Chapter 136 - The truth in the mist

Xia Liuli's eyes flashed with complex emotions, helplessness, grievance and tenacity intertwined, like a delicate ink painting, revealing her inner world. She gently said to Zhao Ti: "Master, no matter how Xia Zhuozhuo slanders you in front of you, I just hope you can believe that a person with a clear conscience is not afraid of his shadow. If she is really dissatisfied, she can just face me directly instead of playing tricks behind my back." After that, her eyes were red, and she turned around to leave, but was pulled by Zhao Xiukai. "Liuli, don't go, let me clarify everything for you." Zhao Xiukai's tone was unquestionable and firm. This scene, in Zhao Ti's eyes, was like a thorn, deeply piercing his heart. He glared at Zhao Xiukai, clenched his hands into fists, and almost couldn't suppress the impulse in his heart. However, thinking of Xia Zhuozhuo's carefully planned layout, he could only suppress his anger and choose to forbear. Zhao Xiukai felt Zhao Ti's gaze, and his heart trembled. He quickly explained: "Grandpa, Liuli has already explained to me in detail what happened when you were ill. She was just too nervous and accidentally knocked over your medicine." "Oh? Are you saying that I wronged her?" Zhao Ti's tone was filled with a subtle irony. "No, that's not what I meant..." Zhao Xiukai was speechless for a moment. He knew that every word at this moment was crucial. If he was not careful, it would cause a bigger misunderstanding. "Then what do you mean?" Zhao Ti's tone became more and more severe, like the calm before the storm. Zhao Xiukai thought secretly in his heart, and Xia Zhuozhuo flashed through his mind. He took a deep breath and said: "Grandpa, you have just recovered from a serious illness, and your spirit has not yet fully recovered. Perhaps you have been used by someone with ulterior motives. Liuli has a rough life and is kind-hearted. Don't believe in the slander of others." "Good girl..." Zhao Ti repeated these three words in a low voice, but her tone was full of anger. He stared with eyes wide open, as if he wanted to see through Xia Liuli. Just then, Xia Liuli spoke again, with a hint of determination in her voice: "Master, I know you have a grudge against me because of Xia Zhuozhuo. If this makes you embarrassed, I can give up my status as a disciple. But please don't separate Xiu Kai and me, we are truly in love." Zhao Xiu Kai heard this and nodded in agreement: "Yes, Grandpa, we are truly in love. No matter how you misunderstand Liuli, I will marry her and do my best to prove her innocence." Zhao Ti heard this, his face turned livid in an instant, and his breathing became rapid. He felt as if he was strangled by an invisible force, and he could hardly breathe. "Unfortunate family! How could I raise a rebellious son like you!" Zhao Ti's voice trembled, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. Zhao Xiu Kai was extremely anxious when he saw this. He hurried forward to support Zhao Ti, and asked with concern: "Grandpa, what's wrong with you? I won't say it for now, please don't be angry..." However, at this moment, Xia Liuli spoke again, with a hint of provocation in her voice: "Master, the matter of my plagiarism was actually framed by Xia Zhuozhuo. She forced me to plagiarize in the Future Realm Competition, making me embarrassed in public and losing the qualification to participate forever. She was jealous of the favor I received in the Xia family, so she was against me everywhere." Xia Liuli's words were like a sharp knife, piercing Zhao Ti's heart. He stared at Xia Liuli with wide eyes, as if he wanted to eat her alive. However, to everyone's surprise, Zhao Ti's expression did not become more angry, but gradually became calm. His eyes became cold and deep, as if he could see through all hypocrisy and lies. Xia Liuli was stunned. She didn't understand why Zhao Ti would react like this. Was her words not vicious enough? Or had Zhao Ti seen through her plan? In fact, Zhao Ti quietly pushed the silver needle that Xia Zhuozhuo had stabbed into him a little further when his heart was surging. As soon as the silver needle entered his body, he instantly lost his hearing. He could only see Xia Liuli's lips moving constantly, but could not hear any sound. At this moment, Zhao Ti suddenly felt an unprecedented tranquility. He was no longer troubled by anger and hatred, but looked at everything in front of him from the perspective of a bystander. He saw Xia Liuli's anxious and distorted face and found it very funny. "As expected of Master, he left me this life-saving straw." Zhao Ti sighed in his heart. He knew that without this silver needle, he might really be angered by Xia Liuli's words and make an irreversible mistake. Seeing Zhao Ti's calm expression, Xia Liuli became more anxious. She understood that if Zhao Ti could not be solved today, her relationship with Zhao Xiukai would sooner or later be exposed. After all, they were blood relatives. "Master, I've said so much, but you still don't believe me?" Xia Liuli's voice was filled with despair and unwillingness. However, at this moment, the Zhao family returned from the doctor's office. They saw Zhao Ti's pale face and solemn expression, and they suddenly had an ominous premonition in their hearts. "Dad, what's wrong with you?" Mr. Zhao asked with concern. Zhao Ti did not answer, but quietly pulled the silver needle out. The moment he saw the body, his hearing was instantly restored. He took a deep breath, as if waking up from a long dream. "Fortunately you are back, otherwise I would be pissed off by this woman!" Zhao Ti's voice was filled with a hint of relief and anger. Hearing this, the Zhao family looked at Xia Liuli in surprise. They didn't understand why Zhao Ti had such a strong aversion to Xia Liuli. Xia Liuli was stunned and at a loss. She wanted to explain, but she didn't know where to start. "Miss Xia, what did you say just now?" Mr. Zhao's tone was filled with dissatisfaction and confusion. Xia Liuli quickly shook her head and denied: "I didn't say anything." However, her denial seemed so pale and powerless. Seeing this, Zhao Xiukai wanted to defend Xia Liuli. However, at this moment, Mrs. Zhao interrupted him: "The doctor asked us to go to the office just now to prescribe medical advice. The doctor said that he can't have too much emotional ups and downs now, otherwise he will get sick immediately. So please go out first." Zhao Xiukai heard this, and felt helpless and lost. He looked at Xia Liuli, his eyes full of apology and worry. Xia Liuli could only look at him helplessly, like a bird trapped in a cage. "Xiukai..." Xia Liuli called Zhao Xiukai softly with a hint of pleading and despair in her voice. However, Zhao Xiukai could only turn his head cruelly and left the ward in big strides. After Mrs. Zhao relayed the doctor's warning, Zhao Ti's eyes became more determined. He waved to Xia Liuli, motioning her to leave. "No, let them both go!" Zhao Ti's words were filled with unquestionable majesty. Mr. Zhao responded quickly and almost dragged and dragged the two out of the ward. The door of the ward slowly closed, isolating the noise from the outside world, leaving only Zhao Ti and his wife standing by the bed. Mr. Zhao's eyes were a little puzzled, and he asked softly: "Dad, during the time you were in a coma, there are some things you may not know. Xia Liuli and Xiu Kai, they are together now. Are you particularly dissatisfied with Xia Liuli?" Zhao Ti frowned, as if he mentioned something unbearable to look back on. "What satisfaction can I have for a murderer?" His voice was low and powerful, as if every word hit the hearts of the couple. The couple looked at each other, their eyes full of shock. "Dad, where did you get this from?" Mrs. Zhao asked anxiously. Zhao Ti took a deep breath and began to tell about his experience when he was ill. Every detail was so thrilling that the couple's faces became more and more solemn. When Zhao Ti talked about how Xia Liuli tried to harm him, the couple's expressions had become unbelievable. "Dad, are all these things you said true?" Mr. Zhao's voice was a little trembling. Zhao Ti glared at him with a bit of displeasure in his tone. "Do you think I'm the kind of person who talks nonsense?" Of course not, Mr. Zhao shook his head quickly. But the idea of ​​calling the police still flashed through his mind. "Then do we need to call the police?" Zhao Ti shook her head with a firm look. "Not for the time being. You just need to talk to Xiu Kai and let him cut off contact with Xia Liuli. This person's character is too bad, I don't want to be killed by her again!" The couple immediately nodded in agreement after hearing this. They knew that Zhao Ti's words were not groundless. After accompanying the old man for a while, they found an opportunity to call Zhao Xiu Kai to their side and repeated the old man's words. Zhao Xiukai's reaction was beyond their expectations. He was stunned for a moment, then shook his head firmly. "Liuli is not that kind of person. She told me that she didn't mean it. Anyone would be nervous in that situation." Mrs. Zhao heard this with a bit of displeasure in her tone. "Do you mean your grandfather is wrongly accusing her?" Zhao Xiukai moved his lips and wanted to explain. "He is just unconscious now, and Xia Zhuozhuo is fanning the flames beside him, so he misunderstood Liuli." Mr. Zhao sneered and retorted: "Unconscious? You saw your grandfather with your own eyes today. Do you think he is unconscious?" Zhao Xiukai was speechless for a moment. He did think that his grandfather was in a good mental state. Although he was a little haggard, his eyes were clear and there was no sign of unconsciousness at all. Mrs. Zhao patted her son on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Xiao Kai, your grandfather brought you up, you should know him better than anyone else. He is not the kind of person who is easily influenced by others. You should go back and think about it carefully." Zhao Xiukai clenched his fists and then slowly loosened them. He turned and left, but his heart was full of doubts and uneasiness. Back in the car, his cell phone suddenly rang. It was Xia Liuli calling. On the other end of the phone, Xia Liuli's voice was crying, telling her grievances. In the past, Zhao Xiukai would feel distressed when he heard her crying, but now, he felt a little irritated. He took a deep breath and tried to make his tone sound calmer. "You should have a good rest first. I'll go deal with some things and come back when I'm done." After that, he hung up the phone without waiting for Xia Liuli's response. On the other end of the phone, Xia Liuli's eyes became cold and angry. But she quickly regained her composure and began to think about the next plan. Zhao Xiukai turned the car around and drove to the future. He was Zhao Ti's grandson, so he was naturally warmly received by Director Chen. After tasting a cup of fragrant tea, Zhao Xiukai finally plucked up the courage to tell his purpose. He wanted to know what happened in the future competition that day. Director Chen's expression became solemn when he heard this. He took Zhao Xiukai to the monitoring room at the competition site and called up the surveillance video of that day. Zhao Xiukai stared at the screen, not wanting to let go of every detail. When he saw Xia Liuli plagiarizing other people's works, he felt an indescribable anger and disappointment in his heart. It turned out that what grandpa said was true. Xia Liuli not only plagiarized other people's works in that competition, but also made the same mistake in several previous competitions. Zhao Xiukai felt that his heart was as painful as a knife. Just then, his mobile phone rang suddenly. The text message was the address of a coffee shop. Zhao Xiukai frowned, and an ominous premonition surged in his heart. But he still decided to go to that address to see who was behind it. In the coffee shop, Xia Liuli had been waiting for a long time. There was a bit of provocation and pride in her eyes. "Zhao Xiukai, you are finally here." Zhao Xiukai looked at her coldly, with a bit of disdain in his tone. "Xia Liuli, what else do you have to say?" Xia Liuli smiled, as if she didn't care about his attitude. "Zhao Xiukai, do you think you really understand me? Your grandfather only saw the tip of the iceberg. In this circle, what is plagiarism? As long as you can win, you can use any means." Hearing this, Zhao Xiukai felt a wave of nausea in his heart. He didn't want to have anything to do with this woman anymore. He stood up and said coldly: "Xia Liuli, you take care of yourself." After that, he left the coffee shop without looking back. Behind him, Xia Liuli's eyes became cold and resentful. But she knew that she still had a chance. As long as she found the next backer, she could continue to mix in this circle. And Zhao Xiukai was just a stumbling block in her life.