Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Thinking back, the days right after my father died were unbearably difficult. I was so busy that after that hurried meeting with her on a snowy night, I couldn’t spare the time to look for her or see her for months.

And in the end, Rong Zheng was the one who got to speak to her before I did.

This younger brother of mine had never accepted me. He had been taken away by my father the moment he was born and raised with that group of illegitimate children outside the family. He only returned to the Rong family at fifteen, and he hated me for it.

The moment my father died, I immediately set about dealing with my half siblings. Among them was a girl Rong Zheng had once been the most attached to, and I sent her the farthest away.

Rong Zheng went from screaming and causing a scene, to clinging to my leg and begging, to finally threatening me with his own life. None of it moved me in the slightest.

Grandfather, who doted on him the most, did not say a single word on his behalf.

It was precisely the moment when power in the Rong family was changing hands. He would not interfere with any decision I made.

I locked Rong Zheng up and told him that if he wanted to die, he could go ahead and die. Once he was dead, I would send that dear sister of his down to be buried with him.

He cursed me for an entire night and only quieted down in the morning.

Then I starved him for another day. At dusk, I went upstairs to bring him food. When I turned on the light, I found the window wide open and the room empty.

I was so angry I laughed.

I decided that once I caught him, I would break his legs.

To my surprise, he had run quite far despite not having a single cent on him. After searching for two hours with no results, panic swept through me in an instant.

He was my only younger brother.

Just as I was about to send out more people, I received a call from an unfamiliar number. The voice on the other end was gentle and cautious. “Excuse me, are you Mr. Rong? Your younger brother passed out from low blood sugar, and I brought him back to my place…”

The situation had turned around completely. All I remember is that the lingering fear in my heart instantly faded, leaving only towering rage. I sped all the way to the apartment complex she had mentioned, grabbed an electric baton from one of my bodyguards, and took the stairs two at a time.

The door opened. My wife stood inside.

The moment I met that face I had dreamed of day and night, I was stunned. For a brief second, I even forgot what I had come here to do.

It was only when she hesitantly called, “Mr. Rong?” that I came back to myself.

Feigning calm, I nodded. “That’s me.”

She smiled and made an inviting gesture.

I stepped through the narrow doorway and quickly spotted Rong Zheng in the small space. Then I lifted the electric baton in my hand.

He was holding a bowl of congee. With a shriek, he shrank into the corner and shouted, “Sister Chengjing, he’s going to beat me to death!”

My wife’s name was Zhuang Chengjing. I had silently repeated that name so many times in my heart, yet that brat Rong Zheng had been the first to say it aloud. He deserved the beating.

My wife stopped me. “He’s already an adult.”

I paused and said apologetically, “I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

But she gave me a sly smile and said, “What I mean is, since he’s an adult, it doesn’t count as child abuse. But I suggest you find a more open space.”

Enlightened, I said, “Thank you.”

She smiled. “You’re welcome.”

Rong Zheng, huddled in the corner, was dumbfounded. “Sister Chengjing, you-you two are in cahoots!”

My face darkened. In a few strides, I went over, seized him, and dragged him toward the door. With no manners whatsoever, he yelled at the top of his lungs, “I haven’t finished my congee yet! Rong Yun, you bastard!”

I kicked him out the door and warned him in a low voice, “Keep shouting. If you shout again, I really will break your legs. I mean what I say.”

His eyes were full of indignation, but he visibly behaved himself.

Chengjing came after us and handed me a thermos container. “I made a lot of congee. Your brother seemed to like it, so take some with you.”

Overwhelmed by the favor, I accepted it. Then, all of a sudden, I felt a little embarrassed. I had nothing on me that I could give her in return.

In a rush of foolishness, I somehow handed over the electric baton. “This… you can keep it for self-defense.”

She froze for a moment, then politely took it, as if afraid the moment would turn awkward. She peeked past me at Rong Zheng. “Then what about your brother?”

Deeply embarrassed, I said, “It’s fine. I have plenty of ways to deal with him.”

Behind me came a choked sob.

Chengjing laughed and said, “Then I won’t see you out.”

I hurriedly handed her my business card. “My name is Rong Yun. If you ever need my help, please don’t hesitate.”

She accepted it graciously and smiled. “All right.”

On the way home, I felt light and utterly delighted.

So much so that I was no longer in the mood to punish Rong Zheng. After scolding him a little, I sent him back to his room to be grounded.

But the brat kept looking back every few steps. My expression turned cold as I snapped, “What else do you want?”

Aggrieved, he stared at me and said, “My congee…”

I frowned, pointed at him, and said, “Get lost.”

The congee was delicious.