Chapter 7: How Did I End Up Looking Like This?
Zheng Feiyu hurriedly dodged but still got slapped on the shoulder by Ye Hong, the pain causing him to grit his teeth. He couldn’t help but push her away. Ye Hong stumbled and fell flat on her bottom.
She simply sat down and refused to get up, pounding her legs as she wept loudly. “Someone help! The Zheng family and the Liu family teamed up to kill my daughter! And now they’re bullying me, a widow! It’s unjust! It’s completely unfair!”
Hidden in the shadows, Zhou Ying’s eyes were bloodshot with hatred as she glared at Zheng Feiyu, eager to reveal herself and kill him. Yet, fearing Nan Yuanman and Zhang Shimian’s presence, she held back.
Zheng Feiyu was stunned. After awkwardly apologizing, he finally said, “Auntie, please be reasonable. Don’t throw accusations around. How could the Zheng family possibly have killed your daughter?”
“How’s that impossible? Old Master Zheng, ignorant as he is, helped that scoundrel Liu Hanfei arrange the match! That’s what killed my daughter!” Ye Hong’s eyes were red with tears as she said bitterly, “If it weren’t for Old Master Zheng arranging the match, I would never have married Zhou Ying to that bastard!”
Being insulted repeatedly and humiliated in front of others, Liu Hanfei’s expression darkened. “Aunt Ye, you need evidence when you speak!”
He put on a righteous face. “I conduct myself with integrity. There’s no way I would harm anyone!”
He locked eyes with Ye Hong, his tone softening but laced with warning. “Ying’er is already gone. You’re her mother; you wouldn’t want her to leave in unrest, would you?”
“She still cared for you, and for her younger siblings, before she passed.”
Ye Hong, though honest, wasn’t foolish. She caught the warning in Liu Hanfei’s voice. Thinking of her deceased eldest daughter and her three other children, her sorrow deepened.
She didn’t dare to confront them further. Shaking, she stood up unsteadily, pointed at Liu Hanfei and Zheng Feiyu, and hissed, “You will get your comeuppance! You definitely will!”
With that, she covered her face and staggered away.
Liu Hanfei glanced apologetically at Zheng Feiyu. “Sorry, my mother-in-law’s been mentally disturbed since my wife’s death. Please forgive her offense.”
His courteous attitude slightly eased Zheng Feiyu’s expression. “It’s alright.”
Liu Hanfei studied Zheng Feiyu and Jiang Lixuan discreetly. “You must be the Zheng family here to pay respects to Old Master Zheng, right? Why don’t you come along?”
Zheng Feiyu had initially wanted to decline, but recalling Ye Hong’s words about the matchmaking, he agreed. “Sure.”
Nan Yuanman, having watched the scene, didn’t plan to go with them and turned to head back to the courtyard.
Just as she took a step, her collar was suddenly grabbed, and she was lifted off the ground.
“???” Yuanman looked at Jiang Lixuan, bewildered. “What are you doing?”
“I’m your uncle and guardian. To prevent you causing trouble at the Zhengs’, you’re staying with me today,” Jiang Lixuan declared firmly.
Yuanman protested unhappily, “I’m not a bad kid! Why would I cause trouble?!”
“That’s not up to you,” Jiang Lixuan chuckled. “Besides, Aunt Ye said you have a ‘record.’”
“Come on, let’s go with us.”
He subdued Yuanman’s struggle and led her toward the Zheng family.
Yuanman scowled, arms crossed tightly over her chest, pouting in silence the entire way.
Zheng Feiyu subtly questioned Liu Hanfei, “By the way, Aunt Ye mentioned that my grandfather arranged the match between you and Zhou Ying. What’s the truth?”
“Nothing much. It was when I went home to pay respects to ancestors. I fell for Ying’er at first sight and asked Old Master Zheng to arrange the match.”
Liu Hanfei sighed mournfully. “I thought since Old Master Zheng was respected in the village, having him arrange it would show how much I valued Ying’er. I never expected…”
He shook his head sadly. “Ying’er’s gone, and so is Old Master Zheng. Fate is cruelly unpredictable.”
Zhang Shimian looked at Liu Hanfei with a complex expression. “I see your bone age is about thirty-five, while Zhou Ying was barely twenty. Really…”
Neither Liu Hanfei nor Old Master Zheng had been wise. A man in his thirties courting a girl not yet twenty? That was nothing short of an old bull chasing a young cow!
This whole match was truly improper.
Liu Hanfei chuckled awkwardly. “Men’s age can be a burden, you know.”
Jiang Lixuan snorted without a word.
Nan Yuanman curled her lips disdainfully.
Seeing her expression, Jiang Lixuan couldn’t resist pinching her cheek. “What’s that look?”
“It’s contempt,” Yuanman whispered. “That man is steeped in sin, full of lies. Zhou Ying’s death is closely tied to him.”
Zhang Shimian’s ears twitched as he slowed his pace, lowering his voice. “How do you know that?”
Looking at Liu Hanfei’s face, he saw no obvious villainy, though the marital palace was sunken.
He stared at Yuanman in surprise—how did this five-year-old already read faces and divine fortunes?
Yuanman looked back, puzzled. “Just by looking. Is it that hard?”
Hard? Zhang Shimian was speechless.
He despised innate talent.
During their chat, the group arrived again at the Zheng family’s mourning hall.
After a night had passed, the hall had returned to normal, and the Zheng family members who came to pay respects seemed unaware of what had happened last night.
Only Aunt Ye’s expression remained sour.
Yuanman kept silent, slipping away from Jiang Lixuan’s grasp to crouch in a corner, trying hard to hide herself.
Jiang Lixuan followed closely.
Zheng Feiyu took Liu Hanfei inside to pay respects.
When Liu Hanfei bowed to Old Master Zheng and prepared to light three incense sticks, two snapped in half unexpectedly.
Aunt Ye and Zheng Feiyu’s faces changed drastically.
Liu Hanfei’s complexion darkened as he forced a calm tone. “Perhaps Old Master is upset I didn’t return sooner to pay respects. Sorry, Grandfather, I’m late.”
He dared not light incense again, only bowing deeply.
After the ceremony, Liu Hanfei left without lingering.
Zheng Feiyu wanted to follow, but he was haunted by the feeling that Liu Hanfei was deeply involved in Zhou Ying’s death.
Aunt Ye grabbed his arm. “Feiyu, come help.”
“I have something to do,” Zheng Feiyu said anxiously, trying to pull free, but Aunt Ye’s grip only tightened.
“Nothing’s more important than your grandfather! Come light some gold ingots for him personally, so he’ll have money in the afterlife!”
Zheng Feiyu couldn’t break free despite his struggles and reluctantly followed Aunt Ye.
He wasn’t foolish—he could tell Aunt Ye didn’t want him near Liu Hanfei.
Helpless, he cast a pleading glance at Jiang Lixuan.
Frowning, Jiang Lixuan got up to check outside but found Liu Hanfei already gone.
He returned, shaking his head at Zheng Feiyu.
Zheng Feiyu could only hold back for now and plan to press Aunt Ye later.
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
Once away from the Zheng household, an uneasy Liu Hanfei dialed a number on his phone. When the call connected, he hurriedly asked, “Master, are you sure the Zheng family doesn’t know about Zhou Ying’s death?”
Liu Hanfei had returned upon hearing that the usually low-key Old Master Zheng had a son running a large company in S City.
That company was massive compared to his own, which was like a small player in comparison.
Feeling anxious, he came back to ensure the Zhou Ying matter remained secret.
An older male voice replied, “Don’t worry. We handled it with utmost secrecy. The Zheng family won’t find out.”
“Besides, the old man has already taken your ‘offering.’ He shares the karmic consequence. Even if they discover the truth, he won’t be able to do anything.”
Liu Hanfei breathed a little easier but then asked with trepidation, “Could Old Master Zheng’s death be connected to Zhou Ying? She died just over ten days ago, and now he’s dead too…”
The man on the other end chuckled. “Who knows?”
“Don’t worry too much. You have the protective Buddha amulet I gave you. Even if Zhou Ying comes after you, she can’t harm you.”
“That’s good to hear.”
After hanging up, Liu Hanfei felt a chill run down his back. He dared not look behind but gripped the amulet tightly, his eyes darkened with shadow. “Don’t blame me, Zhou Ying.”
“Every man for himself, or the heavens and earth will punish.”
—
Night fell, and fog had mysteriously risen outside, hazy and eerie like a dream.
To ensure the Zheng family’s safety, Zheng Feiyu stayed overnight to keep vigil.
He shamelessly clung to Nan Yuanman, coaxing her to stay. “Yuanman, tonight’s dinner is your favorite fried chicken drumsticks. Just stay, okay?”
“I’m going to help bring food to Grandpa Nan, alright?”
Having witnessed the powerful little scarecrow Yuanman had thrown out last night, Zheng Feiyu now trusted only her to protect his life.
He didn’t even trust Zhang Shimian much.
Jiang Lixuan sighed and teased him, “Really? Yuanman’s only five. What could she possibly do if she stays?”
Hearing this, Yuanman, who had almost gotten up, sat back down, baring her teeth at him. “I’ll watch how you all die. Just pay for your coffins now. When you die, I’ll collect your bodies.”
“I’ll make sure you’re buried in a prime feng shui spot!”
Jiang Lixuan’s face darkened. “Yuanman! Are you cursing your uncle to die?!”
Yuanman snorted defiantly. “You’re not my uncle!”
Zhang Shimian looked at Jiang Lixuan speechlessly. “Why did you have to provoke her? Got what you deserved, huh?”
Amid their noisy bickering, the surroundings suddenly fell utterly silent—the chirping of insects, the rustling of leaves, even the whispers in the courtyard all vanished.
In the vast mourning hall, only their breathing remained.
Sensing something, Yuanman suddenly turned toward the doorway, her face serious. “Sister Zhou Ying is here!”
The temperature around them plummeted sharply.
Jiang Lixuan shivered, his hairs standing on end, instinctively moving closer to Yuanman.
Zhang Shimian held a talisman and wore a grave expression.
With a loud thud, a dark figure was suddenly flung inside, crashing heavily to the ground.
Zheng Feiyu fixed his eyes on the figure, unable to suppress a shout, “Damn! Isn’t that Liu Hanfei who appeared earlier today? How did he end up looking like this?!”