen, from now on, don’t wait until I’m done eating to have the leftovers. You’re part of our family, and we should eat together.”
“You’re such a good child,” Aunt Chen said, initially surprised.
After all, Qi Lin had always been carefree and unconcerned about what others thought. Now, seeing him suddenly so thoughtful was a little unfamiliar to her. Unfamiliar as it was, it was certainly touching.
Unable to refuse Qi Lin’s insistence, Aunt Chen sat down to eat with him.
“Click.”
Just as the two were eating and chatting with smiles, the villa door opened again. It seemed Qi Lin already knew who had arrived. His eyes showed a hint of playfulness.
Qi Lin’s parents rarely ate at home. They were technical workers who spent long hours at the company, constantly monitoring the farm’s operations. However, during Qi Lin’s senior year of high school, a distant relative came to stay at their house.
For the next three years, Qi Lin had dinner with this distant relative almost every night. Now, as Qi Lin saw the person entering, he slowly put down his chopsticks and stood up to greet them.
At the entrance was a graceful silhouette. The person appeared to be about 23 or 24 years old.
She wore a high-end gray Chanel-style business suit with a slim skirt, and her slender legs were covered in sheer black stockings.
Judging by her attire, she seemed to be a working professional. At this moment, she bent slightly at the waist, her petite feet stepping out of her high heels and into her slippers.
From Qi Lin’s perspective, the graceful arch of her feet was clearly visible.
“Ah! Why are you suddenly standing behind me?”
Qi Xueyao turned around, startled by Qi Lin’s sudden appearance behind her.
“Xueyao-jie, you smell so nice today,” Qi Lin said with a mischievous, carefree demeanor, leaning in slightly to sniff the air.
Qi Xueyao, Qi Lin’s childhood playmate from the same village, wasn’t actually his sister. Because Qi Lin’s father and Qi Xueyao’s father had grown up together, they shared a faint familial bond, which had nearly faded over time.
A month ago, Qi Xueyao’s father called Qi Lin’s father to ask if his daughter could temporarily stay at their house. Since she was a young woman just entering the workforce, her father was worried about her living alone and decided to entrust her to Qi Lin’s family for a while.
“Qi Lin, you…”
Seeing Qi Lin’s cheeky actions and flirtatious tone, Qi Xueyao was stunned.
In her eyes, this distant younger cousin was nothing more than a rich, spoiled brat who lazed around and accomplished nothing. Whenever they met, Qi Lin even blushed and avoided looking her in the eye.
As a college graduate, Qi Xueyao understood that these were signs of a budding crush. Her distant younger cousin obviously had feelings for her.
But now, this shy cousin who used to avoid eye contact was openly teasing her. This sudden change left Qi Xueyao momentarily speechless.
“Qi Lin, what on earth are they teaching you at school? How could you speak to me like that? If you ever say something like that again, I’ll be angry,” Qi Xueyao said, her face showing a mix of anger and embarrassment.
She bypassed Qi Lin and went straight to the dining table. Though annoyed by Qi Lin’s behavior, she didn’t want to create conflict over something trivial, especially since she still needed to stay with his family for a while.