It's the diary that caused this disaster!

That was definitely a ticking time bomb!

Zhao Zhaodi bit her lip hard, her knuckles turning white as if they were embedded in her bones, she was filled with deep regret.

Back then, I was just feeling pent up and wanted to find a place to write down what I couldn't say. Who would have thought it would become my death warrant?

Seeing the resentful looks in her children's eyes felt like a blow to her heart, causing her unbearable pain.

"Who wrote it? Who wrote it?! Slander! It's all slander!"

"Young Master, Miss, I, Zhao Jiadi, swear!"

Zhao Jiadi suddenly scrambled to his feet, half of his swollen face turning bluish-purple under the light, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"My relationship with the old lady is truly innocent! If I utter even the slightest lie, may I be hit by a car and die the moment I step outside! May I fall into the eighteenth level of hell after death and never be reincarnated!"

His hand was pressed against his chest, and each word he spoke seemed to require all his strength. His cloudy eyes were filled with fear.

People who have reached this age are most superstitious about karma. Making such a vicious oath is tantamount to handing over their lifeblood.

"Old Zhao..."

Looking at his tense profile, Zhao Zhaodi felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if she were being pricked by needles.

She felt guilty and was most afraid of retribution.

If Zhao Jiadi were to suffer any harm because of this oath, there would be no point in her old body living on.

"It's too easy for an old codger like you to swear such an oath!"

Zhao Fenfang looked up at Zhao Jiadi, her eyes like ice: "Why don't you swear on Zhao Shikai's life? If you and he are really father and son, then let both of you be hit by a car and die, and may your souls never find peace!"

These words were like a sharp knife, piercing Zhao Jiadi's heart.

His face turned pale instantly, his lips trembled, and the vow he had just made was stuck in his throat, unable to utter a single word.

Swearing an oath with one's own life is something one might grit one's teeth over, but when it involves Shikai...

That was his most painful and vulnerable spot, hidden deep in his heart!

"So you're speechless now, aren't you? Well, Zhao Shikai is the only bloodline you, this old codger, left in this world. He's your descendant. How could you bear to let anything happen to him?"

Zhao Fenfang took a step forward, looking down at him: "Do you really think we came here because of rumors? Over the years, our doubts have piled up like a mountain!"

Zhao Fenfang was about to continue babbling on, but Zhao Lijie stopped her and gave her a wink.

Besides Zhao Zhaodi and Zhao Lijie, there is another stranger in the ward right now.

The man was the errand boy responsible for keeping watch, and at that moment he looked like a frightened mouse, wishing he could shrink into a ball.

He crouched on the ground, clutching his head, his shoulders shaking violently, repeatedly muttering to himself, "You can't see me... You can't see me..."

Sneaking stealthily toward the door, trying to escape this hellish scene as quickly as possible.

Hearing those inside stories of the wealthy family had sent chills down his spine, and his whole body was already drenched in cold sweat.

Having been in the underworld for so many years, he understands better than anyone the principle that "knowing too much leads to a quick death."

He couldn't possibly wade into such murky waters tainted with sordid affairs.

But before he could even touch the doorknob, Zhao Lijie's sharp shout froze him in place: "Stop!"

The man jumped in fright, whirled around, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "I... I was just passing by, stopping by to visit the old lady. You guys chat, you keep chatting, it's none of my business, hahaha~"

His laughter was dry and cracking, like a broken gong; his feet were already on tiptoe, ready to slip away at any moment.

Zhao Lijie glared at him with a sinister look: "If you dare to utter a single word about what happened today, you know what will happen to you."

The man quickly raised his hand and swore, "Yes! I know! Of course I know! I promise I'll keep it to myself! If a single word comes out of my mouth, may I be struck by lightning, hit by a car, and die without anyone to collect my body!"

"roll!"

We were waiting for the name Zhao Lijie.

The man fled at top speed, as if some ferocious beast was chasing him.

Once the bystanders left, Zhao Lijie's face darkened considerably. He pointed at Zhao Jiadi, his voice filled with suppressed anger: "My elder brother has already gone to investigate the whereabouts of the diary! He's made the newspapers take this report down!"

"Mom, we don't have solid evidence, but we're not stupid! We know the truth in our hearts! If it's true that after Dad died, you and this old man lived together, but don't cause any trouble and embarrass the Zhao family."

"Considering that he took care of me since I was a child and saved my life, I'll turn a blind eye to it!"

"But you wronged my father even when he was alive, and you gave birth to this bastard Zhao Shikai..."

His voice suddenly rose, like a whip lashing Zhao Zhaodi's heart: "How can you do this to the ancestors of the Zhao family? How can you face us, your children?!"

Zhao Zhaodi's mouth was open, her lips trembling like fallen leaves in the autumn wind, and her throat felt like it was blocked with cotton, unable to squeeze out a single word for a long time.

Pain! It felt like her internal organs were being crushed. The disgusted and hateful looks from her children were like hot irons branding her face.

This was a heartbreaking truth, leaving her with no strength to refute it.

What she feared most was the exposure of her stolen diary.

Now even Zhao Lijie knows about the diary...

Does it even matter if we find the thief or not?

Her reputation, her family, are all ruined!

Zhao Lijie and Zhao Fenfang poured out their pent-up resentment over the years, and finally Zhao Lijie said harshly, "You two stay in the ward and are not allowed to see anyone!"

"Let's calm this down first and find the diary!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two burly men in black cotton-padded jackets walked in through the door. They stood ramrod straight, clearly skilled in martial arts.

Zhao Lijie gestured with his chin toward them and coldly ordered, "Keep an eye on my mother and this old man. Don't let them step out of the ward!"

"yes!"

Zhao Zhaodi suddenly came to her senses and subconsciously shouted, "Second brother, are you trying to put me and your Uncle Zhao under house arrest?"