If reason wouldn't work, then he might as well go crazy.
Jiang Xun had always firmly believed in that rule for life.
Liu Ma was so frightened by Jiang Xun's sudden antics that she even started stammering.
"Second Young Master, you... you mustn't talk nonsense. That puppy's been dead for hours. How could it talk? No, puppies can't talk at all!"
Jiang Xun gave her a peculiar look. "But I heard it."
His expression was utterly serious, his tone solemn, without the slightest hint of a joke.
Had everyone present not been mature adults, they might actually have believed him.
Chu Xingye shuddered, rubbed the goose bumps on his arms, and cautiously edged behind Fu Yanli. Clutching the hem of his uncle's clothes, he muttered, "Uncle, has Jiang Xun really gone crazy? That dog's completely dead."
Fu Yanli glanced at his timid nephew, then unobtrusively stepped aside, putting some distance between them.
Then his thin lips moved, his tone indifferent. "I heard it too."
At those words, Chu Xingye's eyes widened in horror as he stared at Fu Yanli in disbelief.
No way. Had his uncle gone crazy too?
Fu Yanli's voice remained perfectly calm. "Just kidding."
"..." Chu Xingye's mouth twitched. Since when did his uncle make jokes?
After grumbling inwardly for a moment, he turned his attention back to Jiang Xun.
"Sweetie, what did you say?" Jiang Xun leaned his ear toward the puppy's head again, looking as though he was listening intently. "You want me to avenge you? You want that fat woman to join you in death?"
"Oh, I understand."
Then Jiang Xun put the puppy back in the cardboard box and gently stroked it. "Lie here and be good. Your big brother will avenge you right now."
Liu Ma's heart lurched. A bad feeling immediately rose inside her, and she kept backing away.
Jiang Xun stared at her with a sinister gaze, then bent down to pick up the fruit knife on the coffee table and walked toward her, knife raised.
The sharp blade reflected an eerie chill under the bright lights, enough to make anyone's skin crawl. Liu Ma no longer cared whether Jiang Xun was pretending to be crazy. She was nearly scared witless.
She fled in panic, accidentally crashed into the table and chairs, and fell to the floor, letting out a shrill, trembling scream. "He's going to kill me! He's going to kill me!!"
The Jiang family froze, then hurried forward to stop Jiang Xun.
"Jiang Xun, what are you playing at now? Put the knife down!"
"Xun, don't scare your mother..."
Chu Xingye was beside himself, hesitating over whether to go help.
Fu Yanli remained unmoved, his hands still resting calmly in his pockets, as though he were watching a show.
Jiang Zixing stood frozen, staring blankly at a scene beyond anything he had imagined.
Jiang Huaijin tried to take the knife from Jiang Xun, but barely used any force. Perhaps he was afraid of hurting Jiang Xun, or perhaps he was playing along, making only a token attempt to stop him.
So the knife remained in Jiang Xun's hand. He stared straight at Liu Ma, his gaze chilling. "Are you going to talk or not?"
Liu Ma had lived more than half her life, and the worst she had ever done was argue with other women at the entrance to her home village, or sit on the ground and throw a tantrum when all else failed. She had never faced anything like this, with someone actually coming at her with a knife.
Her body shook uncontrollably, even the rolls of fat trembling along with it. She was terrified that Jiang Xun would suddenly break free, rush over, and actually stab her.
"I'll talk! I'll talk, all right..."
Liu Ma spilled everything in a rush. "I did let the puppy out on purpose. I just didn't want it staying in the house. I was worried it might hurt the youngest young master one day, so I wanted Master and Madam to send it away. Who knew..."
"That's not right." Jiang Xun looked toward where the puppy lay, narrowing his eyes slightly. "It says you're lying."
He suddenly chuckled, speaking slowly. "Fine, then. Let's all die together."
Liu Ma's heart pounded with terror, and whatever faint hope she had clung to vanished at once.
"I'll talk. I'll tell you everything." She glanced toward Jiang Zixing and stammered:
"I let the puppy out on purpose, and I deliberately made it run up to the youngest young master. I wanted it to cause some trouble." Liu Ma looked up at Jiang Xun again, clearly lacking confidence, her voice growing quieter. "Then... then I could use that as an excuse to kick it to death."
Her voice filled with tears. "I just... just lost my head for a moment. I regretted it after it happened too. I'm sorry... I really know I was wrong."
The enormous living room fell silent, leaving only Liu Ma's incoherent words, as though she were truly repenting with all her heart.
Everyone wore a different expression. They had thought it was merely an accident, never expecting this to be the truth.
Jiang Xun scoffed and casually tossed the fruit knife back onto the coffee table. His expression was perfectly composed, as though his earlier outburst had been an illusion.
He sat casually on the arm of the sofa behind him and folded his arms. In the silence, he slowly spoke. "Everyone heard that clearly, right?"
Ha. Fucking hell, this old hag really was vicious, and she was still putting on an act.
"Liu Ma, I know you don't like me. You think I'm a country bumpkin, and you look down on me."
"But you can't take all your anger out on an innocent puppy just because you hate me." Jiang Xun's eyes suddenly reddened, his voice stirring sympathy. "It was a living creature, flesh and blood too. It was so helpless. How could you bring yourself to hurt it?"
After what had just happened, Liu Ma's legs were still weak. She remained slumped on the floor, stammering, unable to offer a single word in rebuttal.
Jiang Huaijin suddenly interjected, "Mom, Dad, if we let Liu Ma stay here, who knows what trouble she'll cause next? Fire her."
He had already suspected there was more to this. Whenever Jiang Xun was away, he was the one who fed the puppy.
The little thing was normally very well behaved, always staying in its box instead of running around. Besides, the door was always closed, so it would have been hard for it to get out.
Deng Shu was deeply disappointed in Liu Ma too. She had intended to fire her last time, but Zixing had pleaded on her behalf, so she had let the matter drop.
She had thought Liu Ma would behave herself after that. Who could have known she would go even further this time?
"Liu Ma, pack your things and leave the Jiang family tomorrow. Your wages will be paid in full."
At those words, Liu Ma felt as though the sky had fallen. She had held this job for more than ten years, and her monthly salary was substantial.
Whenever she went back to the village for the holidays, she was the envy of all her neighbors.
If she was fired, all of that would be gone.
She tearfully begged for mercy, but Jiang Father, Jiang Mother, and Jiang Huaijin remained unmoved.
"Young Master, please say something for me..."
Finally, Liu Ma turned to Jiang Zixing for help. "I've always treated you so well. You don't want me to leave the Jiang family either, do you...? Master and Madam love you the most. Please plead for me."
Jiang Zixing had barely spoken the whole time. Hearing Liu Ma's words now, he looked embarrassed.
He picked at his fingers unconsciously, stole a glance at Fu Yanli standing off to the side, then looked at his parents and eldest brother. His lips moved a few times, but in the end, he said nothing.
Liu Ma's eyes filled with disappointment. "Young Master, I did all this for you. How can you refuse to say even one word on my behalf?"
Jiang Zixing lowered his head and stammered, "I..."
"Enough. What does this have to do with Zixing?" Jiang Shiyuan stared coldly at Liu Ma and snapped impatiently, "Don't make excuses for what you did. No matter who you ask to plead for you today, it won't help!"
Perhaps she had finally recognized the reality of her situation and resigned herself to it. Liu Ma said nothing more, wiped her tears, and prepared to return to her room to pack.
Before leaving, she shot Jiang Xun a resentful look, then turned her gaze to Jiang Zixing. Her eyes held a tangle of emotions, and she seemed on the verge of speaking.
Jiang Zixing quickly lowered his head, his lashes trembling slightly. His gaze shifted evasively, avoiding hers.
Just as Liu Ma was about to leave the living room, Fu Yanli, who had been quietly watching from the sidelines, suddenly strode forward on his long legs and blocked her path.
Liu Ma looked up at him in surprise.
She was not the only one surprised. Everyone present was taken aback. No one had expected this sudden move from Fu Yanli.
Including Jiang Xun.
Although they had not known each other long, he knew Fu Yanli only seemed mild and approachable on the surface. Deep down, he was extremely cold, as though nothing around him could capture his interest. He was even less likely to meddle, especially in another family's affairs.
This was a slight overstepping of boundaries, out of keeping with Fu Yanli's usual way of doing things, yet he had done it anyway.
Fu Yanli calmly regarded the heavyset middle-aged woman before him. His quiet gaze was like a knife, as though it could cut through flesh, lay bare a person's heart, and see through everything.
After a moment, he asked Liu Ma, "What else do you have to say?"
Liu Ma froze, not understanding what Mr. Fu meant.
Fu Yanli watched her and spoke unhurriedly. "Or rather, what else are you hiding?"
At those words, Liu Ma's heart lurched. She hurriedly looked away, afraid to meet the young man's eyes.
He only had to stand there, without saying a word, to exert an overwhelming pressure.
Even seasoned operators who thrived in the world of wealth and power could not withstand Fu Yanli's presence, let alone an ordinary middle-aged woman.
Jiang Shiyuan spoke up as well. "What haven't you told us? Speak."
Jiang Xun, the person at the center of all this, watched as though it were a show. His gaze lingered on Fu Yanli for a moment, then swept over Liu Ma, finally landing on Jiang Zixing, who looked distressed and had remained silent.
"I..."
In the end, Liu Ma could not withstand the pressure. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke:
"Actually, before I did this, I told the youngest young master my plan."
Jiang Zixing's expression changed. He bit his lower lip and clenched his hands tightly.
Liu Ma continued, "I told the youngest young master that I would deliberately let the puppy out of the room that evening... then, then he should happen to pass through the hallway outside the room at that time and run into it."
At those words, several people present wore quite remarkable expressions, including Jiang Father, Jiang Mother, and Jiang Huaijin.
Their first reaction was disbelief.
Before they could ask for the details, the tears brimming in Jiang Zixing's eyes began streaming down his face.