Chapter 81 - Even A Dog Can Bite Viciously

At that moment, Zhiyuan's gaze was icier than the Arctic. He looked so dangerous and cold with the murderous intent in his eyes as if he would strangle Xiaosi right this moment.

Instead of answering him, he landed another punch in his face that harshly tilted it on the other side. A small cut appeared on his cheek with a thin line of blood trickling by.

Xiaosi's relaxed demeanor vanished as he turned just as cold as Zhiyuan. They both stood face to face and he narrowed his eyes. "This is where it stops, Mr. Han Zhiyuan."

Zhiyuan took a threatening step towards him. "No Zhu Xiaosi. This is where I will end it once and for all. You started it seven years back by forcing yourself on Caihong that night."

His eyes slightly widened in surprise.

"I will end this cycle of pain and suffering seven years later."

Xiaosi quickly connected the dots. It was An Meiying who told him.

Xiaosi dangerously smiled. "So, you finally got your answer."

"No Xiaosi. I haven't got my answers. I have yet to know how the man who I treated like my best friend and brother could be so disgusting? How did my best friend with whom I laughed and shared everything could forcefully sleep with a woman and ruin her dignity? Was I so blind in trusting you? Was I so foolish that I couldn't see your true colors all that time?"

He pulled his shirt and his jaw clenched in anger. "When did Zhu Xiaosi become a man who disrespected a woman like that? You turned out to be a snake hiding his fangs from Caihong and me, and you let them out on that graduation party night, didn't you?"

Xiaosi silently heard his outburst.

Zhiyuan angrily laughed. "And you dare to say that you came back for revenge? Do you want to destroy me? It should be me destroying your fucking life for raping Caihong! She trusted you as her friend, Xiaosi!"

Just then, Caihong and Xinyi rushed in the room and saw the whole mess. Xiaosi was injured while Xinyi noticed the faint marks on Zhiyuan's knuckles. That just said how hard he hit him.

She ran up to his side and clutched his arm. "Zhiyuan, what happened? Why are you suddenly…"

Xinyi was taken aback to see him so angry. She felt the danger and alarm surrounding him.

Caihong saw the bruises and cut on his face and froze. 

Xiaosi burst into laughter. "My dear wife. It seems that our secret isn't a secret anymore."

She froze.

"W-what?"

"Haha. Your ex-boyfriend knows of what happened seven years back between us."

Xinyi frowned. She looked at Zhiyuan and hesitated.

"Zhiyuan…can you please tell me what happened?"

Caihong paled more and more. She trembled as sweat trickled down her forehead.

He knows... Zhiyuan knows…

Impossible. How can Zhiyuan know anything!?

That night was a thorn in her heart and now Zhiyuan knew that ugly side of hers.

Xinyi urged. "Zhiyuan. What did Mrs. An say to you that got you so angry?"

"Ask Mr. Zhu Xiaosi. Let him tell you what happened."

Silence.

"What's wrong, Xiaosi? Why aren't you saying anything now? Why are you so quiet? Why aren't you admitting that you had forcibly slept with Caihong that night!?"

Xinyi froze. Her head jerked towards Caihong and saw her trembling and shaking as she held her arms and hugged herself.

"That's why she left China without saying anything! First, you slept with her and then you forced her to marry you."

Xinyi was aghast.

Suddenly, she recalled the conversation she had with Xiaosi.

"You loved Caihong?"

"As much as you loved Zhiyuan."

She looked at him in disbelief.

Did he do that because he felt jealous of Zhiyuan so he…

Xiaosi said, "Why are you so angry? Are you shocked that you who treated me as your underling took away your woman from you? Is it that unbelievable?"

"Underling? Are you drunk?"

"Mr. Han. You can stop your acting now. Really. You should have become an actor instead of a CEO. The whole college knew how you treated me as your dog just because you belonged to a wealthy family. Why would you bother befriending a poor and orphan like me?"

Zhiyuan stared at him hard. "What the fuck nonsense are you spouting?"

"It's not nonsense, Mr. Han. You say words like best friend and brother and bla bla but you actually treated me as your lackey. And that is why I showed you that even a dog can bite viciously. Every dog has its day. You heard that saying right?"

Xinyi's mind was a jumbled mess. She couldn't figure out what was wrong with what he said.

I don't understand. He said he loves Caihong and now he is saying that always hated Zhiyuan?

Zhiyuan felt blank.

"Are you really saying that, Xiaosi? You think that I thought our friendship was a joke to you? A lackey? A dog? Are you in your senses?"

Suddenly out of nowhere, Xiaosi landed a hit on Zhiyuan.

Xinyi shrieked. "Zhiyuan!"

"Zhiyuan!" Caihong was taken aback too.

Xinyi gritted her teeth. "Xiaosi, stop!"

"You should tell that to your husband who came barging in my office first. I am giving a payback for this and for all those times he looked down upon me."

"I never looked down upon you!"

"Is that why you were mocking my existence in front of Liang? You remember the day when you snatched an important project in college for which I had worked my ass off for months and then who got it in the end? Mr. Han Zhiyuan. Cheers!"

*Eight years back*

Xiaosi was in a horrible mood after losing that opportunity to the project. He felt envious of Zhiyuan.

He combed his hair in frustration.

"Ah what am I thinking? Zhiyuan will do it just fine -ow ow!"

A sharp pain shot from his right arm that was plastered in a case. A few days back, he got into an accident that had dislocated his elbow. 

Damn this hand!

As he walked back to the class, he passed the basketball court, where he heard some voices. He recognized them as Zhiyuan and Liang's.

Liang said while bouncing the ball up and down. I didn't expect the professor to listen to your request."

Zhiyuan sighed. "Well, I didn't have a choice. It is an important project. Xiaosi couldn't have handled it. It was better to take its responsibility myself."

Liang nodded. "He wouldn't have any problem now. The project he got is easier…"

Outside, Xiaosi quietly listened to them talking about him.

Couldn't have handled it huh…?

He left the place, feeling blank. On the way, he bumped into some of his other classmates. There were two boys of the same age as him.

"Yo Xiaosi. Why are you walking like a zombie?"

His friend said, "Come on. Don't be harsh on him. He just lost his project. We all know how hard he worked for its research."

"Tsk. Tsk. Unfortunately, Zhiyuan grabbed it. See? This is why we always told you to stay away from him."

Xiaosi slightly stiffened.

"He got the project even though he knew about your efforts. Did he say anything? Nope."

"Heh. How could Han Zhiyuan see such an important project handed it down to someone like Xiaosi? Didn't we always say that these rich heirs only thought about themselves? He doesn't treat you anything more than a sidekick," they chuckled.

Xiaosi didn't respond.

"He just wants others to think good about him that he is so impartial to students with lower status. But he showed his true colors. He wants to take all the credit for handling such a complex topic while you are just left in the background."

"And here you are rejoicing that you belong in their group. They treat you as their friend? What a joke. Han Zhiyuan and Xu Liang's worlds are way different from ours. But you never believed us. Our statuses are too different. We can never mix with them."

The boys went away, pouring as much salt as they could on his wound while Xiaosi could do nothing to retort them.

*Present*

Xiaosi said, "That was just one of the instances where you showed your hypocrisy. When I had enough of it was when I chose to ruin you entirely. And what other best way than to snatch Caihong from you? Hahaha. You never imagined that the man you sneered upon would take your woman one day, right?"

Zhiyuan was baffled. 

"You really thought of me that way? Regarding that project, yes, I asked the professor to hand it to me. Yes, I also told Liang that you couldn't have handled it but at least bother to hear the whole conversation. Did you forget that you were injured? Your hand had that casing on. How could you have worked in that condition? But you were being stubborn about it and I had no choice! I only did that because I cared about you! You can ask Liang if you don't believe me."

"Ask another hypocrite as you? No thanks!" Xiaosi yelled in anger.