Yu Hao's house was a small detached villa currently inhabited by Yu Dahai's family. Yu Dahai's parents, wife and children filled the villa to the brim, transforming the once warm and elegantly decorated house beyond recognition in the less than half a month since the family had moved in.
Lately, because of the crusade on the Internet, the journalists knocking on their door for an interview, and the people nearby pointing fingers at them, the family hadn't been able to raise their heads. But above all, the head of their family, Yu Dahai, hadn't come home in days.
Yu Dahai's son, Yu Long, restlessly paced back and forth around the living room. "Why hasn't Dad come back? What'll we do if the situation continues like this? I can't even go to school."
Despite being older than Yu Hao by two years, Yu Long was still muddling along in high school, surrounding himself with a gang of scoundrels, and had been held back several times. Since living the high life, he'd confidently bragged to his friends about how utterly free and easy he lived.
Yet, not long after his boasts, his free and easy lifestyle vanished. Whenever he recalled how his buddies had ridiculed him when he'd left the house a few days ago, Yu Long couldn't help pulling at his hair. He figured that his dad would have the perfect solution to this situation, thus he became restless when Yu Dahai hadn't returned for two days.
"Stopping walking back and forth. You're making my head spin!" Yu Long's younger sister, Yu Qian, couldn't help but shout. Though clearly just a junior high student, her eyebrows were pencil-drawn and her face was caked with make-up—she believed herself to be a fashionista.
Yu Long was feeling agitated at that moment, so when his younger sister yelled at him, he immediately cursed at her in response. Yu Qian wasn't one to take things lying down, and the two siblings quickly dissolved into a shouting match, which nearly broke into a fight.
Although Yu Dahai's wife immediately tried to pacify the two of them, her children didn't see her as an authority figure, so no one listened to her. Yu Dahai's parents sat on the sidelines with calm faces, but they were actually irritated by the yelling. Their grandfather scolded them, "You two brats have been at it for so long, can't you take a break? If you still want to fight, you can fight outside."
Yu Long and Yu Qian evidently held their grandfather in higher regard than their mother. Most importantly, they listened to his words and didn't dare act too unbridled.
Moments after the sound of their quarrel stopped, they heard knocking from outside their door. Everyone in the living room exchanged doubtful glances. No one opened the door, assuming it was yet another journalist hoping to interview them. They honestly couldn't cope with it anymore, nor did they want to cope with it.
Before moving here, they'd been living in a small apartment in a good neighbourhood with good facilities. The place had three bedrooms and two living spaces. While the apartment had been rented at first, for the sake of their parents, Yu Hao's mother had given him the down payment to buy the place later on. Afterwards, he merely needed to return the monthly payment on schedule.
But Yu Dahai wasn't satisfied. He thought his sister was swimming in money but unwilling to spend it on him, seeing as she didn't pay for the house in full and simply paid the down payment like a cheapskate. Thus, he'd often curse her behind her back.
Yu Hao's mother had had a free conscience. Although they were her biological parents, they had always preferred boys over girls. She'd had to rely on her student loans to even get through college, or she wouldn't have had the opportunity to attend. She was all too clear about her parents' blood-sucking characteristics. They believed that no matter how accomplished girls were, they ought to assist boys. Except she wasn't stupid. She'd gotten married, had a son, and had her own family. She would've had to have had a hole in her head to get herself caught up in an inescapable quagmire.
Her parents had never treated her with sincerity, so why would she bend over backwards for them?!
Yu Hao's family villa was located in a relatively upscale park where mostly rich people lived. When they'd first moved in, Yu Dahai and his family had felt a sense of inferiority and would keep their heads down. But after a few days passed, and with loads of money to boost their confidence, they'd begun to run wild, unaware that the residents nearby had a terrible impression of them.
Now that they knew the family had only moved there because they'd stolen Yu Hao's family home, not only did the neighbours actively cooperate when the police came to investigate, but once the online forum came out and journalists began to swarm here to gather news, they also generously provided source material for them. It was clear how unpopular this family was.
None of them opened the door when they heard the knock, believing that the knocker would leave on their own like those in the past. And yet to the family's surprise, they were wrong. They soon heard a voice speaking outside.
"Is no one home?" A calm and stern male voice appeared.
"No, the whole family is here. They're just refusing to open the door. There's been too many journalists coming by these last two days, so they must think you're a journalist too." The person explaining this was a resident here. She had been friends with Yu Hao's parents, therefore when she saw Yu Hao show up with the law enforcement officers, she'd been all too happy to cooperate.
The head enforcer's expression hardened as soon as she finished speaking and he shouted to the people hiding in the house, "Those inside, listen up! We are acting in accordance with the law! By illegally occupying this house, you are encroaching on someone's interests. Yu Dahai has been taken into custody by the police, and we are here to recover and return this house to its owner. Quickly open the door if you hear me. If you refuse to cooperate, we have the right to forcibly break in. Once it comes to that, you will have to come to the police station with us."
The Yu family, who'd had their ears pricked while the man outside was speaking, each paled as they listened to him and were especially at a loss when they heard that Yu Dahai had been taken into custody. Although they'd learned about Yu Dahai's deeds through the buzz on the Internet, because they refused to leave the house and hence had no source of information, they were completely unaware that Yu Dahai had been detained.
Now that they knew, they lost all their former complacency—they were done for, completely done for.
Yu Dahai's wife thought of how they might be taken to the police station if they didn't open the door and, in a fit of panic, hastily ran to open the door. The instant the door opened, the outside light stabbed at her eyes, paining her. Her eyes met another's for a split second and she reflexively bowed her head, pinching a corner of her shirt, not knowing what to say.
Standing outside were the people from the judiciary office, the police, and of course, the victim, Hao Ritian, accompanied by Li Yi. Gathered around them were multiple people from the community who'd come to watch the bustle and journalists stationed in the area seizing the moment to take photos. The scene couldn't be more boisterous.
Hao Ritian had anticipated this scene a long time ago and, calmly and assuredly, followed the law enforcer into the villa. Inside was a total mess, none of the cleanness or tidiness from his memories to be seen. He frowned in displeasure.
Due to all the unfortunate events that had befallen Hao Ritian, and worried that he would be inadvertently agitated considering his recent release from the psychiatric hospital, many people had been sent to help this time. Law enforcement personnel had come as was customary, but a few from the police station had enthusiastically volunteered to come too.
Their current predicament had scared Yu Long and Yu Qian – the type of people who were terrors at home but meek in public – into losing their voices, and Grandpa and Grandma Yu fared no better. The two of them had lived most of their lives in the countryside. The only reason they'd been able to reside in an apartment building at such a big place as the capital was because of their daughter. And yet, they placed their confidence solely on their son. One had to admit, their brain circuits were quite a sight to behold.
Now, one daughter had died while their son was sitting in prison. For a moment, they felt completely unbalanced.
Still, the old man was relatively good at keeping up facades. The wheels in his head started turning, especially after seeing Hao Ritian. He waved frantically at Hao Ritian. "Haohao, come here. Grandpa hasn't seen you in so long. Hurry and let me take a look at you."
As long as he had this boy in his grasp, what would he need to fear?
One had to admit, Grandpa Yu really was Yu Dahai and Yu Li's father; their brain circuits were identical.
Hao Ritian was too lazy to spare this addled old man a glance. The officers from the police station had feared that Hao Ritian would make the wrong choice in a moment of weakness, so they were relieved to see his current reaction. Though, they also couldn't help but feel sympathy and distress. He must be heartbroken!
Who wouldn't be? Anyone would lose all expectations for their relatives if they were treated like this.
The enforcer showed no mercy and said to the Yu family, "You have one day to move out of here. Don't take anything that doesn't belong to you. If you haven't completely moved out by the end of today, someone will be assigned to help you."
Although the law enforcer's tone hadn't been particularly harsh, no one in the Yu family believed that the 'help' he mentioned would be real help. Nevertheless, they were reluctant to leave such a spacious house.
Grandpa Yu forced a smile. "Haohao, how can you ignore your grandfather? Did you hear bad things being said about us? Have you forgotten how Grandpa used to treat you?"
He pointed and glanced at the neighbours who'd come over, virtually implying that these people had corrupted his grandson. Everyone his eyes passed were infuriated, but then they reconsidered—why were they bothering with this muddled old man? He wasn't worth getting angry over.
Surprisingly, all their anger left them with that thought.
After throwing that decision, the law enforcement officer said to Hao Ritian, "We'll be going to Yu Li's house next. Any problem?"
Hao Ritian shook his head. "No."
Soon, their group changed direction, leaving the villa in a bustling manner. However, Grandpa Yu and his family didn't relax. They knew that the law enforcement officer had been serious. If they didn't move out, they'd be forcefully removed, which would be unsightly.
Grandpa Yu stared daggers in the direction Hao Ritian had left in, and he finally couldn't stop himself from cursing, "What a beast! Exactly the same as his mother, that unfilial girl. If I knew this would happen, I would have drowned her when she was born."
While the law enforcer, Hao Ritian and the others had left, the journalists and a few neighbourhood residents watching the bustle were still present. They inwardly shook their heads as they listened to Grandpa Yu curse so shamelessly, though the journalists were also rapidly taking notes.
Still, no matter how unwilling or how reluctant they were, the family nevertheless moved out. Luckily, their old apartment building was still around so they could move back in for the time being. Once this incident had concluded, Grandpa Yu would have a chat with Yu Hao. He didn't believe he couldn't control one single boy.
Grandpa Yu hadn't given up hope yet, especially with his son still in jail. He had to find a way to free his son, which would require money. If he let that boy, Yu Hao, go, then where would he get so much money?
As for his other daughter, Yu Li, he'd subconsciously forgotten about her. Even now, the thought of notifying Yu Li's family didn't even cross his mind. Yu Li had been locked up as well, and whether her family was aware of her situation or not was hard to say. All one could say was: Grandpa Yu was selfish to the extreme.
Unfortunately for them, all their dreams were dashed in less than day.
After packing up their belongings, their minds had the same train of thought as Grandpa Yu; they'd return to their original apartment building for the time being. However, when they returned, they discovered that the apartment had been sealed off and they were no longer eligible to live there.
Yu Dahai had seized the inheritance from Yu Hao's parents, paid Zheng Yue one million dollars, and returned nearly another million for his gambling debts. This apartment had been mortgaged to a debtor at the beginning and Yu Dahai had later bought it using the inheritance, even paying off the remaining balance. According to reason, this house should be Yu Dahai's property.
Even so, the money Yu Dahai had used to pay, firstly, wasn't his, and secondly, he had to repay the legacy of Yu Hao's parents which he'd pilfered. If one considered it that way, this house couldn't be considered his. Besides, he didn't have the money to return what he'd stolen so this house was automatically transferred to Yu Hao a while ago.
Grandpa Yu and his family couldn't enter the apartment and the villa was automatically blocked off after they'd left, the door locks of both residences changed. With no other alternative, Grandpa Yu resolved to play the waiting game and wait until Yu Hao returned. Then, as his maternal grandfather, wouldn't it be expected for the younger generation to provide for him?
But alas, their family was ostracised by the neighbourhood residents, and when someone entered Yu Hao's villa, it was merely to start renovation. From beginning to end, not even a shadow of Yu Hao's was seen. The expenses in the capital were too high for them to afford. At last, they were again experiencing the challenges of life—not even a week of difficulties later, they despondently bought train tickets to return to the countryside, never mind getting Yu Dahai out of jail.
When they managed to return to their village, the people there held them in contempt, rejecting them both publicly and privately. Meanwhile, Yu Dahai's wife had to endure her parents-in-laws' scolding every so often. After a while, she was unable to take it and, no longer caring about her children, ran away with what little money the family had left.
At that point, the Yu family had completely declined and they'd tasted their just deserts.
Similarly, the rest of the family didn't fare much better.
Compared with Grandpa Yu and the others, Yu Li's family didn't have a lot to do with Yu Hao. Besides, the condo, which belonged to Yu Hao from the start, and the condo that Yu Li had purchased for her son using the inheritance Yu Hao's father left behind for him, were all recovered.
Since these properties should have been Hao Ritian's, it was only natural for them to be retrieved. But the condo which Yu Li had purchased had to be returned, and since Yu Li was sitting in jail, it was left to her family to repay what was spent. As it turned out, however, Yu Li's husband and his family were cruel. The family which had been flattering her earlier on followed her mother-in-law's lead and immediately abandoned her to dodge the responsibility!
The law enforcement personnel were left speechless by their roguish behaviour.
Luckily, Hao Ritian didn't care about this matter. Instead, he was anticipating Yu Li's reaction to being discarded after she was released from jail. Maybe he could find a suitable occasion to kindly inform her of this news?
Finally, all that was left was Zheng Yue.
The one million dollars which Zheng Yue had taken had already been given to his wife—no, his ex-wife, and as Zheng Yue's ex-wife was merely a victim, Hao Ritian didn't intend to acquire money from her. Most importantly, the ex-wife's family was smart. When they demanded money from Zheng Yue, they made both parties sign a formal contract detailing that no matter the money's origins, once the money made it to Zheng Yue's ex-wife, its problems were Zheng Yue's and completely unrelated to the ex-wife.
Therefore, the million dollars Zheng Yue had taken was repaid from his own pockets.
After working for several years, Zheng Yue's assets were quite substantial. Though his savings were low, his house and car were immovable properties and could be valued. Zheng Yue's parents lived in their hometown and had never resided with Zheng Yue. When they learned about Zheng Yue's misdeeds through their neighbours, they ran to prison specifically to scold him, then met their former daughter-in-law in person to humbly make a formal apology.
Still, no matter how much of a bastard their son was, they couldn't disregard him. They had no choice but to wait for him to be discharged to teach him how to conduct himself with integrity.
Meanwhile, He Wei and the others were finally released after ten days of detainment.
At first, they were overjoyed to be released. They thought the whole matter was completely behind them. Who knew they'd learn the meaning of 'hell on earth' when they returned home? Their families' lack of understanding, the ridicule and disdain of their friends, and the scornful gazes of their neighbours all created enormous psychological pressure on them.
During their time at the hospital, they'd taken medicine several times and had been influenced and pushed around by the other patients, so they were already starting to have some slight problems. This issue wouldn't have become a big problem if they took proper care of it, but with the foundation they were on – enduring the avoidance of everyone around them everyday – over time, something went wrong with their psyche.
They'd wanted to hurt someone into staying a psychiatric patient for life but had only harmed themselves in the end. Having suffered retribution, did they regret their actions?
Nonetheless, this was all unrelated to Hao Ritian now. At this point, everyone who'd acted against Yu Hao had received their just deserts. Once he threw all these vexing matters to the back of his mind, he could relax and spend his days comfortably.
In his opinion, the villa had been polluted by Grandpa Yu and his family, and he no longer wanted it. It was better to sell it and move somewhere else. But as soon as that idea entered his head, he dismissed it. He was him; Yu Hao was Yu Hao. It was best to not mix them up.
He might not like it, but to Yu Hao, this villa contained memories of him and his parents. Hao Ritian was certain he wouldn't abandon it because of this small problem, which was why Grandpa Yu only ever saw renovators coming in and out of the house while he'd been lying in wait. Hao Ritian asked the renovators to redecorate the villa according to the impression he had in his memories.
—Unconsciously, he was taking another person's wants into consideration. Though, of course, he wasn't aware of this change in himself.
And while the villa was being renovated, Hao Ritian! Lived! With! Li Yi!
Without relatives, even his discharge procedures were handled by Li Yi. When Li Yi proposed to live together in the meanwhile, Hao Ritian didn't bother to act reserved and immediately agreed.
After resolving his irksome tasks and moving into Li Yi's private space, Hao Ritian assumed he would at long last satisfy his desire to devour the other man, but to his surprise, Li Yi was quite the 'gentleman' and had no intention of having a fuckathon with him. Compared to him, Hao Ritian was a sex maniac, his mind stuffed with unhealthy thoughts.
Hao Ritian, "…"
This was unscientific!
Regardless of how unscientific it was, Li Yi really was the perfect gentleman. Not only did he not touch him, he also paid special attention to his mental and physical health. Worried he'd inadvertently have a relapse, Li Yi would occasionally monitor his mental state to promptly discover any issues.
Hao Ritian, "…"
Very well, if the mountain won't come to me, then I'll go to the mountain. He didn't believe Li Yi really had no desire to have sex with him.
That day, Li Yi finally completed his academic thesis that he'd been preparing this whole time. And while he spoke with his colleagues, he published the thesis.
As expected, this thesis garnered a lot of attention and further increased Li Yi's reputation by another level. When Hao Ritian caught wind of this news in advance, he started making preparations.
He ordered a grand meal and bought a bottle of red wine. In fact, he'd thought of making the meal himself since it would've been more sincere but called it quits after he ended up blowing up the pot. It seemed he still wasn't capable of cooking skills.
Forget it. It was better not to force himself.
His timing was impeccable, because only a few minutes after dinner arrived, Li Yi returned.
Cough cough, to be exact, he'd called Li Yi in advance to verify when he would return before ordering.
Li Yi shed his coat after coming in and was surprised to see such a sumptuous dinner spread over the table, especially when he noticed the bottle of red wine on it. He removed his tie and walked towards Hao Ritian to sit beside him. "Did something good happen?"
Hao Ritian opened the red wine and immediately poured it for the two of them. He raised his glass to his lips and said, "We're celebrating your great success."
Li Yi's lips curved up a little. He neither objected nor lectured him, and simply picked up his glass and clicked it with Hao Ritian's. "Cheers!"
Despite the good atmosphere and the good start to their evening, their meal was calm and quiet, the two of them picking dishes for each other. Hao Ritian grumbled inwardly—if this goes on, won't he fall asleep once he's eaten his fill?
In order to eat some 'meat', Hao Ritian was giving it his all and resorting to red wine. In the end, only a small amount remained in the wine bottle. Though Hao Ritian himself had no problem with drinking an entire bottle, it was unfortunately Yu Hao's first time drinking. By the time he'd reached near the end of the bottle, he couldn't hold on. His entire face was flushed and his eyes were filled with moisture. Unexpectedly, his originally fierce appearance looked to have softened—just a little though.
The drunk Hao Ritian seemed to have flipped a switch and all his self-control or whatever went to hell. At once, he straddled Li Yi's legs and encircled his neck, seeking his lips then pressing against them.
Li Yi didn't move a muscle and allowed Hao Ritian to do as he pleased, his throat rolling as he looked down at his wet eyes.
It wasn't until Hao Ritian started to move restlessly and reached beneath his ass to touch a hard object that Li Yi's already dark eyes became black as ink, and he eventually picked up the man mischievously playing with his body and carried him to bed.
By the time Hao Ritian had half sobered up, his body was rocking from how hard he was being rammed and he was sweating all over. Feeling both pleasured and tortured, his mind was slightly disoriented for a moment.
"Hm? You awake now?" Li Yi rubbed the back of his neck with moderate strength, causing Hao Ritian to moan with pleasure and finally figure out his circumstances.
Hao Ritian was stunned as he met Li Yi's eyes. He didn't possess any of his usual asceticism and self-control. Those eyes, tainted with lust, were bright with ferocity, and he looked as if he wanted to eat him up. He'd practically changed into another person.
Almost the second their eyes met, Hao Ritian had the feeling that he'd been set up. Li Yi normally acted like a huge faker with the attitude of an upright gentleman, unperturbed by base desires.
He swore.
He twisted Li Yi's ears and resentfully said, "Bastard, you did that on purpose."
Li Yi easily understood his accusation. He chuckled darkly, then thrust hard again. Only after he was subconsciously climbing his peak as he thrust did he move close to Hao Ritian's ear and use a sexy and husky voice to say, "It's late."
Hao Ritian relaxed and smirked, his legs clamping tighter. "Harder."
He couldn't say he regretted it. When all was said and done, they were doing the deed, so it wasn't a loss at all. He might've been muddle-headed a moment ago, but now that he was sober, he ought to properly enjoy his situation.
It was all Li Yi could've asked. "As you wish."
***