As Xu Feng felt proud for utilizing Zhao Kai to his utmost ability, he almost wanted to give himself a pat on the back.
Just how great of a friend was he?
Anyone would be envious and jealous of Zhao Kai!
'Ahh, either way, I still need to give some warning to him without being too obvious.' After much joking aside, Xu Feng needed to ensure that his disappearance wouldn't happen in this timeline.
Because he didn't attend his grandfather's birthday, given it was somewhat impolite and out of line, he failed to understand what had undergone in the party.
Hence, he wouldn't make the same mistake!
"Kai, have you ever introduced me to your family?" Xu Feng walked toward him and suddenly asked.
"Huh? No, I don't think so." Still stuffing his mouth with food, Zhao Kai responded in a somewhat muffled tone. "You've only known about my elder sister and her personal assistant, and that's about it. I don't talk to my family much after my mother died."
"Hmm, is that so? Then shouldn't you think it's time that I meet with your family since we've been friends for a long time?"
"You want to meet them? Are you sure?"
"What do you mean by, am I sure?"
Pausing his eating temporarily, Zhao Kai placed his food down and gazed at him with a solemn expression.
"Aside from my elder sister, most of my family members are snobby as fuck. You might vomit at the mere sight of their appearance." He warned sternly.
"So are you sure you still want to meet with them?"
"Naturally," Xu Feng chuckled softly. "You should know I am an orphan, so I don't even have a snobby family, to begin with. At the very least, you have your mother and elder sister's love. I don't even know my parents' face."
With Xu Feng revealing his past, Zhao Kai suddenly remained silent.
A few seconds later, he lowered his head and apologized, "My bad, I didn't mean to have you bring that up again."
"No worries, I gave up trying to care about them and wonder why they abandoned me. They might have given birth to me, but they don't control my life." Xu Feng took a seat, grabbed one of the untouched foods, and ate as he reassured him.
Maybe he was still somewhat resentful and sentimental in the past, but he no longer cared about those anymore.
So what if they abandoned him?
This was his life and he would live as he pleased with or without them. They could be rotting in some prison or the usual cliche of pressure from opposing families to separate them— he doesn't care!
Meanwhile, Zhao Kai felt somewhat bad for almost carving another wound in his past, so he nodded.
"My elder sister wants me to attend my grandfather's 65th birthday party. I can bring you along as an opportunity to meet with my family and you can help me choose a gift in the meantime." He said lighthearted, seemingly trying to lighten the atmosphere.
"Sure, then it's decided." Xu Feng quickly clasped his hands and agreed, concealing his true motive.
As if he truly wanted to meet with his family. What he wanted to do by attending was to see who attempted or wanted to harm him!
Although Zhao Kai was not an orphan like him, ever since he lost his mother, the two could be said to be in a similar situation. Thus, they clicked and vibed well together, and they remained great friends for a long time.
It was only a shame that the friendship began to shatter when Xu Feng took on another path and Zhao Kai's subsequent disappearance.
This had been one of his greatest regrets in the past.
To lose a long-time friend was not an easy phase, especially when you don't know how and when they vanished from your life.
As the two continued to eat merrily, Zhao Kai smiled melancholy.
"You know, Feng. As an illegitimate child, my mother always wanted me to be a part of the Zhao Family even till her death. But not once had they ever shown a flash of sympathy except for my elder sister." He clenched his fist and said with a hoarse tone.
"If you hadn't been by my side and elder sister, I'm afraid I might storm into the Zhao Mansion and make a scene. Asking them why they are so cruel to my mother and what makes them think they are superior?"
The more he opened up, the more agitated he was becoming.
Zhao Kai's carefree and easygoing nature was all a facade he put on the surface to conceal his anger. A deep anger that was always on the verge of exploding.
His eyes started to turn red from the fury he was trying to retain. His hands clenched into fists, knuckles whitening as his voice grew louder and more strained with each word.
Noticing his anger seemed to begin to spiral out of control, Xu Feng quickly placed his palm on his shoulder, clenching it somewhat tightly.
No words needed to be said.
Once he sensed Zhao Kai was returning to normal, he consoled, "The hard times are over, and I'm sure your mother would hate to see you fall into anger and lose yourself."
"Yeah, you're probably right. My mother always told me to not hate them, even on her deathbed. She said it was a choice she made, but I just couldn't let it go."
"Then don't let go."
"Huh? But didn't you just say my mother would hate to see me fall into anger?" Startled and baffled, Zhao Kai gazed at Xu Feng, seemingly wondering if he was being a hypocrite.
Xu Feng flicked his fingers on Zhao Kai's forehead as he subtly understood the meaning behind his gaze.
"I only said your mother hates to see it, but that doesn't mean you can't do it. Besides, who said anger could not turn into motivation and dedication?" He rolled his eyes at Zhao Kai and snorted coldly.
"Since the Zhao Family refused you, then all you need to do is gain control of their very lifeline, the Zhao Enterprise. At that time, who dares to deny you or disrespect your mother?"