The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 122: Entanglement Over a Decade Ago

Chapter 122: Entanglement Over a Decade Ago

A dozen or so servants scurried back and forth, moving Chu Shuo’s most valuable and rare collections.

He accompanied Lu Yanyan, explaining each item to ensure she understood their immense worth.

Initially, Lu Yanyan had dismissed them all with a sneer, until she laid eyes on a particular object—a pair of gold-threaded, ruby-encrusted phoenix-shaped tassels.

Her eyes widened in astonishment, "So, you were the one who bought these tassels!"

This item was from the previous dynasty, adorned with large and radiant rubies, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship.

It had been displayed in the Zhenbao Pavilion, and Lu Yanyan had instantly fallen in love with it.

Before she could gather enough silver to purchase it, it had been snatched away by someone else. Little did she know, that person was Chu Shuo.

Confronted by Lu Yanyan’s envious and resentful gaze, Chu Shuo straightened his chest and declared, "My sixth sister is accustomed to finer things and wouldn’t spare a glance for your ordinary possessions."

"You!" Lu Yanyan was left speechless.

Just as Nanli was returning home, she happened upon the two on the verge of a fight.

"What are you two doing?" Nanli asked, puzzled.

"Sixth sister, you’ve returned just in time. She accused me of being stingy, hoarding all the good things for myself and refusing to give them to you," Chu Shuo defended himself, falsely claiming that he had returned all the treasures because his sister didn’t appreciate luxury.

"Nanli, please reason with me. I carefully selected a gift for our sworn sisterhood, but he belittles it as worthless!" Lu Yanyan felt wronged.

After all, it was her most prized possession.

The two refused to back down and began arguing.

Nanli sighed and wondered if she should use two silencing charms to shut their mouths.

Just as she was about to intervene, the old dowager and Lady Shen arrived, having heard the commotion.

Though their words were not vulgar, the constant dispute was a disgrace to their upbringing.

"Enough!" The old dowager scolded, and the two immediately fell silent.

Chu Shuo, fearing the old dowager and Chu Hanlin the most, cowered in fear.

Lu Yanyan, who had previously sought out madam Xu and her son to cause trouble, now felt guilty and couldn’t lift her head in front of her elders.

The old dowager still observed propriety and said, "My grandson lacks manners, engaging in a quarrel with Miss Lu. I will personally teach him a lesson. Please forgive him, Miss Lu."

"Grandmother, your grandson knows his mistake," Chu Shuo muttered.

Chu Shuo vowed to avoid Lu Yanyan like the plague from now on.

Though Shen loved her children, she wouldn’t easily let them off the hook for their mistakes. "Go kneel in the ancestral hall," she ordered.

Chu Shuo pitifully looked at his sixth sister.

Nanli opened her mouth to plead for mercy, but Shen shot her a stern glance, forcing her to close her mouth.

Second brother, I can’t save you today.

Helpless, Chu Shuo headed to the ancestral hall.

But before Lu Yanyan could revel in her victory, the old dowager spoke again, "Miss Lu, you’ve witnessed an embarrassing scene today. Please, escort her out."

Lu Yanyan grew anxious and turned to Nanli, saying, "I brought a gift with me, sincerely hoping to become sworn sisters with you."

Nanli sighed, "Miss Lu, there’s no need for such formality. If you truly wish to show gratitude, why not perform more acts of kindness in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yanyan realized that Nanli still remembered her past mistakes, and regret flooded her heart.

She could only say, "I also dislike being indebted to others. Please accept these gifts." Afraid that Nanli would refuse, she turned to leave.

Nanli reached out and held her back, somewhat convinced.

"I don’t fancy these extravagant items. If you insist on giving them to me, I’ll simply store them away. Instead, why not contribute some silver to the free clinic? That would be repayment enough."

Lu Yanyan didn’t know what a free clinic was, but if it meant repaying Nanli’s kindness, she was delighted.

"Alright!" she agreed, instructing her servants to take back the items as she prepared to gather the silver.

Nanli finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The noble ladies in the capital were truly fickle.

The ancestral hall.

Chu Shuo had been kneeling for two hours, his knees numb.

Nanli used an invisibility charm and quietly entered, carrying a food box.

She had thought her second brother would be famished, but to her surprise, her elder brothers were all sitting on cushions, munching on chicken legs and chatting.

Nanli removed the invisibility charm and asked,

"Fourth brother, fifth brother, how did you both get in? And how did you manage to be faster than me?"

The sudden appearance of Nanli startled the three of them.

Chu Shuo recovered and came over to pull Nanli to sit down, saying, "Little sister, you need not go through the trouble of using invisibility charms. The gatekeeper servants won’t stop anyone."

Chu Yang added, "Every time second brother kneels at the ancestral hall, Aunt Qian always sends someone to take care of him."

Chu Yan nodded, "That’s why the household servants at the ancestral hall enjoy seeing second brother being punished."

After Nanli sat down, she noticed the dishes on the floor, enough to fill nine large trays.

She twitched her lips, realizing that her preparations of steamed buns and pancakes were unnecessary for Chu Shuo to discreetly enjoy.

Compared to her fourth and fifth brothers, there was no need for her to display her food.

Clearly, Chu Yang and Chu Yan had also guessed what Nanli had prepared, as they both said in unison, "Little sister, you’ll know better next time."

"What should I bring when fourth and fifth brothers are punished?" Nanli inquired in advance.

Chu Shuo glanced at them and said, "Little sister, you need not inquire about this matter. Whenever I come here to kneel, they are always more obedient and outstanding. Even if they are punished, they only kneel for a couple of hours before being allowed to leave. Unlike me, I have to kneel for three hours without even being allowed to eat."

He wasn’t exaggerating; since childhood, he had been neither academically nor martially inclined, often receiving punishments.

Later, when his father saw how skilled he was with calculations, he sighed and stopped forcing him to study and train.

Nanli nodded in understanding, "I see."

Chu Yang gave her a piece of cake and continued, "Throughout our lives, only third brother has rarely been punished."

Speaking of the third brother, they all felt a deep longing.

Fortunately, winter was approaching, and Chu Huan would soon return to the capital to prepare for the imperial examination.

However, Chu Shuo still harbored deep resentment towards Lu Yanyan, saying through gritted teeth, "Little sister, she claims you have helped her, but in my opinion, you shouldn’t have. She’s nothing but a jinx, causing harm to you before and now to me."

Nanli couldn’t help but laugh and cry, saying, "She has already reaped what she sowed. We need not dwell on past matters. Judging by her appearance, she seems plump and healthy, indicating that she hasn’t harmed anyone. On the contrary, she has helped many."

Chu Shuo pursed his lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

But his anger had subsided somewhat.

It was Chu Yang who spoke next, "Little sister, you’re truly amazing. Miss Lu may be a bit spoiled, but she is kind-hearted. A few years ago, when Aunt Qian and second brother were traveling to Luoyang to visit relatives, they encountered bandits on the way and coincidentally ran into Miss Lu."

Chu Yan continued, "Luckily, Miss Lu had a grand entourage with her, including many guards.

She effortlessly saved second brother and Aunt Qian.

It was because of this act of saving their lives that when Miss Lu was imprisoned in the Court of Dali, Father intervened and spared her from severe punishment."

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