Shen Zhenghao’s insistence on seeing Shen ChiYan was unwavering, so Shen ChiYan pondered for a moment and agreed.
That evening, they arranged to meet at a Western restaurant. When Shen ChiYan arrived, Shen Zhenghao had already ordered, with a table full of dishes that Shen ChiYan favored.
Shen ChiYan felt a slight urge to laugh. He hadn't known his father liked what before, yet now he had gone to such lengths for this elaborate setup. It was quite the effort.
"Speak, what is it?"
Shen ChiYan sat opposite Shen Zhenghao, his expression devoid of the joy one might show upon seeing their father, replaced instead by a chilling indifference and distance.
Shen Zhenghao felt a twinge of guilt. After all, his son had finally come to celebrate his birthday, only to be beaten by another of his sons.
"A'Yan, please eat something first."
Shen Zhenghao personally cut the steak and placed it before Shen ChiYan, acting like an extremely devoted father trying hard to mend his relationship with his son.
However, Shen ChiYan ruthlessly refused, "If you have something to say, just say it directly. I won't be eating. QiQi is still waiting for me at home for dinner."
Shen Zhenghao’s face flushed with embarrassment. He didn't press the issue of eating and instead stated the purpose of his visit.
"A'Yan, your second uncle visited me this morning. He only has QiWen as his son. Perhaps…"
His words were cut short by Shen ChiYan’s icy retort, "If you've asked me here for Shen QiWen's sake, then there's no need to continue this conversation."
Shen ChiYan stood up to leave, but Shen Zhenghao urgently called him back, "A'Yan, you are brothers after all. If he's truly executed, you'll have a difficult time explaining to your third uncle."
Upon hearing this, Shen ChiYan let out a cold laugh, as if he'd just heard the most absurd joke. "Explain? What do I need to explain? Shen Zhenghao can't even properly raise his own son, what right does he have to ask for explanations?"
Facing a father like Shen Zhenghao, Shen ChiYan felt nothing but profound helplessness and intense anger.
"He hired people to hunt down QiQi and me. If we hadn't been lucky, we would be dead by now. And you're here telling me to spare his life? Don't you find that ridiculous?"
Shen ChiYan's icy gaze made Shen Zhenghao flinch slightly. He murmured, "Aren't you and Nian Nian unharmed?"
Shen ChiYan's expression turned dark and menacing. If the man before him weren't his father, the one who gave him life, he truly wished he could…
So, because he and QiQi survived the forest incident, he was expected to forgive Shen QiWen?
"Go back and tell Shen Zhengming that your wife and I are divorced. Your words carry no weight with me. Tell him to stop coming to me with his messes. And furthermore, his son committed a capital offense, and no one can save him!"
Taking a couple of steps away, Shen ChiYan paused. "Dad, do you know who Ji LuoFei's ex-husband is?"
Shen Zhenghao blinked, surprised. Why would A'Yan suddenly bring this up?
"Zhou ShaoYuan!"
Shen Zhenghao was stunned for a few seconds. Who was Zhou ShaoYuan?
Then, the name struck him as incredibly familiar. After a moment's thought, he suddenly recalled that this was the man who had kidnapped A'Yan and Lin JiaFeiChi when they were children, and had even killed Feichi! How could RuXue be with that man?
Seeing Shen Zhenghao's reaction, Shen ChiYan sneered, "It seems Ji LuoFei hasn't told you about this. You're quite something, abandoning my mother to pursue your first love. Did you never consider what kind of men your 'white moonlight' had been with all these years?"
Shen Zhenghao’s face was grim. When he had learned that Ji LuoFei was still unmarried and had borne him a son, his mind had been clouded by sheer joy. Especially when he met Ji LuoFei, and she was just as he remembered her. He had been swept away, paying no heed to anything else.
"When I was ten, I was kidnapped by Zhou ShaoYuan. Li JunShen must have been twelve then. Did Ji LuoFei know about Zhou ShaoYuan kidnapping me, or was it all her doing? Otherwise… it’s too much of a coincidence."
Shen ChiYan had been investigating the past for a long time, but Zhou ShaoYuan was dead. Even if it was Ji LuoFei's intention, there was no proof. But his father, who had lived in an ivory tower for decades, believed everyone in the world was good.
If he had lived his life in blissful ignorance, it would have been fine. But instead, he repeatedly allowed himself to be manipulated into provoking Shen ChiYan. So, Shen ChiYan decided to shatter his illusion of perfection and drag him back to harsh reality. Otherwise, who knew what trouble he might cause in the future.
As Shen ChiYan left, Shen Zhenghao appeared deeply shaken. Once he recovered, he drove straight home.
Upon arriving at the villa, he found Ji LuoFei listening to old records, humming along to the music, and arranging flowers with a cheerful disposition. She was wearing a white dress, her long, soft hair cascading down her back, making her appear gentle and serene.
Gu ZhiYan also loved flowers, but she listened to chilling horror stories while arranging them, unlike Ji LuoFei’s elegant demeanor. Shen Zhenghao had always believed that beneath Gu ZhiYan's cold exterior lay a ravenous demon, while his LuoFei was an angel inside and out. But now, he harbored doubts. Therefore, he had to get to the bottom of it.
Seeing Shen Zhenghao return, Ji LuoFei's smile bloomed radiantly. She ran and threw herself into his arms, "Ah Hao, you're back! Come and see if the flowers I arranged today look good?"
Shen Zhenghao, who had come to confront her, found his heart softening as Ji LuoFei clung to him like a devoted woman, sharing her joy. He looked at the vase filled with vibrant roses and, after some hesitation, asked, "LuoFei, was your ex-husband Zhou ShaoYuan?"
Ji LuoFei's expression shifted slightly. The hand she had around Shen Zhenghao's arm loosened, and a look of sorrow and disbelief crossed her face. "You… you investigated me?"
Shen Zhenghao couldn't bear to see Ji LuoFei frowning sadly and quickly explained, "Of course not. I just heard about it incidentally. Do you know who Zhou ShaoYuan is?"
Hearing this, Ji LuoFei suddenly burst into tears, her sorrow falling like a string of broken pearls. Anyone watching would have praised her acting skills. Yet, Shen Zhenghao fell for it completely.
"Oh dear, why are you crying!"
Shen Zhenghao fumbled with a soft tissue, attempting to wipe away Ji LuoFei's tears. Before she could even say anything, he was already heartbroken.
"I thought I would never hear the name Zhou ShaoYuan again in this lifetime."
After crying for a while, Ji LuoFei took Shen Zhenghao's hand and slowly spoke, "Zhou ShaoYuan was my ex-husband, and also a murderer."
Shen Zhenghao's heart pounded. "Then… how did you meet him? How could you have been with someone like that?"