CHAPTER 355: CHAPTER 166: FURY

In the following days, Olson would lead the group of Hunters through the snowy mountains in search of the bear that had completely vanished without a trace. His rebukes towards Orleans became even harsher, and on several occasions, he even called him a "good-for-nothing" in front of everyone. As for Wen Maixue, he would at times verbally abuse and at times physically assault her, fully tearing away the facade of his noble gentleman.

While Olson may have seemed majestic during the day, his nights were dreadful. He desperately tried to fall asleep but would always wake up around midnight, only to find Wen Maixue’s absence from his side. He knew where she went but was powerless to interfere. The flames of resentment grewwildly in the hearts of father and son Olson, both teetering on the brink of an outburst yet clinging to the last vestige of their moral line of defense.

It was yet another night when Olson woke up as usual at midnight, feeling a cold emptiness beside him as Wen Maixue had left again.

Olson grasped the hunting rifle beneath him, his arm numb from the oppressive sleeping position, but the sensation was nothing compared to the images of those figures in the car that night.

Sudden loud noises came from outside the tent, unlike the sound of a person walking — more like a cornered wild animal frantically racing.

"It’s the bear!"

Olson saw his salvation; he could unleash the pent-up anger that had no outlet for days. He could imagine the bear as an imaginary foe, be it the long-dead Mussen, the Pello he had caused the death of, or Orleans who stole his woman. It didn’t matter who it was, as long as he got to fire his gun and feel the numbness in his arms dissipate on the firearm’s buttstock, that was enough.

With that thought, Olson got up. He didn’t even bother to don his bulletproof hunting gear, instead he stealthily crawled out of the tent. He decided not to call for any helpers, relying solely on himself and his rifle to kill the bear. The gunfire would probably awaken everyone in the tents, while also letting the delighted adulterous couple understand who the real man was.

Olson unlocked the safety on his gun and stepped onto the snowy ground.

The campfire was lit at the old spot, the thick layer of charcoal ash made the entire site look dirty and disorganized, like a heart that’s lost its humanity, utterly despicable.

"Maixue, why are you calling me out here in the middle of the night? It’s not safe around here," Orleans said apprehensively, seated on the off-road vehicle, vigilantly surveying the surroundings.

Recently, his father’s attitude towards him had been terrible, humiliating him publicly on multiple occasions. All this made Orleans suspect that his father might have found out about his affair with Wen Maixue. He had never mentioned his affection for Wen Maixue to Olson. Orleans was well aware of his father’s despotic and cruel nature; if Olson found out about Orleans’s improper feelings towards Wen Maixue, his first step would be to throw him out of the house.

"Orleans," Wen Maixue faced the car window, attentive to the noises by the campfire, "It seems like your father might already know about us," she said, leaning on Orleans’s shoulder while still keeping an eye outside the window.

"What?" Orleans, the timid aristocratic young master, was genuinely frightened, "Who... who told him?"

"It’s possible that he noticed our closeness, and I’ve pleaded for you in front of him more than once," Wen Maixue said with a heavy sadness on her face, as if it took all her strength to speak: "He even mentioned tonight before sleeping that he plans to disinherit you."

"What? He dares!" Orleans muttered uncertainly to himself, "I know all of his disgraces, the incidents in Africa, and the Diamond. These are enough to ruin him; he wouldn’t dare go that far."

"No, he has all planned out already. Do you think this bear hunt is just a bear hunt?" Wen Maixue saw two figures, one tall and one short, run past by the campfire. One of them was even dragging a hunting rifle.

"Isn’t it just that?" Orleans also heard some noises behind him. He turned around and thought he saw the silhouette of a bear flit by the campfire. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get a clearer view, but saw nothing; it must have been an illusion caused by the flickering flames.

"No, it isn’t. Haven’t you noticed the hunters have lost their enthusiasm recently? There are no bears at all. This is all Olson’s conspiracy," Wen Maixue’s face shifted with the dancing flames, as if seducing Orleans, and at the same time, inciting him.

"Father’s conspiracy?" Orleans still couldn’t believe it. Don’t tigers scoff at eating their offspring?

"He plans to drive you mad with this bear hunt, and then, using your poor mental health as an excuse, lock you away in an asylum," Wen Maixue reached out and tenderly touched Orleans’s face.

Orleans began to tremble. Indeed, he had not been sleeping well these days, relying solely on the medication given by Xuexue. But it seemed like it was no longer effective. During the day, he felt his head heavy with drowsiness, and Olson’s reprimands were like countless knives constantly stirring in his brain. At night, he would have endless nightmares, at times dreaming of Olson embracing Wen Maixue, calling him a worthless good-for-nothing, and at other times hearing Olson give him a rifle without bullets, telling him to go bear hunting.

"Orleans, I can’t stand to see you driven mad by him. That’s why tonight, after Olson had fallen asleep, I sneaked out to warn you. If he finds out, I’m sure to be killed," Wen Maixue looked at Orleans in despair, her gaze piercing his heart with pain.

With a "bang," Wen Maixue screamed. Her beautiful eyes looked in terror towards the other end of the campfire.

A burst of angry animal roars awakened all the hunters in the camp. For a moment, no one dared to react; they all listened quietly to what was happening outside.

"Wen Maixue, you slut, I’ve hit the bear, look, I am the real man. I’ve let you be with that damned good-for-nothing," Olson taunted as he fired shots in the direction the animal roar came from.

With each shot fired, Orleans’s body jerked. His hands trembled uncontrollably, as if every shot was hitting him.

"Xuexue, I won’t allow this to happen. No one can strip away my inheritance rights; no one can snatch you from my hands," Orleans shouted loudly as he turned and rushed into his own tent.

"Orleans, don’t go," Wen Maixue’s voice sounded increasingly feeble in the blizzard until it was completely silent. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)