Chapter Two: A Night of Madness (Part Two)

Just as the father, who was gorging himself, had no idea what to do, Zixia appeared quietly from somewhere. She strolled up to Kuangchi and spoke directly, “Fatty, are you so sure Phoebe is in love with Bill?”

Kuangchi was taken aback. After a long pause, he replied, bewildered, “If she doesn’t love that pretty boy, then why do I always see them together?”

At these words, Zixia snorted coldly. “Just because Phoebe is your fiancée, does that mean she cannot have male friends? As far as I know, before you arrived, Bill had not yet won her heart, and they rarely interacted. Everything changed because of you—because of your suspicion, Phoebe was pushed closer to Bill, until everyone now believes the two are in love. But do you really understand the truth? All you know is to make a scene about breaking off the engagement. Besides that, couldn’t you calmly consider the origins of this matter and try to build a relationship with Phoebe?”

She paused, then continued after a moment, “Have you ever thought about Phoebe’s feelings? Or mine?”

Not only was Kuangchi stunned, but even his father was left speechless.

Zixia went on, “Since childhood, we’ve been betrothed to you. From the moment we became aware of ourselves, our hearts and our bodies lost their freedom. Do you know why? It’s because of you, because of this engagement. Our families have always been there, reminding us what we can and cannot do. Except for growing up, we’ve never been masters of our fate. Is it so wrong for us to have male friends?”

After a long silence, Kuangchi finally said, “I’m sorry, Zixia. I didn’t know any of this.”

Zixia sighed softly, then smiled gently at him. “Alright, Fatty, you’re actually a pretty good person. You may not be a qualified or outstanding fiancé yet, but I believe you’ll change one day, right?”

Kuangchi nodded vigorously. Zixia smiled, glanced at Kuangchi’s father and the three family elders standing nearby, and then said, “There’s always been something strange about Phoebe. Before you came, I knew Bill was desperately pursuing her, but she never showed any special interest in him. In fact, I always felt Bill’s intentions were ulterior—his pursuit of Phoebe was a means to an end. Just as he used their relationship to provoke you into mistakes, eventually forcing you out of the Imperial Academy. Haven’t you noticed, because of Bill, the relationship between the Kuang family and the Karachi family has been deteriorating?”

She looked at Kuangchi’s father. “Uncle, surely you’ve noticed?”

He nodded. “We’ve long suspected as much. Judging by Bill Hyde’s usual conduct, he’s not one for romantic entanglements. We’ve always believed he’s a piece the Hyde family is using to disrupt our alliance with the Karachi family. But matters of the heart are hard to prove—on the surface, he’s just pursuing Miss Phoebe.”

Zixia nodded, then turned to Kuangchi. “When will you finally grow up and start thinking like the heir to the Kuang family? Look at things as an adult would.”

Kuangchi gave her an awkward smile, then hurriedly asked, “Then what should I do now?”

After a pause, he added, “Still, I don’t think I’m suited to marry Phoebe.”

Zixia gave a wry smile before responding, “I don’t know what to do either. It’s not just that you’re unwilling to marry Phoebe—do you think she wants to marry a brute who only knows how to fight?”

Seeing how obedient Kuangchi was to Zixia, his father quickly interjected, “Zixia, what do you think Fatty should do now?”

Since it was Kuangchi’s father who asked, Zixia considered for a moment before replying, “Fatty’s exile is already decided. There’s no way to cultivate feelings between him and Phoebe in such a short time and expect a good result. I think it’s best to leave things as they are. Phoebe has publicly declared more than once that she doesn’t wish to marry so young. So let’s just leave it for now.”

At that moment, Kuangchi’s brow furrowed. In the distance, he saw Bill Hyde—the very same pretty boy—approaching from the entrance, accompanied by five elders.

Seeing the smug smile on Bill’s face, Kuangchi felt his anger rising.

It was clear Bill already knew exactly where Kuangchi was. As soon as he entered the night garden, his gaze fell upon Kuangchi, and he walked toward him with a beaming smile.

Greeting Kuangchi’s father, the three family elders, and Zixia with perfect politeness, Bill finally turned to Kuangchi and said with a smile, “Young Master Kuang, I hope you’ve been well. I’ve only just learned how hard you’ve been working to bring me and Phoebe together. Please forgive any past offenses—I hope you can be magnanimous and pardon my former mistakes. On behalf of Phoebe, I thank you.”

Had he heard these words before Zixia’s speech, Kuangchi might not have found them so grating. Now, however, they stung bitterly.

Before Bill could finish, Kuangchi’s internal energy surged out of control.

Noticing his state, the Hyde family elders quietly activated their own inner strength.

Seeing this, Zixia quickly placed a hand on Kuangchi’s shoulder, but Bill Hyde clearly wasn’t done.

He continued, “If Phoebe and I have the time in a few days, we’ll be sure to visit you together to express our gratitude in person.”

At that, Kuangchi could take no more. He swung a fist straight at Bill Hyde.

Despite Bill’s casual demeanor, he was prepared. He knew exactly what kind of reaction his words would provoke from someone like Kuangchi.

Seeing Kuangchi attack, Bill leaped aside without a second thought. The blow was intercepted by one of the elders standing behind him.

The three Kuang family elders were not about to let this stand. Members of the Kuang family, practitioners of the ferocious Dragon Fury art, were never ones to swallow an insult. Before Kuangchi could launch a second strike, one of the elders roared, “Old fool, are you trying to bully the young? Let me deal with you!”

With that, he stepped forward, taking over Kuangchi’s opponent.

Freed up, Kuangchi lunged for Bill again, but the Hyde elders were just as quick. Each time Kuangchi attacked Bill, another Hyde elder intercepted him.

Back and forth it went—before long, the elders of both families were engaged in a lively melee, while Kuangchi himself had yet to lay a hand on Bill.

Bill kept dodging, refusing to face Kuangchi directly, which only fueled Kuangchi’s fury. With a furious roar, a whip over ten meters long appeared in his hand.

He lashed out at Bill Hyde, who kept his distance.

The Karachi family’s night garden was in for a catastrophe. Bill’s agility was extraordinary that night—no matter how Kuangchi lashed with his whip, Bill evaded every blow. With two Hyde elders standing guard, Bill simply circled them, letting most of Kuangchi’s attacks be intercepted by his protectors.

Left and right, his blows found no mark. After several minutes, Kuangchi lost all restraint. With another wild roar, nearly a hundred long vines burst from his back like sudden tails, and dozens more erupted from the ground within a wide radius.

Before the fight had even truly begun, the night garden was already in ruins. Strangely, no one from the Karachi family came to stop them. The onlookers, far from intervening, simply watched with amusement, some applauding and cheering on the combatants.

I’m speechless. The editor in our group just told me that my big recommendation next week is canceled. I can’t even begin to say how frustrated I am.

Everyone, please vote for me. My mood is terrible right now.