Chapter 95 - Considering the Feelings of Others
Shi Yu?
Zhou Donghuang laughed at Tan Li’s words. Even if someone had really gone to inform Shi Yu, would he really dare come over?
“Zixi, let’s go.”
Zhou Donghuang called to the young lady and led her out of the back courtyard of the Wei family mansion with a swagger.
No matter how Tan Li used the might of the tycoon Shi family to threaten him, this couple, who was like a golden man and a jade lady, did not even spare him a glance. And Tan Li naturally did not dare obstruct them.
Zhang Yongshan, who was much stronger than him, had already been left in this state. If he rashly went forward, he was afraid that he would suffer the same fate as Zhang Yongshan, given the ruthless character of the youth.
Seeing them both leave, Wei Hongtao’s gaze grew cold, and he planned to stop them at first but was stopped in time by Ren Jiapei.
“Big Brother Wei, you had better see if that Shi Yu dares to come over today, then consider if you want to make enemies with Big Brother Zhou.”
Ren Jiapei walked over and stood before Wei Hongtao and gently left him with this advice, then ran to catch up with the youth and the young lady. “Big Brother Zhou, Sister Zixi, wait for me!”
Because of what Ren Jiapei had said, Wei Hongtao did not move to obstruct Zhou Donghuang and the young lady as everyone else was expecting him to.
From what Sister Jiapei said, Shi Yu dares not come over?
As the first young master of the Wei family, the first among the younger generation of the grand families of the Chu royal city, Wei Hongtao naturally was not stupid.
He knew in full detail the backgrounds of everyone present except the youth in white.
If Shi Yu dared not come over, it could not be because of anyone present, including him, so it could only be because of that youth in white.
If Shi Yu really dares not come over because of him, he... who is he? Unless... Sister Jiapei is deceiving me on purpose to save him?
Now, these two thoughts were bouncing around in Wei Hongtao’s mind.
Why not wait a while and see if Shi Yu comes over.
Wei Hongtao thought to himself.
“Big Brother Wei, why don’t you stop him?”
“Yes, Big Brother Wei, what that little fellow did today is a slap to the face of the Wei family. Letting him leave just like that would cause you and the Wei family to lose face.”
...
Many of the scions of the grand families looked at Wei Hongtao with incomprehension, not knowing why Wei Hongtao did not stop that youth.
Even Tan Li looked at Wei Hongtao with a slight frown. “Big Brother Wei, why did you let him leave just like that?”
“Huh?”
Wei Hongtao was surprised at Tan Li’s words. “Tan Li, didn’t you let me hand this matter over to your cousin Shi Yu to resolve when he arrives? Since you said that, I naturally had to give Shi Yu face. Could it be that... once he leaves, Shi Yu cannot do anything about him? Even First Young Master Shi Yu of the tycoon Shi family could not lack the ability to fight this kid?”
Wei Hongtao countered.
“Of course not!”
Tan Li’s gaze turned cold, and he said in a chilly voice, “He dares to leave today, and with my cousin Shi Yu’s temper, he is as good as dead!”
At this moment, the whole crowd of scions of the grand families came to a sudden realization as they heard what Wei Hongtao said.
“So Big Brother Wei did not detain that youth on account of Shi Yu’s face.”
“I’ve already said that if Big Brother Wei wanted to detain that little fellow, how could he have left with such confidence?”
...
Hearing the crowd whispering among themselves, Wei Hongtao smiled indifferently, knowing that he had preserved his face as well as that of the Wei family.
After instructing a Wei family junior to send Zhang Yongshan back to the Zhang family, Wei Hongtao smiled as he addressed the crowd, “It’s rare for everyone to be able to gather, please continue to enjoy yourselves... don’t let that little incident spoil the occasion.”
...
The Shi family mansion.
Tan Zhi, the first young master of the grand Tan family, was able to enter the Shi family mansion freely because he was the nephew of the wife of Shi Yan, the second master of the Shi family.
Even the members of the Shi family who crossed paths with him greeted him warmly and respectfully when they saw him.
“Cousin Shi Yu.”
Tan Zhi went directly to find Shi Yu, the first young master of the Shi family. He went straight to the point in relating the incident that occurred in the back courtyard of the Wei family mansion to Shi Yu in full detail.
“Cousin Shi Yu, that little fellow was too savage... as they say, consider its master before you hit a dog. The way he bullied and humiliated Zhang Yongshan, you must not let him off!”
Tan Zhi did not notice Shi Yu’s expression becoming fouler and fouler, as he spoke angrily, absorbed in himself.
When Tan Zhi paused and was about to continue, Shi Yu shouted coldly, “Enough!”
“Cousin Shi Yu?”
Just then, Tan Zhi finally noticed that something was not normal with Shi Yu’s expression. “You... what’s wrong?”
Shi Yu took in a deep breath and said in a low voice, “Cousin Tan Zhi, don’t go back to that Wei family mansion... I hope Tan Li doesn’t blindly antagonize that youth, otherwise, you will have died for nothing.
As he finished, a look of deep terror flooded Shi Yu’s eyes.
Even after three months, the mention of that youth caused memories of the scene of that youth killing his father Shi Hao to surface in Shi Yu’s mind.
Even his grandfather, the strongest in the Shi family and a level-eight adept of the Qi-gathering, was no match for that youth.
“Hss—”
As Shi Yu finished, Tan Zhi’s expression suddenly changed completely, and he subconsciously let out a cold breath. “Cousin Shi Yu, that youth... where on earth is he from?”
“Cousin Tan Zhi, there are some things that I absolutely cannot tell you about without my grandfather’s permission.”
Shi Yu looked sternly at Tan Zhi and said in a low voice, “You must only remember, do not return to the Wei family mansion today.”
“Go back to the Tan family and wait for Tan Li to return... if Tan Li has provoked that youth and died at the Wei family mansion, he can only blame himself for his misfortune.”
“If you receive news that Tan Li has been killed, tell your father... even my grandfather does not dare offend that youth. Your father will understand when he hears this.”
Shi Yu finished and heaved a long sigh, and he turned around and went back to his room, leaving Tan Zhi staring at his desolate silhouette.
Tan Zhi’s expression changed completely in the instant that Shi Yu finished speaking.
He understood his cousin Shi Yu’s character completely, and he was not someone who would lose out on even the smallest thing... and today, at the mere mention of that youth, his cousin had been like a mouse that had seen a cat.
The important thing was that his cousin Shi Yu had told him even the grand patriarch of the Shi family did not dare offend that youth.
The grand patriarch of the Shi family was a level-eight adept of the Qi-gathering who had led the Shi family to become a grand family five years ago! If not for the restrictions of the imperial court of the country of Yunyang, that grand patriarch of the Shi family had the ability to easily single-handedly wipe out the entire Tan family!
On the way back to the Tan family mansion from the Shi family mansion, Tan Zhi was continuously praying in his heart, “Hopefully Xiao Li did not provoke that youth... even if he did, hopefully that youth will be the bigger man and not be calculative with Xiao Li.”
Now, Tan Zhi finally grasped the severity of the situation.
At the same time, he also felt somewhat regretful that he had brought his third brother Tan Li along to attend the gathering of the scions of the grand families organized by the Wei family. If he had not attended, his third brother Tan Li would not have landed in this dangerous situation.
But... what kind of person is that youth?
Despite a sense of lingering dread, Tan Zhi’s heart was full of curiosity.
...
“Young Mistress Ren, why don’t you return to the Ren family first.”
After they had exited from the main entrance of the Wei family mansion, Zhou Donghuang said to Ren Jiapei who had followed them out, “I... I have some things that I need to say to Zixi in private.”
“Sure.”
Ren Jiapei nodded and exchanged greetings with the young lady beside Zhou Donghuang, then turned and left in the direction of the Ren family mansion.
As she turned, a bitter smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth.
Now, beside Big Brother Zhou and Zixi, she... had already become a third wheel?
“Zixi.”
After Ren Jiapei had left, Zhou Donghuang and the young lady walked shoulder to shoulder for a while before he began speaking with a deep sigh.
“Big Brother Zhou, I’m listening,” the young lady said gently.
“Zixi, actually... actually...”
Once Zhou Donghuang began, he realized he did not quite know how to continue. Now, given the choice, he would rather fight a Petty Consummation adept of the Qi-gathering than reveal his true feelings to the young lady.
“Big Brother Zhou, whatever it is, you can be direct... with me, you shouldn’t have any misgivings.”
The young lady’s smile and considerate look made one feel pity for her.
“Zixi!”
Zhou Donghuang stopped suddenly and looked at the young lady, who had also stopped, and said with a serious expression, “It’s just... towards you, I feel... for now I ... for now I only take you as a younger sister and not... and not...”
Zhou Donghuang paused here, unsure of how to continue.
“Big Brother Zhou, is that all you wanted to tell me?” the young lady asked with a slight smile.
“Hm?”
Seeing that there was no change in the young lady’s expression and she was still maintaining her smile, Zhou Donghuang was momentarily stunned, but then immediately nodded.
“Mm, Big Brother Zhou, Zixi understands.”
The young lady nodded as she acknowledged. “Moreover, as you have also said... it’s only for now.”
This scene caused Zhou Donghuang to be somewhat at a loss because what was actually happening seemed to be quite different from what he had expected.
Shouldn’t the young lady be hurt and upset?
“Big Brother Zhou, I’m rather tired... I’d like to go back and rest.”
The young lady spoke up first after the two of them had walked in silence for a while.
“Sure.”
Zhou Donghuang nodded and immediately returned to the inn with the young lady, and she went straight to her room once they reached the guest courtyard.
Just as Zhou Donghuang heaved a sigh of relief, his acute sense of hearing, sharpened by practicing the Lord of the Four Supremes, picked up a vague sound of sobbing coming from the young lady’s room.
Although the young lady had tried to stifle the sound of her sobs, he could still hear her clearly with his current sense of hearing.
At that moment, the young lady definitely did not know that he could hear her sobbing.
“So, she put on a front just now... it was all a show for me.”
Zhou Donghuang shook his head with a bitter smile. “What a mature girl.”