The moment the words left his mouth, Xu Zhi's voice caught in his throat.
Every trace of color drained from his face.
The wide leather sofa was a wreck.
His father was bare-chested, a few strands of a woman's long hair stuck to his skin, his flabby belly spilling over.
Disheveled hair clung to the sweat-slicked nape of his neck and chest.
Lust still lingered in his brows, and rather than show a shred of shame he lazily lifted his gaze, the corner of his mouth curling in a frivolous smile.
The air reeked of cloying perfume, acrid cigar smoke, and an indefinable musk; the stench turned Xu Zhi's stomach.
"Chairman Xu... oh my, still shy?"
Startled by the voice, his father jerked his head up, veins throbbing at his temples.
Only then did he notice Xu Zhi frozen in the doorway; a flicker of panic crossed his face before it gave way to angry embarrassment.
He slapped the woman lightly on the bottom and growled, "Insolent creature—stop that yapping!"
Yet the blow landed softly, more flirtation than reprimand.
Xu Zhi's eyes were nailed to the pale flesh on the sofa, fists clenched so hard his knuckles whitened; he didn't even feel his nails digging into his palms.
"You barge in without knocking—have you no manners?" his father snapped, mortification and irritation mingling in his tone.
This wasn't the first time Xu Zhi had walked in on his father with women.
Chorus girls, fresh graduates, "gifts" delivered with cash—
It was simply their way of life.
What enraged him was that this was the Xu Family ancestral home.
His mother was resting upstairs at this very moment.
This study had been arranged by her own hand.
Every book on the shelves had been catalogued by her years ago.
Now the filthy scene had stained it beyond recognition.
He could almost hear his mother upstairs catching the faint commotion; her humiliation hurt worse than any slap.
"Dad!" Xu Zhi lurched forward, knee cracking against the desk corner. The pain made him grimace, but he held his ground, voice shaking: "Have you lost your mind? Mom's upstairs!"
When he still didn't leave, his father shot him a glare.
With obvious reluctance he stood, slipped on the bathrobe draped nearby.
His face darkened further; blood-shot eyes fixed on Xu Zhi, anger brimming: "This is the Xu household! Since when does a greenhorn like you lecture me? So what if your mother's upstairs—does she control me?"
He gave the two women an impatient look and barked, "Go wait in the bedroom."
Though reluctant, they dared not disobey. They rose languidly from the sofa, bare feet sinking into the carpet, their pale skin gleaming cruelly under the lights.
As one passed Xu Zhi she deliberately brushed against him, her breasts grazing his arm.
After they left his father slammed the study door shut.
The earlier panic was gone.
Xu Zhi stood rooted, suffocated by the absurd, shameful spectacle.
"I called you several times tonight and you didn't pick up. Do you even see me as your father?"
The words dragged Xu Zhi back to reality.
"It wasn't that I didn't want to answer; Jiang Cheng confiscated my phone..."
"What? Who dared to do that?" For once his father's tone carried parental concern.
"Jiang Cheng. He dragged me to his Courtyard House late at night and humiliated me; my phone's still with him."
Indeed, Jiang Cheng had let him leave—but kept the phone.
And that was what terrified Xu Zhi most.
His phone still held records of his contact with Xiao.
Though Xiao wouldn't betray him, if those records were found it would be iron-clad proof.
Hearing this, his father's face changed; he pointed a finger: "Didn't I tell you not to provoke him?"
"No, Dad, listen—Jiang Cheng went too far."
Just as Xu Zhi finished recounting everything, expecting his father to back him—
A sharp slap landed across his face.
After being struck twice in one night Xu Zhi could hardly bear it.
He clutched his cheek; shock and humiliation exploded in his eyes, his roar splitting the air: "You hit me!"
His father's hand hung mid-air, knuckles white, fury blazing as though to burn this disobedient son to ashes: "Hit you? I haven't beaten you to death yet!"
Still unsatisfied, he stepped forward, grabbed Xu Zhi by the collar, and slammed him against the redwood desk.
The porcelain paperweight clattered to the floor and shattered.
"I warned you again and again: that Jiang Cheng is ruthless and his background unfathomable—stay away from him! You wouldn't listen! Being detained and humiliated—it's your own fault!"
Xu Zhi had never expected his father to side against him—
to heap insult on him alongside Jiang Cheng.
Anger and grievance surged in his chest.
"He set me up! He tricked me into heavy positions, then short-sold and swallowed my 15-billion margin! The account now shows a 23.7-billion deficit! And all the powerful investors who followed me—every cent of theirs is gone too!"
The words detonated like thunder in the study.
Xu Jiayin's hand trembled; his grip on Xu Zhi's collar slackened, rage giving way to shock and fear.
"What did you say? Fifteen billion? Where did you get 15 billion? You moved money from the overseas trust?"
Seeing his father's ashen face, Xu Zhi's heart sank, but he nodded defiantly, voice hollow with despair: "Yes! I meant to make a quick profit to plug the company's hole—who knew..."