Chapter 16: Raising an Army to Demand Justice_1

After seeing off Li Haixiao and his daughter Li Jiayuan, Old Master Zhang questioned Zhang Zhentian whether he knew about the matter. Zhang Zhentian, hearing his father's interrogation, still felt somewhat bewildered; he couldn't believe that Xia Jing would truly arrange for someone to kill Li Jiayuan. What reason could Xia Jing possibly have to order Li Jiayuan's murder? Zhang Zhentian posed his doubts to Old Master Zhang.

"Dad, I have a question that seems rather odd to me," Zhang Zhentian said to Old Master Zhang.

"Hmm? Odd? What exactly is odd?" Old Master Zhang's mind had not yet turned to understand the issue at hand.

"Dad, think about it. Xia Jing doesn't even know Li Jiayuan. Why would she want to kill her? Besides, it's not like Xia Jing would seek revenge over something to do with Zhang Corporation, right?" Zhang Zhentian shared his suspicions with Old Master Zhang, believing Xia Jing had no reason to kill Li Jiayuan. However, he had forgotten a critical event – the prior unintended relationship between Zhang Zhentian and Li Jiayuan that Xia Jing had stumbled upon, which had provoked her to order the assassination of Li Jiayuan. Yet, this point had slipped Zhang Zhentian's mind.

"Indeed, what reason could Xia Jing have to wish Li Jiayuan dead?" mused Old Master Zhang upon hearing Zhang Zhentian's question, finding it quite reasonable.

Zhang Zhentian, after pondering for a while, couldn't come up with a reason why Xia Jing would want to kill Li Jiayuan. However, an offhanded remark from Elder Zhang evoked a buried memory that he was reluctant to confront.

"Could it be that someone did something Xia Jing feels unworthy of her? But that's impossible, who would do something that even Xia Jing herself would view as an injustice against her?" Old Master Zhang couldn't figure it out. He believed, apart from the conditions he had previously spelled out to Xia Jing and his disapproval of her being with Zhang Zhentian, there was nothing else that could be considered a betrayal to Xia Jing. After all, Xia Jing herself had seemingly let go of these issues, having even saved Zhang Corporation...

Old Master Zhang was disinclined to dwell on such thoughts when he suddenly remembered something he had asked Zhang Zhentian.

"Zhentian, have you forgotten something?" Old Master Zhang turned and inquired of Zhang Zhentian. Zhang Zhentian, startled by his father's sudden change of subject, did not understand why his father had shifted focus so drastically.

"Dad, what's going on? What have I forgotten?" Zhang Zhentian looked at Old Master Zhang with innocent eyes.

"Zhentian, do you still recall when I previously asked you whether Xia Jing had ever killed someone? What was your reply?" Old Master Zhang asked firmly, sitting on the sofa facing Zhang Zhentian. Coming to his senses, Zhang Zhentian realized what his father meant by forgetfulness; it was about the time Old Master Zhang asked Zhang Zhentian if Xia Jing had ever killed someone, to which he had solemnly assured Old Master Zhang that Xia Jing most definitely had not.

"I remember. You asked me that question before, and my answer was very confident – I'm certain Xia Jing has never killed anyone." If Old Master Zhang had posed this question before the visit from Li Haixiao and Li Jiayuan, his response would have been assertive and strong. But now, if the same question were to be asked, his answer would be feeble and weak.

"So now, do you still dare assert Xia Jing has absolutely never killed anyone?" Old Master Zhang stood up suddenly and roared at Zhang Zhentian.

Even with Li Haixiao and Li Jiayuan claiming that Xia Jing arranged Li Jiayuan's attempted murder, Zhang Zhentian still believed in Xia Jing, convinced that she was not capable of such an act. Zhang Zhentian maintained his defense of Xia Jing.

"Dad, this matter has not yet been clarified; it's too early to conclude that Xia Jing is the culprit. That's unfair to her. In my view, we should really ask Xia Jing to clear things up," Zhang Zhentian said to his father.

"Why bother asking her again? Others have come forward claiming she's the one who ordered the assassination. Do you think they are falsely accusing her for no reason? I never imagined this woman to be so calculating. I was even ready to let go of past grievances to save Zhang Corporation and consider agreeing to your relationship with her. But to think, she has actually killed someone. Such a daughter-in-law is absolutely unacceptable to the Zhang Family. Huff, huff, huff..." Old Master Zhang got so angry that he nearly couldn't catch his breath.

Seeing his father almost faint, Zhang Zhentian quickly went to support Old Master Zhang.

"Dad, please calm down; don't get agitated. I'll make sure to get to the bottom of this," Zhang Zhentian reassured, assisting his father to the bedroom to lie down before heading out to find Xia Jing.

Zhang Zhentian felt that no matter what, he ought to get a clear answer from Xia Jing. Maybe there was a different reason for her actions that didn't involve that incident? Having just heard his father was ready to accept Xia Jing, only to be thrown into such rage by the current situation, what could be done if it turned out Xia Jing really had committed murder? If it was true, as Li Haixiao claimed, then it would be even more difficult for Xia Jing and him to be together. Zhang Zhentian was also distraught with worry and fear. He feared that what Li Haixiao said was true, which would cause his father to reject Xia Jing forever. He was afraid to ask Xia Jing, fearing she might admit to the deed. At that moment, Zhang Zhentian felt as if there was a huge stone pressing on his heart, unable to be released.

Thud thud thud.

Zhang Zhentian arrived at Xia Jing's residence and knocked on her door.

"Xia Jing, are you in there? If you're inside, come open the door!" Zhang Zhentian knocked for a while without a response and then started calling out.

Xia Jing, who had been about to wash her hair, heard the knocking and shouting. She went to open the door and saw Zhang Zhentian standing in front of her door, drenched in sweat. Xia Jing was stunned.

"What's the matter with you? Why are you sweating so much?" Xia Jing asked Zhang Zhentian. Zhang Zhentian did not answer, so Xia Jing looked outside the window and didn't see Zhang Zhentian's car; she knew he hadn't come by car.

"I didn't bring my car. I have something urgent to discuss with you, so I ran over," Zhang Zhentian said breathlessly as he walked in, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it in one gulp.

"Spit it out, what do you want to talk about?" Xia Jing asked Zhang Zhentian calmly.

"I'm asking you, do you have a subordinate named Xiao Wei?" Zhang Zhentian asked abruptly while grabbing Xia Jing's hand.

Xia Jing was startled by Zhang Zhentian's actions, but she quickly recovered: "Yes, I do have a subordinate named Xiao Wei. What's the matter?"

"There really is a Xiao Wei? Then, could it be that you're really the one behind this?" Zhang Zhentian asked Xia Jing, half in disbelief.

"You have to tell me what it's about for me to know, don't you? If you don't say what it is, how would I know?" Xia Jing asked, shaking off Zhang Zhentian's hand.

"Did you instruct Xiao Wei to assassinate Li Jiayuan?" Zhang Zhentian still asked the question he was afraid might be true.

When Xia Jing heard Zhang Zhentian ask about this, she knew that the matter wasn't simple. Even though she knew Zhang Zhentian came to accuse her, she still directly told him the truth.

"That's right, I had Xiao Wei go after Li Jiayuan. Are you here to seek justice for her?" Xia Jing, feeling irritated that Zhang Zhentian rushed over to accuse her because of Li Jiayuan, raised her voice at him.

"It was really you? Why did you want to kill her?" Zhang Zhentian knew why Xia Jing attempted to assassinate Li Jiayuan—it was because of that incident. Yet, he wanted to hear her say it.

"Why? Don't you know? Don't you know what you've done to wrong me?" With each sentence, Xia Jing advanced a step, forcing Zhang Zhentian to retreat.

"Ah, do you know? I swore to my father that you had never killed anyone. The company was in crisis, and you were there to help. My father was ready to accept you, and now it's all ruined because of your attempt on Li Jiayuan's life. You knew how hard I worked to persuade my father to agree to our relationship, and one move from you destroyed it all. How could you do this?" Zhang Zhentian was close to furious—he had not expected Xia Jing to admit so bluntly it was her doing. He thought Xia Jing would deny it, but her open confession devastated him.

Seeing Zhang Zhentian's despair, Xia Jing silently rejoiced that Xiao Wei had defied her orders and not killed Li Jiayuan. Otherwise, it would have truly been the end.