To Love You Again

Xiong Zhi heard her name. What were they talking about?

She walked forward to approach the two. She was the closest to the two amongst everyone inside the room, considering that her seat was right beside Old Xiong.

"Grandfather."

"You!" Old Xiong looked at her in anger and disappointment. "Don't you dare speak for him! This lowly butler said he had ways to make your life seem like hell. Would you still like him?" 

"What are you talking about, grandfather? He will never do that to me."

"Ha! He is ready to break the treaty, Zhier!" Old Xiong hissed in a low voice.

"..!!!"

Did... did he just say, breaking the treaty? 

Xiong Zhi stiffened. Her eyes widened. Breaking the treaty? Was... was it finally happening? 

Old Xiong continued in a lower voice. "Though, I don't believe it. But with him having such thoughts to destroy our families' bond, even to destroy our Xiong family's reputation, it is enough to make him our enemy!"

Xiong Zhi looked at Linfeng, her stunned eyes searching.

Linfeng avoided her eyes. He could face Old Xiong's anger unperturbed. But was afraid that he would see Xiong Zhi's shocked looked of betrayal, disappointment and hate.

Who would not hate someone, if that person had plans to destroy their family?

He had wanted to speak to Old Xiong for an alternative that would at least not harm the Xiong family's reputation.

Old Xiong was intelligent, he should be able to fathom the consequences. Once the Zhou family succeeded in breaking the treaty, the status of the Xiong family would plummet down. 

They would have no Zhou butlers who could assist them, it would be hard to find another trustworthy and reliable butler family, as it needed acc.u.mulation of trust and mutual benefits.

If they casually found other butlers to serve them, their mansions and their businesses would be soon infested by spies, and could bring the downfall of any family if not handled well. 

Another fact was that the Zhou butlers knew a lot of things from the Xiong family. If the Zhou family broke the treaty, the Xiong family would hold a grudge and would never let any Zhou member stay in their territory, no matter in which kind of industry. 

Since the Zhou's future would be blocked by the Xiong family, enemies of the Xiong family would likely come to the Zhou family and ask for their help. If that happened, the Xiong family's peaceful days would be numbered.

The Xiong family could suppress the Zhou family, but the Zhou family held a lot of things that could threaten the Xiong family as well, once they were freed from the covenant. Information gathered over the years must never be underestimated.

The Zhou family was that important to the Xiong family. So was the Xiong for the Zhou.

It was the balance which had allowed the two families to live in co-existence. Yet this fool was now attempting to break this.

Old Xiong gritted his teeth and forcefully took a deep breath to calm himself down. 

He said to Xiong Zhi, "You are still young and you can make mistakes. I can understand that. Now, do you see this young man's malicious intention for our family? You are my heir, the future protector and owner of the Xiong family's prestige and wealth. And him, he was ready to destroy your home, your power, everything you have."

"..." Xiong Zhi lowered her eyes.

She was expecting it. It just happened too soon. She... she had not prepared herself yet.

Was it the reason why Linfeng asked her before if she would hate him once he became a villain?

"That's why… that's why we needed to talk privately," Linfeng said to Old Xiong. His voice had gotten to a freezing point as well. "I also wanted to avoid such results."

He was still not looking at Xiong Zhi.

"You still dare to?" 

"Yes, Master Xiong. For Zhi'er."

"Hah! Hypocrite. If you have the guts, then tell it to the world. So my granddaughter can see how you want to destroy our family." Old Xiong taunted. He was still in disbelief that this young man would have the means to dissolve the covenant. 

The only thing was that this boy seemed so confident...

It was this fact that brought him much alarm. Could he really had gotten hold of a way?

But… how? 

Nevertheless, even if this man really had ways to break the treaty, he was confident that the Xiong family could still survive. The Zhou family was the one who had to worry on how to live as their livelihood would be taken away from them in case it truly happened.

"Master Xiong, I will not do that. I still have ways for both of the families to co-exist without the unfair treaty. We don't have to do it in the hard way."

"Young man, once the Zhou family breaks the treaty, the Xiong family will see all of you as a threat. There's no way to co-exist."

Linfeng furrowed his brow. Master Xiong was really hard to talk to.

He did not want to make an enemy out of the Xiong family. If it was in the past, he would not care about these things and break the treaty without hesitation, even if he incurred the wrath of the Xiong family.

But now, he was worried for his Young Miss. His Young Miss would be the one to suffer the most in the worst case scenario. 

"Master Xiong—"

"Do it." A cool voice interrupted him. 

Linfeng instinctively met her eyes.

Her eyes were calm. There was also understanding and the unfathomable yet unconditional love within her eyes.

The two men, Old Xiong and Linfeng, was stunned to see the look in her eyes.

"Do it, Linfeng." 

"What are you saying, you unfilial granddaughter!"

"I...I can't do that to you. There are still other ways," Linfeng finally stammered. His cool demeanor broke. 

How could… how could she not hate him? How could she still look at him with gentleness, without hate?

Linfeng could not understand this inexplicable love of his Young Miss. How could she be so understanding? Like it was not her reputation as a Xiong that was at stake!