Chapter 6: Won’t Tolerate Anymore

Nightfall descended, and the city lights began to twinkle.

The urban neon lights illuminated the dark night sky.

Carrying a strawberry cake, Zhuang Zi’ang walked to the entrance of his apartment complex, looking up at the countless lights in the windows, but feeling no warmth in his heart.

None of those lights were shining for him.

He inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and opened the door. A wave of coolness washed over him.

A ten-year-old boy, holding half a bamboo flute, was dancing barefoot in the living room, making sounds with his mouth.

Zhuang Zi’ang widened his eyes: “Zhuang Yu’hang, you’re rummaging through my room again!”

This little boy was his half-brother.

Spoiled since childhood, he had a mischievous personality.

No matter how tidy and clean Zhuang Zi’ang kept the house, Zhuang Yu’hang could turn it into a mess within ten minutes.

The bamboo flute in Zhuang Yu’hang’s hands was a prize from a music competition that Zhuang Zi’ang had attended in his childhood, which he had treasured deep within his drawer.

Now, it was roughly twisted into two pieces, dancing in the air and creating a whooshing sound.

A sharp pang of pain surged from the depths of his heart.

“Zi’ang is back? You haven’t played the flute in a long time. Let your brother play with it for a while; it shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Qin Shulan stepped out of the kitchen, wearing a forced smile.

“Aunt Qin, why do you always indulge him in going into my room? This is an invasion of my privacy!” Zhuang Zi’ang questioned sharply.

“What kind of privacy could a child like you possibly have?” Qin Shulan was quite displeased with Zhuang Zi’ang’s attitude.

Zhuang Zi’ang is angry at Zhuang Yu’hang for several reasons:

Zhuang Yu’hang keeps entering his room without permission, which clearly violates his personal space. This is especially upsetting for Zhuang Zi’ang who values his privacy, as shown by his treasured possession, the flute, being kept in a drawer. Zhuang Yu’hang carelessly broke Zhuang Zi’ang’s treasured flute, which holds sentimental value. This act of disrespect shows a lack of consideration for his brother’s feelings and possessions.

Qin Shulan, Zhuang Zi’ang’s stepmother, consistently enables Zhuang Yu’hang’s bad behavior. This lack of discipline and support from an adult figure further fuels Zhuang Zi’ang’s frustration and anger.

Overall, Zhuang Zi’ang’s anger stems from a combination of feeling disrespected, having his privacy violated, and experiencing a lack of support from his stepmother.

But this time, he could bear it no longer. He grabbed Zhuang Yu’hang’s collar: “Do you believe I’ll beat you up?”

Zhuang Yu’hang immediately yelled, “Mom, Zhuang Zi’ang is acting crazy!”

Qin Shulan emerged from the kitchen again. Seeing this scene, she shouted towards the bedroom, “Zhuang Wen Zhao, your son is hitting my son! Are you going to do something about it?”

“What’s with all the yelling at this late hour? Can’t you be quiet?” Zhuang Wen Zhao suddenly burst out of the bedroom.

He had lost money playing cards today and was already in a bad mood.

Seeing this scene only fueled his anger further.

“Zhuang Zi’ang, what’s wrong with you? Let go of him immediately and apologize to your brother.”

“Dad, he went into my room and rummaged through my things first. Why should I apologize?” Zhuang Zi’ang’s eyes were filled with sadness.

“As the older brother, shouldn’t you yield to your younger brother?” Zhuang Wen Zhao shouted.

“When has he ever called me ‘brother’?” Zhuang Zi’ang retorted.

Zhuang Wen Zhao was speechless, stunned on the spot.

Zhuang Yu’hang’s disrespect towards Zhuang Zi’ang is inseparable from his parents’ indulgence.

Perhaps deep down, they only see themselves as a family of three.

Zhuang Zi’ang, clearly, was the superfluous one.

“Zhuang Wen Zhao, look at your good son! Yu’hang’s clothes are expensive; what if he tears them?” Qin Shulan fanned the flames.

“Zhuang Zi’ang, I order you to apologize to your brother immediately!” Zhuang Wen Zhao raised his voice again.

“What if I don’t?” Zhuang Zi’ang stood his ground.

From childhood to adulthood, he had always been the good child, enduring hardship, yielding, and compromising.

But emotions suppressed for so long will always have a breaking point.

There’s a saying: “In the heart of an honest man, there is a Buddha, and under the Buddha, a demon is suppressed. If you topple the Buddha, I become the demon.”

“Zhuang Zi’ang, do you know what you’re doing?” Zhuang Wen Zhao was truly angry.

“Of course, I know! For over ten years, I’ve been timid and submissive; I’m the one who didn’t know what I was doing!” Zhuang Zi’ang’s eyes were bloodshot.

He tightened his grip on Zhuang Yu’hang’s collar.

The anger in his chest erupted like a volcano.

“Dad, I’m your own son too! Why, in your eyes, am I not even a thousandth as good as him?”

“I get top marks in my class every semester, yet you never pay attention.”

“He’s as dumb as a pig, barely passing his exams, and you’re happy for days.”

…

Scene after scene from the past flashed through his mind.

Zhuang Zi’ang lived cautiously in this house, taking on many household chores, only to be met with cold indifference.

Zhuang Yu’hang, on the other hand, lived a life of ease yet received endless affection.

Why?

When he was twelve years old, Zhuang Zi’ang woke up one day to find that his family of three had left him behind to go on a trip to the seaside.

He felt utterly abandoned by the world.

“He’s gone crazy! Someone stop him! Let go of my son!” Qin Shulan shouted at the top of her lungs.

She feared that in a moment of impulse, Zhuang Zi’ang might harm Zhuang Yu’hang.

“Zhuang Zi’ang, let go of him!”

“I won’t let go unless you make him apologize to me!”

With a sharp slap, Zhuang Wen Zhao struck Zhuang Zi’ang across the face.

Zhuang Zi’ang staggered and finally released his grip.

Zhuang Yu’hang seized the opportunity to escape, hiding behind Qin Shulan, continuing to egg on: “Dad, hit him again! Beat him to death!”

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

Warm blood dripped from Zhuang Zi’ang’s nose, falling onto the white floor.

The bright red blood was the same color as the tassel at the end of the bamboo flute.

Zhuang Zi’ang’s gaze fell on the box of strawberry cake, feeling an overwhelming sense of irony.

What a fool he was to think he could mend their relationship.

“What’s that?” Zhuang Wen Zhao followed Zhuang Zi’ang’s gaze.

“It’s a cake; I originally bought it for him.” Zhuang Zi’ang pointed at Zhuang Yu’hang, letting out a self-mocking laugh.

“Who would want to eat a crazy person’s broken cake?”

Zhuang Yu’hang stepped forward, viciously kicking the cake and its box to pieces.

Along with the cake, Zhuang Zi’ang’s heart shattered—his dignity trampled upon without mercy.

“Dad, I don’t want to come back to this house anymore. I’ll apply to live in the school dormitory tomorrow. If you’re in a good mood, you can come pick me up in three months. It doesn’t matter if you don’t.”

Zhuang Zi’ang left these words, turned decisively, and walked out of the house.

In three months, he would likely no longer be in this world.

Whether this body was burned to ashes and buried somewhere or scattered to the wind, it didn’t matter.

Life is so bitter; there probably won’t be a next life, will there?

Zhuang Zi’ang, holding the bamboo flute, walked aimlessly through the night streets.

Despite using many tissues, he couldn’t stop the bleeding from his nose.

He suddenly remembered that he had also had a nosebleed earlier that day, while he was with Xiao Yudie.

The girl had supported the back of his head with her hand, her fingertips warm, easily stopping the bleeding.

Thinking of Xiao Yudie’s smiling face, a hint of warmth seemed to penetrate his lonely, cold heart.