Confrontation (2)

"Sis!" Huang Qian exclaimed frantically when he saw me fell onto the floor.

I tried to adjust my breathing while trying to focus my blurring vision as the throbbing pain in my head gradually intensified. I felt sick to my stomach.

When I turned around, I saw Huang Lijie approaching me. I glanced at the pair of mother and daughter. Han Ya Ru definitely looked pissed but what bothered me was Han Rui Yuan. Though her face didn't look good and she didn't seem to be pleased by my offense just now, the woman neither make a move nor commented. She stayed quiet all along. The only thing she did was turning her head away from the scene.

I frowned noticing this unexpected reaction. The bait didn't work. I riled this beast for a reason yet despite witnessing this lunatic abusing his children and me mocking her at every turn, she didn't react.

Thus, there were only two conclusions. Either this lady wanted something from Huang Lijie or Huang Lijie held something against her. Love was already out of the question because I doubted Huang Lijie was capable of that and it would be sick of her if an heiress like her loved this kind of man. Nevertheless, there was indeed something fishy behind this marriage.

But I should stop thinking for now since Huang Lijie had arrived before me. I looked up at him.

"You can only blame yourself for this," he said.

I chuckled. Every single time, that was what he said before he began the abuse. "I'm tired of hearing the same line. Can't you be any more creative?"

The old man gritted his teeth and without thinking twice, he raised the wooden stick in his hand.

"Father!" Huang Qian tried to block it again but unfortunately for him, Huang Lijie predicted his action and hence, strike him instead. The wooden stick hit Huang Qian cheek harshly leaving a red mark on his pale skin and the edge of his lips was torn.

"Brother!" Huang Kun rushed forward to her twin brother while tears began to cover her face.

"I warned you before," Huang Lijie said as he pointed the stick at his son. "Stay there now, boy."

After that, he turned around and directed his focus back at me again. Slowly, I got up on my feet and a series of laughter escaped from my lips.

"You really are worse than an animal." I spat on his face. And that successfully fueled his anger to another level.

I saw his grip on the stick tightened and his veins were popping out of his skin. As he wiped the spit off his face, he stressed his next sentence heavily, "If I don't beat you 'till you beg for mercy-"

"Go on then, hit me! Why are you wasting your time? Show us who you really are."

My sentence had momentarily stopped the man. His eyebrows were instantly pulled into a deep frown. He eyed me suspiciously and I could sense the hesitation in his eyes.

Smirking, I thought deep down, 'I knew it. This man is careful and it seems, what Li Fei's mom told her before is true.'

I took a step forward, inching closer to the beast. "What's wrong, Dad? Why are you stopping?" At the mention of 'dad', I purposely sneered at the man.

He scoffed and as he raised the wooden stick in his hand, he said, "You think I wouldn't dare?!"

"How barbaric," I muttered. I knew then he had heard my word clearly from the sudden change of his expression and how his body stiffened. I chuckled, savoring his darkening face. "Well, as expected from a low class family."

And at the drop of that comment alone, it froze Huang Lijie actions altogether. His hand faltered and His pupil dilating. The smile on my lips was reflected in his eyes.

As he tried to hide it, he made sure the expression on his face stayed indifferent. However, I could never miss the twitching at the corner of his lips. He then proceeded to feign innocent by saying, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hmm?" The smile on my face became more evident after hearing his futile repudiation. "Really? That's weird."

I drew closer to his ear then, and whispered it carefully, "After all, we're talking about you."

His expression fell almost instantly. However, he was quick to recover from that and as if none of my words concerned him, he stared back at me indifferently and with his lips curving upwards.

I jeered inwardly. 'Like father like son indeed. Both are good at pretending.'

"Stop your nonsense. If you think by doing this can buy you some time or even stop me from hitting you, then you are terribly wrong. No one can help you now, not even your pathetic little brother," he stated coldly, "You shouldn't have gone against me in the first place."

Afterwards, I didn't know what went on his head as he lowered his hand that was holding the stick. And what came next surprised me to my core, his dirty hand held my shoulder. It took everything in me to make sure my face did not contort in disgust.

Moreover, he had the cheek to say, "But, I'm not without mercy. You're my blood after all and I'm your father. So," he paused and continued his sentence next by whispering, "If you kneel down now and apologize, I shall kindly forgive you, my child."

My heart jolted yet again. I turned my head slightly to catch Huang Lijie eyeing me a bit weirdly. But, I got goosebumps all over my skin from his gaze.

In that moment, with utmost confidence, I could confirm, 'This guy is crazy, literally.'

Nevertheless, I wasn't gonna let myself surrender to this mad man because in my whole life, the only people I would kneel to would be my 'real' parents.

My eyes turned sharp and without hesitation, I sneered at him. "In your dream, you countryside dirt."