Hao Qi burst into laughter, patted Zhang Heng on the shoulder, and then without standing on ceremony, said directly, "I didn't come here just to sightsee. I can sightsee anytime I want. I came here specifically for you... concerning you and your father's affair."
Zhang Heng's face flushed a deep crimson once more. His hands gripped the book so tightly they trembled, and his head gradually sank. Hao Qi spoke without hesitation: "Lift your head! You haven't even heard the outcome, yet you're already running away? This is your father, your ancestor—they don't need you to feel ashamed of them!"
Zhang Heng's complexion slowly transitioned from crimson to ashen. He managed a bitter smile, cupped his fists toward Hao Qi, and said, "Brother Hao... Hao Qi, you must already know about my father's affair, right? The biggest scandal since the founding of Baicao Country: a mere hunter actually stole the research of a medical academy scholar and falsely claimed it as his own achievement. It's recorded in the history books as the greatest laughingstock of Baicao Country. I am his son—that is the fact, and there is nothing left to debate. I will never marry in this lifetime, and I suppose no young woman would be willing to marry me anyway. That way, this bloodline that has become a laughingstock will end with me, and my children won't have to endure what I've been through. Brother Hao... Hao Qi, please excuse me."
Chapter 28