Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

As the war between Qiao Xinran's parents continued to escalate and intensify, Qiao Xinran felt like he was caught between two opposing forces, caught between a rock and a hard place. His mother's wrath would be directed at him, beating him up for not being a boy; and his father's anger would be directed at him, accusing him of being just as bitter and selfish as his mother. It seemed as if no matter what happened, all the blame was placed solely on him. Even good things were his fault; even the slightest displeasure from his parents was easily found to be his fault. Surrounded by this oppressive and hostile family atmosphere, Qiao Xinran grew increasingly timid and withdrawn. He walked a fine line between his parents, fearing the slightest provocation.

Qiao Xinran's half-brother was adopted into her mother's name, but Qiao Xinran's father couldn't fully reassure himself. After all, this child wasn't his mother's biological child, and he worried his wife might not treat him with undivided attention. Therefore, after careful consideration, Qiao's father decided to temporarily place his cherished son with the old lady. This would not only provide the child with better care and love, but also avoid unnecessary distress and harm caused by complex family relationships. Despite his reluctance and concern, Qiao's father understood that this was perhaps the most appropriate arrangement for the time being.

Qiao Xinran's mother watched the scene unfold, her heart aching with pain. She had devoted her wholeheartedly to her husband, devoting all her passion and love to him without reservation. To stay with him forever, she had even disobeyed her family and bravely stood up to him. Yet, this was the outcome!

Simply because they hadn't borne him a son, the man who had once vowed to spend his life with her was now desperately seeking another woman to carry on his family line. Had all the deep affection and love she had poured into him over the years been wasted? Had all that passionate emotion and endless love truly vanished like a drop of water, leaving no trace? At this thought, Qiao Xinran's mother was filled with resentment, tears welling in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. She couldn't accept this cruel reality, let alone give up.

Time and again, with resentment, as he took concubines again and again, the once deep affection between them faded like a candle in the wind, leaving only mutual dislike. Qiao Xinran's mother was filled with resentment and resentment. She simply couldn't accept this cruel reality: she, of noble birth, was no match for these lowly concubines from humbler families! And that man, because of them, had drifted away from her, alienated her! So, what did the past mean? Was it all just a passing cloud?

Meanwhile, Qiao Xinran's father, Qiao Yunting, felt his wife was becoming increasingly unreasonable, practically as vulgar and disrespectful as a street shrew. The situation had become so dire, but why couldn't she put herself in his shoes? After all, they had been married for years, and all that remained in his heart was a deep rage and anger towards Qiao Xinran's mother. He couldn't help but wonder, why couldn't she truly understand him?

In such a large family, with his brothers all eyeing him like hungry wolves, was he simply longing for a son to inherit all the achievements he had worked so hard for? However, contrary to his wishes, she was unable to bear him a son. In this case, why not be more open-minded and allow another woman to bear a child in his place?

He would surely remember her kindness. But who knew that, far from understanding his difficulties, she would constantly find excuses to rebuke him and argue with him. As a man of such stature, how could he allow himself to be humiliated by a mere woman? Now, she had become more and more like a street shrew, devoid of the demeanor expected of a lady from a noble family.

Qiao Yunting pondered inwardly, concluding that Qiao Xinran's mother had simply gone mad! The more the woman tried to stop him from taking a concubine, the more determined he became to do so. Every once in a while, a woman even more beautiful and younger than the one before would be welcomed into the mansion, and the courtyards where these new concubines lived were surprisingly close to where Qiao Xinran's mother lived.

As a result, the entire mansion was filled with an eerie and tense atmosphere. Whenever Qiao Yunting appeared before everyone with his new favorite, Qiao Xinran's mother's expression would become extremely grim, but this didn't seem to make Qiao Yunting restrain himself. On the contrary, he seemed to derive some kind of twisted satisfaction from it, and he brought new people into his home more and more frequently.

As time went on, the situation intensified. Qiao Xinran's mother was tormented, while Qiao Yunting was immersed in this ridiculous farce he had created, unable to extricate himself...

The favored concubine had always lived in an adjacent courtyard, seemingly the most joyous spot in the mansion. However, with the arrival of a newcomer, fate began to shift. Leveraging her youth and beauty, the new concubine successfully evicted the old one from their home and relocated them to a more remote compound. Meanwhile, he, in this familiar courtyard, luxuriated in the gentleness and charm of the new concubines.

Every time a new beauty entered the mansion, he would without hesitation place them in the courtyard next to Qiao Xinran's mother's. That way, day or night, Qiao Xinran's mother could witness those charming faces and hear their laughter and sweet words from next door. All of this was undoubtedly an unspeakable torture for Qiao Xinran's mother.

Furthermore, he chose to stay overnight in the courtyards of these concubines. In the dead of night, the blushing, heart-pounding, and unbearable sounds emanating from the rooms, like demonic sounds, penetrated the walls and reached Qiao Xinran's mother's ears. He knew this action would hurt her heart, but he didn't care, even doing it intentionally, just to make her angry and miserable.

Every morning, he would go to Qiao Xinran's mother, a smug smile plastered on his face. He admired with immense satisfaction the face before him, flushed as red as pig liver with anger and humiliation, and an indescribable pleasure welled up in his heart. This act of revenge seemed to have become a great pleasure in his life. Only by seeing Qiao Xinran's mother's pained and twisted expression could he feel inner peace and satisfaction.

Qiao Xinran grew up in a suffocating and twisted atmosphere of her parents. Day after day, year after year, the conflicts in the family became more and more acute, and finally erupted like a volcano!

That day, an unprecedented and intense argument erupted between Qiao Xinran's parents, the scene so thrilling it was rare to see such a scene. Taking advantage of Qiao Yunting's absence, Zhao Xinran's mother brutally assaulted his most favored and pregnant concubine, causing her to miscarry.

When Qiao Yunting returned home and witnessed this tragic scene, he was immediately furious and his blood boiled. In his rage, he completely disregarded the relationship between husband and wife and started punching and kicking Qiao Xinran's mother.

Qiao Xinran's mother, who suffered such a heavy blow, was filled with grief and anger. She was disheartened and resolutely took the young Qiao Xinran back to her parents' home.

Qiao Xinran followed her mother closely as they entered the majestic and solemn gate of her grandparents' home. The sight before her made her eyes widen, and an indescribable shock welled up in her heart.

My grandparents' house resembled a magnificent palace, with pavilions and towers arranged in an orderly fashion, and exquisitely crafted eaves and brackets. The spacious courtyard was shaded by green trees and overflowing with flowers, making it feel like a fairyland. Compared to my own home, it was a world of difference.

As her gaze wandered, Qiao Xinran noticed the maids and servants wandering around. They were dressed in rich, high-quality clothing, vibrant in color and fine in texture. Their every move exuded a sense of nobility and elegance. In contrast, her own attire was not only outdated in style but also made of coarse, even inferior to the maids'.

Suddenly, a powerful feeling of inferiority washed over her. Despite being the eldest daughter of the Qiao family, she had never felt truly loved or valued. Her parents' endless bickering created a tense and oppressive atmosphere at home, and no one cared about her, a lonely and helpless child. Only her mother occasionally showed her a warm and cold concern, but this fleeting warmth couldn't fill the void she longed for deep inside.

Standing in the center of her grandparents' courtyard, Qiao Xinran felt like an outsider who didn't fit in. Everything around her was so beautiful, so desirable, yet she felt so insignificant and humble. She lowered her head, trying to hide the loss and sadness in her eyes, but the heavy feeling of inferiority hung over her like a shadow, lingering...

At that moment, the deep-seated inferiority and cowardice seemed to be infinitely magnified, reaching a peak with the appearance of Wang Yuyan and her mother. This intense emotion was like a surging torrent, mercilessly devouring his remaining shred of rationality.

He was filled with indignation: Why? Why were they so happy and content, while I was born into such a hopeless place? This unspeakable resentment was like a sharp dagger, piercing his heart fiercely; and the blazing anger, like a blazing flame, surrounded him tightly, almost suffocating him.