CHAPTER 167: QI JINGXUAN, YOU BETTER LOVE MY DAUGHTER AS DEEPLY AS I DO.

One month later.

"Do you really have to go?" Qi Jianyi raised her head and looked at the door. She saw Qi Jianning leaning against the door with a sad expression on her face, her figure half hidden in the dim corridor light.

"What’s wrong? Are you reluctant to let me go now?" Qi Jianyi teased, her lips lifting into a smirk. She put down her pen and leaned back on her leather chair, her fingers casually playing with the pen cap as she watched her sister.

Seeing the teasing expression on her sister’s face, Qi Jianning pouted in annoyance. She stepped further into the room and walked slowly until she stood right in front of Qi Jianyi, her brows furrowed slightly.

Sighing, the young woman lamented in a half-defeated tone, "Well, even if I regret it, there’s nothing I can do anymore. I can’t really stop you from going, can I?"

Qi Jianyi smiled gently, and soft giggles slipped out from her pink lips. The sound was light, almost airy. She shook her head with amusement before standing up from her seat. She walked towards Qi Jianning and stopped when only two steps separated them, closing the space between them just enough.

"You know," Qi Jianyi said softly, "I’ll come and see you once every month. Maybe, by that time, you’ll get used to me being gone and even refuse to see me again."

Her voice was laced with a hint of teasing, clearly trying to lighten the mood that was weighing heavily on both of them.

Unfortunately, Qi Jianning wasn’t in the mood to play along. She looked at Qi Jianyi quietly, her gaze steady and serious, as though trying to carve this exact moment into her memory.

It was as if she wanted to remember her sister just as she was right now—before everything changed.

Qi Jianyi laughed a little and gently reached out to rub Qi Jianning’s head.

"Why are you looking at me like that? It’s not like I’m disappearing completely. It’s just my soul and consciousness that will be leaving, not this face. You’ll still see me every day, Jianning."

"I’m not trying to memorise your face," Qi Jianning whispered, her tone faint but firm. "I’m trying to memorise your demeanor."

Of course, she knew that her sister’s face wouldn’t change after Miss Qi took over. But Qi Jianning also knew that everything else—her tone, her way of smiling, the subtle tilt of her head when she was thinking—those would all disappear.

They were unique to the real Qi Jianyi.

The only thing the two of them shared was their identical appearance. Other than that? From their personalities, thoughts, habits, down to the way they walked and laughed, everything was entirely different. They didn’t even have the same preferences.

Stunned by her sister’s words, Qi Jianyi felt something stir in her chest. She stepped forward and gently pulled Qi Jianning into a warm embrace. Her right hand moved slowly to the back of her sister’s head, caressing it gently as though trying to comfort her.

"We grew up together, Jianning. If you ever miss me, just look in the mirror," she whispered.

"We have so much in common. Even though I only shared a face with that other Qi Jianyi, I shared my heart with you. We mirror each other more than anyone else in this world. So, even if I’m not here, there’s always going to be a part of me in you." Her voice was soft, tender, and comforting.

Although Qi Jianyi and Qi Jianning had a lot of differences especially when it came to how they handled emotions and approached problems. It was undeniable that there were also many ways in which they mirrored each other.

Qi Jianning hummed in response and quietly buried her head into her sister’s shoulder. She stayed there for a while, enjoying the warmth of her sister’s embrace. When she finally pulled away, she had already composed herself again.

"Let’s go downstairs. Mom called us for dinner," Qi Jianning said, clearing her throat slightly to cover her embarrassment. Then, without waiting, she quickly turned around and walked away from the room.

Watching her little sister walk away like she was being chased by something, Qi Jianyi laughed loudly in joy. Her laughter echoed through the hallway, warm and carefree. It only made Qi Jianning’s ears turn red in shame as her footsteps hastened.

...

"Has everything been settled?"

Mother Qi asked Qi Jianyi the moment the family finished their dinner. Her tone was calm, but her eyes betrayed a mixture of worry and resignation.

Qi Jianyi looked up from her plate and offered her mother a soft smile. She gave a small nod and responded casually, "Well, I’ve signed all the documents that needed to be signed. Everything important has been taken care of. Just a few long-term projects remain. I’ll leave those to her."

"Didn’t you say she’s currently a writer, just like you?" Qi Jianning suddenly chimed in, her curiosity overpowering her caution. Her interruption earned her a sharp glare from their mother, but she seemed not to notice.

Not reacting to the glare that shot across the table, Qi Jianyi simply nodded in confirmation to her younger sister’s question.

"Then... will she continue her career here once she arrives?" Qi Jianning asked again, but this time her voice softened. She was careful, more thoughtful. She knew this was a sensitive topic that carried weight, especially in their family.

Qi Jianyi’s hand froze for a brief moment, her fingers lingering above the plate. The small pause did not go unnoticed. Mother Qi and Father Qi exchanged glances, having caught the subtle shift in her expression.

Mother Qi shot another warning glare at her youngest daughter, silently blaming her for being too inquisitive. But before she could open her mouth to scold her, Qi Jianyi spoke first.

"Well, let her do what she wants," she said with a light shrug. "I want her to live her life freely, not as a replacement for me. If she wants to continue writing and publish stories, let her do it. At the very least, she’ll be able to help me deal with that old man Li’s endless persuasion."

She chuckled softly as she recalled President Li’s persistent attempts to pull her back into the literary world. The man never gave up, no matter how many times she turned him down. If Miss Qi really chose to write again, she thought, President Li would probably celebrate for a whole week.

"If she does that, aren’t you afraid the public might start questioning things?" Mother Qi asked in concern, her voice tinged with worry. "There’s no way both of you would write the same way."

Even though it had been years, she still harbored resentment towards those who had once turned on her daughter. She could never forget the cruel words and unrelenting criticism. And although many had since apologised and begged for Qi Jianyi’s return to the literary world, she had never encouraged her to do so.

She had no desire to see her daughter wounded again. And if Miss Qi were to experience that same pain, Mother Qi knew she’d only blame herself.

Qi Jianyi gave a reassuring smile and gently shook her head.

"Mom, don’t worry so much. It’s been nearly a decade since I last published a novel. Of course my writing style would change. Even if they notice differences, they won’t question it too deeply. It’s natural over time."

"Jianyi’s right," Father Qi agreed as he reached over and gently wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulders. His tone was calm as he comforted her.

"It’s been so many years since she released anything. Readers won’t expect things to be the same. They’ll accept the differences. It’s not something to stress over."

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Mother Qi huffed. "Can’t I be concerned because I don’t want Xiao Yi to get hurt the way our daughter did? We failed Jianyi once. We can’t fail Xiao Yi too!" Her voice rose in frustration, and she shoved her husband’s arm away with a sharp elbow to his side.

Father Qi raised his hands in immediate surrender. "Okay, okay, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said it that way," he said with an apologetic smile.

"But dear, we can still protect Xiao Yi without stopping her from doing what she loves. Let’s not smother her with fear." He turned his head and gave a knowing glance to his daughters, subtly signaling them to help diffuse the situation.

Picking up on the cue, Qi Jianyi quickly stepped in to support her father. "That’s right, Mom. There’s no need to worry too much. I’m a grown adult now. Besides, I’m also running a massive business empire. Who would dare mess with me?" she joked lightly, trying to bring some levity into the room.

Qi Jianning, wisely keeping her mouth shut, nodded her head in silent agreement. She didn’t dare say anything else—especially not after receiving two glares from her mother in one night.

"Okay, so now you and your daughters have learned how to side with each other and gang up on me, huh?" Mother Qi grumbled with mock resentment, though the small smile tugging at her lips betrayed her true emotions.

Father Qi scratched his head sheepishly, the corners of his mouth lifting into a goofy grin. Without shame, he reached out and continued hugging his wife, much to her exasperation. She rolled her eyes at his clinginess but didn’t push him away.

Qi Jianyi looked across the table at her parents, warmth blooming in her chest. Watching the two of them—so full of affection, even after all these years—she couldn’t help the fond smile that settled on her lips.

She had been so, so lucky.

Born into a home like this, with two loving, responsible parents who had waited for her, welcomed her, and filled her life with nothing but care and kindness. Qi Jianyi felt nothing but gratitude.

"Mom, Dad," she suddenly said, voice trembling just a little. "I love you both so much."

Her voice was soft but filled with emotion. Her eyes reddened, tears threatening to spill no matter how hard she tried to hold them back.

"Oh, why are you crying all of a sudden?" Mother Qi gasped in alarm, quickly rising from her seat and rushing to her daughter’s side.

Father Qi wasn’t far behind. He stood and followed his wife without hesitation. Mother Qi gently wiped the tears that slipped from her daughter’s eyes and pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her close as if she could shield her from everything.

"Mom loves you so, so much too, Jianyi," she whispered hoarsely, her voice cracking under the weight of emotion.

Father Qi tilted his head back to look at the ceiling, blinking rapidly in a futile attempt to hide the red in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Qi Jianning had long since lost her composure. She moved wordlessly to her sister and mother’s side and joined the embrace, wrapping her arms around her big sister tightly.

Seeing his wife and daughters clinging to each other and crying together, Father Qi couldn’t bear to be left out. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around all three of them, pulling them into a full family hug.

"Jianyi, you’ll always be Daddy’s precious girl," he murmured, his voice quivering.

"If that Song Chengfeng, or anyone from the Qi family dares to hurt you, don’t bear it alone. Don’t suffer in silence. Just come home. This world is always your home, and we’ll always be here—waiting for you." The more he spoke, the more choked up he became. His heart was heavy with sorrow, but also filled with pride.

Truthfully, Father Qi didn’t want to let his daughter go. What father would? No parent in the world would willingly let their child leave for a faraway place, a place they couldn’t watch over or protect them in.

But even through the ache in his chest, he knew.

This was a journey /Qi Jianyi needed to take.

This was her path—the life she was meant to embrace.

He had raised her, watched her grow from a baby into the extraordinary young woman standing before him. For twenty-seven years, he had loved and protected her.

Now, it was time to let her go... to let her chase the happiness she so rightly deserved.

Qi Jingxuan, Father Qi thought to himself, clenching his jaw. You better love my daughter as deeply as I do.

The unspoken warning echoed in his chest, carried by a father’s unwavering love.