Chapter 648 - Taking off the mask

All heads turned towards the direction of Guan Gao Huan's frantic shout.

"Grandpa!" 

Guan Gao Huan ignored all the sympathetic eyes looking at him and ran towards the bed hurriedly. 

As he was about to take one of the hands of the old man, Guan Xixin suddenly stood up and shoved him away in anger.

"You have no right to call him Grandpa! You fake!"

Guan Gao Huan was pushed back so suddenly that he tripped and fell to the floor on a heap.

Guan Gu Ri frowned and stopped the volatile Guan Xixin from coming towards Guan Gao Huan.

"Xixin! What are you doing?! Stop it!"

His grandfather was dying, yet this fake was still living under their roof and comfortably stealing his third brother's identity! 

It should be his real third brother who should be here!

"He has no right! Our third brother cannot even spend this important moment with our grandfather, all because of this fake! What if grandfather... what if grandfather gives up and he never sees our real Gao Huan again?!" Guan Xixin could not bear to say the word 'die' again. 

He vented all his anger and unwillingness on this fake who stole everything that his third brother should have.

"This was all because of this fake! It's all your fault!" 

Guan Xixin was too mad and disappointed that everyone had withheld such grave information from him. He was very upset that he had just learned today that his grandfather was actually extremely sick. 

Had he learned this much earlier, he would not have wasted so much time about the succession trial! He would have spent his time finding his real third brother instead!

Then his grandfather... his grandfather and third brother could at least reunite, even in his grandfather's last moments.

Alas, his grandfather seemed like he was going to disappear anytime today.

Guan Xixin's nose soured and his reddened eyes blurred with tears. He broke away forcefully from Guan Gu Ri's hold and rushed towards the fallen Guan Gao Huan on the floor. 

His fists rose and punched the man's face. He landed two more hits before Guan Gu Ri and the head butler finally managed to separate him from the beaten up Guan Gao Huan.

"Xixin! Stop it! What are you doing in front of grandfather!" 

But Guan Xixin was lost in his rage and grief. He struggled crazedly. He wanted to rip off that fake bastard's face!

"S-stop..." 

An old man's weak voice was drowned by the noise in the room, but the head butler heard it.

The head butler could not let go of Guan Xixin and pleaded piteously. "Second Young Master, please stop. Master is asking you to stop. Please, get hold of your anger."

When Guan Xixin's rage was still unstoppable, Guan Gu Ri clenched and unclenched his fist, then slapped his second brother hard on the face.

Smack!

The sound was very loud and crisp that everybody in the room fell quiet.

Guan Xixin's head was swung to the side. A red palm print was visible on his cheek. A little blood trickled to the side of his mouth and his ears rang.

It was a slap infused with a bit of qi.

Seeing the man calm down, Guan Gu Ri finally let him go. His voice was cold. "Get out of the room and clear your head."

Guan Xixin bit his lips hard. 

He glanced at his grandfather who was also looking at him wearily at this moment. 

He felt a bitter prick on his heart. 

He took a deep breath, held his tears, and strode out of the room.

Slam!

The loud sound of the door slamming close was the cue for Guan Gao Huan to get the entire room's attention.

He stood up and wiped the blood on the corners of his ruptured lips. He walked towards his grandfather as if he was used to it, pretending that nothing happened. 

He took the old man's hand. 

"Grandpa... Why are you like this?"

Old Guan felt a lot bleaker because of the fight he had just witnessed. His voice was very weak, too weak that one must come very close to hear his voice. "....I am sorry for not telling you beforehand, Gao Huan, but I don't want to trouble any of you... There is nothing we can do about this illness..."

"Grandpa..." Guan Gao Huan wept.

Old Guan looked up at the head butler and signaled everyone to leave the room. 

He needed to tell something to his third grandson.

The people in the room who came in due to Guan Xixin's frantic shout, and also because of the fight, left the room once more.

Guan Gu Ri also somberly followed after them.

The door closed.

Old Guan and Guan Gao Huan were the only ones left in the room.

The elder reached out to his grandson's beaten face and blamed himself.

It was all his sins.

"I am sorry... because of me, you suffered, and now, you are still suffering. Your second brother loves you a lot. His guilt trapped him in the past. I hope that you'll forgive him. The two of you... I hope that the two of you can make up. Your second brother is still upset now... Can you promise me to understand him more...?"  The old man weakly said.

Guan Gao Huan's brown eyes reflected the old man's figure. 

At this moment, he was admiring the poison's fatality. He only doubled the usage intake yesterday and now it appeared like the old man could die at any minute.

This poison... was amazing indeed.

He could not help but smile.

The eerie smile on his third grandson's face made the old man freeze. He was at loss.

...Why was his grandson smiling like this? Did he finally lose it..?

"Child..." 

He was about to comfort Guan Gao Huan, when the young man slapped the old man's hands away from his face.

"Understand that bastard more? Because he was trapped in the past? Why would I?"