CHAPTER 298: CHAPTER 298: DISCOVERY

Sheng Wenhao’s smile paused momentarily on his face; the person who had watched him grow up stood before him, yet for some reason, a voice inside Sheng Wenhao told him to remain silent. A hint of struggle appeared in Wenhao’s eyes. It felt like time had passed for a long while, but it was only a fleeting moment. Under Housekeeper Zhao’s encouraging and loving gaze, Sheng Wenhao shook his head and playfully said, "No way, this is my little secret, hahaha. What’s for dinner tonight? I’m a bit hungry."

"Your favorite, tomato-braised beef brisket and pigeon soup," Housekeeper Zhao replied with his usual loving gaze.

"Really? Then I must eat a bit more tonight to wake up well," Sheng Wenhao said excitedly, leaving Housekeeper Zhao standing there as he joyfully bounded towards the dining room, his demeanor like that of a child who never grows up.

Behind him, the previously affectionate expression on Housekeeper Zhao’s face turned dark for a moment, the curve at his lips lowered. But all this vanished in an instant when he heard the familiar footsteps from behind, immediately reverting back to the gentle and loving Housekeeper Zhao.

"Family Head, dinner is ready. Please proceed to the dining room," Housekeeper Zhao said warmly.

"Thank you for your hard work," Xu Ke replied warmly to the gray-haired Housekeeper Zhao.

On the other side, Sheng Yi’s father, who had just seen off the guests, rubbed his slightly aching head and asked in a deep yet somewhat weak voice, "Where is Sheng Yi? Why did he leave halfway through the flower exhibition and wasn’t there when the guests were leaving? What’s he planning to do, make me angry enough to die? I shouldn’t have let you take charge of Sheng Yi; just look at what kind of child you’ve turned him into." Sheng Yi’s father was a bit angry, and his gaze at his wife carried dissatisfaction and blame.

Madam Sheng, who had initially reached out to take Mr. Sheng’s coat, withdrew her hand immediately after hearing what Mr. Sheng said, letting the coat slip from her fingertips.

"Did I give birth to the child alone? Aren’t you also Sheng Yi’s father? If you think he’s not good, then go teach him yourself. Don’t throw a tantrum with me here. Don’t think I don’t know you’ve kept another woman outside and she even bore you a child. Now you look down on us, mother and son, just wanting us to make way for that cheap woman and her illegitimate child. I’m telling you, no way." Madam Sheng’s mouth carried a cold smile, her eyes seemingly filled with flames, as she appeared like a thorny rose, stunningly beautiful yet capable of pricking anyone who dared to approach.

"Sheng Hong, our Qian family also contributed to everything you possess now. Now that you’ve made it, you want to kick us aside to pursue true love? Think again. If you truly have that thought, even if I die, I will drag all of you down with me into the grave. Just try me if you don’t believe it." Madam Sheng took a step forward, her gaze fiercely fixed on Sheng Hong.

Previously, playing the role of a loving couple outside, the two of them instantly became adversaries, tension heavy between them.

"I’ve never considered changing the heir. It’s yours, and no one can take it, but don’t threaten me either. I, Sheng Hong, don’t fall for this kind of trap. If you truly push me to the brink, I might actually do something unexpected." Sheng Hong didn’t refute Madam Sheng’s words, but neither did he show any hint of admitting fault, merely furrowing his brows as if stating facts.

"You’d better keep it that way." Madam Sheng’s expression improved significantly after Sheng Hong finished speaking. She cast a disdainful glance at the maid standing in the corner like a quail, and coldly instructed: "Go find out where Xiao Yi is and bring him over once you find him."

The maid standing in the corner, like a shadow, lowered her head and silently retreated from the living room, mobilizing the rest of the villa’s staff to look for Sheng Yi.

The so-called model couple in the living room sat on opposite ends of the sofa, a vast distance between them, waiting silently for Sheng Yi’s arrival.

As time ticked by, the maid who went out still had not returned. "Isn’t he out messing around with those useless friends of his again? Give him a call and hurry him up," Sheng Hong, getting impatient, said as he shifted his position on the sofa.

Madam Sheng didn’t fuss over Sheng Hong’s attitude. Her eyelids suddenly started twitching, giving her an uneasy feeling. She picked up the phone from the table beside the sofa and expertly dialed a string of numbers, but the sound from the receiver was always the busy tone she dreaded, and the voice she longed to hear never came. Stroking her rapidly beating heart, Madam Sheng unconsciously frowned tightly, feeling increasingly unsettled.

Just as Madam Sheng was trying to call Sheng Yi for the third time, the maid who had previously left the living room finally returned.

But this time, she had lost her usual calmness, instead stumbling frantically from outside the villa with a terrified expression. Her face was pale, staring at the male and female owners sat firmly on the sofa, with her mouth wide open she finally said, "Young, young master, the young master was killed." The maid, managing to catch her breath a little smoother, managed to get the words out.

"What did you say!" Madam Sheng’s hand holding the phone dropped it to the floor. Previously dignified while sitting on the sofa, she now stood up quickly, nearly reaching the maid, her glare oppressive as she harshly scolded.

"Say it again, what happened to my son?" Sheng Hong also abandoned his earlier calm demeanor. Although disappointed with Sheng Yi’s behavior, Sheng Yi was still his first child, and his only son. How could he not lose his composure?

"The young master was found in the villa at the back. When we discovered him, the young master had already passed away," the maid said quietly, swallowing and bowing her head to avoid the voracious gazes of Sheng Hong and Madam Sheng.

"Slap!" A loud slap echoed through the empty room. "My son can’t be harmed! Someone must have put you up to telling me this story to deceive me. What kind of benefit did they offer you to concoct such lies? Aren’t you afraid I’ll be furious?" Madam Sheng clenched her tingling palm viciously, her gaze fierce, her face twisted as she spoke.

"I didn’t, I didn’t, everything I said is true. As soon as we entered the room, the young master no longer had any breath. If you don’t believe me, I can take you to see. I really didn’t lie nor did I take any bribes." The maid covered her red, swollen cheek where a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth, quietly defending herself.