Xie Yanlai knew how crazy this girl could be—previously beating people, stealing money, disguising herself and putting on acts, and later challenging the Third Prince with that Chu Garden literary gathering.

But this girl wasn’t a reckless brute—she was cunning and knew how to assess situations.

If she had seen him earlier in Yaqu Pavilion, Xie Yanlai was certain she would have jumped out to grab him and loudly called his name.

Because she believed she could continue to threaten him and have him deliver messages to her father at her bidding.

But now, he was no longer the brilliantly dressed Xie family young master being surrounded with admiration in a restaurant. Though still a Xie family young master, he was being publicly cursed in the streets, his reputation in tatters, beyond redemption.

At such a time, not even a madwoman or a fool would want to be associated with him.

This wretched girl’s mind must have broken!

Wouldn’t it be better to watch from upstairs and wait for another opportunity, if she still wanted to use him?

Xie Yanlai glared fiercely at the girl in front of him, and she looked back at him.

“So you’re from the Xie family,” she said with an ambiguous smile. “No wonder you were hiding it.”

What time was it for this? She was still talking about that?

“Chu—” Xie Yanlai lowered his voice, gritting his teeth. “You rushed out here just to tell me this?”

He looked at her, his phoenix eyes mocking.

“Has all that competition damaged your brain?”

This boy, still as sharp-tongued as before! Chu Zhao raised an eyebrow.

…

…

The clamor in the street stopped, countless gazes fixed on the young man and the girl, not understanding what was happening.

“Who is this?” “Is she this young master’s sister?” “His wife?”

Many people whispered inquiries.

This girl was no longer unknown, and soon someone recognized her.

“It’s Miss Chu.” “The Miss Chu from the Chu Garden literary gathering.” “Who is she?” “She’s quite formidable.”

Many quickly introduced her to those who didn’t know.

“Her father is Chu Li. Do you know Chu Li?”

“No, does that mean she’s also a child of privilege?”

“Not really. Miss Chu is formidable in her own right, not because of her father. Although her father is also remarkable—but that’s a long story—”

“Just give us the short version.”

The newcomer grabbed Zhang Gu, swaying back and forth as he listened to the fragmented accounts, his eyes shining with excitement. How amazing—even a random girl who appeared in the capital had so many stories.

At first, he had thought she was this young man’s lover.

“So it’s the Chu girl.” “But why did Miss Chu rush out?” “Perhaps she couldn’t bear such a bloody scene?” “Girls, especially the scholarly ones, can’t stand these things.”

The newcomer heard this and strongly agreed, nodding repeatedly. But looking at Zhang Gu beside him, his expression had become even stranger, seeming both relieved and more tense, his hands clenched together, and there even seemed to be a hint of moisture in his eyes—

Zhang Gu didn’t know how to describe his feelings—dramatic ups and downs, a mixture of emotions.

He hadn’t expected Miss Chu to be here too.

Lovers finally meet.

But meeting in such circumstances—how distressing for the girl.

The people on the street discussed heatedly, and the girls in the restaurant were also shocked.

“She didn’t just go down to get a clearer view from the street?” Qi Leyun gripped the railing and leaned out to look intently, making sure she wasn’t seeing things.

She had been watching continuously, saw Chu Zhao rush down, push through the crowd, rush to the young man’s front, then spread her arms to shield him. Then, the young man turned around and protected Chu Zhao in front of him.

The girls instantly fell silent.

Qi Leyun turned to look at Chu Tang, voicing everyone’s question: “Does she know this Xie Yanlai?”

Chu Tang raised her hand to cover her face, saying: “What? I didn’t see anything, and I don’t know anything! She hasn’t been in the capital long, and we’re not that close.”

What? The girls erupted in an uproar.

What was going on?

If they didn’t know each other, what was Chu Zhao doing?

The young gentlemen by the window were also stunned. Liang Qiang held his teacup motionless, looking at the girl on the street in disbelief, though he couldn’t see her clearly since the young man was too tall and blocking the view.

At first, he hadn’t recognized Chu Zhao. When he saw a girl suddenly rush out, extending her hands to shield that young man, he had mocked her as some lovesick girl gone mad—

Everything happened too quickly. Before he could see the girl, she had been protected in front of that young man.

It wasn’t until the discussions arose and Chu Zhao’s name was mentioned.

“This is impossible!” he said through gritted teeth, staring intently at the two on the street.

How could Chu Zhao go protect that beast, that disgrace of the Xie family, who killed people and set fires?

Chu Zhao admired gentlemen like himself—of pure birth, accomplished in both civil and military arts, hardworking, studious, neither arrogant nor impetuous!

That girl surely wasn’t Chu Zhao, but someone who looked like her, or another Miss Chu from the Chu family, the one called Chu Tang!

The surrounding discussions and emotions seemed to fluctuate for a long time, but it was only a moment.

In this moment, the middle-aged man holding the whip was first shocked, then immediately informed by his follower behind: “Daughter of Chu Li.”

Daughter of Chu Li!

The middle-aged man looked at the girl protected in front of the young man.

“Miss Chu,” he asked in a deep voice, “what are you doing?”

…

…

Chu Zhao withdrew her gaze from glaring at Xie Yanlai, pushed him aside, and stood in front of the middle-aged man.

“I think what you’re doing is wrong,” she said.

Wrong?

The middle-aged man laughed in disbelief: “What does Miss Chu mean? Do you think it’s wrong for us to punish a family member who has caused so many deaths, or—” he smiled with a hint of deeper meaning, “do you think that offending heaven and reason isn’t a serious matter?”

The surrounding crowd burst into commotion. Qi Leyun and the other girls no longer bothered to question Chu Tang. Liang Qiang, standing by the window, clenched his fist—

Xie Yanlai sneered behind the girl: “Serves you right, looking for trouble.”

His voice was only audible to the two of them.

Chu Zhao ignored him and didn’t care about the surrounding commotion. She wasn’t angered by the middle-aged man’s provocation either.

What a joke—she, Chu Zhao, had died once and had just weathered the Chu Garden literary gathering. This was merely a small scene.

“What I mean is that your Xie family is doing this wrong,” she said. “If you want to punish a family member who has done wrong, just lock him up and punish him. Why make a show for the public?”

The middle-aged man frowned: “This son has done evil, tarnishing the Xie family’s reputation. Of course, we must announce it to the world, parade him through the streets. We of the Xie family will never tolerate such behavior. How is this ‘making a show’? According to Miss Chu, are the common people unworthy of seeing this? Should the Xie family close its doors, punish in private, and conceal this matter?”

With that, he cracked his whip.

“We of the Xie family dare to face our actions and won’t hide our faults.”

The surrounding crowd nodded in agreement. Yes, keeping family shame private was what people typically did, especially those noble and powerful families. Imagine if it were a son of the Zhao or Yang family who had done such a thing—pah, what “if”? The misdeeds of the Zhao and Yang family sons were too numerous to record.

Who had ever seen those families punish their own? When victims came to their doors, they would be driven away or arrested.

And how many victims never had the chance to speak out, directly eliminated to destroy the evidence?

The people’s expressions turned indignant. Thinking this way and looking at the Xie family, the difference was like heaven and earth.

Yet this Miss Chu dared to say the Xie family was doing wrong!

The people’s expressions became complex, their gazes toward Chu Zhao turning to mockery. They recalled some past events—this Miss Chu had also done wrong, beaten someone, not only without punishment, but even went to the person’s home to berate the elders.

Perhaps she thought that all privileged children who did wrong would escape punishment?

Thankfully, there was still the Xie family in this world!

Seeing the sudden surge of public outrage, Xie Yanlai let out an even louder sneer behind Chu Zhao, but she remained calm.

“If the Xie family isn’t concealing this matter, then send him to the officials. Let crimes be judged as crimes, a life for a life. Why is your Xie family making such a grand parade through the streets for the public to see? What are you trying to do?”

She turned back to look at Xie Yanlai and pushed him.

Caught off guard, Xie Yanlai was turned around by the girl, revealing his bare, blood-covered back.

Up close, this bloody back was truly horrifying.

Chu Zhao reached out to touch the thorny bindings, her fingers turning red. She raised them before her eyes to examine.

“After letting the public see this, beating him once, is the matter settled?”

“After letting the public see this, after you’ve punished him, are the dead simply forgotten?”

“After letting the public see this, is your Xie family’s reputation completely undamaged?”

At this point, she looked at the middle-aged man and smiled.

“I’ve long heard that Third Young Master Xie is righteous and clear in reputation, strict in disciplining family members. So this is his method.”

The surrounding clamor paused, and the middle-aged man’s mocking expression instantly froze.

This woman was coming for Third Young Master Xie?!