Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
âIt means that you will live your own life. Your own life.â
Zhan Haoze explained again with a rare good temper. Chen Feifei understood, but she was unwilling to understand.
âBrother Hao, what do you mean? What do you mean by my own life? This is the life I want.â
âNo. No.â Zhan Haoze looked at her with indifference. âWhat I mean is that you can get in touch with more members of the opposite sex, fall in love, and enjoy the process of falling in love.â
Chen Feifei looked at him in a daze. It took her some time to react to the meaning of Zhan Haozeâs words. Her eyes were full of shock. After she reacted, she began to lose control of her emotions.
âBrother Hao, what do you mean? Iâm your fiancée. You want me to find another man?â
âFeifei, you know that I only have brotherly affection for you.â
âBrother Hao.â Chen Feifei interrupted him. âDonât say it. I donât want to hear it.â
âFeifei ââ
âBrother Hao, I donât want to fall in love with another man. I like you. I love you. I donât want anyone else. I only want you.â
âBut I donât love you.â Zhan Haoze was worried about Chen Feifeiâs body in the past. He had never said it so directly to her. He simply hinted at it, but now, he wasnât willing to continue anymore.
Chen Feifeiâs face turned pale. She looked at Zhan Haoze and didnât accept what he said at all. âBrother Hao, I know you donât love me, but now you donât even give me the chance to love you? Is that so?â
Zhan Haozeâs cold face softened because of Chen Feifeiâs expression. âFeifei, youâre still young. You donât understand what love is.â
âHow donât I understand?â Chen Feifei shook her head. She refused to accept what Zhan Haoze said. âI only know that I like you. Iâve always liked you. I wasnât sensible in the past. Waiting for you to come back and accompany me, I stayed at home every day. But now, Iâve changed. Look, I like you. I go to work every day. I work very hard. Last time, my father praised me. Brother Haoze. I can do anything, but I canât do it without you. Donât treat me like this. I, I...â
Her heart palpitated again. She covered her heart with one hand and looked at Zhan Haoze with a pained expression. âBrother Haoze, I really can do anything, as long as you donât abandon me.â
âFeifei.â After all, she was the girl that he had watched grow up. Zhan Haozeâs expression was cold, but it wasnât as cold as before. âYou donât have to be like this. I really donât love you.â
âBecause you donât love me, youâll even take away my right to love you, right?â
Chen Feifeiâs eyes had tears in them, and she was on the verge of tears. Because of her illness, her face was very pale. She looked very weak and uncomfortable.
Zhan Haoze wasnâot moved at all. âFeifei, you need to live your own life.â
He wouldnât have her in his life.
Chen Feifei had been thinking about doing her job well these days, so that Zhan Haoze would look at her differently.
But she didnât expect Zhan Haoze to be so heartless.
âBrother Hao.â Wanting to grab Zhan Haozeâs hand, Chen Feifei went forward. Zhan Haoze avoided her, and her face turned even paler.
âBrother Hao, do you already hate me so much? What did I do wrong?â
Zhan Haoze didnât answer her question. âFeifei, I will probably go out tomorrow. You can also use this opportunity to think about what I said.â
He had said everything he could. As for how to think about it, that was her own business. Just as he was about to ask Tang Hua to send her back, Chen Feifeiâs body went limp. She actually fainted in his arms.
âFeifei?â
When she fell to the ground, Zhan Haoze had no choice but to reach out to support her. He carried her horizontally and rushed outside.
..
An hour later, Chen Yongchang rushed over after hearing the news. He looked at his daughter, who was unconscious on the hospital bed, then looked at Zhan Haoze with an unusually gloomy gaze.
âHaoze, is this how you treat Feifei?â
Zhan Haoze was silent, and his mannerism made Chen Yongchang even angrier. âTell me? How have I treated you all these years? Huh? Putting aside the fact that I have devoted myself to nurturing you all these years, just think of it as me saving you back then so that you wouldnât die on the streets. You should also think of being grateful, right? I also donât want you to mention our familyâs kindness to you every day, but no matter what, you know how good Feifei has been to you all these years. Now that youâre treating her like this, are you worthy of Feifei?â
Zhan Haoze pursed his lips into a straight line. No matter what Chen Yongchang said, he just wouldnât open his mouth.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Chen Yongchang was very angry. He pointed at him and said, âYou, you, you. Okay. So Iâve raised an ingrate all these years, right? Huh? Zhan Haoze, youâre not being kind.â
Zhan Haoze stood there and let Chen Yongchangâs hand almost touch the tip of his nose. There were doctors and nurses passing by from time to time. Chen Yongchang took his hand back with hatred.
âHaoze, you canât be heartless.â
âUncle.â Zhan Haoze finally spoke. âAfter so many years, you should have seen everything Iâve done for the Chen family. The Chen family has done me a favor. I know that Iâve been repaying them all these years, but there are some things that you know very well and canât force yourself to do so. I only have brotherly affection for Feifei, and thereâs no romantic love for her. If Feifei really gets together with me, she wonât be happy either.â
âYouâre saying this now? Then why did you agree to be engaged to Feifei in the first place?â
Zhan Haozeâs expression didnât change, but there was a flash of mockery in his eyes. âWhat was that engagement about? Do you still need me to tell you?â
Chen Yongchangâs face couldnât hold it in, so he could only use the favor to argue. âIn any case, the Chen family has done you a favor, and Feifei has done you a favor as well. You canât do such a thing.â
As he spoke, he grabbed Zhan Haozeâs arm. âDonât forget. If it wasnât for Feifei insisting on saving you back then, you would have been buried on some mountain by now. I wonât ask you for anything else. You have to be responsible for Feifei no matter what.â
Zhan Haoze looked at Chen Yongchangâs hand. His gaze was a little cold. Under that gaze, even Chen Yongchang, who had lived more than 20 years than him, had no choice but to take his hand back.
The doctor happened to come out at this moment to tell them that Chen Feifei had woken up. The two of them entered the ward together.
Chen Feifeiâs face was pale. Her entire person was like a little white flower that had been destroyed. When she saw Zhan Haoze, her eyes turned red again. She wanted to say something but stopped.
Chen Yongchang felt sorry for his daughter. He glared at Zhan Haoze and took a few steps forward. âFeifei, how are you?â
âDad, Iâm fine.â
Chen Feifeiâs voice was weak. Chen Yongchang felt sorry for her, but she just stared at Zhan Haoze.
âBrother Hao, can we have a few words?â
Zhan Haoze didnât speak, but his expression became more serious than before. Chen Feifei bit her lip and begged, âBrother Hao, are you not even willing to talk to me now?â
Chen Yongchang glared at Zhan Haoze again. âFeifei, Daddy will wait for you. I still have something to look for you.â
Leaving only Chen Feifei and Zhan Haoze in the ward, he went out.
âBrother Hao ââ
âFeifei.â Zhan Haoze looked at her. âIâm going to Qing City tomorrow. I wonât be back for a while.â
âBrother Hao.â Chen Feifei was anxious. She wanted to get out of bed, but Zhan Haoze stopped her.
âDuring this period of time, you can think about what you want.â
âI want you. Youâve always been the only one I want.â
âYouâre still too young.â Zhan Haoze shook his head. âYour father is worried about you. Take good care of yourself. Donât do anything that makes him more worried.â
After saying that, Zhan Haoze didnât look at Chen Feifei anymore. He turned around and left the ward.
Chen Feifei wanted to get off the bed and chase after him, but Chen Yongchang had already come in and stopped her.
Zhan Haoze didnât see this, but at this time, even if he did see it, he wouldnât care.
When he left the hospital, Tang Hua had been watching over him. When he saw him come out, he immediately went forward to open the car door for him.
When he got into the car, Tang Hua signaled the driver to start driving. He looked at him worriedly. âBoss, how is Chen Feifei?â
Zhan Haoze didnât say anything. Tang Hua raised his eyebrows and looked like he was gossiping. âThat old fox, Chen Yongchang, is he going to ask you to repay his kindness again?â
Seeing that Zhan Haoze didnât say anything, Tang Hua said, âThat old fox. Do you really think that you donât know what he did after that?â
Zhan Haoze didnât reply. Tang Hua saw that Zhan Haoze wasnât angry, so he couldnât help but say a few more words, âSpeaking of which, the Chen family almost went bankrupt because of the economic crisis that year. If it werenât for your help, the Chen family wouldnât have any glory now? If it werenât for you supporting the entire Chen family that year, the father and daughter would have had a hard time, not to mention their current position in Lin City. How could they still have the face to talk to you about favors? This old fox is really thick-skinned.â
Sensing Zhan Haozeâs gaze on him, Tang Hua didnât shrink back. âIt was. That favor was long repaid. It was you ââ
Zhan Haozeâs gaze became sharper and fiercer. Tang Hua didnât say anything else.
âBoss, donât glare at me. Iâm feeling wronged on your behalf.â
Zhan Haoze continued to be silent. It didnât matter whether he felt wronged or not. It was a fact that Chen Feifei and Chen Yongchang had saved him. This couldnât be denied.
Chen Yongchang extorted favors in return, so it was understandable. However, whether he agreed to repay the favor or not was up to him.
..
Because of Shi Mengwanâs arrival, Shi Mengwan felt much better. The two of them didnât talk about Zhan Haoze anymore.
Shi Mengwan recovered quickly. The next day, she felt much better. Once she was well, she wanted to go to work, but Mother Shi wouldnât let her.
âThe studio is yours anyway. Your body is yours too. You can do your work anytime, but if your body breaks down, you wonât have it anymore.â
Because of Mother Shiâs presence, Shi Mengwan couldnât go to work, so she could only promise to rest at home for another day.
Mother Shi was very happy to get an affirmative answer from her daughter. She picked up her bag and went out to buy groceries.
Just as Mother Shi left, the doorbell rang. Shi Mengwan happened to see Mother Shiâs phone on the coffee table. She thought it was Mother Shi coming back for her phone, so she went to open the door without thinking.
When the door opened and she saw Zhan Haoze standing outside, Shi Mengwan closed the door without thinking.
Zhan Haoze stretched out his long legs and blocked her from closing the door. Since the door couldnât be closed, he used this opportunity to flash through the door.
âZhan Haoze?â
The next second, Zhan Haoze hugged her. Shi Mengwan instinctively wanted to struggle â
âDonât move.â Zhan Haoze pressed his chin against her neck. âLet me hug you.â
Shi Mengwanâs body was very stiff. She was tightly hugged by Zhan Haoze and couldnât even move.
However, she had never seen Zhan Haoze like this before. She was a little dazed. She reflexively moved her body.
Zhan Haoze let go of her hand at this moment. He stepped back a little and his gaze fell on Shi Mengwanâs face.
He looked at her current appearance with some lust. âHave you recovered from your illness?â
âEn.â Shi Mengwanâs expression didnât change. Zhan Haoze nodded. âI need to make a trip.â
This trip might take quite a while.
âIt has nothing to do with me,â Shi Mengwan answered without thinking. After saying that, she saw Zhan Haozeâs face turn slightly gloomy.
It was already too late to change her words. Moreover, she didnât feel that she was wrong.
âZhan Haoze, youâre not my person. You really donât need to report your whereabouts to me.â
She said so, but Zhan Haoze looked at her deeply. âIâve already explained it to Chen Feifei.â
âReally?â Was It related to her?
He had explained it to Chen Feifei, but what happened in the end? Did they break off the engagement? If not, what was the use of him saying all this today?
Zhan Haozeâs brows twitched slightly as he looked at Shi Mengwan with a rare gentleness.
âWanwan, are you willing to give me some time?â
He couldnât say how much more time he needed. After all, there was still a huge problem in Qing City that couldnât be solved in a day or two.
Actually, he should have endured and waited for the problem to be solved before looking for her, but he couldnât bear to.
âIâm not willing.â Shi Mengwanâs words were even more ruthless than before. Zhan Haozeâs eyes darkened.
âWanwan ââ
âYou should go. Otherwise, my mom will be back soon.â
Zhan Haoze stood still, but Shi Mengwan stepped forward and opened the door. She looked like she couldnât wait for her to leave as soon as possible.
Zhan Haozeâs expression was extremely unsightly. He looked at Shi Mengwan with a complicated gaze. Shi Mengwan acted as if she didnât see him and opened the door a little.
âWanwan ââ
Shi Mengwan turned her face away and didnât look at him or listen to his explanation.
Zhan Haoze looked at the time helplessly. They were about to board the plane. He couldnât help but take another look at Shi Mengwan, but she still didnât look at him. He could only turn around and leave.
When he left, his shoulders drooped down, and his entire person revealed a great sense of powerlessness. Shi Mengwanâs action of closing the door froze for a moment.
After Zhan Haoze walked out, his footsteps paused again. Shi Mengwan didnât want to continue watching, so she closed the door with a bang.
After the door was closed, she leaned against the door.
She told herself that all of this was Zhan Haozeâs act. It was all fake.
She couldnât be soft-hearted, and she couldnât be soft-hearted either. That was it.
However, her mind couldnât forget the sight of Zhan Haozeâs disappointed back before he left.
And how he kept telling her to give him time.
... ..
The plane slowly landed at Qing Cityâs Airport. Zhan Haoze came out of the airport and got into the car waiting outside.
He didnât look too good. In fact, he had always looked gloomy ever since he came out of Shi Mengwanâs house.
Tang Hua didnât even dare to speak. Now that he had arrived at Qing City, he had to speak.
âBoss, thereâs news from home.â
âWhat news?â
âThis old man has brought Zhan Yi into the ancestral residence these few days.â
âZhan Yi?â He hadnât heard of this person before.
âYes.â As Tang Hua spoke, he took out a document and placed it in Zhan Haozeâs hands. âThis document contains all of Zhan Yiâs information. Take a look first.â
Zhan Haoze took the document and flipped through it.
At this moment, the car drove towards Zhan Haozeâs residence in Qing City, Cherry Blossom Manor.
..
The Zhan family was the number one family in Qing City. The head of the Zhan family, Zhan Kun, had always been the pillar of the entire Zhan family.
In the past few years, Zhan Kunâs health had been getting worse and worse. As he gradually aged, he began to delegate some of the power in his hands to his son, Zhan Lie.
Zhan Lie wasnât Zhan Kunâs only son. The Zhan family had power and influence. When Zhan Kun was young, he was quite unrestrained when it came to women.
Besides Zhan Lie, he also had several illegitimate daughters and illegitimate children. However, those children werenât Zhan Lie. Some of them didnât even have the qualifications to enter the Zhan family.
This was not because Zhan Lie was outstanding, but because Zhan Lie was born from the only wife that Zhan Kun married.
He was a legitimate son and also the eldest son. He was also the product of the combination of power.
Zhan Kun made his fortune by taking a side path. After his business grew bigger and bigger, he knew that a big tree attracted the wind. In order to protect the secret business of the Zhan family, he married the daughter of the governor of the province where Qing City was at that time.
The marriage of a strong man and a strong man. In the first few years, he respected his wife. Although he played outside, he didnât have any illegitimate children in the end.
But later, Zhan Lieâs biological mother gave birth to Zhan lie. When he had a son, he didnât have any scruples. He played outside however he wanted. More importantly, Zhan Lieâs mother died when she gave birth to him. Zhan lie was born without a mother.
Zhan Kun was young at the time, and Zhan Lieâs grandfather knew that such a daughter would not be able to keep her virginity for her daughter. Therefore, after communicating, he made two rules.
First, Zhan lie could not call another woman a mother, which meant that Zhan Kun could never think of remarrying in this lifetime.
Second, everything in the Zhan family from now on must belong to Zhan lie.
With only these two rules, Zhan Kun could do whatever he wanted. Zhan Kun had nothing to say no to. Even if he did not want to agree, under the circumstances at that time. The Zhan familyâs business indeed needed to be taken care of by the outside family.
Therefore, Zhan Kun could be considered to care for Zhan Lieâs son. On the one hand, he took good care of him. On the other hand, he was also grooming his son to be his successor.
However, as Zhan lie grew older, he began to have his own ideas. Zhan Kun realized that this son of his was different from himself.
Zhan Kun liked women, liked power. He seemed to be affectionate, but in fact, he was heartless.
What about Zhan Lie? He did not like women since he was young. All the way to puberty, he would avoid women whenever he saw them.
For a very long time, Zhan Kun thought that his son was sick. Even when Zhan lie was eighteen years old, he specially prepared two women and sent them to Zhan Lieâs bed.
Unfortunately, Zhan lie did not touch the two women at all. On the contrary, he seemed to be frightened and did not return home for a few days.
Zhan Kun was annoyed. Later, he asked a psychologist and repeatedly confirmed that Zhan lie only did not like the women he chose, and not because Zhan lie did not like women, so he stopped all actions of sending women to Zhan lie.
However, it was this kind of Zhan lie who was not close to women. Not long after he graduated from university, he fell in love with a woman from a commoner background.
It did not matter if he fell in love with her. He just wanted to play with her. Zhan Kun would never control his son in these matters.
But look at his son. Not only did he want to be with this commoner woman, he even decided to marry her.
This was something that Zhan Kun could not tolerate.
He had chosen Zhan lie as his successor and trained Zhan lie in the same way as the successor. He had to let him follow the path that he had arranged.
He had tried his best to stop Zhan lie and that commoner woman, and then he had given that commoner woman a sum of money. He had wanted that woman to leave his son.
But what he had not expected was that the commoner woman was so scheming. After receiving his money, she showed the check to Zhan lie.
After seeing the check, Zhan lie had a big fight with him. Once again, he showed his determination to be with that woman.
Of course, this was not something that Zhan Kun could tolerate. He had raised Zhan lie to this age not to let him disobey him.
He had people look up to Zhan lie and not let him see that woman. He had people send that woman far away.
But he had not expected that his good son. To Be with that woman, he had taken advantage of his busy family business to find that woman.
When he was young, Zhan lie was still young. Of course, he was not that capable.
But he could not marry. He still had an external family. At this time, Zhan Lieâs grandfather came out to help Zhan lie. Not only did he successfully find that woman, the two of them even eloped.
This was simply challenging Zhan Kunâs authority.
How could he allow such a thing to happen? He used the name of the Zhan family to issue a bounty.
Both the black and white factions received the bounty. But Zhan Lieâs outsider was against him, so he couldnât find Zhan lie and that woman for a long time.
It wasnât until later that someone finally told him the news of Zhan lie and that woman.
Zhan Kun hid himself from the external familyâs spies and brought people to personally look for him. However, he discovered that not only did Zhan lie and that woman not break up, they even had a child.
Seeing that Zhan lie even had a child, this didnât make Zhan Kun calm down, it could only make him even angrier.
Especially when Zhan Kun saw his own son, the outstanding son that he had raised single-handedly. He wanted his son to inherit the entire Zhan family business.
Just like an ordinary man, he accompanied a woman to go shopping and buy vegetables. He looked at his son and actually smiled like an idiot.
He hugged a child and smiled like an idiot. He even saw his son changing diapers for a child. When his son had already become a mediocre, vulgar man.
Zhan Kun couldnât control his emotions at all. To hell with all the promises. Such a son... He didnât want it.
But after he calmed down, he started to vent his anger. The person who made his son become like this was that woman.
If it wasnât for that woman, his son wouldnât have become such a mediocre man.
It was all that womanâs fault. Itâs all that womanâs fault. Itâs all that womanâs fault.