72: Achieve

Now that their true power dynamic had been exposed, Zhao Mingting could no longer hide his fury. The flesh on his face trembled, showing just how much he was gnashing his teeth.

Seeing this, Yan Qinghe whispered into Yan Zhuohua's ear, "If you happen to provoke him into a medical emergency, it wouldn't be illegal, would it?"

Yan Zhuohua chuckled softly, "Don't worry, scoundrels live for a thousand years."

Seeing the two of them acting so intimately and ignoring everyone else right in front of him made Zhao Mingting tremble even more with rage.

"Head of the Yan Family! With such a venomous snake by your side, aren't you afraid he'll bite you one day?"

Yan Qinghe was very displeased to hear Zhao Mingting compare Yan Zhuohua to a "venomous snake."

"Stop slandering others. Can't you see you're the one who's more like a snake? Sinister," Yan Qinghe retorted bluntly, then added sweetly, "Besides, so what if Zhuohua has his methods? In front of me, he's ultimately just an obedient little wi— hiss!"

Yan Zhuohua kicked him and gave him a warning look to make him shut up.

"What kind of place is this? What nonsense are you talking?"

Yan Qinghe gave him a placating smile, indicating he would shut up now.

Seeing that his attempt to sow discord had failed and that the two were flirting in front of him again, Zhao Mingting felt that if he didn't achieve his goal soon, he would likely die of anger right then and there.

"Fine, fine, fine. Since the Head of the Yan Family is willing, I won't advise you further," Zhao Mingting said, not forgetting to save some face for himself.

"Madam Yan, since you say you are the one in control now, please state your conditions. There's no need for everyone to waste effort guessing."

"Since the Head of the Zhao Family puts it that way, I won't decline," Yan Zhuohua leaned back in his chair with a deep smile.

"I want to know the whole truth and all the details regarding the baby swap and the kidnapping case from ten years ago, and I want them made public. This includes information about the power you collaborated with," Yan Zhuohua stated. "You, and everyone involved, must be brought to justice."

"If this is made public, between the external pressure and the Yan Family's revenge, the Zhao Family will suffer a heavy blow or even disappear entirely. Why should I agree to that?"

"I only want all those involved to get the ending they deserve. As for the Zhao Family, I have no interest in making a move against it," Yan Zhuohua said.

Zhao Mingting looked at Yan Qinghe.

Yan Qinghe spoke directly: "He has the final say."

Zhao Mingting closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time.

"Can you guarantee not to implicate others and not to retaliate against the Zhao Family?"

Yan Zhuohua replied, "Of course. These matters of yours didn't involve commercial attacks. I have always addressed matters on their own merits and will not implicate the innocent. At most, we will simply cease all business and personal dealings with the Zhao Family. But the premise is that not a single person who deserves punishment can be missing." A family had nearly a hundred people at the very least; only one family head had committed the crimes, so there was no need to implicate others who were unaware. Besides, once the truth came out, the Zhao Family would inevitably suffer a major blow, which could be considered their punishment.

Zhao Mingting knew that not many Zhao family members were involved in these two matters because he mostly used underground connections and his bodyguard team. Sending those involved to prison wouldn't destroy the Zhao Family's foundation.

As for external attacks and the Yan Family's total severance of ties—although the Zhao Family had declined quite a bit in recent years, its foundation as one of the Four Great Families remained. Combined with the Su Family and even Qiao Rongjing, they would definitely protect Zhao Zixing. So, if everything was arranged properly, Zhao Zixing could still secure his position as the Head of the Zhao Family without the Yan Family's interference, even if the Zhao Family might drop from a top-tier family to a second-rate one by then.

He had no choice. If he didn't agree to Yan Zhuohua's terms, the Zhao Family would definitely fall into Zhao Minghong's hands. Furthermore, Yan Zhuohua would find out the truth sooner or later; those who belonged in prison would still end up there, and the Zhao Family would still decline, perhaps even more thoroughly due to the Yan Family's revenge.

By agreeing to Yan Zhuohua, he could at least preserve some strength and keep the Zhao Family in the hands of his biological grandson, Zhao Zixing. Comparing the two options, it was clear which was superior.

With the situation clear, Zhao Mingting laughed out loud.

"I really never imagined that the child of a petty delinquent I went to such lengths to find back then could actually force me and the Zhao Family to such a point."

Yan Zhuohua's pupils constricted, but he still restrained himself.

"I can agree to your terms, as long as you do as you said."

"We of the Yan Family keep our word," Yan Zhuohua's reply was forceful and resonant.

"Yes, yes, the Yan Family," Zhao Mingting was still very emotional, "The Yan Family has always been so noble and untarnished, the favorites of heaven. Not like us, hahahaha, not like us!"

Yan Zhuohua and Yan Qinghe watched the Zhao Mingting before them, who seemed somewhat crazed and a far cry from his former shrewd and capable image. In a silent understanding, neither of them spoke.

Once Zhao Mingting's emotions finally calmed down a bit, he spoke again.

"I have a few small requests. I want to see Zixing once. And, these matters can only be made public a few days after I've settled my affairs with Zixing."

These requests were simple and unimportant, posing no problem at all.

"Fine," Yan Zhuohua agreed readily.

Zhao Mingting let out a long sigh, "Call the police in."

Zhao Mingting was going to confess his crimes, so it was time for the police to enter.

According to regulations, Yan Zhuohua and Yan Qinghe could not stay inside. However, everyone knew how important these truths were to them and understood they would want to know the results immediately. Thus, Officer Liu didn't make them leave but politely invited them to the lounge to wait, or they could go for a walk and come back when it was over.

Yan Zhuohua didn't want to stay in an enclosed room, so Yan Qinghe took him for a walk on a relatively busy street nearby.

Coming out of the dim interrogation room into the sunlight, Yan Zhuohua felt as though he had returned to the human world.

It felt as though they had been battling Zhao Mingting inside for a long time, but in reality, it had only been half an hour. It was only 3:30 in the afternoon, and the sky was still bright.

It might snow in the coming days, so the temperature was very low, and there were far fewer people walking on the streets than usual. The two of them were like an ordinary couple, holding hands and walking in the winter sunlight.

Yan Zhuohua suddenly let out a sigh.

"Nervous?" Yan Qinghe asked him.

"Not really. I've already guessed most of the truth; now I'm just filling in the details."

"Then why are you sighing?"

"...I'm just a bit regretful that I couldn't hear Zhao Mingting tell those truths with my own ears." Yan Zhuohua looked up and suddenly gave a bright smile, "After all, I'm a law-abiding citizen and don't want to cause trouble for the police."

Yan Qinghe couldn't help but laugh, "Every time you call Officer Liu, he probably already curses you for being a trouble."

"Don't spread rumors, hubby! Slandering the police might be illegal!"

Yan Qinghe laughed and ruffled Yan Zhuohua's hair, helping him straighten his slightly loosened collar.

"Hubby, are you nervous?"

Yan Qinghe paused. When he was a child, he thought he might have committed a great sin in a past life to have become a child of the Ning Family. Later, after learning he was swapped at birth, he felt he was just extremely unlucky to have run into two women who hated the rich at the moment of his birth. After returning to the Yan Family, and even after getting his hands on Yan Zhuohua, he believed those fifteen years of hardship were worth it to trade for his current happy family and his perfect, aloof flower of a wife.

Now, the facts finally told him that those fifteen years of his life had actually been manipulated by someone behind the scenes. Logically, he should have felt all sorts of emotions, but perhaps because he had experienced so much, or perhaps because he felt that with such family and such a lover, nothing else could affect him in the slightest. At this moment, his heart was completely calm, and his eyes held only his beautiful wife looking up at him so obediently.

"No," Yan Qinghe kissed the person in front of him and said with a smile, "I am very happy."