"No, I'm fine."
Qi Ruixi couldn't bear to watch him suffer and quickly spoke up.
But besides that, she couldn't say anything else.
It was Xu Tingyu who broke the awkward situation. "Let's go out first and let them talk things out on their own."
She pulled Qi Shifeng up and gave Qi Ye a look.
Both men remained silent and didn't take another look at Zou Yu before walking out of the ward.
Xu Tingyu kindly closed the ward door.
At a moment like this, the young couple should be left alone. After all, they were all outsiders to this matter.
However, they didn't go far after coming out.
Qi Ye went to buy some water and brought it back for Xu Tingyu and Qi Shifeng.
"Maybe you two should go back first. I'll wait here. Youyou is still at home."
Seeing that neither of them was willing to leave, he smiled again.
"Over the years, I, as the eldest brother, haven't done anything for you guys. I'm really a failure."
It was already late at night. The lights in the hospital corridor were bright, making everyone look cold.
Xu Tingyu had been sitting on the corridor chair with her head down. Hearing this, she couldn't help but look up at him.
He stood against the light, his back straight. Even with a dejected and defeated expression, he still looked as elegant as the wind under the pine trees and as bright as the moon in the forest.
In a trance, it seemed as if she had returned to a midsummer night many years ago.
She was sitting in the garden of the Qi family's old mansion, feeding the fish. Qi Ye brought her an ice cream.
Bathed in the cool moonlight, he smiled gently at her.
Before she knew it, nearly ten years had passed.
Now, the once gentle and jade - like man had a deep melancholy between his eyebrows.
Xu Tingyu took the water from his hand. "Brother, don't think like that."
After all, she wasn't a member of the Qi family, so it wasn't appropriate for her to say too much.
Qi Shifeng also remained silent. He just took the water from Xu Tingyu's hand, unscrewed the bottle cap, and stuffed it back into her hand.
"The most important thing now is, if they decide to keep the baby, will your family agree?"
She had personally witnessed the snobbish looks of Old Master Qi and Liu Ning.
She didn't even need to ask to know that Zou Yu was far from the son - in - law they had in mind.
At the very least, his family background was completely unqualified.
"They won't agree."
Qi Shifeng said firmly.
It wasn't that he was trying to pour cold water on anyone, but this was the truth.
Qi Ye also said, "It won't be difficult to deal with Mom, but it'll be very hard to get past Grandpa."
The three of them fell into a brief silence.
Finally, Xu Tingyu spoke first.
"It's okay. We'll overcome every obstacle. We must help Ruixi with this."
"For a young girl, it's not easy to fall in love. As her older brothers, shouldn't you support her?"
She also knew that the Qi family was different from before.
To be precise, these two men were different.
If they wanted this matter to succeed, it all depended on their attitudes.
Qi Ye didn't say a word, but Qi Shifeng said, "So, in the time it took you to buy a bread, you were won over?"
He looked at her with a hint of a smile in his eyes, but his expression was still serious.
Xu Tingyu softened a bit and gave him a gentle smile.
"I wasn't won over. I just feel sorry for Ruixi. She's my friend and Youyou's favorite aunt."
"Moreover, you're her brothers. You must feel sorrier for her than I do, right?"
They did feel sorry for her, but they were also really angry.
Qi Shifeng snorted softly and fell silent again.
Not long after, the ward door was opened again. Zou Yu walked out and went straight up to the three of them.
"Mr. Qi, Eldest Young Master, Miss Xu, this is all my fault. I'm willing to take responsibility. You can do whatever you want to me."
Zou Yu's expression was serious and full of guilt. The corners of his eyes were a bit red, obviously indicating that he had cried inside.
Before the three of them could react, Qi Ruixi also ran out.
"Brother, it's not all his fault. If you want to punish someone, come at me."
She ran over, grabbed Zou Yu's hand, and stood in front of him, blocking the two brothers.
The two brothers were already angry, but they had refrained from lashing out because of their upbringing.
Now, seeing Qi Ruixi acting so recklessly, they were both furious.
Zou Yu grabbed Qi Ruixi. "Don't interfere. Go and rest first."
"Of course I'm going to interfere. You're the father of my child. How could I not interfere? Anyway, no one can make things difficult for you."
Qi Ruixi refused to leave.
She knew that this would anger her two brothers, but she really had no other choice.
She also knew her two brothers' methods. If she didn't plead for Zou Yu, he might not even be in the capital city the next day.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Xu Tingyu quickly stepped forward. "Don't talk here. People are coming and going. Do you want to be on the news?"
After saying that, she pulled Qi Ruixi back into the ward.
The three men also followed in.
As soon as the ward door was closed, Qi Shifeng started. "Zou Yu, you've worked for me for a few years, and I never knew you were so bold."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Qi. It's all my fault."
Zou Yu looked like he was willing to accept any punishment.
"Sorry? You should be sorry, but you should say it to Ruixi and the life you two irresponsibly created."
Qi Shifeng's tone was still somewhat restrained, but those who knew him well could tell that he was extremely angry.
Zou Yu didn't defend himself. He just listened silently.
"What do you plan to do about this child?"
After Qi Shifeng had vented his anger, Qi Ye seized the opportunity to play the good - cop role.
"We want this child. I hope to get your permission. I want to marry Ruixi."
Zou Yu said each word very seriously.
But as soon as he said this, Qi Shifeng poured cold water on him again. "You want to get married? Can you support her now? Do you know how much money she spends in a year?"
"I know. Ruixi's wealth is something I'll never be able to surpass in my lifetime. In fact, all the money I'll earn in my lifetime won't even match her annual income."
"But I'm willing to swear on my life that I'll love her more than anything."
Zou Yu's tone was a bit bitter, but his attitude was as serious as ever.
Yes, he had always been acutely aware of the gap between him and Qi Ruixi.
This was also the reason he had avoided her before.
It was a chasm determined from the moment they were born, and he knew he would never be able to cross it in his lifetime.
But Qi Ruixi had told him that she didn't care.
There weren't many people in the world richer than her.
But money didn't mean everything. No amount of her money could fill the void in her heart.
But he could. As long as he was by her side, she would feel that life wasn't so boring.
Qi Shifeng and Qi Ye didn't say a word. They just looked at Zou Yu, as if thinking about the truth of his words.
Qi Ruixi, who was standing beside them, couldn't wait any longer and spoke up in Zou Yu's defense. "I believe what he says."