Jin Lou and Ding Xiaoyue's discussion kept circling back to Li Yuan.
On the surface, they were discussing how to kill Li Yuan, or at least seriously injure him.
But their words were plainly full of praise for him.
Praise given without thinking was all the more convincing.
Beside them, Jin Fan's face had darkened, with a hint of gray beneath it.
At last, Jin Fan could no longer hold back and interrupted their discussion.
"So everything you told me before, Uncle, was nonsense to fool me.
Neither you nor Mother actually thinks I can do it, right?
Even if I weren't injured—even if I'd fully recovered—I still wouldn't stand a chance, would I?"
As Jin Fan spoke, his words sounded like an accusation against Jin Lou and Ding Xiaoyue.
Neither of them answered. They did not know what to say to him.
Jin Fan had seen the whole thing with his own eyes. He was no three-year-old they could easily fool.
Li Yuan had dodged Jin Lou's sneak attack. No amount of belittling could explain that away.
"Say something. Is my question really that hard to answer?
In your eyes, I'm useless, nowhere near as good as Li Yuan. Right?"
Jin Fan grew insistent. When neither Jin Lou nor Ding Xiaoyue answered, he pressed them again.
He repeated the question, demanding an answer over and over.
By now, something had gone wrong with Jin Fan's state of mind.
He knew his own limitations, yet desperately wanted others to believe in him.
But whenever they reassured him, he could sense they were only trying to fool him.
He was trapped in a vicious circle.
"Xiaofan, don't be like this..."
Ding Xiaoyue could not help speaking up, worry in her voice.
She could see that something was wrong with him.
"Like