Chapter 99: Turning Passivity into Initiative

Chapter 99: Turning Passivity into Initiative

Xie Yan rubbed his fingers thoughtfully, "I'm afraid Sun Zhiye also forged a letter from the second young master of the Sun family to him."

"Sun Zhiye's actions are indeed swift, precise, and ruthless."

"This act of atoning through death, using the second young master's life to turn the tide, has reversed the Sun family's predicament, calmed the anger of the people in Changhe County, and also garnered some sympathy."

"Sun Zhiye likely regrets showing mercy and sparing Qu Ying's life after the drowning incident."

Lu Mingchao's tone rose slightly, her eyes cooling, "Quite the scheme—an invisible father, a foolish mother, and a broken him?"

But Sun Zhiye isn't so easily broken; he's also laced with poison.

A strong chill, like cold water pouring down, quickly spread from head to toe, causing an involuntary shiver.

From Qu Ying climbing into bed to the death of the second young master, it was only a matter of hours.

With a wall full of confessions and forged letters, and the scene arranged to look like a suicide, it's clear that Sun Zhiye didn't hesitate much in deciding to kill his brother to save himself.

She had said yesterday that the only good person among a group of bad ones is, more often than not, either a hypocrite or a demon.

She would prefer Sun Zhiye to be simply hypocritical.

But the facts show that Sun Zhiye is a complete demon.

"Do the people of Changhe County know about the second young master's suicide in prison?" Lu Mingchao asked with a focused gaze.

Xie Yan's expression was also somewhat grim, "Not yet, the news is still tightly under wraps. It seems Sun Zhiye is still tidying up."

"If this isn't handled properly, this fire might burn you."

"When it comes to life, people's hearts are particularly soft, even towards someone notorious and unspeakable."

Lu Mingchao was eerily calm, her brow slightly furrowed, but her eyes gradually brightened, "A Yan, on the surface, it seems Sun Zhiye has taken the lead, catching us off guard, and we can only respond passively."

"Actually, he's in the light, and we're in the dark."

"He doesn't know that we're already aware of the second young master's death. To some extent, who has the upper hand is still up in the air."

"Rather than responding passively, I'd rather throw the dirt back."

"Nursery rhymes!" Lu Mingchao said slowly, "There's no better way to spread something quickly and widely than nursery rhymes."

"On cold nights, it's when little beggars gather."

"Perhaps people prefer the juicy gossip of a brother taking his brother's wife and then killing him over their tea and meals."

Even if it reaches Sun Zhiye's ears, it won't implicate her or Xie Yan.

After all, Sun Zhiye has already thoroughly investigated how far their hands can reach.

"Alright."

Xie Yan's eyes were bright, filled with the image of Lu Mingchao under the candlelight.

This is his Mingchao.

Proud to be connected with her.

"Let's dig deeper into how Old Master Sun and Madam Sun are holding up."

The second young master of the Sun family turned into such a domineering and tyrannical playboy, largely due to his parents' indulgence.

Could the parents really stay indifferent after their beloved youngest son met such a bloody and tragic end?

Xie Yan picked up his brush, jotted down the arrangements, and softly whistled. A carrier pigeon from the withered branch landed on the windowsill, calmly letting Xie Yan tie the reply to its leg.

The carrier pigeon spread its wings and flew off, quickly disappearing into the dense night.

"It's late, let's hit the sack. Tomorrow you've got to teach the Feng family's girl how to write."

Xie Yan snuffed out the flickering candle and murmured.

Lu Mingchao lay in bed, wrapped in a soft, fluffy quilt, her eyes squinting contentedly. "Jinyu calls me 'sir,' so what should she call you?"

Xie Yan recalled Feng Jinyu clamoring to call Mingchao 'little dad,' and a bad feeling crept into his heart.

He dreaded the thought of Feng Jinyu calling him 'little mom' with her shocking remarks!

The idea was just too weird, and he couldn't deal with it.

Xie Yan reached over to tuck Lu Mingchao in, steering the conversation elsewhere. "Tomorrow, I'll head into town to see if the shops Sun Zhiye transferred are all set up."

Outside, the wind rustled, and the room fell silent.

...

At the Sun residence in Changhe County.

Old Master Sun's face turned pale, his hand shaking violently as he pointed at Sun Zhiye, his lips moving but no words escaping.

Exhausted and legs giving way, he slumped into the chair.

"Father, the county yamen's head brought news that my second brother slit his wrist in prison and took his own life," Sun Zhiye repeated.

Madam Sun let out a wail of sheer grief and passed out.

The main courtyard stood empty, devoid of any servants.

In such a state, neither Old Master Sun nor Sun Zhiye had the strength to tend to Madam Sun.

Old Master Sun hung his head in silence, cheeks twitching, tears streaming down his face, hands clenched at his sides, veins popping.

"Tomorrow morning, I'll personally fetch my second brother," Sun Zhiye said coolly, seemingly oblivious to Old Master Sun's agony.

Old Master Sun was so furious his eyes turned bloodshot, every word dripping with venom. "Was it you? Was it you?"

"You're his elder brother, and an elder brother is like a father—even a tiger wouldn't devour its own cubs!"

"Sure, he was a bit wild, but he never hurt you or wished you any harm. How could you! How dare you!"

"Father, why would you say such things?" Sun Zhiye's tone was icy, his expression stern, eyebrows raised, radiating an authority that made others recoil. "The county's top coroner examined the body; he used a pottery shard to slit his wrist and end his life."

"Father, are these gut-wrenching words meant to tear the Sun family apart?"

Old Master Sun laughed mockingly.

His eldest son, in terms of ruthlessness, truly surpassed him, making him, as a father, shudder with fear.

Last night, he saw homicidal intent in his eldest son's eyes.

Tonight, he heard from his eldest son's mouth the news of his second son's self-inflicted death.

Sun Zhiye was momentarily stunned, his usual indifference momentarily shattered. He doubted his own eyes, seeing contempt in his father's eyes, who had long been uninvolved in family affairs.

As if he were some kind of garbage, to be avoided at all costs.

Contempt?

He could understand hatred and fear, but he could not comprehend contempt.

The prosperous rise of the Sun family's business was something he had built step by step.

"Father, if the hatred in your heart has nowhere to vent, you might as well hate Mother, hate Qu Ying, hate Second Brother, hate Lu Mingchao."

"Father, when you were young, you braved storms and committed unscrupulous acts without hesitation. Now you should know what is the right thing to do."

"Unless you want the wealth of the Sun family to turn to dust, and everyone to beg for survival."

Old Master Sun wiped the tears from his face, "What? You can act, but I, your father, cannot speak?"

"You needed Peng'er's life to salvage your crumbling reputation, so Peng'er had to die."

"Next time?"

"Whose life will you use as your sacrificial lamb, so that you, the defeated one, can have another chance to fight?"

"Me?"

"Or your mother?"

The son he loved and cherished the most, who was the most filial, bled out and died in prison. How could he not be angry, resentful, and hateful?

The phrase "the defeated one" completely shattered Sun Zhiye's calm and detached exterior.

"Father's favoritism remains as consistent as ever, and your ability to twist the truth is even better than before."

"Looking at the series of events that have happened since I returned from the city, I am the innocent fish caught in the crossfire."

"Brothers are rebellious, and the household is in turmoil."