“Really leave?” Gu Meiting was startled.

“Really leave,” Jiang Chen said earnestly.

“Really leave, and apologize to her for nothing? Jiang Chen, is that really all the ambition you have! Let me tell you, I absolutely will not leave!” Gu Meiting couldn’t help growing furious again.

“Fool! I’m laying the groundwork here—it’ll be Han Ziqing driving us out, not your parents. Don’t you understand yet?” Jiang Chen said furiously.

Gu Meiting paused, thought it over for a moment, and then it dawned on her. She was overjoyed at once. “You… you…” she said, raising a thumb. “Jiang Chen, well done! I knew you’d be able to sort this out for me!”

The couple whispered to each other the whole way back, finally returning to the main hall of the residence.

By then, Ziqing sat composed to one side, sipping tea at leisure. The Gu couple and Gu Suying all stood anxiously waiting. The moment they saw Jiang Chen and Gu Meiting’s figures, they were overjoyed!

Ziqing raised an eyebrow, glancing over to see Jiang Chen with his head lowered, expression solemn and silent. She found it almost laughable!

If Jiang Chen had come storming in with genuine fury, she might have found at least a shred of respect for him. But instead, there wasn’t the slightest trace on his face of the anger a man in his position ought to feel!

As for wanting to slap him—that had only ever been about principle. If he actually let her do it, she wouldn’t even bother lowering herself to strike him!

Was this man simply a dog too spineless to even bark? Or was he something even more pathetic than a coward, with not an ounce of backbone left in him?

She’d wait and see.

The room fell silent. The Gu couple had no idea what Jiang Chen and Gu Meiting had discussed between themselves, and for a moment no one dared speak first.

Gu Meiting, too, stayed silent, glancing at Jiang Chen once before finally retreating to the side, looking, for the first time, something like a proper wife and mother.

Jiang Chen stopped before Ziqing, not even lifting his head, and said flatly, “Miss Han, my wife has told me everything about this dispute, in full detail. You wished me to come, and here I am.”

He paused, pressing his lips together, putting on an air of refined composure. Ziqing watched coldly, saying nothing, thinking that every strand of this hypocrite’s hair, from head to toe, seemed to spell out a single word: “pretense.”

Sure enough, Jiang Chen continued, “As for our previous dispute, I’m sure both of you elders can judge for yourselves who was right and who was wrong—I won’t dwell on it. But as for Meiting striking you, whatever the circumstances, that was undeniably Meiting’s fault. On her behalf, on behalf of the entire Jiang family, I offer you a formal, sincere apology!”

With that, he stepped back and bowed deeply and solemnly to Ziqing. “I’m sorry.”

Seeing this, Madam Gu and the Gu family head were secretly delighted. This young man—at the critical moment, he really could rise to the occasion! He really was dependable after all!

After disappointing them so many times, this time he’d truly given them face!

He hadn’t come to argue with Han Ziqing, hadn’t come to demand the two elders sever ties—instead, he’d stayed composed enough to reason things through, to offer an apology. At last, he was showing some real character!

A grown man, humiliated so thoroughly, and yet still able to distinguish right from wrong and come apologize—at the very least, that showed some measure of dignity!

Yet Ziqing remained utterly unmoved, continuing to watch coldly from the sidelines. Let Jiang Chen keep up the act—if he had the ability to maintain it to the very end, she would genuinely let him off today. But if he lacked the ability to sustain it, then he couldn’t blame her for showing no mercy.

Jiang Chen was clearly waiting for Ziqing’s reaction. Though his head stayed lowered, he kept glancing over out of the corner of his eye, but saw no response from Han Ziqing at all.

A flicker of something cunning passed through his eyes. Finally, he slowly lifted his head and looked Ziqing straight in the eye!

But now, his gaze was no longer humble, no longer sincere—instead it was deadly serious, resolute, unyielding as iron. “As for that slap you claim I owe you—forgive me, Jiang Chen, but that I cannot allow.”

Ziqing remained impassive, continuing to watch him perform.

Seeing Ziqing offer no response, Jiang Chen pressed on, still earnest. “And another thing—as for that term ‘live-in husband’ you used, I’d ask that in the future you keep your words a bit cleaner. My marriage to Meiting was a proper, publicly recognized union, known to all of Liuxian Island. Since our marriage, the three of us have lived at the Gu estate, but not as freeloaders—I’ve managed no small share of the Gu family’s holdings on my father-in-law’s behalf, keeping the books perfectly clear these past several years, earning the family a considerable sum, and I’ve never taken a single coin for myself! If you don’t believe me, feel free to ask my father-in-law directly!”

Jiang Chen spoke with tremendous conviction, looking earnestly toward the Gu family head. The Gu family head, shrewd as he was, immediately understood exactly what game Jiang Chen was playing, and nodded at once. “That’s true! Ziqing, calling it a ‘live-in husband’ arrangement really was going too far. As for living in the main residence, there was a reason—the west wing is under renovation, and though this is technically the main residence, the east wing is currently serving as the actual family seat. Yuan’er kicked up a fuss about not wanting to stay in the east wing, so they had no choice but to move here—only temporarily! How could the Gu family ever allow a live-in husband arrangement!”

Ziqing let all this absurdity wash over her like wind past her ears. Just earlier, the Gu family head himself had, in front of her, warned Gu Meiting about all the private wealth Jiang Chen had been siphoning off. This truly was a family of one mind—every one of them could twist black into white!

She’d seen through Jiang Chen’s scheme even before the Gu family head had. She still said nothing, continuing to sip her tea.

Jiang Chen took a deep breath and continued, striking the pose of a man who could not be corrupted by wealth, could not be swayed by poverty, could not be bowed by force.

“Han Ziqing, where I was wrong, I, Jiang Chen, absolutely apologize—right and wrong must be made clear. But as for slanderous, insulting words—though I, Jiang Chen, come from ordinary origins, I have never coveted wealth or glory. Though I am an ordinary man, I can still support my own wife and child. In my work for the Gu family, I have been entirely honest, seeking nothing for myself—only hoping to show filial devotion to my parents-in-law, to share their burdens!”

His speech rang with righteous grandeur, passionate and stirring—anyone who didn’t know better might have truly believed him a paragon of loyalty and filial devotion.

Having finished, his chest still heaved dramatically, as though he hadn’t yet managed to calm himself.

Yet Ziqing calmly finished her tea, only then turning her gaze to look at him properly, and said flatly, “And then?”

And then?

Keep pretending. Go on, keep pretending.

Ziqing’s words stopped Jiang Chen cold. He’d expected her to argue back, expected the fighting to erupt all over again—he hadn’t at all expected her to simply toss out this question: “And then?”

How was he supposed to answer that!

“There’s no ‘and then,’ Han Ziqing, that’s it! Jiang Chen, Father, Mother, we’re leaving!” Gu Meiting suddenly shouted furiously—clearly trying to make an escape!

Jiang Chen finally came back to himself, masking the panic in his eyes, continuing his air of righteous grandeur. “Han Ziqing, since you’re so bothered by us staying temporarily in the main residence, we’ll move out at once. If you consider our staying with the Gu family to be some kind of ‘live-in husband’ arrangement, then fine—we’ll leave today. I don’t like there being any misunderstanding between us!”

At this, Madam Gu’s heart clenched painfully. How could she bear to let them go!

She was about to speak when Jiang Chen continued, “But if you’re trying to force my father-in-law and mother-in-law to disown their own daughter and son-in-law, to cut ties entirely—I’m sorry, but that is absolutely out of the question! I’ve apologized for what was wrong. If you still won’t acknowledge us as your sister and brother-in-law, then we’ll simply have to accept that.”

At last, Jiang Chen’s true colors showed!

He could easily afford the inconvenience of not living at the Gu estate—but as long as he didn’t sever ties with the two elders, he could still enjoy everything the Gu family had to offer. He could even come visit as a guest every single day!

Hearing this, Madam Gu couldn’t help but feel a surge of delight. What a clever plan! Jiang Chen had finally, for once, shown some real wisdom and understanding!

Strike first with courtesy, then with force—separating the two elders from Han Ziqing entirely, sparing them from having to choose sides!

Even if ties with Han Ziqing were cut, they’d still maintain their connection to the two elders. And even if the entire Gu family estate eventually passed into Jun Beiyue’s hands, Beiyue would have no reason to abandon his own parents-in-law, nor any right to dictate who they chose to associate with!

But just as everyone was secretly rejoicing, Ziqing finally rose slowly to her feet and said coldly, “This princess consort really has no interest in the two of you.”

Jiang Chen didn’t seem to mind, showing no anger, laughing generously and gracefully instead. “People come together by fate—it can’t be forced. As you wish!”

With that, putting on a show of great dignity, as if afraid no one would hear him, he called out loudly, “My dear, pack our things. We’re leaving right away!”

“I won’t see you out,” Ziqing said politely enough, even narrowing her eyes into a faint smile.

Jiang Chen smiled graciously back. But just as he turned to leave, he heard Ziqing add lazily, “Shiliang, keep watch at the gate at the bottom of the mountain. Whatever gets carried out of this household, question it thoroughly—find out exactly whose it is. Guxi, go fetch the estate’s accountant. I want to personally review every single account under the Gu family’s name.”

Ziqing turned to look earnestly at the Gu couple and said, “You two—Jiang Chen and his family have lived here for six years. Though he claims to come from ordinary origins, as he himself said, he’s clearly eloquent, principled, and possesses no small measure of pride. Surely such a man is destined for great things one day. I think, while he’s leaving now, it would be best to review the accounts thoroughly, and best to inventory everything he plans to take with him as well—so that later, once he’s achieved success, no one can accuse him of having enriched himself off the Gu family!”

Ziqing said this without even glancing at the ashen-faced Jiang Chen and Gu Meiting, ignoring the Gu couple’s complicated expressions entirely, and continued, “A man of such spotless integrity, such filial devotion as Jiang Chen—it would be a terrible injustice if he were ever slandered or suspected again.”

The moment she finished speaking, the entire room fell silent. Ziqing looked patiently toward the Gu couple and asked, “Shall we?”

Those two words—”shall we”—were unmistakably a threat!

If they didn’t audit the accounts today, both the Gu family head and Madam Gu understood perfectly well that Han Ziqing would forever hold this over them, using it to destroy them whenever she pleased in the future.

But if they audited everything today, seized every last asset, then Jiang Chen truly would walk out with nothing but empty hands! Given Gu Meiting’s temperament, how could she possibly bear that?

Yet, caught in this impossible dilemma, the Gu couple had no choice but to decide. They understood full well—things had already escalated to the point of nearly cutting ties with their own daughter, and now that the relationship had barely been salvaged, they should be grateful for that alone. As for everything else, they simply couldn’t afford to worry about it anymore.

The Gu family head waved a hand. “Audit it, then. Better to have it all clear, so there’s no more misunderstanding later.”

“Father!” Gu Meiting cried out.

“What, not brave enough?” Ziqing said, looking provocatively at Jiang Chen, whose face had gone entirely pale, thinking coldly to herself—keep pretending, go ahead, keep pretending your ancestors’ glory.

At that moment, Jiang Chen’s mind was consumed entirely by thoughts of those account books, those boxes of silver notes he’d thought so perfectly hidden—all of it stashed beneath his bed.

With the Gu family head himself having spoken, what choice did he have left?

Keeping up appearances came at a price, and now he had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep playing the part. “…Fine. All right…”

He didn’t even dare imagine what awaited him and Gu Meiting once they returned to the Jiang family!