Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 50 - 46: Apology

Chapter 50: Chapter 46: Apology

The sky had become tense, with a rose-colored lake gradually deepening into a darkened hue, while the distant dark mountains resembled the gaping mouth of a giant whale, creating a somewhat oppressive contrast.

Jiang Shouzhong looked out at the lake where a boat resembling a stationary frame held Zhao Wancang, his brow furrowed.

The man’s strange behavior was truly baffling.

Possessed?

After some hesitation, Jiang Shouzhong decided to head to the ferry to find a small boat to get a closer look at the situation.

Even if it alerted the man and he was discovered, it didn’t matter anymore.

Not far from the shore, a young boy about eight or nine years old, dressed in a large green cotton jacket, was chasing a black kitten, occasionally picking up small stones to hurl at it, his laughter ringing crisply in the air.

Jiang Shouzhong would have ignored this, but the little black cat seemed to sense something suddenly and darted towards the lake.

The boy, immersed in playing, followed instinctively.

When the black cat neared the shore, it appeared to get a fright, its fur standing on end in an instant.

With a pitiful cry, the cat dashed back from the edge.

The boy, who had just reached the shore, accidentally tripped over the frightened cat and fell forward.

Due to momentum, he lurched straight towards the lake.

Just as he was about to plunge into the lake, Jiang Shouzhong grabbed the boy’s slender arm and pulled him up.

The boy was dazed.

It wasn’t until he regained his senses that he burst into tears with a loud "waah".

A maid, searching for the young master nearby, recognized the familiar crying and hurried over.

Seeing a stranger holding her young master’s arm while the boy sobbed heartbreakingly, she immediately assumed that the man was bullying him and shouted sharply, "Let go of our young master!"

The maid rushed over and pushed Jiang Shouzhong away, clutching the boy to her chest, and glared furiously at Jiang Shouzhong, "What kind of man bullies a child! Have you no shame!"

Jiang Shouzhong ignored her and turned to look back at the lake, only to be shocked to find that Zhao Wancang and the boat had disappeared.

At that moment, another group of people arrived following the commotion.

Leading them was a slender, elegantly dressed young woman.

Adorned with gold and silver, her demeanor exuded nobility.

She was clearly the wife of a wealthy household.

Following her was a pudgy middle-aged man with a round, well-maintained face, his eyes sharp and worldly.

Beyond this couple, there followed a pair resembling a master and servant.

The master, dressed simply in blue cloth, had an exceptional aura. His hair was tied simply at the top of his head, a few rebellious strands waving in the wind, adding an air of casual wildness.

At his side was a young Attendant Student, cradling a long sword.

Clearly, the man in blue was a Swordsman.

"Mother!"

Upon seeing the woman, the young boy burst into tears in her embrace.

The woman cradled her son with a pained expression, her face grim, her gaze turning stern as she looked at the maid and asked, "Xing’er, what happened to the young master?"

Faced with her mistress’s questioning, the maid trembled, her face going pale as she pointed at Jiang Shouzhong and said, "It was him! He bullied the young master! He was grabbing the young master’s arm, and no matter how the young master cried, he wouldn’t let go!"

The woman stared at Jiang Shouzhong with icy eyes, "Sir, why would you bully my Cheng’er for no reason?"

Jiang Shouzhong had not found a trace of Zhao Wancang and felt helpless.

Facing the maid’s false accusations and the woman’s questioning, he was not angry but patiently explained, "Just now, this child was playing with a black cat and almost fell into the lake. I was the one who pulled him back in time."

"You’re lying!"

The maid countered first.

As a servant, it was her duty to take care of the young master.

If the household found out that she had neglected her duties almost leading to the young master’s drowning, she would be severely punished upon returning home.

So now, the maid could not afford to admit the man’s claim.

She forcefully suppressed her fear and said spitefully:

"I clearly saw that it was that cat that startled you, and you took it out on the young master. The young master was just fine. Why would he run towards the lake!"

Jiang Shouzhong couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore, and said flatly, "Just ask the child and you’ll know."

The pudgy middle-aged man frowned, looked down at his son, and asked, "Cheng’er, what really happened?"

But the tear-stained boy, upon glancing at Jiang Shouzhong, sobbed, "It was him! He bullied Cheng’er!"

Jiang Shouzhong was momentarily stunned, then scoffed in disbelief.

He really is an ungrateful wretch.

The little boy, pampered from a young age in a wealthy household, developed a selfish and willful disposition. He actually didn’t have many cunning schemes, nor a clear concept of life and death.

Whether the person saved him or not was not important to him, all he knew was that his arm had been painfully pulled by this person.

So he cried.

So, it was this person who bullied him.

As for what would happen if the other person didn’t save him and he fell into the lake, he didn’t think that far. After all, he was standing here safe and sound.

Some people are inherently heartless.

Some are born without a sense of warmth and cold.

The words of the little boy undoubtedly sealed Jiang Shouzhong’s fate and also made the maidservant secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Now, the only proof there was only that cat.

Unfortunately, cats cannot speak.

The woman, trembling with rage, exclaimed, "Fine, fine, a grown man getting upset over a cat scare and taking it out on a child. You are so capable, why don’t you confront us adults! My son is of precious status, he is not someone you can bully!"

Saying this, she rushed forward intending to slap Jiang Shouzhong.

Clearly, the household was quite imperious.

Jiang Shouzhong caught the woman’s hand and pushed her away, coldly saying, "I can’t be bothered to explain the truth of right and wrong; think what you want. If you truly believe I bullied your son, just go ahead and report me to the authorities!"

The woman staggered, steadying herself, her face turning purple.

Turning her head and weeping, she glared at the portly man. "Master, will you just stand by and watch as we, your wife and son, are humiliated by outsiders?"

The portly man was somewhat embarrassed.

He instinctively felt there might have been a misunderstanding.

But at this moment, with his wife making such a fuss, even if it was a mistake, he had to protect his family.

However, he had not brought servants with him, and it was not fitting for him as the master to engage in a brawl.

And going to the authorities was too troublesome.

The portly man glanced at the refined man in blue next to him.

This was a well-known swordsman from the Famous Sword Villa. Of course, he had no right to order him about. But since the man in blue had taken his son as a disciple, having one’s disciple bullied justified the master’s intervention.

The portly man hesitantly spoke, "Mr. Fang, about this matter..."

The man in blue remained silent.

Instinctively, he was more inclined to believe Jiang Shouzhong’s words.

"Children never lie," is nothing more than a joke.

Under normal circumstances, he would have treated the situation fairly.

But now, following the elder’s orders from the villa to take this boy as his disciple, on the very first day, he couldn’t let his disciple’s family be embarrassed—some face had to be maintained.

With a silent sigh in his heart, the man in blue approached calmly and with a tranquil demeanor, respectfully asking Jiang Shouzhong, "I am Fang Ziheng from the Famous Sword Villa, may I know who you are?"

It was important to know the other party’s background before causing offense.

Whether navigating the Jianghu or mingling in the official courts, it was essential common sense.

Jiang Shouzhong blandly said, "Liushan Division, surname Jiang."

An official?

The man in blue frowned.

But recalling the identity of the portly man at his side, he immediately relaxed into a smile, still amiable in tone, "Since Mr. Jiang is an official, I presume you wouldn’t commit such an act of bullying. Perhaps there has been some misunderstanding.

Here’s an idea, let’s all show some respect—Mr. Jiang can apologize to the lady and the young master so we can leave this unfortunate matter behind us—how about it?"

The man in blue was quite clever.

Neither side wanted to cause offense.

The furious woman was about to speak when she saw her husband glare at her, forcing her to clamp her teeth shut, her fierce almond eyes glaring hatefully at Jiang Shouzhong.

Her son was about to become a disciple of the Famous Sword Villa; she had to give this respect.

Seeing that the portly man and the woman had remained silent, the man in blue nodded with satisfaction, his gentle gaze turning toward Jiang Shouzhong, kindly advising, "Mr. Jiang, life is full of rough paths, where one cannot always proceed. One must sometimes know when to step back—what do you say?"

"Yes, you’re right, apologizing is necessary,"

Jiang Shouzhong rested one hand on his waist, his little finger lightly pressing on the handle of his pistol, smiling as he said, "But it should be that little boy who apologizes to me, right?"

The cheery smile of the man in blue suddenly froze.

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