She indeed didn’t care. Chu Zhao looked at Butler Cai, or rather at the person behind Butler Cai—Young Master Xie the Third.
Truly formidable.
Earlier on the street, facing her sudden provocation, he immediately refuted it. Now he was even more direct, making clear he didn’t care about these things and pointing out that he knew she didn’t care either.
Chu Zhao didn’t answer this question, only saying: “So this is what Young Master Xie the Third is like.”
Xie Yanlai said coldly from behind: “Now that you know what Young Master the Third is like, hurry up and get lost.”
Chu Zhao glanced at him and also said coldly: “It’s not your turn to speak in this household, is it?”
Ha! Xie Yanlai’s expression darkened as he was about to step forward.
Another servant hurried over from behind, speaking a few words in low tones to Butler Cai. Following the whispered words, Butler Cai’s expression showed surprise. He looked at Xie Yanlai, then at Chu Zhao, suddenly understanding. Then he smiled.
“Young Master Yanlai, calm your anger,” he said with a smile, then looked at Chu Zhao. “Since you two know each other, Miss Chu is a guest of our Xie family.”
Xie Yanlai’s steps halted.
Chu Zhao didn’t look at Butler Cai but toward Xie Yanlai, her eyes unable to hide her surprise.
From this one sentence, she learned that A’Jiu had never mentioned her to his family. The Xie family people didn’t know about her and A’Jiu’s encounter on the road.
He actually hadn’t said a single word about it.
……
……
“I was negligent before,” Xie Yanfang said, holding a fishing rod as he sat by the stream. “Although I’d heard that Miss Chu hit someone and then fled the capital, and also knew Miss Chu had returned, I didn’t pay attention to how Miss Chu came back. If I had asked one more question at the time—”
He would have asked about being captured and brought back by Deng Yi, assisted by Prince Zhongshan.
He would have asked about more details of the process, such as how Chu Ling’s daughter traveled with the help of courier soldiers.
Xie Yanlai had been serving as a courier soldier at that time.
“No wonder Miss Chu was so angry on the street,” Xie Yanfang turned his head to look at the girl standing to one side. “Seeing one’s sweetheart beaten so severely would naturally cause heartache and anger.”
Chu Zhao blinked, not quite understanding. Sweetheart?
Xie Yanfang looked again at Xie Yanlai beside the girl.
“You refused the marriage arrangement with the Liang family young lady—it turns out you had an agreement with someone else. I heard that in front of Prince Zhongshan’s heir, you and Miss Chu pledged to share life and death together, never to part.”
He said with a smile, looking at Xie Yanlai as the smile faded from his face.
“Yanlai, in front of outsiders you could express your feelings, yet to me, your older brother, you concealed it instead. This truly hurts one’s feelings.”
Chu Zhao understood now, her expression somewhat peculiar.
Xie Yanlai burst out laughing, his laughter full of schadenfreude.
“This isn’t my fault,” he said, leaning his body toward Chu Zhao and speaking in a low voice. “I told you to get lost quickly. You didn’t get lost. You brought this on yourself.”