Shocking! The school heartthrob who was adopted by a wealthy family is actually a heiress!

Chapter 356 Don't wrong yourself
“That beast not only robbed her, but he also hit her! With Qin Zhao’s build…” His eyes reddened, and his fists clenched. “If my dad hadn’t stopped me, I would have beaten that beast to death!”

Shen Yanci prided himself on being more rational than Lin Shi, and he also knew that Qin Zhao had a difficult childhood.

But when these cold, hard facts roared out of Lin Shi's mouth in such a concrete and cruel way, a near-destructive anger and heartache, identical to Lin Shi's own, struck him hard.

She clearly said that her grandmother was very good to her.

She spoke so casually, yet there wasn't a single person around her who treated her well.

"Moreover," Lin Shi wiped his eyes, still feeling fear, "if Qin Zhao hadn't been so good at pretending to be a boy, he might have been sold off by that beast long ago."

"You don't understand it."

If it weren't for Qin Zhao, he might never have truly experienced that there are really people in this world who are that poor, and that there are really people who are that kind of beast.

Shen Yanci took a deep breath, the cold air piercing his lungs, but it did nothing to alleviate the burning pain in his chest.

"So when she first became a girl, she was extremely insecure. She stayed home all the time, and couldn't sleep unless she locked her bedroom door." Lin Shi glanced at Shen Yanci, who was trying her best to control her emotions. "If you date her, isn't that just like dancing on her sore spots?"

"I don't know what she's thinking—" Lin Shi couldn't bring himself to say the rebuke to Qin Zhao; he was just very dissatisfied with Shen Yanci.

He couldn't figure out why Qin Zhao liked Shen Yanci. Qin Zhao wasn't the type to act recklessly. All of this could only be attributed to the fact that when Qin Zhao first came home, he, as the older brother, hadn't done his job properly, giving Shen Yanci the opportunity to be the good guy.

"It's because Qin Zhao wasn't treated well before that he was fooled by your well-dressed appearance."

Every time he thinks about this, he gets so angry that he has a heart attack.

Being with Shen Yanci was like a constant reminder to Qin Zhao of how terribly wrong he had been.

He said, word by word, "If I could do it all over again, I would rather die than bring you to her! I would rather die than give you the chance to be a good person!"

Lin Shi's curses echoed in the pool, dull and suffocating, but Shen Yanci couldn't hear them at all.

His heart felt like it was being repeatedly rubbed by a force, each contraction accompanied by sharp pain, squeezing the air out of his lungs and making it difficult for him to breathe.

He tilted his head back, as if trying to grab a breath of oxygen. His neck was taut, veins bulging, and the cold, despairing air, carrying the smell of water, stung his lungs, making his shoulders tremble.

The two of them breathed the air of pain caused by the same person.

Lin Shi had long since developed immunity to it, and felt much better after venting his emotions. He glanced at the water droplets streaking across the air and then at Shen Yanci.

He seemed to have his soul ripped out, leaving only a husk trembling silently in pain.

Lin Shi was very unaccustomed to Shen Yanci's state, but his stance was firm.

His tone softened, a far cry from his usual nonchalant and impulsive manner: "You were indeed quite good to Qin Zhao before."

"But I didn't fare badly later on either. I was there for her for those four years."

He raised his eyelids slightly and looked at him: "Isn't it natural that she feels more comfortable around me?"

His tone carried a confident air of someone in complete control as the older brother.

Two seconds later, he reverted to his nonchalant demeanor: "I don't care if she's my brother or sister, as long as she's happy. You just want her to be your girlfriend, what makes you think you can compare to me?"

Shen Yanci lowered his head, water droplets dripping down his hair and disappearing into his bathrobe, silent and without a sound.

Lin Shi stood up, turned his back to Shen Yanci, and did a few warm-up stretches with his arms. His voice was clear and loud: "Qin Zhao has suffered all the hardships she should and shouldn't have in her life. Now and in the future, she can only eat sweets."

After he finished speaking, he put his hands on his hips, looked ahead, and two seconds later, jumped into the pool with a splash. ...

-

On the day Lin left, his family all returned to the Rose Garden for a small reunion.

Qin Zhao had no classes the next day, so she stayed home all day, reading academic papers and playing some mindless games that Lin Shi had recommended to her.

Qin Qiong watched her playing and smiled: "Zhaozhao, remember to send your information to Xiao Sun, she will help you organize it."

"it is good."

Qin Zhao responded.

Qin Qiong: "The admission quotas for Ivy League schools should be coming out soon, right? Professor Vance said he wanted you to join his psychology lab. PhD applications are still quite difficult, so you need to start preparing for these things in advance."

Qin Zhao paused for a moment as he handed out the documents.

Qin Qiong sat down next to her and forked a piece of fruit: "Have some fruit."

Qin Zhao took it but didn't put it in his mouth: "Mom, I probably won't apply for a PhD in the US."

Qin Qiong paused for a moment, but still had a smile on her face. She said gently, "Why? Didn't you say that Professor Vance's psychology lab is amazing? This is a great opportunity."

Qin Zhao lowered his eyelids: "I don't like the California sun."

Qin Qiong smiled and said, "How about Columbia University? Columbia's psychology program is also very famous. Your brother Ji Chen graduated from there. You two had a pretty good chat last time, didn't you?"

"It's too far." Qin Zhao's voice was very soft. Her fingers unconsciously tapped her phone, and she closed her eyelids. "I haven't decided yet."

Qin Qiong's smile slowly faded, and his expression became serious.

She reached out and covered Qin Zhao's cool hand with hers, patting it gently: "Baby, whatever decision you make, Mom will respect it. Dad, your brother, and I will always be your support and backing."

"But baby, this decision must come from what you truly want in your heart, not from external factors or... anyone else."

Qin Qiong said earnestly, "You are the most important. Your mother hopes that you can follow your heart and never wrong yourself."

Qin Zhao's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she hummed in agreement. She rested her head on Qin Qiong's shoulder, her eyelashes drooping: "I just... haven't decided yet."

Her voice was soft.

Qin Qiong felt the weight on his shoulder, and his heart felt as if it had been gently scratched by the softest feather, a bittersweet tenderness rising within him.

A moment later, she suddenly chuckled and changed the subject: "Offers from US PhD programs and Columbia University aren't easy to get, you're already worried before you've even applied. You're so confident, baby."

"..."

Qin Zhao leaned against her, looked up, and said reproachfully, "Mom."

Qin Qiong smiled and patted her head, saying, "Alright, Mommy trusts you, baby. Let Xiao Sun organize the documents first."

Qin Zhao hugged her and nuzzled against her, saying, "Thank you, Mom."

"No need to thank me." Qin Qiong ruffled her hair with a mixture of doting and helplessness, but a complex and unfathomable look flashed deep in his eyes. The emotion came quickly and was instantly covered by an even stronger tenderness.

(End of this chapter)