Chapter 112, Chapter 112...? Chapter 112...
Chapter 112 What?
"What?" Lu Xiaofeng suspiciously picked at his ear, thinking that there might be something wrong with his brain, or with his ears. No, it should be that everything was going wrong today.
Hua Manlou was also completely bewildered, "Zhu Xi?"
The Hua and Zhu families had business dealings, so Hua Manlou and Zhu Xi naturally knew each other. Although they had known each other since childhood, Hua Manlou and Zhu Xi didn't actually interact very much. One reason was that he wanted to learn martial arts, while she wanted to learn how to manage the family business and inherit the Zhu family in the future.
Yes, Zhu Xi is the most business-savvy person in this generation of the Zhu family. Although she is a bit unconventional, her business acumen far surpasses that of her brothers, which is why she is being groomed as their heir. Otherwise, the Zhu family wouldn't have placed six martial arts masters around her; after all, no matter how much you dote on someone, you don't need six martial arts masters to guard them.
Although Hua Manlou and Zhu Xi didn't interact particularly often, they were indeed friends, and even Lu Xiaofeng became her friend as a result. Their relationship was purely platonic; neither the Zhu family nor the Hua family treated them differently, demonstrating the strength of their friendship.
Tonight, someone plotted against them, stealing Zhu Xi and dumping her in Hua Manlou's room. However, they never expected the person in the room to be Lu Xiaofeng, not Hua Manlou. Up until this point, Hua Manlou remained calm, until he heard the word "incest" from Zhu Xi's mouth.
He felt that he was very likely poisoned, otherwise how could he have heard Zhu Xi say those words?
Lu Xiaofeng thought so too. He even looked around, trying to find traces of who had drugged him.
“I’m right,” Zhu Xi said, hands on her hips, looking completely righteous. “My father and the old master of the Hua family are of the same generation, which means I’m of the same generation as the old master, and that means I’m Hua Manlou’s elder. An elder and a junior together, that’s incest!”
Zhu Xi has always been a person with her own opinions; once she has made up her mind, she will never change it, even if it means death. From the first time she met Hua Manlou, she treated him like a nephew, and even now that they are grown up, she still regards him as a nephew.
As for her young age, that's not important. In the Zhu family, she also has nephews and nieces older than her. In any case, Hua Manlou is her nephew, a junior, that much is certain!
Upon hearing Zhu Xi's words, Hua Manlou and Lu Xiaofeng were stunned for a moment, and then immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Especially Lu Xiaofeng, who patted his chest, "That scared me to death, I thought..." There was some old secret, but he had no interest in that kind of thing.
After realizing what was happening, Hua Manlou asked helplessly, "So, Zhu Xi, you always gave in to me before because you thought I was your junior?"
"Yes," Zhu Xi nodded. "What else?"
“I thought…” Hua Manlou chuckled, “No, it’s fine.” He thought she was pitying him, a blind man, and that’s why she wanted to give way to him.
"So, I will absolutely not forgive the person who stole me!" Zhu Xi was furious. "I must teach that person a lesson!" She was burning with rage, and if that person were in front of her, she would definitely punch him a couple of times.
Lu Xiaofeng was a little curious, "But I was the one who caught you just now, and I was the one who helped you, so why do you seem to..."
Zhu Xi rolled her eyes and said, "Lu Xiaofeng, are you out of your mind? What could possibly be between us? Even the water at the source of the Yangtze River isn't as clean as the relationship between us. I'm going to marry a virgin in the future, and you..." She looked at Lu Xiaofeng, slightly raising her chin, "Being friends is fine. Being my man? Forget it."
She was destined to stay with the Zhu family. She had gained attention through her resemblance to her aunt and her personality, and she had earned everything through her own abilities; she would never give it up. Even if she were to marry in the future, she would be brought into the family and inherit the Zhu family name.
A man like Lu Xiaofeng, who was restless and unfaithful, was not even on her radar. As for the fact that her outer garments had been stripped off and thrown into Lu Xiaofeng's bed, she didn't care at all. Even if nothing had happened between them, it wasn't her fault, so why bother with such trivial matters?
Lu Xiaofeng: "..."
Should he be happy to have a good friend who would never change, or should he be sad to be rejected? He had always known that Zhu Xi looked at him indifferently, and so had he; he only saw her as a friend, with no other thoughts. But being rejected like this was still very hurtful to his pride.
Outside the door, the eldest son of the Hua family and Master Zhu also breathed a sigh of relief. They exchanged a glance, revealing somewhat helpless expressions.
"I'm sorry, Uncle, my Seventh Child has frightened the Fifth Miss," said the eldest member of the Hua family.
Master Zhu waved his hand, "It was my girl who frightened your Seventh Child, she..." He paused, a little embarrassed, "Once she's made up her mind, she can't change it. I've told her before that she should..."
“What Fifth Miss said is not wrong.” The eldest of the Hua family said with a smile, “You are my father’s peer, and you are my uncle. So Fifth Miss can also be considered Seventh Child’s elder.”
Initially, Master Zhu met the late patriarch of the Hua family. They got along very well and became friends as equals. This meant that Zhu Xi and Master Hua were of the same generation, while the seven sons of the Hua family were of the same generation as Zhu Xi's nephews and nieces.
However, whether they were from the Hua family or the Zhu family, they were all carefree people. They made friends simply because they were friends, regardless of seniority, and their forms of address were not so strict. As a result, they only realized now that Zhu Xi had taken it seriously and treated Hua Manlou as a nephew.
They were genuinely terrified, fearing something might have happened. Master Zhu was worried his daughter might have been bullied; even though he knew she was easygoing, how could he not feel heartache for his own child? The eldest son of the Hua family was also concerned that something might have happened to Hua Manlou; it was best that he was alright now.
Hearing the noise outside the door, Zhu Xi, whose martial arts skills were only average, immediately reacted. "Good, they've lured my father and the others to the door. I hope I catch whoever is behind this, or I'll make sure they're done for."
She learned from Ling Hao that what those petty, whiny men cared about most was their own flesh. Even though those womanizers were clearly deserving of death, whether they were江湖人士 (jianghu figures, martial arts practitioners) or ordinary people, any man would add something like, "There's no need to make them eunuchs."
Zhu Xi immediately understood that most men, regardless of their status, couldn't stand this. So, she decided to focus on this point from then on. She'd make those petty, whiny men furious!
Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou: "..."
They shouldn't have misunderstood, right? Was that what Zhu Xi meant?
The two were speechless for a moment, neither daring to ask.
"Little Wu, your father is here," Master Zhu called from outside the door.
“Seventh Child, it’s the eldest brother.” The eldest of the Hua family also spoke up.
"Big Brother." Hua Manlou turned and opened the door. "Master Zhu." Although Zhu Xi treated him like a nephew, he still felt it would be better to call him Master Zhu. Big Brother Zhu... well, he couldn't bring himself to say it yet.
He closed the door earlier because Zhu Xi was disheveled, and he's opening it now because he's closest to it. Of course, it's also because he really doesn't know how to answer Zhu Xi's question about not having sex; he feels like any answer would be wrong.
Thank goodness, he doesn't have to respond to her comment anymore.
"Father!" Zhu Xi rushed to Master Zhu's side. "You've finally arrived! You've really made me furious! I'll definitely..."
"I'll help you." Master Zhu's expression was also not good. "I'll pay the reward."
The eldest member of the Hua family, who came in a step behind, said, "This is also part of the Hua family." This scheme also included the Hua family, and they wouldn't let it go so easily.
Hua Manlou nodded and said, "That's how it should be."
"But who is this person who managed to steal me out?" Zhu Xi asked, puzzled. "I've been under the protection of my uncles the whole time." Her six guards were all martial arts masters who carried her out without alerting them. "Their martial arts skills are amazing."
"Perhaps it's not that his martial arts skills are good, but that his lightness skill is high enough?" Lu Xiaofeng said.
Master Zhu asked, "Is it someone with high-level martial arts skills who also knows how to steal?" His daughter was unharmed; she had simply been stolen, so that's what he naturally assumed.
"Chu Liuxiang?" Zhu Xi asked.
"Sikong Zhaixing?" Lu Xiaofeng asked.
"Wei Yixiao?" Hua Manlou asked.
The three people gave three different answers, leaving Master Zhu somewhat bewildered.
“It can’t be Chu Liuxiang,” Lu Xiaofeng retorted Zhu Xi. “He’s not that kind of person.” Although he didn’t have much of a relationship with Chu Liuxiang, he knew his character.
“Indeed.” Zhu Xi thought for a moment, then nodded. She had just made a guess, and upon further reflection, she realized that Chu Xiangshuai wouldn’t be so unscrupulous as to scheme against her. “Hua Manlou, how did you come up with Wei Yixiao?”
Hua Manlou said, "Because the Hua family had a business deal that had some conflict with the Ming Cult, and the Ming Cult's Green-Winged Bat King Wei Yixiao was famous for his lightness skill, I thought of him."
Zhu Xi shook her head. "Impossible. I know Wei Yixiao has been embroiled in the Ming Cult's affairs lately and isn't even in the capital." She then looked at Lu Xiaofeng. "You just mentioned Sikong Zhaixing?"
Lu Xiaofeng subconsciously touched the two "eyebrows" on his lips and said somewhat awkwardly, "I recognize him. That person should be Sikong Zhaixing."
He and Sikong Zhaixing were friends, so even though he just abandoned the person and ran away, he was still recognized. But precisely because he and Sikong Zhaixing were friends, he was now somewhat embarrassed.
"Judging from Sikong Zhaixing's personality, he must have been threatened." Although embarrassed, Lu Xiaofeng still had to explain to his friend. But this made him even more embarrassed, because it was his friend who had schemed against Zhu Xi and Hua Manlou.
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Author's Note: Lu Xiaofeng: From beginning to end, I was the one who was framed. [emoji]
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