The little fox put on that expression again, his eyes wide open, a little red, and misted over. He truly looked like a pear blossom weeping in the rain, so pitiable that anyone would want to protect him, as if he might cry at any moment.
However, Ye Tiancheng showed little pity for the little fox at this moment. Instead, he grabbed the fox's wrist with considerable force and questioned him sternly.
"I'm asking you a question, and I hope you'll answer me honestly. Whatever your true intentions may be, you've been following me and Fatty for so long, and we've developed some affection. I don't want things to end up in a mess."
"Brother Ye, you're hurting my hand. Please listen to me. Last night, I just wanted to say a few words to Sister Su, so I went to find her. I knocked on her door politely. Sister Su let me in, and we talked for a bit. I was afraid of disturbing her rest, so I left. Throughout the entire process, I maintained a polite distance. I know it was wrong of me to go to a girl's room late at night, but I just missed Sister Su a little. Also, Sister Su had promised to sing for me earlier, so I went to ask her to sing for me..."
Ye Tiancheng couldn't believe a word of what the little fox said. The surveillance video had already been sent to his phone, and he had watched it. Although it was only a dozen seconds long, it was deeply imprinted in his mind.
"Please, stop lying. The way you looked in the surveillance video wasn't as timid as you are now. What is your true identity? You must have found it difficult to hide by my and Fatty's side for so long. I suggest you tell the truth now, so we don't have to suspect each other anymore."
Ye Tiancheng increasingly felt that something was wrong with the little fox. Ever since he appeared in their lives, strange occurrences had not stopped. Wherever Ye Tiancheng and Fatty went, strange things followed, from minor misfortunes to disasters, even several cases of bloodshed and loss of life. Ye Tiancheng no longer had the patience to indulge a child. This was a serious matter, a matter of life and death, which could not be treated with the slightest jest. It required utmost seriousness.
"That's truly the real situation. Now that you ask me to recall specifically, I find it strange that I only had a fleeting thought, and I didn't intend to go find Sister Su. But somehow, I found myself going there. However, I absolutely had no ill intentions, nor any conspiracy."
Ye Tiancheng violently flung the little fox's hand away, a hint of ferocity in his eyes. Perhaps it was to intimidate the fellow and make him speak the truth.
"There are just too many strange things about you. I can't even try to smooth things over for you now. Although there's no dark aura around you, you've been suspicious from the moment you appeared. You're definitely involved!"
Ye Tiancheng unleashed a surge of true energy, sending the little fox crashing backward into the car seat. He then spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Brother Ye, please don't hit me. It hurts so much!"
Ye Tiancheng had thought that this palm strike would reveal whatever secrets the little fox was hiding. He hadn't expected the little fox's reaction to be like that of an ordinary person. An ordinary person receiving a strike of true energy would indeed spit blood.
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You're still pretending, even now. There's no one else here, and Fatty can't protect you. I advise you to stop pretending and reveal your true self. If you have the guts, be direct and open about it, instead of playing dirty tricks on me."
In reality, Ye Tiancheng was feeling a bit shaky. The moment he saw the little fox spit blood, Ye Tiancheng felt he had been too rash. If the little fox was just an ordinary person, he had made a grave mistake again. Wronging his brother was unforgivable. There were many ways to resolve issues between brothers, not by resorting to violence and causing such serious injury to his brother. Such behavior was simply reckless and rude. However, he couldn't show it. Since he had chosen this path, he couldn't let his inner unease be seen by others, otherwise, the road ahead would become increasingly difficult.
"Cough, cough, cough, Brother Ye, I truly don't understand what you're talking about. I've never thought of doing anything to betray you. You've misunderstood me. Please think about it carefully. I really have no reason to do things that harm others and benefit myself. I just want to learn some skills by your and Fatty's side. Even if I can't learn anything, it's okay. I also want to live with my brothers and not be alone and miserable like before. I've had enough of living alone..."
As the little fox spoke, crystal tears rolled down his eyes. This scene was indeed quite impactful. Ye Tiancheng also doted on the little fox. This young man had always been by his side, appearing very well-behaved. Over time, Ye Tiancheng had come to see him as a smart and adorable younger brother. He had never imagined that one day they would become enemies, and the thought of it was terrifying. He felt it was a huge failure on his part.
"Stop using these deceptive tactics. You definitely have something to hide. I don't like to wrong people. I've tried countless times to convince myself, but all have failed. So, I have to make it clear to you now. There are major doubts surrounding you. If you confess yourself, I believe it will save us a lot of time. Otherwise, I will continue to find ways to question you."
As the little fox shook his head, his face was filled with pain. His delicate little face no longer held its usual serenity.
"Brother Ye, I've truly done nothing. Please don't wrong me, okay? I never thought you would suspect me one day. I thought we were the best of brothers, and no matter what, you would always stand by me. It seems I've been thinking too much. I'm truly sorry, sob sob sob..."
His crying had been silent just moments ago, but now it erupted audibly. This had a significant impact on Ye Tiancheng. In Ye Tiancheng's eyes, if someone by his side cried incessantly, he wouldn't want to watch. Instead, he would feel utterly incompetent, unable to even protect those around him. Such a situation felt truly troublesome, and his heart ached as if he were seasick.
"Alright, stop crying. If you have something to say, say it. I believe you're not that fragile. Even if you're young, you're still a man. I don't want to see a grown man crying like this. It's unbearable to watch, and completely unnecessary. I don't think you need to put on this act for me, because I don't like watching plays. I prefer straightforwardness. Once I've decided on something, I won't easily change my mind based on appearances. I hope you understand this."
Ye Tiancheng's calmness was extreme, as cold as it could be, at least on the surface. He didn't show any flaws. He always preferred to be open about everything and disliked underhanded tactics. He even more disliked people acting weak or innocent in front of him.
It seemed that the little fox realized that no matter how hard he tried, Ye Tiancheng wouldn't believe him. If he continued to act foolishly now, it would be like slapping himself in the face. This situation was indeed quite awkward. The little fox wiped the tears from his face and resignedly closed his eyes.
"Brother Ye, I know you won't believe me no matter what I say now. I'm truly sorry for making things so difficult for you. You can investigate me however you want. I have a clear conscience. I only admired Sister Su, which is why I went to talk to her. Please don't misunderstand me anymore."
The words were clear enough, but unfortunately, Ye Tiancheng lacked concrete evidence. If he had evidence, he would have confronted the issue directly. Why would he resort to hitting to force a confession, appearing so irascible, like a madman throwing a tantrum for no reason? That didn't seem right either.
"Fine, I'll see if you're truly an ordinary person. Although there's no dark aura around you, I believe you're definitely not ordinary. I want to see how long you can keep up this act. Can you truly endure this pain like an ordinary person? I'm not sure yet, but you probably can't. I wonder how long you, this master, will pretend to be. But I believe you won't be able to maintain it for much longer."
The little fox coughed twice and then spat out some unclear liquid with traces of blood. He looked extremely weak. Not only his friends but even a stranger seeing him in such a frail state would feel pity. It was a natural reaction. After all, the little fox was fair-skinned and looked so weak; anyone would feel a pang of sympathy. One wouldn't have a heart of stone.
Especially Ye Tiancheng, who also had feelings for the little fox. It was normal for him to have mixed thoughts. However, no matter what, he had to steel his heart today. Ye Tiancheng didn't want to be ruined by his indecisiveness.
"Brother Ye, I'll do whatever you say. I trust you to make your own judgment, and I won't resent you. I've already chosen to be by your and Brother Fatty's side. From the moment I made that choice, I will never regret it. I believe you are good people, and I believe my choice is correct."
The little fox's words were very sincere, but in Ye Tiancheng's eyes, the little fox was trying to brainwash him. The more he acted like this, the more Ye Tiancheng had to remain calm and resolutely prevent the little fox from seeing any flaws. If he lost this psychological battle, he would never have another chance to test him in the same way. He would be completely exposed, and further testing would be useless.
"Alright, little fox, don't try to brainwash me. I just want to see if you truly have the perseverance to endure the pain of illness like an ordinary person, instead of revealing your true capabilities as a powerful individual. Show me your skills."
Ye Tiancheng's words were clear, but the little fox remained in a state of confusion. Having just been struck by Ye Tiancheng's true energy, his body was clearly giving out. At this moment, he was gritting his teeth in pain.
"I'm watching your performance."
Ye Tiancheng continued to drive, ignoring the little fox. The little fox slumped against the passenger seat, occasionally letting out muffled groans of pain. He was clearly in agony, his brow furrowed as if he were the most suffering person in the world, desperately needing salvation, or he wouldn't survive this ordeal.
Ye Tiancheng had tried his best to tell himself not to look at the pain the little fox displayed, lest he soften. But he truly wasn't heartless, and he couldn't fake it. Seeing him out of the corner of his eye several times, his heart ached. Ye Tiancheng had a constant urge to confront the little fox and clear everything up. In fact, he was willing to believe him.
He finally made up his mind. This was much better than remaining in confusion. If he wrongly accused someone, wouldn't that be a grave sin?