Chapter 179 - Confrontation

The atmosphere around the mansion is tensed. The maids are whispering, saying things about the truth of the Mo family. Her mother is still weeping since the whole has started. Her father was furious at once, then guilty at once. 

The video is paused and Shi Lian is waiting for her father's signal to start the video but he hasn't said so yet. 

"I want to meet him" Zheng Yuan announces after giving it critical thinking. 

Confused, she asks, "Meet who?"

Turning to face her, he says, "The man who gave you this information."

Her eyes widen and she blurts out, "Why?" 

"I have questions and I want their answers from him" he asserts with utmost seriousness in his voice. Even if Shi Lian declines, her father isn't going to stop. If he has decided something, he is very sure to do it. 

"I don't where he is actually. Zichen just took him in his car" she says, trying to make a point. She too is curious to meet the man after watching the video and if her father is going, she will hoping on too. 

"Call him and ask where he locked him up" her father orders. Shi Lian feels the way her father said his name is disrespectful. It is with utter dislike. 

She nods, pursing her lips as she dials his number. He picks her call and says her name with oh so gentle tone which brings relief to her heart. 

"Umm... There's something I need to ask" she speaks, hesitant because she isn't sure if he will tell her not. 

"What is it?" he asks, his voice calm snd composed. 

Taking a glance at her father, she tells, "Where did you lock the man?"

She hears him sigh and she knows he doesn't want her to be bothered with that. "Baby, you shouldn't be worrying about him. I won't kill him so soon."

But it's her father who is asking and she is of course worried. "Zichen, please. Tell me, it's urgent" she requests. 

"Shi Lian, I cannot tell you. You will go looking for him the moment I will tell the address which I do not want at all" he asserts, keeping his tone neutral. 

Before she can protest, her father snatches the phone out of her hold, and with utter bitterness in his tone, he speaks, "I want the address so without wasting any time, tells me."

Shi Lian curls her finger into a fist, not liking the way her father is speaking to him. 

"I am Shi Lian's father, Mo Zheng Yuan."

She cannot hear what Zichen is saying but she hopes he doesn't get agitated and snap on her father. 

"As much as I despise you, I still had to call you. What a stroke of luck you have, lad!" her father bits out and ends the call. 

Blood boils in her veins and her nostril flares. "That is not the way to talk to him!" she argues. 

"I got the address, I will be going," he tells them, ignoring her words. 

"I am coming with you too," she says, demanding fiercely. Her father gives her a look, narrowing his eyes. 

"You aren't" he declared. 

"Don't forget it is me who found this information and don't forget it is Zichen who gave you the address" she fires back, not back down. She looks into her father's eyes, the fire in her eye speaking loudly. 

Her Father's nostrils flares with fury and his face are twisted with fury. "Fine," he says through his clenched teeth. 

He storms out of the house and steps down from the front porch. Shi Lian gives a hug to her mother before leaving with her father. 

Both father and daughter get inside the car and with an impatient tone, he orders the driver to start the car quickly. 

**

The car stops outside the given address. In addition to the dark night, the place is creepy as well. Shi Lian gets out of the car and follows her father who seems to be impatient to meet him. The place is like a fort, a cage surrounding the area. Reaching the small gate, the guard stops them. 

"What is the meaning of this?" he complains, glaring at the nonchalant guard. 

Just then, Zichen's voice echoes from behind. "Let them in."

Shi Lian turns her head, eager to see him. He walks towards them, his face icy cold and there's no expression. He is now the Zichen the outside world knows of— cold, ruthless, and conquering. 

"What is he doing here?" she hears her father muttering in distress. She manages to ignore him and turns her eyes back to Zichen. 

Coming to stand by her, he introduces himself. "Pleased to meet you Mr. Mo" he stretches his hand forward for a formal handshake which Mo Zheng Yuan rejects coldly. 

"There is no pleasant meeting at all, Fu Zichen. "

Shi Lian tries to hiss at her father, signaling him to stop but he is not listening to her. 

"Is this even the right address? Are you trying to deceive me?" her father implores suspiciously. 

Shi Lian rolls her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose in distress. She has never been this upset and angry with her father before. He is unreasonable. 

"There's no profit in deceiving you, Mr. Mo" Zichen replies calmly, keeping his manner formal. "This is the address, he is only following what he has been taught" he adds, gesturing to the guard. 

Her father scoffs which pisses Shi Lian. "You deceive my daughter very well. How it is not profitable for you, Fu Zichen. " He says his name as if spitting venom. 

"Father, you are going overboard!" Shi Lian warns, widening her eyes at him. Zichen stops her by holding her hand, giving her a small smile. 

He then turns his attention back to her father who's eyes are narrowed at their entwined hands. 

"Be careful with your words, Mr. Mo. This is my territory, here I am the one who is in charge" he warns, keeping his accent neutral. "About the fact of deceiving your daughter, I never did that and I would never do in the future" he continues with utmost sincerity in his eyes. 

Shi Lian's heart flutter hearing his words. This is the first time he and her father is meeting face to face and she knew their interaction will not be well. She didn't even though they will meet so soon. 

"Stop with your words and open the door" he grits and pulls Shi Lian by his side, away from him. Shi Lian shoots him a look and he too glares back. Sigh, there's no way her father is going to accept him sooner. 

Zichen whistles the guard and he nods, opening the gate for them. All three of them enter and when Shi Lian looks around the cage like a fort, she is in aww. A long path goes straight up to a building. There is a lush green field on both sides of the path with trees too. It's as if it's a military base (according to what Shi Lian has seen in the movies.) 

"Why are you coming with us?" her father asks in an irritable tone. 

"It's my area, Mr. Mo" he counters simply and looks in front. His hands are shoved inside his pockets as he walks behind them. 

Shi Lian keeps on glancing back, making sure he isn't hurt by her father's words. Zichen assures her it's not a problem by giving her smiles. 

It itches Zheng Yuan to see his daughter worrying about a man who is nothing but a murderer but he cannot even do anything. It's not his area. 

They embark inside the building, stepping in the sliding glass doors. Her heels make a sound as they hit on the spotless marble floor. What is this place even? She wonders. 

There are rooms and from the glass window, she can see men dressed in black uniforms beating the shit out of another man who is tied with the chair. Shi Lian quickly turns away to look in another direction. But everywhere she looks, she discerns black uniforms, injured and half-dead men. 

Zichen gestures them to take the right turn and going straight, he stops by the door. 

He opens the door for her father and motions with his hand to head inside. He does the same to Shi Lian and she moves in, with Zichen going in and closing the door from behind. 

The room is cold, the lights are dim and only a man is sitting on the chair, his head dropped down. He hasn't reacted when they entered in. Shi Lian guesses he must be drugged now or he would have reacted. He is the creepy man. His hair is wet, drops of sweat dripping from his hair strands and she can see the blood from the side of his forehead as well. 

She gulps, a little scared of what will happen next. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees her father moving forward to where the creepy man is sitting, lifeless. 

"Is this the man?" he asks, turning to Shi Lian. She nods, biting her lip as she watches the man. He fears what if jumps out of the chair and starts acting brazenly? 

Zichen comes behind her and squeezes her shoulders lightly. "Don't sweat" he whispers in her ear. She didn't realize her body is shaking which is calm down by Zichen.