Jiang Zhen narrowed his eyes. "Are you provoking me?"

  "Why would you think that way if you are so confident?"

  "Well, maybe you got bored in this house, and you are trying to pass some time. In that case, I can grant you the freedom to visit the garden. The fresh air will really reset your brain."

  "My brain doesn't need to be reset. It's yours, and I am gonna do it. If you are not scared, that is."

  He yawned. "Why should I go along with your crap? Maybe you don't mean to challenge me at all. Maybe you would be looking for a way to escape as you are outside."

  "I am sure I won't have the liberty to roam around on my own. You can place as many guards as you want to watch me. Don't worry. I am not a coward like you. So, I won't run away once I have committed something."

  He stared at her in silence.

  "You seriously think you can stop my businesses? What gives you confidence?"

  "That everyone wants to live a better life. That everybody just wants to live a happy life. I have to make them realize that drugs are not that way to achieve it."

  "And how do you plan to do it?"

  "I don't know. I will figure something out. But until I am in this Goddamn place, I am not gonna sit here helplessly waiting for somebody to rescue me. I will do what I can in my power to stop you."

  "Interesting. Hmm…Alright. I accept," he smiled. "Let me see how you shake my Underworld with your tiny hands."

  She sneered. "Heh. Just wait and watch. Oh and…" Lihua took a step into his room and to Jiang Hua's shock, she grabbed her hand and pulled her out. "I will be taking her with me too."

  Jiang Hua froze. "W-What are you…"

  "Shush. Let me talk. Do you even have any freedom in this house apart from going out to buy necessities?"

  She lowered her head.

  Jiang Zhen asked, "What is the meaning of this, Lihua?"

  She glared at him. "Are you deaf? I said Jiang Hua will come with me too."

  He sneered. "What? You want her to teach her to rebel against me? Her?"

  She trembled.

  "That's not gonna work. She knows her limits."

  She snorted. "Think whatever you want. I just don't want her to see her cooped up in this house anymore. What are you afraid of? Won't your loyal guards keep an eye on us anyway?"

  Ruru bit his lip and hugged Lihua from the back. "Me too…Come with Lihua too."

  Jiang Zhen coldly said, "Are you my son or hers?"

  He froze.

  "I think I have been too soft on you that you rebel again and again."

  Lihua protectively held him. "Don't threaten him like that. It's because you are not a good father that he wants to rebel against you. Forget being a father. You are a disgrace as a human!"

  Jiang Zhen was bored. "Whatever. Take whoever you want. You or her or Ruru or you three together are too puny to even lift your finger against me."

  Jiang Hua quickly said, "N-No. I won't come with you. I…I am fine here…"

  He smiled. "See? Such a good wife, isn't she?"

  Lihua pursed her lips and held her hand. "You don't have to be afraid. I won't do anything that would hurt you. I just want to take you outside."

  Jiang Hua paled and hesitated. "I-I really don't…"

  "Okay, we will do one thing. You come with me for a few days. If you still feel uncomfortable, then you can always reject it."

  She paused.

  Ruru looked at his mother and furrowed his brows in disappointment. He kept hugging Lihua and mumbled. "Ruru is always with Lihua…"

  Jiang Hua bit her lip, feeling her son's distance. She peeked at Jiang Zhen fearfully, but he wasn't paying any attention to her.

  She clasped her hands together. "A-alright…"

  Lihua beamed. "Great! Now that's decided, we will leave for today!"

  Jiang Zhen smirked. "Don't get too happy and don't forget you are not supposed to cross your boundary. My guards will report everything to me. So don't act smart with any escape attempt."

  "Worry about yourself, Jiang Zhen, not me. Just wait for your Underworld to collapse," she smiled.

  —


  As Jiang Zhen got ready, he saw an incoming call from Li Dong. His brows twitched in grimace.

  Why is he calling?

  At first, he missed his call, but Li Dong kept continuously calling him.

  Fuck!

  "What?" He asked, irritated.

  "Aish, why are you so irritated, Jiang Zhen? Did I call at the wrong time? Busy with a woman?"

  "Come to the point."

  "Nothing. I have just been hearing rumors lately about you and Yang Mingshen~"

  Jiang Zhen narrowed his eyes.

  "You are not growing too fond of him, are you?"

  "What are you talking about?"

  "A little birdie told me that you were seen with him in the Jiang villa to meet that maniac ex Mafia King. Jiang Zhen, I am hurt. How could you abandon me like that?"

  He smiled. "You are getting too emotional. Didn't I say I would get all of his precious assets to you? Naturally, it won't happen overnight. There should be some trust between him and me, right?"

  "Trust? And Yang Mingshen? The only one he trusts is himself. If you wanted to test Jiang Wei, you should have taken me."

  "I took him because he has been close to him for all these years. He is the best person to identify if he is lying or not."

  "Unless he isn't lying with him too."

  He chuckled. "Yang Mingshen only sees merit in who's the strongest. And I am the strongest now. He doesn't side with a drowning ship, and Wei is completely wrecked at this point. I told you, right? You will get your revenge on Yang Mingshen as long as we work together. If there is distance between him and me, then things won't look good for you."

  "I see…Well if that's what you feel so~ Just don't forget me the next time, okay?"

  He hung up.

  Jiang Zhen's gaze darkened.

  Who told Li Dong about it? None of my guards would even dare to open their mouths.

  Yang Mingshen?

  Impossible. He wants to secretly destroy Li Dong himself.

  Then…


  Is that Li Dong keeping an eye on me?