Chapter 163 The Deal
Zhuang Wenlin stared wide-eyed in terror and made a whimpering sound.
Zhuang Wensen slowly walked down the stairs, toying with a gleaming kitchen knife in his hand.
"Awake?" He squatted down and pulled the rag out of Zhuang Wenlin's mouth. "Don't shout. Mom and Dad went to town and won't be back for a while."
"Brother, what are you doing?" Zhuang Wenlin's voice trembled with fear.
“Brother, don’t you know that you shouldn’t flaunt your wealth?” Zhuang Wensen gently patted his brother’s cheek with the back of his knife. “Your desire to show off is too obvious. I admit you’ve successfully made me jealous. I want to live your life.”
Zhuang Wenlin's face turned deathly pale: "Are you crazy! This is illegal!"
"Breaking the law?" Zhuang Wensen sneered. "In this remote mountain village, I am the law. I've thought about it for a long time, and instead of envying you, I'd rather become you."
"You can't impersonate me forever! Tianhe will find out, the company will find out!"
“Let’s see how long I can keep up this act.” Zhuang Wensen stood up, looking down at his brother. “I’m thinking of giving you some rat poison. I’m the only son in the Zhuang family, so it’s fine. Even your girlfriend wants an only child, doesn’t she? This suits her perfectly.”
He laughed maniacally, the sound echoing through the cellar, sending chills down everyone's spine.
Zhuang Wenlin struggled violently: "Mom and Dad won't allow you to do this!"
As if in response to his words, a panicked voice suddenly came from the cellar entrance: "Ah Lin? Ah Sen? What are you doing in the cellar?"
Hearing the commotion, Zhuang's parents rushed over. Zhuang Wenlin immediately shouted, "Dad! Mom! Help me! My brother is going to kill me!"
Zhuangzi's father rushed down the stairs, taking three steps at a time, and upon seeing the scene before him, his face turned deathly pale.
Zhuang's mother covered her mouth and let out a scream.
"Ah Sen, are you insane?" Zhuang's father roared. "Let your brother go!"
Zhuang Wensen suddenly knelt down, tears streaming down his face: "Why? Why can my brother live a good life in the city and marry a beautiful wife? I want to too!"
He cried his heart out, like a wronged child, "We look exactly alike, why can he have what I can't?"
Mr. and Mrs. Zhuang were stunned. They had never seen their youngest son so distraught. Mrs. Zhuang instinctively reached out to help him, but Mr. Zhuang stopped her.
Taking the opportunity, Zhuang Wenlin said, "You think life in the city is so easy? I work overtime until 10 pm every day, 996, do you know how much pressure I'm under? I still have 1.2 million yuan in mortgage payments to make!"
“You didn’t say any of this yesterday.” Zhuang Wensen wiped away his tears, his eyes sharpening.
"Yesterday was just to put on a show in front of you all," Zhuang Wenlin said with a wry smile. "Reality isn't that rosy."
Zhuang Wensen was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "How about this, let's make a deal. You let me take your identity and go into the city to experience it for a week. If it's really as bad as you say, I'll let you go back."
“No way!” Zhuang Wenlin immediately refused.
“Then I’ll kill you and take your place.” Zhuang Wensen’s voice was as cold as ice. “I mean what I say.”
The air in the cellar seemed to freeze. Mr. and Mrs. Zhuang looked at each other, at a loss for what to do. They couldn't bear to see their younger son in such pain, yet they couldn't accept his idea of harming their elder son.
Finally, Zhuang Wenlin compromised: "...Okay. But you have to promise to let me go back in a week."
“Of course.” Zhuang Wensen smiled triumphantly, then added, “But I want to experience everything.”
"What's the meaning?"
“Including your wife.” Zhuang Wensen licked his lips. “I want to experience your life in its entirety.”
Zhuang Wenlin struggled violently, the rope digging into his flesh: "Don't even think about it!"
“Then there’s nothing to talk about.” Zhuang Wensen raised the kitchen knife. “I’ll send you on your way right now, and then tell that pretty girl in the city that her fiancé has changed his mind and decided to stay in the countryside forever.”
Zhuang's father finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Ah Sen! You can't do this! That's your own brother!"
“Dad, Mom,” Zhuang Wensen turned to his parents, his voice pitiful, “I just want to experience my brother’s life. Is such a humble wish not allowed? We look alike, no one will notice. I will return my brother to you in a week, safe and sound.”
The Zhuang family hesitated.
They looked at their two sons, one bound, his eyes filled with terror, the other kneeling, his face streaked with tears.
Ultimately, the doting on the youngest son prevailed.
“Ah Lin…” Mrs. Zhuang said, trembling, “How about… letting your younger brother experience it? Just for a week…”
Zhuang Wenlin looked at his parents in disbelief: "Mom! Are you going to condone his crimes?"
Zhuang's father avoided his eldest son's gaze: "Ah Sen was just confused for a moment... He wouldn't really hurt you..."
After a two-hour tug-of-war, Zhuang Wenlin finally gave in.
With a livid expression, he agreed to all of his brother's conditions, including the most unacceptable one.
“But you must take precautions…” Zhuang Wenlin said through gritted teeth, “I don’t want Xiaohe to get hurt because of your stupidity.”
Zhuang Wensen grinned, revealing teeth exactly like his brother's: "Don't worry, I'll be a good husband."
That evening, Zhuang Wensen excitedly tried on Zhuang Wenlin's suit, practiced his signature, and studied his way of speaking.
In the cellar, Zhuang Wenlin huddled in a corner, hoping the week would end soon.
His parents brought him meals twice a day, but always avoided looking into his eyes.
"Mom, you're committing a crime..." On the third day at noon, Zhuang Wenlin grabbed his mother's wrist, his voice hoarse, "Do you really want to let Asen ruin my life?"
Mrs. Zhuang's hands trembled, the porridge sloshing in the bowl: "Ah Lin... your brother was just confused for a moment... he promises he'll be back in a week..."
Suddenly, the cellar door was kicked open.
In the blinding beam of a flashlight, several figures in uniform rushed down the stairs.
"Mr. Zhuang Wenlin? We're from the Municipal Public Security Bureau." The lead officer quickly cut the ropes. "Can you stand up?"
Zhuang Wenlin's legs went weak, and he was helped out by the police.
The long-awaited sunlight pierced his pupils, and he squinted, seeing two police cars parked in the yard, with Mr. and Mrs. Zhuang being taken into another car.
“My girlfriend… Zheng Tianhe…” he grabbed the policeman’s arm urgently, “Is she alright?”
"Thank goodness she called the police in time." The policeman helped him into the police car. "You have a smart girlfriend; she noticed something was wrong."
Zhuang Wenlin's eyes welled up with tears. His Xiaohe, his clever Xiaohe.
On the police car heading into the city, he kept imagining the scene of their reunion. He wanted to hold her tightly, kiss the ends of her hair, and tell her that he would never let her worry again.
However, reality dealt him a heavy blow.
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