"Your mom meant this house for me in the first place. You were young before, so I let you live here. But now that you're working, you should give it back to me. What use is a house to a girl like you? When your mom was alive, she said this house would only go to me and your younger brother. Now that your brother's gone, it should go to me!
I'm telling you, you'd better move out starting tomorrow, or don't blame me for showing you no mercy!"
A middle-aged man stood in front of Shen Zhiyi. He had put on some weight, but his features bore a resemblance to hers.
He looked vicious, one hand on his hip as he pointed aggressively at Shen Zhiyi and kept berating her.
"Shen Zhiyi! Have you gone fucking mute? Did you hear what I said? Answer me!"
The man opposite her grew increasingly agitated, but Shen Zhiyi did not even lift her eyelids. Instead, her gaze rested on the wall a short distance away.
Shen Zhiyi treated everyone the same. Chi Ye had thought she only acted this way toward him. He had not expected that even this man who called himself her uncle could not get her to say much.
"Shen Zhiyi! I'm fucking talking to you. Don't make me get physical!"
With that, he rolled up his sleeves to scare her, only for the girl who was still staring blankly ahead to casually take a baseball bat from behind the door.
The baseball bat swung to a stop right in front of Fang Yue, just a fraction away from hitting him. Fang Yue squeezed his eyes shut in fright.
In that instant, Chi Ye's heart skipped a beat. He had been about to throw aside everything he was carrying and get in front of her no matter what, but it turned out she needed no help at all.
Those eyes seemed bottomless, like a pool of stagnant water. Looking into them made fear rise from the depths of one's heart.
Chi Ye hurried forward and knocked Fang Yue aside, looking at him with hostility as he spoke.
"You want to get physical?"
Fang Yue opened his eyes and was about to raise a hand to strike, but Chi Ye had suddenly appeared in front of him. He was taller than Fang Yue, forcing him to look up and instantly diminishing his imposing air.
Fang Yue was furious. He had only wanted to scare Shen Zhiyi. She was clearly the one who had struck first. Couldn't he see that huge bat right in front of his face?
"None of your fucking business! Stay out of this, you little punk! Get out of my way. What's it to you if I discipline my niece?"
Chi Ye first set his things down inside the doorway, then tried to take the baseball bat from Shen Zhiyi. It did not budge, and he looked at her in confusion.
Shen Zhiyi pushed him aside with the back of her hand, then raised the baseball bat again and pointed it at Fang Yue.
"This house is mine! Calling the police won't do you any good."
Fuck, Fang Yue had thought she had gone mute. He had been here for over an hour, and Shen Zhiyi had finally deigned to speak.
Having been pushed aside, Chi Ye was bewildered. What did that mean? Was she rejecting his help?
Fang Yue said, "I don't care. My sister said this house was for me. Did she ever say she was giving it to you? You're a girl. You'll get married sooner or later. What do you need a house for?
If you know what's good for you, sell it now and at least get some money out of it. This place might be run-down, but it is in S City, after all.
Niece, don't blame your uncle for being heartless. I urgently need money too. You'd better move out tomorrow. Otherwise, it won't be just me coming here tomorrow."
His words were full of threats, yet when he looked at Shen Zhiyi, he deliberately avoided her eyes, afraid of falling into that inexplicable fear again.
Chi Ye wanted to step forward and teach this man a lesson. Some uncle he was. Was someone who threatened his own niece even human?
Chi Ye blocked Shen Zhiyi's view again. She frowned, unable to understand why this man was so fond of getting in front of her. None of this had anything to do with him, yet he kept stepping forward. Not only was he blocking her, he was getting in her way.
She reached out to pull him back, but this time he did not budge. He looked back and raised an eyebrow, then turned around again, holding up his phone as he addressed Fang Yue.
"I recorded everything you just said. Miss Shen said this house belongs to her. Unless you can produce evidence proving it's yours, you won't be the only one here tomorrow. I'll bring both the police and a lawyer."
He did not look like someone to be trifled with. Moreover, he was a born leader, and the force of his presence could crush a person. His piercing gaze warned Fang Yue not just to think about threatening people, but to be prepared to bear the consequences.
Fang Yue grew a little flustered. He took a step back, shifting the finger he had pointed at Shen Zhiyi toward Chi Ye.
"Who the hell are you? This is a family matter." Then he looked at Shen Zhiyi again.
"Shen Zhiyi, you're just going to let someone talk to your uncle like that? This is between the two of us. Besides, your mom never intended to give you this house in the first place. If it weren't for-if it weren't for..."
Shen Zhiyi's eyes darkened slightly, and anger flashed across her face. Without hesitation, she lifted her foot and kicked Fang Yue.
Fang Yue never saw it coming. Her kick sent him staggering, nearly bringing him to his knees. Then he cursed at Shen Zhiyi in disbelief and fury.
"You bitch! How dare you hit me!"
Shen Zhiyi thought she had still gone too easy on him. How could one kick be enough? She stepped forward and added a sharp, forceful slap. She had a single crease across her palm, and even hearing the sound made Chi Ye feel how much it hurt.
"She wasn't willing to leave it to me, but it can still only be mine. Your surname is Fang, not Shen. This house wasn't hers alone.
The law will only recognize me. You're nothing but insatiable trash coveting what belongs to someone else."
A second slap landed. Fang Yue had never known her blows could hurt so much. His head buzzed, leaving him without even the strength to get up and argue, because Shen Zhiyi was not only hitting him but also stepping on his foot.
The man beside her appeared to be watching the show, but was actually restraining him on the sly so he could not move.
"Threatening me? Have you forgotten I've never been afraid of dying? Maybe this time I'll take you with me. Once you're down there, you can talk to her about who this house really belongs to."
Hearing her sinister voice, Fang Yue remembered what she had done in the past, and his eyes instantly widened with fear.
How had he forgotten? This was a lunatic who could use a coffin as a bed. Over the years, she had been so quiet and inconspicuous that he had come to think he could push her around however he pleased.
But he had forgotten that a lunatic's nature never disappeared. It only hid itself, waiting for an opportunity to erupt.
"Niece, I was wrong. Can we talk this through? Really, I was wrong. Maybe I'm getting old and my memory's failing. Just-just let this slide.
I promise, I promise I won't bother you again, all right? Really!"
Shen Zhiyi's slaps did not stop just because he pleaded nicely. Only when she was tired did she finally stop.
In the end, Shen Zhiyi told him to get lost. But the hatred in his eyes had not diminished. He left with his teeth clenched, waiting for a chance to kill Shen Zhiyi.
She went inside and tried to shut the door, only for Chi Ye to stop her once again.
Chi Ye did not ask why she had clashed with her uncle. He had not even played much of a part in it. But he held out his hand.
"I was carrying a bit too much. The handles dug into my hand."
There were red marks on his palm from carrying the things earlier. As a grown man, even he felt embarrassed saying this.
But to get inside, he was willing to abandon his pride.
Before you continue