Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 116 - 115 Meng Family Visitor

Chapter 116: Chapter 115 Meng Family Visitor

"Grand Commander, please let me explain!"

Meng Qianqian vowed earnestly, "In all the portraits Steward Cen gave me, mine wasn’t included..."

Lu Yuan: "So you decided to sneak yours in?"

Meng Qianqian was rendered speechless.

Wait a minute, my portrait doesn’t even have text on it—it clearly doesn’t belong with the others. Grand Commander, open your discerning eyes; isn’t this an obvious flaw?

Lu Yuan said casually, "Little Nine, who would have thought you harbored such feelings for me."

Meng Qianqian: "..."

Meng Qianqian raised two fingers: "I swear, Little Nine would never dare have inappropriate thoughts about the Grand Commander!"

Lu Yuan picked up the teacup on the table; the icy and dangerous aura instantly filled the entire room: "So, you’re saying the words you just spoke were meant to toy with me?"

The words just spoken?

"You’re certain that the people in those portraits willingly wish to marry me?"

"The Grand Commander is a man among men; marrying the Grand Commander would indeed be a blessing across three lifetimes."

"This one too?"

"Of course—who wouldn’t want to marry the Grand Commander?"

The flattering remarks she had blurted out suddenly flashed through her mind, and Meng Qianqian’s expression froze.

"Toying... with the Grand Commander... what would happen?"

"Death."

Meng Qianqian’s body shuddered.

Lu Yuan lowered his gaze to the teacup: "The last person who dared to toy with me... their grave’s grass is already as tall as you are."

Meng Qianqian blinked: "What sort of grass grows that tall?"

Lu Yuan: "..."

This pot was too heavy for Meng Qianqian to carry.

She took a deep breath, solemnly declaring, "Little Nine would never dare to jest with the Grand Commander. Little Nine is well aware of her lowly status; being honored to serve the Grand Commander is already a blessing beyond measure. I dare not ask for more. To me, the Grand Commander is someone I revere deeply. In my eyes, the Grand Commander is like a brother and a father, someone I will remain loyal to for the rest of my life."

She spoke with heartfelt sincerity, her words precious and weighty.

Lu Yuan approached her coldly, picked up the portrait in her hand, and asked indifferently, "Then explain how this portrait of yours came to be here?"

Meng Qianqian felt a headache coming on and discreetly glanced toward the door.

Steward Cen peeked out halfway from behind the wall, clasping his hands together in a pleading gesture toward her.

Meng Qianqian closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, stepped back, and bowed. "Little Nine momentarily lost her senses and forgot her boundaries. Please forgive me, Grand Commander!"

Lu Yuan snorted coldly, then sat back in his chair with the portrait in hand.

Meng Qianqian cautiously stepped forward, extending her hand in an attempt to retrieve her portrait.

But Lu Yuan casually put the portrait down on the table and said indifferently, "Take them away."

A maid stepped forward, collecting Meng Qianqian’s portrait along with nine other portraits of young ladies.

Meng Qianqian’s gaze fixed firmly on the maid.

"Still not leaving?"

Lu Yuan said coldly.

Meng Qianqian bowed: "Little Nine takes her leave."

Once outside the courtyard, she didn’t go far, choosing instead to stand beneath a large tree waiting for Steward Cen.

Sure enough, Steward Cen came running after her.

"Miss Meng."

Steward Cen greeted her with a bow.

Meng Qianqian asked, "Steward Cen, why did you put my portrait into the mix?"

Steward Cen chuckled: "It was an accident, an accident!"

Meng Qianqian’s face turned serious: "Steward Cen, do I look that easy to deceive?"

Steward Cen scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.

Meng Qianqian said sternly, "Steward Cen, don’t pull this sort of joke again in the future. If the Grand Commander finds out, the consequences will be severe."

"Old servant wouldn’t joke about Miss Meng like this." Steward Cen restrained his smile, letting out a helpless sigh. "Old servant had no choice but to resort to such measures. To speak frankly, I’ve followed the Grand Commander for many years. While I may not know him completely, I certainly understand his nature to some extent. None of those young ladies could attract his attention."

"Miss Meng, on the other hand, shares a bond with the Grand Commander forged in life and death. You are also favored by Miss Bao Shu. Old servant initially thought..."

He stopped here, waving his hand and sighing once more.

Standing in Meng Qianqian’s shoes, Steward Cen’s actions were undoubtedly wrong, but Steward Cen had treated Meng Qianqian well. During her two-month absence from the Capital City, Steward Cen had visited her home multiple times to help. This was something Meng Qianqian couldn’t forget.

Meng Qianqian asked, "Why won’t the Grand Commander accept the marriages arranged by his mother?"

Steward Cen replied, "The Grand Commander dislikes being controlled. To accept his mother’s arranged marriage would mean bowing to her for the rest of his life."

Meng Qianqian was puzzled: "Why does his mother insist on controlling her son?"

Steward Cen said earnestly, "A mother worries for her child no matter the distance. The Madame is acting out of concern for the Grand Commander. But the Grand Commander, he prefers to collide headfirst into obstacles and endure bloody wounds rather than live under her wing. Simply put, he refuses to be controlled."

Meng Qianqian remained silent after hearing this.

The world viewed Lu Yuan as a man who could do anything, but behind his perceived omnipotence lay unimaginable sacrifices and hardships.

To break free from his family’s control, he had to reject every offer of family assistance.

The thorny, blood-soaked path he walked was one of solitude and hardship.

"Miss Meng, you’ve been to the fourth floor of the Book Pavilion, correct?"

Steward Cen suddenly shifted the topic.

Meng Qianqian smiled calmly: "Yes, the last time I saw the door open, I went up to take a look."

Steward Cen continued: "You saw the Chu Family’s dossiers, didn’t you?"

Meng Qianqian’s mind surged with warning signals—was the door intentionally left open for her?

Steward Cen smiled: "Miss Meng, there’s no need to feel tense. Old servant doesn’t bear ill will toward you, and the fourth floor is not a forbidden place for you. Old servant has already handed the key to the fourth floor to Ah Fu. Should you wish to visit in the future, simply ask Ah Fu for the key."

Meng Qianqian asked quietly, "Why are you helping me?"

Steward Cen smiled slightly and said, "Old servant is but a servant of the Grand Commander. Whoever treats the Grand Commander well, old servant will treat well. Miss Meng, you want to investigate the truth about the Chu Family, but you must realize the truth isn’t something you’re equipped to handle right now. You don’t even have the qualifications to approach its full picture. However, if—old servant says if—you became the Madame of the Governor Mansion, those untouchable truths would become as accessible to you as those portraits today."

...

After Meng Qianqian left, Steward Cen let out a long sigh and turned to return to the courtyard.

But just as he turned, his expression changed, and he immediately bowed: "Grand Commander!"

Lu Yuan gazed coldly at the round moon hanging on the treetop and said, "Don’t meddle unnecessarily."

Steward Cen steadied himself: "Understood."

Over the following days, Meng Qianqian did not see Lu Yuan again.

In the mornings, she practiced martial arts; in the afternoons, she organized the Book Pavilion; and in the evenings, she helped Bao Shu learn to walk.

During March in the Capital City, the grass thrived and warblers sang.

Bao Shu could now take a few steps on her own, though she moved slowly. When impatient, she still relied on crawling.

Her babbling speech had made some progress, with the first word she learned to say being not "Daddy," but "Nine," Little Nine’s nine.

"Nine! Nine!"

She grasped a small milk jug in one hand, pointing outward with the other.

Qing Shuang immediately understood that she wanted to find Meng Qianqian.

On this day, Meng Qianqian had just finished organizing the Book Pavilion and returned home. As she stepped into the alley, she saw Nanny Wan pacing at her doorstep.

"Nanny Wan."

Meng Qianqian greeted her.

Nanny Wan hurriedly walked up to her, pointing toward the courtyard, and whispered, "Someone from the Meng Family is here!"