In the living room, Pei Yang and Pei Zhi sat facing each other. Moonlight slanted through the glass, falling across the bulging veins on the backs of Pei Zhi's hands. He stopped playing dumb and said bluntly, "Yang, just tell me. How much are you going to pay me to get lost?"
"Not a cent," Pei Yang said.
With a crash, Pei Zhi smashed the glass on the coffee table. The sharp sound of shattering glass silenced even the old women chatting downstairs. "What did you say? You never fucking intended to give me any money?"
"That's right." Pei Yang lowered his eyes. His fingertips trembled slightly, but he still lifted his teacup steadily and took a small sip of warm tea. "I don't think I ever said I would pay you to leave."
"Then why did you make me wait in this dump? What are you trying to do? Were you just stalling?"
"Pei Zhi." Pei Yang coldly slammed his teacup onto the table, hard enough to send the tea splashing over the pale back of his hand. "Not asking you to repay all the debts I've paid off for you over the years is already the greatest mercy I could show you. Search your conscience. You brought me into this world but never raised me, and you abused me for years. What gives you the right to demand a fortune from me so you can live out your old age in comfort?"
"No matter how I treated you, I'll always be your father!" Pei Zhi snarled, refusing to listen to reason. "You have to support me! That's your duty as my son!"
"All right." Pei Yang remained calm, as though he had already expected Pei Zhi to say this. He said unhurriedly, "Over the past two days, I've