Basement

Bai Yunsheng made his way to the basement door as if he knew it by heart. Before the person escorting him could say anything, Bai Yunsheng opened the door himself and walked in.

Seeing Bai Yunsheng obediently enter, the man was not surprised. He reminded him, "Young Master, please reflect on your actions. I'll come unlock the door in four days."

Bai Yunsheng turned around. His entire figure was hidden in the pitch-black darkness, with the light spilling in from the doorway as the only illumination. "Thank you for the trouble." As he spoke, a broad smile appeared on his face.

The man's stern expression froze. He looked at Bai Yunsheng strangely. Bai Yunsheng was clearly smiling, but surrounded by darkness, that smile became somewhat sinister and eerie. The man looked only once before averting his gaze and raising a hand to shut the door.

The only light vanished. Bai Yunsheng remained where he was without moving. After a long while, he slowly let out a breath, staggered into a corner, and lowered himself against the wall. Even after being reborn, he still could not adapt to the darkness of the basement.

That was right. Before his rebirth, he had often come to this place for all sorts of reasons.

The first time, he had been ten. He had not been at the Feng Household for long, and during a meal, he had accidentally dropped some food onto the floor. There happened to be guests in the house at the time. Feng Yanshan had said nothing at first, but after the guests left, he exploded.

He had been young then, utterly terrified of the pitch-black basement. He had broken down sobbing, pounding on the door and begging his father for forgiveness. Yet even after he cried himself hoarse and his eyes ached from weeping, that door never opened.

After coming out of the basement, Bai Yunsheng never made another mistake at the dining table. Not even a grain of rice or a mouthful of soup ever landed on the table, much less the floor.

Later, Bai Yunsheng often "made mistakes."

For example, talking back to Feng Tingfan.

For example, refusing to call his stepmother Mom.

There were many more.

Thus, Bai Yunsheng became a regular visitor, and the basement's only "master."

His thoughts were interrupted by faint footsteps.

Bai Yunsheng kept his eyes open and stared straight at the door. Soon, Feng Tingfan's voice came from outside.

"Hey." Arrogant and rude.

Bai Yunsheng did not respond.

Feng Tingfan said, "I know you can hear me. I don't know what you told my dad to make him change his attitude. But so what? Didn't you still get tossed into the basement?"

"Bai Yunsheng, as long as I'm here, you will never become a member of the Feng Household, nor will you ever have a place in it." He paused, then added with a hint of threat, "I'll wait for you to come out, Bai Yunsheng."

Bai Yunsheng stared at a spot in the darkness and moved his lips. "Second Brother, you'd better wait properly for me to come out."

Wait for me to come out.

Then I'll destroy everything you care about.

Feng Yanshan's company.

The money and inheritance rights Jiang Li valued.

The attention from Feng Yanshan that Feng Tingfan yearned for.

As for Feng Zhiyou, he had always been indifferent, as though he cared about nothing. But Bai Yunsheng knew that Feng Zhiyou cared most about that so-called family affection.

Bai Yunsheng's gaze darkened further.

He had long since owed the Feng Household nothing. That one life had been more than enough to settle the debt.

And he no longer wanted anything from them.

Feng Tingfan, standing outside the door, gave a dismissive snort and said carelessly, "Fine. Make sure you come out healthy." After saying that, his footsteps sounded again and gradually faded away.

Bai Yunsheng closed his eyes and leaned against the wall behind him. Naturally, he knew what Feng Tingfan intended to do—at most, cut back on his food or give him stale food.

Such methods were so childish they were laughable.

In truth, Bai Yunsheng knew why Feng Tingfan targeted him so relentlessly. It all came down to the three words "illegitimate child." Except the illegitimate child was Feng Tingfan, not Bai Yunsheng.

Bai Yunsheng's birth mother, Bai Zhi, had been a renowned talented woman at a prestigious university. She was exceptionally gifted and strikingly beautiful. She met Feng Yanshan by chance at a competition. At the time, Feng Yanshan had nothing, yet he fell in love with Bai Zhi at first sight and pursued her fervently.

That pursuit lasted two years before Bai Zhi finally agreed.

In the end, the two married. Feng Yanshan wanted to start a business, so Bai Zhi took out all her savings. Bai Zhi accompanied Feng Yanshan through every step as they built their path. Later, Bai Zhi became pregnant with Feng Zhiyou, but when she was eight months pregnant, someone whose identity remained unknown retaliated against them. A cup of sulfuric acid was thrown at Feng Yanshan, but Bai Zhi instinctively shielded him. As a result, Feng Zhiyou was born prematurely.

Feng Yanshan had offended too many people, and too many others envied him. There was simply no way to find out who it had been. The person who threw the acid also killed herself out of fear of punishment.

Disfigured, Bai Zhi became moody and unpredictable. At the time, Feng Yanshan had treated her well and considered her feelings in every way. Nearly everything in the house that could reflect an image was removed by Feng Yanshan. With his companionship, Bai Zhi gradually emerged from the shadow of her disfigurement. But all that beauty underwent a world-shaking change in the year she became pregnant with Bai Yunsheng.

A woman eight months pregnant appeared at the gates of the Feng Household.

She was pretty and fresh-faced, with features that somewhat resembled Bai Zhi's former appearance.

Only later did Bai Zhi learn that Feng Yanshan had already been with that woman for three years.

Proud to her core, Bai Zhi could not accept Feng Yanshan's betrayal and divorced him. She knew it would be difficult for a disfigured woman to find work, so she ruthlessly left Feng Zhiyou behind and departed the Feng Household with the unborn Bai Yunsheng in her belly.

Ten years later, Bai Zhi developed cancer. Only before her death did she contact Feng Yanshan and ask him to bring Bai Yunsheng home.

Over the years, Bai Zhi's pride had long been worn away completely. She knew she had wronged Bai Yunsheng. For the sake of her so-called dignity, she had forced Bai Yunsheng to endure ten bitter years without a father.

She understood her husband, and she also understood Jiang Li's intentions. She knew how deep the waters of wealthy families could be.

Before leaving, she repeatedly instructed Bai Yunsheng to hide his excellence and work hard to build a good relationship with his father and biological older brother. She only wanted Bai Yunsheng to live safely through his life without any financial burdens. But Bai Yunsheng had appeared out of nowhere ten years later, and it was difficult for him to develop feelings for Feng Yanshan and Feng Zhiyou.

Bai Zhi had never imagined that even if Bai Yunsheng kept to himself, others still would not let her child go.

Therefore, from the moment Bai Yunsheng appeared in the Feng Household, peace had been impossible.

Bai Yunsheng's appearance seemed to lay every ugly truth bare before them.

Feng Yanshan's betrayal.

Jiang Li's interference in another family.

Even Feng Tingfan's position was placed in an extremely awkward spot.

When Bai Zhi had been pregnant with Bai Yunsheng, the two had not yet divorced. Therefore, Feng Tingfan in Jiang Li's belly had naturally been the illegitimate child.

Those matters had happened ten years ago, and no one had mentioned them for ten years.

The Feng family tacitly pinned the label of illegitimate child onto Bai Yunsheng.

Feng Yanshan had not even allowed Bai Yunsheng to change his surname. After all, in Feng Yanshan's eyes, it was normal for a wealthy man to have an illegitimate child outside the marriage. But abandoning the first wife who had struggled alongside him all those years would ruin his reputation.

Thus, Bai Yunsheng became the victim of it all.