Chapter 429 Principled

"You know nothing!" Zhou Jingtao hated Zhou Jingren. He hated that he could act so carelessly around him as if he owned his life. He hated how he could say all the right words to make him mad. Zhou Jingtao hated how he knew almost everything in his life. He hated Zhou Jingren. He hated him as much as he hated his life.

"You like Lanying so much because… he looks just like your dead child, right?" Zhou Jingren taunted. "You want to save her because your conscience can't take it, right?"

"Stop it." Zhou Jingtao's voice broke. He looked out of the car and tried to suppress the tears in his eyes. "I didn't have a choice." His voice came like a whisper. "I didn't have a choice, I was married. It's either him… or my family. I can't… I just can't let my father kick me out of the family. I had nothing back then. I was useless."

Zhou Jingren only smiled in response. He watched as silent tears came running down in Zhou Jingtao's cheeks. 

"It was a mistake." Zhou Jingtao added. He clenched his fist as determination flashed in his eyes. He could not allow Zhou Kang or their father continued hurting his family. "I want to save Huifang."

"No." Zhou Jingren declined. "He is compromised. I cannot have someone like him near me."

"But…"

"Your brother knows that you are planning to betray him. He knows that you planned to see me. If my guess is right, then he already told your son about this."

"What do you…"

"Your son hates you, now." Zhou Jingren said. Silence followed his words as Zhou Jingtao fell into his own thoughts. He remembered how Zhou Huifang had been showing some signs of anger and disappointment towards him in the past few days. He thought he was only angry about Zhou Lanying's case… However, Zhou Jingren's words made the most sense now.

"Then… what do you want me to do? Why did you save me? Do you want to punish me? Let me watch as my son became Zhou Kang's puppet?"

"I wanted you to watch, yes." Zhou Jingren said. "I also wanted the list that Lily asked. After that… you are free to go."

"Are you out of your mind?

Zhou Jingren raised an eyebrow at the old man. "Almost?" he answered.

"You- You know that Zhou Kang hated me. He knows that I betrayed them… If you… Are you not going to protect me?" he asked, his eyes wide. Now that Zhou Kang already showed his claws, there is no way that he will survive a night without Zhou Jingren's protection! If Zhou Kang will know that he is alive then… 

"Depends."

"On what?" Another condition? Zhou Jingtao knitted his brows.

"On what you give me." Zhou Jingren said. "I am a very simple man. I hate what I hate and love what I love. If I like what you give me… then… I will protect you."

"That — Can you give me an assurance?"

"No." Zhou Jingren shook his head and smiled at him. "It's either you trust my words or leave. Your choice."

Zhou Jingtao swallowed his nonexistent saliva as he thought of how Zhou Jingren already cornered him. In fact, he does not have any other choice. If he wanted to survive, then he needed to give Zhou Jingren everything that will satisfy him. "You are a very cruel man."

"I am a simple man." Zhou Jingren said. "I am merely following my wife's orders. I needed to eliminate the Zhou Family before our wedding."

Zhou Jingtao's mouth dropped when he heard Zhou Jingren's words. He felt the air had become colder as the hair at the back of his neck raised. He stared at Zhou Jingren's crazed eyes as fear crawled inside him. Wedding? What wedding? Lily is dead. How could he have a wedding with her?

Zhou Jingtao pursed his lips as he stopped himself from voicing out his opinions. Zhou Jingren's words were enough to confirm his initial thoughts. The man is crazy and the only reason why he had been dormant was because of Lily.

Zhou Jingtao remembered how surprised he was when he knew that Zhuo Jingren was the same Zhou Jingren that they tried to kill before. What made him more speechless was the fact that he could easily have his revenge on them. He could easily obliterate the Zhou Family with his connections. Yet, he didn't. It was as if… he was waiting for something, for someone.

He always wondered why Zhou Jingren did not take any actions then. Even Zhou Kang and their father could not figure it out. Now, however… he knew. He finally knew that it was because of Lily. Something must have happened between the two of them. Something that prevented him from ruining the peace. Zhou Jingtao looked at Zhou Jingren intently as he sighed.

Lily is gone and this time… this time, the Zhou Family cannot escape Karma.

........................

Zhou Family's Ancestral House.

Zhou Kang's laughter echoed inside the whole mansion. It was not something that made one happy, it was ominous, dark. Something that could instill fear to anyone who listened to him. 

"What have you done!" Old Man Zhou's voice reverberated. "What have you done to your brother!?" He looked at his son. For the first time… a frightening emotion wrapped his heart like a blanket.

"What?" Zhou Kang raised an eyebrow before he downed the glass of whiskey in his hands. "He was a traitor!"

"You—" Old Man Zhou was rendered speechless. He opened his mouth, then close it as his hands trembled. He felt his lower lips shake. "You monster!"

Zhou Kang's loud laughter followed his father's words. He shook his head, amusement apparent in his eyes. "Monster? Am I not the monster that you raised?"

"How could you!? How could you hurt your…"

"Father… please. Let us stop acting. Stop being to a hypocrite." Mockery laced Zhou Kang's voice. "I killed him because he betrayed us. While you — Didn't you kill your own brother for wealth?" He laughed. "You see? Even I am more principled than you!"

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