Chapter 23: This Gentleman

Du Huacheng watched as Qin Dezheng took out several paper documents from a dark camphorwood chest. On the corners of two of the documents, he could clearly see the imprint of a red official seal.

Panic surged within Du Huacheng.

Land deeds. Property deeds. Weren’t all those things burned?

He distinctly remembered that everything had been incinerated upon Old Master Zhong’s death—how could any of it still exist?

Suddenly, Du Huacheng looked at Qin Dezheng, eyes wide with shock.

At the same moment, Qin Dezheng met his gaze, his experienced and calculating eyes locking with Du Huacheng’s stunned expression.

A tremor ran through Du Huacheng. It struck him all at once—the very person who had told him years ago that the house and land deeds had all been burned with Old Master Zhong’s belongings was Qin Dezheng himself!

He had suspected as much at the time, but after so many years with not a trace of those deeds turning up, he had gradually come to believe it. Especially since Qin Dezheng had allowed him to live in the old Zhong family residence with Yang Yuehe and her children without ever causing any trouble.

Du Huacheng’s doubts had faded over time, and eventually, he became convinced the deeds were truly gone.

Never did he expect that after all these years, Qin Dezheng had hidden them away, only to reveal them now—and precisely the day after he severed ties with Zhong Xiao!

Suddenly, another thought struck him.

Zhong Xiao’s strange errand to the hospital to fetch medicine for Du Ying’er—could it have been just an excuse to meet with Qin Dezheng? To arrange for him to bring out the deeds and evict them?

Du Huacheng whipped around to look at Zhong Xiao, who stood by her suitcase, the faintest hint of a smile playing on her lips.

No, something was very wrong.

Du Huacheng, always ready to adapt, immediately cast off last night’s hostility and hurried over to Zhong Xiao, saying:

“Xiao Xiao, don’t you think there’s been some misunderstanding? How could the Zhong family’s deeds end up in the hands of an outsider? Of course, I know Second Great Uncle was as close as a brother to our father, but after all, we’re the rightful Zhong family heirs, aren’t we?”

There was no trace of the pitiful pleading from last night on Zhong Xiao’s face; instead, she wore the detached indifference of someone in command.

“What Zhong family heirs?” Zhong Xiao replied. “Other than me, is there anyone here who still bears the name Zhong?”

Du Huacheng’s expression stiffened, but he quickly pressed on: “Xiao Xiao, don’t talk to your father like that…”

She tilted her head. “Father? Sir, what are you talking about?”

Du Huacheng’s face changed drastically, a flicker of guilt crossing his stern features.

“Xiao Xiao! What happened yesterday was just your father speaking out of anger! How could you take it seriously? I was only upset that you spoke to me without respect—just apologize and all will be well!”

Zhong Xiao couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“Apologize to you?”

She stepped forward, raising her hand as if to strike, and Du Huacheng, startled, flinched aside—only to see that Zhong Xiao was merely holding something she’d just picked up.

He squinted at it. It was a newspaper.

Flipping to the back page, Zhong Xiao folded over a corner and slapped it against Du Huacheng’s face.

“Open your eyes and see for yourself, Uncle Du. This is the public announcement you personally placed in the newspaper yesterday, severing all ties. Now, the whole city knows that from this day forth, you, Du Huacheng, have completely cut all connections with the Zhong family. Even I, the sole remaining descendant of the Zhong line, am nothing to you!”

“So,” her tone sharpened, carrying a maturity and authority far beyond her years, “now, immediately, pack up your things and get out of my house!”

—

“And why should we leave?”

The voice was not Du Huacheng’s, who stood stunned, but Du Ying’er’s, shrill and furious.

At that moment, Du Ying’er also began to realize something was amiss. Why had all this happened so coincidentally—right after the severing of ties? Yesterday, she hadn’t even considered the implications of such a statement; it was only Zhong Xiao’s feigned reminder that made her act so ruthlessly.

Now, if anyone claimed Zhong Xiao hadn’t set this up on purpose, she’d have to be a fool to believe it.

Holding her stomach, Du Ying’er moved to stand beside Du Huacheng.

“Dad, don’t let this woman deceive you again! This is all her scheme to drive us out of the Zhong family home. We mustn’t fall for it! Just because they have some deeds, does that mean this house belongs to them?”

“Then what does that make your years of living here?”

“It makes you trespassers. Either pay up all the back rent, or come with the police to the station!”

Qin Dezheng’s voice rang out, powerful and resolute. Though well into his sixties, he had once served in the military, where Zhong Huaimin had saved his life—hence, they had become sworn brothers. Even now, his commanding tone bore the unmistakable authority of an old soldier.

Du Ying’er cowered behind Du Huacheng, her eyes full of hate but also tinged with anxiety as she glanced about, as if searching for someone.

Just then, two police officers stepped forward, looked around, and asked:

“Who is Zhong Xiao?”

Zhong Xiao stepped forward.

“I am,” she said. “I am Zhong Xiao, granddaughter of Zhong Huaimin.”

One officer nodded.

“According to this will, Old Master Zhong left all his property to his granddaughter before he passed—this house included.”

Zhong Xiao nodded. “So I have full authority to decide who gets to live here, correct?”

The officer smiled. “Of course. The house and land are yours.”

Du Ying’er burst out, “I’m also his granddaughter! Every year I paid my respects at his grave. My father was his son-in-law—I am his granddaughter too…”

If not for the police standing by, Zhong Xiao would have dearly loved to slap that shameless woman.

With a cold sneer, Zhong Xiao replied, “You’re nothing. Officer, this woman is the illegitimate child my father had with another woman after my mother—she has nothing to do with the Zhong family!”

The officer said, “No need to argue. Old Master Zhong’s will is clear: everything is left to his biological daughter Zhong Rui’s child, Zhong Xiao. No one else is entitled to a thing.”