Talks Break Down

"Alright, alright, stop messing around.

I admit you're very important to the Marquis Estate. We'll definitely pay more attention to you from now on."

Zhang Wanning pondered for a long time, then, thinking she knew best, deployed her "ultimate weapon."

She believed that by softening her stance and saying a few nice words to coax him, she could handle Zhang Yu and make him obedient as before, solving problems for the Marquis Estate.

"Ha, how laughable."

Zhang Yu heard her words and, instead of getting angry, burst into laughter, his voice filled with mockery and despair.

Even now, Zhang Wanning still held such naive ideas.

Did she really think a few light words of "acknowledgment" and "attention" could erase all past harm and make him grateful?

"What are you laughing at?"

Qin Xuehua saw that Zhang Yu wasn't appreciating their gesture and immediately flew into a rage. "Wanning already admitted you're important to the Marquis Estate and gave you a way to save face, and you're still throwing a tantrum?"

She pointed at Zhang Yu in the prison and imperiously commanded:

"I order you to immediately call Chen Dongpeng back to repair the Formation at Dingsheng Workshop.

If you delay the Marquis Estate's business and cause losses, don't expect us to visit you again."

Her habit of ordering Zhang Yu around was ingrained. She couldn't let go of her pretense of being the main wife, and after just a few words, she started to put on airs, as if Zhang Yu were still the "waste eldest son" she could scold, beat, and command at will.

"Are you deaf? Or can you not understand human language?"

The smile on Zhang Yu's face vanished instantly. "I said I won't help you. I will only watch you descend into the abyss. Do I need to say this a third time?"

"Why aren't you satisfied?"

Zhang Wanning's heart trembled at Zhang Yu's icy gaze, but her long-held sense of superiority and contempt for Zhang Yu made her immediately bolster her courage.

She complained:

"Mother and I have both spoken nicely to you, acknowledged your importance, what more do you want?

Do you really expect us to kneel and beg you?"

"Kneel and beg me?"

Zhang Yu let out a cold laugh, his tone filled with endless sorrow and hatred: "You think two sentences can resolve a life-and-death feud?

Zhang Wanning, you're thinking too simply.

This hatred isn't so easily resolved."

These words were spoken for the original owner, and for himself.

The original owner was killed by Zhang Heng, and all the Zhang family members were accomplices.

Since he transmigrated, he had been tormented by the Zhang family.

If he didn't have the System cheat, he would have been killed by this biased family countless times already.

"In the dead of winter, you forced me to dive into the lake to retrieve a jade pendant for Zhang Heng. I almost froze to death in the water, did any of you ask if I was cold?"

"Zhang Heng faked an illness and had me test-eat a highly poisonous medicinal ingredient. I was in agony, writhing in bed for three days and three nights, did any of you ever call a doctor for me?"

"Zhang Heng got into a fight with someone, and you unhesitatingly pushed me out to take the blame, letting me rot in this Heavenly Prison. Did any of you feel even a shred of guilt?"

Zhang Yu spoke every word, clearly recounting the grievances of the original owner's memories and his own three years here, one by one.

Each word was like a knife, dissecting the hypocritical, selfish, and cruel true faces of the Zhang family.

"Each and every one of these instances, weren't they all attempts on my life?

On what grounds do you expect me to forgive you?

Why do you think a couple of light, pleasant words will make me continue to be your beast of burden?"

Zhang Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it was drenched in tears, carrying endless resentment and questioning, echoing through the dead silent prison area.

Qin Xuehua and Zhang Wanning were rendered speechless, their faces turning pale and then flushed.

These things, of course, they remembered.

But in their hearts, these were merely "necessary sacrifices" made for the "greater good," or things Zhang Yu "should do as the eldest son."

They had never truly taken them to heart, let alone felt guilt.

"Zhang Yu, you're too petty."

Qin Xuehua, having had her sore spot poked, showed no remorse. Instead, she accused him with dissatisfaction, "These things are all in the past. You're a grown man, why are you still dwelling on them and being so calculative?"

"In the past?"

Zhang Yu laughed in anger, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "I was lucky to survive that time, otherwise I don't know how many times I would have died.

To you, they were insignificant trifles."

To me, it's a matter of life and death.

You actually call me stingy?

Saying I'm quibbling over every little thing?"

"Didn't you survive?"

Zhang Wanning shrieked from the side, her tone so entitled it was outrageous:

"Since you didn't die, you're fine.

Now you're bringing up these old matters to play the victim, what's the point?"

"Well said, 'Didn't you survive?'"

Zhang Yu looked at Zhang Wanning's self-righteous and inhumane expression.

The last shred of his illusion of "family affection" was completely shattered, replaced by utter coldness and resolve.

"Since that's the case, then we have nothing more to say."

Zhang Yu slowly closed his eyes, no longer looking at them.

"Zhang Yu, don't push your luck."

Seeing that Zhang Yu was unyielding, Qin Xuehua completely dropped the pretense and shouted sternly:

"Without you, the Marquis Estate will still function.

Do you think you're so great just because you have some skills?

I'm telling you, there are plenty of talented people in this world.

I'd like to see how long you can stay so defiant in this Heavenly Prison?"

"Exactly."

Zhang Wanning chimed in, her face full of venom and disdain: