Lei Zhengyang stepped into the grand hall, where an elderly man sat with imposing dignity on a row of plush chairs. This was his grandfather, Lei Yunbao, patriarch of the Lei family.
At seventy-one, Lei Yunbao was one of the nation's revered elders, a titan who'd devoted his life—blood, youth, and vigor—to the country. Once a battlefield panther, his robust frame had given way to age's frailness. Though still healthy, he was undeniably an old man.
In Zhengyang's past life, the Leis and Songs had clashed, crippling both. Seizing the moment, rival clans crushed the Leis overnight. That night drained Lei Yunbao's spirit. Zhengyang vividly recalled seeing his grandfather emerge from his study the next morning, a hollow shell. Though he lived three more years, he was already gone.
A wave of sorrow stirred in Zhengyang's heart as he approached, an irrepressible familial bond swelling within. Standing before the old man, he called out warmly, "Grandpa!"
Lei Yunbao glanced up, then turned away with a scoff. "What's this? Learning to butter up your old man now? All those years of screwing up, and you think groveling helps? You've made a mess, and I can't bail you out."
"Father, Zhengyang's suffered this past year," Xu Nongli interjected, defying protocol for her son. "Look at him—he's truly changed. Forgive him this once, please!"
Lei Zhengchen stepped forward, glaring at Zhengyang with frustration. "You're not a kid anymore, Zhengyang. How could you screw up this badly? Song Yingfei, of all people! You treated her like that, and now Beijing's young elite are rallying behind the Songs, demanding we answer for it. How are we supposed to help you?"
As Beijing's top beauty, Song Yingfei had countless admirers. Zhengyang's brutal act against her sparked envy and rage. Though none dared challenge the Leis openly, they'd united in secret, piling pressure on the family.
These weren't nobodies—most were offspring of high-ranking officials from Beijing's ministries. Together, their influence was formidable.
Zhengyang met Zhengchen's eyes. As brothers, a reunion after a year should've been warm, but warmth eluded him. In his past-life memories, this second brother was a bitter disappointment. Zhengchen's actions ignited the Leis' downfall. For an official, keeping a mistress was no scandal, but Zhengchen's hundreds of explicit photos became the straw that broke the family's back.
That alone could've meant losing his post, fading into obscurity. But Zhengchen, unwilling to sink, defected to the Yangs to claw his way back up. His betrayal hastened their grandfather's and mother's deaths, and he'd all but destroyed Tianhua Group. Zhengyang could forgive ambition, but not at the cost of family.
"I've made mistakes," Zhengyang said evenly, "but with Yingfei, I didn't go too far. There's still a way to fix it. You, Second Brother? Your mistakes are the ones we can't undo."
The room froze. Lei Yunbao's thick brows furrowed. Of his six grandsons—three from his eldest, two from his second, one from his fourth—Zhengchen was his pride. At twenty-three, he was already a division-level cadre, bolstered by Lei connections but shining with political acumen. His grooming was the family's core focus.
Before the patriarch could speak, Zhengchen exploded. "Old Third, you mess up, hide for a year, then come back spouting nonsense? Think that dodges your responsibility? Me, make a mistake? Name it!"
Lei Chunping, fuming, opened his mouth to scold his youngest son, but Lei Yunbao's glare silenced him. Turning to Zhengyang, the patriarch asked, "What do you know?"
Zhengyang's mistakes were routine, like breathing—irrelevant since he wasn't in politics, his reputation already trash. But Zhengchen was different. As an official, any stain could ruin his career. Lei Yunbao needed clarity.
"Second Brother's keeping a female student," Zhengyang said. "Barely seventeen."
"You—!" Zhengchen gaped, stunned. How could Zhengyang know something so secret? He'd seen plenty of beauties, but this girl was unique—childlike face, voluptuous figure, a seventeen-year-old with a siren's charm that hit like a drug. As a county secretary, he hadn't needed to ask; his lingering glances betrayed him. Soon, the high schooler was his.
Lei Yunbao's eyes glinted with icy fury. "Is this true?"
Under that gaze, Zhengchen trembled, unable to lie. He nodded.
The patriarch's anger simmered, but he held it in check. Mistakes could be forgiven if corrected. "End it immediately," he ordered. "At your level, Zhengchen, women are your Achilles' heel. If this gets out, it's a lifelong stain. This cannot happen."
Even Lei Qiuping, the steadiest of the brothers, knew the gravity. Zhengchen wasn't Zhengyang—his playboy brother could keep a mistress, and no one would blink. Zhengyang's reputation was already in the gutter.
Lei Yunbao snorted, his displeasure clear.
As Zhengchen sweated, nodding, Zhengyang dropped another bomb. "Second Brother also took photos he shouldn't have. And those photos? They're 'lost,' aren't they?"
Zhengchen's eyes bulged, pointing at Zhengyang. "It was you! You stole them, didn't you? Old Third, why? Give them back!"
The photos, taken on a whim at the girl's urging to capture their steamy moments, had vanished recently. Their exposure would be catastrophic.
"What? Zhengchen, is this true?" Lei Xiaping, the calmest brother, was floored. How could anyone be so reckless? It was suicidal.
"I didn't steal your photos," Zhengyang said coolly. "But I heard they're in the hands of someone at the city's Discipline Inspection Commission, ready to send to the central level. Still think that's not a big mistake?"
Zhengyang knew the full story. Had Zhengchen not been so selfish, he might've quietly fixed it. But now, his brother needed this lesson. His smooth career, propped by the Leis, had bred arrogance. A wake-up call would do him good.
Zhengchen, drenched in cold sweat, dropped to his knees before Lei Yunbao. "Grandpa, I was wrong. I swear, I'll never do it again. Please help me!"
The plan to grill Zhengyang derailed. No one expected Zhengchen, the family's golden hope, to commit such a blunder. The photos hadn't surfaced, but their potential was atomic.
Lei Yunbao's hand lashed out, slapping Zhengchen hard. "Get out and reflect on your mistakes. Face the consequences—no one can save you."
The slap stung, but Zhengchen knew worse awaited if the Leis cut him loose. Unlike Zhengyang, who could wallow in decadence, Zhengchen had dreams, ambitions. He couldn't lose it all.
Scrambling, he clung to Xu Nongli's legs, sobbing. "Mom, you've got to help me! Please, beg Grandpa—I'm dead without you!"
No mother could ignore her child's plea. Xu Nongli helped him up. "Zhengchen, get up. I'll do what I can."
Politics wasn't her domain, but for her son, she'd fight. "Father, please help him. Zhengchen's our best shot to climb high in politics. If he's expelled over this, the Leis will suffer a blow we can't afford."
The deeper the hope, the sharper the disappointment. Zhengchen was a prodigy—top student, double doctorate, a rising star with stellar achievements. This mistake was beyond reckless.
Zhengyang, by contrast, was a non-issue. Raping Song Yingfei? The Leis barely blinked. To the world, he was a wastrel—jail wouldn't surprise anyone. His mistakes were permissible, expected even.