SL Chapter 9

Min Yang didn’t take Tang Zhe’s promise to protect him seriously, but when the little stammerer said it, the Alpha was still momentarily stunned.

The little stammerer’s embrace… was surprisingly warm.

Almost instinctively, Min Yang extended his hand, his fingers clenching and unclenching behind Tang Zhe’s back before settling into a loose hug.

Min Yang responded softly, “Mm.”

From that day onward, although the two didn’t exchange overly sentimental words, their relationship began to shift subtly.

Tang Zhe really didn’t know much. His original surname was Tang, and he grew up with his mother until she passed away and he was brought back to the Tang family.

Tang Zhe’s mother didn’t know much either—she was the pampered daughter of a mercenary group and treated raising her son like a game. As soon as Tang Zhe could walk steadily, Miss Tang took him to practice Muay Thai.

Of course, Tang Zhe was often the one getting knocked down, clutching Miss Tang’s pant leg and crying so hard he could barely breathe, only to be teased by his mother.

Unfortunately, Miss Tang was a busy woman. After Tang Zhe turned seven or eight, he rarely saw her. The one who took care of him most of the time was an elderly grandfather.

Tang Zhe was curious about his mother’s work, but Miss Tang never told him much. Every time Tang Zhe asked, she would find an excuse to brush him off.

Miss Tang would sit on a worn-out deck chair at the entrance of their self-built house, roughly washing little Tang Zhe’s hair as she casually answered, “Mom’s out there maintaining world peace.”

Little Tang Zhe’s eyes lit up, “L-like… Sp-sp-spiderman?”

Miss Tang: “Mm-hmm.”

“Th-then I w-want to m-maintain… w-world peace too.”

Miss Tang laughed heartily, “Oh?”

“If I d-do that… m-mom will h-have less w-work,” Tang Zhe turned around, letting his mother dry his hair, “M-mom w-will b-be able t-to come h-home s-sooner.”

Miss Tang paused, then said nothing.

Miss Tang didn’t stay long in the village before she left again in a hurry. Tang Zhe thought it would be like before—she’d be back in a week or two at most.

But this time, she didn’t return for a year.

Tang Zhe firmly believed his mother was out there protecting world peace. Every morning when he woke up, the first thing he did was wish for world peace, hoping that one day, whether in the morning or at dusk, he would open the door to see Miss Tang smirking at him with a blade of grass in her mouth. But even when the Tang family came to take him away, Tang Zhe never saw his mother again.

At nine years old, Tang Zhe met his father for the first time. He was a cold-looking Alpha with a stern, hawkish expression. When he first saw Tang Zhe, the man said nothing.

Tang Shaoming, Tang Zhe’s father, had a stern face as he looked at the child who had inherited his stutter, feeling only disgust. Tang Zhe’s stutter was congenital, and while the chances of inheriting such a condition were small, it had still happened to Tang Zhe.

Tang Zhe was placed in the most remote courtyard of the Tang family, with a housekeeper assigned to care for him instead of the elderly grandfather. The housekeeper, having worked for the Tang family for many years, was adept at reading people’s moods and naturally treated Tang Zhe accordingly after seeing Tang Shaoming’s reaction.

Because of this, Tang Zhe was often bullied in his first few years at the Tang family. Especially by the eldest and second children of the family, who would go out of their way to make Tang Zhe’s life difficult. The taunts, jibes, and deliberate pranks were endless.

The worst incident was when the eldest young master enlisted some servants to lock Tang Zhe in the family’s warehouse, where they kept a box of rats.

“Don’t worry, young master, it’s done,” the housekeeper, who was responsible for Tang Zhe, smiled obsequiously at the eldest young master of the Tang family.

The eldest young master leisurely lifted a teacup, “What about the surveillance?”

“Right here, young master.” The bodyguard handed over the footage.

The surveillance was a bit fuzzy, but you could faintly see a figure huddled in the corner of the warehouse.

The warehouse had no windows, except for a sliver of light coming in under the door. The rest of the space was pitch dark—perfect for the rats.

The footage showed small black shapes scurrying around, presumably the rats. The eldest young master watched one of these shapes crawl toward Tang Zhe, even tugging at his pant leg.

The eldest young master squinted with glee, waiting to see Tang Zhe scream and break down.

But one second, two seconds, three seconds… even five minutes passed, and Tang Zhe remained still, huddled in the corner like a wooden statue.

“Are there any more rats? Add another box,” the eldest young master frowned, crossing his legs.

“Yes, sir.” The bodyguard nodded and left.

Soon, the bodyguard returned with another box of rats, which were clearly larger and more active. They squeaked loudly, even before the box was opened.

The eldest young master’s mood improved, and he took a sip of freshly brewed tea before giving the order, “Release them.”

The bodyguard pulled out a keyring and unlocked the chain on the warehouse door. The chain rattled as it fell away, and the lock clicked open.

Everyone’s eyes were on the bodyguard’s actions, and no one noticed that the figure representing Tang Zhe on the surveillance screen had vanished.

As soon as the box was opened, the rats went wild, their squeaks filling the air. The bodyguard glanced into the dark warehouse but couldn’t see much. Just as he was about to close the door again, a pair of hands suddenly grabbed his wrist from behind the door!

The hands were pale and slender, their grip light but firm, like being caught in a vice. The bodyguard couldn’t shake them off.

He gritted his teeth and applied more force, veins bulging on his forehead.

“What’s going on?” The eldest young master noticed the commotion and looked over slowly, “Ah Fu, why haven’t you closed the door?”

The tea in the pot was still bubbling away. The eldest young master warmed his hands on the cup, casually suggesting, “Maybe we should add another box. What do you all think?”

“Bang!” The warehouse door was kicked open, and before anyone could react, the bodyguard named Ah Fu was flipped over and slammed to the ground by Tang Zhe.

The rats, startled, scurried out of the warehouse. In the stunned silence of the onlookers, the little stammerer calmly walked up to the eldest young master.

Tang Zhe looked him in the eye and said seriously, “I… I d-don’t… th-think it’s… a good idea.”

He was answering the eldest young master’s earlier suggestion: Should we add another box? What do you think?

Tang Zhe: “I… I d-don’t l-like… rats.”

The eldest young master was so shocked he forgot to react, swallowing nervously, “R-really?”

Tang Zhe: “Yes.”

“Don’t get cocky! Someone, come quickly!” The housekeeper was the first to recover, pointing at Tang Zhe and shouting, “He’s trying to harm the young master!”

Only then did the eldest young master remember that he was supposed to be the one in control here. Tang Zhe was just a worthless little stammerer—what was there to be afraid of?

With that thought, the eldest young master tried to stand up, but his legs were too weak to support him. Left with no other choice, he snapped, “Who do you think you are?”

“You don’t like rats? So what?”

The housekeeper chimed in, “Exactly, who do you think you are? You’re just a stammering nobody! How dare you lay a hand on our young master? Do you even know your place?”

The housekeeper continued her tirade, spouting more insults at Tang Zhe.

Tang Zhe grew impatient and cut her off, “I… I d-didn’t… lay a hand… on him.”

He had only dealt with the bodyguard.

But the housekeeper wouldn’t let it go, “You scared our young master! That’s emotional damage, isn’t it?”

She twisted the facts, “You released the rats on purpose to hurt him! You’re so cruel! The Tang family took you in out of the goodness of their hearts, and this is how you repay them?”

“Just because you’re jealous of the young master’s status doesn’t mean you should act like this!”

By this time, the other bodyguards had arrived, and the housekeeper’s arrogance only grew. The bodyguards aimed their weapons at Tang Zhe, and the eldest young master smirked with satisfaction.

Tang Zhe looked around, “D-did you… s-see me… lay a hand on him?”

The bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances—they hadn’t seen anything. But the housekeeper was adamant, “Everyone saw it clearly.”

The housekeeper had been with the Tang family for years and had many connections. Under her watchful eye, several people reluctantly nodded.

Tang Zhe’s tone shifted, “Th-then… I g-guess… I’ll h-have to… lay a hand… on him.”

The housekeeper was taken aback by his words. Before anyone could react, Tang Zhe picked up the kettle of hot tea. The next moment, he tipped it over, spilling the scalding water.

The housekeeper had one hand resting on the table, and the hot water splashed onto her hand, causing her to scream in pain.

The eldest young master wasn’t spared either, the water streaming down the table and onto his legs.

“Ahh!” he cried out in pain, “Are you crazy?”

Tang Zhe shook his head and looked at the surrounding bodyguards, “N-now… I’ve r-really… laid a hand on him.”

Returning to the present.

Min Yang sat across from Tang Zhe, suddenly asking, “Did you say… you’ve been burned before?”

The Alpha frowned, quickly adding, “I’m not concerned or anything, just asking.”

Tang Zhe thought for a moment, then nodded, “Y-yes, Mr… Mr. Min.”

When he picked up the kettle to “lay a hand” on the eldest young master, some of the boiling water had splashed onto his own hand.

Min Yang: “Did it hurt?”

Tang Zhe: “…Yes.”

Min Yang’s expression darkened, his voice lowering unconsciously.

Min Yang asked, “Was it the Tang family who did it?”

Tang Zhe thought carefully. The kettle had been in his own hand, so technically, he had done it himself. But he also had the Tang family’s surname, so he nodded, “…Yes.”

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