"Harder, faster."

"Give me everything."

Outside the office, Qin Chuan peered through the crack in the door. Inside, a pale-skinned woman was pinned against the desk by a man.

*Slap!*

The sharp sound of a strike reached Qin Chuan’s ears.

"What’s the rush?" the man panted.

"That useless brother of Jiang Yi’s is coming to the company soon, begging for money," Jia Fangting gasped between breaths.

"Why worry about some nobody?"

"It’s not about worry. I just don’t want him seeing me idle, thinking he can squeeze cash out of me for Jiang Yi’s treatment."

She exhaled sharply. "He just texted me—said Jiang Yi stabilized half an hour ago. But 98% of her body is disfigured, and she’s still unconscious. The doctors gave him seven days to come up with a million for skin grafts, or his sister stays a monster for life. Now he’s crawling to me for a loan."

"I just finished sidelining Jiang Yi from the company yesterday, kicked her out this morning. Operations are at a critical stage—cash flow has to stay stable."

"Jiang Yi’s a bottomless pit now. Even if I had the money, I wouldn’t throw it in."

"Her face or my company’s survival—which matters more?"

"Besides, I never asked her to play the hero."

"*I* didn’t beg her. She charged in on her own. If she dies, it’s on her. I’m not bankrolling that black hole."

Outside the door, Qin Chuan's entire body trembled uncontrollably.

That woman's voice inside—he knew it all too well. It was Jia Fangting, his sister's best friend, the very person his sister had risked her life to save from that burning warehouse.

Because of that rescue, his sister had suffered life-threatening burns.

For days, she had lain unconscious in the hospital, fighting for her life. And Jia Fangting? She hadn’t even bothered to visit. Instead, she had swooped in like a vulture, seizing everything his sister had built.

She had taken over the company his sister founded.

She had the nerve to claim that his sister’s face wasn’t worth saving compared to the survival of the business.

She even had the audacity to say his sister had brought this upon herself by playing the hero.

His sister had nearly died—for her!

A surge of white-hot fury exploded in his skull, obliterating all reason.

**BANG!**

He kicked the door open with a force that sent it crashing against the wall.

Inside the office, Jia Fangting and a strange man were in a state of disarray, their clothes askew.

"Jia Fangting!" Qin Chuan roared, his voice raw with rage. "How could you do this to my sister? She nearly died—because of you!"

Jia Fangting lay sprawled on the couch, her face flushed crimson, while Qin Chuan glared at her with burning intensity.

He had no parents. As a child, he had been found by the river and taken in by his elder sister, Jiang Yi. From then on, the two relied on each other for survival.

In those early years, life was harsh. To ensure he had enough to eat, Jiang Yi would only have one meal a day, then lie to him, saying, "I already ate—this is all for you."

Over time, the constant hunger took its toll. She fell ill.

It was the first time she was admitted to the ICU.

The medical bills soared to 200,000 yuan—an insurmountable mountain for Qin Chuan back then. There was no way he could scrape together that much money. Even if he scavenged for scraps, hauled bricks at construction sites, and carried cement buckets for a decade, it wouldn’t be enough.

Then, he saw the flyer—the Song family was seeking a grandson-in-law.

For his sister’s sake, he went to the Songs.

He traded his dignity for the 200,000 yuan to save her.

The first year with the Songs was nothing but humiliation.

When Jiang Yi found out, she wept.

She swore she would never let her brother suffer such indignity again.

And so, she worked herself to the bone.

After finally saving up some money and getting his career off the ground, he even managed to start this company.

The Song family's attitude toward Qin Chuan had softened considerably.

Just when he thought life was finally looking up, a few days ago, he nearly lost his life in a fire while rescuing Jia Fangting.

He never could have imagined that the so-called "best friend" his sister had saved would turn out to be such a venomous snake.

Qin Chuan appeared too suddenly. Jia Fangting let out a sharp scream, grabbing the clothes on the couch to cover herself, her face hardening into an icy glare.

"Well, since you’ve seen and heard everything, I guess there’s nothing left to say," Jia Fangting sneered.

"Why would you do this to my sister?"

"Why?!"

"She risked her life to save you—this is how you repay her?!"

Qin Chuan roared the words, his face flushed with fury.

Jia Fangting let out a cold laugh. "No reason. I just didn’t want to keep throwing money into a bottomless pit. I never asked her to save me—she did it on her own. If she got herself burned to death, that’s on her."

"Jia Fangting, I swear I’ll kill you!"

Qin Chuan’s eyes burned red. Clenching his fists, he lunged at her.

"You dare lay hands on my woman?"

The man stepped in front of Jia Fangting, his face icy with rage. Without hesitation, he kicked Qin Chuan hard, sending him flying out the door.

Qin Chuan lay sprawled on the ground, his body aching as if it had been shattered. Hearing the one-eyed man approach with murderous intent, he stared blankly at the ceiling, muttering in despair, "I really am worthless."

"About to lose my life, and still couldn’t even scrape together the money for my sister’s surgery..."

"Enough. Killing trash like him would just dirty your hands."

Jia Fangting tugged at Tang Fugui’s arm, her voice dripping with false sweetness. Then, turning back to Qin Chuan, who still lay on the ground, she snapped coldly, "Get lost!"

"If you ever bother me again, I’ll have you killed, you useless waste!"

Qin Chuan struggled to his feet, every movement sending waves of pain through his battered body.

He hated Jia Fangting—that venomous, heartless woman!

But even more, he hated himself for being so powerless.

Before coming to the company to beg Jia Fangting for money, he had already tried the Song family.

They refused him too.

And now, Jia Fangting had shut him out as well.

He was at a complete loss about what to do next.

His bank card held barely enough for a meager meal.

Staggering to his feet, he stumbled out of the company that had been seized by Jia Fangting.

**BAM!**

Out of nowhere, a speeding construction vehicle barreled toward him from the side.

It happened too fast.

Qin Chuan had no time to react—the impact sent him flying.

Blood splattered across the jade pendant hanging around his neck.

The pendant suddenly glowed with an eerie light...

...

Meanwhile, at the Song family villa...

A group of the Song family's younger generation crowded around the bedridden patriarch, who had been ill for six long years.

"Grandfather, that good-for-nothing Qin Chuan is nothing but a curse," declared Song Shuran, the eldest granddaughter of the Song family.

"Six years ago, his own sister ended up in the ICU because of him. And now she's back there again—burned so badly that even without counting the emergency costs, just the skin grafts alone will cost at least a million."

"His sister's company has already been taken over by others. They won't pay for this. If we don't hurry up and make him divorce Third Sister, then kick this good-for-nothing out of the Song family, our family will have to foot the bill!"

"Exactly, Grandpa. The one million is just for the skin grafts. To fully treat him, we'd need at least another million for recovery. It's a bottomless pit—we can't afford it!" echoed Song Liyu, the second granddaughter of the Song family.

"Yesterday, this useless fool had the nerve to ask us for a million at Grandma's birthday banquet."

"Just now, my friend told me he saw Qin Chuan get hit by a truck outside the hospital. Looks like he's done for."

"A deadbeat who's already as good as dead—why not just kick him out of the Song family?"

"Old man, make Qin Chuan leave the Song family. He's finished anyway. Do you really want to see the Song family's fortune wasted on this worthless drain?"

At that moment, the Song family matriarch shuffled out, leaning heavily on her cane. "Think carefully, old man. Do you want this cursed jinx to bring disaster upon our family next?"

"If you agree, just blink your eyes."

Ever since the Song patriarch fell ill and was confined to his bed, the family's finances had been entirely under the old woman's control.

The only decision she didn’t dare make alone was expelling Qin Chuan from the family.

Because every time she and the younger generation brought up kicking him out, the old man would writhe violently in bed, his face twisted in fury.

She couldn’t understand why.

Neither could the rest of the Song family.

Six years ago, right after the patriarch brought Qin Chuan into the family as a son-in-law, he contracted a mysterious illness that left him bedridden.

Unable to speak, with only his eyes and ears still functioning, he was practically powerless.

What kind of son-in-law have we brought into this family?

This is nothing but a walking disaster!

A jinx!

Lying on his bed, the old man stared blankly at the ceiling, his face etched with despair. After six long years of silence, his voice finally broke free—hoarse and trembling.

"Fools... you absolute fools!"

"You've squandered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"Heaven has forsaken the Song family!"

"Heaven has forsaken us!"

The entire Song household froze in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief.

The patriarch could speak again.

But beyond the astonishment, confusion clouded their expressions.

"Grandfather, what are you talking about? What opportunity have we ruined?" Song Shuran asked, her voice laced with skepticism.

"How could a worthless man like him be connected to any opportunity?"

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room.

Clearly, they thought the old man had lost his mind.

Qin Chuan was nothing more than the useless son-in-law the old man had taken in years ago.

If it weren't for Grandpa bringing him into the family, he wouldn’t have had the money to save his sister.

What could a worthless man like him possibly have to do with fate?

"What nonsense are you spouting, old man?" the old woman snapped, her voice heavy with disapproval.

The old man didn’t respond. He lay on the bed, shaking his head repeatedly, his expression shifting from despair to sheer terror.

Twenty years ago...

Back then, the Song family didn’t exist as it does now.

He was just an ordinary man—no wife, no children, living alone in the mountains.

That night, the storm raged violently, thunder shaking the earth and lightning splitting the sky.

It was then that he witnessed a sight so horrifying, so unforgettable, that it would haunt him for the rest of his life...