Li Ci immediately clamped her mouth shut, and her porcelain-white face began to lose its color bit by bit.

She stood still, her gaze complex as she looked at the man before her.

This man had once cradled her gently in his hands, loved her to the core, doted on her like a treasure, risked everything more than once to protect her, and even laid down his life for her!

But ever since that betrayal, everything had changed after he returned from the gates of hell with his life spared.

He no longer…

No longer did he wear a genuine smile; no longer did he speak tender words as he used to; no longer did he show the same tolerance and affection; no longer did he…

Ming Kai seemed quite satisfied with Li Ci’s reaction.

He nodded and said calmly, “That’s just fine! Remember, you must be obedient. If you’re not, if you keep thinking about doing something to me—or to the people I care about, like Gang Zi, Yueyue, Yaoyao, my mom, my maternal grandfather, my uncle—then I’ll make your family pay tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold… even ten thousandfold…”

Li Ci didn’t say a word.

After meeting Ming Kai’s gaze a few times, she picked up the teapot and turned to leave.

Ming Kai watched her retreating figure, and the faint smile on his lips gradually faded, receding little by little. His gaze shifted, landing squarely on Gang Zi’s eyes.

“Do you think I’m ruthless?” Ming Kai asked.

Gang Zi shook his head at once. “No.”

“Then why are you looking at me like that…?”

“I just feel like she still hasn’t figured out many things.”

“Like what?”

“Like why Da Shaoye risked his life to save her in the first place, why he kept her locked up by his side, and why he treats her this way.”

“So you’ve figured it out now?”

“Not exactly, but I do understand a little bit.”

“Oh? Tell me about it.”

Ming Kai took another sip of tea, his curiosity piqued as he looked at Gang Zi.

But Gang Zi shook his head. “Let’s hold off for now. Big Brother, honestly, when it comes to guessing your thoughts, I really can’t compete with Lin Xi or Miss. If Lin Xi or Miss were here, I’d bet they could guess them with absolute certainty.”

Ming Kai didn’t think there was anything wrong with what Gang Zi said.

Indeed, Lin Xi and Yueyue were very good at reading his mind.

Speaking of Lin Xi, Gang Zi seemed puzzled. After scratching his head and thinking for a while, he finally voiced the question on his mind: “Big Brother, there’s actually a question I’ve been wanting to ask you for a long time. I wonder if you’d mind?”

Ming Kai blinked slightly. “Go ahead, Gang Zi. Just say what’s on your mind. We’re brothers who’ve traded lives for each other. Even though you always call me ‘Big Brother,’ I’ve never treated you like a subordinate. In my heart, you’ve always been my closest brother! I wouldn’t dare say I value you more than Yueyue, but I do know I treat you and Yaoyao equally. So there’s nothing between us that we can’t talk about.”

“Alright, then I’ll ask,” Gang Zi said.

Ming Kai’s words completely put Gang Zi’s doubts to rest, and he finally felt comfortable enough to voice the question in his heart: “Big Brother, I want to ask about Lin Xi.

For so many years she’s been single, devoting herself entirely to avenging you and tirelessly working for you. Everyone knows how much she cares about you.

Now that you’ve finally met her, why don’t you cherish this chance? Instead, you deliberately provoked her, pushing her into the arms of that Xiao Hu. You…”

Gang Zi let out a long sigh and cast a sympathetic look at Ming Kai. “Big Brother, won’t you ever regret this about Lin Xi?”

End of Chapter 167: Counterattack 93