WBSGVS Chapter 43 V2

He could never understand why Pei Mingjiang didn’t treat his granddaughter well. Logically speaking, even if he felt inclined to help her, he wouldn’t neglect her. He’d spent money, and a little care would have sufficed!

But he didn’t; Pei Mingjiang was cold-hearted and harmed Ah Li while harming him as well!

Lin Heng spoke passionately, and Dong Qing stood nearby, watching his emotions closely, fearing he might lose control. His heart felt sour as he realized how difficult this situation was for Qing Li, who didn’t know whether to feel anger, blame, or victimization.

Qing Li didn’t react; she kept her head down, tears falling one by one onto the ground, quickly forming a small puddle.

This was the original owner’s emotion.

In her past life, she felt unloved, so she cautiously tried to please the Pei family, yearning for a bit of affection, only for her personality to twist in the end.

Now, Lin Heng’s words had brought closure to everything she had pursued for over a decade; she had someone who loved her.

But it still wasn’t enough.

Qing Li wiped her tears and looked up, and her beautiful face revealed a hint of childlike vulnerability. She asked softly, “So I’m not dependent on others? I have a biological grandfather—it’s you! And you’re impressive! To let the Pei family raise me, you provided them with enough benefits to support many of me, right?”

“Yes, yes!” Lin Heng nodded vigorously, tears falling onto the quilt, soaking patches of it as he said hoarsely, “You’re not dependent on others! Never feel inferior towards the Pei family. They should be the ones feeling inferior!”

Qing Li smiled, seemingly satisfied, but the next second, her expression darkened. She raised her voice, “Then why didn’t you tell me?!”

Lin Heng and Dong Qing were startled. The little girl’s frustrated shout echoed in the hospital room, which had previously been quiet and cold.

Lin Heng clutched his chest, gasping in pain—not physical pain, but a soul-wrenching heartache. He truly was wrong!

Qing Li diverted some of her energy to observe his expression while venting the original owner’s emotions. She puffed out her cheeks in anger, eyes red as she glared at him. “Were you afraid I’d cling to you? If you’d just told me, this isn’t charity! This is a transaction between you two! Let me have the confidence to know that I’m not dependent on others—that the Pei family needed me to live with them!”

“When my parents left, I was about to be sent to an orphanage. I wanted a home…” Qing Li’s voice dropped.

“Grandpa Pei took me back, and I thought I would have a home. Later, I realized that the Pei family didn’t welcome me, so I clung to Pei Xiyue because Grandpa Pei said he was my fiancé and that we would get married in the future. That way, I could also join this family. Every night, I dreamt of making a mistake and being kicked out of the Pei family, which would make me an orphan again. But as I grew older, I realized that it would have been better if I had been kicked out of the Pei family in the first place!”

Qing Li’s voice grew softer, almost as if she were recounting a story, her emotions becoming heavy as she expressed her grievances. In just a few simple sentences, Lin Hengzhi listened, piecing together fragments of information from Dong Qing, and his mind automatically painted a picture of a pitiful girl who believed she was dependent on others.

His heart ached, filled with regret for the past, as he cried and pounded his chest, shouting, “Grandpa was wrong! Grandpa was wrong…”

“I have no grandpa!” Qing Li replied coldly.

Lin Hengzhi’s breath caught in his throat, his sorrow deepening, his body trembling, yet he dared not retort.

He truly wasn’t a good grandpa. Even if he justified allowing the Pei family to adopt Qing Li, it could not erase the fact that he had failed to fulfill the responsibilities of raising his granddaughter.

He hadn’t abandoned her; he had given them money. But he never acknowledged her, always thinking he could spare her from the pain of separation. After all, he didn’t have much time left to accompany her, so he thought it best not to give her any false hopes.

Looking back now, how ridiculous that seems!

Lin Hengzhi forced a bitter smile, “You have every right to hate and resent me, A Li. I didn’t want to see you because I was afraid you’d witness another loved one leave, which would only cause you more pain. But now I realize this was my arrogance. I’m sorry!”

Qing Li’s heart ached, and she almost cried again. After genuinely feeling the original owner’s emotions, she replied, “I don’t hate you; I only resent you.”

Indeed, the original owner didn’t hate Lin Hengzhi.

He had made mistakes, but his intentions were good. Rationally, she could understand that, which is why she didn’t hate him. Yet emotionally, she couldn’t shake off the resentment, hence the feeling of grievance.

In Lin Hengzhi’s mind, scientific research was the most important thing. When forced to choose, he instinctively prioritized his work over family. Especially in the last moments of his life, he wished to completely bring his research to fruition. He thought he had arranged everything for his granddaughter, believing that was for the best.

He wasn’t a perfect person. He had been fair to the country and others, contributing most of his research for free to the nation. He lived an ordinary life, earning a salary from the state.

However, his personality was not suited for being a husband to a woman who had feelings for him, which ultimately left his wife heartbroken and led her to change her son’s surname and leave him.

But what the original owner endured was very real.

Rationally, she couldn’t hate someone who dedicated himself to the country. Emotionally, she resented Lin Hengzhi for not fulfilling his role as a grandfather and for leaving her in the hands of a cruel person.

The girl’s eyes glistened with tears, her expression firm yet filled with stubbornness. Her few words were unexpected yet entirely logical.

Dong Qing was shaken, feeling deeply moved, and her hatred for the Pei family intensified.

How much had she endured to maintain her composure at such a moment? Despite suddenly discovering she had relatives and realizing she had unjustly suffered for so many years, she did not break down in tears or lose her sanity.

Lin Hengzhi was in tears, nodding repeatedly, “You have every right to resent me! It was my fault!”

The reunion between the grandfather and granddaughter did not unfold as Dong Qing had envisioned—there were no tearful embraces.

Once Fu Qingli’s questions ended, a heavy silence enveloped the room.

Lin Hengzhi forced himself to ask Qing Li about her experiences in the Pei family over the past few years.

Qing Li didn’t say much. She asked Lin Hengzhi for an email address and sent him a ledger and a video, intending for him to see what the Pei family had done to the original owner. She knew these documents would serve no purpose if released; public opinion wouldn’t harm the Pei family. Only the downfall of the Pei family would genuinely strike at Pei Mingjiang!

Unfortunately, the original owner had wasted so many years that her life was almost ruined. But Qing Li had arrived; she hadn’t been ruined, and she couldn’t let Lin Hengzhi see the outcome of the original owner’s past.

But even so, Lin Hengzhi was so enraged by what he saw after Qing Li left that he fell ill.

He meticulously examined the ledger, which detailed the time from when his granddaughter first arrived at the Pei family until just before she left.

For instance, when she first met Pei Xiyue, he raised his chin and declared in front of everyone, “Who is this bumpkin? Stay away from me!”

Lin Hengzhi trembled with anger; this was his granddaughter! What did he mean by “bumpkin”?

It was Pei Mingjiang who had eagerly agreed to take good care of her!

But that was only the beginning. Later entries revealed countless times when they openly said, “You’re just an adopted child of the Pei family. You should be grateful and know your place. You can’t be the fiancée of the Pei family’s heir! You should give up hope!”

As she grew older and her grades dropped due to being bullied, Pei Mingjiang’s daughter-in-law would say, “Don’t attend future banquets; don’t embarrass me!”

Each statement pierced his heart and deepened his hatred for Pei Mingjiang.

Then came the video; he watched it without skipping. Although he didn’t know how his granddaughter managed to capture those apologies, none of the people expressed a shred of remorse, only overflowing shame and anger, which fueled his hatred even more.

No one would deliberately document the past, and there was no evidence, but the apologies in the video proved everything Qing Li had said was true!

In the Pei family, Fu Qingli was silent and withdrawn, like a thin bamboo pole, with grades at the bottom, even needing to pay to get into school.

In contrast, Fu Qingli Lin Hengzhi saw now was beautiful, obedient, and intelligent, having shot to first place in math competitions in such a short time.

The combination of his affection for his granddaughter and regret for lost talent made it impossible for Lin Hengzhi not to faint from anger!

His health had never been good, and with such emotional upheaval, it was particularly harmful. Like Pei Mingjiang, he ended up in the emergency room.

Fortunately, he didn’t die; although his health was poor, he wasn’t in a condition that would lead to instant death from a shock. His ailment was not heart disease.

Moreover, the original owner didn’t want him dead. Qing Li ensured that all these shocks remained within Lin Hengzhi’s tolerance.

Emotionally, Lin Hengzhi was her only blood relative in this world, yet he had caused her so much suffering in her life. If he simply died like that, her resentment would never truly dissipate.

The deceased are to be honored. Just like in her previous life, when Lin Hengzhi died, the original owner discovered the truth and became consumed by hatred, yet she never truly hated this grandfather because he was gone. No amount of resentment would matter then.

In this life, they had recognized each other. She hoped Lin Hengzhi would live well, feel the pain she had endured in the Pei family, and make amends to alleviate her resentment.

Logically, he had over two years left to live. However, this incident caused a reduction in his lifespan, similar to Pei Mingjiang—though not as severe. Qing Li needed to compensate for this loss.

The original owner had aspired to be a scientist since childhood; perhaps it was indeed hereditary. She inherently respected those who dedicated themselves to the country, and Lin Hengzhi happened to be someone who made a significant contribution to the nation. If he continued to live and his research progressed, the country would be better off.

That very night after coming out of the emergency room, Qing Li delivered the medicinal porridge she had cooked. It didn’t taste good, but long-term consumption would greatly benefit Lin Hengzhi’s health.

She placed the dish in front of him, her expression cold, saying, “Drink up.”

But Lin Hengzhi didn’t know the truth. After tasting it, his expression twisted slightly, but filled with a sense of guilt towards his granddaughter, he dared not say a word. He drank it all, and afterward, he urged Qing Li to go rest.

“Go back; I’ll take good care of the teacher here,” Dong Qing said.

Qing Li nodded and left. She had no intention of caring for him; ensuring Lin Hengzhi lived well was her response to the original owner and the country. However, as a granddaughter, she wouldn’t take care of him.

On the contrary, once Lin Hengzhi’s health improved, she would never see him again.

Just as he had not seen the original owner for many years.

The original owner had looked forward to seeing him, but only at the moment he discovered the truth.

Lin Hengzhi kept his eyes on his granddaughter until her figure disappeared from the hospital room. When Dong Qing closed the door, he smiled weakly, his aged eyes filled with ice, and said grimly, “I want to take back everything I’ve given to the Pei family!”

Dong Qing immediately nodded, “Teacher, I will cooperate with you.”

Lin Hengzhi felt somewhat reassured and softly said, “Please help me contact Professor Zhou Yue and Professor Zheng Huafeng…”

He listed a series of names, all accomplished individuals in various scientific fields. Dong Qing followed his instructions, and soon, a trap targeting the Pei family began to take shape.

Aside from his early childhood, Lin Hengzhi devoted the rest of his life to scientific research. He was, in fact, quite innocent, believing that friends were truly friends.

But that didn’t mean he was foolish.

Pei Family

Pei Mingjiang was still in the hospital, with only Pei Rong there to take charge. When he returned home late at night after a busy day, his wife was already asleep. As he went upstairs, he noticed the light in his son’s room was still on.

Concerned about his son’s obvious low spirits lately, Pei Rong furrowed his brow. Since he finished work a bit earlier today, he decided to check on his son.

He knocked on the door and soon received a lazy response: “Come in.”

Pei Rong expected to see his son slumped over playing video games, but upon entering, he found his son expressionless, staring at the ceiling, with his hands behind his head, lying on the bed like a corpse.

He sat down beside his son and patted his arm, “What’s happened?”

This state had begun two months ago, during Pei Mingjiang’s hospitalization and the stock market crash of Pei Enterprises. Pei Rong had been too busy to take care of both matters, but now, as things eased up a bit, he noticed his son’s situation seemed to be getting worse.

Pei Xiyue still respected his father, and feeling the need to vent, he felt he could speak to his father rather than a friend. He propped himself up against the headboard and said, “Dad, Fu Qingli was directly admitted to the National Defense University after her math competition.”

“I know, it’s the National Defense University,” Pei Rong replied with a bitter smile; his busyness was partly due to that news.

After Pei Mingjiang had told him everything, he was aware that Lin Hengzhi’s alma mater was also the National Defense University. He had many students who graduated from there, and who knew if they would cross paths? Thus, he needed to secure the patents for unmanned vehicles and some other patents before Fu Qingli and Lin Hengzhi met!

Once the contracts were finalized, it would be too late for Lin Hengzhi to do anything.

Pei Xiyue sighed, “I thought that was impressive enough. Recently, she suddenly stopped coming to school, and I thought she was just being lazy. It wasn’t until a few days ago that I found out she wasn’t lazy; she was called by the professors at the National Defense University to study early!”

The gap was growing wider, like a chasm, and he even felt a sense of inferiority at the mention of Fu Qingli’s name.

As the favored son, it was his first time feeling inferior, and it made him particularly gloomy, especially since it was about Fu Qingli.

The speaker was unaware, but the listener was deeply affected. Pei Rong was initially considering how to comfort his son when he heard that Fu Qingli had already gone to the National Defense University, and his expression instantly darkened.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and Pei Rong cautiously asked, “Are you sure she’s already gone to the National Defense University?!”

“Definitely,” Pei Xiyue nodded. “She’s there helping her future senior brothers and sisters with research, and the teachers at school are envious.”

Pei Rong felt his heart sink, creating ripples of worry that lingered for a long time.

Something was about to happen!