4: Family

As Shen Cizhu and the young man were about to completely part ways, the young man casually said, “Your murderous intent is too obvious.”

What!

Shen Cizhu suddenly turned his head, but before he could say anything, the young man rode away with an indifferent expression.

Only a graceful figure remained, vanishing into the thick spring night.

Hahaha!!!

Shen Cizhu covered his face and suddenly burst into laughter.

F*ck ah, Shen Cizhu cursed as he laughed. His gaze was really that frightening earlier. Even a child could sense the murderous intent, and even a child could easily expose his hypocrisy. How could he not manage to fool the elite circles of top dignitaries?

They couldn’t even compare to a child.

The feeling of being exposed… was exhilarating. No one had ever been able to see through him. They all treated him like a living Bodhisattva, a compassionate young master, and it disgusted him.

“Stop pretending to be gentle, Shen Cizhu.”

Shen Cizhu muttered softly to himself, as if speaking to himself.

Oh, Shen Cizhu, for ruining your younger brother’s once-in-a-lifetime wedding, for casting a lifelong shadow on what should have been a blissful occasion for the bride and groom, it’s nothing. It’s just blood raining from the sky, eyeballs falling on them, and an eyeball nearly choking the bride. Isn’t it beautiful?

Who told him to betray the Shen family?

Shen Cizhu thought, his expression cold.

He stood in place, gazing at the crescent moon.

Perhaps due to a visual illusion, the originally silvery moonlight appeared emerald green in Shen Cizhu’s eyes. He murmured softly, “Xie Yan.”

Only then did Xie Yan get off the car.

He had been meticulously following all of Shen Cizhu’s orders. When Shen Cizhu was in danger earlier, he didn’t get off the car because Shen Cizhu hadn’t given him any orders.

He was too obedient and unyielding, silently standing behind Shen Cizhu, raising his hand to cover Shen Cizhu’s eyes.

Shen Cizhu’s eyes had been injured and couldn’t tolerate prolonged exposure to bright light.

Shen Cizhu’s eyelashes slowly blinked in his palm, moist and soft.

“My little brother isn’t very good at dealing with people, and he has a bad temper. If he made you angry just now, please don’t mind, can you?” Xie Yan whispered, “Zhuzhu, if you’re still angry…”

Shen Cizhu interrupted him with a mocking tone, “Little brother?”

The guy earlier was Xie Yan’s little brother?

“Yes.”

“What’s his name?”

“Xie Hou,” Xie Yan said somewhat embarrassed. “Zhuzhu, he’s only eighteen and doesn’t know any better. Please don’t have any designs on him, okay?”

“Xie Hou?” Shen Cizhu ignored Xie Yan and continued.

His tongue-tip touched his lips silently, extending like a snake. The moist and crimson tip gently licked his lips before retracting. With just that touch, it completely paralyzed Xie Yan’s nerves. Shen Cizhu knew he was subtly suggesting something to Xie Yan.

The things one could do with a throat to give pleasure… they both knew it well.

Yet Xie Yan remained silent, pretending not to understand.

This was what annoyed Shen Cizhu about Xie Yan – he was dull and uninteresting, too loyal.

Xie Yan had been protecting him in every way since he was fifteen, and it had been ten years of living like this. However, now that they were separated, Shen Cizhu suddenly felt unsatisfied.

Xie Yan was too gentle and couldn’t arouse his violent, pathological desires anymore, especially considering that they had broken up.

He needed prey that was more challenging to tame.

Xie Hou?

Ah, yes, it was Xie Hou – the young man who had so coldly exposed Shen Cizhu’s hypocrisy, the one who had taunted Shen Cizhu’s pretense. Shen Cizhu had thoroughly enjoyed that, so much so that he wanted to strangle Xie Hou’s neck right there.

Playing with his ex-boyfriend’s little brother would be so much fun, right?

It was also a way to take revenge on Xie Yan.

People who betrayed Shen Cizhu shouldn’t have a good ending.

Xie Yan was no exception.

---

After Xie Yan picked Shen Cizhu up and they started driving toward Shen’s mansion, the two of them remained silent.

Shen Cizhu opened the car’s news feed, where a female announcer reported clearly on the recent events regarding the cruise ship explosion and the sensational case of hundreds of wealthy individuals going missing.

“According to our reporters,” the announcer said, “as of 9:47 PM tonight, there have been six incidents of criminals operating across borders, engaging in extortion, kidnapping, arson, and casino fraud to reap substantial profits. Astonishingly, on April 29th, they detonated a charity auction cruise ship in the central area of the Danube River in Budapest.”

“It is reported that the ship carried a total of 69 wealthy guests from various countries and 419 staff members. The authorities have launched a comprehensive search, but the fate of the survivors remains unknown, and no bodies have been found…”

Shen Cizhu closed his eyes.

His little brother, who was the groom at the wedding he had disrupted, was involved in an international criminal organization.

And they intended to hand over the Shen family to the criminals.

Shen Cizhu would not allow them to tarnish the Shen family.

On his return to China, the first thing Shen Cizhu did was to ruin his little brother’s wedding, causing the bride’s family to be furious and threaten to cancel the engagement. His younger brother could no longer marry that woman from the Sheng family. It was so pitiful.

But this was only Shen Cizhu’s first warning to his little brother. Shen Cizhu hoped that his younger brother would expose the entire criminal organization before the case escalated any further. Otherwise, he would personally deal with his brother—a complete and utter traitor who had been raised by the Shen family.

The Shen family must not be tainted by blood and guilt.

“Xie Yan, we’re almost home, and we’re about to put on a good show again,” Shen Cizhu said, supporting his chin with his hand and gazing out of the car window. He seemed lost in memories.

“A year ago, you told me that we had to break up because it was my father’s order, your lifesaver’s command,” Shen Cizhu lied. “I was really sad at that time, so I spent a year abroad.”

“During that year I was away from the country, my younger brother had already led the Shen family down the path of crime, and this is my negligence as an elder brother,” Shen Cizhu mumbled to himself.

Through the rearview mirror, Xie Yan looked at Shen Cizhu’s silhouette in the car.

“Xie Yan, when you betrayed me and chose to continue following my father, I was really sad because I loved you,” Shen Cizhu lied.

He raised his eyes and stared through the rearview mirror at Xie Yan, his expression fake. “What about you? Do you still love me?”

Xie Yan said to him, “I love you.”

Shen Cizhu’s gaze turned icy, and his eyes circled, like a snake preparing for a hunt.

Shen Cizhu was always beautiful, and even at this moment, with his snake-like eyes wide open and fixed on the person, he was still beautiful. His white eyes were surrounded by deep red bloodshot veins.

“Then let’s perform this play together, for my father and my younger brother. I will completely cleanse the Shen family from its sins,” Shen Cizhu ordered softly.

“I will protect everything in the Shen family.”

Despite the glory and wealth, none of it belongs to me.

---

Flap, flap.

A crow flapped its wings away from a branch.

Goldfish leaped out of the water, and occasionally a stray cat would pounce through the elegant rose bushes, leaving bloodstains on the crimson petals. In the darkness, nothing could be observed.

The rose bushes trembled slightly against a beautiful high wall. Along with the low roar of the engines, a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class luxury car slowly entered the villa area.

Once the AI confirmed the resident’s information, the Maybach entered the Shen family mansion, referred to as the “Tower of Serenity” and valued at 900 million RMB.

Xie Yan got out of the car and opened the car door for Shen Cizhu, who entered the mansion.

On the second floor, a woman was crouched on the spiral spiral staircase.

She hugged her head and crouched down, screaming continuously, “Don’t come over! Don’t come over! Ah—so scary… all this blood, and the eyeballs… my wedding, my wedding is ruined!”

“Xiaoning, don’t be afraid, I’m here, no need to fear,” Shen Cizhu’s younger brother crouched behind the woman, holding her and constantly comforting her. “The Shen family will definitely find the culprit who ruined your wedding, and he will not have a good ending.”

As soon as Shen Cizhu entered the hall, he saw the two of them—the main characters of the daytime church wedding—the bride and the groom.

Miss Sheng from the Sheng family, Sheng Xiaoning.

The second young master of the Shen family, Wen He.

Wen He is the child of a mistress. If he weren’t Shen Cizhu’s little brother, he would never have been able to marry Sheng Xiaoning— the beloved daughter of the owner of the country’s top entertainment media company, Sheng Group.

Marriages between wealthy families were all about grandeur. They typically celebrated with a lavish ceremony before obtaining the official marriage certificate. But that daytime wedding was disrupted with blood and eyeballs.

This was a failure on the part of the Shen family, and Sheng Group had every right to cancel the engagement and terminate their business cooperation.

As the head of the Shen family, Shen Cizhu’s father would not just stand by and do nothing.

Shen Cizhu was summoned to the top-floor study by his father. The moment Xie Yan closed the door from the outside, in an absolutely soundproof chamber, his father stood up from behind his desk and stormed over.

Slap!

He gave Shen Cizhu a hard slap.

“Do you hate your little brother that much? How could you do such a thing at his wedding? The engagement has completely failed, do you want to infuriate me? You fool—”

“Ugh.” Blood welled up from the edge of Shen Cizhu’s teeth, his pale face turned deep red, and his neck was almost broken. He almost lost consciousness. “Father…”

Shen Cizhu closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, he showed no signs of fainting or pain. His face was as elegant and beautiful as ever, and he gazed at his father.

“Do you dislike your little brother that much that you would do something like shedding blood at his wedding? This is not something a person can do! A lunatic! You spent a year abroad, and you’re still crazy!”

Father was over fifty years old, with slightly grayed temples and wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He gripped a snake-headed cane made of golden dogwood, and he raised his right hand, ready to strike Shen Cizhu with even greater force.

But then, he heard Shen Cizhu’s sobbing.

“Father, I won’t harm him. Why don’t you believe me?” Shen Cizhu’s voice was slightly hoarse. He lowered his head, covered his heart with his gloved hand, and his shoulders trembled.

“He is the only family I have left in this world, besides you. I love my brother, and I love you too.” Shen Cizhu made a heartfelt promise to his father.

At that moment, Father stopped his hand and looked at Shen Cizhu in silence.

Shen Cizhu murmured, “Back then, you abandoned him because you were ashamed of him, but I was the one who saved him. I love him very much because he’s my family.”

“That wedding wasn’t something I ruined. Without any evidence, why do you think it was me?” Shen Cizhu frowned, and his eyes were surrounded by a shimmering redness, like a good and caring big brother.

But it was him who had done it.

It’s a pity that his little brother could never marry Sheng Xiaoning again.

It’s a shame they couldn’t find the culprit.

For a long time, Father stood before him, looking down at his son. The authority and experience of a leader for thirty years made him doubt Shen Cizhu, doubting his own son. Among all the people present, only Shen Cizhu seemed to have the possibility of committing the crime.

But… his son seemed too innocent.

In this silent confrontation, Shen Cizhu’s father let out a sigh.

“I was wrong to suspect you. I’m sorry,” he said, and his trembling fingers slowly opened. He bent over in front of Shen Cizhu, and his warm palm touched Shen Cizhu’s now reddened cheek, which had been struck by him.

He consoled his eldest son, “Cizhu, Dad believes in you. Please trust me as well. Wen He can never pose a threat to your inheritance of the Shen family. You are my only son, and even if he truly becomes Sheng’s son-in-law, he still has no qualification to compete with you.”

The study was dimly lit, with only a few antique lamps casting a soft, warm glow. This gentle light fell on Shen Cizhu’s face as he replied, “Father, I remember.”

Standing behind Shen Cizhu was the butler and the nanny, as rigid and unfeeling as the air itself.

“Good child,” his father hugged him, gently cradling the back of his head with his hand. He reassured, “I will handle this matter, rest assured. I won’t let anyone doubt you anymore, just like I did. Because you are my own son, the continuation of noble blood.”

His own son?

How absurd.

In a direction that his father couldn’t see, Shen Cizhu sneered and curled his lips slightly. His snake-like eyes, no longer teary, regained their true look, piercing and ruthless.

A cold-blooded heart, nothing more.

The father and son’s melodrama came to an end, and the butler bent forward behind Shen Cizhu, handing him a white handkerchief to wipe the blood from his lips.

The young and pretty nanny brought some medication and gently applied it to Shen Cizhu’s face.

In this study, the butler and the nanny were like mechanical beings, devoid of joy or sorrow, silently watching this particularly heartwarming reconciliation between the father and son.

After his wound was treated, Shen Cizhu got up and left. When he reached the door, he rested his fingers on the doorknob, ready to turn it. But his father stopped him.

“Cizhu, about… Xie Yan.”

Father’s mouth opened and closed, and then he asked Shen Cizhu, “I was the one who asked him to break up with you. A year has passed, you spent a year abroad, and now… do you still love him?”

Shen Cizhu’s fingers on the doorknob moved slightly, and he gave a light chuckle without turning around. “I don’t love him, Father.”

“That’s good. Remember to keep your distance from him this time, and don’t repeat the same mistakes.” The elderly man finally felt relieved.

Xie Yan was still standing outside the door, with his exceptional hearing catching every word spoken inside. When he heard Shen Cizhu say, “I don’t love him,” he clenched his fists tightly, his grip incredibly strong.

As Shen Cizhu exited the room, he quickly resumed his cold demeanor, appearing as the perfect and imposing bodyguard in the eyes of others. He was tall, robust, sharp, and silent, exuding an aura of ruthlessness.

Xie Yan stood outside the study, unaffected and unyielding, his black and white suit contrasting starkly with the classical elegance of the wooden hallway.

When Shen Cizhu emerged from the study, he gave Xie Yan a sparing glance and wiped the blood from his lips. He then turned and descended the stairs.

As Shen Cizhu made his way downstairs, a servant followed him, gently draping a freshly ironed silver-white suit jacket over his shoulders.

Shen Cizhu briefly turned his head but only to the side. He lightly tapped his elegant nose twice with his finger.

Xie Yan made no move but understood the command from Shen Cizhu.

This was how Shen Cizhu issued orders to him.

On the second-floor spiral staircase, Shen Cizhu encountered Wen He. As he descended, Wen He ascended.

As they passed each other, Shen Cizhu said to Wen He, “Younger brother, stop your actions. This is only the first warning I’ve given you.”

Shen Cizhu was referring to Wen He’s involvement with criminals in an attempt to take control of the Shen family.

“You know?! No, it can’t be!” Wen He widened his eyes, panic evident on his handsome face, and quickly released Shen Cizhu’s sleeve.

Shen Cizhu’s lips curled slightly, his crimson lips pulling towards his cheeks, making his eyes appear even more upturned, like a poisonous snake.

Wen He, don’t try to covet the Shen family with your idiotic intelligence.

The Shen family is mine.

After leaving the Shen residence, Shen Cizhu drove away, and Xie Yan followed in his Maybach.

Xie Yan called Shen He’s fiancée, Sheng Xiaoning.

“What’s going on?! Did Cizhu contact me?” Sheng Xiaoning answered the phone in a hurry, now seemingly excited and clear-headed, unlike her previous distraught state at the Shen residence.

After all, the hysterical crying and screaming at the Shen family just now was just an act.

Xie Yan stared at Shen Cizhu’s car in front and spoke through his earpiece to Sheng Xiaoning on the other side, “Keep an eye on Wen He and make sure to uncover the several criminals associated with him overseas.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll do everything for Cizhu,” Sheng Xiaoning replied sweetly. “Didn’t I perform well at the wedding? Wen He likes me so much that he’s practically dying for me. Now, because of Cizhu’s chaos at the wedding, he won’t be able to marry me.”

Proudly, Sheng Xiaoning continued, “He’s furious with Cizhu now, always yelling about revenge. Rest assured, he will definitely be in contact with those criminals in the near future. I’ll keep an eye on them until we find their hideout.”

She then sighed, “I really didn’t expect Wen He to be so daring, daring enough to commit a crime. No wonder Cizhu is angry, and he used this method to lure Wen He into a trap.”

“However, will Cizhu reward me for this?” She added with a hint of shyness in her voice. “I can do anything for Cizhu, even if I don’t like Wen He… But for Cizhu, I played along with that fake wedding during the day.”

The night was dark, and the highway had few vehicles. Xie Yan kept a wolf-like gaze on Shen Cizhu’s car, not far ahead.

In the blink of an eye, several unmarked cars appeared behind Xie Yan.

The unmarked cars quickly overtook Xie Yan and organized themselves to relentlessly chase after Shen Cizhu’s Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita.

Rather than a high-speed car race, these unmarked cars seemed more like an organized assassination attempt on Shen Cizhu.

Wen He was too foolish; he couldn’t restrain himself from sending people to silence the witnesses after being exposed by Shen Cizhu.

But how could Shen Cizhu not know? So, he used himself as bait to lure out this group of pursuers.

Xie Yan was in charge of handling the aftermath.

Xie Yan said to Sheng Xiaoning on the other side of the phone, “Continue to work for Cizhu. I think… after you help Cizhu eliminate all the traitors, he will definitely reward you.”

After the call ended, Xie Yan muttered softly in a profound silence, “He will definitely reward me.”