Burning Passion

CHAPTER 353: GILBERT SHANG'S BACKSTORY

* * *

Arriving at the Shang mansion, Harry went straight to the staircase. But before he could land on the first step, his father invited him. 

"Harry! Why don't you join me, have a drink?" 

Harry pondered for a moment. He nodded to his father and followed him to the In-house Bar. 

Harry guessed that his father would only talk about the marriage thing one more time. 'He is now acting like Steven.' He thought as his father is being persistent. 

At the in-house bar, Jerome gestured at Harry to sit on the couch. Harry regarded it and sat down quietly, observing his father behind the counter fixing their drinks. 

Jerome carried a bottle of his expensive wine collection and two glasses he poured at after sitting opposite his son. 

Handing him the glass, Harry took it and drank the contents. His father refills his glass, this time Harry raises the question. 

"What do you want to talk about, father?" 

Jerome almost chokes upon Harry's query. He coughs, clearing his throat. He replied, "I just wanted to encourage you to have tried to ask Nelson in person." 

"Pa!?" He could not stop himself from raising his voice. His father knew he wouldn't do it.

"I know. That's why I am saying, have a try, and put a little persistence into it. That was my point. I'm not saying you would do what Steven did to Nina. Anyway, Nina loves you, so she would not refuse you." 

"Father!" Harry slammed his glass to the table. With force, the wine glass shattered in his hand. 

Stunned, Jerome stared at Harry's hand, which blood started dripping down on the cocktail table. He heaved a long sigh and said afterward, "You need to go to the doctor. I will call butler Feng." 

"No need. I can treat it myself," he refused. Harry takes the expensive bottle of wine and pours the liquor to his wounded hand. 

"Harry..." Jerome could only watch helplessly how his expensive wine got wasted.

"Do you truly care, father?" Harry asked afterward, putting down the empty bottle.

Jerome rendered silence. He cares for his family that's why he was doing everything to get the highest position in the clan. But he'll be damn! His older children are useless. Steven loses his mind, and now Harry is declining the opportunity that comes to him! He is his only hope. 

"Do you know how grandpa Gilbert crawled his way to be the head of the family? You don't know how much blood and sweat he squeezes from his body for you to enjoy the life you have now?" 

Harry would like to talk back, but he remains silent and listens further. 

"Your great-grandfather was only a slave by the other Shang. His father died when he was little. So then, his mother became a servant after they were kicked out of the villa they live in. They suffered so much at the hand of the entire clan. Grandfather becomes the laughingstock of the family. He was also laughed at and ignored by his grandfather." 

"Until his mother died because of over fatigue. That even day and night, raining or snowstorm. She is working hard just to get the little allowance to pay for her son's studies. Harry, your great-great-grandma died in cold and hunger inside their broken hut. She didn't tell your great-grandpa the truth that she suffered more after he left for his studies. When she died, the clan covered the truth. But grandfather didn't believe it and sought the truth." 

"He swore he would get his revenge by taking the seat and leading the Shang. He will make everyone pay that mistreats his mother, which causes her death. So then, he struggles to finish his studies, he works to support himself. But then, someone gives him a job, cleaning a Martial Arts school. The one who helped him is the Head of He Clan, aunt Nera's grandfather." 

"Grandfather Gilbert worked at The Martial Arts Academy to finish his studies. Later on, talks circulated about how Shang abandoned grandpa Gilbert, and they mistreated his mother. They questioned the elder why Gilbert Shang worked as a janitor in a Martial Arts Academy when Shang had much business to provide for Gilbert's studies. As the one who receives praises for taking in grandpa Gilbert is His family, the elder finally turns head at your great-grandpa. Then a rumor that He might adopt him. If only Master He has a daughter, he already arranges the marriage with grandpa Gilbert. But he only had a son."

Jerome went on, "Hearing the rumors, was a slap into the elders. Afraid that grandpa will use He influences to take revenge, Shang just then coaxes grandpa, and beg him to go home in the mansion. At first, grandpa didn't agree to reconcile. He knew the elder was doing this to suppress him to get the power of He Family. But grandpa also knows that once he can live in the mansion, it was his chance to crawl his way to take over the Shang." 

"And he did, isn't it?" Harry cut in, it was obvious what happens next.

Jerome concurred, "Yes, you are right, Harry." 

"Are you telling me this because you can relate to great-grandfather's past?" 

"Not really. Grandpa didn't abandon me, and your aunts when our parents died... your grandparents died early but we are raised by him. He doesn't want anyone in his family to experience what he and his mother experienced. The reason he cast out uncle Oliver is only to teach him a lesson after he refuses to marry aunt Nera." 

"Grandma Nera?" Widened his eyes, Harry exclaimed. It surprised him. He heard something about Oliver Shang's arranged marriage with someone but refused. So it was grandma Nera! Harry mused as he further listens to the story.

"Yes. Grandpa Gilbert dreams to unite He and Shang. It was also his promise to aunt Nera's grandfather. Harry, this is a Legacy pass down to me now I pass down to you. Marrying Nina is a dream come true of the He and Shang elders. Your great-grandfather was not really after Li's power. It was a promise to He Family to look over them. And only one He's heir left these days. Grandpa Gilbert promised to watch over the He Family."

"Grandma Nera is the only child, right, father?" 

"Yes. And aunt Nera has only one heir, as well. Grandpa can not die peacefully until he makes sure that someone would look after the heir of He." 

"Grandma Nera's heir is uncle Nelson?" Harry muttered to himself that still heard by his father.

"And Nelson only has one daughter," Jerome stated.

Harry rendered silence. These facts overwhelmed him. If this is the case, he now understood. But how if he didn't love Nina and Nina didn't love him? 

Are they going to force them to get married? Well... Thank God that need not happen because they love each other, and it was his great honor to watch over Nina and protect the He-Shang Legacy. 

"So then, now you can understand why your great-grandfather was ecstatic after heard from Steven that he and Nina will get married."

Hearing his father's statement; Harry's face soured and tightened his jaw. 

'What a great liar!'