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

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

If earlier at Yaqu Pavilion she had seen him, Xie Yanlai could be certain she would jump out to grab him and loudly call his name.

Because she believed she could continue to blackmail him, then have him deliver a letter to her father.

But now, he wasn’t that Xie family young master sitting in a restaurant surrounded by people, bright and glamorous. Although still a Xie family young master, he was being publicly cursed in the streets under众目睽睽, his reputation in tatters, unfit to be human.

At this moment, even a lunatic or fool wouldn’t want to get involved with him.

This damned girl’s brain must be broken!

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

Xie Yanlai glared fiercely at the girl before him. The girl also looked at him.

“So you’re from the Xie family,” she said with a half-smile. “No wonder you kept it hidden.”

At a time like this? She was still talking about this?

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

He looked at her, his phoenix eyes mocking.

“Did all that competing break your brain?”

This brat—still as sharp-tongued as before! Chu Zhao raised her eyebrows.

……

……

The clamor on the street stopped. Countless gazes froze on the young man and girl, not knowing what was happening.

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

Many people whispered inquiries.

This girl wasn’t unknown now, and soon people recognized her.

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

Many people immediately introduced her to those who didn’t know.

“Her father is Chu Ling. You know Chu Ling, right?”

“No. Does that mean she’s also a privileged descendant?”

“Not exactly. Miss Chu is formidable, but it doesn’t have much to do with her father.” “She did some impressive things herself. But her father is also very impressive—it’s a long story to tell—”

“Make it short then.”

The new recruit grabbed Zhang Gu, swaying left and right listening to the various accounts, his eyes shining. Amazing—even a random girl who appeared in this capital had so many stories.

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

“So it’s Miss Chu.” “But why did Miss Chu run out?” “She probably can’t bear to see such bloody scenes, right?” “Girls—the more talented and learned they are, the less they can stand these things.”

The new recruit heard this and strongly agreed, nodding repeatedly. But looking at Zhang Gu beside him, his expression was even stranger, seeming both relieved and more tense, his hands clenched together, even with faint moisture in his eyes—

Zhang Gu didn’t know how to describe his feelings anymore—ups and downs, mixed emotions.

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

The lovers had finally met.

But meeting in such a scene—how sad the girl must be.

The citizens on the street discussed among themselves. The girls upstairs in the restaurant were also shocked.

“She didn’t go down to see more clearly from the street?” Qi Leyun gripped the railing, leaning forward and looking hard, confirming she wasn’t seeing things.

She had been watching the whole time and saw Chu Zhao rush down, rush through the crowd, rush in front of that young man, then spread her arms to shield him, and then that 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, asking everyone’s question: “Does she know this Xie Yanlai?”

Chu Tang covered her face with her hand and said: “What? I didn’t see anything. I don’t know anything either. She hasn’t been in the capital long. She and I aren’t actually that close.”

What? The girls were in an uproar.

What was going on?

If she didn’t know him, 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—he still couldn’t quite see her. That young man was too tall and blocked the view.

At first, he didn’t recognize it was Chu Zhao. Seeing a girl suddenly rush out and raise her hands to shield that young man, he mocked her as some lovesick young girl going crazy—

Everything happened too fast. Before he could see the girl clearly, she was protected in front of that young man.

Until the discussions arose and Chu Zhao’s name spread.

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

How could Chu Zhao protect that beast, that scum, that murderous arsonist Xie family son!

Chu Zhao admired someone like him—of upright birth, both civil and martial, diligent in study, neither proud nor impatient!

That girl definitely wasn’t Chu Zhao, just looked like her, or was another Chu family miss, that one called Chu Tang!

The surrounding discussions and emotional fluctuations seemed to last a long time, but actually only took an instant.

In this instant, the middle-aged man holding the whip was first shocked, then immediately informed by his attendant: “Chu Ling’s daughter.”

Chu Ling’s daughter!

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

“Miss Chu,” he asked gravely. “What are you doing?”

……

……

Chu Zhao withdrew her glare at Xie Yanlai and pushed him aside, standing before 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 descendant who harmed so many lives, or—” He smiled with some deeper meaning, “Do you think unconscionable acts are nothing serious?”

The surrounding citizens were in an uproar. Qi Leyun and the other girls couldn’t bother questioning Chu Tang. Liang Qiang standing by the window clenched his fists—

Xie Yanlai behind the girl sneered: “Deserved it. Looking for trouble yourself.”

His voice could only be heard by the two of them.

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

What a joke. She, Chu Zhao, had died once and just survived a Chu Garden literary gathering. This was nothing but a small scene.

“What I mean is, your Xie family doing this is wrong,” she said. “If you want to punish a descendant who did wrong, just confine him and punish him. Why do it for the world to see?”

The middle-aged man frowned: “This child did evil and ruined our Xie family’s reputation. Of course we must announce it to the world, parade him through the streets. Our Xie family will absolutely not tolerate such behavior. How is this doing it for the world to see? According to Miss Chu, the world doesn’t deserve to see? Our Xie family should close our doors and punish ourselves privately, concealing this matter?”

With that, he cracked the long whip.

“Our Xie family dares to act and take responsibility. We won’t cover up our own failings.”

The surrounding citizens all nodded. Yes, not airing family dirty laundry was what people always did, especially those aristocratic families and powerful nobles. Just imagine if descendants of the Zhao or Yang families did such things—bah, what do you mean “if”? The evil deeds of Zhao and Yang family descendants couldn’t be recorded even with endless writing.

Who had ever seen their families punish them? If victims came to their door, they would instead be beaten away or arrested.

Moreover, how many victims never even had the chance to speak up, but were directly eliminated along with all evidence, roots and all.

The citizens’ expressions were grief-stricken. Thinking this way and looking at the Xie family again, it was truly a heaven and earth difference.

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

The citizens’ expressions became complex. Their gazes at Chu Zhao turned mocking, recalling some old matters. This Miss Chu had also done evil—after beating someone, not only was she not punished, she even ran to their family gate to curse the elders.

Could it be she thought all privileged descendants in the world who did wrong wouldn’t be punished?

Thank goodness there was still the Xie family in this world!

Seeing public sentiment instantly inflamed, Xie Yanlai behind Chu Zhao let out an even louder sneer. Chu Zhao’s expression remained calm.

“Since the Xie family doesn’t conceal this matter, then send him to the authorities. If there’s guilt, judge it accordingly. If he killed people, he should pay with his life. Your Xie family makes such a grand show of parading him through the streets for the world to see—what are you trying to do?”

She turned back to glance at Xie Yanlai and pushed him with her hand.

Xie Yanlai was unprepared and was pushed by this girl, his body turning to show his bare back.

Up close, this blood-soaked back was truly terrifying.

Chu Zhao reached out and touched the vine branches, her fingertip turning red. She held it up before her eyes to examine.

“You let the world see, beat him like this, and the matter is settled?”

“You let the world see, you punished him, and those who died, died in vain?”

“You let the world see, you punished him, and your Xie family’s reputation is perfectly intact?”

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

“Long have I heard that Young Master Xie San has an upright reputation and strictly disciplines family descendants. So this is the method.”

The surrounding clamor paused. The middle-aged man’s mocking expression also instantly froze.

This woman was coming for Young Master Xie San?!