Chapter 602: 539 Zhongli Yuting’s Interrogation
"Has Zhongli been bullying Xiaoer from your family again?"
After much thought, that was the only possibility.
Zhongli Yuting was aware of Lu Yonghuai’s temperament too, though one was a master of politics and the other, a master of commerce.
He wouldn’t have confronted him without a reason.
Lu Yonghuai took a deep breath,
"You wouldn’t still be unaware of the fact that Xiaoer and your son broke up, would you?"
"..." Zhongli Yuting’s brows furrowed.
"Forget it, in short, I, Lu Yonghuai, and our entire Lu Family, want nothing more to do with your Zhongli Family, so you can spare me the invitations to weddings and funerals."
Having said his piece, Lu Yonghuai hung up the phone.
Zhongli Yuting sat in front of his desk, his narrow eyes dangerously narrowed as he sat in silence for a long while. Then he picked up the phone from the desk and called the housekeeper downstairs,
"Has Wuzhi come back today?"
"...Master, not yet."
"He still hasn’t returned even though my birthday is tomorrow?"
Zhongli Yuting’s anger was visible on his face.
The housekeeper didn’t know what to say for a moment. From the master’s tone, it seemed... Young Master Zhongli had gotten into trouble.
Right at that moment, as the housekeeper in the living room received Zhongli Yuting’s call, he saw Wuzhi coming in from the porch,
"Master, the young master has returned."
The housekeeper had barely finished speaking when he saw that Wuzhi hadn’t returned alone—he was followed by a... woman? A... foreign woman?
He was about to report this to Zhongli Yuting when he heard his voice from the phone,
"Tell him to come to my study, now, immediately!"
"...Yes!"
The housekeeper responded. The master had already hung up, and the housekeeper licked his lips, approaching Wuzhi,
"Second Young Master. You’re back."
"Yeah, Housekeeper Fang."
"That, Second Young Master, the master is in the study, he asks for you to see him immediately."
Wuzhi raised an eyebrow,
"That’s good, I also have something to say to my father."
"..." Housekeeper Fang glanced at Chinian, guessing why Wuzhi was looking for the master.
"Xiao Qi, you wait for me in the living room for a while. I’ll go up to see Father."
Chinian nodded.
Wuzhi told Housekeeper Fang,
"This is Princess Chinian from country M."
"...Princess?" Housekeeper Fang was clearly surprised, his gaze at Chinian instantly filled with respect.
"Yes. I’ll go up first, please take care of Princess Chinian."
"Of course, Second Young Master, rest assured."
Chinian looked at Housekeeper Fang and shyly nodded, signaling that she would be troubling Housekeeper Fang.
Housekeeper Fang hurriedly asked Princess Chinian to sit down.
Wuzhi patted Chinian’s shoulder, directed her to the sofa, and went upstairs to Zhongli Yuting’s study.
He knocked on the door, and from inside came Zhongli Yuting’s somewhat low voice,
"Come in."
Wuzhi pushed open the door and closed it behind him.
"Dad. I’m back, Housekeeper Fang said you had something for me."
"I’m asking you, what’s the deal with you and Xiaoer?"
"...You know already?"
"What do you mean by ’I know already’?" Zhongli Yuting’s brows tightened, "when were you planning on keeping me in the dark?"
"It’s not about hiding anything. I didn’t feel the need to inform you about Xiaoer and me."
"What did you say?"
Zhongli Yuting narrowed his eyes, seemingly not fully grasping Wuzhi’s words.
"Dad, Xiaoer and I broke up."
He took a deep breath and spoke calmly.
"Why?"
Zhongli Yuting looked at him puzzled.
"Dad, there’s no need to be so serious, we weren’t at the stage of discussing marriage."
"Weren’t you serious about Xiaoer?"
Zhongli Yuting looked at Wuzhi,
"When you ran off to Dongheng for her, you spent nearly two months there as a volunteer for earthquake relief, and you rushed to Caesar to save her! Risking your life time and time again, and now you’re telling me that you and her weren’t in a marriageable relationship?"
Wuzhi scratched his head,
"You’ve never cared about my love life before, why the sudden interest..."
"I’m not disinterested, it’s just that those flings you had before weren’t worth my attention."
"Xiaoer is the daughter of the Lu Family. Back then, you also said I should not mingle with the daughters of the Lu Family, didn’t you?"
"At that time, when you went to Caesar on your own for her, I was angry and I spoke in anger. Although Uncle Lu and I clash every time we meet, he is a decent man, and so is his daughter. I thought you were seriously considering settling down with her!"
"Heh, decent people..."
Wuzhi chuckled lightly.
"What’s that attitude for?"
Zhongli Yuting’s brow furrowed deeper, "If it wasn’t for seeing you serious and steady with Xiaoer, I wouldn’t have chosen you as the heir to the corporation."
"..."
Wuzhi looked at Zhongli Yuting, rather surprised. He clearly hadn’t expected that Zhongli Yuting’s choosing him as the heir had anything to do with Xiaoer.
"Not saying anything? What exactly happened between you and Xiaoer? Have you been fooling around again?"
"Dad! In your eyes, am I just a wanton playboy?"
"Isn’t that what you are? ’Anlin’s Number One Casanova,’ isn’t that your nickname?"
"...How do you even know about that?"
Wuzhi muttered, looking away.
Zhongli Yuting narrowed his eyes,
"Don’t beat around the bush, just spit it out."
"It wasn’t me, it was her, she’s the one who got involved with someone else."
Zhongli Wuzhi spoke indifferently.
"You’re full of shit!"
"..."
Zhongli Yuting glared at him, "If it was Lu Xiaoer who got involved with someone else, why would Uncle Lu have any reason to be angry with you?"
"That, you’re asking me? Dad, shouldn’t you be asking the Lu Family?"
"..."
"That’s just the way the Lu Family is, always liking to shift the blame onto others, making themselves look squeaky clean. Huh..."
Zhongli Wuzhi snorted.
Zhongli Yuting took a deep breath; he stared intently at Zhongli Wuzhi, trying to judge whether he was lying or not.
Love was always an unpredictable thing.
If the bond between Zhongli Wuzhi and Lu Xiaoer had indeed come to an end, then even as a father with his own thoughts, it wouldn’t make any difference.
He sighed, feeling it a pity...
"Dad, there’s something else I want to tell you..."
"Go ahead."
Zhongli Yuting stood, leaning slightly against the desk behind him.
"I... plan to marry the Seventh Princess Chinian of the M country."
"Hmm..." Zhongli Yuting responded absently, and after his response, the air in the study turned utterly cold; he looked up in astonishment, his eyes narrowing into a slit just like Zhongli Wuzhi’s—
———
"Dad! Stop hitting! If you want to talk, then talk, why resort to violence?"
Zhongli Wuzhi was beaten all the way out of the study by Zhongli Yuting,
"I knew it was you who betrayed Xiaoer! I knew it, and still, you push the blame onto her, I, Zhongli Yuting, do not acknowledge a son like you!"
"Dad... It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!"
"What do you mean it wasn’t you? You’re even planning to get married, and you still say it wasn’t you!"
"Dad... it was Lu Xiaoer who got with someone else first, that’s why I got together with Princess Chinian. If you don’t believe me, you can go ask Lu Xiaoer."
Zhongli Yuting’s punches followed one after the other, landing on Zhongli Wuzhi without any reservation.
"You want me to go ask Lu Xiaoer? That old man of the Lu Family was cursing me to death on the phone today!"
"..."
"Zhongli Wuzhi, let me tell you, I will definitely look into you and Lu Xiaoer’s affair, and if I find out that you wronged her, just wait and see how I will teach you a lesson!"
Zhongli Yuting raised his hand, looking as if he was about to strike him again.
Just then, Chinian hurried over and immediately blocked in front of Zhongli Wuzhi, then looked at Zhongli Yuting with an anxious, pleading face.
Zhongli Yuting looked at Chinian, who had suddenly appeared, and was even more surprised.
"Dad, she’s Princess Chinian."
"You brought her home?"
Zhongli Yuting was even more astonished.
"Tomorrow’s your birthday, so I thought it would be a good time to bring her home to meet you."
"..."
Zhongli Yuting was at a loss for words.
The person standing in front of him was the Seventh Princess of the M country; at that moment, even if Zhongli Yuting wanted to erupt, he had no choice but to restrain himself.
"You are... Her Highness the Princess?"
Chinian nodded.
Zhongli Yuting looked at Chinian, feeling somewhat uneasy...
The next second, he realized where that discomfort was coming from.
"Her Highness... do you not understand the language of the G country, or..." he narrowed his eyes; Zhongli Yuting was not familiar with the Royal Family of the M country.
But he thought this princess, who was quite attractive, surely couldn’t be...
"Dad, Xiao Qi has been unable to speak since birth, but she understands and knows our country’s language well. Aside from not being able to talk, daily communication and understanding are no problem at all."
Zhongli Wuzhi explained to Zhongli Yuting.
Chinian listened, her expression immediately turning cautious, a mix of worry and fear.
Clearly, she was afraid that she would be rejected by Zhongli Yuting.
But Zhongli Yuting, true to her apprehensions, glared at Zhongli Wuzhi,
"You are truly capable!"
"..."
Chinian pursed her lips, her head nearly retracting into her neck.
"Come with me inside."
After speaking to Zhongli Wuzhi, Zhongli Yuting reentered the study.
Zhongli Wuzhi glanced at Chinian,
"Go and sit down, don’t worry."
After comforting Chinian, Zhongli Wuzhi reentered the study. As soon as he entered, Zhongli Yuting was waiting for him behind the door, lifting his hand to deliver the slap that he hadn’t landed earlier.
With a "smack", the slap resonated with a sharp and accurate sound.
Chinian, waiting outside the door of the study, could hear everything crystal clear.
"Zhongli Wuzhi, there’s a limit to how capricious you can be in your actions!"
"You never really paid much attention to me, you’ve always favored my older brother. Now you want to put on the fatherly act?"
"I’m strict with you because I value you more than your brother!"
"..."
"Look how chaotic the M country is right now! How complicated are its Royal Family affairs? Suddenly, this Princess Chinian appears, and at this very moment, you break it off with Lu Xiaoer!"
"Dad... I know what I’m doing."
"You don’t know."
"..."
"Tell me, do you truly no longer fancy Lu Xiaoer, or are you deliberately using this princess of the M country to upset her?"