Less than fifteen minutes after Lin Zhi returned to his room, almost everything inside had been swept away by his anger, leaving the room in a complete mess.
All the servants stood outside the door, heads bowed, trembling with fear, not daring to breathe. This young master had become increasingly irritable lately; one wrong move and they would be in trouble. No one dared to provoke him at a time like this.
Lin Zhi's hair and clothes were dripping wet, and his face was filled with a gloomy and fierce look. He sat in the room like this for a whole day until the rain outside stopped, his clothes dried, and the sky gradually darkened.
His gaze, which had been fixed on something for a long time, shifted slightly, and he suddenly spotted two broken hairpins among a pile of shattered teacup fragments.
It was he who told Jiang Chuting about the hairpin that had been burned.
After a moment of silence, I took two steps closer, squatted down, and picked them up, completely unaware that my fingers had been cut by the shards of porcelain.
Blood stained the hairpin, dripping onto the ground between her fingers.
The more Lin Zhi looked at the object in his hand, the more glaring it became. His breathing became heavy again, and it felt as if a fire was burning in his chest.
Even a broken hairpin is more important than him.
Whether it was anger or a feeling of sorrow, the emotions that had been suppressed for so long began to surge again, and my whole body trembled uncontrollably.
Of course, he wouldn't marry Li Ruoshuang. Since learning the truth, he occasionally felt wronged and considered backing down, but ultimately, he would suppress these feelings with an even stronger sense of resentment, which would then cause him to distance himself further from him, hurt him, and speak ill of him.
Just thinking about how that person loved his father, not him, made him feel suffocated and unable to breathe.
It felt as if a thorn was stuck in his heart, deeply embedded in his flesh, tormenting him so much that he couldn't eat or sleep, and couldn't find peace for even a moment. Only by venting his anger and doing something could he release the dark and violent energy that was about to burst from his body; otherwise, he would definitely go crazy.
He longed for an answer, but he himself was also unsure what kind of answer it was.
Does she want him to beg and plead? Does she want him to swear a solemn oath to express his feelings? Or does she want him to do what he did to his father back then, disregarding everything to snatch her away before the wedding?
He didn't know.
He was suspicious, anxious, and unable to trust anyone. While tormenting that person, he was also tormenting himself.
It had only been a few days, but it felt like he had endured half a lifetime of torment.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit her. Lin Zhi closed her eyes, shook her head, and almost lost her balance.
He was utterly shocked because images and sounds appeared in his mind.
His mother lay disheveled on the bed, her eyes red from crying, while a young man leaned against the doorframe, vomiting in disgust. Lin Zhi had seen Yun Zique's portrait and recognized him as his father.
His mother sobbed, "Zi Que, Zi Que, are you really that disgusting to me? I'm a woman, how can you insult me like this?"
His father looked at his mother and sneered with hatred: "I insulted you? Knowing I don't like you, you still drugged me. Didn't you just bring shame upon yourself?! Do you even know what shame is?! Lin Xi, just thinking about what you did to me last night... makes me feel like every inch of my body is leaking filthy stench! I wish I could die right now!"
Lin Zhi's lips trembled twice, filled with disbelief and uncertainty.
What is this, and why is he seeing these images?
His mother's tears fell in large drops, "Even if, even if you don't like me, I'm a woman. If my reputation is ruined, I'll be the one who suffers. You can't do this to me, you can't..."
His father roared, "How righteous and righteous you are! Lin Xi, do you know why I've hated everything about the Lin family since I was a child? It's because you all use yourselves as shields for women, taking it for granted that you can do despicable things that violate morality! Your mother is one, and so are you! Every single person in your Lin family is abnormal; it's a den of madmen!"
"What are you talking about... I can't help it if you think like this, Zi Que. I've liked you since I was little, and I will never let you be with that person. In short, if you want me, you must stay in the Lin family, marry me, and you're not allowed to go anywhere. Otherwise, my mother will not let him off the hook."
"It's hopeless, hopeless," his father muttered. "One day, one day, I will take you all down with me..."
A burning sensation shot through his palm, and Lin Zhi abruptly opened his eyes. He unconsciously released his grip, and the two pieces of the wooden hairpin fell to the ground, now charred black.
It's almost certain that the unusual situation just now was caused by this hairpin.
Lin Zhi stared wide-eyed and took two steps back, looking at the ground and then at his own hands, a chill running down his neck.
In his mind, his mother and his father, who was a servant, grew up together and were originally deeply in love. That is, until the shameless Jiang Chuting appeared, seduced and bewitched his father, and destroyed their relationship. Lin Zhi firmly believed this and harbored immense hatred for Jiang Chuting.
But what he had just seen and heard was so real! His father said that he had hated everything about the Lin family since he was a child, and his hatred for his mother was so deep!
This was all completely different from what I had heard before.
Could it be that his mother and grandmother have been deceiving him all along?
For him, this was no longer just a simple change of mindset, but a subversion.
He has always unconditionally trusted and favored his relatives, who take it for granted that they control his will and instill in him everything they want him to know.
“You can’t take it. Believe it or not, this hairpin might actually give me a clue.”
"I promise you, once I've finished investigating this matter, I will completely seal it away and never bring it up again, okay?"
Recalling what Jiang Chuting had once said, Lin Zhi broke out in a cold sweat.
He refused to hand over the hairpin, perhaps because he could see certain images through it? So, he wasn't lying; he really did want to investigate something.
Lin Zhi was panting, becoming increasingly confused and helpless. He staggered back two steps, then turned and ran outside.
The sky was dim, a cool breeze was blowing, and rain and mist began to fall again, wetting the ground once more.
Lin Zhi moved swiftly, eventually resorting to his light-footed skills to head towards Lin Xi's courtyard.
"Useless! Utterly useless!" Lin Xi slammed her hand on the table, her anger erupting. "You can even lose track of a single person! What are you even capable of doing?!"
Jiang Chuting left the Lin residence faster than she had expected. In order not to arouse Lin Zhi's suspicion, she would definitely wait until the person left Anyang before making her move.
Apart from Hong Yufei, Lin Xuan's most trusted confidante, who went out to establish her own business, almost all of Lin Xi's subordinates were left behind by Lin Xuan. This time, in order to keep an eye on Jiang Chuting's whereabouts, the few people she sent out were all quite capable in terms of martial arts. However, these people actually had the nerve to come back and tell her that they had lost track of her in less than a day!
Is Jiang Chuting too cunning, or are these people too stupid?
"A bunch of useless bastards, go and receive your punishment!" Lin Xi was furious and waved her sleeve, telling the kneeling subordinates to get out.
“Don’t worry, Madam. As long as he leaves Anyang, we will have a chance to get rid of him.” Chun Tao said, then added worriedly, “However, I’m afraid he might run back to the Ninth Heaven. His senior brothers seem to be very powerful and protective of their own. Even the old patriarch had some reservations about them back then. If we want to take action against him then, it will be much more difficult.”
"So what?" Lin Xi sneered. "He can't just hide in the mountains like a coward. Chun Tao, later pass on my orders to Fei Hua Pavilion: activate the kill order. As soon as he shows up, intercept and kill him with all your might, until he's dead!" Fei Hua Pavilion was founded by Hong Yufei after she left the Lin family, taking in many women with nowhere to go and training them into assassins. Although she became the pavilion master herself, she remained loyal to the Lin family and had secretly assisted Lin Xi all these years; she would obey her orders.
Chun Tao nodded vigorously, handed Lin Xi a cup of tea, and said, "Madam, don't worry. The incident at Qilan Pavilion has disgusted the young master with that Jiang fellow, and he has agreed to marry Miss Li. He will definitely stay in the Lin residence to keep you company from now on."
Lin Xi's expression didn't soften much upon hearing this. She leaned back and said, "You're wrong... The angrier he gets, the more he cares. He kept making excuses to delay the wedding with Ruoshuang. Do you think he really hates that person? Only when he dies can I truly be at peace."
Chun Tao said regretfully, "Alas, if Madam had succeeded in killing him last time, none of this mess would have happened. It's upsetting to think about. It's a pity that he still managed to escape despite being so badly injured. It's true that evil lives on forever. I don't know what got into Young Master."
Chuntao smiled again and said, "But there is one thing that is comforting: the young master only believes your words, madam. Even if that man dies tragically outside, it will have absolutely nothing to do with you, madam."
Lin Xi, holding her teacup, gave a cold snort and said, "After all, you were born of me, so of course you should trust me."
The tightly closed door was kicked open from the outside with a loud bang, startling Chun Tao.
"Who dares to... Young Master?!" Chun Tao turned her head and saw the person's face, her expression changing instantly.
Lin Zhiping was always announced by the servants when he came here, so they weren't too wary of what he was saying. Who would have thought he would come so quietly today?
Lin Xi put down her teacup, stood up, and was much calmer than Chun Tao. She smiled and said, "What's wrong? Why do you look so pale? Chun Tao, serve the young master some tea."
Lin Zhi clenched his fists, his whole body trembling, and looked at Lin Xi with a look of unfamiliarity, as if he were seeing her for the first time.
"Mother?" Lin Zhi called out to her, her eyes filled with tears as she gritted her teeth and asked, "Just how much have you lied to me and kept from me?!"
Lin Zhixin felt as if he were being stabbed in the heart. Before coming here, he was still in a daze and couldn't be sure. But when he heard the conversation between the two of them, his last bit of support collapsed.
It turned out that his mother really had intervened last time. But when that person told him, he didn't believe a word and even mocked and hurt him.
Lin Zhizhen wanted to kill herself with a single sword!
When Lin Xi heard his questioning, tears welled up in her eyes. She walked over and tried to grab his wrist, but he shook her off.
Lin Xi, her face streaked with tears and looking hurt, asked, "Lin Zhi, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly saying things like that?"
"I heard everything, are you still going to pretend?" Lin Zhi's eyes turned bloodshot: "Are you really my mother? Are you?"
Chun Tao rushed over and knelt down beside Lin Zhi, crying, "Young Master, it was all my fault, it's all my fault, it has nothing to do with Madam, please punish me..."
Chun Tao screamed as Lin Zhi kicked her mercilessly, sending her flying into the air before she crashed heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Lin Xi looked sad and said to his face, which was full of cold anger, "Lin Zhi, you should know that no matter what your mother does, she will never harm you."
She neither denied nor admitted it, and her whole demeanor was filled with bitterness.
Lin Zhi no longer believed her face. His blood surged like a raging tsunami, and he retorted aggressively, "What do you mean by 'won't harm me'? Just like my father back then, even though you knew he didn't like you, even though you knew he hated everything about the Lin family since he was a child, and thought you were all crazy and wanted to perish with you, you still drugged him and used others to threaten him into submission? As long as it's in accordance with your wishes and your will, it can't be called harm, right?"
Lin Xi was already shocked halfway through hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Where did you hear this from?!" Putting aside everything else, there was absolutely no way an outsider could know about the drugging, let alone Lin Zhi.
Her panicked reaction spoke volumes; Lin Zhi felt as if a gash had been torn open in her chest, and she was convulsing with pain.
“I said it was my father who appeared to me in a dream, would you believe me? I saw and heard everything you did and said clearly!”
"...How could this be?" Because it was so unbelievable, Lin Xi had already believed it and took several steps back, her trembling hands grabbing the chair to steady herself. Once Yun Zique was involved, she completely lost her composure and didn't even think about denying or making excuses.
She murmured in anguish, "Why did your father tell you all this? Why did he treat me like this? What is wrong with me? What makes me inferior to him..."
"So, back then, it wasn't him trying to break you up, but you who forcibly separated them." Every word Lin Zhi uttered felt like a slow, agonizing torture: "You not only forced them apart, but you also caused him to be misunderstood by the world and bear so much infamy for so many years! And now you still won't stop, you want to take his life!"
The man had explained everything, pleading with him so earnestly to believe him, but blinded by jealousy, he did even more to hurt him.
Lin Zhiyang slapped himself hard across the face, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. If he could, he wished he could go back in time and wake himself up.
Fortunately, it's not too late.
"Lin Zhi!" Lin Xi was startled by his actions and tenderly tried to wipe the blood away with her handkerchief, but he brushed her away.
Lin Zhi was at a loss, tears streaming down her face as she cried out, "Lin Zhi, how could you be as foolish as your father? No matter how much you like him, he's still just a man. Do you want our family line to end? Do you want me to be ridiculed for the rest of my life?"
Lin Zhi looked at her and raised her voice slightly, saying, "You are willing to do anything to get the one you love, disregarding other people's feelings. Why should I abandon the one I love just to save face for you? Mother, as you said, I was born of you and I look like you."
Lin Xi stared at him in disbelief, and for a moment, she was speechless.
“I love him, and I will definitely be with him… even if the person he loves isn’t me.” Lin Zhi didn’t want to stay here a moment longer. He had more important things to do, and he said to Lin Xi word by word, “I have already decided to live and die with him. On the day he leaves this world, I will not live alone. If you want to hurt him again, go ahead.”
Lin Zhi turned and left, but Lin Xi chased after him to the door, shouting, "Lin Zhi, come back! Do you hear me?! If you dare go to him, I'll be your mother no longer!"
Lin Zhi left with firm and swift steps, without the slightest hesitation.
Lin Xi fell to the ground, gripping the ground tightly with her fingers and pounding it a few times, tears streaming down her face.
Lin Zhi rushed towards the direction where Jiang Chuting lived, his chest heaving with emotion and unease.
At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind.
I need to go see him.
Lin Zhi felt a little fortunate, fortunate that he had realized his mistake and there was still a chance to make amends.
He was going to confess, apologize, and explain that he really wouldn't get married; he had just asked Li Ruoshuang to act out a scene to spite him.
I want to beg for his forgiveness, not only for the hurt caused by my deep misunderstanding and intense malice towards him, but also for the things I did and said to him during this time, which he will spend his whole life making up for.
Lin Zhifang only heard the latter part and did not know that Jiang Chuting had already left. When he rushed into the cold and empty room in a panic, his eyes dimmed considerably.
Lin Zhi thought he had gone out for a walk and was about to go out to look for him when two maids passed by. They were startled to see him coming out and quickly bowed to him.
Lin Zhizheng asked them, "Do you know where the people inside went?"
One of the maids widened her eyes slightly before answering, "Young master, didn't you know? That young master left the manor this morning."
When Jiang Chuting left in the rain, many servants saw him. Although they had learned from past mistakes, no one dared to gossip in private, but they still heard that the young master had a big fight with him and had driven him away.
That's why she was a little surprised when Lin Zhi asked that question.
Lin Zhi, of course, had no idea. Upon hearing this, it was as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his mind; his pupils trembled, and his voice shook: "What did you say? You said he's already gone?!"
"Yes, we left when the rain was heaviest in the morning..."
He's gone; he left this morning.
It's been a whole day, and I'm only just finding out now.
"Lin Zhi, don't treat me like this."
"I told you, you can do whatever you want."
"But if they betray our feelings, then it's over between us, there will be no turning back."
"You...are you really going to get married?"
He was foolish enough not to realize that the person was giving him one last chance when they said those words. Not only did he fail to seize it, but he also pushed the person away with all his might.
Now, he's gone. They abandoned him, they don't want him anymore.
Even if the sky were to fall and the earth were to collapse, this wouldn't be any worse. Tears streamed down Lin Zhi's face; she was completely panicked and turned to run outside like a madwoman.
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