Chapitre 27: Enemy for Generations

"Who'd have guessed the villains would be at each other's throats," Scarlett mused, her tone a mix of jest and seriousness.

"You can't even begin to fathom the depth of the feud between Lucius and Easton," Mia retorted.

"Is it as intense as a love triangle?" Scarlett teased.

Mia laughed, "At their worst, Easton dated two of Lucius's cousins simultaneously and dumped them both. This turned the two women from relatives into rivals. Lucius was even more ruthless. He managed to spend a night with the fiancée of Easton River's father, Yeltin River, a top-tier tycoon. The news broke the next day. This isn't just a love triangle, it's a blood feud!"

Unfazed, Scarlett logically asked, "Isn't Lucius worried about crossing Yeltin River by dragging the older generation into their squabbles?"

"The River family is rich and influential, but the Zhou family holds both power and sway. Do you know the Zhou family's roots?" Mia queried.

Scarlett, who was alone at home, responded without hesitation, "You mentioned they have underworld connections."

Mia almost choked in the bathtub, quickly lowering her voice, "Sis, you can't just blurt out such things, it could be dangerous!"

"Isn't it the truth?" Scarlett asked.

Mia replied, "It's a complex tale. Lucius's great-grandfather was a deputy general of the Party, who sacrificed his life during the war, leaving behind only a son. Some say he gave his life for the party, and in return, the party arranged for Lucius's grandfather to take over Deep City as compensation. At that time, Deep City was a remote and chaotic place, far less developed than the north. Lucius' grandfather arrived here alone, using any means necessary to survive. He was shielded from above, who turned a blind eye to his actions.

"The Zhou family's foundation and notorious reputation were built by Lucius's grandfather. Later, when the government decided to develop Deep City as a key city, Lucius's grandfather was astute enough to see the writing on the wall. He promptly handed over all his affairs to Lucius's father, Ye Zhou, who focused on economic development. Perhaps he knew the government's plans all along, every step he took was strategic. The Zhou family has never made a loss in all these years, only profits, and lots of them. Let me put it this way, of all the landmark buildings you see in Deep City, at least one in three belongs to the Zhou family. The people of Deep City don't say 'the Zhou family of Deep City', but 'Deep City of the Zhou family'."

The Zhou family's history was an open secret to every Deep City resident. As Mia recounted it like a treasure trove, Scarlett was somewhat surprised, but also anticipated. No wonder Lucius and Easton could engage in a car chase in broad daylight on the main road without attracting the attention of the traffic police or patrol cars. Looking back, it was no surprise, and even if they wanted to intervene, they wouldn't dare.

Mia continued her monologue, "I've mentioned this before, but now I'm formally warning you. Among the three evils of Deep City, if you absolutely have to get involved with someone, you'd better choose Elijah Brooks over Lucius or Easton. These two are like death-seeking ghosts. Lucius is known as the 'Black Reaper', and Easton as the 'White Reaper'. Now that you're a tutor for the Zhou family, you're considered one of them. You must never provoke Easton. He could break you in half, thinking you're one of Lucius's!"

"I'm just a tutor, I'm selling my skills, not myself. What does their feud about dating cousins and stealing fiancées have to do with me?" Scarlett asked.

"If a pet from the Zhou family accidentally wandered into the River family's territory, Easton could cook it alive and return it to Lucius. Do you believe that?" Mia asked.

Scarlett recalled the way Easton looked at her in the restaurant - playful, provocative, seemingly indifferent, yet as if he was determined to have her. Indeed, it was like he was looking at a pet.

She was silent for a few seconds, and Mia asked from the other end of the phone, "Did you hear me?"

Scarlett responded, then asked, "Are you taking a bath or marinating yourself? Can you finish up?"

Mia lazily replied, "I'm tired, you should also wash up and go to bed. You have to go to the Zhou family tomorrow."

"Goodbye, see you on Sunday." Scarlett said.

Mia cooed, "Mmm, sending you kisses."

Scarlett responded with a playful, "Enough with your antics."

"Annoying..."

Before Mia could finish her sentence, Scarlett quickly hung up.

Sitting alone on the sofa, she inadvertently glanced at the fruit knife on the coffee table. Just a few hours ago, Lucius had held it, intending to stab someone. A person's character and temper couldn't be formed in a day or two. After hearing Mia's words, she understood why he was so domineering and fearless.

But at that moment, she was glad he was there. Otherwise, the one who would have 'died' would have been her.

Scarlett let out a soft sigh. From her perspective, she had seen Lucius's violent side a few times, but each time there was a reason. She couldn't objectively judge his character. In any case, it wasn't as extreme as the outside world made it out to be. They were just short of saying he bullied men and women and forced the good into prostitution.

After tidying up, Scarlett went back to her room to sleep. Perhaps due to the intense struggle earlier, she didn't sleep well and had a nightmare. She woke up in a cold sweat at six in the morning.

Not wanting to stay at home alone, she decided to go to the company early. The official work hours were at eight-thirty, but there were always early-bird teachers who would come in advance to prepare. Sure enough, Scarlett ran into Shirley in the pantry.

Shirley greeted Scarlett with a smile, "Scarlett, you're here early today."

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd come over early." Scarlett smiled.

Shirley was standing in front of the coffee machine and asked, "Coffee?"

"Thank you, I can do it myself." Scarlett replied.

Shirley took her cup, "Don't be shy, it's no trouble."

She handed the coffee to Scarlett and casually asked, "Is it tiring teaching at the Zhou family? You look like you didn't get much sleep."

Scarlett smiled lightly, "It's alright, I might be getting my period soon, so I didn't sleep well."

"Then why are you drinking coffee? Let me pour you a glass of milk." Shirley said.

"No need..."

"Don't be shy with me. It's not even work hours yet, don't think of me as a colleague, think of me as a friend."

With her back to Scarlett, Shirley efficiently poured another glass of milk.

Scarlett thanked her, and Shirley whispered, "Scarlett, you've been teaching at the Zhou family for

over a week now. Honestly, how do you find it?"

Scarlett replied, "The kid is a bit difficult to handle, but it's not as outrageous as the rumors suggest. It's pretty good."

In an even lower voice, Shirley asked, "Have you met the kid's mom?"

Scarlett shook her head, not saying a word.

"Everyone knows Lucius has a son, but no one knows who the child's mother is. It's been a mystery for many years." Shirley said.

"I haven't seen her, and I don't dare to ask." Scarlett replied.

Shirley laughed at this, saying, "I only dare to ask because I don't consider you an outsider. From the moment I first saw you, I thought you had a kind face. When you didn't sign any clients before, many people were talking behind your back. I was annoyed whenever I heard it, especially Naomi. You were right to call her out in public. She's notoriously quick-tongued and annoying."

Scarlett smiled, "I'm just there to teach. Apart from the kid, I don't interact much with others."

Just as she finished speaking, her phone rang. She took it out and saw the screen clearly displaying: Lucius Zhou.