Chapter 190

“Who beat you?”

Zhao Shuo asked in confusion.

“Didn’t you call the police?”

Su Lan was both shocked and worried.

“Forget it,”

Zhao Mingshi said weakly, offering a feeble, guilty smile. “It was An Qiao. Forget it.”

The moment they heard it was An Qiao, both Zhao Shuo and Su Lan fell silent.

Zhao Mingshi reached up to pat himself, his voice low and resigned, tinged with guilt: “I know she hates me.”

“I deserve it.”

Then he added: “I just think, it’s natural for An Qiao to hate me. But why involve Jiang Luo? I have no grudge against him.”

“Jiang Luo?”

Both Su Lan and Zhao Shuo exchanged a puzzled glance and looked back at Zhao Mingshi.

Zhao Shuo asked: “You mean Jiang Luo asked An Qiao to come and beat you?”

“I don’t mean that,”

Zhao Mingshi’s frail figure and low voice conveyed weakness. “A couple of days ago, I happened to meet Jiang Luo with someone. We shook hands and exchanged greetings.”

“But later, when I went to the locker room to shower and change, Jiang Luo mentioned An Qiao—and slapped me.”

He glanced at Zhao Shuo and Su Lan: “I’m not blaming him.”

“I know he must hate me in his heart.”

“After all, I took his parents, took away the life he was supposed to have.”

“I can understand his hatred.”

Not long after, having bought some medicated lotion, Zhao Mingshi took off his shirt, letting Su Lan wipe the wounds on his back with cotton swabs.

Tears streamed down Su Lan’s face as she worked—two sons, Zhao Mingshi and Jiang Luo; one unable to come home, the other refusing to come home.

How did it all come to this? Why?

Zhao Shuo cleaned up the shattered laptop on the floor. He didn’t dare throw it away outright, fearing Zhao Mingshi might still need it. He put it in a plastic bag and placed it on the table.

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Shuo sighed: “You go home. I’ll try to talk to Dad.”

Two days later, Zhao Mingshi returned to the Zhao family villa with lavish gifts. In front of everyone—including Huang Bingbing—he knelt before Zhao Guangyuan: “Dad.”

After sending his daughter Yan Yan to her mother’s home, Huang Bingbing and Zhao Shuo had the biggest fight since their marriage at their own home in Gubei.

Huang Bingbing demanded: “Why bring Zhao Mingshi back home?!”

“Only a few years, and you’ve forgiven him so quickly?!”

“Have you forgotten? Because of him, Dad had a heart attack—he almost didn’t make it!”

“Because of him, that innocent girl’s whole life was ruined!”

“Because of him, we almost couldn’t be together!”

Zhao Shuo replied: “He knows he was wrong. Can’t he have a chance to make amends?”

“Bingbing, the one who caused Dad to end up in the hospital wasn’t Mingming, it was me!”

“It was all my fault!”

“He did hurt that girl, and now she’s come to teach him a lesson—beat him half to death. The anger’s out, so why can’t we turn the page?”

“Bingbing, he’s my brother!”

Huang Bingbing shot back: “Jiang Luo is your brother!!!”

“When we married, who came with gifts and money? Jiang Luo!”

“When I had children, whether Yan Yan was one or two, every year Jiang Luo made sure gifts were sent!”

“Where was Zhao Mingshi?!”

Zhao Shuo: “Bingbing, try to understand. Nobody wanted the mix-up back then.”

“Zhao Mingshi did nothing wrong from the start.”

“The only mistake he made was a failed relationship, which drove An Qiao to attempt suicide.”

“But An Qiao is fine now, and she even came and beat him half to death. That’s justice. These years, he’s been alone in the U.S., had to fend for himself, couldn’t return home—he’s been punished enough.”

“But he…”

Huang Bingbing: “I’ll say it again—Zhao Mingshi is not your brother. Jiang Luo is!!!”

Zhao Shuo: “Zhao Mingshi is! Jiang Luo is the biological brother, but he refuses to come home!”

“His choice, his problem!”

“Mingming is my brother! My brother can come home!”

Huang Bingbing stopped arguing, grabbed her bag, and left for her mother’s house.

Meanwhile, at home, Zhao Guangyuan and Su Lan did not fight.

Su Lan wouldn’t, and dared not, to avoid causing another heart attack.

Zhao Guangyuan, on the other hand, was indifferent.

As a member of Haishi’s top-tier leadership, he already knew Zhao Mingshi had been recalled and returned to Haicheng. He hadn’t spoken much and hadn’t revealed that Zhao Mingshi was his son.

In Zhao Guangyuan’s mind, when Zhao Mingshi hid abroad, he was no longer a part of the Zhao family.

He said to Su Lan: “He returned successful, not really to apologize. He came back with confidence.”

“This confidence makes him kneel there with such self-righteousness.”

“He doesn’t care about us. If he did, he would have contacted home over the years, but did he?”

Zhao Guangyuan, an official himself, saw clearly: “Only he knows why he came back. I just know, as a tech talent, he doesn’t feel much guilt.”

“He carries himself high. He’s no longer the student he once was. He doesn’t need to care about parents or brothers. He just wants everyone to see his success.”

Su Lan asked: “You still won’t forgive him?”

Zhao Guangyuan sighed: “It doesn’t matter. I raised him, he’s successful now. No father-son bond—so be it.”

“All I wish is that Jiang Luo can see me. If, before I die, he calls me ‘Dad,’ I can die in peace.”

He added: “I know, having raised him for eighteen years, you have feelings for him.”

“And you’re soft-hearted; if he kneels, you forgive him. Whether you forgive or not is your choice.”

“Just remember, Jiang Luo is our legitimate son.”

“You can’t, and shouldn’t, let your feelings for Zhao Mingshi surpass those for Jiang Luo.”

On a certain road in Minhang, Zhao Mingshi wandered in circles, glancing around for security cameras.

He arrived at a newsstand without surveillance, handed the owner a ten-yuan note, and picked up the landline, dialing a number:

“Beep—beep—beep—”

When it connected, Zhao Mingshi’s voice was even and calm: “You don’t need to know who I am.”

“There’s a way to destroy Jiang Luo. Do you want to hear it?”

…

That night, Haicheng held a grand banquet. Many political and business figures attended, including Jiang Luo, Huo Zongzuo, and even top-tier official Zhao Guangyuan.

The banquet was self-service, with food stations and tables. Guests could eat or carry champagne while mingling.

Upon arrival, Jiang Luo immediately engaged in conversation. His business had grown, and many wanted to curry favor with him.

He didn’t even hold champagne, standing with his hands in his pockets, casually chatting about his ventures, industry plans, and even policy directions.

Huo Zongzuo and Zhao Guangyuan were similarly surrounded by people, exchanging greetings.

The hall buzzed with activity.

Jiang Luo eventually joined Zheng Bin and other young heirs. Nearby, Yu Dong and Chen Xin laughed and mingled with others.

Zheng Bin, spotting an opening, lazily draped an arm around Jiang Luo’s shoulders and nodded toward a direction: “See that idiot over there? He came too.”

Jiang Luo sipped champagne and saw the man Zheng Bin referred to: Wang Chaohai.

Wang Chaohai’s family was also in the pharmaceutical business and had long been at odds with Zheng Bin.

Although Wang had mutual acquaintances with Jiang Luo, he never mingled with Jiang Luo or Zheng Bin’s circle. He had his own group.

Even among shared acquaintances, if Jiang Luo or Zheng Bin were present, Wang Chaohai wouldn’t show up. The division was clear.

Over a year ago, Wang Chaohai had a conflict with Jiang Luo.

It happened at the birthday of the chairman Qiu’s youngest daughter, hosted at her new villa.

The young lady didn’t care about personal grudges—she invited whomever she wanted. So she invited Zheng Bin, Jiang Luo, and Wang Chaohai.

As expected, Wang Chaohai clashed with Jiang Luo at the card table.

Upon sitting, Wang Chaohai, under everyone’s gaze, arrogantly threw a card forward: “I’ll play with Jiang Luo.”

The young heirs cheered.

Jiang Luo casually smiled and tossed a card forward: “One round decides life or death.”

Wang Chaohai replied: “One round it is! Ten million!”

He pushed his card forward.

Amid the cheering, Jiang Luo also pushed his card forward: “I accept. Ten million, USD.”

The atmosphere instantly escalated, with Zheng Bin and the others shouting and cheering.