Chapter 3: He Seems Different Now

Later, during police interrogation, they asked him why, with intelligence and talent that guaranteed success in anything he did, he had chosen this point of no return.

In that moment, all he could picture were images of their vicious stepfather beating them.

Although the author had never explicitly stated the reason, this scene and the hatred that erupted from him spoke volumes.

It was enough to show that the person who drove him down this path of no return was precisely the stepfather barely mentioned in the book.

Looking at this future lunatic big shot, Chen Liyang took a deep breath, slowly dispelling the panic in his heart.

In any case, these five children hadn’t grown up yet, nor had they embarked on a life of crime. That meant there was still a chance to turn everything around.

If for nothing else, then at least to save himself from being tortured to death, he had to reshape his image in these children’s minds.

If all else failed, his only option would be to run away. But that was a last resort; living every day in constant fear was its own kind of torment.

According to the novel’s plot, after the original owner was beaten up, he really did take his frustration out on these children. It was during this very beating that the fourth child was crippled.

Although the fourth child later became a top hacker worth hundreds of millions by selling state secrets, his paralyzed legs had completely ruined his life.

That was why the third brother had later ordered his limbs chopped off. He was seeking revenge for the fourth child!

But now that he had transmigrated here, he naturally wouldn’t let such a thing happen.

Glancing at the two tomatoes on the stove, he guessed this was likely tonight’s meal.

The original owner had truly been scum. Every month, the government deposited subsidies into the children’s account, totaling nearly two thousand Yuan.

Yet he only gave them twenty Yuan a day for living expenses, which averaged out to four Yuan per person. Forget proper nutrition; even getting enough to eat was a struggle.

No wonder they were all gaunt and frail, looking as though a gust of wind could blow them over.

Looking at the little fellow trembling with pale lips and a ghost-white face…

Chen Liyang couldn’t help but recall the book’s description of the Zhou family’s fourth son: an IQ of 180, a computer prodigy.

Low-key and calm by nature, unshakeable even if Mount Tai collapsed before him^[1].

He was described as an extraordinarily refined, jade-like young gentleman without equal^[2], a darkly twisted youth who was ultimately sentenced to death for selling state secrets.

Who could have imagined that such a refined, jade-like young gentleman was currently just a pitiful little blossom?

Sensing the fourth child’s terror, Chen Liyang tried his best to keep his tone gentle. “What are you afraid of? I’m not some man-eating monster!”

Yet his deep voice sounded like the whispers of a demon to them. He didn’t eat people, but in their eyes, he was far more terrifying than any man-eating monster.

Sure enough, Chen Liyang’s next words seemed to expose his true intent.

“Don’t bother making dinner tonight!”

Chen Liyang had intended to take them out to eat, but in their minds, this meant they were going to be starved tonight, a trick he often pulled.

A faint sneer curled Zhou Chengxi’s lips. “Getting beaten like a dog outside and coming home to take it out on us. What kind of man are you?”

Although he was only ten years old, he was mature far beyond his years, and his words sounded like those of an adult.

That was just the kind of person he was: even if he was covered in bruises, he would still tear a chunk of flesh off his opponent.

For this reason, he was the one who took beatings most often in this house.

Because as long as he drew all the man’s hatred onto himself, his older brother, younger brother, and little sister would be spared the worst of the abuse.

Watching the man walk toward him, Zhou Chengxi steeled himself for another beating.

Meanwhile, Zhou Chengbei trembled violently as he hugged his third brother tightly, stammering in a small voice, “Don’t… don’t hit Third Brother! If you want to hit someone… hit me instead!”

Even though he was scared to death, he still wore the expression of someone preparing to face death.

Looking at the children’s reactions, Chen Liyang felt a strange pang of heartache.

Reading cold, unfeeling words on a page had never allowed him to truly empathize with five children who had endured long-term domestic abuse.

The suffering they had experienced could not be fully captured by a few simple lines of text.

He had no experience raising children, but he was certainly not a violent person.

As Zhou Chengxi braced for the worst and the fourth brother trembled in fear, Chen Liyang gently raised his hand and patted Zhou Chengxi’s head. Warmth softened his eyes as he said tenderly, “What happened in the past was Dad’s fault. I apologize to you all.

“From now on, I will work hard to be a good father and never let you suffer again.”

In the past, whenever he was upset, his mother would gently stroke his head and speak to him softly. No matter how angry he was, her soothing touch would always melt his frustration away.

Though he didn’t know how to raise children, following this approach couldn’t possibly be wrong.

Now that he had transmigrated here, he was no longer the original host.

However, the trauma inflicted on these children was like needles driven deep into their flesh. He had no idea whether he, as a stepfather, could ever erase the deep-seated fear they harbored toward him, or their future desire to kill him.

Still, as long as he tried his best, he wouldn’t be occupying their stepfather’s body in vain.

If worse came to worst, he could always run for it. But given how vengeful those kids were, they would probably hunt him down even if he fled to the ends of the earth…

Sigh!

At this moment, a deep sense of helplessness washed over Chen Liyang.

Yet on the surface, he still had to maintain a calm and unbothered composure. He couldn’t let them see that he was afraid.

Listening to Chen Liyang’s words, Zhou Chengxi looked as if he had seen a ghost.

Was this man insane? He had actually referred to himself as “Dad.”

In the past, he had hated that identity more than anything and had never once attended a parent-teacher conference for them.

Zhou Chengxi suppressed his confusion and slapped the man’s hand away fiercely. “You’re not our dad! We don’t have a dad like you!”

With his hand slapped away, Chen Liyang winced with a sharp hiss of pain. Right now, there wasn’t a single uninjured spot on his body, and even a light touch hurt like hell, let alone being struck so forcefully.

Even so, he wasn’t angry. After such a sudden and drastic change on his part, it was only natural for the child to be on guard.

He didn’t offer any further explanation. If they didn’t believe him the first or second time, there would eventually come a day when his actions would convince them to let go of their resentment.

Noticing that the fourth child’s pants were wet, he changed the subject. “Take your little brother to change his pants first. Once your big brother and second brother get home from school, Dad will take you out to eat.”

Looking at Zhou Chengbei, who had been completely bewildered the entire time, Chen Liyang had intended to pat his head. But seeing how Zhou Chengbei looked like a startled bird, he awkwardly pulled his hand back.

Then, without another look at the two brothers’ reactions, he turned and limped off to the bathroom.

Watching the man walk away, Zhou Chengbei widened his eyes and looked at his third brother in disbelief. “T-Third Brother… did he just try to pat my head?”

“He’s just giving us a slap and then handing us a sweet date^[3]. Don’t be fooled by appearances. A guy like him could never change for the better!” Zhou Chengxi said earnestly.

“But why do I feel like he’s really different now? He never used to call himself ‘Dad.’ And when he saw my pants were… wet, he didn’t scold me.” Zhou Chengbei looked down at his soaked crotch, flushed with shame.