Xia Yehua halted and looked at him.
She pursed her lips as her eyes met his. She finally said slowly, “Zihao, Li Mao and I grew up together and had been lovers since we were 18.”
Shen Zihao was stunned and started, “You both—”
“We were helpless. His family needed a political marriage, so he married someone from another family and I, your father. But all these years, don’t you already know the sort of relationship Lu Mao and I had?”
“We bowed to reality and gave each other up after we got married. But deep in our hearts, we had each other. It wasn’t something we could have controlled.”
“Very naturally. I cared for him and would pay attention to him.”
“Li Mao knew at once that I had left the Shen family with no money and he helped them. I didn’t have much cash and your big brother needed immediate treatment. So at the time I accepted his help.”
“But that was the only time. After your big brother recovered, he entered the show business and earned his own money. Later on, we became less and less connected with the Li family. Li Mao’s wife passed away a month later. It was only after settling her burial that our families started to contact each other again.”
Shen Zihao found these words hard to accept but at the same time, he understood.
He was silent for a long time before he asked, “Mom, if, just suppose, Dad had never had the affair with Mei Feng and he hadn’t hit my big brother, would you have divorced him to be with Uncle Li after his wife died?”
Xia Yehua couldn’t help but laugh at the question and said, “Honestly, I have no idea.”
She said realistically, “At the time, the marriage between your dad and I was decided by our families. It is true that your father isn’t the type of man I like, but I stayed in the marriage because of my two children. But if the both of you were married and had your own families, perhaps I’d choose to divorce and travel the world. Perhaps I’d meet someone else, I don’t know.”
Shen Zihao suddenly saw the light and said, “That’s right, you have your freedom.”
If a couple had different philosophies and life views, lost their commonality, or if their feelings faded, or if they grew tired of each other and wanted a divorce, this had to be their choice.
Hence, there was nothing for him to be bitter about.
–
After Xia Yehua left the study, Shen Zihao quietened down.
In his mind, there was an image of Shen Liangchuan being nearly beaten to death.
At this point, the study door swung open again. Shen Liangchuan walked in with one hand in his pocket.
Shen Zihao sprang onto his feet upon seeing him. He took a step forward and flung the water in the glass onto Shen Liangchuan’s white shirt.
Then he said, “Brother, hurry up and remove your shirt! The water is scalding hot!”
Shen Liangchuan had no idea what this guy was up to, but he unbuttoned his shirt and removed it, baring his upper body.
Shen Zihao’s gaze fell on his back.
Shen Liangchuan’s skin had a warm golden color.
On his back, although those scars had faded, it was obvious there were the remnants of the lashings.
The closeness of the stripes told him that Xia Yehua was speaking the truth.
Dad had truly wanted to whip Big Brother to death then.
