Chapter 22: Trespassing

Under the gaze of the others, Zhong Xiao returned to her bedroom, her face full of grief and indignation. Du Ying’er looked triumphant and signaled to Zhou Yongxin with her eyes. Zhou Yongxin nodded discreetly, even giving her a thumbs-up. Du Huacheng finally felt relieved. In truth, he should have driven Zhong Xiao out much earlier, but his own misplaced kindness had kept him from being ruthless toward Xiao Rui’s only daughter.

But this time, it wasn’t his fault for failing Xiao Rui. It was Zhong Xiao who refused to acknowledge him as her father. And besides, he had raised Zhong Xiao safely for twenty years. He had fulfilled his duty with utmost benevolence; there was nothing he owed to Zhong Rui anymore. With this thought, Du Huacheng returned to his bedroom.

He glanced back at Yang Yuehe, who had been silent throughout the entire incident, and found it strange. He knew Yang Yuehe well—she always liked to put on the act of a loving mother in front of Zhong Xiao. Why was she so quiet this time? Just as Du Huacheng was about to speak, Yang Yuehe, worried, said, “Old Du, I feel like something is off about all this.”

Du Huacheng countered, “What’s off about it?” Yang Yuehe clicked her tongue. She couldn’t quite put it into words, but something just felt wrong. She knew Zhong Xiao too well. For over ten years, Zhong Xiao had never thought much of Du Ying’er, never showing her the slightest kindness. How could she suddenly collapse in tears and beg for mercy just because of a few words from Du Ying’er?

Moreover, tonight’s events seemed at first glance to favor Ying’er, but in reality, it felt as though Ying’er was being led entirely by Zhong Xiao’s pace. The severance letter, the newspaper announcement—these were all things Zhong Xiao herself brought up, only for Du Ying’er to follow suit. Otherwise, with Ying’er’s limited wit, she could never have thought so thoroughly. But Yang Yuehe couldn’t figure it out: what benefit did severing ties with Du Huacheng bring to Zhong Xiao?

All the property of the Zhong family was under Du Huacheng’s control, including the house. Even though there was no deed, Zhong Xiao had no hope of wresting the house from him. Yang Yuehe was about to say something, but saw that Du Huacheng had already lain down. She knew his mood had been poor these days, secretly contacting people and investigating Li Peiyun and her associates, but he had found no clues or breakthroughs. So Yang Yuehe refrained from speaking further, lest she provoke Du Huacheng’s ire and be scolded again. Everything could wait until tomorrow. After all, Zhong Xiao would only leave the next day.

Tomorrow, she would probe Zhong Xiao’s intentions. But unexpectedly, someone gave Yang Yuehe no such chance.

Early the next morning, Yang Yuehe and Du Huacheng were startled awake by a tremendous bang—it sounded as if something had been smashed. They exchanged glances and then heard a second loud crash from beside the courtyard, shrill and jarring. Du Huacheng hurried out of bed and looked through the window, then let out a curse before rushing out of the bedroom.

Yang Yuehe poked her head out as well. She saw an older man, accompanied by four or five strong young men, wielding a large iron hammer and repeatedly smashing the iron gate of the Zhong family compound.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The blows shook the whole courtyard.

Du Huacheng, furious, raced down, intent on scolding the intruders. But when he saw the face of the leading man, his bravado vanished instantly.

“...Second... Second Uncle Gong...”

Qin Dezheng snorted coldly. Today, he wore a black-gray Zhongshan suit, his hair slicked back in a pompadour, looking more spirited than usual.

Qin Dezheng said, “Who’s your Second Uncle Gong! Hurry up and open the door for me!”

Du Huacheng timidly stepped forward. “Second Uncle Gong, if you needed something, you could have just told me—I’d open the door for you. Why make such a scene...”

He reached to unlock the door, but the lock had already been deformed by Qin Dezheng’s men, rendering it impossible to open. As Du Huacheng tried to find a solution, Qin Dezheng signaled his men, who promptly raised their hammers and struck again, nearly hitting Du Huacheng’s hand.

A flash of malice crossed Du Huacheng’s eyes. The lock fell to the ground, the iron gate swung open, and Qin Dezheng stood with hands clasped behind his back, a cold expression in his eyes as if he were looking at a rotten frog—utterly disgusted.

Du Huacheng suppressed his anger. “Second Uncle Gong, what are you doing?”

“I’m respecting you as an elder, so I treat you politely. But with what you’re doing now, you’re trespassing on private property! Even if you were my father’s sworn brother, this is illegal!”

Qin Dezheng sneered from his nose, his words thunderous and resolute. “You know what ‘illegal’ means? Selling medicines illicitly, harboring contraband drugs, purchasing foreign currency unlawfully, laundering vast sums—none of that is illegal?”

Du Huacheng’s face stiffened suddenly. How did Qin Dezheng know about these things? He immediately thought of someone, but before he could speak, Qin Dezheng thundered, “Where’s Xiao Xiao?”

Intimidated by Qin Dezheng’s presence, Du Huacheng remembered that last night he had severed ties with Zhong Xiao, written the severance letter, and had it published in the newspaper. From now on, this so-called elder was no longer his elder.

A cold smile flickered in Du Huacheng’s eyes. “Second Uncle Gong, I was giving you some face, but you’ve taken it too far, acting as if you matter. Let me tell you, last night I severed all ties with Zhong Xiao. She’s no longer my daughter, and you’re no longer my elder. Stop barking orders at me!”

“Zhong Xiao will be forced out today. You’re just in time—take this worthless burden away! Just seeing her brings me bad luck!”

By now, everyone in the Zhong household had been awakened by the commotion and came downstairs. Yang Yuehe brought her sons Du Changlin and Du Changgong, Du Ying’er clutched her abdomen, and Zhong Xiao followed leisurely at the end, dragging a tin suitcase—a military-grade case Qin Dezheng had given her years ago, boasting its theft-proof, light, and easy-to-use design even for a young woman. It truly lived up to its reputation.

Qin Dezheng cast a distant look at Zhong Xiao, who nodded at him. Qin Dezheng understood, and his gaze turned sharp.

“Du Huacheng! You cursed beast doomed to die without offspring! Someone like you should be paired with a pig, and the offspring boiled in a pot—that’s true justice for the people!”

“Severing ties with Xiao Xiao is the only decent thing you’ve ever done.”

“But you may have misunderstood—the one who’s supposed to be packed up and taken away isn’t our Xiao Xiao, but you, the parasite!”

Du Huacheng spat, “Bullshit! I’ve lived here for twenty years. This house has no deed or title—whoever lives here is the owner! When Old Master Zhong left, he said the Zhong family would be handed over to me. Who are you to order me out?!”

Just then, a sound came from not far away. Du Huacheng looked over—it was two police officers arriving by bicycle. He was stunned, and before he could speak, Qin Dezheng turned and addressed the officers.

“Comrades, I’m the one who called. This man is trespassing and refuses to leave. Please see how you want to handle it.”

Du Huacheng laughed out of anger. “You really are outrageous! Who’s trespassing—me or you? Don’t think calling first makes you right. Arresting someone requires evidence; let’s see…”

Qin Dezheng ignored him and handed documents to the officers. “Here are the deeds for the old Zhong family estate, the property certificate, and Old Zhong Huai-min’s will. Please take a look, comrades.”

Du Huacheng’s face changed dramatically.