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墨書 Inktalez
Life in the Zhu Family was relatively good, and now that the knot in her heart had been loosened, she only worried about the safety of her second daughter. The Zhu Family had sent people out, and Qing Luan had also dispatched someone, but the news was sparse, which left her feeling quite troubled. However, Qing Luan had said that no news was good news, and one day they would all be reunited.
Indeed, if Qing Luan could return after five years, then Qingyuan would surely come back as well. The four of them—mother and daughters—would eventually reunite. With hope in her heart, there was always a glimmer of expectation!
Longing for a bright future, a faint smile graced Zhu Clan's face, softening her demeanor considerably. She exuded a mature charm that captivated those around her.
"Miss," a maid from the Zhu Clan entered the room. She looked at the woman smiling sweetly inside and hesitated before speaking. "Master Chen is outside in a rage, demanding to see you..." This matter could not be concealed; otherwise, she wouldn't want to disturb the rare moment of gentleness from the miss.
"Chen Xiaode?" Zhu Clan frowned in suspicion. "What does he want with me?" Ever since she received the divorce papers, she had severed all ties with him. Moreover, after how he treated his own daughter, her heart had long since turned cold; she felt nothing for him anymore.
"I'm not sure. He looks furious and is speaking very harshly. The steward is too afraid to let him in and is currently at a standoff with him at the door," the maid said anxiously.
"Let's go see," Zhu Clan said without hesitation. She had done nothing wrong; why should she be afraid of him? She walked past the maid and headed outside. The maid quickly followed behind her.
Outside the Chen Residence, a crowd had gathered. The main commotion was between Chen Xiaode and the steward of Chen Residence, drawing curiosity from onlookers. As more people arrived, they formed layers of spectators, each murmuring and speculating about what was happening.
"This Chen Residence is truly strange. Not long ago, the head lady Huang died, and no one from the Huang Family has shown up. Now Chen Xiaode is causing a scene at Zhu Residence; I wonder what this is all about..." someone remarked with a hint of schadenfreude.
"Oh, you don't know?" another whispered mysteriously. "Chen Xiaode has really messed up this time—he lost his wife and his fortune; he won't last much longer!"
"What happened? What happened?" others began to gossip eagerly, including several men. (Qing Luan thought: Who says gossiping is just for women? Men can be even more terrifying when they gossip!)
"Well, Huang died under mysterious circumstances. It’s said that Chen Xiaode favored a concubine over his wife and did it secretly..." At this point, the man glanced at Chen Xiaode and made a throat-cutting gesture before continuing. "But Huang wasn’t willing to go down quietly; in the end, she caused the concubine to lose her child. That concubine retaliated by selling off everything Chen Xiaode had built over the years—what he didn’t sell off was stolen—leaving him with nothing but an empty shell! If he’s not anxious about that, then who would be?"
"How do you know so much?" Someone, hearing the exaggerated claims, began to doubt.
"I have a relative in the Chen Family who told me. He said the Chen Family won't last much longer, so he's packing up and leaving," the person replied with a sense of pride.
"Please, this isn't the first time Chen Xiaode has favored his concubine over his wife. He deserves it!" someone voiced their discontent, standing up for the Zhu Clan.
"Exactly! Although the Zhu Clan is a Merchant's Daughter, she is generous and gracious. Whenever someone is in trouble, she always lends a hand. It's ridiculous that he would reject such a good person; he deserves all the misfortune coming to him!" another chimed in. They were all beneficiaries of Zhu Clan's kindness and looked down upon Chen Xiaode's behavior.
They were all struggling individuals who never thought poorly of merchants; as long as a person was good, it didn't matter what they did. The Zhu Clan had not committed any transgressions; it was simply because her status as a Merchant's Daughter led to her being dismissed by Chen Xiaode. This left many dissatisfied, so when they learned that Chen Xiaode was causing trouble today, they gathered around, ready to help.
As several people discussed among themselves, their disdain for Chen Xiaode grew evident in their expressions. Meanwhile, Qing Luan had already received word and rushed over, standing quietly as an observer without saying a word.
When Zhu Clan emerged and saw the crowd gathered at the entrance, then glanced at Chen Xiaode confronting the steward, she looked bewildered. "What's going on? Isn't Chen Xiaode here for me? Why are there so many people?"
"Miss," a middle-aged woman approached her, glancing at Chen Xiaode before speaking. "We heard someone might be plotting against you and came to help. Let's see who dares to harm you today; we'll drown them in our spit!" After saying this, she deliberately shot a sideways glance at Chen Xiaode, her provocation unmistakable.
That was truly classic! Qing Luan admired that woman immensely.
"Thank you!" Zhu Clan smiled graciously and turned to Chen Xiaode, asking, "What brings Lord Chen to act so rudely at someone else's doorstep?" If it weren't for his excessive commotion, he wouldn't have attracted so much attention.
Upon being warned by others, Chen Xiaode turned around and finally noticed the crowd surrounding him. Frowning, he shouted, "Get lost! All of you get lost..."
"Lord Chen, this is the entrance of Zhu Residence, not your Chen Family's territory. Don't think too highly of yourself," someone retorted boldly.
"Who do you think you are, shouting at someone else's door? Do you really think you're the son-in-law of the Zhu Family?" Someone mocked, causing a wave of laughter among the crowd.
"Shh...," others began to jeer, making Chen Xiaode feel embarrassed. His face twisted in anger as he glared at the instigators, thinking to himself that he would teach them a lesson later. He turned to the Zhu Clan and asked fiercely, "Was it you who did this?"
If Chen Xiaode had come in quietly, perhaps the butler would have let him in without incident, and this scene could have been avoided. However, his aggressive demeanor raised the butler's suspicions, leading to his exclusion until the young lady arrived. He never expected things would escalate like this.
"What do you mean I did this?" The Zhu Clan looked at the man before him as if he were a stranger, amused. "Lord Chen, we have nothing to do with each other anymore. Are you interrogating me or what?" The sudden accusation left the Zhu Clan bewildered. Where had Lord Chen's former confidence gone? He seemed so desolate now; perhaps that was just who he was meant to be.
"That woman was arranged by you, right? You set her up to frame me!" Chen Xiaode shouted angrily. Since things had escalated to this point, there was no turning back. He might as well tear off the mask and resolve everything once and for all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a long day of exhausting work and rushing to meet deadlines, I suddenly felt a heavy heart. A friend's signature read: "The feeling of rushing to meet deadlines is like visiting a grave." I can relate to that sentiment, but giving up feels too hard. So I endure the pain while smiling...
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