You Choose an Adopted Son, I Choose Madness

Chapter 40: Beating Su Mu:

Su Mu had originally intended to win Su Zhenxing’s favor, securing support for himself in the future battle over the Su family’s inheritance.

But now, the deceased Su family matriarch had outright denied his status as a Su family member!

Although Su Mu firmly believed that Su Chen was merely putting on an act, he couldn’t be sure if Su Zhenxing, seeing how obedient he was to his mother’s words, would be influenced by her declaration.

This filled Su Mu with both rage and anxiety.

Fortunately, Su Zhenxing did not completely heed his late mother’s words.

Although he was frightened by his mother’s supposed return, he didn’t truly believe she would drag him to the underworld.

After all, she was his mother.

She was merely trying to scare him.

“Mother, you can’t say that!”

“Mother, even though Su Mu and I don’t share blood, he is an outstanding young man and has always been filial to me!”

“Su Mu is my son, my very own!”

Su Mu immediately felt relieved, his eyes brimming with tears as he cried out emotionally.

“Father, don’t worry! I, Su Mu, was born a Su family member and will die as one!”

“No matter what happens, I will always be your son!”

Seeing Su Mu’s sincere expression, Su Zhenxing felt deeply comforted.

“My son, Su Mu, you are right! You will always be my son!”

Oh? You two really have such an unbreakable bond, huh?

Watching this heartwarming father-son scene, Su Chen suddenly raised his hand again and smacked Su Zhenxing hard on the head.

Su Zhenxing’s head swayed left and right from the impact, ringing with pain.

Clutching his head, he grimaced and wailed.

“Mother, Mother, please stop! If you keep hitting me, I really will die!”

“Then so be it! Serves you right for failing to recognize who truly belongs in this family!”

“I’m telling you, I only acknowledge Su Chen as my grandson! As for that bastard, I don’t recognize him at all!”

“From now on, you will treat my grandson, Su Chen, well!”

“If you ever dare to mistreat, scold, or oppress my grandson again, I’ll come back and beat you to death! Do you understand?!”

“I understand, I understand! Mother, whatever you say! Just please stop hitting me!”

Originally, Su Zhenxing had wanted to argue about how Su Chen was an embarrassment to the family, constantly acting crazy and bringing shame to the Su family.

But under his mother’s relentless barrage of punches, he had no choice but to accept her words in silence.

After all, he could think whatever he wanted, as long as he didn’t say it out loud and risk getting beaten again.

While Su Zhenxing resigned himself to his fate, Liu Yanan, however, refused to stay silent.

At first, she had been terrified, shrinking into a corner, too scared to even breathe, fearing that her mother-in-law would notice her.

But after seeing that her mother-in-law was only targeting Su Zhenxing and Su Lili, she felt that maybe the old woman wasn’t as terrifying as she had thought.

And when she heard her mother-in-law instructing Su Zhenxing to disown Su Mu, she couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Mother,” she called out, her whole body trembling.

After all, addressing her son as if he were her mother-in-law, who had been dead for thirteen years, was deeply unsettling.

But after forcing out the first word, the rest came easier.

“Mother, what you’re saying isn’t fair!”

“Su Mu is outstanding! He brings honor to the Su family. But what about Su Chen? He has been nothing but trouble since he was a child. Lately, he has been acting insane and embarrassing the family!”

“If you ask me, Su Mu is the true pride of the Su family, while Su Chen needs to be properly disciplined before anything else!”

Su Chen, who had been pulling at Su Zhenxing’s hair mid-punch, suddenly paused.

Then, he released his grip.

With a single leap, Su Chen’s eerie, white-eyed face was now staring directly at Liu Yanan.

Su Zhenxing rubbed his swollen head and face, wincing in pain.

Thank goodness Liu Yanan had drawn his mother’s attention away.

Otherwise, who knew how much worse his beating would have been?

Rubbing his injuries, Su Zhenxing shrank back, deciding to stay as quiet as possible.

After all, his mother’s punches were real!

She wasn’t holding back at all!

Liu Yanan, seeing her mother-in-law suddenly leap toward her with those pupil-less eyes, felt a wave of pure terror.

She regretted speaking up.

Why had she provoked her mother-in-law into focusing on her?!

Liu Yanan curled up tightly, pressing herself against the wall as if she could melt into it and disappear.

But it was too late.

Su Chen had already reached her and grabbed hold of her neatly arranged, shiny black hair.

Liu Yanan, now forced to meet her mother-in-law’s eerie, white eyes, felt as if all the blood in her body had turned cold.

Her mother-in-law’s grip was unshakable—Liu Yanan had no way to resist.

“Liu Yanan, did you think I forgot about you?!”

“You useless woman!”

“If it weren’t for your incompetence, if you had been a proper mother, my grandson, Su Chen, wouldn’t have been kidnapped by traffickers!”

“He suffered for so many years, and yet, when he finally returned to the Su family, instead of making up for your mistakes, you abused him!”

“You made him live in a dark, damp little room! You didn’t give him proper clothes! You didn’t even give him money to spend!”

At the mention of the dark, damp room, Su Chen raised his hand and slapped Liu Yanan’s face hard.

At the mention of withholding proper clothing, Su Chen slapped her again.

At the mention of not giving him money, he struck her once more.

Liu Yanan’s face swelled instantly, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

“Tell me! Why did you treat my grandson, Su Chen, like this?!”

“Hmm? Speak!”

“I’ll beat you to death, you heartless woman!”

At that moment, Su Mu launched into his act again.

“Don’t hit my mother! Don’t hit my mother!”

“Hit me instead! If you have to punish someone, punish me!”

Oh?

Someone was volunteering to be beaten?

Such a simple request—how could he refuse?

Su Chen released Liu Yanan, who looked at him with gratitude, relieved that the focus had shifted.

Then, in a single leap, Su Chen landed directly in front of Su Mu, his white, pupil-less eyes staring straight at him.

Su Mu was terrified.

He had only said that to sound noble!

Earlier, when Su Chen had been hitting Su Zhenxing, he had said the same thing, but Su Chen hadn’t actually come after him.

But now, after he said it while Su Chen was hitting Liu Yanan, why had Su Chen suddenly turned to him?!

Su Mu regretted it deeply.

Why had he offered to take the punishment for Liu Yanan?!

Even though Su Mu believed Su Chen was just acting, he still felt a deep sense of dread watching Su Chen’s unnatural movements, his stiffly outstretched arms, and his emotionless, white eyes.

He was paralyzed with fear.

As Su Chen’s large hand reached for his collar, Su Mu found that his body refused to move.

“You worthless bastard, since you’re so eager to be beaten, I’ll grant your wish.”

In the past life, if it hadn’t been for Su Mu’s manipulative words, the Su family wouldn’t have looked down on Su Chen.

If it hadn’t been for Su Mu’s scheming, Su Qiqi wouldn’t have been emboldened to frame Su Chen as a thief.

If it hadn’t been for Su Mu’s rumors, Su Chen’s reputation as a thief wouldn’t have spread so widely.

Su Chen had suffered terribly, all because of Su Mu’s schemes.

And in the end, Su Mu had successfully inherited the Su family business.

But in this life, Su Chen would never let Su Mu succeed.

Anyone who had harmed him—he would repay them tenfold, a hundredfold!

Today, he would start collecting a little interest.

Grabbing Su Mu’s collar with one hand, Su Chen raised his other hand high and brought it down hard.

The slap landed directly on Su Mu’s face.