"Old man!" Shen Yi's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead as his chest heaved with rage. He was clearly consumed by anger. He thrust out a finger, pointing directly at Lu Zhenhua's face, his gaze filled with defiance. "Come on! Hit me!" His voice was hoarse with fury, echoing through the room, making everyone's ears ring.
The sudden outburst stunned everyone in the room, as if time itself had frozen. The silence was deafening, broken only by the sound of rapid breathing. Lu Jiang was the first to recover, a flicker of glee in his eyes as he quickly hid behind Lu Zhenhua, a smug grin spreading across his face. This is perfect! My mess will be swept under the rug, and I get to watch Shen Yi get beaten. Nice! He almost laughed out loud, unable to hide his satisfaction.
Lu Xinyi also snapped out of her daze, her face turning pale. She was frantic, fearing that Shen Yi might do something irreversible and end up being thrown out by her father. She took a step forward, her hands clenched tightly, and shouted, "Shen Yi! What's wrong with you? Apologize now!" Her voice trembled, a mix of anxiety and worry.
"You little brat! What did you just call me?!" Lu Zhenhua's eyes widened in disbelief, his finger shaking as he pointed at himself. His voice rose to a shrill pitch. "Say that again!" He couldn't believe that Shen Yi, who had always been obedient, would dare to insult him like this.
Shen Yi had expected Lu Zhenhua to be the first to react, but instead, it was Lu Xinyi, who had just defended him, now siding with them. This only fueled his rage, which erupted like a volcano. He stepped forward, his finger almost touching Lu Zhenhua's nose, and unleashed a torrent of anger:
"Old man! That's what I called you, and what are you going to do about it? Apologize? For what? I didn't do anything wrong! I didn't hit anyone! Why do you always blame me the moment you walk in? I've had enough of your nonsense! You say you've fed and clothed me? Bullshit! My school fees in elementary and middle school were paid by charity! I worked part-time to pay for high school and college! You've done nothing for me! What right do you have to say you've provided for me? Do you even let me eat at the dinner table? Do you?!" Shen Yi's voice grew louder, his chest heaving as every word seemed to be ripped from his throat. "All you've ever given me are leftovers! Is that what you call providing for me? I've had enough!" With that, he kicked Lu Zhenhua in the stomach with all his strength, as if releasing years of pent-up frustration and anger.
"Ah!" Lu Zhenhua cried out in pain, his body flying backward like a broken kite before crashing to the ground. He lay there, stunned and disoriented, his face a mix of fear and disbelief.
Lu Xinyi and Lu Jiang were frozen in shock, their eyes wide and mouths agape as they stared at Shen Yi's outburst. Lu Xinyi covered her mouth, her eyes filled with horror and concern, while Lu Jiang stood motionless, his earlier smugness replaced by fear.
Shen Yi wasn't done. He kicked Lu Zhenhua again, this time in the stomach, causing the older man to curl up in pain, his face twisted in agony as he groaned.
"All my life, I've only had a few pieces of clothing! As a kid, I wore Lu Xinyi's hand-me-downs. In school, I only had my uniform. These clothes? I bought them myself!" Shen Yi stormed over to the bed, pointing at the faded, worn-out clothes piled there. His voice echoed through the room. "The Lu family is so rich, so why did you even bring me here? Huh? Answer me! Look at what Lu Jiang wears! In the year he's been back, you've bought him watches worth hundreds of thousands, designer clothes worth tens of thousands! And me? I'm stuck wearing cheap, second-hand clothes that I bought myself! What has the Lu family ever given me?!" He gestured around the tiny room, which didn't even have a proper closet—just a rickety clothes rack holding his meager belongings.
"You're so biased! Why did you even bring me here? Do you think I'm jealous? Damn right, I am! Who wouldn't be?!" Shen Yi's eyes burned with fury as he glared at Lu Zhenhua, his gaze piercing.
Lu Zhenhua's expression shifted to one of shock. He sat on the floor, staring at Shen Yi as if seeing him for the first time. He had no idea Shen Yi harbored so much resentment.
"And you, Lu Xinyi! You're no saint either!" Shen Yi's sharp gaze turned to her. "You always act like the world owes you something, like you have to scold me every time you see me. What did I ever do to you? Last month, you accused me of stealing your necklace. Why would I steal it? Do you have proof? I may be poor, but I have dignity! I don't stoop to that level! Even if I did steal it, where's the money? Look at me! I'm wearing rags and using a broken phone! Do I look like someone who has hundreds of thousands? I can earn my own money! The only one who'd do something like that is your precious Lu Jiang! He sold your necklace to fund his nights out!" Shen Yi's fists clenched, his knuckles white and veins bulging as he spoke.
"If you don't believe me, fine. I'm used to being framed by Lu Jiang since he came back. I'm done with the Lu family…" Shen Yi's energy seemed to drain as he slumped onto the bed, breathing heavily. A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "Heh… damn… I've even tired myself out from yelling…"
He absentmindedly reached into his pocket, then suddenly stood and walked over to Lu Zhenhua.
"What… what are you doing?!" Lu Zhenhua shrank back in fear, pressing himself against the wall as Shen Yi approached, looking like a man facing a demon.
Shen Yi bent down, a smirk on his face, and pulled a pack of cigarettes from Lu Zhenhua's pocket. He lit one and took a deep drag.
"Cough, cough…" Shen Yi choked on the smoke, realizing this body wasn't used to smoking. The harsh smoke brought tears to his eyes, but he stubbornly took another puff.
Lu Jiang watched in stunned silence. He had never seen Shen Yi like this—it was as if he had become a completely different person.
Lu Xinyi, finally regaining her composure, bowed her head in shame. She remembered how she had slapped Shen Yi without listening to his explanation, and how Lu Zhenhua had beaten him afterward. Her eyes fell on Shen Yi's tattered phone and faded clothes. If he had really stolen the necklace, why wouldn't he buy himself a better phone or new clothes? That necklace was worth hundreds of thousands!
Overwhelmed with guilt, her lips trembled as she spoke, her voice choked with tears. "I'm sorry, Shen Yi. I misunderstood you before. I apologize."
"Cough… Don't! I don't need it!" Shen Yi exhaled a cloud of smoke, his voice cold and resolute.
Tears streamed down Lu Xinyi's face as she looked at Shen Yi, her heart filled with regret.
"Shen Yi! You ungrateful brat!" Lu Zhenhua clutched his chest, his face pale and breathing heavily as he struggled to his feet. "You… you're just jealous of Lu Jiang! Get out of the Lu family today! We don't need someone like you! You dare hit and insult me? I've raised a wolf in sheep's clothing!" He pointed a shaking finger at Shen Yi, his body trembling with rage.
Lu Xinyi, consumed by guilt, couldn't bear to see Shen Yi driven away. She rushed forward, grabbing Lu Zhenhua's arm. "Dad! You can't kick Shen Yi out! We're family…"
"Family?! Let him go!" Lu Zhenhua shook off her hand, his anger unabated.