Hua Yan and Hua Yao were like two dispirited little quails, following Hua Feng all the way back to the villa with their heads hanging low.
The two heavy doors of the rosewood study were shut tight, completely soundproof.
Hua Feng casually tossed his suit jacket onto the sofa, his long, well-defined fingers undoing one shirt button as his cold gaze swept toward Hua Yao.
“Go stand facing the wall.”
His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.
Hua Yao pouted and dragged her feet, refusing to move. At the same time, she cautiously glanced up at him, her little mental abacus clicking away.
Big Brother didn’t seem particularly angry.
So maybe… there was still room to negotiate the punishment?
Hua Yao’s eyes darted around as she pondered the first step of her strategy to sweet-talk her way out of trouble.
When she looked up again, the corner of her eye caught sight of her big brother removing his watch. He then leisurely began undoing his ivory cufflinks, his knuckles gleaming coldly beneath the lights.
The movement was undeniably elegant, yet somehow sent a chill down her spine.
It was a gesture with a certain symbolic meaning…
Hua Yao shuddered and immediately tucked her tail between her legs, scurrying to the corner and standing ramrod straight.
She had almost forgotten. When Big Brother wore an expressionless face, that was when he was at his most terrifying.
Other families’ older brothers might merely give their younger siblings a verbal dressing-down. Their Big Brother, however, was the type who could dispense a little physical discipline directly and never waste a single unnecessary word.
Fortunately, she was a girl. From childhood to adulthood, the harshest physical punishment Hua Feng had ever given her was making her stand facing the wall. Otherwise, he would simply cut off her allowance, suspend her credit cards, or impose various other forms of financial punishment.
Second Brother, on the other hand, had it much worse.
Back in high school, Hua Yan had once gotten into a fight over a girl and punched the other boy so hard that he broke his nose and knocked out his front teeth.
The boy’s parents complained to the school administrators. Every student at that elite private school came from a family of considerable standing in Shanghai, and the school couldn’t afford to offend any of them.
In the end, the principal had no choice but to call Big Brother’s assistant. After all, although it had technically been a fight, the unlucky boy had essentially been beaten up single-handedly.
That very day, Big Brother abandoned the board meeting he was attending and personally went to the school to collect him.
What followed was Second Brother getting beaten so badly that for half a month he couldn’t sit down properly. He even had to sleep on his stomach.
It had been quite the gruesome sight.
……
Hua Yao shrank her neck, doing her best to minimize her presence.
The next second, Big Brother’s bone-chilling voice came from behind her.
“Belt.”
The air instantly froze.
Oh no, oh no.
Hua Yao closed her eyes and silently lit a candle for Second Brother in her heart.
Hua Yan froze. He suddenly looked up, his pupils trembling violently, his face filled with incredulous disbelief.
“Brother! I’m not a kid anymore! How can you still hit me like you used to?”
Hua Feng leisurely rolled his sleeves up to his forearms, revealing a section of powerful, lean wrists. His eyes were razor-sharp.
“It’s a miracle you still know what shame is. In front of all those people, you laid hands on a woman—and not just any woman, but your nominal sister-in-law. You two little bastards really know how to make me proud.”
One of the aforementioned “little bastards”—Hua Yao, currently pretending to be dead in the corner—nearly wished she could merge herself into the wall. She only dared to sneak a glance over from the corner of her eye, hardly daring to breathe.
Hua Yan stiffened his neck, his face full of resentment, murderous anger churning in his eyes.
“What kind of sister-in-law is she? She’s nothing but a shameless woman who would do anything for wealth and glory! I should’ve just strangled her earlier and gotten rid of the problem for good!”
Hua Feng was so furious that he actually laughed. His gaze was as cold as a frozen abyss.
“Looks like your abilities have grown considerably over the past two years. You’ve even learned to talk back.”
Hua Yan immediately fell silent.
Although Hua Feng was only five years older than Hua Yan, he was truly the eldest brother who had taken on the role of a father.
During the years after their mother remarried, when they were living under someone else’s roof, the three siblings had depended on one another. Hua Yan and Hua Yao could practically be said to have been raised single-handedly by their eldest brother.
Hua Feng had been Hua Yan’s lifelong role model and the person he revered and feared above all others. His authority was unquestionable.
Hua Yan had always been unruly and arrogant outside the home, but in front of Hua Feng, he was exceptionally obedient and respectful.
Whenever Big Brother put on a stern face, he would instantly transform from a vicious wolf barking wildly into a mute little puppy that didn’t even dare wag its tail.
This kind of rebellious backtalk was a first for him.
Hua Yan still wore a stubborn expression, his mouth refusing to yield, but he didn’t dare meet Hua Feng’s eyes. He turned his head away obstinately.
“She deserved it for daring to scheme against the Hua family!”
Hua Feng calmly studied Hua Yan, the corners of his lips curling into a mocking smile, though there was not the slightest trace of amusement in his eyes.
“Fine. Since you’re so brave, remember what you just said. Don’t regret it later.”
Hua Yan’s legs went weak, and he nearly dropped to his knees.
There was no escaping a beating today.
Whenever Big Brother was determined to punish him, obediently admitting his mistake might at least lessen the severity.
Right now, it was only a belt. If he dared to talk back again, Big Brother might very well bring out the riding crop.
Hua Yan clenched his back teeth. In the end, he couldn’t withstand his elder brother’s oppressive gaze. He lowered his head, quickly unfastened the belt around his waist, handed it to Hua Feng, and then turned his face away angrily.
Hua Feng indifferently folded the belt in half and tapped it twice against the smooth, mirror-like ebony table.
His tone remained flat and emotionless.
“Brace yourself.”
Hua Yan’s back went rigid. He bent forward and gripped the edge of the table with all his strength, wearing the tragic expression of a condemned man awaiting his fate.
Hua Yao nervously faced the wall, listening to the sharp sounds of the belt whipping through the air behind her, like firecrackers going off during New Year’s.
If Second Brother were a spinning top, he would probably have been beaten to the point of losing all his paint by now. Just listening made her hurt for him.
Hua Yao silently drew a tiny cross over her chest.
Dear God! Please let Auntie Wang, who’s working downstairs, hear what’s happening and hurry up and call Mom for reinforcements! Save the two of us poor little souls, wuwuwu ₍₍ (̨̡ ‾᷄ᗣ‾᷅ )̧̢ ₎₎