One has a biological relationship, the other does not?
This result did not particularly surprise Xie Yuping.
If neither Zhuo Chen nor Zhuo Yue turned out to be Xie Jinghu’s biological child, the matter would have been easiest to handle.
But if both were unrelated to Xie Jinghu, and yet Xie Jinghu had been funding two strangers for so many years, Xie Yuping would not only question his brother’s intelligence. He would start doubting his own. After all, they were full brothers. If the younger one was intellectually disabled, the elder one could not be much brighter.
Xie Yuping asked, “Which one is actually Old Three’s?”
For a moment, he was unsure which outcome he preferred.
By conventional thinking, it would be best if Zhuo Chen were not the biological son. The broader environment in China still favoured sons inheriting family businesses. If Zhuo Chen were legitimate, he would surely continue fighting Xie Qian for the inheritance in future.
Yet in terms of which result would devastate Xie Jinghu most, it would unquestionably be discovering Zhuo Yue was not his.
Zhuo Chen biological, Zhuo Yue not.
That was not mere deception. It meant that after the woman surnamed Zhuo reunited with Xie Jinghu, she had still been sleeping with other men. This obliterated a man’s dignity.
Back then, they had been forced apart.
Xie Jinghu had been unable to give her the life she wanted.
They reunited because Xie Jinghu finally could, or so he believed.
In the end, it was all a joke.
Even after reuniting, the woman surnamed Zhuo still sought other men. The green hat on Xie Jinghu’s head shone with oil.
Without waiting for Zhong Yong’s answer, Xie Yuping waved his hand. “Never mind. Do not tell me yet. I want to ask Old Three myself. Something this serious. He cannot keep running away from it.”
Zhong Yong nodded vigorously. “You are absolutely right!”
Just how much did the leader despise President Xie?
President Xie was already on the verge of losing his mind, yet the leader insisted on forcing him to face the truth. Was he worried Xie would not go mad thoroughly enough?
Or perhaps, just perhaps, the leader wanted to drive Xie mad completely, so that he could no longer interfere in company affairs. Actually, that would be rather good. Who was biological and who was not would cease to matter. Whoever could still extract money from a lunatic Xie would be the truly capable one.
Zhong Yong knew he should not meddle in Xie family business, yet he was not an emotionless machine. He dealt frequently with both Xie Qian and Zou Weijun. Publicly and privately, he stood firmly on their side.
If Young Master Xie’s car accident had truly been orchestrated, then whether it was the woman surnamed Zhuo, Zhuo Chen, Zhuo Yue, or even President Xie himself, not one of them was innocent.
Walking beside Xie Yuping, Zhong Yong reported quietly as they moved. “I confiscated the siblings’ phones. While the DNA was being processed, calls kept coming in turns. It must be the woman surnamed Zhuo realising she fell for the diversion. What do you think we should do…?”
Xie Yuping had been about to say ignore her, but then reconsidered. Better to let her come and make a scene.
Give Xie Jinghu an even bigger shock, and seize the chance to make him sign the divorce agreement.
Only today.
Only right now.
Xie Jinghu’s mind was at its most confused. In a few days, once he recovered from today’s pain and humiliation, he would haggle over every divorce term again.
This was for Zou Weijun’s sake, and even more for Xie Qian’s.
Thinking of Xie Qian still lying in the ICU, Xie Yuping only hated that he could not do more for his nephew.
The divorce agreement had long ago been drafted by lawyers Zou Weijun hired.
At that time, Zou Weijun had asked for an equal split of marital assets.
Now, even if Zou Weijun still wanted fifty-fifty, Xie Yuping would no longer agree.
The fire in his heart had not died down just because he could watch his worthless brother make a fool of himself. One of the two bastards really was not Xie Jinghu’s, which proved Xie Qian’s investigation had been heading in the right direction. The one who was not Xie Jinghu’s child was almost certainly Zhang Zhijun’s. Xie Yuping did not yet know what role Zhang Zhijun had played in the whole affair, but he was confident he could find out.
No matter how cunning the fox, once its tail was exposed, the hunter was not far behind.
As Xie Yuping spoke, Zhong Yong silently memorised every instruction.
First, do not stop Sara Zhuo from coming to cause trouble.
Second, force President Xie to sign the divorce.
The second point spawned many sub-tasks.
They needed Shanghai’s top lawyers to redraft the agreement immediately.
The lawyer who had originally helped Zou Weijun also had to rush over.
The matter could not be allowed to become too public, yet everything had to be handled quickly and perfectly. It would truly test Zhong Yong’s ability.
While Zhong Yong was calculating in his head, Xie Yuping suddenly remembered something else. “About the paternity test results, go and tell Little Wen.”
Zhong Yong was startled.
Thinking of Wen Ying, a trace of comfort eased Xie Yuping’s heavy mood. “Xie Qian has excellent taste. She is a very steady and capable girl. Tell her everything. I trust she will not speak out of turn.”
Without Wen Ying sharing information in time, Xie Yuping would never have impulsively ordered Zhuo Chen and Zhuo Yue brought in for immediate DNA testing. Only such swift, decisive action had prevented certain people from preparing or falsifying anything.
Wen Ying’s calm composure and outstanding judgement had left a deep impression on Xie Yuping.
Zhong Yong had been about to ask whether he should also inform Wen Ying about Xie Qian’s condition, but swallowed the words.
It was not that Xie Yuping distrusted her. After Xie Qian’s accident, the deliberate withholding from Wen Ying, the silence from both Zou Weijun and Jiang Youjia, all stemmed from respecting Xie Qian’s own wishes.
Because during the brief moment Xie Qian had regained consciousness, that had been his only request to those around him. If Xie Qian did not survive this, then… then it would be his… final wish.
Bah, bah, bah.
Even thinking the words “final wish” filled Zhong Yong with regret and heartache.
And he was merely Xie Yuping’s secretary.
He could not imagine what Xie Yuping himself was feeling right now, or Zou Weijun.
“I understand, Leader.”
Zhong Yong turned all his sorrow and anger into fuel for action.
Xie Yuping said no more and headed downstairs with Zhong Yong.
Xie Jinghu sat on a bench in the corridor, clutching several sheets of paper. More pages lay scattered at his feet.
Well.
A man who had been cuckolded and deceived repeatedly by his “true love” suffering muscle weakness and being unable to hold a few sheets of paper under such a blow was perfectly normal.
Xie Yuping had half expected to find Xie Jinghu banging his head against the wall.
He bent down, picked up one of the reports from the floor, flipped to the last page, looked at the conclusion, and gave a cold laugh. “Not bad. Better than I expected. I thought neither would be yours. It seems I was too narrow-minded. She deceived you, but not completely.”
Xie Jinghu was in agony.
What did “deceived but not completely” even mean?
He could not accept this outcome. He had never imagined it would turn out like this. When Xie Yuping demanded the paternity test, Xie Jinghu had assumed it was just a formality.
Now the formalities were complete, and the results had left him stunned.
Over the years, he had never short-changed Zhuo Chen or Zhuo Yue.
With Zhuo Chen, he had wanted to cultivate real ability. Even if the boy could never openly inherit Jinhu, as long as he proved capable, Xie Jinghu was prepared to provide capital and resources so Zhuo Chen could establish himself independently.
With Zhuo Yue, he had spoiled her without principle. Because he had missed Zhuo Chen’s childhood, he wanted to make it up with his daughter. A daughter did not need to struggle like a son. His plan for Zhuo Yue was a lifetime of comfort and plenty.
So he had given shares to Zhuo Chen and real estate to Zhuo Yue.
Both were flesh of his flesh.
He loved both son and daughter.
How could Xie Jinghu ever have imagined he had been a cuckold for over a decade?
One biological, one not. This result hurt far more than if neither had been his. Now he felt nauseated thinking about the one who was not his, nauseated thinking about his “true love”, and even when he thought about the one who was biologically his, he felt an indescribable repulsion.
“Big Brother…”
Xie Jinghu clutched his head in anguish.
Xie Yuping felt no sympathy whatsoever. “If you doubt these results, we can draw blood again. If one test does not give you the outcome you want, we will test again and again until you believe it. Of course, if you suspect I tampered with the results, feel free to take them to overseas institutions. Even I cannot control laboratories abroad.”
Xie Jinghu’s pain did not lessen in the slightest. Xie Yuping’s words offered no comfort.
If Xie Yuping were going to rig anything, why not rig it so neither child was his?
Xie Jinghu had brought back reports from three institutions. The remaining two had also phoned him just now. Five institutions, identical conclusions. There could be no mistake.
“What do you plan to do now?”
Xie Yuping gave another cold laugh. “I only care about Xie Qian at the moment. I have no time to console you, nor to console those two bastards.”
Right.
He still had Xie Qian.
The thought of Xie Qian injected a shot of adrenaline into Xie Jinghu’s dazed, agonised state. Big Brother was right. Apart from Zhuo Chen and Zhuo Yue, he still had his son Xie Qian.
Xie Qian looked so much like him that anyone who had seen them together would never doubt their blood tie.
“Xie Qian, he… he…”
Xie Jinghu’s gaze drifted toward the ceiling.
Xie Yuping’s tone remained icy. “Xie Qian will definitely pull through. But your marriage to Weijun is over. She wants a divorce right now. She cannot endure another second.”
Divorce?
Why divorce now?
Xie Qian was still lying in ICU. No matter how serious the marital issues, they should at least wait until Xie Qian was out of danger, until he recovered and left hospital.
Xie Jinghu’s brain could barely function. His whole body felt drained. His mouth opened and closed several times before he could form words.
“Big Brother, do not force me… not now… please help me.”
Those familiar lines brought back many memories for Xie Yuping.
Every time Xie Jinghu caused trouble, he would run home and beg Xie Yuping for help like this.
As the eldest, acting like a father, Xie Yuping had cleaned up after him time and again.
Xie Jinghu grew up, started working, fell in love, started a business, got married, then cheated.
All these years, his age and wealth had increased, but his maturity seemingly had not.
Xie Yuping reflected on himself, but before he could speak, Zhong Yong hurried over. “Leader, Ms Zhuo has arrived.”
Xie Yuping laughed instead of getting angry. “Old Three, it is not me forcing you. It is not that I do not want to help. It is your true love who is forcing you. She got here so quickly. You may not want to fall into the abyss, but she is determined to drag you down with her. There is nothing your big brother can do.”
Xie Jinghu shot up from the bench, eyes bloodshot.
When a person suffers extreme pain in a short time, the emotions need an outlet. In the past, Xie Qian had been the target for Xie Jinghu’s negative feelings. Now, having just learned he had worn a green hat for over ten years, and with his “true love” daring to show her face, Xie Jinghu wanted to tear Sara Zhuo limb from limb.
“Where is she?”
Zhong Yong held his breath and pointed downstairs. Clutching the test reports, Xie Jinghu charged down like an enraged beast.
