章節 32: Chapter 32 the heartbroken old father
After sitting on the sofa for a long time, Zhao Yanan's emotions finally settled down. She took a sip of the water handed to her by the maid and then picked up her bag, ready to go home.
The maid quickly tried to dissuade her, "Young Madam, you..."
"Don't call me that!" Zhao Yanan interrupted, walking resolutely towards the door.
Just as she reached the entrance, Chu Zhiqing happened to lift the curtain and walk in.
"Nannan, what's going on... Did that little brat bully you again?"
Zhao Yanan sniffled, her face cold, "Uncle Zhiqing, I want to go home."
Chu Zhiqing smacked his lips, "It's New Year's, it's so late already, why go home? Come, come, chat with me for a while."
"No, I really want to go home," Zhao Yanan insisted stubbornly.
"You child…" Chu Zhiqing frowned, glanced at the maid standing behind Zhao Yanan, and said, "You can leave now."
He then gently pushed his daughter-in-law towards the living room, "Girl, I know you've been wronged, come, don't rush, I have something to tell you."
Zhao Yanan couldn't refuse Chu Zhiqing's authority, so she sat down on the sofa with him.
"Girl, do you really hate Zixuan?" Chu Zhiqing asked first.
Zhao Yanan pressed her lips tightly together, not responding. It wasn't just hate—she sometimes wanted to kill him.
"Sigh... You've been deceived by him. He's doing this on purpose to make you hate him," Chu Zhiqing said earnestly.
Zhao Yanan lifted her eyelids, giving him a puzzled look.
"You don't know, but Zixuan had a tough childhood," Chu Zhiqing continued. "He grew up with his mother until he was six years old before I brought him back. Living in the Chu family as an illegitimate child, it seemed like he was part of the family on the surface, but in reality, he was always an outsider."
Zhao Yanan listened, confused.
"When he was young, he was often bullied, especially by his grandfather, who would hit him at every opportunity. I once asked him if he hated the Chu family, and guess what he said?"
Zhao Yanan shook her head.
"He said, 'As an outsider in the Chu family, I always felt uneasy, like I was taking advantage of you all, and often felt guilty. But when you bully me, I don't feel that way anymore; instead, I feel justified. Anyway, I won't stay in the Chu family in the future, so I'll repay my guilt with my hatred.'"
Zhao Yanan was baffled, "What kind of logic is that? I don't understand."
"It's simple," Chu Zhiqing said with a smile. "Let me ask you, do you feel that your Zhao family owes me a lot, so you always feel uncomfortable around me and keep any difficulties to yourself?"
Zhao Yanan bit her lip, not denying it.
"But Zixuan is different. He often torments you, so you don't feel guilty about bothering him. As he said, he's repaying guilt with resentment. It's a subconscious psychological process that you probably haven't noticed. In short, the boy just wants to make you feel better so you don't always feel indebted to the Chu family."
Hearing this explanation, Zhao Yanan was stunned.
Thinking back to Chu Yuxuan's behavior during this period, aside from tonight, he hadn't really done anything outrageous to her—at most, just some sharp words that made her angry. Even tonight, all he did was hug her...
Seeing her daughter-in-law's skepticism, Chu Zhiqing laughed and continued, "Don't be fooled by his carefree personality now. When he was a child, he was very quiet, either practicing calligraphy or reading books every day, especially history books. His deep thoughts have a lot to do with his love of history."
"Loves reading and writing?" Zhao Yanan's expression almost screamed, "Are you talking about the same man who indulges in debauchery every day?"
"I'm not lying to you," Chu Zhiqing said, sighing. "If it weren't for that incident... Ah, forget it, I won't talk about it." Zhao Yanan knew from her investigations that Chu Yuxuan had disappeared for seven or eight years. The "incident" must have been the reason for his disappearance.
Although she was somewhat curious, she wasn't particularly interested in what happened.
Instead, she was more intrigued by the "deep thoughts" that Chu Zhiqing mentioned.
If he really was so thoughtful, how could he speak so recklessly? How could he openly date celebrities and internet influencers? On such an important day, how could he get so drunk? Calling him an idiot would be more fitting...
As she thought about it, Zhao Yanan suddenly realized something, "He... was pretending to be drunk tonight? Did he say all those things on purpose?"
At the start, Chu Yuxuan had appeared drunk, but after she slashed him, his drunkenness suddenly vanished—clearly, he had been pretending. Little did she know, the playboy had just been so startled by her extreme reaction that he forgot to keep up the act.
"You figured it out?" Chu Zhiqing chuckled. "Actually, he's been hiding his true self since the day he entered the Chu family."
Zhao Yanan could easily guess, "It's... to fight for the family inheritance?"
Chu Chuantian was now in his twilight years, his health declining daily. The three children under him had long since made their intentions clear, and the fight for the inheritance had become an open secret.
This was a trial that most wealthy families had to endure—family affection becoming a tool for schemes in the face of massive interests.
Chu Zhiqing nodded and lowered his voice, "A gentleman hides his talents and acts at the right time. The more reckless he appears now, the safer he is. My sister, who has been domineering for most of her life, will only focus on Chu Haoran. Hehe... Let them fight it out first; Yuxuan will make his move at the right time!"
Speaking of domineering, the second princess of the Chu family was certainly unmatched. Leaving aside other matters, just the fact that she had ruthlessly forced her husband and mother-in-law to their deaths was enough to earn her the label of a tyrant.
"Moreover," Chu Zhiqing continued, "No one knows their child better than the parent. I can tell you for sure that he was late and drunk tonight not just to act reckless, but also for your sake. You have a cold temperament and must feel awkward and uncomfortable dealing with our family, especially since his aunt is known for her sharp tongue, and her words can be quite hurtful. So, if it weren't for you, he wouldn't have been late. Knowing his personality, he would have come early and scolded everyone in the Chu family by now."
Zhao Yanan found it hard to accept all this.
In her impression, the shameless, lewd man actually had such a meticulous side to him?
Seeing his daughter-in-law deep in thought, Chu Zhiqing decided to stop pushing, "Nannan, now that we've talked it out, you're not still thinking of going home, are you? Hehe... Just stay here, otherwise, the old man will be upset. You should pay him a visit tomorrow... Oh, and from now on, don't call me 'uncle' anymore. Call me 'Dad,' okay? I really see you as my daughter-in-law!"
This old father had indeed worried himself sick over his son's marriage. Seeing Zhao Yanan's awkward expression, he quickly changed his tune, "No, no, I mean 'my dear daughter!'"
Some things couldn't be rushed.
"I understand, D... Dad," Zhao Yanan said awkwardly.
Chu Zhiqing stood up, grinning, "Good! Good! Now go get some rest. It's late, and I won't bother you anymore!"
Due to the unfamiliar environment and her heavy thoughts, Zhao Yanan tossed and turned until late at night before she finally fell asleep.
When she woke up, it was already past nine, nearly ten o'clock.
Sleeping so late on her first stay at her "in-law's" house made Zhao Yanan's back break out in a cold sweat.
The more prestigious the family, the more they valued decorum. Moreover, she was married to a disfavored illegitimate child, so she should have been treading carefully.
After a quick wash, this beautiful CEO nervously opened the door and peeked out. The hallway was empty, and the whole house was quiet.
"Looks like those two aren't here?" Zhao Yanan breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out of the room, considering whether to call Chu Zhiqing. Since it was already so late, maybe she could skip paying respects to the old man today?
Finding an excuse to slip away from this place of trouble seemed like the right move.
However, just as she reached the stairs, she suddenly froze. In the living room, Chu Zhiqing, his son, and a blonde-haired, blue-eyed little doll were kneeling in a row, neatly lined up. Opposite them, the elderly Chu Chuantian sat solemnly on the sofa, his face full of icy sternness.
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