Chapter 10: Bastard!

Lu Zhao’s face was dark as he took a large gulp from his cup of water, his voice cold and angry. “Don’t wait for him anymore. Let’s eat!”

Wang Xiaoyun hesitated. “Should we wait a bit longer? Xiao Nian must have been delayed by something!”

Her words, seemingly an attempt to explain Lu Siyan’s absence, completely enraged Lu Zhao.

He slammed his hand on the table, his usually gentle face now tinged with anger, and a familiar pain surged in his chest. His voice, low and furious, barely contained his rage. “What could he be busy with? All he does is stir up trouble and hang around outside. If he doesn’t want to come home, then let him stay out there. Let’s see if he has the guts to never come back.”

Seeing Lu Zhao get angry, Wang Xiaoyun secretly rejoiced, but still put on the act of a kind stepmother. She paused, then slapped her forehead in frustration, her tone apologetic. “Old Lu, please don’t be angry. Xiao Nian didn’t mean it. It’s… it’s me. I mixed it up, and I forgot to remind Xiao Nian this morning to come home early tonight. It’s all my fault.”

Rather than calming Lu Zhao down, her words only made his fury reach its peak.

His own birthday needed to be reminded by someone else to be remembered?

Unlike Lu Siyan, who could never remember such important things, other children, like Hui Ru and Ming Yang, always remembered. Was Lu Siyan missing a string in his head? Was he incapable of remembering what others could? Every time he used old grievances to make him angry, he never had such a bad memory.

Lu Zhao could see that this bastard was doing it on purpose.

Purposely trying to upset him on such a special day.

A sharp pain shot through his chest. Lu Zhao raised his hand to press against the pain, struggling to contain it, his voice cold and firm. “You’re still making excuses for him. He’s my son. I know exactly what kind of person he is… he…”

“What kind of person am I? Please, enlighten me, my wise and mighty father.”

Before Lu Zhao could finish, his words were interrupted by a mocking male voice from the doorway.

The people at the table all turned to look toward the door.

Leaning against the door frame stood a handsome young man, his lips red, teeth white, and a smile playing on his lips. It was unclear how long he had been standing there.

The young man appeared limp, as if boneless, leaning casually against the door frame with one foot over the other, one hand in his pocket. His mouth curved into a slight smile, but the mischievous gleam in his eyes didn’t reach his fox-like pupils. He looked every bit the carefree, rebellious playboy.

Wang Xiaoyun stood up from her seat and walked toward Lu Siyan with a smile.

“Xiao Nian, you’re back? Today is your father’s birthday. I’m sorry I forgot to remind you. Your father isn’t mad, he just wants us to have a family meal together today.”

Looking at the woman before him, who could pack more lies than a trash can, Lu Siyan’s smile vanished, and a layer of frost spread across his handsome face. He coldly said, “Xiao Nian? Is that what you call me? Do you really think that because you married Lu Zhao, you’ve become my mother?

I have a real mother. What are you to me?

If you love being a mother so much, did you come from a feudal alley?”

When Lu Siyan was in his rebellious phase, he would always call Lu Zhao by his full name.

He didn’t care at all about Lu Zhao being his father.

Wang Xiaoyun’s smile almost faltered. Her hands clenched into fists hidden in her sleeves, wishing she could punch Lu Siyan in the face for his disrespectful words.

This useless piece of trash actually dared to call her a woman from a feudal alley!

Damn it, what part of her looked like a prostitute?

Just like his dead mother, lacking any taste.

Her heart burned with anger, wishing she could rip his mouth apart, but she still had to maintain the image of a gentle, kind, and understanding stepmother.

Over the years, she had endured humiliation, and faced Lu Siyan’s stupidity, she had suffered countless grievances in front of Lu Zhao. In doing so, she had successfully widened the gap between Lu Zhao and his son.

She had successfully transformed Lu Siyan into a troublemaker, a scoundrel everyone despised.

Her stepmother persona had also been solidified in the courtyard.

Now that the old man wasn’t home, no one was there to protect this useless boy.

She just needed to add a little more fuel to the fire and completely sever the remaining bit of father-son bond between them. It would be best to take advantage of the fact that the old man wasn’t home this time and send this useless boy to the countryside to fend for himself.

Even when the old man returned, Lu Siyan would already be sent away to the countryside. Lu Zhao himself would personally take him there. The old man could be as angry as he wanted, but could he really still hold a grudge against his own son?

Once Lu Siyan was sent to the countryside, everything in the Lu family would naturally be passed down to her son, and the old man’s focus would shift to her son as well.

It was almost there, just a little more to go.

At this critical moment, she had to stay calm and not let her previous efforts go to waste.

She didn’t say anything, only lowered her head and put on an expression of helplessness, as if she were misunderstood by Lu Siyan and didn’t know how to explain herself. She even let her shoulders shake, playing the part.

This was a trick she often used.

Every time Lu Siyan treated her this way, she would make herself seem like the victim in front of the old man and Lu Zhao—bullied by her stepson and unable to speak up.

Lu Zhao always stood up for her.

She believed this time would be no different!

Sure enough…

“You ungrateful brat! How can you speak to your aunt like that? Even if she’s not your biological mother, she is still an elder. How could you speak to an elder like that?”

Lu Zhao suddenly stood up from his chair, his face turning pale as he glared at Lu Siyan at the door. One hand pressed against his chest while the other trembled as he pointed at Lu Siyan.

What sin had he committed to have such a disrespectful son?

Although Xiaoyun wasn’t his biological mother, he had seen all the effort she had put into being a good stepmother over the years.

Which stepmother would care more about her stepson than her own children?

But unfortunately, this bastard was ungrateful and constantly found ways to cause trouble for Xiaoyun.

He was heartbroken for her!

Just sitting there, Chen Huiru and Lu Mingyang, the siblings, quickly got up. One hurried over to Lu Zhao, while the other ran upstairs.

The half-grown Lu Mingyang patted Lu Zhao’s back, trying to soothe him while comforting him, “Dad, don’t get upset. Brother was just saying things in anger. He didn’t mean it. The doctor said you shouldn’t get mad. Calm down.”

Chen Huiru rushed downstairs, flustered, opened a medicine bottle in her hand, and quickly took out a white pill to hand it to Lu Zhao, anxiously saying, “Dad, are you okay? Does your chest hurt again? Take the medicine first.”

Lu Zhao’s chest did indeed hurt terribly, and he took a deep breath before accepting the pill she handed him and putting it in his mouth.

A glass of water appeared just in time.

Wang Xiaoyun looked at Lu Zhao with red-rimmed eyes, angrily scolding him, “What are you getting angry for? Did you forget what the doctor said? You’re supposed to avoid anger, but you don’t listen! If something happens to you, what will we do?”

Lu Zhao’s health had been poor in recent years, and his chest would hurt whenever he got angry. The doctor prescribed medication and advised him to stay calm.

At first, he didn’t have this problem, but it had been triggered by Lu Siyan’s constant provocation over the years.

But Lu Siyan thought, I’m not the one to blame.

Lu Zhao’s pain had nothing to do with him. If anyone was to blame, it was Lu Zhao himself for being blind and allowing this evil mother-daughter pair into the Lu family.

He deserved all this anger!

After taking the medicine, Lu Zhao’s mood stabilized. He looked at the three people who were concerned for him and then at his eldest son, who stood by the door, unmoved, as if watching a show. A feeling of sadness filled his heart.

Both of his sons were supposed to be his children. His younger son had been sensible and obedient, earning much glory for the Lu family, always respectful and filial toward him. Even his stepdaughter was caring and considerate.

But what about his other biological son?

Perhaps he wished his father would just die already?

Lu Zhao closed his eyes for a moment and suddenly felt that maybe this son really was hopeless!