Chapter 47: The ‘Scandal’ Involving Jiang Qi’s Treatment Has Truly Gone Viral

**Innocence is something you only need to explain to the people who matter to you.

The words “breaking the law” felt harsh and jarring. As soon as Zhi Qi got home, she couldn’t help but argue with her parents and older brother.

The four of them hadn’t even eaten yet, and the atmosphere was already frozen in a deadlock.

“He was sentenced to three years in prison before he was even an adult. That alone shows how serious his crime was. How can you still speak up for him?” Mei Ran sighed, her beautiful eyes filled with disappointment as she looked at Zhi Qi. “Zhi Qi, you’ve really let Mom down. Even now, you’re still thinking about that boy.”

Zhi Qi frowned, about to speak, but Mei Ran was quickly interrupted by Zhi Minglin.

“We never opposed you being in contact with him. We know Jiang Qi saved you when you were little—he did our family a great favor,” Zhi Minglin said in a deep voice. “But everything has its limits, right? We’ve never cared about things like ‘matching family backgrounds,’ but we can’t stand the idea of our daughter getting involved with someone who’s been to prison. And besides—besides—Jiang Qi even hit someone. It was on the news!”

…

It wasn’t easy for someone like Zhi Minglin, a “2G elder,” to even know about entertainment news.

It seemed Jiang Qi’s “scandal” had truly gone viral.

“But what can I do?” Zhi Qi sighed softly, a helpless smile on her lips. “He’s already my boyfriend.”

“You—!” The three others were all shocked. Zhi Minglin slammed the table in anger. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Dad, you’ve all misunderstood him.” Zhi Qi knew she couldn’t rush things now. She had to explain slowly and carefully. “Jiang Qi didn’t hit someone on purpose. He’s sick…”

“Yes, he’s sick. But if he weren’t, would he have hit someone on purpose?” Zhi Yu looked up, her tone cold. “I saw the termination statement from his entertainment company. It said Jiang Qi has bipolar disorder? What if he hits you in the future?”

Hearing something so unreasonable, Zhi Qi couldn’t help but stand up in frustration. “You—”

“Your brother is right,” Mei Ran said sternly, her expression serious. “We don’t care if he’s a bit lacking in background or looks. But I remember that kid Jiang Qi was always fighting when he was young. Then he committed a crime and went to jail. And now he has a mental illness? How can we possibly feel at ease? No. I can’t accept you being with him. Absolutely not.”

Zhi Qi looked a little dazed. So this was how it was—people like Mei Ran and Zhi Yu, these “outsiders,” when they heard Jiang Qi was sick, their first reaction was… this.
Didn’t anyone feel sorry for him? It’s not like Jiang Qi wanted to be sick. It’s not like he wanted to hurt people.

But they were her family. No matter what, Zhi Qi wanted them to understand that Jiang Qi wasn’t the kind of irredeemable person they imagined.

“It’s not like that,” Zhi Qi murmured, swallowing hard, her voice sounding like a futile whisper. “He didn’t hit anyone on purpose. He didn’t go to prison because he broke the law.”

Her mind was a mess, and her explanation came out jumbled and incoherent as she tried to explain the real reason Jiang Qi went to prison.

“It—it was for that old man… He went to jail because of that old man…”

By the end, her voice was already choked with emotion.

All these years, no one had known the truth about why Jiang Qi went to prison. Even Zhi Yu, who had once tried to investigate, had only uncovered the surface. Now, hearing the full story, the three of them were momentarily stunned.

But… even though Zhi Qi trusted Jiang Qi with all her heart, from the perspective of outsiders, how could they know whether what she said was true or not?

Still, seeing the redness in her eyes, none of them dared to question her.

---

Although they all voiced their opposition, in the end, they were still used to indulging Zhi Qi. None of them could bear to stab a knife into the softest part of her heart.

The tense silence lingered for a while before Zhi Minglin finally spoke.
“How about this.”

He opened his mouth but hesitated. Under the gaze of the other three, he pondered for a long time before finally saying to Zhi Qi:
“Bring Jiang Qi home. Let us meet him.”

Mei Ran and Zhi Yu were both surprised by this, and Zhi Qi even more so.

“Really?” Zhi Qi blinked in disbelief. “Dad, you want to meet Jiang Qi?”

“Mm.” Zhi Minglin turned his face away, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. “It’s almost New Year. Bring him over to pay a New Year’s visit.”

It seemed that no matter how serious the matter, in China, nothing could outweigh the phrase “it’s the New Year.” The holiday season was a time when everything could be forgiven.

Zhi Qi was both surprised and delighted, nodding eagerly.

But the girl was too pure-hearted to hear the unspoken meaning behind her father’s words. Mei Ran and Zhi Yu, however, understood it clearly—and because they did, they didn’t stop her.

Zhi Yu looked at his little sister’s joyful expression, a trace of heartache flickering in his eyes.

He knew their parents couldn’t bear to keep pressuring Zhi Qi with harsh words, so they decided to let her bring Jiang Qi home—hoping to persuade him to back off.

But wasn’t that just another way of hurting Zhi Qi?

If Jiang Qi were humiliated in their home, it would only make the girl feel even more distressed. Besides… Jiang Qi had done their family a great favor. No matter what, Zhi Yu didn’t want things to get ugly.

So after dinner, Zhi Yu drove to the Fifth Hospital.

Since he already knew Zhi Qi had been in contact with Jiang Qi over the past month, he naturally knew where Jiang Qi was staying.

A sanatorium… What a life—retired before even reaching adulthood.

Zhi Yu let out a helpless smile. After finishing a cigarette in the car, he finally stepped out and walked into the hospital to “visit” Jiang Qi.

After registering at the front desk and asking for Jiang Qi’s room number, Zhi Yu walked over and politely knocked three times on the door.

Sure enough, Jiang Qi wasn’t asleep. A cool, clear voice came from inside:
“Come in.”

Zhi Yu pushed the door open and entered. He saw the thin figure of the young man leaning against the hospital bed. His fair skin and glassy eyes briefly showed a flash of confusion—followed by a hint of disappointment.

“What’s wrong?” Zhi Yu couldn’t help but chuckle. “Disappointed it’s not my sister?”

Jiang Qi’s lips curved slightly, barely forming a smile. He responded with rare politeness:
“No.”

He didn’t ask how Zhi Yu knew he was here—because at this point, did the process even matter?

To be honest, if not for Jiang Qi’s complicated and misunderstood past, Zhi Yu might have genuinely admired his calm, proud demeanor—never arrogant, never servile.

“My sister’s on break today,” Zhi Yu said, sitting down in the chair beside the bed, crossing his long legs as he looked at Jiang Qi. “The moment she got time off, she wanted to come see you. I intercepted her and brought her home instead.”
“She went home and told our parents everything about you. Tch. She cried and fussed so much it gave everyone a headache.”

Jiang Qi’s eyes flickered slightly, and his thin lips pressed together.

Zhi Yu could tell—he was clearly nervous.

“Zhi Qi said… you went to prison for a different reason. That someone else committed the crime.” Zhi Yu paused, then asked, “Is that true?”

Jiang Qi wasn’t surprised by the question. He was silent for a moment, then nodded and gave a quiet “Mm.”

Seeing this, Zhi Yu didn’t press further.

He had always known that Jiang Qi wasn’t the type to lie. He had once harbored doubts, but now, seeing him admit it in person, those doubts quietly faded.

Just like Zhi Qi, Zhi Yu was first surprised by the truth—then found himself feeling a bit of admiration… and relief.

The most important thing was: Jiang Qi’s hands weren’t stained with blood.

As long as Jiang Qi hadn’t truly committed a crime, everything else could be negotiated.

“The girl cried and made a fuss. My parents couldn’t take it, so they agreed to let her bring you home for New Year’s,” Zhi Yu said, pausing before looking up at him. “What do you think?”

Jiang Qi narrowed his long, glassy eyes slightly. After a moment, he replied with just one word:
“I can go.”

If Zhi Qi wanted him to go, then he would—
Even if he knew he wouldn’t be welcomed warmly, it was something he’d have to face sooner or later. Even if it was a bit early.

“Zhi Qi’s really happy right now. She thinks my parents have accepted you,” Zhi Yu sighed. His once-cold tone now carried a hint of persuasion. “But if you actually go, she might not be so happy anymore.”

Jiang Qi understood what Zhi Yu meant—
If he went and was rejected by Zhi Qi’s parents, the girl would be caught in the middle, heart aching for both sides. It wouldn’t be easy for her.

It really was a difficult situation. But…

Jiang Qi looked up at Zhi Yu and asked softly,
“Brother Yu, what are you trying to say?”

He figured Zhi Yu wouldn’t have come all this way just to make small talk—he must have had something to say.

So, there was no need to pretend. No need to hold onto pride.

“To be honest, I was against you and Zhi Qi at first because I thought you were a criminal. Now that I know you’re not, I’m not as opposed anymore,” Zhi Yu said frankly. “But my parents are different. They think about a lot more—your family background, your personal situation, and the illness you haven’t recovered from.”

“So, your relationship with Zhi Qi needs time. Going to our house for New Year’s—it’s too soon.”

Zhi Yu’s words were clear, and Jiang Qi understood.

Zhi Qi could love him without hesitation, but her parents couldn’t help but think more practically.

parents peace of mind—only then would it be the right time.

Only then… would it be a time that wouldn’t damage his relationship with Zhi Qi. Jiang Qi understood that now.

So the young man nodded and sincerely said to Zhi Yu:
“Thank you.”

Jiang Qi knew Zhi Yu was helping him for Zhi Qi’s sake. They both loved the same person and wanted what was best for her.
It seemed this New Year… just wasn’t the right time.

So the next morning, Jiang Qi woke up early. Before Zhi Qi could come visit him, he did something rare—he walked to the doctor’s office on his own and asked his attending physician to help him tell a lie.

Dr. Liu Yong was surprised to see Jiang Qi so early.
“Xiao Jiang, is something wrong?”

The boy sat across from Liu Yong’s desk, speaking politely:
“Nothing serious. I just want to ask you for a favor.”

Liu Yong blinked.
“What kind of favor?”

“It’s about the New Year.”

“Ah, you want to request leave to go home for the holiday?” Liu Yong smiled kindly. “That’s fine, but it can’t be for too long.”

“No.” Jiang Qi shook his head and said something completely unexpected—
“I want to ask you to say that I can’t be discharged for the New Year.”

Jiang Qi couldn’t face Zhi Qi’s parents when he was still “nothing.” But he also couldn’t bear to hurt the girl by telling her the truth himself.

So he could only ask the medical staff to help him tell this gentle lie.

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