Chapter 18 Zhentian's Concealment _1

Zhang Zhentian, after leaving Xia Jing, hadn't returned to the Zhang Family. He didn't know what to say to his father about Xia Jing if he did go back. He didn't want his father's misunderstanding about the woman he loved to deepen.

By the lake, Zhang Zhentian pondered for a long time and finally decided to go home. He still wanted to put in a good word for Xia Jing with his father, perhaps conceal a little; however, what he didn't know was that not long after he left, Xia Jing had arranged to meet his father and had confessed everything and explained it to him.

Zhang Family.

When Zhang Zhentian arrived home, Old Master Zhang hadn't returned yet. Thinking his father was unaware, he contemplated whether to tell the truth or selfishly conceal it a bit. No matter how egregious Xia Jing's actions were, he was still afraid she would leave him. After much thought, he resolutely decided to conceal the truth for Xia Jing until they truly got married, then tell his father later.

In the evening, Old Master Zhang returned to the Zhang Family. As soon as he entered, he saw Zhang Zhentian lying on the sofa. Old Master Zhang slammed the door shut and walked toward Zhang Zhentian on the sofa.

Upon hearing the door, Zhang Zhentian knew without looking that it was his father. He immediately sat up and looked at Old Master Zhang.

"Dad, you're back. Have you eaten? I'll go make you something," Zhang Zhentian said, then attempted to dash to the kitchen. He dreaded seeing Old Master Zhang's gaze, which seemed deep enough to pull someone into an abyss.

How could Old Master Zhang let Zhang Zhentian so easily escape?

"Stop right there. Don't you believe that Xia Jing really did commit murder?" Old Master Zhang asked Zhang Zhentian as soon as he spoke.

Zhang Zhentian answered Old Master Zhang without showing weakness, "Yes, I just don't believe Xia Jing would murder. So what? Are you certain Xia Jing killed based on only Li Haixiao and Li Jiayuan's parents' one-sided story? Is this fair to Xia Jing?" Zhang Zhentian spoke, progressively raising his voice at Old Master Zhang. Old Master Zhang hadn't told Zhang Zhentian that Xia Jing had met with him and told the whole truth, so the unwitting Zhang Zhentian vehemently vouched to his father that Xia Jing was no murderer.

"Fine, you don't believe it, didn't you go ask Xia Jing for the truth? Tell me, what did Xia Jing say to you?" Old Master Zhang looked at Zhang Zhentian, whose heart knew the truth of Xia Jing's confession, but he still wanted to cover for her. He did not wish for the hard-earned goodwill she had with his father to vanish just like that.

"Yes, I asked Xia Jing, and she said she didn't kill anyone. How about that? Are you satisfied with this answer?" Zhang Zhentian asked Old Master Zhang. He thought he was helping Xia Jing by speaking to his father in this way, but he didn't know that doing so would only deepen Old Master Zhang's misunderstanding of Xia Jing. If Zhang Zhentian had said this to Old Master Zhang without him knowing the truth, Old Master Zhang would certainly have believed it, but now Old Master Zhang already knew all the truth. Zhang Zhentian, speaking like this while Old Master Zhang was aware of the truth, would only lead Old Master Zhang to believe that Xia Jing was lying to Zhang Zhentian, not that Zhang Zhentian was telling a selfish lie.

"Are you sure these were Xia Jing's words to you? You haven't made a single change?" Old Master Zhang still hoped that Xia Jing hadn't lied to Zhang Zhentian. But Zhang Zhentian's answer had hurt Xia Jing.

"Yes, that's right, these are indeed Xia Jing's words, I haven't made any changes," Zhang Zhentian asserted to Old Master Zhang, thinking this would convince his father that Xia Jing was indeed innocent.

"Are you really certain these were Xia Jing's words? You haven't made any changes?" Old Master Zhang asked Zhang Zhentian again.

Zhang Zhentian heard his father repeatedly asking whether the words were indeed Xia Jing's, and whether he had made any alterations. Could it be that his old dad knew something? But that couldn't be right; he hadn't met with Xia Jing, so how could he know the truth of the matter?

"Yes, these words were spoken by Xia Jing herself, I haven't made any changes," Zhang Zhentian replied to Old Master Zhang just as before, insisting that the words came from Xia Jing and that he hadn't made any alterations. It was precisely his affirmation that unjustly implicated Xia Jing.

"Good, good, Zhentian, you do realize that Xia Jing had already asked to meet with me this afternoon. She has told me everything about what happened, yet you claim that Xia Jing told you she didn't commit murder. I don't know exactly how she expressed it to you, but your response has now completely wiped out the last bit of good impression I had of her," Old Master Zhang disclosed to Zhang Zhentian that Xia Jing had met with him and revealed the truth. Zhang Zhentian was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.

"Dad, Xia Jing asked to meet with you? What exactly did she tell you?" Zhang Zhentian gazed at Old Master Zhang with anticipation, hoping that what his father would say matched his own words, but he was met with disappointment.

"You want to know? Alright, I'll tell you. Xia Jing asked to meet with me this afternoon, admitting that she indeed sent someone to kill Li Jiayuan, and that person she sent was called Xiao Wei. She also confided in me the reasons why she attempted to assassinate Li Jiayuan..." Old Master Zhang narrated everything Xia Jing had admitted to him. That completely dumbfounded Zhang Zhentian. He was still concealing the truth for Xia Jing, but his own father already knew the reality of the situation. Didn't this mean his actions were harming Xia Jing? At this thought, Zhang Zhentian didn't know what to do.

"Dad, since you already know everything, why didn't you tell me? Why did you still ask me what Xia Jing said?" Zhang Zhentian asked Elder Zhang in bewilderment.

"Why? It's simple. I wanted to know whether Xia Jing's words to you were the same as the ones to me. I wanted to find out if Xia Jing was consistent and sincere, not duplicitous. But your answer has made it clear that Xia Jing is indeed two-faced," Old Master Zhang revealed his purpose, which left Zhang Zhentian collapsing to the ground.

"How is this possible, why is this happening?" Zhang Zhentian originally had good intentions, but they had led to bad results.

"I was willing to forgive Xia Jing if she managed to secure forgiveness from Li Haixiao and Li Jiayuan, but now, that's impossible. You are no longer allowed to see that woman, hmph!" Old Master Zhang concluded that Xia Jing had lied to Zhang Zhentian.

"Dad, on what basis?" Zhang Zhentian abruptly stood up and roared at Old Master Zhang.

"On what basis? On the basis that she told you something different from what she told me. A woman who is so inconsistent does not deserve to be Zhang Mo's daughter-in-law," Old Master Zhang thundered.

Zhang Zhentian panicked, realizing that the reason his father forbade him from seeing Xia Jing again was because the words he had spoken did not align with his father's. He knew deep down that Xia Jing hadn't spoken to him that way. It was his own selfish motives that had prompted his lies!

"Dad, this isn't right. Xia Jing did admit to me that she was responsible for the incident, but when I relayed it to you, I said she wasn't responsible. I had my own selfish reasons: I was afraid you would disapprove of my relationship with Xia Jing because of this incident, so that's why I said what I did. Dad, it really isn't about Xia Jing at all," Zhang Zhentian said and then knelt before Old Master Zhang.

"What did you say when I just asked you? You said she didn't kill anyone. But now that I've revealed the truth, you say she admitted to the murder to you. So I ask you, just because of my words you've changed what Xia Jing originally said; how am I supposed to know which one is the truth? If Xia Jing truly loves you and is sincerely seeking my approval, then she will definitely ask for forgiveness from Li Haixiao and Li Jiayuan. Only then will I reconsider my position on Xia Jing. Otherwise, because of your concealment, I will never approve of you two being together. If she goes to any lengths to get Li Jiayuan's forgiveness and you're involved in it, then you will be kicked out of the Zhang Family, forbidden to take even half a step into the Zhang household. I, Zhang Mo, mean what I say!" Having said this, Old Master Zhang walked upstairs, leaving Zhang Zhentian alone downstairs.