2 Revealing True Feelings

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Silence surrounded him. Jing Yi didn’t know how long he had been unconscious until an angry voice abruptly awoke him—

“Li Mingzhi, if you dare run off with him today, I’ll disown you as a brother!”

Jing Yi’s eyes snapped open.

The suffocating sensation of being submerged still clung to his senses. Instinctively, he touched his neck; the rapid throbbing of his pulse reminded him of a vigorous vitality.

Thank goodness—he was alive again.

Jing Yi exhaled in relief, looking blankly at the two people beside him.

Li Mingzhi?

His heart jolted awake completely.

Wasn’t this the foolish love-struck character from the novel he had read just a few days ago—the one who in the first chapter got tricked into losing even his underwear?

Did the Black and White Impermanence have such a wide range of duties? Could they really toss him across dimensions like this?

Jing Yi looked down at himself in disbelief. There was no way he had transmigrated into that silly fool…

“No family? Fine! I don’t want a brother who bullies me with his power!” A slightly choked male voice came from behind. “Ning Jiang is so good to me. What’s wrong with me being with him? You’re so tyrannical, you never agree with anything I do!”

Not far behind, a boy about his age, tears streaming down his face, shouted at his elder brother for bullying him, his beautiful eyes red and swollen, looking utterly pitiful.

Jing Yi quietly breathed easier. At least Black and White Impermanence had some humanity; they hadn’t made him reincarnate as a hopeless romantic.

Before he could fully grasp his new identity, another unfamiliar voice sounded from the other side, “Mingzhi, how can you speak to your elder brother like that?”

Jing Yi glanced over, seeing two handsome adult men approaching from the corner, their features striking and their long legs straight—a first impression impossible to forget.

Seeing these four together, Jing Yi immediately knew where he was—this was the Li family’s four brothers, a group of tragic cannon fodder doomed to heartbreak in a cruel novel.

Li Xu and Li Ting looked toward their eldest brother: “Big Brother.”

The man seated in the main position radiated authority. He nodded slightly, his gaze cold and heavy as it fixed on the rebellious younger brother.

“You only know how to side with Big Brother to bully me,” Li Mingzhi said, both angry and wronged, a tear threatening behind his beautiful eyes. “Big Brother cruelly tore me apart from Ning Jiang. If you two don’t help me, fine, but why blame me?”

Li Xu, the impatient second brother, was already frowning deeply before he even finished listening. “Big Brother is only doing this for your own good.”

“I don’t want his ‘good’,” Li Mingzhi broke down in frustration. “I want Jiang Jiang!”

“You…” Li Xu began, but before he could finish, a clear, gentle male voice interrupted from the corner.

Always silent, Ning Jiang spoke softly: “Zhi Zhi, don’t talk to your brother like that. It will hurt them. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have visited you today. If I hadn’t come, you wouldn’t have had this quarrel with your brothers.”

Curious, Jing Yi turned toward the corner.

There stood a man with refined and delicate features. Compared to the Li family’s bold and striking looks, he seemed like an orchid blooming in a quiet valley. Paired with his poised, appropriate smile, no one would guess he was a seasoned con artist who excelled at deception.

After reading the whole story, Jing Yi’s deepest impression was this number one villain, Ning Jiang.

This man was a thorough fraud: a professional swindler of money and a secondary deceiver of hearts. Three months ago, he deliberately approached the Li family’s young master, successfully bewitching him into a love-addled stupor. His infatuation drove him to threaten to run away from home and hand over the family fortune.

Unfortunately, his efforts were met with the con artist’s cold heart. Six months later, Li Mingzhi was crippled and kicked out of the family, left to beg for survival.

Li Mingzhi’s tragic fate was merely the prelude to the collapse of the mighty Li family.

Without the protection of his three older brothers, he suffered the cruelest betrayal from his lover. In the later part of the story, Ning Jiang even sold him to criminals, leaving his body completely mutilated.

Jing Yi surveyed the four handsome men before him—each strikingly attractive, full of charm and style. These must be the Li family’s doomed cannon fodder.

As for himself…

Jing Yi looked down.

He wore a standard black tailcoat, his bow tie fastened neatly at his throat, hands wrapped in white gloves, and polished leather shoes—a perfect image of a dutiful footman.

He had transmigrated as the nameless but surnamed steward in the original story. Standing before him was the most famous tragic figure in the novel—the Li family’s eldest young master, Li Wenzhao.

If Li Mingzhi’s fate was the first blow that shattered the Li family’s fortune, then Li Wenzhao’s was the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

He witnessed his three brothers’ financial ruin and demise, suffered betrayal by his lover, deserted by subordinates, bankruptcy of projects, and friends who siphoned company funds. Under this barrage of misfortune, he sank into despair, helplessly watching the Li family disintegrate until, clutching his brothers’ ashes, he drowned himself in the sea.

In short, all were tragic figures.

The author truly poured a huge bucket of melodrama.

Li Ting couldn’t stand it any longer: “Your Jiang Jiang is a complete fraud. You’ve really lost your mind!”

“That’s slander!” Li Mingzhi’s infatuated brain flared up; he shouted hoarsely, “Ning Jiang is the best companion in the world! We’ll grow old together and never part!”

Jing Yi sighed quietly.

[Love-addled fools are truly a menace.]

The tense atmosphere in the study froze. The four arguing men simultaneously paused.

Li Wenzhao’s senses were sharp. He was the first to glance toward the corner where the voice had come from. The new steward stood silently, expressionless and professional.

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If the steward hadn’t spoken…

Li Mingzhi glared fiercely at Jing Yi. “I know you all think I’m love-struck, but I’m clear-headed! I want Jiang Jiang. This life, it has to be him! Without him, I’d die!”

Jing Yi was stunned by Li Mingzhi’s infatuation and couldn’t help but retort:

[What a silly fool. With him, you’ll die even faster.]

“…” Li Mingzhi turned incredulous. “Did he just… insult me?”

Ning Jiang looked confused. “Who?”

Li Wenzhao narrowed his eyes, his expression puzzled.

If he hadn’t misheard, the steward hadn’t spoken.

So where did that voice come from?

Li Xu and Li Ting were equally surprised, their gazes fixed on Jing Yi in the corner.

The Li brothers exchanged looks, seeing undisguised astonishment in each other’s eyes.

—The new steward seems to have some kind of special ability?

“Zhi Zhi, don’t make things too tense with my family for my sake. They are your relatives. I’m fine. I’m a grown man—why be afraid of a little trouble from your brothers? Don’t worry, I can handle it.” Ning Jiang gently ruffled Li Mingzhi’s hair, smiling tenderly but sadly.

“I should be the one to apologize. Today must have been difficult for you.”

“Don’t apologize to me.” Li Mingzhi’s eyes were red, his voice low and remorseful. “You did nothing wrong. They are the ones at fault.”

“Brother, I’ve made up my mind. You don’t have to persuade me. Whether you agree or not, I will stand by Jiang Jiang this lifetime.”

Wiping his tears, Li Mingzhi seemed resolute. “I won’t force you to accept him, but you can’t interfere with me. After I leave, I’ll hand over the companies under my control to Jiang Jiang—as a guarantee for him.”

The third Li brother cursed, “You’re hopeless.”

With matters at this point, there seemed no chance for reconciliation. Watching the innocent fool Li Mingzhi fall step by step into a trap, Jing Yi felt pity and quietly pondered.

[If I tell Big Brother that once this young master leaves with Ning Jiang, he’ll be swindled out of all his property, crippled, and sold off—will he believe me?]

The Li brothers’ pupils dilated in shock.

—What?!!

Li Mingzhi finally noticed Jing Yi’s mouth moving silently, yet the voice was clear in his ears. He swallowed nervously and looked at Ning Jiang. “Jiang Jiang, will you… cut off my kidneys?”

Ning Jiang was baffled. “Huh?”

The confusion on his face seemed genuine, not fake. Realizing Jing Yi’s influence, Li Mingzhi irritably turned away. “Steward Jing, stop stirring up trouble. If you keep this up, I’ll have you kicked out of the Li family!”

“Cutting off kidneys?!”

Nonsense.

Jiang Jiang loves him so much—even a tiny scratch on his finger makes him worry for a long time. He must be crazy to believe such nonsense.

Jing Yi was stunned by the scolding, locking eyes with Li Mingzhi’s fire-breathing glare, growing more bewildered.

What was going on?

Why was this silly fool taking his anger out on him?

[Ah, love-struck fools really are the worst. He’s so mad he’s scolding the wrong person.]

“You still dare—”

“Mingzhi.” Li Wenzhao cut him off expressionlessly, “Don’t take your anger out on others.”

Li Mingzhi pointed at Jing Yi stubbornly. “Brother! He said that about me…”

“Shut up!”

The second and third brothers spoke in unison.

Li Mingzhi was left speechless.

Jing Yi blinked, utterly confused: ???

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[What’s going on?]

[Slow down, I can’t keep up with this drama.]

“……”

Li Ting watched Jing Yi with interest, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Li Mingzhi surveyed the large living room. His dissatisfaction at being opposed by his brothers gradually shifted into resentment at being scolded. He looked sadly at his family before turning resolutely away.

“Jiang Jiang, let’s go.”

Ning Jiang’s refined face showed a faint smile. “Don’t worry, brothers. I’ll take good care of Zhi Zhi.”

“Li Mingzhi,” the eldest Li brother’s voice was steady behind him, “once you step out that door, you are no longer a member of the Li family.”

Li Mingzhi retorted stubbornly, “So be it. Who cares? You’re all fascists!”

Li Wenzhao spoke without emotion, “Since you are no longer part of the Li family, I will reclaim all your assets—company shares, bank deposits, properties, and your precious collection of rare vehicles. If you truly love Ning Jiang, I’m sure he won’t mind you being penniless.”

A crack appeared in Ning Jiang’s perfect expression.

Li Mingzhi said confidently, “Of course, right Jiang Jiang?”

Ning Jiang snapped back to reality, his face darkening. “...Yes.”

He didn’t believe Li Wenzhao would completely abandon his own brother. Blood ties weren’t so easily severed. This must be a test.

Ning Jiang’s face was full of deep affection. “Zhi Zhi, I will love you forever.”

Li Mingzhi smiled contentedly. “Jiang Jiang, I love you too. Let’s go.”

Watching their lovey-dovey clinginess, Jing Yi couldn’t help but comment: [Hand in hand, off you go—together on the road to the afterlife, you have him, I don’t.]

Li Mingzhi was exasperated. “Jing Yi—”

“Steward Jing,” Li Wenzhao interrupted the younger brother’s futile rage word by word, “contact the reporters. Publish a statement announcing Li Mingzhi’s departure from the family. Have the lawyers draft agreements to recover all his movable and immovable property. I want to see all the documents within the hour.”

Ning Jiang’s expression completely changed.

He glanced at Li Xu and Li Ting, who showed no intention of stopping the proceedings.

Wait… you’re really serious?

He lowered his gaze toward the foolish Li Mingzhi beside him.

If they took the boy away today, all his recent efforts would be wasted.

After a moment’s thought, Ning Jiang stopped, gently took Li Mingzhi’s hand, and said softly, “Zhi Zhi, don’t be impulsive. I know you love me, but don’t lose everything for me. It would hurt me. Let’s take it slow, okay? I’ll prove everything to your brothers.”

Li Mingzhi looked at him stupidly. “Aren’t you going to take me away?”

Ning Jiang smiled gently. “Fool, how could I bear to let you lose your family for me?”

Jing Yi was stunned by the shameless change in this man’s face.

[You don’t care about anyone but money. This feint to retreat is clever. Once you stabilize the Li family and lower their guard, you’ll find another chance to abduct Li Mingzhi again, swindle money and love, squeeze out every last bit of value, then sell him to a coal mine and finally cut out his kidneys… Truly despicable! Hannibal Lecter would bow to you in shame!]

Jing Yi’s words were coherent and logical, impossible to dismiss.

Li Mingzhi froze, scrutinizing his lover for the first time.

After speaking, Ning Jiang stood and said, “Today’s visit was unpleasant. Behave yourself. I’ll come again in a few days. I’ll try to convince your brothers.”

Ning Jiang turned and nodded slightly to Li Wenzhao and the others. “I’ll take my leave.”

Li Wenzhao said coldly, “Steward Jing, see them out.”

Jing Yi’s legs were numb from standing so long. Hearing this, he sprang into action. “Right, Mr. Ning… please.”

Li Ting stifled a laugh.

The new steward was quite entertaining.

Jing Yi dutifully played his part, following Ning Jiang out. But after watching the drama for so long, his legs cramped from standing still. Barely two steps out, a muscle seized up.

Just as he reached the door, his foot slipped, sending him sliding half a meter, eyes wide in horror as he collided with Ning Jiang’s feet.

With a nimble sweep, Ning Jiang fell, hands and knees hitting the floor, tumbling headfirst into the large flowerbed by the doorway.

Jing Yi: “…”

The three Li brothers: “…”

Li Mingzhi: “…”