Chapter 290: Fallen to Such Depths

Xiao Yufan had never imagined that Qing Yuanfeng would be so despondent, to the point where it made him feel a pang of pity. In a shaded area of the vast square, Qing Yuanfeng sat amidst a scattering of empty bottles, clearly drowning his sorrows in alcohol.

“If this makes you feel better, you can ignore everyone else and continue to wallow in your despair. Once a prominent figure in Beijing’s business world, now reduced to seeking solace in alcohol!”

Xiao Yufan slowly walked over and sat down on the shaded ground. Compared to the hurried passersby, the two of them stood out as quite the anomaly.

“The director of a prestigious enterprise, the young master of the Situ family—could it be that you’ve come here just to mock me? How fortunate I am!” Without looking up, Qing Yuanfeng knew it was Xiao Yufan who had appeared. Despite this man being the one who had stripped him of everything, he found that he harbored little hatred in his heart.

“If it weren’t for my woman, I wouldn’t bother with your fate…”

Xiao Yufan looked at the disheveled Qing Yuanfeng and couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion. It had only been a few days, yet Qing Yuanfeng’s transformation was nothing short of dramatic. His once handsome profile now appeared gloomy, and to those who didn’t know him, he might seem like a defeated man, lost in his own despair.

Yet who could have known that this man, now so broken, had once left an indelible mark in the business world? Even if his enterprise no longer shone with its former glory, no one could deny that it had been a legend of his making.

“Did Luan’er send you?” A bitter smile tugged at his lips as he thought of his sister, who now refused to see him. A pang of sorrow struck him—sometimes, even if you conquer the world, losing those closest to you leaves no sense of accomplishment.

The two women he had once considered his life were both deeply connected to Xiao Yufan. Perhaps it was fate. Whether it was Hu Yingluo or Qing Luan, they were the most important women in his heart, yet both now belonged to the man before him.

He felt no resentment, for it was their choice. Qing Yuanfeng would never force them to change. Compared to Xiao Yufan’s fortune, he felt nothing but pity for himself.

“If not Qing Luan, who else would it be?” Xiao Yufan retorted, a playful smile on his lips. From any angle, he didn’t want to see Qing Yuanfeng continue down this path of despair. Losing an opponent would only make life more lonely for him.

“True, at this point, who else would care about my fate besides my sister? But because of my selfishness, I’ve even lost the bond with her.”

Qing Yuanfeng shook his head with a bitter laugh. He wasn’t as unbreakable as he appeared. Perhaps the more he forced his smiles, the more it revealed the loneliness in his heart. He downed the red wine in his hand, but the dryness in his mouth paled in comparison to the bitterness in his heart.

“You haven’t lost her. It’s just that you’re too self-righteous. You thought you could control her life, dictate her path, but you were wrong. You never understood what she truly wanted, what she was willing to do…”

Xiao Yufan casually opened a bottle of red wine, raised it toward Qing Yuanfeng, and took a small sip. He didn’t say more—some things were better left unsaid. He understood Qing Yuanfeng’s feelings all too well.

“Now I know what she wants, the life she desires. But what does it matter? She still won’t forgive me as her brother.”

“I don’t want my woman to lose a brother who loves her. So, I’ll explain things to her slowly. But if you continue to wallow in this despair, even if she’s willing to accept you as her brother again, I won’t accept a useless brother-in-law…”

Xiao Yufan wanted to help Qing Yuanfeng, not out of pity, but for Qing Luan’s sake. After all, the bond between siblings was deep. If he turned a blind eye, Qing Luan would surely feel a rift in her heart. He didn’t want his woman to feel any discomfort.

“You don’t need to provoke me. These words have no effect on me. I, Qing Yuanfeng, built a thriving enterprise once, and I have the ability to rise again. It’s just that I’m tired.”

Qing Yuanfeng’s face bore an indescribable arrogance. Xiao Yufan didn’t deny it—with the Qing family’s resources and Qing Yuanfeng’s own capabilities, restoring the enterprise’s glory was only a matter of time. It was just that Qing Yuanfeng had no desire to do so now.

“I believe in your capabilities, but you lack the drive to fight. If your enterprise had charged forward boldly from the start, perhaps it wouldn’t have needed to rely on the Beijing Club. In this, you and Tianyuan are quite similar. But we are different people. My goal is to build a business empire of my own…”

Had these words come from anyone else, Qing Yuanfeng might have dismissed them with disdain. But coming from Xiao Yufan, he couldn’t help but believe them. He had only glimpsed a fraction of the Situ family’s power, yet even that was enough to make him hesitate. Where Xiao Yufan would go, no one could predict.

“Perhaps she likes you because of this personality of yours.” After a moment of contemplation, Qing Yuanfeng sighed, his bitter smile widening. Xiao Yufan knew that the “she” Qing Yuanfeng referred to wasn’t Qing Luan, but Hu Yingluo, who was far away in England.

He didn’t offer any further explanation. If Qing Yuanfeng knew that their bond had been forged a year and a half ago, he wondered how the man would react. Back then, Xiao Yufan had been just an ordinary person. In just over a year, both he and Hu Yingluo had undergone dramatic transformations.

“But now, none of that matters to me. As long as she and Luan’er are happy, that’s enough. If one day they are wronged, I will destroy everything you’ve built, even if it costs me everything.”

Qing Yuanfeng looked at Xiao Yufan, a faint curve on his lips. Though it was a threat, there was no malice in his expression.

“You don’t need to remind me of that. How could I ever let my women suffer? Instead, you should focus on finding a sister-in-law for Qing Luan. That’s the real issue.”

Their conversation felt like one between old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years. No one would have guessed that just days ago, they had been adversaries.

“Love can’t be rushed. I don’t have your good fortune.” Qing Yuanfeng shrugged, smiling for the first time. Then, as if remembering something, he added, “By the way, be careful of another member of your Situ family. He might still pose a threat to you…”

“If this can truly make you feel better, then forget about others’ feelings and keep wallowing in your despair. Is this really the end for you, once a renowned figure in Beijing’s business world, now reduced to seeking solace in alcohol?”

Walking slowly forward, Xiao Yufan sat down directly on the grassy area beside him. Compared to the hurried passersby around them, the two men appeared unusually out of place.

“A director of a prestigious enterprise and the young master of the Situ family—could you really have come all this way just to mock me? Then I must be incredibly lucky!” Without lifting his head, Qing Yuanfeng immediately recognized the voice as Xiao Yufan’s. Toward the man who had cost him everything, he found he harbored surprisingly little hatred.

“If it weren’t for my woman, I wouldn’t even bother with whether you live or die…”

Looking at Qing Yuanfeng’s pitiful state, Xiao Yufan couldn’t help but sigh. It had only been a few days since they last met, yet it felt like ages. The transformation in Qing Yuanfeng could only be described as earth-shattering. His once-handsome profile now seemed gloomy and shadowed. Those unfamiliar with him would surely mistake him for a frustrated failure.

Yet who could know that this man, now so utterly broken, had once made a powerful mark in the business world? Even though Fengyun Enterprise no longer shone as it once did, no one could deny that he had lived a legendary chapter of his life.

“Did Lu’er send you here?” Qing Yuanfeng’s lips curled into a bitter smile. Thinking of how his own sister no longer wished to see him, a strange bitterness welled up inside. Sometimes, even if you gained the entire world, losing those closest to you would still leave you feeling empty and unfulfilled.

The two women he had once cherished most in life both shared deep connections with Xiao Yufan. Perhaps it was fate. Whether it was Hu Yingluo or Qing Lu’an, both were the most important women in his heart—but both were now with this man before him.

He bore no resentment, for it had been their choice. Qing Yuanfeng would never force them to change. Compared to Xiao Yufan’s fortune, he indeed seemed pitiful.

“Who else could it be, if not Qingluan?” Xiao Yufan countered, his smile carrying a hint of amusement. Regardless of his own feelings, he truly didn’t want to see Qing Yuanfeng fall into such despair. Losing a rival meant losing a source of excitement—something Xiao Yufan found rather lonely.

“You’re right. At a time like this, who else would care whether I live or die? But because of my selfishness, I’ve even lost the love of my own sister!”

Qing Yuanfeng laughed bitterly and shook his head. He wasn’t as unshakable as he appeared. The more he tried to smile, the more it revealed his inner loneliness. He tilted back the last of the red wine in his hand, but the dryness on his tongue was nothing compared to the bitterness in his heart.

“You haven’t lost her. You’re just too full of yourself. You thought you could arrange her life and control the path she would eventually take, but you were wrong. You don’t even know what she truly wants or what she’s willing to do…”

Xiao Yufan casually opened another bottle of red wine, raised it slightly toward Qing Yuanfeng, and took a small sip. He said nothing more, knowing that only Qing Yuanfeng himself could understand his own feelings. How could he not understand Qing Yuanfeng’s inner turmoil?

“Now I know what she wants and what kind of life she enjoys. But what difference does it make? She still refuses to forgive her own brother!”

“I don’t want my woman to lose a brother who loves her, so I will gradually explain things to her. But if you keep wallowing in despair like this, even if she does eventually accept you back as her brother, I won’t accept a useless brother-in-law.”

Xiao Yufan wanted to help Qing Yuanfeng—not out of pity, but for Qingluan’s sake. After all, the bond between the siblings was deep. If he ignored the situation, Qingluan would surely carry emotional burdens. And Xiao Yufan absolutely refused to let his woman feel any unhappiness.

“You don’t need to provoke me like this. It doesn’t work on me anymore. I, Qing Yuanfeng, built Fengyun Enterprise from nothing. I still have the ability to make others look up to me again. I’m just tired now.”

A defiant gleam flickered across Qing Yuanfeng’s face. Xiao Yufan didn’t deny it. With the Qing family’s financial resources and Qing Yuanfeng’s personal abilities, restoring Fengyun Enterprise’s former glory was only a matter of time. It was just that, for now, Qing Yuanfeng had no desire to do so.

“I believe in your strength, but you lack the fighting spirit. If Fengyun had charged forward boldly from the start, perhaps it would never have needed to rely on the Capital Club. In this way, you and Brother Tianyuan are very similar. But I am different—I aim to build my own commercial empire.”

Had these words come from anyone else, Qing Yuanfeng would have dismissed them with disdain. But coming from Xiao Yufan, they carried undeniable weight. Qing Yuanfeng had only glimpsed a fraction of the Situ family’s power, yet even that was enough to make him feel dwarfed. No one could predict how far Xiao Yufan might rise.

“Maybe that’s why she fell for you,” Qing Yuanfeng mused after a moment, his bitter smile widening. Xiao Yufan understood immediately that the “she” Qing Yuanfeng referred to was not Qingluan, but Hu Yingruo, far away in Britain.

Xiao Yufan offered no further explanation. If Qing Yuanfeng knew that the roots of their affection had been planted a year and a half ago, he might have reacted very differently. Back then, Xiao Yufan had still been an ordinary man. In just over a year, both he and Hu Yingruo had undergone dramatic transformations.

“But now, none of that matters to me anymore. As long as she and Qingluan can be happy, that’s enough. If one day they are ever hurt, I will destroy everything you have now, no matter the cost!”

Qing Yuanfeng looked at Xiao Yufan, a faint smile curling his lips. Though it was a threat, there was no real menace behind it.

“You don’t need to remind me of that. I would never let my woman suffer. As for you, when are you finally going to find Qingluan a suitable sister-in-law?”

Their conversation felt like that of old friends who hadn’t seen each other in ages, though just days ago they had been bitter rivals.

“Love can’t be rushed. I don’t have the same good fortune as you,” Qing Yuanfeng shrugged, smiling for the first time. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he added, “Oh, by the way, watch out for another member of your Situ family. They might still pose a threat to you…”