Chapter 7: Blinded by Desire!

Chapter 7: Blinded by Desire!

The car drove into the garden and stopped in front of Jinghua Mansion. Shen Te opened the door for him, and Zhao Zhiao got out of the car.

Zhao Zhiao had had a few drinks today, but his mind was still clear. As soon as he entered the house, he heard his stepmother, Wang Junyao, scolding Zhao Lixiang in the living room.

"What's going on?"

Wang Junyao turned around and saw her eldest son returning, "You need to handle this troublemaker! He's trying to be the death of me."

Zhao Zhiao handed his coat to his attendant and looked at his younger brother, who was sitting on the sofa fixing a music box, thinking he had changed his mind about going to Hong Kong.

"Are you trying to pull another stunt?"

Zhao Lixiang stared at him with his cunning big eyes and smiled, "I just want to make things easier for everyone."

Wang Junyao: "Is this how you make things easier? Your big brother is twenty-eight and still single..."

Zhao Zhiao was speechless: "Why are you dragging me into this?"

"If you don't get married, people will think it's because I, as your stepmother, didn't arrange it for you." Wang Junyao was full of grievances, "I've been trying to set you up with someone, but you haven't taken a liking to any of them."

Zhao Zhiao reminded her: "Mom, we're talking about Zhao Lixiang now!"

Getting back to the point, Wang Junyao began to accuse: "This kid is driving me crazy. He wants to marry the widow from the Second Branch family!"

"Who?" As soon as the word "widow" was mentioned, Zhao Zhiao guessed who it was. As he spoke, he could still feel the lingering sensation from when they had brushed against each other.

He couldn't help but brush his pants again, trying to get rid of that itching sensation.

Zhao Lixiang turned his head and said to his brother, "Lin Yufan, the one who sat next to you in the car yesterday."

He had to bring it up again! He just had to mention the car scene...

Zhao Zhiao scolded angrily: "Are you out of your mind?! A young man like you, obsessed with women, it's ridiculous!"

Zhao Zhiao's scolding left Wang Junyao confused.

The scolding seemed a bit over the top.

Wang Junyao couldn't help but defend her son: "Lixiang isn't obsessed with women, he's just too sentimental. He was close to Zhao Yunjie, and now he wants to look after his widow."

Zhao Zhiao poked his younger brother's head: "What makes you think you can support her? Are you independent? Can you earn money? Can you support yourself?"

Zhao Lixiang avoided his elder brother's hand, put down the screwdriver, and stood up: "I want to marry Lin Yufan because I like her. Besides, if I marry another woman, wouldn't I have to take care of her too? I may not have money, but the family has plenty!"

He justified his dependence on the family without shame.

After saying this, Zhao Lixiang added: "To be honest, you just have a bias against widows."

Wang Junyao defended herself: "How can I look down on widows? I’m a widow myself, so how could I? I just think you two are not a good match. A widow can marry a widower, but it’s not right for you. You’ve never even held a girl’s hand, it’s not a good fit for you, understand?"

Zhao Lixiang didn't agree, he said: "Who says a widow has to marry a widower? I called Thirteenth Uncle, and he said any unmarried man from our generation is fine."

Wang Junyao was anxious: "You spoke to Thirteenth Uncle?"

Thirteenth Uncle was the head of the Zhao family, and matters like widow remarriage were under his jurisdiction.

"Yes, I asked Thirteenth Uncle to add my name to the list."

"You little brat! Are you trying to kill your mother?" Wang Junyao was so furious that she wanted to call an ambulance. She decided she would personally talk to Uncle Thirteen tomorrow.

Zhao Lixiang saw right through his mother's plan: "Mom, if you dare to cross my name off, I'll elope with Lin Yufan. Then you won't be able to show your face in the Zhao family!"

"You!" Wang Junyao grabbed the backscratcher from the table and hit her son on the back!

Zhao Lixiang let his mother hit him without a word of protest.

Zhao Zhiao didn't expect his brother to be so infatuated. That widow Lin is a real temptress!

He grabbed the backscratcher from his stepmother's hand to stop her from hitting him again.

"Tell me, Big Brother, what do you like about her?"

Zhao Lixiang answered without hesitation: "Gentle, virtuous... beautiful."

"Beautiful... and you still claim you're not infatuated?"

Slap! Zhao Zhiao directly hit his brother in the face with the backscratcher.

A red welt instantly appeared on Zhao Lixiang's face.

Wang Junyao's heart ached in pain.

When she hit her son, she always held back, but Zhao Zhiao's strength was too much for anyone to bear.

Zhao Lixiang was full of resentment but stood his ground, "If we're talking about being infatuated, how can I compare to you, Big Brother? You have three concubines. What right do you have to lecture me?"

No one had ever dared to criticize Zhao Zhiao to his face. Wang Junyao, fearing that her younger son had offended his elder brother, quickly pinched his arm: "Your Big Brother earned his concubines through his own merits. When is it your turn as a younger brother to lecture your elder brother?"

Zhao Zhiao remained calm, "Although I have three concubines, I'm not infatuated with women like you. Yesterday, at the entrance of the Second Branch, you were ogling that widow, grinning like an idiot, with no sense of decency!"

Zhao Lixiang knew that his smile was a bit exaggerated when he suddenly saw Lin Yufan yesterday, but he didn't admit it, "It was a reunion, just saying hello to an old friend."

"Oh, yesterday it was a reunion greeting, and today you want to marry her? Isn't it because you're a pervert?! You're infatuated! Zhao Lixiang, I'm telling you, if you want to chase after women, if you want to be a romantic, as long as I'm alive, you can forget about it! I won't let you follow Zhao Qinghui's path!" After saying this, Zhao Zhiao tossed the backscratcher onto the sofa and stormed upstairs.

Their father, Zhao Qinghui, was the eldest son of the Fifth Branch, but he was a "romantic" who neglected his family. In order to marry his beloved beautiful dancer in a proper ceremony, he used every means to divorce Wang Junyao.

Because the family matriarch didn't allow it, the divorce failed, and Zhao Qinghui abandoned his wife and children, living outside with that dancer, gambling, smoking opium, and indulging in debauchery, accumulating huge gambling debts, almost bankrupting the Fifth Branch.

Without money, Zhao Qinghui was eventually heartlessly abandoned by his beloved woman and froze to death by the river.

He became a disgrace to the Fifth Branch and the entire Zhao clan!

Zhao Lixiang looked at his brother's back and said angrily, "I'm not like him! You're twisting this! Big Brother, do you have some ulterior motives?"

Zhao Zhiao stopped in his tracks, "What thoughts do I have?"

"Yesterday, I looked at Lin Yufan, didn't you also look at her? But she didn't even glance your way!" Zhao Lixiang wanted to accuse his brother of jealousy, but he bit his tongue, fearing the consequences.

He didn't say it, but Zhao Zhiao guessed what his brother was thinking and scolded, "Your brain is fried!"

Was Zhao Zhiao the kind of man to be swayed by looks?!

Ring ring! The home phone rang.

The living room phone was across the sofa, and Wang Junyao went to answer it.

Zhao Zhiao suppressed his anger, "For the next few days, you're grounded. Stay home and think about what you've done!"

In other words, Zhao Lixiang was confined to the house.

"Big brother, you're a tyrant, a total dictator!" Zhao Lixiang still wanted to argue his case.

Wang Junyao, who had already walked to the telephone, loudly shushed him, "Enough arguing."

She picked up the phone: "Hello... Oh, he just arrived."

Zhao Zhiao came down from the staircase corner; it was a call from the Second Branch. He frowned as he listened, then said, "I understand. I'll look into it and get back to you."

After hanging up, Zhao Zhiao pondered for a moment before telling Shen Te to check with the investigation team.

Seeing his brother about to go upstairs again, Zhao Lixiang seized the opportunity and quickly pleaded, "Big brother, what will it take for you to let me marry Lin Yufan?"

"It's not up for discussion," Zhao Zhiao said coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Why can't I marry her? Just because she's beautiful, you think I'm just infatuated? That's completely unreasonable and unfair!"

"Didn't you call me a tyrant? What do you expect from a tyrant?!"

Zhao Lixiang was speechless, then angrily said, "I want to break away from the family!"

Before Zhao Zhiao could refuse, Wang Junyao directly shot him down, "You think you can leave this family? Over my dead body!"

Isolated and unsupported, Zhao Lixiang still had grand ambitions: "Then I'll run away with her to Beijing and never return."

"You want to elope with her? How much money do you even have? Are you expecting a widow to take care of you?!" Zhao Zhiao's tone was full of mockery.

But Zhao Lixiang wasn't afraid of mockery, "I have my own two hands; I can work and provide for a family!"

Wang Junyao didn't expect her son to be so delusional. She earnestly advised, "Lin Yufan comes from a good family; she’s never known hardship. How could she possibly elope with you? Stop dreaming!"

"I won't let her suffer. She wouldn’t look down on me," Zhao Lixiang said with inexplicable confidence.

Zhao Zhiao: "No, Zhao Lixiang, you keep saying you want to elope with her, but does she even agree? Do you like her? Does she know? Does she like you?"

This question stumped Zhao Lixiang.

Seeing his brother's expression, Zhao Zhiao couldn't help but sneer, "She doesn’t even know, does she? So why would she run away with you? Because of your pale face?"

Zhao Lixiang hesitated, then said, "I’ll make sure she has a good life. Uncle Thirteen said that the only competition I have is Zhao Ding. Zhao Ding is a widower in his thirties, what makes him think he can compete with me? She'll definitely choose me, not Zhao Ding. Besides, the way she looks at me is different, she must like me."

"You’re completely delusional!"

Zhao Zhiao was speechless, "Then tell Uncle Thirteen to include my name too. Let's see if Lin Yufan chooses you or me. Stop you from fooling yourself every day!"

Zhao Lixiang was stunned. So, his brother had been blocking him all this time just so he could also be in the running?

He angrily raised his fist and swung at his brother, "Shameless!"

Wang Junyao shouted, trying to stop him, "Zhao Lixiang! You idiot!!"

Zhao Zhiao didn't expect his brother to swing at him. Although Zhao Lixiang's amateurish skills were nothing to him.

He pinned Zhao Lixiang against the cabinet with one hand, disappointed, "What I said earlier was just in anger, but now it's not. I want to see if she would choose you, a spoiled kid who depends on the family! I'll tell you the truth, a man with no skills is worthless to a woman! And you still fantasize about her eloping with you?!"

Zhao Lixiang: "..."

Zhao Zhiao let go and looked at Wang Junyao, "Tell Uncle Thirteen to include my name tomorrow."

The shift was sudden, and Wang Junyao agreed without a second thought, "Okay!"