Chapter 580
Just when everyone had forgotten about this matter, it erupted without any warning.
On this day, as He Ziyun returned home carrying his drawing board, he noticed something was off with the atmosphere at home. However, he didn’t think too much of it. Just as he was about to walk through the living room and head upstairs to his room, a cup was thrown towards his face. The cup hit him, then fell to the ground with the sound of shattering porcelain.
“He Ziyun, you still have the gall to come home? What terrible deeds did I commit in my past life to give birth to a debt collector like you? It’s bad enough you waste your days just painting, but I was willing to support you for a lifetime. And what did you do! You’re going to bring down the entire He family. How formidable you are, He Ziyun. Tell me, what debt do I owe you that makes you treat me like this? Tell me!”
While speaking, He Father threw several more cups, and the sound of shattering porcelain continued incessantly in the living room.
This time, even the stepmother, who usually liked to put on airs, didn’t speak up for He Ziyun.
He Ziyun clenched and relaxed his hand placed at his side repeatedly. Only after seeing that He Father had gradually stopped throwing things did He Ziyun finally get a chance to speak, “What exactly happened? I don’t even know what’s going on.” He Ziyun didn’t finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: I don’t even know what happened, and you’re blaming everything on me. Isn’t that unreasonable?
He Father grew even angrier at He Ziyun’s words. He took a few big steps towards He Ziyun and slapped him across the face. He Ziyun didn’t dodge, and He Father didn’t hold back, so the slap landed solidly on He Ziyun’s face, almost instantly leaving four bright red fingerprints and causing a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.
With every sentence He Father spoke, he hit He Ziyun, raining blows without regard for where they landed. For a while, the room resounded only with He Father’s voice and the sounds of hitting.
Finally, when He Father was too tired and sore to continue hitting, he stopped. He Ziyun’s face was bruised and swollen beyond recognition.
“He Ziyun, if the He family falls because of you, you’ll be the biggest sinner of our family. Even in death, you wouldn’t have the face to see our ancestors! I don’t care what methods you use; this crisis that arose because of you must be resolved by you. Whether it’s murder or arson or begging on your knees, you must make the Nie Family back down. If you can’t do it, then get out of the He family. This family will no longer have a son like you. Someone come and throw him out; until he resolves this matter, he is not to come back home.” He Father shouted loudly.
The servant who heard this approached He Ziyun and made a gesture of invitation with his hand.
He Ziyun raised his head to look at He Father, who saw him as an enemy, at his indifferent younger brother, and at his resentful stepmother. He also glanced at the house where he had grown up and at the old servant in front of him asking him to leave. He tried to pull the corner of his mouth into a smile but accidentally touched a wound, causing the smile that had yet to form to disappear.
“Please leave.”
Seeing that He Ziyun had no intention of leaving, the servant spoke up.
This time, He Ziyun didn’t stay any longer. He left the home where he had lived for over twenty years with his drawing board and drawing materials.
At the moment he walked out of the He family’s gate, He Ziyun thought he would feel very sad. But even when the gate closed behind him, his heart felt nothing. It was as if a piece was missing from his chest, leaving him with no feeling at all. Perhaps it was because he knew in his heart that this day would inevitably come, he only felt a slight sense of loss without any pain.
He Ziyun looked up at the reddish-orange sky, squinting slightly, feeling momentarily lost; under the vast heavens and earth, he didn’t even know where he belonged.
As for apologizing to Nie Wei, he never even considered it from the start.
He Ziyun took one last look at the gates of the He family before turning and leaving.
Back at the He family, having driven He Ziyun out, He Father sat back down on the couch, panting heavily. His wife and youngest son sat on the other two sofas, and no one in the living room spoke a word.
Once He Father had completely calmed down, the stepmother made him another cup of tea, handed it to him, and softly asked, “Will Ziyun go to apologize to the Nie Family? If he doesn’t apologize, will our family really…” The stepmother looked at He Father, trailing off.
“I’ve already cut off all his bank cards. If he wants to live a good life, he’ll have to yield. How could I not know my own son? I’ve never let him suffer since he was a child. He’ll definitely compromise.” He Father confidently said.
As for whether the Nie Family would really let the He family off because of He Ziyun’s apology, He Father didn’t say.
They were businessmen, and also hunters. Why would they release the prey already in their mouths? He Father understood this, but he still vented his anger on He Ziyun. All he needed was someone to take his frustration out on, and it didn’t matter who that person was. It just happened to be He Ziyun, so he could be more ruthless.
He Ziyun went to check into a hotel, only to encounter a problem when paying.
“I’m sorry, sir, this card didn’t go through. Would you consider trying another card?” The receptionist tried her best not to look oddly at He Ziyun.
He Ziyun took back the card handed to him, staring at it for quite a while before putting it back in under the receptionist’s gaze. “No, thank you,” He Ziyun said cautiously, trying not to pull at the corners of his mouth.
This card couldn’t be used anymore, let alone the others. Xu Ke clutched his wallet tightly, a bitter smile appearing on his face.
Even though they were father and son, they were worse than strangers.
How did He Ziyun’s life become such a failure?
Though the night breeze was slightly chilly, it easily pierced through a person’s clothes. As the wind blew, He Ziyun rubbed his arms. No matter what, he couldn’t sleep outside tonight, or he’d end up catching a cold by morning.
He Ziyun thought for a moment and decided to call a friend he was fairly close with to see if the friend could take him in.