Gu Yechen stayed in the hospital for another week before he left with a cast still on his arm.

When he returned to school, Yi Qiansi was no longer there and Gu Yechen was left with no friends at school once again.

Although all the kids at school wanted to befriend him, his expression had turned even colder than before and no one dared to get close to him.

He went to class day after day normally, almost like nothing changed in his life.

However, another family's life has changed completely. . . for the worse.

--- The Yi House

Little Yi Qiansi stood outside of his parent's room, the door slightly ajar.

He leaned eagerly against the door, his ear pressed against the opening.

"What are we going to do?" His mom said quietly, but still loud and worried enough for Yi Qiansi to hear.

"There is no way Qiansi is going back to the school. . . And even if he can, we won't be able to afford it anymore." His dad said as he lifted his hand up, pinching the area of skin in between his eyebrows.

Yi Qiansi's mom sighed, "How is that boy? The Gu family's son."

"He has recovered by now, but even so, the Gu family isn't going to let go. After all, he is the only son of that Gu couple."

Yi Qiansi furrowed his eyebrows together as he listened. He had gone to visit the hospital after Gu Yechen got hurt feeling guilty, but he was kept out of the room by two guards standing at the door.

After that, the guilty feeling inside of him had softened slightly, but it didn't disappear. Instead, it was replaced with more of a sense of fury and anger.

He knew he was the one who proposed grabbing an egg, but he didn't know the bird would suddenly fly over. And he would have never thought that Gu Yechen would fall off the tree and get hurt!

Yi Qiansi did not care about not going to the private school, because he did not enjoy school at all. He wanted to run in and tell his parents that, but just as he was about to push open the door, he heard his mother ask:

"What about the company? How is it doing?"

Hearing this, Yi Qiansi's dad's face paled as he closed his eyes, "I don't think it will work."

"What do you mean?"

"The Gu Corporation is way too strong. The company won't survive. We have to let go of it."

Yi Qiansi's mother gasped, "But. . . But we worked so hard on it! We can't just give up on it."

Yi Qiansi's dad slammed his fist onto the table in anger, "I know! Of course I know! But we have to let go of it! The more time and money and energy we spend on trying to save it, the more the debt will pile. All the workers are leaving already, and news of the company collapsing has already gone out. We are already in so much debt, we can't afford to keep going!"

Yi Qiansi's mother's face also turned very ugly as she felt her legs weaken. What were they going to do?!

The company was gone and they were under a huge pile of debt. . . Their son was also expelled from the private school, and it will be hard for another private school to accept him after that incident.

Yi Qiansi blinked his eyes a few times outside, slightly confused but more shocked. Gu Yechen's family destroyed his family's company?!

He wasn't surprised at being kicked out of school, but wasn't it enough already. Why did they also destroy his parent's hard work?!

"What about the house?" Yi Qiansi's mother asked.

"I am getting ready to sell it. Hopefully, we can use the money to pay off some debt."

Yi Qiansi's mother sighed helplessly and took a deep breath, "Yes. That is the only option. I am going to go make dinner now."

They did not have money to afford a nanny or workers in the house anymore, so Yi Qiansi's mother had to go cook himself now.

Hearing the footsteps, Yi Qiansi quickly ran away and hid inside his room again.

He stayed inside his room for a long time, not sure what the future held for him and his family. Half an hour later, he was called down to eat dinner.

Dinner that night did not taste good.

--- Three weeks later

Yi Qiansi returned from public school with grass in his hair and dirt marks on his face. Hidden underneath his grey shirt and pants, there were several bruises and scars from getting bullied by the other kids.

He returned to the small apartment in a cheap neighborhood in the south of Country Z, where several homeless lay around the streets.

When he returned home, he saw several empty glass bottles on the floor, and the small room reeked of alcohol.

He sighed and returned to his room, opening up his backpack and beginning to do homework. In less than a month, the expression a normal young boy should have had completely disappeared.

Even the mischievous expression that he always carried around was gone, and it was replaced with a grave, emotionless, and blank face, almost like a statue.

The little meat he had on his body was also gone, and the other students in school laughed at him for looking like a stick.

But he didn't care.

When he was finished with his homework, his mom returned home from working in the supermarket. The once rich and elegant Mrs. Yi has now become a mere cashier in the neighborhood supermarket, where she had to serve other people who used to serve her.

She began cooking after quickly acknowledging her son. After seeing the increased amount of bottles inside the room, she sighed.

An hour later, Yi Qiansi's dad returned home from washing cars.

When he returned, Yi Qiansi's mom knit her eyebrows together, "Stop drinking so much alcohol. You know that you have heart disease. Be careful, alcohol is bad for you."

Yi Qiansi's dad nodded his head and sat down at the table, "Don't you think the Gu family is still pressuring us?"

Yi Qiansi's mom looked up and didn't say anything.

"I was the chairman of the Yi Company, but when I go look for jobs in other companies now, no one accepts me. Some of them. . . seemed scared."

Yi Qiansi's mom sighed, "Why won't they let go of us?"

From inside his bedroom, Yi Qiansi heard everything.

--- One week later

Yi Qiansi and his mother rushed to the hospital, both of them with their hearts racing.

Half an hour ago, Yi Qiansi's mother was cooking dinner when she received a call from the manager of the car washing business Yi Qiansi's dad worked in.

"Is this Yi Qinyu's wife?"

Yi Qiansi's mom wiped her hands, "Yes, who is this?"

"Hello, I am Yi Qinyu's manager at XX Car Wash. A minute ago, your husband suddenly passed out while wiping a car. I'm not sure but it seems like. . . maybe a heart attack? I called the ambulance and they are on their way here."

Yi Qiansi's mom's eyes widened, "What hospital is it?!"

"I think they will take him to XX Hospital."

"Thank you, thank you."

"You're welcome."

Yi Qiansi's mom immediately hung up the call and grabbed the car keys without even taking off her apron.

When she opened the door, she suddenly heard a voice call:

"Mom, where are you going?"

"I - Don't worry. I will be right back."

However, little Yi Qiansi had heard the call.

"Mom, I'll go with you."

Yi Qiansi's mom wanted to stop him but there wasn't much time to waste. In the end, she let Yi Qiansi go with her.

Together, they entered the second-hand car and began racing to the hospital.

When they arrived, they asked the nurse at the front desk for information and quickly found out where Yi Qinyu was located.

They waited outside the emergency room for several hours, and the sun of the new day had risen already when the lights closed and the door finally opened.

Yi Qiansi and his mom immediately jumped up.

"Doctor, doctor! How is my husband?"

The doctor looked at the woman in front of him and sighed, "I am very sorry, but we tried our best."

Yi Qiansi's mom's eyes widened before her legs gave in and she collapsed onto the ground.

"Mom!" Yi Qiansi yelled as he also kneeled down, tears boiling inside his eyes.

His dad was dead?

The dad that bought him ice cream whenever he returned from work, and carried him on his shoulders, played with him, and patiently taught him math.

Finally, the tears began to roll down Yi Qiansi's cheeks as he held onto his mom, letting the warm cheeks fall down his face.

A week later, Yi Qiansi's dad was buried and only a few people attended the funeral.

The funeral was on a rainy day, almost like the heavens were also mourning the man's death.

--- Note:

hello readers ~

Do you remember the historical romance book that I was supposed to begin uploading on 5/20 but decided not to? I thought it would be a waste to just throw away the 35 chapters I already wrote, so I decided to publish it on another reading app called Dreame instead. Please go give it a try if you are interested!

The title of the novel is: Prince Charming's Beloved Wife.

My pseudonym on there is also: helemon_

Love you

Have a great weekend :)