章節 220: Chapter 220 Think Twice Before Acting
Chu Yuxuan calmly placed another bottle of wine under the bed. He then took hold of his grandfather's hand, observing the deep wrinkles and sparse age spots on the old man's skin. He murmured, "Old man… look at these hands that once conquered the world, now they are nothing but skin and bones, like withered branches. It's hard to imagine them doing anything, let alone conquering the world."
If these words had come from someone else, they might have been interpreted as a subtle hint that the old man was nearing the end of his reign and should step aside. However, when Chu Yuxuan said it, his grandfather showed no sign of suspicion. Instead, he sighed and said, "Are you still blaming me?"
"Grandfather hitting his grandson is natural. What's there to blame?" Chu Yuxuan replied with a faint smile.
After a pause, he added, "Besides, you at least had some restraint when you hit me. It's the others who really dealt me a hard blow."
"Still blaming me," the old man said hoarsely, trying to lift himself with his hands on the bed. He was too weak to manage it on his own and needed Chu Yuxuan's assistance to find a more comfortable position. He gazed at the ceiling and continued, "When you were young, you were different from other children. You were unusually calm and patient, wise without being ostentatious, and you loved reading. I still remember clearly that when you were twelve, your father bought you a set of 'Twenty-Four Histories'. It was all in classical Chinese, and you managed to read through the entire set. Whenever you didn't understand something, you would ask others and stubbornly finish the whole set."
A hint of nostalgia appeared in Chu Xiaotian's dim eyes. After a few coughs, he continued, "As the saying goes, 'To read history is to understand one's ambition.' Your depth of character and disposition are all related to this. At that time, I really wanted to train you to be the successor of the Chu family. But you… you only harbored resentment towards the Chu family! Do you remember when I first hit you?"
Chu Yuxuan lowered his head, lightly picking at an age spot on his grandfather's hand, and pondered, "When I was eight?"
The old man glared at him sideways. "You remember clearly but still pretend to be contemplative. Ah, your nature is already deeply ingrained and cannot be changed. The reason I hit you back then was because of your exam results."
Chu Yuxuan muttered, "I know. I scored over seventy in Chinese and got punished by you."
"Spending all day buried in books and still having such poor exam results is not just ignorance, it's a kind of small cleverness. Hmph. At such a young age, you already knew how to hide your shortcomings, making the Chu family feel like walking on thin ice with you. I really didn't want you to learn to exhaust yourself at an inappropriate age, but you never listened to good advice and never corrected yourself!"
After saying this, the old man sighed again, raised his eyebrows, and shook his head lightly. "Your father was always a shrewd person. Look at him now; I have to respect him to some extent. Family shouldn't be like this."
"Family…" Chu Yuxuan said with a faint smile, "This term sounds quite familiar."
Chu Xiaotian gave him a sidelong glance and stopped mentioning the past. He smiled and said, "You were never childlike when you were young. Now, as you approach thirty, you still have childish behavior. Heh… Even pretending to be a grandson requires some thought. Do you really think I'm so blind that I can't see through you?"
"I never intended to deceive you," Chu Yuxuan said openly.
"So, were you just brushing off your father? Or were you always aiming at the big and second houses when you returned to the Chu family?" Chu Xiaotian asked.
"That's something you should ask your younger son," Chu Yuxuan replied nonchalantly.
"I know you're probably not interested in the Chu family business and came back to investigate matters from ten years ago. What did you do abroad? Hmm? After you were kidnapped, what happened?" Chu Xiaotian asked.
Chu Yuxuan countered with a question, "Did you ever investigate my kidnapping? Or even consider rescuing me?"
The old man's gaze was deep and honest. "No. The moment you resolutely left the Chu family with your mother, you were no longer my grandson."
Chu Yuxuan smirked. "Well, that sounds like you."
The two remained silent for a moment. Then Chu Xiaotian abruptly asked, "Is the person named Cao related to your mother's death?"
Chu Yuxuan shook his head. "No."
"Then what's this story you and your grandfather are spinning?" Chu Xiaotian said in a deep voice. "You love reading history books, so you should know that in ancient times, conspiring against the court would lead to the annihilation of nine generations!"
Chu Yuxuan played dumb. "I don't have such ability. Chu Zhiqing said it was a suicide, and I thought that the great traitor must have had a moment of conscience, felt ashamed of his ancestors and the heavens, and no longer wanted to live."
Faced with this mockery, Chu Xiaotian did not press further. He knew his younger son had deep connections with Cao and had a significant impact on the acquisition of the Ye family. Given Chu Zhiqing's shrewd nature, it was impossible for him to be swayed by his father's iron hand. The reasons behind it were not hard to guess.
Since the matter was settled, there was no need to pursue it further. He only warned Chu Yuxuan, "You may not be interested in the Chu family, but don't harm it. Think twice before acting in the future."
In fact, ever since Chu Yuxuan returned to the Chu family and the old man's first display of anger, he had sensed that the old man was well aware of his intentions for coming back. The old man's punishment was merely for show, to divert attention from him and give him the energy and time he needed. In the end, it was an acknowledgment of his intent to seek revenge.
Thus, when the old man left with Chu Li that day, Chu Yuxuan's complex gaze at his back made sense. From their first meeting, it was clear that the two didn't get along. Yet, who would have thought that within the entire Chu family, the person who understood the old man the most, who could communicate silently with him, was actually Chu Yuxuan, the illegitimate son?
"Let me have another sip. It's been a while since I had any wine," Chu Xiaotian murmured.
Chu Yuxuan grinned, took out the wine, and poured a capful. "Drink up. Just don't blame me if you end up dead."
"You little b*st*rd… don't be so rude in the future," Chu Xiaotian said as he took the wine, sipping it gently, and refrained from asking further questions.
"Of course, ancestor…" Chu Yuxuan nodded and smiled. He wanted to ask about the Tianji Society, but seeing how ill the old man looked, he feared that bringing up past matters might provoke him further. Besides, after so many years, the old man probably knew little about the current state of the Tianji Society. If he were aware, he wouldn't have allowed it to resurface. So, Chu Yuxuan refrained from speaking.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票