Tears welled up in her eyes again as she whispered, "He blames me for everything that's happened to your father. He's making me out to be a villain, Ling'er. I don't even know what to do anymore…"
Her sobs broke through her words, and Fu Ling's jaw clenched.
He could feel his blood boiling.
"Mom, don't cry," he said through gritted teeth. "I'll take care of it. I'll make sure he pays for this."
Fu Lianhua looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with false innocence. "Ling'er…" she whispered, "you mustn't fight with your brother. He's powerful now, and dangerous."
The words, though soft, were laced with poison — baiting, manipulating, feeding the fire she had lit inside him.
Fu Ling straightened, his face hardening into a cold mask. "No, Mom. If he wants to fight, then I'll show him that he's not the only Fu left in this family."
Fu Lianhua's lips curved ever so slightly, though she quickly masked it with another sob, leaning against him as though she were weak.
