Chapter 148 Token of Love

The old man nodded and forced a bitter smile. "The Ninth Young Master grew up under my eyes, so I naturally understand his temperament. His father passed away not long after he was born, and the Fourth Young Lady followed suit. When the Ninth Young Master was still an infant, he was branded as a jinx and sent away to the outer estate. As time passed, without a father to dote on him or a mother to care for him, he naturally lacked discipline and picked up some bad habits."

"How can you call them just 'bad habits' for the Ninth Brother? He is utterly and incurably addicted to gambling, and now he has even offended the general. The Wei family will sooner or later be ruined by his hands..." The young man who had escorted the old man earlier muttered with a look of grievance, "In my opinion, he shouldn't even be surnamed Wei!"

"Eldest, hold your tongue!" The noble matron beside him was frightened out of her wits, her face turning ashen as she pulled at the young man's wrist.

This was the sole heir of their branch of the family. If he uttered the wrong words and displeased the young general before them, killing someone was as easy as squashing an ant, but the position of the head of the Wei family would be handed over to others.

Calves born without fear really knew no tigers. He simply shook off the lady's hand, curled his lip, and muttered in a low voice, "What I said is the plain truth. If Grandfather hadn't been so partial to the Fourth Aunt, how would she have ever taken in a son-in-law and given birth to such a source of disaster?"

"Rebellious brat, shut your mouth!" The head of the Wei family glared fiercely at his own son. He only blamed himself for indulging him too much on ordinary days, making his son so devoid of a sense of proportion and completely blind to the occasion!

"Clap, clap, clap."

Just as Chu Junhan was watching the family drama with great relish, crisp applause rang out from outside the door.

"Uncle and Eldest Brother put on quite a show! Ziyuan is truly impressed!" Looking toward the source of the sound, a youth stood in the doorway, bathed in a gentle spring breeze. A rebellious smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and his eyes were full of playful amusement.

"Pfft—" Chu Junhan had lost count of the number of times she had almost tumbled off her stool. This... this was the person she had seen before!

Wasn't this the little brat who had fought with her in the bamboo grove that day? Him? He was the legendary Lord Jiuling? The Lord Jiuling who controlled the commercial lifelines of various nations?

The youth seemed to read Chu Junhan's astonishment. With a faint smile, he lifted his robes and stepped across the threshold. The crowd respectfully made way for him, and without standing on ceremony, the youth walked straight to the center of the room.

"I am Wei Ziyuan, paying my respects to the General!" The youth smiled faintly, the curved corners of his lips seemingly capable of captivating one's soul.

Chu Junhan widened her eyes and parted her lips slightly. She lunged down from her seat, pointing a delicate finger at the youth before her, unable to utter a single word for a long while. The shock was simply too overwhelming!

The youth smiled, maintaining a deadpan and solemn expression. "Is the General here to search for that sword? If this humble person remembers correctly..."

"Shut your mouth!" Chu Junhan glared at the youth, terrified that he would speak without restraint and blurt out the spying incident from that day. As a dignified third deputy general of the Chu family, she had sneaked back into the capital—wouldn't that make her a laughingstock?

The youth smiled faintly, standing straight as a pine.

For some reason, the youth's smile made Chu Junhan panic. Subconsciously, she took a step back and tiptoed slightly to bolster her presence. "This General has no sword! Stop talking nonsense! I am here today to bring you to justice!"

"If the General says there is no sword, then there is none. Perhaps this humble person remembered incorrectly. Well... that sword should be this humble person's token of affection; I must have grown muddled in my old age."

"You..." Chu Junhan gritted her teeth, pointing at him in exasperation. She wanted to say something, but swallowed the words back down, forcing her hand into a tight, trembling fist as anger burned fiercely within her.

The youth in front of her was still just as infuriating as ever!