Imperfect Desires

779 Power Struggle

historical

"Are you saying it's my husband's fault?" questioned Zhao Huan after a moment of silence.

Wen Ai shook her head in reply, "Not really." She took a moment to elaborate, "I'm just saying that Brother Ze took too long to notice his brother's absence." With a hand on her baby bump, she continued, "Do you know that Ah-Xin had always admired his brother? He always looked up to him and he always wanted to be like him. Since Brother Ze was good at everything, Ah-Xin tried his best to be as good as him. But while following his brother's footsteps, he forgot to leave his own footsteps behind. And that made people eventually forget that he was a completely different person. He wasn't just a shadow of Xin Zemin. He had his own identity as well."

Zhao Huan furrowed her brows at Wen Ai while the latter went on, "Actually, Ah-Xin had no problem with being his brother's shadow. But others had a lot to say... 'Zimen is just like his elder brother'... 'Is Zimen trying to outdo his brother?'... 'He is the second son, why is he trying so hard? It's not he'll get a chance to fight with his brother just because he is more capable'... Do you even know how many times he had to hear such remarks just because he was the second son?"

"But none of that was Zemin's fault," said Zhao Huan. "He still thinks his brother is more capable than him."

Wen Ai shook her head, "No matter who was at fault, the one to suffer was Ah-Xin. Especially when their own mother continued to blatantly pretend like Zimen was nothing. Brother Ze was sent abroad to study in high school, why? Because as the elder son he should get all the best resources. Why can't the second son go? It'd be the waste of resources, it isn't like he was gonna inherit the family business."

She sighed out heavily, "However, no matter how people compared Ah-Xin with his brother, he didn't mind it. He didn't even mind his mother's biased treatment towards Brother Ze, he had become used to it all."

"Then why? Why doesn't he talk to his brother?"

"It's because of the power struggle within the Xin Family," answered Wen Ai. "The different branches of the Xin Family had been fighting since the old patriarch died." She took a brief pause before adding, "There is a saying in my family, 'The thirst of power is only quenched with the blood of your own." Zhao Huan's eyes widened significantly, "Just because it's a modern world, people don't forsake their own blood?" Wen Ai shook her head, "Now is the time when everyone's blood has truly turned white."

"Father Xin was not originally the one to inherit the Xin Family's business," said Wen Ai.

"I heard that," replied Zhao Huan. "It was his elder brother, Suyin's father who was supposed to inherit the family. But he unexpectedly died in a car crash."

Zhao Huan's heart shook, "What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious?" retorted Wen Ai. "Father Xin killed his own brother to get where he is today. He descended the throne by walking on the path drenched with the blood of his elder brother and his sister in law. The only reason Suyin survived was because she was a girl. And no one would let a girl become the heir. So, he actually adopted his one and only niece to pretend like the saint who loved his brother so deeply that he is willing to raise his brother's daughter as his own."

Zhao Huan covered her mouth with trembling hand. She suddenly felt scared. Extremely scared. She didn't know whether Wen Ai's words were true or not but she couldn't bring herself to doubt Wen Ai either. This Princess had a good or rather bad habit, she was brutally honest and she was never scared of telling the truth no matter how it might hurt someone or how it might get herself killed. So, she really couldn't doubt her words right now.

"I think you might have an idea now why Ah-Xin was always treated differently?" Zhao Huan looked up at her fear palpable in her eyes. "His father and mother were scared that he'd turn out to be exactly like them. Just as they didn't hesitate before taking the life of someone for power, he might do it as well." She laughed in derision, "Ah-Xin said when he learned about this truth, he wasn't sad. He actually thought someone had set him free because he finally had the answer why he was looked at like he was a monster. Even the evil fears the karma. Father Xin did too but he didn't realize, it'd be his guilty conscious that would turn his son into his biggest nightmare."

"Ah-Xin distanced himself from his elder brother because he started hating him for being the elder son. He found it unfair that just because he was born as a second child, he was labeled as a traitor. A traitor who might take his own brother's life. He found it equally funny and decided to threw everything away."

She held Zhao Huan's hand and concluded, "The reason why I chose your wedding day to get married wasn't that I wanted to create a scene. I just wanted to save my Ah-Xin. I wanted everyone to know that they shouldn't even think about using my Ah-Xin in their power struggle. I truly don't give a damn about the Xin family, but they tried to reach out to Ah-Xin to use him against your husband, if not his life would be in danger. Do you really think I'd let anyone threaten the life of my Ah-Xin?"

*To be Continued*