Chapter 112 Outburst (Revised)

Chapter 112: The Outburst (Revised)

Bu Qiran's system spoke with absolute certainty: "Since when do villains and cannon fodder end up together? Never heard of it."

Bu Qiran sneered, "It had better be that way."

Yan Ren had just returned and was unaware that Yan Zhoubai had already discussed this topic with Bai Rong. Repeating the same arguments would only provoke Yan Zhoubai's rebelliousness.

So, seeing Yan Zhoubai's strong reaction, he felt somewhat displeased.

"Xiao Bai, we're saying all this for your own good. You're still too young and easily swayed by Zhan Jiayu's petty favors."

As soon as Yan Ren uttered these words, even Bai Rong's expression changed.

How could Yan Ren say such a thing? Wasn't the point of calling Yan Zhoubai back to have a proper discussion? It was natural for him to feel resistant; they were supposed to talk to him gently. Wasn't Yan Ren's remark just provoking Yan Zhoubai now?

Under the table, Bai Rong quickly nudged Yan Ren's arm, signaling him to stop talking.

"Petty favors? If it weren't for Zhan Jiayu, wouldn't Second Uncle's crimes still be unresolved? I’d still be seeing the culprit roam free after narrowly escaping death."

Upon hearing Yan Ren's words, Yan Zhoubai immediately dropped the matcha cake he was holding, stood up, and stared directly at Yan Ren.

No one had ever seen Yan Zhoubai like this—his tone was firm, yet the disappointment in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Xiao Bai..."

Bai Rong was startled by Yan Zhoubai's reaction. She wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat.

"When I was in the hospital after being poisoned, he contacted an experimental team in Country A to develop a special antidote for me. I can’t even imagine the effort that took. Fortunately, it wasn’t needed—I managed to survive."

At these words, Yan Ren’s expression finally shifted, as he began to realize the gravity of his misstep.

The incident of Yan Zhoubai’s poisoning had been a taboo topic for a long time—it was a stain on the Yan family’s reputation, and they hadn’t been able to resolve it themselves. In the end, it was Zhan Jiayu, an outsider, who handled it.

Bringing it up again now was undoubtedly a blow to their pride.

"Xiao Bai, that matter is in the past. Even if Zhan Jiayu helped the Yan family back then, that’s no reason for you to like him. This is just the suspension bridge effect. Our Yan family is certainly not the kind to sell off our son just because we owe someone a favor."

"Most importantly, you’re both men. If word gets out that you’re dating, you’ll instantly become the laughingstock of the entire Jing City. Don’t you understand how damaging rumors can be?"

Yan Ren took off his gold-rimmed glasses, sat up straight, and showed a rare expression of anger.

Young Master Yan dating a man—and that man being Zhan Jiayu—if this got out, who knows what kind of gossip would spread throughout Jing City?

Especially since the two of them were from completely different worlds. Zhan Jiayu was now collaborating with multiple influential families in Jing City, and the chain reaction this could trigger might severely impact the Yan family.

He absolutely could not allow such a situation to occur.

Originally, he had intended to have a calm discussion with Yan Zhoubai, but since the conversation had already reached this point, he might as well lay all his cards on the table.

Before news of their relationship spread in Jing City, this matter had to be nipped in the bud.

Yan Zhoubai’s chest heaved. For the first time, he felt that the father he had always known as gentle and refined could speak so harshly.

"Sell"? What an ugly word. So, in his eyes, his mutual affection with Zhan Jiayu was nothing more than a transaction, devoid of any genuine feeling? Was his judgment of Yan Zhoubai’s affairs solely based on gain?

He had always thought Yan Ren was a relatively open-minded father, which was why he had dismissed Zhan Jiayu’s concerns before leaving. Now, it seemed he had misjudged—Yan Ren was far less open-minded than he had imagined.

"All of Jing City knows I’m not the real Young Master Yan. Even if rumors spread, what does it have to do with the Yan family?"

Misjudging Yan Ren only added to Yan Zhoubai’s anger, and he retorted with uncharacteristic sharpness.

To be honest, when Yan Zhoubai decided to be with Zhan Jiayu, he hadn’t considered rumors. After all, it had taken him only a few minutes to accept that he could be attracted to men, so he didn’t care about that.

Moreover, he felt that people’s minds were more open now. Some might find it inappropriate, but no one would truly treat him as an outcast. The kind of city-wide scandal his father described seemed unlikely to happen.

Besides, dating was a matter between him and Zhan Jiayu. Why did they need to tell others?

If no one knew, how could rumors even spread?

"You bear the Yan surname. You grew up in the Yan family. At your coming-of-age ceremony, the entire Jing City witnessed you as Young Master Yan. How could it have nothing to do with the Yan family?"

Yan Ren’s attitude was firm this time. No matter what Yan Zhoubai said, he would not accept his son dating a man—it was a matter of principle.

Yan Zhoubai’s eyes reddened, his chest heaving as if he were struggling to contain his anger. He still gripped the fork he had used to eat the matcha cake, clenching it so tightly it seemed about to snap.

"Baby, don’t be angry. Anger hurts your health. Don’t stoop to their level."

The system could accurately sense Yan Zhoubai’s emotions. It was the first time it had seen him this furious—enough to trigger a red alert for his physical condition.

Yan Zhoubai slumped back into his chair, collapsing into it with such force that the chair slid backward, screeching against the floor.

"Since I was little, I’ve had a stutter. When I was isolated and mocked by classmates at school, was I not Young Master Yan then?"

"Was I Young Master Yan? Then when Ji Yangwen and the others bullied me at school, was I not Young Master Yan then?"

"When I was cultivating at Cangru Temple, and no one even called me back for holidays—I always had to come down from the mountain myself—was I not Young Master Yan then?"

"When uncles, aunts, and relatives came to the house and acted as if I were invisible, when conversations never included me—was I not Young Master Yan then?"

"What has the title of Young Master Yan ever brought me? The intensified bullying from Ji Yangwen and the others after they realized no one stood up for me? Or the accusatory looks from everyone after Yan Qiran returned, as if I were an usurper?"

"I’ve lived eighteen years, and the happiest time of my life was those years at Cangru Temple. I never valued the title of Young Master Yan. It never brought me any good growing up. Yet now, because of this title, I’m restricted—I can’t even love freely. It’s not fair."

Yan Zhoubai sat in the chair, slightly slouched as if all his strength had drained away, yet he struggled to keep himself upright. He spoke calmly through this long monologue, without the earlier agitation, but his reddened eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.

"Baby, why say so much all at once? Such intense emotions are really bad for your health. Let’s calm down, okay? Don’t talk to them about this anymore."

The system’s voice was frantic, almost pleading with Yan Zhoubai.

It had known Yan Zhoubai for over three years and understood his personality well. With its help, he had become much more outgoing, no longer trapped in self-doubt.

But an outburst like today’s was completely out of character. It feared such intense emotions might push Yan Zhoubai to act irrationally.

Another concern was that this outburst was entirely unexpected. Although the argument had escalated, the system didn’t think Yan Ren’s words alone should have had such a powerful impact. Yan Ren’s reaction was predictable, yet Yan Zhoubai’s emotional response was disproportionate.

The only explanation was that his suppressed emotions had reached a breaking point. Yan Ren’s words were merely the spark that ignited Yan Zhoubai completely.

The system should have noticed it earlier. Ever since the poisoning incident, when Yan Zhoubai narrowly escaped death, his subconscious trust in the Yan family had diminished. His strong desire to see Zhan Jiayu after waking up was clear evidence.

His declining trust in the Yan family left him feeling insecure, and the only person he could think of at such times was Zhan Jiayu.

The poisoning had been unexpected for everyone, including the system. Although the situation was eventually resolved, the psychological trauma it inflicted on Yan Zhoubai had been overlooked—by everyone, including Yan Zhoubai himself.

For him, it was an unexpected disaster, an injustice he couldn’t blame on himself. The culprit had been punished, and he hadn’t seen them since. Subconsciously, he could only distance himself from the source of danger—the Yan family.

Yan Zhoubai’s suppressed emotions weren’t just from the poisoning incident but also from years of grievances in the Yan family. These feelings were bound to erupt eventually. Leaving with Zhan Jiayu had only delayed the explosion.

Now, back in the Yan household, facing them again over such a sensitive issue, it was like a powder keg waiting for a spark to ignite.

"System, I don’t want to stay here anymore. I want to leave. I want Zhan Jiayu to come get me."