Chapter 138

Chapter 138: Driving People Away The servants in the Wutong Courtyard dared not speak, letting County Princess Rongjia vent her anger and curse as she pleased. It was different at Qiushuang Zhai—Caixia, Caiyue, and the others were all overjoyed. Nanny Qiu had long known that Young Master Yu was alive, but seeing him walk through the door still moved her deeply. "You've finally returned. The Eldest Young Madam has been thinking of you every day, hoping you'd come back." Cui Lingrong hurried to the doorway and, seeing her younger brother who had grown noticeably thinner, felt her eyes well up with heartache. "Come in quickly. Nanny Qiu, go prepare some tea and refreshments. Caiyue, go tell the main kitchen to make extra dishes that Young Master Yu likes today." Caiyue acknowledged with a cheerful "Yes!" and dashed off at once. Nanny Qiu bustled about with Caixia, while Cui Lingrong took a deep breath before asking, "You were able to come—does that mean there's a lead on the people who were hunting you?" Cui Zeyu nodded in confirmation. "Who is it?" Cui Lingrong asked. Cui Zeyu glanced around, and Cui Lingrong immediately understood, keeping only Nanny Qiu behind. Caixia went to stand guard at the door. Only then did Cui Zeyu recount the events of the past few days in detail. "About the past... I—I didn't mean to hide it from you." Nanny Qiu had tears in her eyes. "It's not your fault. You didn't know your father was the Duke of Dingguo. You suffered so much—the Duchess of Dingguo was truly heartless!" Cui Lingrong hadn't expected this outcome. Her brows knitted tightly. "So... you're going to acknowledge the Duke of Dingguo as your father?" Cui Zeyu dared not lift his head to look at his sister. "Before, I thought that as long as I had money, we could live well. Now I've realized it's not like that at all. Besides, if I don't acknowledge him, I can't take revenge—Madam Qin is still living well." His teeth clenched at the mention of Madam Qin. He paused, then asked, "Sister... would you look down on me?" "What are you saying? Why would I look down on you?" Cui Lingrong had asked about Cui Zeyu's past at the very beginning, but when he refused to speak of it, she had stopped pressing. If Cui Zeyu's father had been an ordinary man, things would have been simple. But the Duke of Dingguo? She had even complained to Yuan Mingzhu before about how fickle the Duke was and what a poor excuse for a man he was—and now he turned out to be Cui Zeyu's biological father. It had all come too suddenly. Cui Lingrong couldn't process it all at once. "Zeyu, you have your own choices, and I can understand you," Cui Lingrong said. "Your mother... and what happened to you—you should seek justice. But you need to know that once you take this step, countless struggles may await you in the future." Cui Zeyu: "I understand." Cui Lingrong continued, "Since you've already made your decision, all I can do is support you. But what about the Duke of Dingguo—what does he plan? Will he take you back directly?" Cui Zeyu shook his head. "He's a man who treasures his reputation—otherwise he wouldn't have tolerated Madam Qin's misdeeds for so many years. He said he'd first arrange for me to be placed under a branch family, then formally adopt me from there." In name, Cui Zeyu would be an adopted child, but Lu Zhong knew in his own heart that Cui Zeyu was his biological son. Cui Lingrong frowned again and spoke with earnest gravity. "Although the Duke of Dingguo is your father, I must remind you of something. The Duke is a vain and glory-seeking man—he doesn't have a particularly kind heart. It's only because you carry his blood that he'll protect you." Just like when Cui Zeyu had been thrown in prison before, and the Duke had said he was merely a merchant—if he died, he died. Cui Lingrong felt that Madam Qin's methods were too ruthless, but in some ways, she could even empathize with her. As for the Duke of Dingguo, she believed her judgment of people had always been decent—and the Duke's character simply didn't measure up. "I know, Sister. I don't look up to him as a father. Even if he didn't know about what happened back then, the way he handled things afterward says enough—compared to my mother and me, his own wealth and glory matter far more." Cui Zeyu understood this very well. He was merely using the Dingguo Duke Mansion's prestige to gain power for himself. The room fell silent. The siblings had so much to say to each other, yet neither knew how to begin. It was Nanny Qiu who spoke up. "This is a good thing. Once Young Master Yu acknowledges the Duke of Dingguo, he'll be the heir of the Duke Mansion in the future. And you, Eldest Young Madam, are Young Master Yu's sister. County Princess Rongjia is always going on about having the Rong Prince Mansion as her backing—from now on, Young Master Yu will be your backing. How wonderful is that!" Just thinking about it made Nanny Qiu feel vindicated. "County Princess Rongjia was hoping something would happen to Young Master Yu. Well, now—not only is Young Master Yu perfectly fine, he's got a powerful father to boot. This old servant can't wait to see the look on County Princess Rongjia's face when she finds out!" Cui Zeyu chimed in, "Mm-hmm! From now on, I'll be your backing, Sister!" Cui Lingrong smiled. Just then, Yu-jie arrived, and Cui Lingrong dropped the subject, instead telling Caixia and the others to set the table for the meal. Meanwhile, when Song Shulan learned that Cui Zeyu had returned alive, he came to Qiushuang Zhai out of curiosity. Seeing Cui Lingrong with Yu-jie, eating happily together with Cui Zeyu, he found the sight grating no matter how he looked at it. Caiyue's call of "Marquis" made everyone in the room turn to look. Song Shulan's gaze landed on Cui Zeyu, sweeping over him from head to toe. The young man had lost some weight, but he was whole and intact—which Song Shulan found rather regrettable. "If you ask me, you should just give up the merchant business. Otherwise, your sister will be worrying herself sick day and night." He naturally had Caiyue add another set of chopsticks and a bowl. "Mm, I won't do it anymore." Cui Zeyu said. Song Shulan looked over in surprise. "If you're not doing business, what will you do in the future?" Song Yu was also curious. "Yes, Uncle, what will you do then?" Cui Zeyu glanced at his sister, and seeing her give a slight shake of her head, he turned and said, "What I mean is, I won't go out on trading trips anymore. I'll have others do it, since buying cloth and transporting goods is too dangerous. As for the cloth shop, we still need to keep it running—can't just idle away and live off nothing, right?" The corner of Song Shulan's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. Hearing that Cui Zeyu was still going to be a merchant, his tone carried an unmistakable sneer. "Keep such unambitious words to yourself. Don't say them in front of the children, lest they pick up your ways." What had been a pleasant atmosphere now turned quiet with Song Shulan's presence, and for a moment no one spoke. After the meal, as it was getting late, Cui Lingrong had someone escort Cui Zeyu out. Song Shulan, however, showed no sign of leaving. He was tired, and looking at the mother and daughter sitting by the window cutting paper decorations, he asked, "Isn't Yu-jie sleepy yet?" Song Yu said she wasn't. "These are for the Dragon Boat Festival. I'll go back once I finish cutting them." Cui Lingrong said flatly, "If the Marquis is tired, he can go rest on his own. Whether it's Huadie, Lanxin, or the Wutong Courtyard—it's not like you don't know the way, is it?"