Chapter 40
Bitter
Hero has stared at his old father. JK has appeared in a thousand forms from the past to the present: a stoic father to his son, a media tycoon with the aura of fame glowing, Lord Mengchang who has changed the fate of the poor, and a benevolent immortal who has granted miracles to help the sick overcome death. No matter which role he has transformed into, JK has played it perfectly.
Hero has realized the "artist" substance long ingrained in JK's blood—a substance that has mesmerized mortals and even made insensible objects feel emotion for the heart of a saintly man in the Prehistoric Kingdom. But now, that substance has ceased to exist in JK. Because of his envy of Sam and Huge, this "artist" substance has ceased to exist.
Hero has never seen JK as real as he is tonight. The feeling has been as real as talking to Luu Ly. Witnessing the unthinkable for the second time, Hero has been so dumbfounded he is motionless, because he has been unable to believe how many times he has penetrated his father's closed mind, only to see empty space and nothing but endless darkness. Now, the emotions of sadness, sorrow, regret, and hatred have pushed back the darkness and have allowed the warmth of family love to fill the void in his father's soul.
The father is sad that he does not achieve complete happiness. He loves his offspring but does not receive the response he deserves. He regrets choosing rationality instead of listening to his heart.
He hates himself for making the biggest mistake in his life. Past mistakes pushed his loved ones away from his arms. Present mistakes cause the peach blood that can never flow into his heart.
Mistake after mistake has thrown the peach blood into the pond of raw water. The father has cried and hated himself for abandoning his feelings and then being unable to touch a heart.
Hero never fully feels that warm father-son relationship. From childhood to adulthood, he looked forward to his father playing and talking with him every moment of every day, and longed to have family meals with his father. He waited silently for many years, but Hero was always disappointed, and the son had to swallow the cold food with tears of grievance.
He grieved for his stoic, unaffectionate father. He grieved that when he hugged the man who gave birth to him in his dreams, his father returned to find his son sleeping next to a tray of rice that had been reheated all night. He grieved that when he woke up, there was no longer the warmth of his father in the blanket. He grieved because the last time he gave his father a chance to make up for his feelings, his father still neglected his blood relative for the pursuit of fame.
The son decided to wait until dawn. When the food got cold, he and his mother would reheat it. His mother was his confidante who was always by his side, but she stopped waiting for her husband by her son's side a long time ago. The only person who gave him her all and loved him was gone forever.
During the years when his mother was suffering from depression, his father played the role of a breadwinner in front of the world. But in fact, JK didn't care that his wife and children were living a life worse than death.
That day, the taciturn Hero sent his mother to a place where she would no longer suffer, causing the heavens to shed tears of sadness, while JK was busy showing off to the media that Anh Dao was his thirteen-year-old adopted daughter and at the same time bestowed fame on a bunch of people who were strangers.
The simple dream of family reunion could not be realized. The dream became hatred for his father's poor treatment of him and his mother. The dream became a nightmare that followed him all his life. When he began to grow up, JK forced him to follow the perfect example of the quality of an "artist".
That mirror always showed JK's sacred image for people to admire. Hero also had to become the perfect man god in the eyes of the world. Over the long years, he lost his mother and even lost himself to live according to his father's wishes.
That life was perfect for JK.
But it was hell for someone who resented the one who gave birth to him. The coldly dark hell has never opened for Ngoc and her three daughters. The bright paradise of warm family affection has welcomed the peach blood. That emotion only existed in the dream of the only son. Now, the father has infinite love for his wine daughter and the highest respect for his beloved granddaughters.
Ordinary people lived in that simple happiness every day. But with Hero, the cursed fate turned the emotion into a nightmare; even the respect was crushed by the great father. The mother died tragically, and the respect in Hero's eyes was distorted. But at least, there was still shape. When JK gives all his love to Ngoc and her three daughters, respect dies in Hero's heart.
Without emotions and respect, there is nothing left in his life except resentment. Hero can't bear it anymore. He pretends to bring a glass of fruit juice and deliberately pours water on himself:
- Sorry, I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I'm absent-minded. Please allow...
The fashion family smiles gently and says not to worry. Hero thanks him and hurries to the bathroom to wash the stain. He angrily slams the sink to vent his anger, and then the man god walks into the big hall and sits down next to his best friend.
Hero glances at the various types of wine on the table. He doesn't choose the light wine near him. Instead, he reaches out and picks up the bottle of the strongest wine, fills the glass, and lets the heat burn all the anger.
Now, he needs to maintain a perfect image. The pungent wine still smokes his blood-streaked eyes. Envy and hatred tear at his chaotic emotions. He closes his eyes and drinks the wine, swallowing the bitter tears that enter his heart. Real friend has never seen him drink heavily. He frowns and asks:
- What's wrong, my friend?
Hero slowly opens his eyes, clear and calm, without a single trace of murkiness. All the bitter hatred disappears beneath his sunny smile. He lets out a long sound of joy, scoops up a handful of peanuts, throws them into his mouth to chew, and shakes his thighs while watching the result of the proposal. Real friend doesn't understand anything. The close friend whispers in his ear:
- Do you think Lan will agree, my friend?
Real friend half jokes, half speaks the truth:
- I don't know, but I hope she says no so I can have a chance to become your nephew-in-law!
Hero laughs at the joke, leans back in his chair, crosses his arms, and watches this dramatic proposal unfold until the very last moment.
JK is still watching blankly as a drop of peach blood dyes the raw water pond red. The old guy stands woodenly, contemplating the silent smile of thanks on the faces of the mother and her two daughters. That smile should belong to the great father, the exemplary grandfather, the perfect person who gives life to his offspring — that is obviously the truth for JK. The unchanging truth is that his selfish nature wants to monopolize family affection and hates those who possess the priceless treasure he dreams of owning.
The old guy has not thrown everything away. Things have not been so bad, but while he has seemed happy on the surface, tears have flowed into his heart again — self-pity, because his offspring have given affectionate smiles to Huge and Sam, two people not related by blood, whom he has hated.
Distressed and helpless, the scar at the corner of his eye twitches wildly. The fixed expression is so familiar to Anh Dao that she half-closes her eyes coldly, observing what she expects: JK envies the pond of raw water, is heartbroken because peach blood does not accept him, and is resentful that he has betrayed feelings—so he loses the opportunity to atone for his sins. God will not give him a second chance.
After a moment of negligence and distraction, the actor reproduces the perfect image without any flaws. No longer stunned to the point of losing consciousness, hot tears penetrate deep into the bottom of his eyes. JK shows that he is eagerly waiting for his granddaughter's answer.
Huge and Sam do not dare to breathe hard, worried that Lan will be affected. Everyone is equally nervous; a suffocating silence envelops the entire big hall. The Nhan Nghia family still believes that the prediction is correct.
Everyone thinks that the princess is weak and shy, so whether she agrees or refuses, she hesitates before making a major decision. Unexpectedly, the girl is strangely frank, does not blush or hesitate, and smiles gently at the entire $ family:
- I'm thanking uncle's family for your concern for me! Nhan Nghia may be perfect for others, but he's just a classmate to me. Maybe from childhood to adulthood, I've been seeing Nhan Nghia every day, so I won't be feeling sentimental for my best friend! Sometimes, you'll be needing distance to feel nostalgia and… lovesickness. Unfortunately, we'll only be staying good friends!
Sam and his father breathe a sigh of relief, and their spirits, which are on the verge of snapping, immediately relax. The father is in high spirits, and the son is happier than during the Spring Festival. The father and son laugh joyfully, clap each other's hands, and give their relatives a thumbs-up.
- As decisive as Sam, but better at speaking than your filthy uncle. You are worthy of being your uncle's niece!
Sam beams with joy, watching a bunch of people grabbing wives indiscriminately, singing with playful tones:
Lift the ladder and ask God
Will ice melt and snow flow under true love?
God answers: Animals also have feelings, let alone you?
Everyone giggles because of the super naughty guy. Nhan Nghia's family turns purple with anger, their intestines twisting from the exquisite rejection. Sam is disruptively sarcastic, and the whole family swirls their bulging pupils directly at him. He mocks their hungry stares, as if they want to devour him alive:
- Let's go, old father! Tonight's fun is incredible. I'll buy you a cup of dried squid seafood beer, and after we get drunk, we can hug each other and sleep to warm up the father-son relationship. Ha... Ha... Ha...
He imitates the smile icon on the world's largest social networking site, opens his mouth wide, and laughs in front of a bunch of people who have lost face but still force a smile. The father and son smile and say goodbye to Ngoc and her two daughters, and Anh Dao. The girls nod slightly in response.
Sam and his father say goodbye to JK and his son indifferently. The old guy and his son raise their hands and salute perfunctorily. Both sides no longer care about each other. Sam and his father, full of energy, leave the hotel with a provocative dance. Hero gently pushes real friend's shoulder:
- Everything is as you want. Feel good!
Real friend smiles:
- Prepare to be called uncle!
Hero chuckles and watches JK approach his niece. The old guy says to the $ family politely:
- At this time, you two are not yet destined to be together, but this doesn't mean that Nhan Nghia has no chance to knock on the door of Lan's heart. - JK pats Nhan Nghia's shoulder affectionately - Don't be discouraged, son!
JK socializes to help the other party save face, but the blood still boils in the bodies of Nhan Nghia's family. The stinging, blazing anger spreads fire all over their bodies, incinerating the dignity of both parents and children, burning the face of the $ family. They despise the inferior girl who has learned luxury. Once timid and shy in poverty, showing fragility and weakness, she now changes her life and turns her face faster than flipping a book—arrogantly and bluntly refusing, raising the voice of the learned, choosing words to avoid hurting each other's hearts.
The fashion family is bitter toward the half-season lady and resentful of that bastard maternal grandfather, because the old guy deliberately rubs salt into the wound with grating words of comfort. Hostile toward the person who almost became their in-law, their rage spills over onto the lustful son who "dies" because of the girl.
The precious son is no longer number one in the eyes of his parents. In just a few minutes, he falls into the pit of anger and resentment. The priceless treasure crumbles into worthless rice husk ash. The pile of humiliating ash smears the faces of his parents.
Worldly mouths and tongues and suppressed ironic laughter fill the big hall. The spotless, beautiful face suddenly distorts into disfigurement. The vultures keep pecking at the face that has lost all dignity, with headlines screaming:
"Surprise after surprise, the national family rejects the fashionable family!"
"Unbelievable night with failed proposal!"
"No princess, no party!"
"The princess waits for love, not for the prince!"
"The girl we dreamed of following that year, we still dream of pursuing this year."
"The flower not yet owned — good news for men in Prehistoric Kingdom and men around the world."
"After all, the historical marriage does not go as expected."
"The proposal fails — what should the handsome guy do?"
"Chairman, madam, younger master — who is the saddest person tonight?"
The thrilling classic drama from beginning to end sets off a nationwide craze, spreading around the world in just a few minutes. Netizens cry out at the unprofessional newspaper pages:
Too few video clips — this meager image doesn't do justice to the scale of the event.
Suggest the government, the country, and the people call on the media to report truthfully, conveying the details of the reunion ceremony and drama… ah, wrong — the failed marriage proposal event.
Spreading nonsense like this is like bait; shut down the damn newsroom, a pile of newspaper tents.
We sit for hours with tired backs and worn butts to watch such ridiculous photos, huh?
Damn, what a waste of network money; the ceremony is like a spectacle...
I pay money online to watch this nonsense… huh?
Damn, you idiots who know nothing! Shut up, you dogs. The protagonist is the offspring of JK—the media tycoon doesn't allow it, even if their father tells them to report the hustle and bustle, they still don't dare.
Your mother fool. JK's offspring is as beautiful as Miss World and must show off proudly to the world. That dog-brained guy's father.
There's really no way to fight against these stupid people because they are too numerous and aggressive.
That slut mother of the stupid guy—they pretend to be foolish, yet they still believe it!
Pretend to be stupid… dick…
Oh, this dog bites people; I'll beat your father to death.
Explode the address, dog... Dad is too afraid of you again.
Dad beats your whole family — anyone who doesn't come is a shit-eating dog.
Haha, idiot, this has nothing to do with you! Why do you interrupt? Let the mad dog bite…
So, what are you doing, you pig-brain idiot?
Serious young people also know how to pretend to be stupid ah, stupid guy, only smart people like me can pretend to be stupid. Do you understand, serious young people?
Yes, serious young people don't know how to pretend to be stupid; only you are smart enough to pretend to be stupid. So smart, you wet your pants. Laughing until tears fall, unable to shut my mouth.
Oh, does this outstandingly smart adolescent realize the stupidity you keep showing?
It's great to watch a bunch of crippled minds and psychopaths cursing each other...
Shut up, you idiots! If you want to watch, fine. If you don't want to, get out. Curse each other all you like… the network congestion even stops grandma from watching idols!
Get out of here, now grandmother is putting crotch on your guy faces!
Is this the future generation of the country?
Failed education, burden on society, what the hell generation?
Get out of here, a bunch of bunch of women guys moralists...
Go home and teach all your dick daddy guys and bitch mom!
That loathsome father, that shameful face… ugly as a dog, and you think you're hot stuff!
You all are so skilled, why don't you be this gentleman and that lady, crotch idle go online gossip, teach what dog life?
Thousands of cursed comments, troublemaking, sarcasm, and ridicule flood the social network. With only a "reasonable" excuse for the habit of liking to show off, the young buffalo and a bunch of herds no longer need to know the event or Drama in real life.
They divide into factions and fight in the virtual world. The Internet breaks out into a media war, performed by a bunch of free castings, crazy with role-playing, but they don't know that they are turning themselves into carrion for vultures to peck.
After eating and drinking to their heart's content, the cannibals still notice that Nhan Nghia's family is angry and wants to vomit blood. The whole family adjusts their faces, returning to a quiet and polite, familiar demeanor faster than the keyboard heroes on the Internet scratch their keys. Parents and children smile gently and elegantly, and the chairman says slowly:
- Love cannot be forced. The two are still young and have a long future ahead of them, they should slowly cultivate their feelings!
The lady contemplates Lan tenderly:
- That's right, inculcate, so love must go through the ups and downs, and only by overcoming the test can we be happy together!
Nhan Nghia admires the girl he loves with fascination:
- You haven't agreed yet, I'm still waiting for you, I will wait for you forever!
Everyone applauds for true love. Many excited people urge Lan to change her mind. The princess still responds kindly to the infatuated person:
- Lan is not the only flower in the world!
This sentence has an ironic implication for the promiscuous habit of using both hands to catch fish. The playboy hears a giggle not far away, his face turns purple with embarrassment. Their patience reaches its limit. His parents try to suppress their anger and wait for the pre-arranged call before attending the reunion ceremony. A few seconds later, the phone rings and the chairman immediately picks up:
- Alo, the corporation, there is something urgent that needs to be dealt with. OK, we'll be right back!
The guests and reporters all cover their mouths and laugh silently at this clumsy play. JK is not surprised by the old trick to cure shame. He still feels pity on behalf of the fashion family, because it is too hard to bear to lose face in front of the media tycoon's family. The employee from the $ Corporation is slow to make the call, the bunch who are hungry for fame and fortune are humiliated again in front of the world.
JK is matter-of-fact and half-smiles, and takes the initiative to shake hands with the chairman's family instead of saying goodbye. Nhan Nghia and his parents say goodbye to everyone and immediately leave the place where they are insulted.
Until the last moment, the vultures try to take a few photos of the two families. They are so shameless that they wait for the guests to congratulate and ask for permission to leave, the herd dives into their tents and nests to process and cook the information into premium specialties for the guests to chew and devour.