Chapter 7: Dad Is Too Fierce

He sat in the old elevator and arrived at the sixth floor.

Looking at the rented house of the several siblings, there wasn't even a decent piece of furniture, and Xiao Ming felt a sour ache in his heart.

His children had actually been living in such a shabby environment all along.

Especially when he saw that the sisters' clothing and accessories were worth hardly anything, his heart felt even more upset.

However, he quickly suppressed these thoughts.

The comforting thing was that the house's facilities were simple, but they had been tidied up neatly and promptly.

It was clear that the children all loved life dearly.

"Not bad."

Xiao Ming smiled lightly.

As soon as he entered the house, his eyes were scanning everywhere.

Wen Jingrou and Wen Yuchun naturally understood why he had that reaction, happily ran to the room near the kitchen, and knocked on the door a few times.

"Brother, brother, come out quickly, we have a very important person coming to our home."

Wen Yuchun and Wen Jingrou happily knocked on the door.

The two sisters knew that their older brother Wen Yunzhe had also been looking forward to meeting their father these past years.

If he saw his biological father right before his eyes, he would surely be just as happy as the two sisters.

"Wen Yunzhe? Come out quickly." No one answered, so Wen Yuchun knocked twice more.

"Wen Yunzhe?"

Xiao Ming silently recited that name in his heart.

Wen Yuchun, Wen Jingrou, Wen Yunzhe!

Wen Zihan, as their mother, had given the children quite thoughtful names.

The two sisters had been knocking on the door for a while, but the house remained completely silent with no response.

"Not good."

Wen Yuchun's expression suddenly changed, and she looked panicked at Wen Jingrou.

"What's wrong?"

Xiao Ming, seasoned in the business world, was skilled at reading people's expressions.

"What's going on?"

Xiao Ming hurriedly asked: "Your brother, has he recently run into some thorny matter?"

"Father."

Seeing their father's expression, the two sisters knew lying wouldn't work; Wen Yuchun sighed and explained: "Father, it's like this: my brother made an investment half a year ago, lost all the money to fraud and ended up owing a lot of debt; these past six months he's been utterly decadent, good-for-nothing, and has dragged me and my sister down."

"Exactly, we've tried to cheer him up, but there's nothing we can do."

Wen Jingrou said, her eyes full of helplessness: "He always locks himself away when he's got nothing to do, either drinking or going into a daze, barely eating; we're both worried he might try to kill himself."

"You two step aside; let me first smash the door open."

After hearing the sisters' words, Xiao Ming immediately became worried as well.

Wen Jingrou and Wen Yuchun hurriedly stepped back, Xiao Ming moved forward, gathered his strength, and intended to kick the door open.

Just a second before he lifted his foot, the door suddenly opened.

From inside walked out a young man about twenty years old, his face covered in stubble, his hair messy like a bird's nest.

He looked as decadent as possible.

"Is he my son?"

"Damn good-for-nothing, utterly useless—get me a stick."

Xiao Ming, furious, glared at Wen Yunzhe as he came out of the room, his face dark as iron.

"What's going on?" Wen Jingrou asked anxiously.

Wen Yunzhe weakly swayed his body, seeming unable to stand, and gave a bitter smile: "Jingrou, Yuchun, I... I want to die; let me go die."

His eyes were filled only with despair, lacking any color that a young man his age should have.

Before Wen Yuchun and Wen Jingrou could speak, Xiao Ming stepped forward and slapped him.

Clean and decisive.

The three siblings were instantly dumbfounded.

Xiao Ming looked at Wen Yunzhe with a stern attitude, slowly retracting the hand that had struck him.

Seeing Xiao Ming approach and strike Wen Yunzhe, Wen Yuchun and Wen Jingrou were so shocked they didn't dare to breathe.

"Dad is too fierce."

"Who are you? You dare hit me?" After regaining his senses, he shouted angrily at Xiao Ming, rubbing the sore spot on his face where he'd been hit, and the despair on his face vanished completely.

His eyes glared fiercely at Xiao Ming.

The man opposite, though appearing fairly presentable, looked somewhat young yet mature— the type his two sisters would like—but his clothing was too ordinary; all he wore added up to only a few hundred dollars.

It was obvious he was of the "uncle" type— just a bit handsome, with nothing else noteworthy.

Wen Yunzhe carefully examined Xiao Ming, then silently speculated.

And Xiao Ming, his eyes also fixed on Wen Yunzhe, were full of displeasure.

"That young man opposite, is he my son?"

"According to what the two daughters said, this brat failed at investing, lost money and owed debts, which is why he's so decadent?"

"Does he have to be this decadent?"

"A real man, after failing, should just strive again; this death‑seeking, weary‑living behavior is less resilient than his two daughters, and it's a disgrace to him."

"Even if he hasn't been there for his children as they grew up, after all they carry his genes; decadence— is that what Xiao Ming's children ought to do?"

Xiao Ming was utterly speechless; judging by the children's behavior, those two sisters were far more sensible.

"Brother." Yuchun and Jingrou looked helplessly at their older brother.

If Yun Zhe had been beaten by someone else, the two sisters would surely have fought that person to the death, but the one who hit him was their father, and they didn't have the guts to fight back.

"Jingrou, Yuchun, who is this guy? Is he the boyfriend you just found? Anyway, he should call me big brother, but he's got the nerve to hit me!" Yun Zhe seethed, his face flushed as he wanted to step forward and fight Xiao Ming.

But after days of decadence, he lacked the strength to resist and could only protest with his eyes.

"Brother, hurry up and shut up." Jingrou glanced nervously at Xiao Ming and urged him earnestly.

They had only just recognized each other a short while ago, and she still didn't know their father's temperament; seeing him so ferociously slap the older brother, she was so shocked she didn't dare to breathe.

But it's also understandable.

The father had just returned and finally seen his son, only to find the child courting death; how could a father not be angry?

"Dad, calm down first; my older brother wasn't like this before—he's suffered a huge blow."

Yuchun, her face full of worry, defended her older brother: "My brother went into investing just to make money so we could all live better lives; originally he and his girlfriend were at the stage of discussing marriage, but after this mess, both money and love are gone."

"That's why he's become so decadent; besides, he hasn't even acknowledged you yet, which is why he speaks so insolently."

Yuchun, while saying that, glanced nervously at Xiao Ming to observe his reaction.

She was worried that Xiao Ming would turn and leave as soon as they were together.

It's not easy to have found this father again; we can't lose him.

"Lost money, lost his lover—does that really justify him acting like he's seeking death?" Xiao Ming sized up Yun Zhe from head to toe, trying to keep his tone gentle.

But inside, he was so angry he wanted to give that brat two more slaps.