Chapter 355 - Consequences of Breaking the Treaty

An overwhelming silence. 

The people could not react for a while.

Especially, the Zhou butlers stood around flabbergasted, as if their souls have left their bodies. They felt like they were drowned by infinite silence that their ears seemed to ring numbly. 

The information they just heard was something unbelievable. 

They all doubted whether they really were seeing reality.

They were born to become the loyal servants of the Xiong family, and was trained especially for it since the first time they learned how to read. The childhood books they read were not fantasy books but manuals and guides on how to become a good butler to the Xiong family. 

It was their fate, the life they have known. 

Their purpose of existence.

Now, the Head Master was telling them that that life and fate has ended. That they could choose their own path.

For a moment, their usually capable brains seemed to have emptied out a bit.

...But which path? Most of them never held their own ideas or opinions about how to live their life, aside from becoming a good butler. 

In this situation, they did not know what to feel or how to react. 

Happy? Sorrow? ...They did not know.

There were also few butlers who questioned their own loyalty to the Xiong family, after experiencing humiliation from their masters. There were also a handful who have proud bones and stubborn beliefs inside that they could only forcefully suppress, who initially have their own dreams they wished to pursue but dared not to say. 

This was what they were dreaming of. 

But... It all came so suddenly that their minds went blank for a moment.

The surrounding area turned silent as seconds passed by. Even the guests did not know how to react. They just watched on with wide eyes as they turned to look alternately at the Zhou butlers and at the Xiong family members, who stood up one by one in shock and incredulity.

It seemed that most of the Xiong family members were also left in the dark. 

The legendary families' reactions were more comical. 

Tang Xinyang lost her feminine composure that she has been honing in these past two years. Her eyes wide and her mouth hung open in shock. 

Guan Xixin choked on his drink and some of the wine splattered on his shirt. 

Meanwhile, Lu Yin Ze froze. He was no different from a beautiful white mannequin staring woodenly at the stage.

Inside his mind, he envisioned a future without a 'Zhou butler', that all of the capable people surnamed Zhou no longer served the Xiong family. His heart slowed down and his breathing grew faint as realization hit him. 

If 'that' man was not bound to the treaty, no longer a butler... then...

His silver blue eyes were horrified as he watched the woman he loved stand on the stage, calmly watching everything.

"..." 

His heart almost stopped beating.

At the same time, those surnamed Xiong who just received this mind-blowing and impossible news held the same expressions of horror like him.

Their shock was not any less than the Zhou butlers.

If their butlers were gone... It would bring a huge change to them! 

To their lifestyle! To their career! To everything!

Even though some of them were treated as mere servants, they were all capable and reliant servants. Now, they would be gone, then what would happen to their masters? 

How about the important information and secrets that the butlers knew?! 

Would it be used against them once they resigned from their position?!

Right at this moment, when the news finally registered and settled in their brains, these were the thoughts that arose from the majority of the Xiong family members, like Xiong Bilan and Xiong De. Their heads spun as they turned their eyes to their personal butlers. 

The look they gave to their butlers suddenly became sharp. They were looking at the Zhou butlers like they were enemies.

The shock Zhou butlers at the side naturally knew what their master was thinking. However, they did not bow like they did before. They received it calmly and return the stare with courage. Maybe because they were not bound in the treaty anymore that they could act courageously like this. Though, they were still a hint of fear in their eyes.

Like Old Xiong said, breaking the treaty would not be easy. It was bound to have severe consequences. The Zhou family and the Xiong family's relationship would have conflicts no matter what kind of ways they break the treaty. It might not show now, but it would certainly show in the near future.

Old Xiong sighed, both in worry and relief. 

His heart which felt heavy ever since he learned of the truth of the treaty was finally uplifted. He looked at his granddaughter who was looking far away. 

His heart suddenly constricted. In the future, his granddaughter needed to oversee the Xiong Empire without the help of the loyal Zhou family... It would be hard, way harder than his time.

"Zhi'er," Old Xiong called her in a soft voice.

Xiong Zhi turned her gaze to him.

"From today onwards, your path would be more difficult. You might receive the blows from both sides. The Zhou family could be a sharp weapon against us from now on."

"..."

"The Xiong family members for sure would urge you to blame those who will defect from their positions and ask to teach them a lesson." 

Old Xiong knew his granddaughter would not do that. Thus, it would be difficult for her to pacify the other Xiongs. The Xiong family members' anger would then be turned to her, the heiress of the Xiong family.

"The business that we have with the Zhou family—"

"Grandfather," Xiong Zhi gently cut off the worried old man.

She reached out.

For the first time, Xiong Zhi held her grandfather's hand. These two years, her grandfather did not make things hard for her. Instead, he went along with her ploys and conspiracies. It was strange, but for her, the old man seemed more real and alive than before, his demeanor to her became a bit gentler and caring. He was becoming more like a grandfather now. 

Xiong Zhi in the past two years grew a lot. With Zhou Min's constant 'brainwashing' on how her grandfather did this and did that for her, Xiong Zhi unconsciously depended on the old man again.

They never said it in words, but the two naturally became closer.

Xiong Zhi patted the wrinkled hand. She saw this move in Linfeng's retrial, when the latter patted his elders to pacify them. This move seemed to calm down elders effectively.

Like she hoped for, Old Xiong's worried eyes slowly became relaxed. Also, there was something more in there. His eyes seemed to shine with a brighter light and the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes and mouth deepened. 

He looked like he was smiling, but Xiong Zhi knew that the old man did not know how to smile. 

"Don't worry. These two years are especially prepared for this day. "

"Your granddaughter is not weak. Besides—" 

Step. Step.

Amidst the deafening silence below, where the people still processed Old Xiong's words and dared not say a word, faint sounds of shoes stepping on the cold hard floor reverberated. 

Xiong Zhi looked at a certain direction. Her eyes shone, seeing that the person finally chose this moment to come out.

With a warm smile appearing on her face, she continued to comfort her grandfather. 

"Besides, I am not alone."