Tl : Tojo
Editor: Aeonsiac
Chapter 60
“Anyone there, Anyone there!!”
“Help! Someone please come!”
A sharp scream shattered the tranquility of the Zhou residence.
“The madam has gone insane! Quickly, fetch the doctor!”
Cui’er roared at the top of her lungs, incessantly calling out.
Cui’er was the personal maid to Madam Zhou. Although she was young, she had suffered disfigurement during her childhood due to a large fire, resulting in a face that was difficult to look at. However, she was deeply cherished and promoted by Madam Zhou, truly devoted to serving her.
Since early yesterday, she had noticed something amiss with Madam Zhou. The entire demeanor of Madam Zhou seemed lackluster, unable to eat and absentminded.”
At that time, she had been cautious, asking Madam Zhou if there was anything troubling her. However, it only frightened Madam Zhou, causing her to shudder, and she dared not inquire further.
Now, following the daily routine, she went to prepare desserts and afternoon tea for Madam Zhou at a specific time. Upon entering, she found Madam Zhou wildly waving a knife in the air as if she had gone mad.
She kept muttering something under her breath.
“Don’t come closer! Don’t come closer! If you come closer, I’ll kill you!”
Madam Zhou’s expression was gruesome, somewhere between a smile and tears.
Cui’er was worried and immediately rushed out to find help.
With just one shout, she gathered everyone in the courtyard. The maids in Madam’s courtyard were all in a panic, joining in the shouting and scrambling to find help.
The old housekeeper, upon hearing the news, appeared with a level of tension and anxiety even greater than Cui’er’s. His expression was visibly nervous.
“What’s going on? What happened to Madam?” The old housekeeper hurriedly ran over, questioning Cui’er directly as soon as he reached the entrance.
Cui’er, though mature for her age, naturally couldn’t match the authority of the old housekeeper, who had served the Zhou family for most of his life, especially in matters of great importance.
Cui’er choked back a sob and obediently recounted the entire incident.
After Cui’er finished her words, the old housekeeper surprisingly wanted to rush directly into Madam Zhou’s courtyard. In an era highly attentive to propriety and chastity, it was not permitted for male servants to enter a lady’s boudoir without the lady’s summons.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“You cannot go in,” Cui’er hurriedly blocked the old housekeeper’s way. In such a situation, as a young girl, she still observed the formalities.
Unexpectedly, the old housekeeper’s eyes reddened with tension. Despite being in his sixties, he possessed considerable strength. Ignoring all concerns, he forcefully pushed aside Cui’er, causing her to stagger and almost fall to the ground.
The way the old housekeeper behaved didn’t resemble the reaction of a servant aware of the mistress’s trouble. Instead, it bore a resemblance to how a husband might react upon learning of his wife’s distress.
The boldness of this thought startled Cui’er, and she instinctively knocked her head on the temple to get rid of it.
“What are you thinking? Have you gone mad? How dare you imagine things about the mistress’s situation? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
Struggling to rise from the ground, Cui’er followed him, still bewildered by her own daring thoughts.
At this very moment, Madam Zhou, who typically emphasized strict etiquette in her appearance, was starkly different from her usual meticulous self. Her hair was knotted, even carrying specks of dirt, and her clothes appeared highly disheveled.
As the old housekeeper burst into the room, Madam Zhou was wielding a knife, wildly slashing through the air. She mumbled incessantly, occasionally emitting piercing screams. Dark circles hung beneath her eyes, indicating a prolonged lack of rest.
The moment Madam Zhou noticed the old housekeeper’s entrance, her scattered gaze changed abruptly. However, it wasn’t a return to normalcy; instead, it transformed into something ghostly, shrouded in shadows and hatred.
Unlike earlier when she simply waved the knife through the air, Madam Zhou now acted purposefully. She charged towards the old housekeeper, a cold smile splitting her lips. Without hesitation, she thrust the knife toward him.
The old housekeeper was caught off guard, and Madam Zhou’s movements were as swift as a hunting leopard.
As Cui’er, who was a few steps behind, rushed to the doorway, the scene she witnessed was Madam Zhou driving the knife straight into the old housekeeper’s chest.
She stood there in stunned silence, witnessing this horrific scene. Her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground.
But something even more grim unfolded soon after.
Given the old housekeeper’s advanced age, Madam Zhou’s thrust sent his head tilting backward, his body swaying, and with a resounding “thud,” he fell to the ground.
Madam Zhou withdrew the knife from his chest, revealing a satisfied and cold smile. She then aimed the knife at the indescribable area below and thrust it in with malicious intent.
Cui’er covered her mouth and nose, tears streaming down her face. She was so frightened that she forgot to scream, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Kneeling on the ground, she helplessly watched as Madam Zhou grabbed a certain part of the old housekeeper, and with swift, precise, and ruthless movements, she severed it with the knife.
Blood sprayed directly onto Madam Zhou’s hands, clothes, and face.
The old housekeeper’s body convulsed, terror and dread filling his eyes. He tried to resist, but Madam Zhou forcefully restrained him, driving the knife in deeper and more mercilessly.
The old housekeeper’s eyes remained fixed on the doorway where Cui’er knelt with her legs trembling in shock. He collapsed into a pool of blood, pupils violently contracting. His mouth opened as if to scream, but no sound came out.
However, Cui’er understood the look in his eyes.
He was saying, “Quick, save me!”
Cui’er covered her mouth and nose, crying incessantly. She couldn’t bring herself to rush forward; all she could see was a sea of crimson and gore.
As more people streamed in, witnessing this scene, they too were struck dumb, their legs going weak.
Everyone stood there in shock, the entire world plunged into chaos.
Tsk, the fortunes of the Zhou family are changing again.
Su Jingyan sat obediently in the man’s embrace, the two of them snugly seated together on a bench in the courtyard.
Su Jingyan’s doe-like eyes gazed at the sky, wandering aimlessly. Suddenly, as if discovering something, he pointed in a direction, a hint of curiosity in his voice as he asked the man behind him, “Yichen, what’s happening over there? Why is there so much black smoke in the sky?”
The man’s hand rested on Su Jingyan’s shoulder, occasionally caressing the child’s earlobe.
His gaze never once left Su Jingyan throughout, as if he could never tire of looking. In his eyes, there was only Su Jingyan.
The man’s eyes only moved when Su Jingyan adjusted his position due to discomfort. His gaze traced the child’s movements with every shift. Apart from that, the man’s eyes didn’t blink even once.
Upon hearing the child suddenly speak, his eyes slowly shifted away from the child and towards the direction he was pointing.
Lu Yichen squinted his eyes, displaying a nonchalant demeanor. Soon, he redirected his gaze back to the person in his arms, continuing to stare at him with an unabashed look.
“It’s just a fire,” Lu Yichen said, resting his head on the top of the child’s head, smelling the faint fragrance around him.
Su Jingyan’s hands clutched the man’s hand, playing with it in his palms. Occasionally, he used his fingers to draw something on the man’s palm, tickling the man’s heart. Upon hearing the man’s answer, Su Jingyan murmured, “Oh,” with a pout.
After a while, Su Jingyan, noticing the growing black smoke, continued to ask, “Why hasn’t anyone gone to put out the fire for so long?”
Upon hearing the innocent question from the person in his arms, the man chuckled softly and replied vaguely, “Perhaps, they haven’t noticed yet.”
After saying this, the man’s eyes flashed slightly, as if there were hidden thoughts within them, accompanied by a touch of casual mockery.
How could such a big fire go unnoticed?
In the end, it was because this massive fire was intentionally caused by someone.
Well.
In order to conceal the family’s scandal from spreading, they ruthlessly killed everyone who knew the truth.
After all, this wasn’t the first time the Zhou family had engaged in such deeds; it truly aligned with their routine way of doing things.
Tsk.
The man’s ears twitched as if he could hear voices from miles away.
“Let me out! Cough, cough, help me!”
“Sob, sob, Mother! Cough, I don’t want to die!”
“Please, I’m begging you. I’ll kowtow to you. If I die, I die, but my child is still young!”
“Master, Master, I beg you, please let me go!”
The man remained impassive throughout, his gaze indifferent, showing no emotional fluctuation. These pleas were truly pitiful. Men, women, old, young – not even the families of those involved were spared.
Heh.
No wonder, the vast Zhou family was filled with lost souls and restless spirits.
Now, without the suppression of his power, these vengeful spirits…
It’s time…
Time for them to seek revenge.
Suddenly, Su Jingyan in the man’s arms shifted uncomfortably. His body stiffened, his face turned bright red, a blush spreading beside his cheeks, and his ears burning at the tips.
His voice was gentle, the words spoken softly, carrying a touch of helplessness. “Yichen, can you take that thing out? I feel really uncomfortable.”
As he spoke, he shifted nervously, appearing quite restrained.
Hearing the words from the person in his arms, the curve of the man’s lips lifted, his eyes filled with tenderness and affection.
This was the reason he had gone out a few days ago; it was specially prepared for Yanyan.
Lu Yichen hugged him tightly, not intending to tease the child. He spoke in a gentle tone, “Yanyan, your body is too weak right now. Every time is particularly painful for you. I hope you can enjoy these moments, or it won’t be good for your health in the future.”
Su Jingyan felt the small jade object, not saying anything. He didn’t seem all that unwilling as he turned around, hooked his arms around the man’s neck, pressed his head against the man’s chest, and rubbed his face, seeking comfort.
Lu Yichen watched the person in his arms, adopting a lazy pose like a small cat. Unable to resist, he bent down and kissed his nose.
Su Jingyan shrugged his shoulders, tilted his head back, cracked a smile, and then lifted his head, planting a direct kiss on the man’s mouth.
Lu Yichen, both helpless and amused, ended the long kiss, and then chuckled, “Naughty.”
