Wen Chenglang let out a vague question. The sharp pain in his abdomen had not yet subsided.
“That kick just now was for Grandpa.”
Shi Yunnan clenched his fist and punched Wen Chenglang hard before Song Zhiqiu rushed up, “This punch is for my uncle!”
—smack.
Another punch.
“This punch is for my brother!”
Wen Chenglang was powerless and his cheek hurt. A few instinctive words for help overflowed from the gap between his teeth, “Mom, mom…”
Song Zhiqiu seemed to have reacted suddenly. Her eyes were red, as if she was about to kill someone, “Shi Yunnan! Don’t you dare touch him again! I will fight with you!“
One of the bodyguards was quick to stop Song Zhiqiu before she rushed towards Shi Yunnan, “This lady, please mind your manners.”
After saying that, the bodyguard expressionlessly dragged Song Zhiqiu backward, keeping her and Shi Yunnan at a distance.
“Let go of me!”
Song Zhiqiu yelled in a panic.
When it came to Wen Chenglang, she would lose all sense and measure that a normal mother should have.
The bodyguard was unmoved. His bosses were Luo Lingsheng and Shi Yunnan.
Shi Yunnan took two steps towards Wen Chenglang and tugged on the other party’s collar. He raised his eyes to give a signal, and the bodyguard who was still controlling Wen Chenglang immediately let go.
Wen Chenglang was hit until he saw stars. He hadn’t broken free from the pain and dizziness at all, so he could only let Shi Yunnan tug at his collar.
Perhaps Song Zhiqiu’s shouting was too loud, and Wen Wanyou, who was beside her, finally reacted. She took a few steps forward and eventually stopped a few meters behind Shi Yunnan with lingering fears.
“Cousin Yunnan, you, you calm down. Can we sit down and talk peacefully? Now that Grandpa is still in the operating room, it’s not good for us to be arguing like this.”
“May, maybe there is some misunderstanding? How could my brother hurt Grandpa?“
When Wen Wanyou looked at Wen Chenglang, who was at the mercy of others, her heart and her mouth took a different stance.
As Wen Chenglang’s sister, how could she not know the true face of her brother?
Under the indulgence of their mother, Song Zhiqiu, he became very ambitious since he was a child. Although he was incompetent, he didn’t want to see others doing better than him.
He had always taken the flattering and polite words of outsiders seriously while ignoring the sincere advice of his own family. He was opinionated to a certain extent where he thought the whole world should revolve around him.
“How is it impossible for him to hurt Grandpa?”
Shi Yunnan turned sideways. His sharp eyes were like a sharp arrow that could pierce through everything and go straight to one’s lifeline, “Aren’t you the most direct witness to the old man’s injury and hospitalization after the birthday banquet that year?”
“…..”
Wen Wanyou’s breathing got stuck.
Wen Yibei and Wen Yanfeng instantly reacted when they heard this.
“What?”
“Wanyou, have you witnessed what happened back then?”
Wen Wanyou shook her head. Her eyes were somewhat evasive.
In fact, Shi Yunnan was right. She happened to pass by the stairway when the incident happened that year, and did catch a glimpse of that scene with her own eyes—
Wen Chenglang wasn’t happy with Old Man Wen’s dissuasion, so he lost control and pushed down the old man. As for Shi Yunnan, he stopped fighting as soon as Old Man Wen came to make peace.
But no one expected that Wen Chenglang’s push would actually send Old Man Wen to the hospital.
Later, Wen Chenglang put the blame on Shi Yunnan and indirectly triggered a heated quarrel between Wen Yanfeng and Song Zhiqiu.
After some hesitation, Wen Wanyou, who was a witness, chose to help her mother and brother hide the truth.
It was because of this that the young Wen Wanyou always felt a sense of guilt towards Shi Yunnan. Later, over time, she turned this guilt into unfamiliarity and estrangement.
It wasn’t until the news of the other party and Luo Lingsheng’s flash marriage came out that Wen Wanyou felt resentment in her heart.
Before that, Wen Wanyou always thought that no one knew that she had witnessed the whole thing.
The current Shi Yunnan wasn’t an eighteen-year-old boy. How could he not see Wen Wanyou’s subconscious evasion? He sneered, “It seems that the silhouette I saw on the stairway was indeed you.”
Back then, the black pot suddenly fell on Shi Yunnan. The old man also hadn’t been out of the dangerous period, so no one helped him clarify the matter.
The eighteen-year-old Shi Yunnan, no matter how independent and strong, was inevitably flustered and self-blaming in that situation, and did not make a good explanation or counterattack.
Later, when the matter was over, Shi Yunnan didn’t want to mention it again.
Today Wen Chenglang hurt Old Man Wen once again, and Song Zhiqiu actually wanted to put the pot on Wen Yibei, accusing him of not taking good care of the old man.
This mother and son really know how to disgust people!
When Shi Yunnan thought of this, his face darkened a little more.
He stared at Wen Chenglang’s cheeks, which were swollen like a pig, and glanced at his own knuckles, which were red from the exertion, “Wen Chenglang.”
Wen Chenglang tried to struggle for a while, but couldn’t break free, “What, what are you going to do? Beating someone in the hospital is…“
Before the words were finished, Shi Yunnan suddenly slammed his chin, “This last punch is for me!”
Shi Yunnan let go of his hand. Wen Chenglang fell to the ground without any support, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Probably seeing the blood, Song Zhiqiu’s sanity once again rushed to the edge of losing control.
She tried her best to break free from the bodyguard’s control, and in her desperation, she bit the wrist of the other party.
Professional bodyguards had always been quick to respond and protect themselves.
The moment the bodyguard was in pain, he instinctively threw Song Zhiqiu to the ground.
“Ah!”
“……mom!”
Shi Yunnan heard the voices of the mother and daughter, and immediately gave the bodyguard a glance. The latter understood it and quickly released the restraint and returned to his companion.
Wen Wanyou quickly ran to help Song Zhiqiu, “Mom, are you alright?”
Song Zhiqiu’s hair was already a little messy. She looked at Wen Chenglang, who was rolling on the ground in pain, and pushed Wen Wanyou, who came to help her, away as if she had lost her mind.
“Go away! How can you watch your brother being bullied!”
“…..”
Wen Wanyou was suddenly pushed to the ground by her own mother, and her eyes were frozen.
Seeing this scene, Wen Yanfeng shook his head helplessly but sadly.
Wen Yibei walked to Shi Yunnan’s side and silently pulled him out of the attackable range of the mother and son, “Yunnan, now the focus is on Grandpa. Don’t make too much of a scene in the hospital.”
Song Zhiqiu hugged Wen Chenglang, who was in tears and snot, into her arms. She aimed her gaze at her husband, who looked on coldly from the sideline and blurted out a painful complaint—
“Wen Yanfeng! You just watched as your wife and son were bullied by Shi Yunnan and his brother?“
“You don’t care if something happens to my company or to your son! Are you still a man?”
The company’s funding loopholes, the large orders returned, the secret coercion of shareholders… A series of recent incidents had made Song Zhiqiu’s spirit tense to a certain extent.
She couldn’t bear her husband’s indifferent attitude, so she took a deep breath and asked, “Wen Yanfeng, do we have to get a divorce before you can take us, mother and son, seriously?”
When the words fell, a nurse came out of the emergency room.
Even if the mask covered most of her expression, extreme dissatisfaction and anger could be seen in her eyes, “If you want to argue, please go somewhere else! The hospital is not a place for you to spill your guts and make noise.”
Wen Yibei immediately stepped forward to ask, “Excuse me, I want to ask how Mr. Wen Qiming, who was sent in before, is doing?”
Seeing Wen Yibei’s attitude and handsome face, the nurse softened a little, but she couldn’t make any clarification on behalf of the surgeon in charge, “Acute bleeding, still being rescued. We will notify of any further situation.”
After she finished speaking, she hurried to the blood bank.
This family was left hanging again at the door of the emergency room. Wen Yibei’s face became more gloomy. He grew up under Old Man Wen, and his feelings had always been deep.
Shi Yunnan patted him on the shoulder and said, “Brother, Grandpa will be fine.”
Wen Yibei hid the watery glow at the bottom of his eyes, “…… I didn’t think it through. I shouldn’t just ask a nanny to take care of him at home.”
Otherwise, how could Wen Chenglang easily break into the house and cause trouble.
Wen Yanfeng saw his two nephews’ self-reproachful appearance and saw Wen Chenglang, who was still lying beside Song Zhiqiu with a bruised face, finally made a decision.
He looked at Song Zhiqiu, who still had resentment in her eyes, and sighed in a self-deprecating way, “Song Zhiqiu, when the dust settles on Dad’s side, we’ll go through the divorce procedure.”
“Both children are now adults, with you or with me, let them choose for themselves.”
His voice was very calm, leaving absolutely no room for leeway.
“…..”
Song Zhiqiu’s eyes widened in disbelief, while Wen Chenglang, who was trying to hide behind Song Zhiqiu to “cover up his faults,” also panicked.
Divorce?
Then can he still get the assets of the Wen family?
Wen Wanyou quickly walked to Wen Yanfeng’s side, trying to weaken his resolve, “Dad, don’t be angry. Mom just loves my brother too much, so that’s why…”
“She loves him too much?” Wen Yanfeng interrupted his daughter’s persuasion.
He walked up step by step toward the mother and son, “Song Zhiqiu, Wen Rui has been dead for twenty-five years. Do you understand?”
“…..”
Song Zhiqiu’s body stiffened and tears broke down in a flash.
Wen Rui.
That was their first son.
The child who passed away quietly because of parental negligence when he was less than four years old.
A trace of grief flashed in Wen Yanfeng’s eyes, “The children don’t know what happened back then, but I do.”
Shi Yunnan was keenly aware of his uncle’s emotions and hinted with his eyes that the two bodyguards left first.
It’s better for fewer outsiders to know about their family affairs.
The two bodyguards nodded and silently left. Wen Yanfeng cast a grateful glance at his nephew, and then began to talk about the past.
Back then, Wen Yanfeng and Song Zhiqiu had their first son shortly after their marriage, named Wen Rui.
The word ‘Rui’ meant wisdom, brilliance, wise, and was the best expectation they had for their child as new parents.
Wen Rui, the child, really lived up to their expectations. During the child’s first birthday ceremony, among the three instruments, he chose piano scores. He also learned to speak and walk one step faster than normal children.
Before the age of four, he could memorize and hum along with the random pieces played by adults.
At that time, almost all their relatives and friends said, “Xiao Rui is going to be a musical prodigy. Maybe he can win prizes in international competitions in the future and continue to bring fame to the Wen family.”
However, this clever and bright child had an accident a week before his fourth birthday—
On the day of the accident, Wen Yanfeng, who was still teaching at the university, continued his daily teaching job, while Song Zhiqiu and the nanny were at home watching the children.
The nanny went downstairs to cook porridge for Wen Rui and asked Song Zhiqiu, the mother, to take care of him for five minutes.
Song Zhiqiu naturally agreed.
During this period, Song Zhiqiu, whose career had just started, received a work phone call, and in between her calls, Wen Rui somehow ran out of bed. By the time he was found again, he was knocked unconscious in the bathroom.
He fell and hit the back of his head. When he was sent to the hospital, he suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and was unable to recover.
At that time, Wen Yanfeng was still in class. He didn’t receive the last phone call from his wife, and naturally, he didn’t get to see his son for the last time.
“…I know that after Xiao Rui left, you blamed yourself and washed your face with tears all day long. You also blame me, as a husband and a father, because I wasn’t there at the critical moment.”
Wen Yanfeng knew the pain in his wife’s heart, but how could he not be in pain?
But fate may just give you a slap in the face and hand you a piece of candy afterward. Two months after Wen Rui’s death, Song Zhiqiu, who was in deep grief, realized that she was pregnant.
Because she had lost all appetite in the past few months, this child was barely saved.
“You said, this is Xiao Rui coming back to find you…” Wen Yanfeng glanced at Wen Chenglang on the side, revealing an unspeakably bitter expression.
In fact, Wen Yanfeng did not believe in reincarnation.
In order for his wife to snap out of her grief, he had to acquiesce to the idea taking root in her heart.
After the birth of Wen Chenglang, Song Zhiqiu took care of him more meticulously, even to the point of being on guard in all aspects. Even if Old Man Wen wanted to hug his grandson, she would be nervous enough to stop him.
Wen Yanfeng knew that his wife still had lingering fears because of Wen Rui’s death, so she was extra protective.
But gradually, such protective love changed everything.
Wen Chenglang grew up safely to the age of six or seven. At the age where he should have gradually become sensible and educated when he did the wrong things, Song Zhiqiu was still bent on protecting him. She would not allow Wen Yanfeng and others to criticize the child.
Once, Wen Chenglang lost his temper and knocked Wen Yibei’s forehead with chopsticks until it was swollen.
Seeing this, Wen Yanfeng sternly educated him, and Wen Chenglang, at that time, knew that he had to apologize. Unexpectedly, after Song Zhiqiu came home and learned the news, the husband and wife broke out into an unprecedented dispute over the child’s education.
Since then, every time there was a problem with the child’s education, Song Zhiqiu would bring up the deceased Wen Rui.
Wen Yanfeng was helpless and powerless every time.
“An indulgent mother often ruins her son.”
“You always stop me from educating my child, but Song Zhiqiu, look, what kind of good son did you raise?”
Wen Yanfeng paused and recounted the evil things Wen Chenglang had done over the years.
“Making a mistake and refusing to admit it; pushing the blame onto others; being jealous of other people doing better than yourself; verbally abusing and beating others; gambling and losing tens of millions; now stealing the official seal to make a dual contract and embezzling company funds!”
“Why does he dare to do this? It’s because of his father’s inability to control him and his mother’s bottomless partiality!“
“I, Wen Yanfeng, am not a good father, and you, Song Zhiqiu, are not a good mother either…” Wen Yanfeng looked at Wen Chenglang, who was already inferior to his bones, and sighed resignedly, “He is Wen Chenglang, not Wen Rui.”
Tears welled up in Wen Yanfeng’s eyes as he remembered the child in his memory.
“I have imagined more than once that if Xiao Rui can grow up, he will probably be as good as Yibei and as brave as Yunnan.”
As an older brother, he must be very good at taking care of his two cousins.
As the younger generation, Wen Yibei and Shi Yunnan did not know about this deeply hidden and sorrowful past. The two brothers looked at each other, their hearts following Wen Yanfeng’s account with emotion.
Wen Yanfeng only had imagined expectations for the deceased child, but Song Zhiqiu treated Wen Chenglang as the original Wen Rui from the time he was born.
In the past, he took into account his identity as a husband and was reluctant to mention his wife’s emotional scar, “Wen Rui.” But now everything has gone wrong.
“Song Zhiqiu, how long are you going to deceive yourself?”
Wen Yanfeng’s last sentence directly hit Song Zhiqiu’s psychological defense.
“Mommy, toilet, go toilet.”
“Baby, wait a minute, mommy will be right here.”
Song Zhiqiu remembered the last words her son left to her before his death, and tears flowed uncontrollably.
Her Xiao Rui was so well behaved that he could not bear to disturb her work.
She lost her first son during the rise of her career, and now what about the other son? Her many years of hard work were all ruined by him.
The pressure accumulated over the past few days completely overwhelmed her at this moment. Her tough image was nowhere to be seen.
“He’s not Xiao Rui… How could he be Xiao Rui…”
“My Xiao Rui, my Xiao Rui ah…”
Song Zhiqiu kept repeating the name Wen Rui, and her demeanor said it all.
What Wen Yanfeng said was right.
In Song Zhiqiu’s mother’s heart, Wen Chenglang was just a substitute for Wen Rui.
She doubled all the guilt about Wen Rui to make up for Wen Chenglang. Such indulgence deviated from its original track of maternal love, and in turn caused harm to others and herself.
Wen Chenglang heard his mother’s crying and murmuring, and he felt like he was falling into an ice cave when he realized the truth.
He shook Song Zhiqiu’s arm and said, “Mom, what are you shouting for? I’m the only son you have left in this world!“
“You don’t deserve it! You don’t deserve to be my Song Zhiqiu’s son!” Song Zhiqiu, who was immersed in her grief, shouted as she lost control and pushed him away.
“…..”
Wen Chenglang’s hand froze in midair, dumbfounded.
This was the first time in twenty-five years that Song Zhiqiu had been cruel to him.
Wen Yanfeng looked at the mother and son whose relationship had broken down and slowly and stiffly moved his eyes away.
He and Song Zhiqiu had been arguing day after day, and even their mutual affection was wasted.
“I’m not joking about the divorce. You asked for 20 million before. I can’t let Dad fill this bottomless hole for you.”
He may not be a good husband or a good father, but he can’t be an unfilial son.
“I will hire a lawyer to handle the divorce matter. He will represent me in the negotiation when the time comes.” Therefore, Wen Yanfeng was willing to bear all losses and expenses after the divorce.
Song Zhiqiu was immersed in great grief, unable to return to her senses.
Wen Wanyou looked at her wretched mother and her completely useless brother, the bottom of her eyes flashed with a trace of cold calculation. Soon, she covered it up and revealed a pair of tearful eyes that aroused sympathy.
“Mom, let me help you up first.”
Wen Wanyou helped Song Zhiqiu to sit down on one side and whispered, “Mom, you can’t just fall down like this. Brother is a good-for-nothing, but you still have me!”
“I will help you through this pain together. I am your daughter. You can trust me, ok?“
Song Zhiqiu’s shareholding in Huachang musical instruments was as high as 40%. If Wen Chenglang was doomed to fail, then she had to plan for herself and let Song Zhiqiu keep these assets.
The hall had finally quieted down.
The door of the emergency room finally opened, and a medical staff member shouted while holding the patient sheet, “Family of patient Wen Qiming?”
“Here.”
Wen Yibei and Shi Yunnan were the first to respond. Wen Yanfeng then adjusted his emotions and followed.
The medical staff glanced at Wen Chenglang, who was paralyzed on the ground, and frowned slightly in confusion. However, she quickly recovered and explained the details in a serious manner.
“The patient has been rescued temporarily, but he is not completely out of danger. He will be transferred to the intensive care unit later…”
Wen Chenglang sat on the spot. The pain in his body had turned into numbness.
He stared at the backs of Wen Yibei and Shi Yunnan, his eyes gradually infected with vicious killing intent.
If Xiao Rui can grow up, he will probably be as good as Yibei and as brave as Yunnan.
Why?
Why does Song Zhiqiu regard him as a substitute, and in Wen Yanfeng’s eyes, he will never be able to compare to those brothers? Which of his childhood to adulthood pressures didn’t come from the two people in front of him?
It would be nice if they disappeared like Wen Rui; there would be no one to compare him with. Whether the old man was dead or not, all the assets of the Wen family belonged to him!
Wen Chenglang caught a glimpse of the nurse pushing the tool cart and preparing to go outside for inspection. All his strength was aroused by hatred, and he suddenly got up and grabbed something.
“Be careful, sir!”
There was a sudden sound of panic behind them, and even the medical staff facing them suddenly changed her expression.
Shi Yunnan instinctively realized that something was wrong and turned around to see Wen Chenglang holding a sharp medical tweezers and stabbing it at Wen Yibei’s neck—
“Brother, be careful!”
Shi Yunnan’s mind suddenly flashed with fragmental images from the original world line and remembered the end of Wen Yibei’s hands after they were destroyed. He abruptly reached out his hand to block Wen Yibei’s vital part.
Wen Yibei’s eyes changed, and he, who had never been ruthless, imitated his younger brother and kicked Wen Chenglang’s abdomen with all his strength.
“—Ah!”
Wen Chenglang knocked over the special tool cart for medical care, and the crackling sound was mixed with a heart-piercing scream.
Everyone invariably looked towards the source of the sound.
Wen Chenglang fell into a mess of broken medical bottles. There were countless small cuts on his body and face, but the most shocking thing was—
His palm was accidentally pierced by tweezers, and in a few seconds, blood flowed like a river!