Shen Liang's words undoubtedly made Liu Shuhan, mother-daughter pair's face darken and turn ugly. Especially Liu Shuhan. She never expected that the cowardly and timid youth who had been "exiled" for five years actually dared to slap her. If it wasn't for Shen Ruiting's presence, she suspected she would still be in a stupor right now. And now with Shen Liang's words and comments, hatred immediately seeped into her bones. She despised him! She wanted nothing more than to carve the skin off his bones and cut him a hundred, a thousand times!
"You... You little b*stard! I'll beat you to death!"
In the past few years, no one had dared to mention Wei Zetian before him. Shen Ruiting was furious and was prepared to rush forward when Liu Shuhan pulled him back with pretense, "Forget it, Marquis. Xiao Wu just returned home. He must have believed the rumors outside after encountering such a circumstance. Moreover, that priest from the White Cloud Temple was hired by me by mother-in-law's request. It's not unreasonable for him to begrudge me. Marquis, don't be too stern."
Her words were aggrieved and gentle but alluded to Shen Ruiting that Shen Liang was a calamity. Wei Zetian's death was also caused by him.
"You're still speaking for him! If I beat him to death today, I can be considered ridding this society of a disgrace!"
She Ruiting's eyes widened as he stared down at Shen Liang. His gaze held a murderous intent, and his words weren't just a facade.
"Go ahead. My dad used his life to give birth to me. If you have the capability, beat me to death. Once I head to the other side, I'll tell dad everything. I'm afraid even after your death and in the next life, don't even dream about ever having any fate or opportunity with my dad ever again!"
Shen Liang sensed his murderous intent and didn't hold back either. Whether his dad had truly died from a complicated childbirth was one matter, but even if he did, what did it have to do with Shen Liang? Why should he bear the crime of this matter? He himself also lost his dad. If they have the capability, then just stuff him back into his dad's womb, don't let him be born. It wasn't like Shen Liang himself had a choice to come to this world and the person who had the least qualifications to despise him for this matter was Shen Ruiting!
"You, you, you..."
Shen Ruiting was infuriated, and his hands trembled vigorously. The corners of his lips trembled as he exclaimed, "You don't deserve to mention him!"
If it wasn't for him, how could Zeqian have died?!
"I don't deserve to? And you do? Don't f*cking disgust me. You continuously speak of your love for dad, but didn't you still take in a concubine? Your son from the concubine isn't much younger than my eldest brother. Isn't your love a bit cheap?"
If one truly loved someone, how was it possible he would let his wife suffer from such grievances?
Back then, his dad had given up everything to marry his father. He refused to listen to his grandfather's opposition and even severed ties with the Wei Family. And what about his father? What did his father do?
"That was because..."
Speaking of this matter, Shen Ruiting couldn't help but suffer from a shortness of breath from his anger. And away from his view, Liu Shuhan's gaze pinned on Shen Liang viciously.
"Do you want to say you had no choice? Perhaps you can use that excuse to justify the first time. But the second time? Third time? And countless times afterwards? Don't forget, you also have a daughter one year younger than I!"
Shen Liang straightened his back as his gaze fell on Shen Ruiting unfalteringly. His tone was filled with mockery and sarcasm.
"Who told you these matters?"
Seeing Shen Liang was all too clear on these matters that were supposedly confidential, Shen Ruiting demanded in a deep voice.
Shen Liang didn't immediately respond. The father-son pair were stepping on pins and needles and neither backed down. It was only a long while afterward that Shen Liang's gaze momentarily peered at Liu Shuhan who continued to glare at him pointedly. It wasn't only Liu Shuhan who knew the tactic of pinning the blame on someone.
"No. No, Marquis, how is it possible that I was the one who told him?"
After meeting Shen Liang's gaze and realizing Shen Ruiting had also followed Shen Liang's gaze to look at her, Liu Shuhan immediately exclaimed that she was being wronged. Afterwards, she cried out in anger, "Xiao Wu, it's fine if you hate me, but how could you also pin something on me that I didn't do?"
This little b*stard! He actually dared to pin something on her right before her? Who didn't know that Wei Zetian was Shen Ruiting's reverse scale? If this was pinned on her, she wouldn't be able to dream of living well for the rest of her life. As her two children grows up, Shen Ruiting's attitude towards her had also gradually improved. She didn't want to return to the past when he treated her so coldly and she couldn't even see him for days and weeks to come.
"You know best whether I'm pinning a blame on you. I was only ten five years ago and didn't have elder brother to accompany me. I couldn't even take a step out from the vicinity of the countryside. For the past five years, I've been at the countryside and only just returned the day before yesterday. With injuries at that. The few people I've interacted with are either you or the old madame. If it wasn't you, was it perhaps the old madame who told me?"
Capturing the infatuation and panic in the depths of Liu Shuhan's gaze on Shen Ruiting, Shen Liang added fire to the fuel. Before they did anything, they can't expect for Shen Liang to wait until they actually did something before doing anything bac, right? He had already decided that for this life he wasn't going to endure any grievances. Besides, wasn't he only speaking the truth?
"You...."
Liu Shuhan clearly didn't expect this move. She watched as Shen Ruiting's gaze on her gradually grew more and more solemn and cold and reached out to grasp his wrist in panic, "No, Maruquis. I didn't. I really didn't..."
Shen Ruiting forced her hands off him: "It can't be that you want to say it was mother then?"
Wei Zeqian was the cinnabar mole in his heart. No one was allowed to touch it. Even though he knew there was something illogical with Shen Liang's words, he still couldn't help but vent the anger on Liu Shuhan.
"Father, mother really didn't say anything. This is all Shen Liang's lies."
Seeing this, Shen Qiang hurriedly stepped forward. However, she had clearly overestimated her importance to Shen Ruiting. She, who had always been favored and spoiled, was immediately received by Shen Ruiting's fierce glare, "Shut up. What did you come here with all these people for? Scram! In the future, without my permission, you're not allowed to come here."
"Father!"
Shen Qiang, who had never been treated by him like this before, was stunned. Liu Shuhan grabbed her and after bowing to Shen Ruiting and delivering Shen Liang another vicious glare, left with her servants.
"Marquis, please return as well. My temple is humble and cannot accommodate you, this big Buddha."
Shen Liang rubbed off the streak of blood from the corner of his lip. He endured the pain and pursed his lips. Since he had already torn off all pretenses, then there was no need for him to remain courteous.
"You... I'm your father."
After hearing Shen Liang call him Marquis, the fire within him that had only just slightly calmed was immediately stoked again. Shen Liang mocked with disapproval, "You actually still remember you're my father. I figured you must not want this son of yours. If the Marquis can, I suggest the Marquis head to the Court and submit an official notification and request to sever our father-son relationship. I would be grateful for it."
"You, you unfilial son!"
Shen Ruiting was incensed and raised his hand to slap him again, but Qi Yue hurriedly rushed forward and blocked Shen Liang from him. Over Qi Yue's shoulder, Shen Ruiting captured a glance of Shen Liang's stubborn little face, he fell into a trance. It was as though he saw a glimpse of his deceased lover. If Wei Zetian didn't die, he would undoubtedly spoil Shen Liang the most. After all, Shen Liang resembled Wei Zetian the most. He was also like Wei Zetian, a Ger, and even his anger and stubborn expression was exactly the same as Wei Zetian. But...
"When Da'er returns, you will marry. You better behave for me during this time period!"
As Shen Ruiting recalled that Wei Zetian died because of Shen Liang, the meager warmth he had in his eyes dissipated. After, with the sweep of his sleeves, he left.
"Liangliang, does it hurt?"
When only the master-servant pair remained, Qi Yue turned around to caress his cheek in distress. He had reached over but was afraid of causing Shen Liang further pain and tears puddled in his eyes.
"It's alright. Find the housekeeper for some ice. It'll be fine after icing it for a while."
Shen Liang waned to smile, but it felt forced and could only pat Qi Yue's shoulders to comfort him.
"How can the Marquis be so cruel. You're his son!"
Tears finally streaked down Qi Yue's face as his throat tightened. He felt aggrieved. Even beasts wouldn't target their own children and the Marquis couldn't even compare to an animal.
"Alright now. It's only a hypocritical man, that's all. Hurry now for the ice. It hurts."
"En. I'll go right aways."
When he heard Shen Liang say it hurts, Qi Yue immediately wiped his tears away and hurried out. As he watched Qi Yue hurry out, the warmth in Shen Liang's eyes also gradually diminished. He raised his hand to caress his swollen cheek. Right, he was Shen Ruiting's son. He was even birthed by the man Shen Ruiting loved more than anyone else. But even so, Shen Ruiting hated him enough to kill him. How ironic.