Chapter 278 - 257: You should not set your sights on Zhizhi.

Words : 1237 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 278: 257: You should not set your sights on Zhizhi. Shi Yin noticed his frown and quickly picked up a piece of fish he thought was good, placing it into his bowl. After completing the action skillfully, an uneasy feeling swept over him, and his gaze subtly circled around the two people nearby. Only after repeatedly confirming they hadn’t noticed his actions did he feel slightly relieved. Shi Wei caught his expression and felt a tinge of unease in his chest. He picked out a dish and placed it in Shi Yin’s bowl: "Eat more." "..." Shi Yin was rendered speechless. He didn’t want those two to know they’d reconciled for two reasons: first, he didn’t want to become a burden to Shi Wei. The second was to share some of Shi Wei’s troubles. At the very least, when Shi Yaoyu schemed something malicious, Shi Yin could warn him in time. But now, all his efforts seemed to be in vain. Shi Yin reluctantly nodded: "Thank you." Shi Wei glanced at him like he was looking at a fool, finding his behavior today rather odd. Not bothering to think much about it, he was about to take a sip of water when a probing voice reached his ear: "Little Wei, why didn’t you bring your girlfriend home?" Shi Wei paused in the motion of raising his hand. Lowering his gaze, he idly toyed with the glass in his hand, his dark eyes resembling pools of ink: "She’s busy." "I see. When are you planning to get married?" "Not anytime soon." Hearing this, Shi Beiming went silent for a few seconds before saying, "You should lock it in sooner. Lately, there’ve been a lot of people asking about her." As he spoke, he closely observed Shi Wei’s reaction. Seeing no change in Shi Wei’s expression and no visible emotion, he quickly added, "Without that piece of paper, they won’t give up." Shi Wei smirked disdainfully. As he looked up, his penetrating gaze seemed to pierce through Shi Beiming. He lightly tapped the table, his jade-like fingers mesmerizing in the soft glow: "The Xu Family won’t let her go so easily." Shi Beiming was momentarily choked by this statement but, upon consideration, realized Shi Wei wasn’t trying to make excuses. He contemplated briefly and made up his mind: "In a couple of days, I’ll visit them personally." Shi Wei nodded indifferently. Looking at the table full of food before him, he couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. The last shred of familial warmth seemed to fade away completely in this moment. Nightfall descended. The warm air inside the house had long dissipated. After Shi Yaoyu left in a huff of anger, Shi Wei lit a cigarette unhurriedly. Wispy smoke coiled upwards, veiling his expression and creating an invisible barrier between him and Shi Beiming. "Father," he called softly. The familiar term caused Shi Beiming’s heart to tighten. Before he could respond, Shi Wei’s slightly hoarse and icy voice cut through the haze: "Shi Family has reached this point—what more could you possibly want?" "Little Wei, what are you talking about?" "Xing Ye was built solely by me. Who doesn’t know Shi Wei is your son? Who doesn’t praise you for raising me well? Who doesn’t envy you? But you? These years, you’ve continually opposed me in private, trying repeatedly to crush me and suppress me, yet you always demand I support Shi Yaoyu, support the Shi Family." When his words fell, Shi Beiming’s head buzzed, his complexion pale beyond recognition. Realizing something was slipping away, his clenched fists resting on his knees betrayed his growing panic. "Little Wei, I—" "Those things are fine; I don’t even care. After all, I am your flesh-and-blood son, aren’t I?" Shi Wei interrupted him. His slightly upturned peach-blossom eyes were devoid of emotion, his expression eerily calm as if recounting someone else’s life. He lightly tapped the cigarette, letting gray ash tumble onto the floor, then parted his faintly-pink lips: "But you shouldn’t have targeted Zhizhi." "Little Wei, I’m telling you to finalize your marriage arrangements quickly, all for your own good," Shi Beiming said sorrowfully, as though he’d been misunderstood. He clutched his chest, struggling to breathe: "I just want to fulfill your mother’s last wish—to see you settled down sooner." "Pretending to care for me, letting Shi Yaoyu deal with me, sowing discord between me and Shi Yin—is that also Mother’s last wish?" Shi Wei suddenly laughed. He often wondered whether he was truly related by blood, whether his existence had any meaning. To seek answers, he’d done two paternity tests in the past. But the results only brought greater disappointment. It’s said even a tiger won’t eat its cubs, yet the "father" before him seemed determined to drag him into the depths of hell, forever beyond redemption. Shi Wei extinguished his cigarette and exhaled heavily: "From today onward, I won’t be offering the Shi Family any assistance. All collaborations are canceled." "Shi Wei, how dare you!" Upon hearing this, Shi Beiming’s blood pressure genuinely shot up, disrupting his breathing for real. His furious roar resembled the final struggle of an aging lion with broken claws—a sound devoid of any threat to Shi Wei. "Try me, and you’ll see if I dare." Shi Wei strode off, his long legs carrying him away. Passing by the stunned Shi Yin on his way, he looked at him disdainfully: "Not leaving?" "Ah... Leaving now." Shi Yin quickly snatched up his coat and trotted after him like a lackey. The temperature outside was frigid. Cold winds rustled through the branches in the courtyard. The pomegranate and crabapple flowers planted on either side were stripped bare by the wind, their fallen remnants scattered silently across the ground. Soon, Imperial City would welcome the first snowfall of the season. No one could say if the tiny lives in the garden would survive the weight of the snow and endure the harsh winter. "Brother, do you want a cigarette?" Shi Yin, who had been trailing silently behind, finally broke the uneasy silence as they stepped past the dark red gate. "Didn’t I just smoke?" "..." Shi Yin curled his fingers in frustration and tried again: "Then would you like some alcohol? I’ll drink with you." "No. What’s the point of alcohol in this cold weather?" Shi Wei increasingly felt Shi Yin wasn’t thinking straight. Lightly stroking the woven bracelet around his wrist, Shi Wei tilted his chin towards the direction of the Maybach: "Did you drive?" "No, today’s my restricted license plate day." "Then I’ll drop you off first." "Alright." Just as Shi Yin was about to sit in the passenger seat, he received a sharp glare that stopped him in his tracks. Sheepishly, he withdrew his leg and took a seat in the rear. Only then did he suddenly recall Ruan Yuan’s words: "The passenger seat is reserved for the girlfriend." Having inadvertently been fed a dose of romantic envy, Shi Yin felt conflicted. Shrugging deeper into his coat, he tentatively asked again: "Brother, are you really sure you don’t want a drink?" Considering everything that had happened, he worried the man might bottle up his feelings and suffer alone. Without turning his head, Shi Wei gave him a quick side glance, ignoring the question and instead dialed the number of a young woman. His low voice softened to the warmest tone: "Darling, have you finished dinner yet?"

Chapter 278 - 257: You should not set your sights on Zhizhi.

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