Chapter 278: Brother Tao Is Innocent
Chapter 278: Brother Tao Is Innocent
"Brother Tao again."
Zhan Lian purses his lips and stares at Anran for a long time before suddenly standing up. His movements are sharp, restless—almost like he’s going crazy from holding it all in.
He is under immense pressure. He thought everything would be fine once he found his wife and daughter, but now he realizes things aren’t that simple.
The biggest problem?
Yun Tao.
Anran keeps calling him Brother Tao. How can Zhan Lian possibly tolerate that?
Anran, sitting on the sofa, immediately tenses up. She stands as well, clutching Doll protectively, her eyes wary. She is afraid that Zhan Lian might lash out—whether at her or the child, she doesn’t know.
Even though something inside her insists that he won’t hurt them, she still can’t shake the feeling that Zhan Lian is dangerous.
But instead of exploding in rage, Zhan Lian’s expression shows something else—something almost pained.
He nods at Anran and says in a self-deprecating tone, "Fine. I’ll go find your Brother Tao. If anyone so much as touches a hair on his head, I’ll shave their whole family bald!"
"Zhan Lian." Anran inhales deeply, frowning at her ex-husband. She can’t understand why he is speaking to her like this. "If there’s a problem between us, we can talk it out. But Brother Tao is innocent."
"Innocent? Of course. Did I say I wouldn’t let him go?" Zhan Lian steps closer to her, his fists clenching at his sides. "I said, if anyone touches a hair on your Brother Tao, I’ll shave their entire family bald for you!"
His voice unconsciously rises, the frustration and jealousy in his tone becoming more apparent. The energy radiating off him is overbearing, almost oppressive.
Anran’s body instinctively recoils, a primal fear stirring deep inside her.
This… is the natural fear of the Wood System against the Metal System.
And then—
The baby, startled awake by Zhan Lian’s raised voice, scrunches her tiny face and bursts into tears.
Zhan Lian, who had been on the verge of losing control, immediately stops in his tracks.
His expression stiffens for a moment, then softens. The sheer pain on his face is unmistakable. His voice, once tense and sharp, lowers into something much gentler.
Stretching out a hand toward Doll, he murmurs, almost pleading, "Why are you crying? Let me hold you."
But Anran instinctively steps back.
She doesn’t hand over Doll.
Just a moment ago, his anger had been overwhelming. His words had been cutting, his temper unpredictable. And now he suddenly wants to hold the child?
She can't trust him—not yet.
Even if he is Doll’s biological father, there are too many barriers between them now. Too many scars.
Zhan Lian’s heart aches at the sight of her retreating from him. He looks at her for a long moment, then without another word, turns away, opens the door, and steps outside.
The baby’s cries continue behind him, muffled by the walls.
There is an ocean between him and Anran now. And Zhan Lian doesn’t know how to cross it.
Once, she needed him.
But when she did, he wasn’t there.
Now that he has finally found her—she doesn’t need him anymore.
Standing outside, he pulls out a pack of cigarettes, flicks one out, and lights it with a lighter. The glow of the flame briefly illuminates his face.
Inside, his daughter’s soft cries still reach him through the walls.
As the smoke curls around him, Zhan Lian’s eyes turn red.
He wants to hold his little princess.
He wants to hold his wife.
He wants them to trust him again—to rely on him like they once did.
Right now, even if he could just regain a sliver of Anran’s trust—just one ten-thousandth of what they had before—Zhan Lian would be willing to trade his life for it.