How could someone be this detestable?
Jing Ge said to him, "Uncle Li and Aunt Man invited me to stay here for a short while. I'll leave. As soon as they come back, I'll leave immediately."
"..." Li Zhan's expression turned cold. "Leave? Where are you going?"
Jing Ge said, "Back to my home. I'll never come here again!"
Li Zhan stared at her for a moment, then suddenly sneered. "You're going to marry into this family sooner or later. What are you putting on airs for?"
Jing Ge's lips moved. "Then I won't marry—"
Before she could finish, Li Zhan abruptly cut her off, his tone vicious. "As if that's up to you or me! If you want to blame something, blame the fact that we're different genders. If you were a man, this engagement could've just been carried over!"
The engagement had been arranged back in their great-grandfather's generation.
Unfortunately, after it was set, both sides in the grandfather's generation were all men. In the father's generation, all men again—until it finally reached Li Zhan's and Jing Ge's generation.
At last, one man and one woman appeared.
As if the engagement had to be fulfilled, like completing some twisted cult ritual.
Jing Ge swallowed her grievance and shot back, "If you were a woman, I wouldn't have been tied to you either!"
Li Zhan's tone darkened. "Jing Gege…"
The second time.
That name had appeared for the second time tonight.
Jing Ge hated it when people called her Jing Gege the most.
Just sharing a name with Jingge Hotpot had already earned her endless mockery. Then later, when her younger brother Jing Beile was born, her miserable fate could hardly be described as anything less than piling snow on frost.
Because of that name, her entire life felt like being roasted over hot coals.
When classmates bullied her, they didn't even bother being subtle. "The Qing dynasty remnant is here! Pay respects to the Gege, pay respects to Lord Beile!"
Jing Ge was fragile too. If she wasn't careful, she'd break down completely, go home, roll around crying, and insist her parents change her name.
They did.
From Jing Gege, it became Jing Ge.
They said her name and her brother's Beile both had their reasons and couldn't be changed too drastically.
The three characters "Jing Gege" were equivalent to shitting on her head.
And Li Zhan had done it twice in one night.
Jing Ge couldn't take it anymore. She lifted her foot and stomped hard on his instep, then shoved him away with a fierce push, storming into the living room.
Li Zhan hopped in place, clutching his foot, exploding. "Jing Gege!!"
Jing Ge stomped back, slapped him again, and shoved him straight out the door while he was standing on one leg.
Li Zhan's face turned green with rage.
The two of them stood in front of Li Mushí, neither looking at the other.
An aunt carefully brought over a pot of hot water.
Li Mushí showed no particular expression as he poured himself a cup. "Sit."
Li Zhan was utterly unapologetic, flopping into a chair.
Li Mushí lifted his eyelids. "Was I talking to you?"
"..." Li Zhan protested absurdly, "Uncle, don't play favorites!"
Li Mushí said, "You stand."
The Li family rules were strict. Elders were like heaven itself, and Li Mushí was especially stern. No matter how much of a bastard Li Zhan was, he didn't dare disobey him.
The scene instantly shifted.
Jing Ge sat.
Li Zhan stood.
"About what happened tonight," Li Mushí looked at them, "which one of you will speak?"
Li Zhan sneered. "She didn't tattle on the way back?"
Li Mushí said, "I'll call on you when it's your turn."
Li Zhan choked.
Li Mushí was concise. "Whoever speaks, raise your hand."
"..."
This wasn't elementary school.
Jing Ge didn't raise her hand.
She couldn't bring herself to say it.
Li Zhan was even less likely to. No matter how much he and Jing Ge fought, it was still a private matter. If it blew up and dragged their uncle into it, he feared Li Mushí would skin him alive.
Seeing that no one spoke, Li Mushí leaned back in his chair. "Aunt Zhang, is Li Ying asleep?"
"Not yet."
"Call her down."
"Alright."
Li Ying was Li Zhan's younger sister, ten years old, in fifth grade.
Though the little girl was academically hopeless, when it came to tattling and holding grudges, she was like a walking video recorder—able to replay everything word for word, exactly as it happened.
And she loved stirring up excitement.
Li Ying chirped, "Sister-in-law—ah, Sister—got paid and bought a gift for Uncle to thank you. My brother saw it and said Sister wanted to seduce you. Sister got really mad… blah blah blah."
Li Zhan emphasized each word. "I didn't say it that explicitly!"
Li Ying said, "That's exactly what you meant."
Li Mushí patted her head. "Good girl. Go upstairs and sleep."
Li Ying said, "I want to see how my brother gets punished."
Li Mushí said, "It's not interesting."
Li Ying said, "That makes me want to see it even more."
Li Mushí said, "Upstairs."
"…Oh."
The little girl stomped off in a huff.
Li Zhan's expression was ugly. Jing Ge stayed silent.
After a brief pause, Li Mushí spoke. "Where's the gift?"
Jing Ge hesitated. "I threw it away."
Li Mushí asked, "How much was your salary?"
Jing Ge replied, "Four thousand six hundred. Four thousand base pay, six hundred full attendance."
She was still in her internship period, with no commission yet.
Li Mushí asked, "How much did the gift cost?"
Jing Ge said, "…Four thousand."
Cheap things—she was afraid they wouldn't look presentable, that they wouldn't show sincerity.
Li Zhan seemed to snort.
Out of a 4,600 salary, she'd spent 4,000 on Li Mushí alone, and even bought Li Ying a cake. As for him… everyone else—nothing at all!
Li Mushí lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, then said, "Have Li Zhan reimburse you."
"…Why should I!" Li Zhan exploded. "She didn't even buy me anything!"
Li Mushí looked at him. "I won't accept this gift. She can return it. But because of your slander, she threw it away. The responsibility lies with you."
"..."
Li Zhan felt his teeth grind to dust.
Fine!
Pay, then pay!
It was just 4,000 yuan. Who was like this girl, working her ass off for a whole month just to earn 4,600!
Li Mushí tipped his chin. "Apologize."
Li Zhan stared at him in disbelief. "I'm already paying, and I still have to apologize?"
Li Mushí didn't waste words. "Apologize."
Li Zhan's jaw muscles bulged.
"Sorry!"
Li Mushí frowned. "Bow. And use a proper form of address."
"..." Li Zhan's chest heaved. He couldn't bend that head.
Li Mushí remained calm and unconcerned. He casually unlocked his phone, dialed a number, and put it on speaker. "Second Brother, when are you and Sister-in-law planning to come back?"
"…Why?" The man on the other end paused. "Did the kids cause trouble?"
Li Mushí's cold gaze stayed fixed on Li Zhan. "Raising children is the parents' responsibility. If you give birth to them only to dump them on someone else, what then? If others want to raise kids, can't they give birth themselves?"
Li Zhan's father was named Li Kaiji, a university professor. This time, he and his wife had gone out together for academic research.
Serious business.
Knowing his younger brother's temperament, Li Kaiji didn't even ask further. "Do whatever you want. If you beat him to death, count it as mine and your second sister-in-law's."
Li Zhan: "."
Li Mushí curved his lips slightly. "I don't recommend corporal punishment."
Li Zhan silently let out a breath.
Li Mushí continued, "How about docking his living expenses for half a year?"
"..."
"Well, uh… little brother," Li Kaiji coughed. "He's only a junior in college. He doesn't have his own income yet. Isn't half a year a bit long?"
Li Mushí sighed softly. "Second Brother, back then, the one who should've gone into academia… was me."
But because Li Kaiji refused to take over the group, it had fallen to him.
In other words, Second Brother had taken his dream.
"..." Li Kaiji's scalp went numb. "Punish him! Even a year is fine!"
Li Mushí smoothly followed up. "Then one year."
Li Zhan: "???"