The Sickly Villain Only Wants to Survive

93

On the plane, Zhu Tong shared a lot about Zhu Shoushan with Shao Ming. Although he felt angered at the time for being treated as a tool for a marriage alliance, he held little resentment now and had quickly come to terms with it.

He realized that the situation had unfolded in part due to his own decisions.

He stubbornly refused to accept help from his grandfather, failing to recognize that he had become a burden to his father—a weight that could not be shaken off.

Had he not rejected his grandfather's assistance, their lives would have been entirely different. Even if he had still faced challenges, Xiao Xin would not have suffered such a tragic fate later on.

Shao Ming listened quietly during the flight, unconsciously tightening his grip on Zhu Tong's hand.

After disembarking, they were greeted by a driver arranged by Zhu Tong's grandfather, who took them back to the Cheng family home.

The car passed through a silver gate, winding through a meticulously designed garden before arriving at the villa entrance.

A servant opened the door and respectfully called out, "Young master."

Zhu Tong felt a pang of discomfort.

He hesitated for a moment, then sighed and asked, "Has Xiao Xin returned?"

The servant replied, "Miss Xiao Xin is still attending art training at school and won't be back for a few days."

Zhu Tong felt that ever since he transferred schools, Xiao Xin had also become busier, with even fewer breaks.

He turned to Shao Ming and said, "Then we can go to her school to find her later."

Shao Ming smiled and nodded in agreement. "Sure."

Only then did the servant's gaze shift to the person beside Zhu Tong, surprised that the young master had brought a friend home.

Noticing her look, Shao Ming returned her smile.

Zhu Tong glanced at him and sensed that Shao Ming had changed a bit after stepping out of the car.

Though he still wore his usual smile, there was a newfound seriousness about him, lacking the usual playful air.

Was he still nervous?

Zhu Tong chuckled and pulled him along. "Let's go."

In truth, he felt a bit nervous himself, but seeing Shao Ming even more anxious ignited a sense of responsibility within him. He didn't want Shao Ming to feel uncomfortable in any way.

Hand in hand, they walked into the villa, leaving the servant astonished.

Wasn't Young Master Tong supposed to dislike interacting with others?

During their training, the housekeeper's first rule was that they had to maintain a distance of at least one meter from Young Master Tong at all times. Without the young master's permission, they were absolutely forbidden from getting too close.

Who exactly was this person the young master had brought back?

Inside the villa, Old Master Cheng was not in the living room. The butler informed them that he was upstairs in a video conference and would be down shortly.

Zhu Tong understood; as the year-end approached, all businesses were busy, and it was not easy for his grandfather to make time to come back.

"Speaking of which..." While sitting on the sofa, Zhu Tong suddenly said, "I heard that my mom had Xiao Xin and me so we could accompany our grandpa, but over the years, we haven't had many gatherings with him."