Realm of the Night God

Seeing the middle-aged chubby man in a disheartened state, the steward speculated about something he didn't want to witness, and unfortunately, it happened after all.

However, he remained silent to avoid provoking the middle-aged chubby man.

After a while, the emotions of the middle-aged chubby man gradually stabilized. However, his face no longer displayed the gentle smile that was usually present; instead, it bore an icy and rigid expression.

"Besides this matter, does she have any other unusual behaviors?" the middle-aged chubby man asked coldly, no longer addressing the woman as "Madam" but as "she," indicating a shift in her status in his heart.

The steward hesitated for a moment before speaking, "In recent years, Madam has often brought her younger cousin here. Sometimes, he stays for several days. I don't know if this qualifies as abnormal, as you mentioned."

The steward had initially planned to keep this information to himself, but considering the current situation, it seemed that the middle-aged chubby man already knew something. Concealing the truth wouldn't be effective and might even worsen the situation.

"Continue," the middle-aged chubby man spoke coldly.

Steward hesitated once more and then continued, "Over these years, she frequently brings her younger cousin here. Sometimes, he stays for several days. I don't know if that counts as unusual, as you mentioned."

The middle-aged chubby man's addressing of his wife had changed, indicating a shift in her role and status in his heart.

"He does have a younger cousin, but the person you described is completely different," the middle-aged chubby man said. At this point, he recalled the earlier phone call, the impatient urging, and the threatening tone. His face darkened instantly.

"Could it be that young man? He's really bold, daring to bring him home several years ago!" The middle-aged chubby man gritted his teeth and stared coldly at the steward. "As a steward, you didn't even inform me when an outsider entered my home. I don't understand how you fulfill your duties!"

The steward was taken aback. The middle-aged chubby man's anger confirmed his suspicions. He had intended to conceal the information, but now it seemed that the middle-aged chubby man already knew something. Concealing the truth wouldn't help; it might even make things worse.

"Explain yourself," the middle-aged chubby man spoke in a cold tone.

Steward hesitated, then spoke, "When this matter first occurred, I reported it to you. You told me not to worry, and if he wanted to stay, let him stay. Since then, I haven't reported his presence to you again. I didn't want to distract you with such trivial matters."

If it weren't for the steward's reminder, the middle-aged chubby man would have completely forgotten about this incident. He was constantly busy with business affairs and rarely paid attention to household matters unless it involved his wife and children's health. Therefore, unless it was a significant issue, the steward wasn't required to report every small matter, to avoid distracting him.

Now, reminded by the steward, he vaguely remembered the incident. At that time, he was too busy, and coupled with his absolute trust in his wife, he didn't pay much attention to the matter, quickly pushing it to the back of his mind.

Little did he expect that he had oversimplified the situation.

As a businessman, he could successfully navigate the complexities of business and competition, but he never applied the same tactics within his family. He never used such methods on his wife, and his trust in her was unconditional.

Perhaps it was because of his deep love for his wife that he blindly trusted her. Unfortunately, this trust didn't yield the results he desired.

Taking a deep breath, the middle-aged chubby man closed his eyes to calm the turmoil and anger within. After a few minutes, he slowly opened his eyes.

During this time, the steward remained bowed in place, motionless and silent, seemingly awaiting the impending punishment.

The situation appeared unrelated to the steward, but upon closer inspection, he couldn't escape blame.

As a steward, he was unaware of such a significant event in the household for several years. Even if it was kept discreet, there should have been signs of something amiss. However, after reporting the matter to the middle-aged chubby man once, he never brought it up again. This negligence carried substantial responsibility.

While the steward may have noticed some anomalies, he chose not to remind the middle-aged chubby man multiple times. Whether there were other reasons for this decision, only the steward knew.

Regardless, now that the truth was exposed, the steward held undeniable responsibility as the steward. Fully aware of this, he kept his head lowered, silent, enduring the middle-aged chubby man's anger and anticipating the impending punishment.

"Get me a cigarette."

After a long wait, instead of a tirade, this was the sentence that finally came.

The middle-aged chubby man remained surprisingly calm, which only heightened the steward's unease. To him, it felt like the calm before the storm.

Despite feeling uneasy, the butler took out a cigarette from his pocket and respectfully handed it over.

The middle-aged chubby man accepted the cigarette, lit it for himself, and took several deep puffs. Half of the cigarette was already gone due to his vigorous smoking, leaving a long, bright red ash on the remaining portion.

"Old Zhang, perhaps you've really aged," the middle-aged chubby man remarked meaningfully, then stood up.

The butler opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

"Siyu really likes you, Grandpa Steward. So, I won't hold this against you. My only requirement now is for you to keep Siyu happy every day. I'll be satisfied as long as she's content. Don't worry about anything else," the middle-aged chubby man said as he walked towards the study door.

As he spoke, he exuded the aura and authority of a senior executive, making it difficult for the butler to catch his breath.

"I need to go deal with some matters. Take care of Siyu, and I'll be back soon."

With those words, the middle-aged chubby man left, leaving the butler alone in the study.

Watching the middle-aged chubby man disappear from sight, the butler couldn't help but shake his head, sighing with a troubled expression on his wrinkled face.

He had been the steward of the Zhong family for many years. When he first started, the middle-aged chubby man was young, full of energy and enthusiasm.

However, as the years passed, the once young and handsome guy had turned into a middle-aged, chubby man with a beer belly and receding hairline.

Due to the middle-aged chubby man's focus on making money and business, his marital situation had remained unresolved for a long time. Not to mention business, he hadn't even had a girlfriend.

Perhaps it was due to a lack of interest, time, or the absence of someone who truly captivated him. The middle-aged chubby man remained single, and without the pressure from parents or family elders, he didn't prioritize this aspect of his life. This continued until he entered middle age.

The butler had observed all of this and felt anxious. Although he wasn't the middle-aged man's elder, the middle-aged man had treated him well. The butler didn't want to see the middle-aged man amass wealth only to end up living a lonely life.

Therefore, through various means, the butler had tried to persuade the middle-aged man to allocate some of his energy to his personal life.

However, the results were not significant, causing the butler even more distress.

It wasn't until Zhong Siyu's mother appeared that things began to change. When the middle-aged chubby man returned to the mansion with Zhong Siyu, the butler was relieved.

Over the years, the butler had observed the actions of Zhong Siyu's mother. Initially, he didn't think there was a significant issue, but over time, he noticed abnormalities.

He had warned the middle-aged chubby man, but the middle-aged man hadn't taken it to heart. Subsequently, the butler chose to turn a blind eye, understanding that if this matter were exposed, it would shatter the family, with Zhong Siyu bearing the brunt of the consequences.

The butler cared deeply for Zhong Siyu, having raised her from a young age. In a way, his affection for Zhong Siyu was even deeper than his feelings for the middle-aged chubby man.

Not wanting Zhong Siyu to become the ultimate victim, the elderly butler chose silence.

Moreover, he couldn't be sure that his speculations were entirely correct. If he told the middle-aged chubby man about his suspicions, misunderstanding Zhong Siyu's mother, the repercussions could be severe.

However, the butler's silence was also a way to delay the inevitable. He hoped that by waiting until Zhong Siyu was a bit older, the impact would be less severe.

Of course, this was the butler's personal perspective.

In reality, many things didn't always go the way he wanted. The ability to postpone things didn't guarantee success, but the butler believed that delaying the inevitable might reduce the harm, especially to Zhong Siyu.

After all, he chose Zhong Siyu over the middle-aged chubby man.