Chapter 146
But this rare loss of control lasted only a moment.
The next second, Lü Jiu's usual smile vanished, replaced by an arrogant and undisguised sharpness. He looked at the young man next to Xie Xubai, slapped his hand, and urged him to get up and offer his seat.
Everyone here is a spoiled brat, pampered by their families. They may not have terrible personalities, but they are definitely not easy to talk to.
The man was already taken aback and displeased when Lü Jiu kicked his dream over, and being treated with such a flippant and rude attitude immediately ignited his anger.
But when he angrily met Lü Jiu's half-smiling eyes and saw clearly who was standing in front of him, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, and all his anger was instantly extinguished.
He hurriedly stood up, forcing a fawning expression: "Haha, isn't this Brother Lü? What brings you to Tianxiang Restaurant?"
In the world of young people, Lü Jiu is truly a rising star.
Initially, he was adopted by the Gu family, and everyone assumed that the Gu family had once again shown their mercy by finding a playmate for their young master. However, in just a few years, Lü Jiu began to make a name for himself at school.
He opened a school, waiving tuition fees, and his reputation spread far and wide, his talent shining brightly. He debated with renowned scholars and Confucian masters, and rallied many students to protest and demonstrate against injustices affecting the people. From the school to the army, he was adept at suppressing bandits, leading troops, and defeating enemies, accumulating countless military merits and being promoted to lieutenant at the young age of fifteen. In the end, however, he unhesitatingly abandoned his promising future, resolutely resigning from the army to join the patrol team. Despite his young age, he possessed ruthless methods, and those who committed corruption and other illegal acts were almost always severely punished after being investigated by him.
This spoiled brat held Lü Jiu in the highest esteem, not only because of the shocking rumors, but also because he had personally witnessed Lü Jiu's ruthless methods when arresting people.
He remembered that the poor fellow was a doctor who sold counterfeit medicine. He tried to escape but was caught and beaten half to death. His elderly father, relying on his age, stepped forward and made a scene, trying to prevent the arrest.
Lu Jiu didn't say anything, but smiled and twisted off one of the fake doctor's knuckles. The old man wanted to make a fuss again, so he twisted off another knuckle. With each crisp sound, the fake doctor, who had been drowsy, was awakened by the pain and howled loudly.
Finally, the old man was horrified and begged for mercy repeatedly, but Lü Jiu did not stop. He slowly twisted off the doctor's ten knuckles, which hung crookedly like misshapen tree branches. He then presented them to the old man for him to admire, which caused the man's eyes to roll back and he fainted on the spot.
Therefore, many people were afraid of Lü Jiu, so much so that they couldn't help but tremble when they saw him. While this playboy was speaking, some people couldn't hold back and tiptoed out.
Lu Jiu didn't look away. He sat down next to Xie Xubai, crossed his legs, and leisurely picked up a sliver of tobacco from the mouthpiece and smelled it.
A short while later, the sounds of those people being stopped could be heard from the stairwell outside.
"Who are you?" "Ah!" "What do you want? Don't come any closer! Do you know who I am? Awooooo!"
Cries of pain rose and fell, and the spoiled young men left in the room were immediately drenched in sweat.
After smelling the residue and confirming it was tea leaves, Lü Jiu seemed to have just noticed the man, raising an eyebrow: "My brother and I have something to discuss. What are you still standing here for? Do you want me to do it myself?"
This is to encourage him to be more self-aware, go out and face the patrol team, and explain everything in detail; perhaps then he can be treated leniently.
Little did the spoiled young man know that Xie Xubai had already replaced the forbidden substance in his pipe with tea leaves. Filled with remorse for his momentary indulgence, he left the house trembling.
Only Lü Jiu and Xie Xubai remained in the large room. There was not a soul in the corridor, the door was wide open and broken, and the room was deathly silent.
Lu Jiu didn't speak, but just rested his cheek on his hand and casually played with his pipe with his other hand.
Xie Xubai noticed this and asked, "Are you angry?"
"No, no, my brother has his own plans. How could I, Ajiu, be angry with you?" Lü Jiu glanced at him sideways and hummed with undisguised sorrow. "It's just that when I heard you ask me what I was afraid of, I couldn't help but feel touched and terrified. What if one day my brother is deceived by a villain and suffers a terrible fate, dying without a complete body or bones? Where would I, Ajiu, go to mourn at his grave?"
Xie Xubai was both amused and exasperated: "Are you trying to provoke me?"
However, he was still in the wrong. Addictive and prohibited substances in opium have always been the target of strict inspections by the patrol team. Just last month, a batch of goods smuggled from overseas was seized, and many people were publicly executed at the execution ground, causing everyone to be on edge.
At this time, let alone attending the banquet in person, one cannot even get involved in the slightest rumor. Moreover, with the current situation in chaos, the Gu family is already in the eye of the storm, being watched closely by countless malicious eyes, ready to bring them down at any moment.
If it were Xie Xubai, he really couldn't imagine whether Gu Nan was under a spell or simply lacked common sense, and that with the encouragement of his cronies, he would come here so openly and try it in a daze.
In the end, he only received a beating and was not imprisoned or tortured by the patrol team. Gu Jia and Lü Jiu must have gone to great lengths to ask for help.
Xie Xubai had encountered many similar situations where he had to clean up after someone. Sometimes, even as an observer, he couldn't help but feel frustrated and helpless towards Gu Nan. It could only be said that Lü Jiu never gave Gu Nan a kind look and refused to treat him as an older brother, mostly because he was angry with him.
Xie Xubai stared at Lü Jiu's forced smile, pondered for a moment, and then stretched out his hand.
“It was my willful and reckless behavior that failed to consider the family’s reputation and your situation. I will accept whatever punishment you wish.”
As long as it didn't involve principles or Lü Jiu's safety, Xie Xubai tried his best to follow the original course of history. Therefore, he shouldn't have come, even though he knew it was a deliberate violation. Since he possessed Gu Nan's body and took over the other's identity, he should also take responsibility for it.
Upon hearing the sound, Lü Jiu shifted her gaze to Xie Xubai's palm.
Her knuckles were distinct, her skin was fair and delicate, and only her fingertips had thin calluses. She looked like she couldn't withstand a beating; one stroke of the ruler would surely leave her red and swollen.
His feelings for "Gu Nan" were actually quite complex. As a child, he had been protected by someone, which made him yearn for and rely on that person. He always felt that he couldn't see through this person and imagined him to be exceptionally great.
Later on, this person committed many embarrassing and laughable acts. He was like a child who never grew up and just kept talking nonsense. He couldn't hold his own in any situation. The composed demeanor that had once amazed us was now just an unreal illusion.
Lu Jiu couldn't help but wonder if he had been blind to have misjudged someone, and he felt a great sense of disappointment, even a bit annoyed.
But as soon as he heard that something was wrong with this person, he rushed over without thinking, covered in dust and fuss, his shoes and trousers even stained with blood.
As Lü Jiu thought this, he casually brushed Xie Xubai's palm with his pipe. The latter did not pull back, and his gaze remained calm and open.
Lu Jiu suddenly said, "The patrol team recently discovered that they were buying and selling prohibited items. They have evidence, payment, and witnesses. Even if you replace those items with tea, you will still be implicated and unable to escape responsibility."
Xie Xubai naturally knew that this was why he was here—Luo Futu was behind Gu Nan's attendance at the banquet. The latter had received instructions from the mastermind to take action against the Gu family, and ruining the reputation of the Gu family's young master was just the beginning.
This is also a signal, gradually pushing Lü Jiu to the brink, forcing him to make a choice between the Gu family and Luofutu as soon as possible. It is an important event that can bring out a lot of past truths.
Xie Xubai's thoughts raced, but his face remained impassive: "Thank you for informing me, Ajiu. I understand."
Lu Jiu looked him over, and that contradictory feeling returned; he couldn't see through the other person's strangeness.
If Gu Nan knew what was important, he dared to sneak into this private banquet without any bodyguards.
To say that "Gu Nan" is ignorant is an understatement, as the other party was able to replace the forbidden item without anyone noticing, and even when he broke down the door, he remained sitting calmly in his original position.
Lu Jiu suddenly felt so angry that his teeth itched; it was truly a case of the emperor not being worried while the eunuch was.
He gripped his pipe, a strange urge rising within him to wonder if, if he struck the calm, composed young man before him, he would scream and beg for mercy like those stubborn prisoners who refused to admit their guilt.
Finally, he suppressed his anger, calmed down, and with a smile, raised his hand and used his pipe to push Xie Xubai's hand back: "So, don't expect me to plead for you this time. Just wait to be locked up by the family head."
Gu Nan, hiding behind Xie Xubai and waiting for a storm to break: "..."
Gu Nan couldn't believe it!
In his memory, this guy had never been so gentle with him before; he would either treat him coldly and ignore him, or he would smile while hiding a knife and threaten him.
Under immense pressure, he even forgot that he was actually a few years older than Lü Jiu, and at home, Lü Jiu still had to call him "brother." Ultimately, it was because Lü Jiu had grown up too quickly, so quickly that he overshadowed countless others, and without realizing it, all his childishness had disappeared, and he had become someone who struck fear into the hearts of others.
While everyone else avoided Lü Jiu like the plague, Xie Xubai showed no fear whatsoever. Lü Jiu, too lazy to punish him, casually pulled the pipe back: "You still haven't told me what happened?"
Lu Jiu was surprised to find his hand empty, and without even seeing how Xie Xubai exerted any force, his pipe had been snatched away. But that wasn't the point; the point was Xie Xubai's question.
Lu Jiu replied dismissively with a hint of sarcasm: "What else could happen all day long besides the mess you've created? Things have been rather turbulent lately, so at least you could keep quiet for a while. Don't make your young master's study companion live in constant fear."
Xie Xubai shook his head: "I'm referring to your matter."
He tapped Lü Jiu's fingers with his pipe: "Didn't you notice your hands were shaking the whole time?"
Lu Jiu was both amused and exasperated. What nonsense! He never said anything like that.
Until he lowered his eyelashes and looked down, he saw that his right index finger, the finger that had pulled the trigger and killed the prisoner in the dark cell, was now twitching slightly and out of control.
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