Chapter 25

Look, even after being reborn, the people he hated were not innocent. They were still ruled by their greed and shamelessness, wanting to seize what did not belong to them.

Zhang Xianyang sneered, pressed the bell, and said to Sister-in-Law Li, who came up to take his orders, "Tell the gatekeepers to keep watch. If they're still kneeling there tomorrow morning, start preparing for a grave visit."

Sister-in-Law Li silently looked at Zhang Xianyang and softly acknowledged the order.

Through the curtain of rain that seemed to drape heaven and earth, Zhang Xianyang gave a cold smile. "Didn't you want to repent? I'll give you that chance. You can repent before my mother's grave."

But since you had come to the Old District in this life, don't even think about leaving as silently as you did in the last. Tomorrow, he would summon everyone from the Old Zhang Family clan to the ancestral graves. Just as Li Cunzhou wished, he would make him repent for his past mistakes before everyone's eyes, before his own biological son.

He wanted to drive a thorn into the hearts of the Li father and sons. Perhaps that thorn would never prove useful. But as long as it could turn the father and sons against each other—even if it merely disgusted them—Zhang Xianyang would find it immensely satisfying.

Hated by those closest to him, betrayed by those closest to him, having his courage and hope to go on living cruelly cut off by those closest to him...

In this life, he would return every bit of what he had suffered.

Author's Note: Thanks.

Little Little Little Chestnut threw a landmine ╭(╯3╰)╮

Demeter threw a grenade ╭(╯3╰)╮

Linked Branches threw a landmine ╭(╯3╰)╮

Chapter 25

The next morning, the sky was a flawless blue. A whole night of artificial hail had washed the world spotlessly clean. Even the broken branches and fallen leaves battered down yesterday had been cleared away by the early-rising servants. The entire villa looked completely renewed.

After washing up, Zhang Xianyang went out for a morning run with his two older brothers, who had clearly barely slept. As they left the Zhang Family gates, Zhang Xianyang saw the Li father and sons still kneeling on the ground, listless and dispirited. The corners of his lips curled in something between a smile and a sneer.

Some people were born cold-hearted, yet insisted on putting on an act of undying devotion. It was disgusting to watch.

First beaten badly by the Zhang brothers, then battered black and blue and covered in injuries by the hailstorm, and having gone without food or water all night, Li Cunzhou and his sons were already groggy. When they saw the three Zhang brothers coming out through the gates, their eyes lit up.

Li Cunzhou could not help calling out, "Yangyang—"

Seeing the man on the ground look as though he wanted to speak but could not bring himself to, Zhang Xianyang shook his head with an amused smile. Yet he addressed Li Mobei and his brother behind Li Cunzhou. "I want to torment this man because he betrayed my mother, and now he wants to sweet-talk and deceive me. There's a saying: 'Unprovoked kindness means either treachery or theft.' A man who ignored me for sixteen whole years came knocking less than half a year after the Old District redevelopment proposal was submitted to Yanjing. You and I both know what he's after. This man ruined my mother's life, and now he wants to harm me and my family. Naturally, I won't let him off. But you two brothers are different—after all, your mother was betrayed by this man as well. I won't take my resentment toward him out on you. As long as you leave now, I won't make things difficult for you."

The meaning was clear: both sides had been humiliated and harmed by this man. They were in the same boat, so there was no need to make things hard for each other.

Upon hearing this, Li Jiangnan's gaze flickered uncertainly for a moment, while Li Mobei calmly and sincerely said, "A father's debts are repaid by his son. Since my father wronged you, and I enjoyed his fatherly love for so many years, I should atone for him."

As soon as he said that, the Li father and sons looked at Li Mobei in surprise. Li Jiangnan's face was full of incomprehension, while Li Cunzhou looked deeply moved.

Zhang Xianyang merely shrugged noncommittally. He had said all that only to sow discord among the three of them. Clearly, Li Mobei was far more skilled than he was. Not only had he failed to drive a wedge between father and sons, he had instead displayed the steadiness and filial devotion expected of the eldest son before Li Cunzhou, further earning Li Cunzhou's trust and favor... Thinking of everything this man had done in his previous life to overturn the Old District, Zhang Xianyang could only sigh. The heirs of Kyoto's great families were not to be underestimated.

Fortunately, Zhang Xianyang had never expected a few words to drive apart the Li father and sons, who had lived together for over a decade. There was plenty of time. He was in no hurry.

With that thought, Zhang Xianyang curled his lips at the Li father and sons and said meaningfully, "The Li Family's wife must be very virtuous. The children she raised are all so reasonable and righteous. Excellent family upbringing."

After saying that, he walked past the kneeling Li father and sons and began running at a steady pace. Zhang Muyang and his brother, who had fallen behind, caught up in a few strides. After they turned a street corner, Zhang Xiyang suddenly asked, "Yangyang, do you really not hate those two brothers?"

Putting himself in Zhang Xianyang's shoes, if his own father had abandoned him for more than a decade without a word, while treating his other sons like treasures, he would never have been able to accept it so calmly.

At those words, a shadow passed through Zhang Xianyang's eyes. He thought of how the entire Li Family had schemed to conceal the truth and approach him in his previous life, of how he had been played like a fool in their palms, of the Kyoto Zhang Family's vicious cruelty. Zhang Xianyang smiled meaningfully. "How could I hate them? I can't thank them enough!"

Without them, Zhang Xianyang would still have been that naive, foolish, self-righteous playboy, smugly living amid other people's flattery every day. All he would think about was how to have the most fun. He would never care about others' thoughts, never know how his actions affected his family, never realize when he was being used, never understand how to strike back when he was viciously humiliated. He would only weakly run away and retreat, and in the end, he would die like a pile of mud.

Zhang Muyang and his brother exchanged glances, completely unable to make sense of it.

Noticing the suspicious looks his two brothers were giving him, Zhang Xianyang, who had been caught up in the hatred of his previous life, immediately came back to himself. Without changing expression, he explained, "When a man acknowledges his illegitimate son, bringing his biological son along can indeed show how much he values that illegitimate son. But it also fully reveals how calculating he is."

Zhang Muyang nodded thoughtfully. "That's right. He brought his biological son along to apologize. No matter how our Zhang Family treats them, they're still a close-knit father and sons standing together. Meanwhile, our Yangyang becomes the villain abusing their family. Under those circumstances, even if Yangyang truly changed his mind and let them talk him into going back, I'm afraid the rift between them would be hard to erase."

Zhang Xianyang added indifferently, "And once this news gets out, the Li Family will be seen as reasonable and righteous. If things go badly, our Old Zhang Family will become the unreasonable ones."

Zhang Xiyang frowned uncomfortably and snorted. "In his dreams—"

Before he could finish, Wang Zhaoyi limped slowly over from the street ahead. The three Zhang brothers immediately stopped talking.

Once he reached them, Wang Zhaoyi spoke first. "I heard your Zhang Family had visitors yesterday. You gave them quite the welcome too. Made a pretty big fuss, didn't you?"

Zhang Xianyang replied with a smile, "You were beaten half to death, yet instead of lying at home and recovering, you came out early in the morning just to block my way and ask that? I'm impressed you have the leisure."

Wang Zhaoyi did not care and continued, "I heard the man was your biological father, and he brought your two biological older brothers with him. Bringing sons along to acknowledge a son—now that's creative."

The powers in the Old District had been intertwined for a hundred years. Every family had its own informants. Besides, Li Cunzhou and his sons had shouted themselves hoarse outside the Old Zhang Family gates yesterday. It would have been difficult for anyone else not to hear.

Wang Zhaoyi continued gleefully, "But the more I think about it, the more I admire Boss Zhang. He raised someone else's child for sixteen years and treated him so wholeheartedly. Listen, Yangyang, whether you acknowledge your ancestors and return to your roots in the future or not, don't do anything to betray Boss Zhang. Otherwise, none of us from the Old District will forgive you."

The Zhang brothers' expressions darkened as Wang Zhaoyi's words became increasingly offensive, and they stepped forward in displeasure. Zhang Xianyang raised a hand to stop them and calmly said, "Compared to Third Uncle Wang, my dad has treated me wonderfully. So of course I'll be filial to him in the future. But no parent is without fault. What Third Uncle Wang did back then may not have been proper, but it's been so many years. Don't keep butting heads with him. You're family. Why make things so awkward?"

Wang Zhaoyi's face went dark. The painful memories of his childhood were something he could never forget. He had not felt much about it before, but after Zhang Xianyang's situation came to light, Wang Zhaoyi felt increasingly resentful. They were both illegitimate sons, but Wang Zhaoyi was Wang Qi's biological son, yet his life had been worse than Zhang Xianyang's by far. And Wang Qi still had the nerve to say he had not treated him badly.

Wang Zhaoyi spat on the ground and said indignantly, "No wonder. I was wondering why the Old Zhang Family's generation all used Yang in their names—Zhang Qingyang, Zhang Muyang, Zhang Xiyang—yet yours became Zhang Xianyang. Boss Zhang even lied to us, saying a character had been written wrong when they registered your household record and he couldn't be bothered changing it..."

Wang Zhaoyi chuckled twice, leaned closer with an infuriating expression, and whispered, "Turns out you're not even descended from a Zhang man. You couldn't be entered into the family register!"

Zhang Muyang's face darkened, and he punched Wang Zhaoyi squarely in the face. Caught off guard, Wang Zhaoyi staggered back three steps. Since he had just been caned fifty times yesterday and could barely move, he lost his balance and fell to the ground, grimacing in pain.

Still not satisfied, Zhang Xiyang went up and kicked him twice, snorting, "Yesterday's beating was too light. If I'd known your mouth was this foul, we should've given you a hundred strokes and beaten you to death."

Wang Zhaoyi cried out in surrender, "Stop fucking hitting me! Hit me any more and I'll really be crippled. You'll beat me until I puke blood!"

The two Old Zhang Family brothers turned a deaf ear and continued punching and kicking Wang Zhaoyi as he lay on the ground. The noisy commotion immediately drew many brothers and bosses out for their morning exercise. Everyone gathered around with grins to watch, while some troublemaking youths egged them on from the side. "Serves him right! Serves him right! He's got the foulest mouth in the Old District. There's nothing wrong with beating him."

Others, afraid the scene was not lively enough, shouted from the crowd, "Come see! Come see! The two Old Zhang Family brothers are beating up someone from the Old Wang Family!"

Zhang Xianyang shook his head helplessly and hurried forward to pull his two brothers away. "Enough. His mouth has always been foul. It's not like this started yesterday."

Lying on the ground, Wang Zhaoyi closed his eyes and groaned, "I'm dying, I'm dying! If I really die, brothers, you have to avenge me!"

Zhang Xianyang rolled his eyes, nudged Wang Zhaoyi's leg with the tip of his shoe, and said, "Stop fooling around. Get up."

Wang Zhaoyi ignored him and kept groaning on the ground. Zhang Xianyang said impatiently, "If you don't get up, I won't stop them. I'll let my brothers beat you crippled."

Wang Zhaoyi sprang to his feet and cursed while clutching his lower back, "Just my luck. Sooner or later, I'll get even."

Zhang Xianyang ignored him and tugged Zhang Muyang and his brother toward home. A boss from another family nearby asked, "Yangyang, who were those people kneeling outside your house yesterday?"

A bunch of gossiping old men asking questions they already knew the answers to.

Zhang Xianyang was nearly speechless. Looking at the groups of bosses around him, their curiosity blazing, an idea suddenly came to him. "At 9:09 this morning, our Old Zhang Family is holding an ancestral rite. I'll ask my dad whether you can all come too!"

Since the Li Family did not mind making such a spectacle of themselves, there was no need for him to keep things under wraps. Nearly everyone of standing in the Old District already knew that his mother had become pregnant out of wedlock and died in childbirth, so the Old Zhang Family had no need to care about that reputation. Let the Li Family properly savor the consequences of trying to steal a chicken and losing the grain they used as bait. He wanted to know how the Li Family, which always valued its reputation, would still have the face to boast of being an honorable and distinguished household, with nothing to hide before heaven or earth, once news spread to Yanjing that they had deceived a young girl, abandoned a biological son, and joined forces with their in-laws to scheme against the family of their illegitimate son's mother.