"That brat Sheng Yi, I knew from before he wasn’t any good, but I never imagined that after a few years, he’d beco even worse. He used to have so scruples, but now he’s completely without restraint. Whenever you see him in the future, stay as far away from him as possible to avoid falling into his trap without realizing it," Sheng Wenhao turned his head and said seriously to Xu Ke.
The smile in Xu Ke’s eyes gradually disappeared, and even his face turned somber again. It seed a bad suspicion had already ford in his mind. "What did he do to you?" Xu Ke asked sharply, looking at Sheng Wenhao with cold eyes.
"Tell the truth, don’t lie to , you can’t hide this from ." Xu Ke repeated in a stern voice.
"Don’t ask, it’s all in the past." Sheng Wenhao’s expression beca stiff, the sound of the waves on the beach like blows to his chest, not touching his skin but hitting his heart directly, causing him pain.
"I don’t want to recall those things, don’t force , okay?" Sheng Wenhao said hoarsely.
"You can stay silent about other things, but on this matter, you have to speak, there’s no room for negotiation. What price did you pay to make them let you co back? Tell , I’ll help you. Do you really want them to use you as a puppet for life? Are you willing? Tell , the pain will only last for a mont. No matter what leverage they have on you, you have , and together we’ll retrieve what you sacrificed," Xu Ke said with near-stubborn seriousness, looking into Sheng Wenhao’s eyes.
"You’re the first friend I’ve confided in in my life, Xu Ke. I don’t want anything to happen to you." Xu Ke said, looking at the man whose eyes were gradually reddening.
Sheng Wenhao closed his eyes. Everyone says real n don’t easily cry, but now tears were slowly falling from the corners of Sheng Wenhao’s eyes. "Xu Ke, having you as a friend in this life is worth it, truly. With a friend like you, my life is aningful. But because you’re my friend, I can’t drag you into this. This is a vendetta between and the Sheng Family, and it has nothing to do with you. Even if I end up in the mud in this life, I will drag the entire family down with ."
As he finished speaking, a light with hatred flashed in Sheng Wenhao’s eyes, while his rather regular features beca slightly distorted by this hatred.
Xu Ke could see the resolve in Sheng Wenhao’s eyes. He opened his mouth but ultimately didn’t persuade further. The hand he placed on Sheng Wenhao’s shoulder tightened slightly, allowing him to feel his silent support. "If there’s anything you need for, just ask. I’ll help you. Aside from my wife, I don’t have any other family in this world, and you’re like family to ."
Upon hearing Xu Ke’s words, warmth filled Sheng Wenhao’s eyes, and he nodded heavily. The two sat in the car, listening to the continuous sound of waves hitting the beach and the rocks. No one spoke again, but the ti that separated them for four years seed to vanish in this silent companionship, as if the four-year gap between them never existed. Sheng Wenhao, accompanied by the sound, gradually fell asleep and before long, started snoring.
Xu Ke lit another cigarette, looking into the distance with his eyes slightly narrowed. The mingling tobacco smoke between his nose and mouth did nothing to relax his slightly furrowed brows. Instead, the slowly rising white mist gradually obscured Xu Ke’s brows and eyes, concealing his inner emotions.
With closed eyes, Sheng Wenhao slept soundly in Xu Ke’s car, his snoring like a drill boring into Xu Ke’s ears. Xu Ke extinguished his cigarette, started the car, and drove back towards the estate.
Even when Sheng Wenhao was moved to bed, he didn’t wake up, remaining in a deep sleep throughout the process. This situation caused Xu Ke to frown even more, and his face turned increasingly grave.
"Does the Family Head have anything troubling him?" Housekeeper Zhao asked gently, observing Xu Ke sitting in the living room with a pensive expression.
"Wenhao is usually a light sleeper; he never sleeps so deeply," Xu Ke said, lowering his head to hide his emotions.
"Perhaps Young Master Wenhao is just exhausted." Grandpa Zhao replied softly, "I’ve noticed that Young Master Wenhao has beco much darker and thinner since he returned from abroad. He probably endured many hardships outside, and now, having soone he trusts like you, it’s only natural he sleeps soundly."
"Maybe I’m overthinking," Xu Ke said, acknowledging there was so truth in Housekeeper Zhao’s words, though a voice inside him suggested otherwise.
"It’s getting late, you should get so rest," Housekeeper Zhao suggested quietly, after checking the ti on his pocket watch.
"You can go to bed first; I’m not particularly tired. I want to stay here a little longer," Xu Ke replied with a gentle smile, looking at Housekeeper Zhao.
"Then I’ll head out first. Don’t stay up too late." As Housekeeper Zhao finished reminding Xu Ke and prepared to leave, a loud noise ca from upstairs, seemingly from Sheng Wenhao’s room.
Xu Ke and Housekeeper Zhao exchanged a glance, and in the next second, Housekeeper Zhao saw a blur in front of him. Before he knew it, Xu Ke, who had been sitting on the sofa, had vanished. Instead, he saw Xu Ke running up the stairs, disappearing within seconds.
"Bang!" The door to the room opened from the outside, revealing a startling scene.
In just a matter of seconds, the once tidy room appeared as though it had been ransacked. The place was in disarray, with the table and chairs kicked over. On the floor were shards of glass, spilled water, and the fresh flowers arranged that very morning. Sheng Wenhao, who had been peacefully asleep earlier, now lay on the ground—or more accurately, amidst the glass shards scattered about.
Bright red blood dripped slowly from Sheng Wenhao’s wounds, mixing with the water on the ground to beco a vivid rose hue. Yet Sheng Wenhao seed insensible to the pain, writhing continuously on the ground. His hands clawed at his neck and chest, leaving streaks of red marks on his darkened skin.
Sheng Wenhao’s lips turned a deep purple, his eyes wide as though ready to pop out. The veins in his neck bulged upward towards his temples like the gnarled roots of an old tree, sending chills down one’s spine.
"Help hold him down, we can’t let him harm himself any further," Xu Ke said gravely, observing the man thrashing on the floor, growling like a beast.
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