And true to Su ilin’s words, the mont Zhao Yiming turned her phone back on, it began to vibrate violently in his hand—an instant barrage of missed calls and unread ssages flooding the screen.
But one na stood out, flashing ominously across the display:
"Su Jinhe (Father)."
"Tch." Zhao Yiming narrowed his eyes.
"Yiming..." ilin hesitated beside him, her voice low and gentle, almost pleading.
"Don’t be too rude or too harsh, alright? He’ll just explode even more if you push him. Things will get... ssier."
He glanced at her, giving a faint, reassuring smile.
"It depends on how he reacts."
And with that, he pressed the green button and brought the phone to his ear.
Before he could even say a single word, the man already barked loud, Su ilin could heard it even without a speaker as she flinched.
"YOU STUPID WORTHLESS BRAT! HOW DARE YOU BLOCK MY CALLS?! YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN NOW JUST BECAUSE SO RICH MAN IS LETTING YOU SLEEP ON HIS COUCH?!"
Zhao Yiming’s jaw tensed, his knuckles whitening around the phone. This man right here didn’t deserve to be a father at all.
"DO YOU THINK I WON’T CO TO THAT APARTNT AND DRAG YOU BACK BY YOUR HAIR?!" Su Jinhe’s voice was rabid, practically frothing with spit.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT I DID FOR YOU?! I SOLD MY BUSINESS, MY CONNECTIONS, MY PRIDE TO MAKE YOU A MISTRESS!"
"AND NOW YOU CAN’T EVEN FIGHT FOR A DAMN INHERITANCE?! WHAT USE ARE YOU, HUH?!"
Zhao Yiming didn’t respond.
Not yet.
He let the man scream, curse, and spit every vile, misogynistic thing in his lungs. Su ilin flinched beside him, curling into herself, her lip trembling, eyes low with sha.
Then finally, when Su Jinhe paused to suck in another angry breath as Zhao Yiming finally spoke.
His voice was calm, but even Su ilin could felt a rage beneath it. It was scary, she never see him do that before.
"Are you done barking?"
The other side went silent for a heartbeat.
"What?! Who the hell are you?! Put ilin back on the damn line, you low-class—"
"Su Jinhe," Zhao cut him off, his voice now razor-sharp.
"Let introduce myself. My na is Zhao Yiming. I’m the man your daughter now chooses to stand beside."
"The man who sees her worth, protects her when you tear her down, and—unlike you—treats her like a human being instead of a wallet with legs."
Su Jinhe sputtered. "You—!"
"You’re pathetic." Zhao’s voice dropped another octave. "You couldn’t build your own success, so you tried to build it off your daughter’s suffering."
"You sold her to a monster. You hit her when she said ’no.’ And now, you dare call and scream like a child denied candy?"
ilin stared at Zhao, eyes wide. It was the first ti soone defended her like that, not even her ex-husband do that... It makes her heart warm, knowing that she wasn’t at fault to fight her father back.
"You should be grateful ilin still calls you ’father,’ even in her heart," Zhao continued. "But you don’t deserve it. You’re not a father. You’re just a parasite."
"You little shit! You don’t know anything about ! You think you can just take my daughter and—"
"Take her?" Zhao chuckled darkly. "I didn’t take anything. She chose to leave you. She chose to be happy."
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling, voice like black ice. "If you ever lay a hand on her again... or even raise your voice at her... I’ll make sure you won’t be able to afford your next breath."
There was silence on the other end.
And then—
"Who the hell do you think you are threatening ?! I’ll sue you, you bastard! I’ll drag her back if I have to!"
"IHAVE FRIENDS IN THE POLICE—IN THE GOVERNNT! ONE CALL FROM AND YOU’LL BE IN PRISON BY TONIGHT!"
Zhao Yiming didn’t flinch. He expected this kind of bark from a man like Su Jinhe.
"You want to act tough with ? HUH?! You bastard—co here if you dare! I’ll turn your life into a fucking nightmare! You think you can steal my daughter and talk big to ?! I’ll bury you with a smile on my face!"
But just before Zhao could answer, the system giving him another quest!
---
[DING!]
[System Triggered: Clash with the Tyrant Father!]
[Select Your Response Below:]
• Option 1: "You think you’re the wolf here? Call your dogs. I’ll break them with one hand and take away everything you think you own—starting with your power."
• Option 2: "I’ve t real n. You’re not one of them. You hide behind connections because you have nothing of your own. You’re not scary—you’re just sad."
---
Zhao Yiming smirked as he chose Option Three.
"I’ll take your challenge. But if you think you’re the only one with connections, you’re in for a nasty surprise. Na the ti. I’ll be there."
He had gone face to face with soone like Su Jinhe before—Jin Haolong.
Sa ego. Sa rotten stench of arrogance. Sa belief that money made them untouchable.
Zhao Yiming hated that kind of man with a passion. But now? Now he had more than enough firepower to burn their little thrones to ash.
Su Jinhe scoffed on the other end, followed by a mocking laugh. "Fine! Let’s et sowhere fancy, then. Let’s see if you can even afford the napkin!"
"I know my daughter ilin—she’s always had terrible taste in n. You? You’re probably living off her pity. You couldn’t be richer than her even if you sold your soul!"
Then his voice raised, venom laced in every word. "YOU HEAR THAT, ILIN?! I KNOW YOU’RE THERE! IF YOU STILL DARE TO CUT OFF, I SWEAR I’LL—"
Click.
Zhao Yiming calmly ended the call.
"I’m sorry," he said quietly. "I won’t let you hear another word from him."
Su ilin didn’t respond right away. Her gaze dropped to the floor, her hands trembling slightly as she murmured, "It’s fine... I’m so sorry for my father’s words."
When Zhao looked at her again, she seed smaller than before, as if all that strength she built up had crumbled the mont she heard her father’s voice.
He stepped forward and pulled her gently into his arms, hugging her close.
"Don’t worry," he whispered. "I don’t mind. But what about you? You don’t have to be scared anymore. I’ll be there when we et him again, and I’ll make sure—once and for all—that he’s out of your life for good."
She hesitated in his embrace, then slowly nodded. "Do you think this is really the best way...? I know my father. He doesn’t take things quietly. He’ll lash out... maybe even get violent."
Zhao Yiming chuckled and stroked her hair. "Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ve handled worse. I can protect you just fine."
He pulled back slightly and grinned at her mischievously.
"Now then... let’s continue our fun, shall we?"
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