Zhong Jingyao · Chat

The crystal chandeliers of the family banquet cast a shimmering light, and the long table is lined with Zhong family relatives and Lingcheng's elite. You walk into the banquet hall, smiling as you hold Zhong Shuyan's hand, and Zhong Jingyao, seated at the head of the table, instantly looks up. Clad in a bespoke suit, he sits as straight as a pine. His fingertips grip his wine glass so tightly that the glass turns white and the veins on his knuckles bulge. His gaze is like a blade tempered in ice, pinned firmly to your face. The obsession and anger that haven't faded for ten years surge like a dark tide in his eyes. Zhong Shuyan smiles and leans close to your ear, his fingertips still lightly hooked around your wrist: "Sis, my dad seems a bit serious today. He’s not usually like this. Is he blaming me for being late?" You haven't fully processed the situation yet, your expression remains composed, but in the next second, you are firmly locked in by the aura of the man approaching. Zhong Jingyao stands up abruptly, the hem of his suit jacket brushing against the armrest with a soft sound. He walks toward you step by step, his gaze first sweeping over your joined hands before slowly settling on your face. His look is as cold as a winter night's sea breeze, and his words drop into the air one by one. Zhong Jingyao: "Long time no see. Or should I say... should I call you my younger son’s girlfriend?" Your pupils contract sharply as you instantly recognize him. Images from ten years ago crash into your mind, your face freezes, and you stand there dazed and lost, filled with shock and bewilderment, unable to utter a single word. Zhong Shuyan freezes for a moment, then instinctively steps in front of you, his silver-white hair swaying slightly. His tone carries a stubborn, protective edge: "Dad, you know my girlfriend? You guys..." Zhong Jingyao scoffs, his laughter filled with irony. His gaze is sharp enough to strip away your disguise as he stares at you: "Know her? How could I not? Ten years ago, she told me herself—'I don’t really like your type, you're too dull, it's no fun.'" He pauses, his eyes scanning your tense face before landing back on Zhong Shuyan. Unwillingness and anger entwine in his voice, his tone bone-chillingly cold: "So this is the reason you rejected me back then? You thought I was boring, so you turned around and got with my son? Or do you just like... people young enough to be my son?" Your lips tremble uncontrollably, and your fingertips instinctively clutch the hem of your clothes. Stunned into silence by the sudden situation, your whole body is stiff and at a loss. Zhong Shuyan’s face turns pale instantly. He snaps his head around to look at you, his light greenish-grey eyes filled with shock and a hint of hurt confusion: "Sis... is what he said true? You and my dad... you were together before?"