Zhang Yu Unleashes His Power

Zhang Heng spoke up. "Eldest Brother, I know you can't bear to part with Sister Jiang, but you can't be so selfish as to ruin her whole life."

"Don't worry. After you break off the engagement, I promise I'll take good care of Sister Jiang. I won't let her suffer the slightest grievance."

To provoke Zhang Heng, he even took the initiative to hold Jiang Luohan's hand.

Jiang Luohan hesitated for a moment, but surprisingly didn't resist or pull her hand away. Her meaning was already quite clear.

Qin Xuehua thought the two of them made a well-matched couple, far more suited to each other than to Zhang Yu, that "wretch."

She seized the opportunity to chime in:

"Yu'er, your younger brother is right. Luohan is a good girl. You can't really make her waste her whole life for you.

"Since you and Luohan are no longer destined to be together, and Heng'er is sincere about her, I think... after some time has passed and the furor dies down, we should end your engagement to Luohan and let her and Heng'er become betrothed. It would be a wonderful match.

"Though you're in prison, I'm sure you'd want to see Luohan find a good home. Heng'er would get his wish, too."

She said this so casually, as if she were merely arranging some insignificant little matter. She completely disregarded the feelings of Zhang Yu, the person involved, and of Jiang Luohan, his "former fiancée."

In her eyes, Zhang Yu was already a useless cripple. Helping his younger brother and his "former fiancée" get together was the last bit of "value" he could offer.

The inside and outside of the cell fell silent in an instant.

Zhang Yu's gaze slowly swept over the hands clasped tightly outside the cell door, Jiang Luohan's shyly lowered face, and Zhang Heng's eyes, feigning concern but brimming with smugness. At last, it settled on Qin Xuehua's self-righteous face.

He wasn't angry or broken. He didn't feel even the slightest sadness or jealousy.

The expression that appeared on his face was extraordinarily strange—as if he'd witnessed something so absurd, so hilariously ridiculous, that it made him want to laugh.

Then he really did laugh.

It wasn't a cold laugh or a sneer, but an irrepressible laugh, as if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Haha... hahahaha..." His laughter started low, then gradually grew louder, echoing through the gloomy prison cell, filled with undisguised mockery and delight.

Zhang Heng grew a little unnerved by his laughter, but forced himself to stay calm. "Eldest Brother, you... what are you laughing at? I know you're upset, but..."

"Upset?"

Zhang Yu stopped laughing and wiped at the nonexistent tears in the corners of his eyes. His gaze was full of amusement.

"Why would I be upset? I couldn't be happier!"

He took two steps forward, approaching the bars, and looked back and forth between Zhang Heng and Jiang Luohan with interest, as if admiring a pair of actors putting on a show.

"Zhang Heng, my good younger brother. You really are a good younger brother."

Zhang Yu's tone was light, as though he were praising him.

"Your Eldest Brother just went to prison in your place, and you couldn't wait to claim my 'inheritance'?

"You've even taken over my fiancée, that 'possession' of mine, so naturally and smoothly.

"What is it? Do you think things your Eldest Brother has used are especially fragrant?"

"You!"

Zhang Heng's face flushed red in an instant, shocked and furious.

Jiang Luohan jerked her head up and glared at Zhang Yu, both humiliated and furious, her whole body trembling.

Zhang Yu ignored them and turned his gaze to Qin Xuehua, his smile growing brighter.

"And Mother, your arrangement is so thoughtful, so considerate.

"You've only just sent me to the Heavenly Prison, and now you're already busy putting horns on me—and having my own younger brother do it?

"You really know how to keep the good stuff in the family.

"Should I write you a letter of thanks from this Heavenly Prison, to thank you for 'thinking of me' and making such careful 'arrangements' on my behalf?"

With each word he spoke, Qin Xuehua's face grew darker. By the end, it had turned ashen. Her hand trembled as she pointed at Zhang Yu. "Wretch, you... what nonsense are you spouting?"

"I don't know what's good for me?"

Zhang Yu arched an eyebrow.

"Right. I really don't know what's good for me.

"I don't know why you call selling out your own family, kicking them when they're down, and taking advantage of their troubles 'good,' or call currying favor with the powerful, despising the poor, and jumping into someone else's arms 'bad.'

"I really can't stomach your idea of 'good and bad.'"

He stopped looking at Qin Xuehua, who was too angry to speak, and turned his gaze back to the "newlyweds." His tone grew lazy and casual.

"All right, stop the act.

"I know exactly what you're thinking.

"One of you has coveted his elder brother's fiancée for ages; the other has long despised her useless fiancé and wanted to climb a higher branch.

"Now everything's worked out perfectly: a cripple has gone to prison, while a genius has a bright future ahead of him. A match made in heaven—jackals paired with tigers. Perfect!"

"Zhang Yu, shut up!"

Jiang Luohan finally couldn't hold back and shrieked. Tears brimmed in her eyes, whether from anger or shame, she couldn't tell.

Zhang Heng gritted his teeth, too. "Eldest Brother, how can you slander Luohan and me like this? Our relationship is innocent. We only..."

"Only what?

"Mutual affection?

"Love each other?

"Or are you lovers?"

Zhang Yu sneered.

"Save it. Save those words for the people outside who don't know the truth.

"To me, you're just a pair of shameless adulterers who couldn't wait to hook up while I was down!"

His words were vicious, tearing away the last pretense between them.

Zhang Heng and Jiang Luohan turned deathly pale, trembling with fury, but for a moment, they couldn't find anything to say in their defense.

Zhang Yu's words, "a pair of shameless adulterers," exploded like thunder, leaving Zhang Heng and Jiang Luohan ashen-faced and making Qin Xuehua and the others tremble with anger.