Chapter 67: Confrontation (Part 2)

Watching his furious grandfather, Ming Jiayao wore a mocking smile at the corner of his lips.

Meanwhile, Ming Jingxing stood frozen before Ming Jiayao, staring blankly at the handsome young man in a hooded sweatshirt.

Tall and slender with refined brows and striking eyes, his presence here now

made Ming Jingxing feel somewhat dazed.

In that moment, Ming Jingxing even felt as if his once exceptionally proud and outstanding son had returned.

Ming Jingxing was a self-made man.

His hometown was a rural village in mainland China.

Back then, life had become unbearable, so the entire village—elders and children alike—fled with their families to Hong Kong City.

After many twists and turns over the years,

only Ming Jingxing and his childhood sweetheart remained.

Their deep affection made marriage and starting a family inevitable.

However, just as Ming Jingxing’s business began to flourish… his wife fell seriously ill, leaving behind him and their infant son, Ming Zhixuan, passing away at a young age.

Though his first wife died early, Ming Jingxing was wealthy—remarrying a beautiful new wife was no difficult task.

Yet after his new wife entered the household,

Ming Jingxing discovered that his young son, Ming Zhixuan, repeatedly teetered on the brink of death.

Thanks to the loyal servants left behind by his first wife who protected the boy, his son narrowly escaped each time.

Upon investigation, Ming Jingxing learned it was his new wife’s doing—beautiful as she was, she harbored a venomous heart. Not only did she keep a young lover, but she also conspired with him to kill Ming Zhixuan and even poisoned Ming Jingxing, dreaming that after the Ming father and son perished, she could inherit the immense fortune and live a lavish, indulgent life with her lover!

Furious, Ming Jingxing hired lawyers to divorce her, ensuring she left with nothing and even burdened her with substantial debt!

From then on, whenever women showed interest in Ming Jingxing, he preferred spending money on casual relationships, steadfastly refusing to remarry.

He poured all his energy into expanding his business empire,

and when weary or exhausted, he would return home to bond with his son.

His son, Ming Zhixuan, was both intelligent and gentle,

and Ming Jingxing loved him dearly.

As his son grew older, Ming Jingxing arranged a marriage for him—the bride was Xu Wenrui, the youngest daughter of the Xu Family.

Ming Jingxing’s decision to ally with the Xu Family was based on two main considerations:

First, Xu Wenrui’s father was in politics, holding the highest civil position for a Chinese official in Hong Kong City at the time, which greatly facilitated Ming Jingxing’s business operations;

Second, Xu Wenrui was beautiful, proud, lively, and outgoing—Ming Jingxing felt her personality complemented his son’s perfectly.

Yes, in Ming Jingxing’s heart, his otherwise flawless son had only one shortcoming: his overly reserved and taciturn nature, likely inherited from his long-deceased first wife.

However, he never imagined back then that Xu Wenrui would later turn into the monstrous person she became.

The turning point came the year his son, Ming Zhixuan, suddenly expressed a desire to study abroad.

Truthfully, Ming Jingxing didn’t care whether his son got into a prestigious university.

What if he didn’t?!

He would still inherit the family business…

But if his son could gain admission to a top school on his own merit, that would be commendable.

Ming Jingxing happily agreed.

Unexpectedly—

during Ming Zhixuan’s second year studying abroad, the prospective in-laws, the Xu Family, suddenly summoned Ming Jingxing.

Then, Ming Jingxing stared dumbfounded as Mrs. Xu awkwardly held a swaddled infant and greeted him…

That day, Ming Jingxing felt his face had been thoroughly slapped by the Xu Family.

—The carefully chosen prospective daughter-in-law he had picked for his son, not yet of age, had already slept with the son of the declining Chen Family and given birth to a baby boy?

Ming Jingxing was furious.

But a few days later, Ming Jingxing swallowed his anger and attended a banquet—the Xu and Chen Families had arranged a feast to host Ming Jingxing.

During the banquet, the heads of the Xu and Chen Families proposed two solutions:

First, cancel the engagement between Xu Wenrui and Ming Zhixuan. The Xu Family had another daughter, Xu Wenli, and the marriage alliance between the Ming and Xu Families could be fulfilled by Xu Wenli instead.

Second, keep the engagement between Xu Wenrui and Ming Zhixuan unchanged.

The Xu Family also stated that regardless of which option Ming Jingxing chose, they would provide corresponding compensation.

After careful consideration, Ming Jingxing chose the second option.

That is, the engagement between Xu Wenrui and Ming Zhixuan would remain unchanged.

The reason for this choice was that Xu Wenrui was born to the Xu Family’s first wife, and the Xu Family head’s rise to become the highest-ranking Chinese official in Hong Kong City was largely due to the first wife’s influence—she was of mixed Chinese and British descent, with her mother being the sister of the Hong Kong governor and her father a British noble.

Xu Wenrui was born late in the first wife’s life and was deeply cherished and indulged. If she could become the Ming Family’s daughter-in-law, the support the Ming Family would gain would be twofold!

After all—

This incident had already embarrassed and shamed the Xu Family. As long as Xu Wenrui remained with the Ming Family, out of a desire to make amends, the Xu Family would inevitably protect and support all of the Ming Family’s business activities!

On the other hand, Xu Wenli was born to the Xu Family’s second wife.

Although the second wife was the original spouse of the Xu Family head, she was a woman from the countryside with no influential family background to offer support, and she had passed away early…

Have Ming Zhixuan marry Xu Wenli?

Then the Ming Family would not only fail to gain the Xu Family’s support but would also turn them into enemies!

—Even Ming Jingxing knew that Xu Wenrui, spoiled rotten by her elders, was good at nothing. Despite having one-quarter British blood, she couldn’t speak or even recognize English!

That aside, Xu Wenrui was also intensely jealous of Xu Wenli, who excelled in her studies and spoke English fluently.

So, if Ming Jingxing chose to bring Xu Wenli into the family,

he would only offend Xu Wenrui.

At the same time,

Ming Jingxing harbored other intentions.

The more he felt he had wronged his son, the more he hated Xu Wenrui.

Then let Xu Wenrui stay under his watchful eye. One day, he would make her suffer so much that she would wish she were dead!

After Ming Jingxing made his choice,

the Chen and Xu Families soon quietly announced their alliance through marriage.

—The two families declared that Chen Shen, the only son of the Chen Family, and Xu Wenli, the second daughter of the Xu Family, had been in a relationship for two years. Now that Xu Wenli had given birth to Chen Shen’s son, Chen Shuojie, the Chen and Xu Families decided to let the young couple have a destination wedding without holding a banquet.

Thus, in the absence and without the knowledge of Xu Wenli, the second daughter of the Xu Family, she became Chen Shen’s wife.

To prevent Ming Zhixuan from learning that his fiancée had already borne another man’s child,

Ming Jingxing did everything in his power to keep his son from returning to Hong Kong.

During these two years, Ming Jingxing used the Xu Family’s protective umbrella to monopolize seven of Hong Kong City’s nine major ports, while holding a thirty percent stake in the remaining two.

Two years later, Xu Wenrui came of age.

The Xu Family, likely envious of Ming Jingxing’s expanding business empire, began pressing for the wedding date to be set.

Ming Jingxing was, of course, more than willing—he had long been waiting for Xu Wenrui to become his daughter-in-law. Then, he was determined to make her understand the consequences of betraying his son.

However,

after recalling his son, Ming Jingxing learned that his son had actually become involved with Xu Wenli, the other daughter of the Xu Family?

Ming Jingxing was furious!

He could accept his son hating the Xu Family’s daughter, but he absolutely could not accept his son falling for a daughter of the Xu Family.

Even if Xu Wenli was not Xu Wenrui!

Moreover, in Ming Jingxing’s eyes, Xu Wenli was already the daughter-in-law of the Chen Family.

Ming Jingxing and his son erupted into a fierce conflict.

Ming Zhixuan adamantly refused to marry Xu Wenrui.

He told Ming Jingxing the truth:

He said Lizhi (Xu Wenli) was a wonderful girl, and he had secretly admired her for over a decade. He had gone to great lengths to pursue her, and she had finally let down her guard and accepted him.

He had never liked Xu Wenrui. In his eyes, Xu Wenrui was nothing more than a spoiled and domineering child from the neighbor’s house, and he disliked her intensely.

At the time, Ming Jingxing sneered, “If Xu Wenli is such a wonderful girl, would she have accepted your pursuit knowing full well that you have a fiancée, and that your fiancée is her own younger sister?”

“Zhixuan, have you forgotten how that stepmother who tried to kill you time and again played hard to get, making me mistakenly believe she was a poisonous white lotus who wanted nothing but my love?”

“And what was the result? We nearly died at her hands!”

Ming Zhixuan shook his head, “Dad, it’s not like that.”

He told Ming Jingxing:

Before he decided to study abroad, he had been deeply conflicted.

On one hand, he had witnessed his father’s tireless efforts for the family business and felt heartache for him. He had once considered taking over the family business early to ease his father’s burden.

On the other hand, he was torn over whether he should take advantage of his father’s prime years to further his studies and then return to take over the business…

It wasn’t until Ming Zhixuan’s good friend Chen Shen came to drink with him.

After getting drunk, Chen Shen confided in Ming Zhixuan: he said he really liked Xu Wenrui, but Xu Wenrui was only fifteen years old—was he a pervert?

Chen Shen also tearfully said to Ming Zhixuan: “Why is the girl I like your fiancée? Zhixuan, can you leave Hong Kong City? Didn’t you want to study abroad? Then go! Once you’re gone, I’ll stay and protect Wenrui. When she grows up and becomes an adult, let her choose. Zhixuan, if she chooses me, will you step aside?”

Ming Zhixuan told Ming Jingxing, “Dad, even though Chen Shen is my good friend, I thought it over and still felt this wasn’t right. Whether Wenrui is my fiancée or not, I couldn’t let a minor be targeted by an adult man.”

“So the next day, I went to find Big Brother Xu and told him about this. I also told Big Brother Xu that I only see Wenrui as a younger sister. As for the marriage arrangement between our Ming Family and the Xu Family, I don’t acknowledge it, and I will persuade you to cancel it.”

“Big Brother Xu agreed, saying he respected my wishes, would advise you and Uncle Xu to cancel the engagement between Wenrui and me… and asked me not to dwell on this matter, so as not to affect the friendship between our two families.”

“Wenli was also present at the time. She and I both personally heard her eldest brother’s promise.”

“So, after Wenli and I arrived in the United States, I pursued her for three whole years. It wasn’t until our senior year, which was last year… that she finally agreed to be my girlfriend.”

“Dad, Wenli’s willingness to accept my pursuit was based on two fundamental conditions.”

“First, we both personally heard Brother Xu verbally declare the dissolution of my engagement with Wenrui. When I pursued her, both she and I were single.”

“Second, she witnessed firsthand and personally experienced my love and persistence for her…”

“Dad, please don’t try to tear us apart. I truly love Wenli, and she is already carrying my child. By my calculations, the baby is due to be born in the next few days…”

“Dad, once Wenli gives birth, I will go and bring them back. From now on, with me here, you won’t have to work so hard. I’ll take care of the miscellaneous tasks in the company, and you can just steer the ship. Wenli studied law, and with her by our side, the Ming Family’s future development will only flourish.”

“Oh, and Dad, both Wenli and I really love children. We might have several kids, so you’ll have your hands full in the future…”

…

Years later, every time Ming Jingxing recalled the words his son had spoken back then, his heart felt as if it were being carved out alive!

Because no one understood him better than his own son.

This was exactly the family life he had always longed for!

—A wealthy household, a promising son,

a virtuous and filial daughter-in-law,

three or five lively and healthy grandchildren…

What kind of heavenly life could surpass this?

Yet at that time, he was completely consumed by overwhelming rage!

Because,

Ming Jingxing understood immediately—

It was likely that

when Chen Shen persuaded Ming Zhixuan to study abroad, he already knew that Xu Wenrui was pregnant.

The eldest son of the Xu Family verbally agreeing to dissolve the engagement between Ming Zhixuan and Xu Wenrui also indicated that the Xu Family had long known that Xu Wenrui was carrying Chen Shen’s child!

The Xu Family even knew that Ming Zhixuan was in love with Xu Wenli—this was most likely leaked by Chen Shen, after all, Chen Shen was Ming Zhixuan’s closest friend at the time!

Yet his kind-hearted, naive son was kept completely in the dark!

So,

all of this, everything, was a joint scheme by the Chen Family and the Xu Family to mock Ming Jingxing?

Were they secretly laughing at the Ming Family father and son as fools?

Ming Jingxing’s eyes burned red with fury!

After realizing this,

Ming Jingxing became even more convinced that this matter could not be left unresolved!

—Chen Shen wanted to marry Xu Wenrui?

In his dreams!

Ming Jingxing would make sure that wretched pair never got their wish!

—The Xu Family wanted to profit by riding on the Ming Family’s coattails?

Wishful thinking!

Ming Jingxing would find a way to bring the Xu Family to ruin!

Thus, in his rage, Ming Jingxing made a decision… one he would regret for the rest of his life!

He coldly said to Ming Zhixuan, “Don’t overthink it. Prepare to marry Xu Wenrui in a week!”

Ming Zhixuan stared in shock, his eyes wide.

“Dad! I… I love Lizhi! Lizhi is about to give birth to my child!” he cried out in despair. “I can’t marry Xu Wenrui, absolutely not!”

And then—

In his daze, Ming Jingxing heard the voice of his grandson, Ming Jiayao:

“Grandpa, with all your hard work and effort to earn money… what is it all for, really?”

Ming Jingxing stood frozen for a long, long time…

Only when the turbid and scalding tears leaped from his bloodshot eyes and washed over his cold, wrinkled face did Ming Jingxing snap back to reality.

Ah, the young man before him was his grandson Ming Jiayao, a… weak and silent fellow.

Ming Jingxing had never particularly liked this grandson.

He felt the boy had neither inherited his own decisive and ruthless methods nor inherited Ming Zhixuan’s generosity and gentleness.

Ming Jingxing believed Ming Jiayao probably inherited the weakness and introversion of his biological mother.

He didn’t know when it started, but Ming Jiayao seemed to have changed again.

He was still silent and introverted, not good with words, but he had moved out of the old mansion and was getting busier day by day.

When he heard that Xu Wenrui had asked him for money, not only did he not give it, but he also infuriated Xu Wenrui to the point of madness…

Ming Jingxing was satisfied.

But—

Was this child before him really his grandson Ming Jiayao, who had been weak since childhood?

Ming Jingxing stared at the young man before him, showing a puzzled expression.

Ming Jiayao waited for a long time without getting Ming Jingxing’s response.

So he asked again, “Grandpa… Grandpa, come back to your senses!”

Ming Jingxing was taken aback.

Just as he was about to scold Ming Jiayao for disrespecting elders, lacking manners, and not knowing how to speak, he suddenly heard Ming Jiayao say another sentence, “By the way, Grandpa, who exactly is Xu Wenrui’s husband? Where did you find him? Why does he look so much like my father?”

Ming Jingxing’s mouth fell open.

For a moment, he forgot what he had wanted to say just moments before.

But an inexplicable chill slowly seeped from his bones…

Freezing him until his whole body trembled uncontrollably.

Even his teeth chattered lightly.

“Is he your illegitimate child?” Ming Jiayao asked curiously.

Ming Jiayao wasn’t making baseless guesses.

Earlier, in the bathroom of the East Wing, Ming Jiayao had discovered a long-sealed bottle of medicinal mouthwash on the sink. On the label, someone had written the number 18 with a marker.

Then Ming Jiayao remembered that he had once checked the medical records of the middle-aged Ming Zhixuan at St. Maria Hospital, which clearly stated that the middle-aged Ming Zhixuan had undergone root canal treatment on his teeth.

The tooth numbers were precisely teeth 16, 17, and 18.

So, Ming Jiayao searched around the East Wing for a while and indeed found the medical records of the young Ming Zhixuan in the study.

After looking through them for a bit, he quickly saw that the young Ming Zhixuan had already undergone root canal treatment on tooth 18 when he was seven years old, and later, over a long period, had the tooth extracted and replaced with a new one.

How could a tooth that had already been damaged long ago possibly undergo root canal treatment again twenty years later?

It was precisely because of this that Ming Jiayao was certain that the young Ming Zhixuan and the middle-aged Ming Zhixuan must be two different people.

So then,

Why did the middle-aged Ming Zhixuan and the young Ming Zhixuan look so much alike?

When Mr. Smith first saw the middle-aged Ming Zhixuan, he openly criticized the fake Ming Zhixuan’s height.

According to Mr. Smith, Ming Zhixuan was very tall, at least 188 centimeters.

And in Xu Wenrui’s room, Ming Jiayao had also seen a photo of the young Ming Zhixuan with the young Chen Shen. The young Ming Zhixuan was clearly half a head taller than Chen Shen.

But the middle-aged Ming Zhixuan was about the same height as Chen Shen, maybe even a little shorter.

A normal human being cannot be 188 centimeters tall in their youth and then shrink to 170 centimeters in middle age.

So, why did the real and fake Ming Zhixuan look so much alike?

Ming Jiayao did not find any reports related to plastic surgery or post-surgery recovery in the medical records of the middle-aged Ming Zhixuan.

In other words, the middle-aged Ming Zhixuan naturally looked like this.

Now,

seeing Ming Jingxing’s pale face and his lack of denial,

Ming Jiayao knew

he had once again successfully bluffed his way to the truth!

—Was the middle-aged Ming Zhixuan really Ming Jingxing’s illegitimate child???

Ming Jiayao sneered coldly.

At this moment, Ming Jingxing finally spoke, “He… is your uncle.”

Ming Jiayao wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination,

but Ming Jingxing seemed to be aging visibly.

This aging felt more like a rapid decline in vitality and spirit.

Ming Jingxing closed his eyes for a moment and said hoarsely, “You should know that after your grandmother passed away, I had a brief marriage.”

“That woman pretended to be kind and innocent, but she attempted to harm me and your father several times. After I discovered this, I forced her to divorce me. She left with nothing and was left with massive debts.”

“During the years your father was studying abroad, I happened to meet Liu Rong… your uncle.”

“Liu Rong looked so much like me when I was young, and even more like your father. I grew suspicious and had someone investigate. Sure enough, it turned out… Liu Rong was Liu Xiaohong’s son.”

“It turned out that when Liu Xiaohong and I divorced, she was already pregnant. She probably thought the child belonged to her lover, so she never told me.”

“After Liu Xiaohong divorced me, she gave birth to Liu Rong and died not long after.”

“Liu Rong was a thug in Yau Ma Tei who made a living by collecting protection money. He had no idea his mother had once been married to me.”

…

As he spoke, Ming Jingxing recalled the events of the past.

—Back then, blinded by hatred and anger, Ming Jingxing forced his son Ming Zhixuan to marry Xu Wenrui.

Ming Zhixuan refused.

Ming Jingxing then imprisoned Ming Zhixuan here,

exactly where Ming Jingxing and Ming Jiayao were standing now.

At the time, Ming Jingxing thought that as long as Ming Zhixuan married Xu Wenrui, he would set him free.

If Ming Zhixuan wanted to go abroad afterward to stay with Xu Wenli… he wouldn’t interfere.

What he wanted was for Xu Wenrui to become the Ming Family’s daughter-in-law, firmly tying the Xu Family to the Ming Family’s interests.

But what Ming Jingxing never expected was

that Ming Zhixuan refused to compromise.

On the eve of the wedding, in an attempt to escape, Ming Zhixuan jumped from the second-floor terrace and injured his leg.

He planned to drive away from the estate,

but on his way down the mountain, perhaps too desperate to escape, he drove too fast…

When he tried to brake, his injured right leg failed to respond.

And so, the accident happened!

Ming Zhixuan fell into a coma.

To avoid delaying the wedding the next day,

Ming Jingxing had no choice but to make Liu Rong wear high-heeled leather shoes to impersonate Ming Zhixuan. He also altered the wedding procedures to minimize Liu Rong’s appearances and speaking opportunities…

The wedding proceeded smoothly.

Fortunately, Liu Rong didn’t give himself away.

Ming Jingxing breathed a sigh of relief.

But on the other hand,

Ming Zhixuan’s injuries were so severe that his right leg had to be amputated. Moreover, due to the violent impact, he… fell into a vegetative state!

Ming Jingxing’s heart ached with grief!

Yet he still held onto hope that one day, Ming Zhixuan might wake up.

As long as his son could wake up, what did it matter if he lost a limb!

To wait for his son’s awakening,

Ming Jingxing had no choice but to let Liu Rong continue impersonating his son.

During this process,

Ming Jingxing was not idle either.

Like a madman, he seized the opportunity provided by the Xu Family to desperately expand his business empire.

 

Over the past decade, he had successfully ascended to the position of Hong Kong City’s wealthiest individual, amassing a fortune so vast that it even secured him a spot among the world’s top one hundred billionaires!

As for Liu Rong,

Ming Jingxing couldn’t be bothered to care whether he knew about his own origins.

In Ming Jingxing’s eyes, he had only one son: Ming Zhixuan.

As for Liu Xiaohong’s son, since he had inherited her cruelty and depravity, he was utterly unworthy of being considered Ming Jingxing’s son!

Moreover,

Liu Rong himself harbored restless, petty ambitions.

He attempted to win over Xu Wenrui by seducing her, hoping she would bear his child and replace Ming Zhixuan;

He also tried to leverage his status as the “Young master of the Ming Family” to secure a position within the Ming Family’s enterprises, aiming to embezzle assets—a plan that was abandoned only after Ming Jingxing found out;

Yet Liu Rong remained undeterred, and began swindling others under Ming Zhixuan’s name…

Initially, Ming Jingxing was quite pleased to see Liu Rong harass Xu Wenrui daily, delighting in her growing annoyance.

But he soon realized,

He absolutely could not allow Liu Rong to impregnate Xu Wenrui while posing as Ming Zhixuan.

Thus, Ming Jingxing instructed the family doctor to administer medication to Liu Rong, making him believe he suffered from a urological condition, prompting Liu Rong to seek medical treatment.

Ming Jingxing then arranged for the doctor to perform a permanent sterilization procedure on Liu Rong under the guise of “surgical treatment.”

Of course, Liu Rong was unaware of this at the time; it was only many years later that he discovered the truth.

As for Liu Rong’s schemes to amass wealth, after being thoroughly exposed and harshly disciplined by Ming Jingxing, they gradually ceased.

He was a cunning individual,

Realizing that as long as he troubled Xu Wenrui, Ming Jingxing would give him money,

So Liu Rong began making Xu Wenrui’s life miserable day in and day out…

At this moment—

Ming Jingxing held nothing back, recounting Liu Rong’s entire situation truthfully and in detail to Ming Jiayao.

Ming Jiayao was shocked, “Is Liu Rong really your child with Liu Xiaohong? Are you sure?”

Ming Jingxing, “His birth timeline matches, and his appearance aligns.”

Ming Jiayao found it even harder to accept, “Since he is also your son, why have you treated him so harshly?”

Ming Jingxing sneered, “I have only one son in this lifetime!”

Ming Jiayao also sneered, “Being your son is truly unfortunate! Being your grandson is even worse!”

Ming Jingxing pressed his lips tightly together, falling into silence.

Ming Jiayao took a deep breath and asked again, “Then where is my father? Is he alive or dead? And how exactly did my mother die?”

Hearing this, Ming Jingxing suddenly began breathing rapidly, his eyes quickly reddening.