Chapter 21: You Actually Yelled at Me for the Sake of a Pretty Boy

“It’s as if I’m always the one looking for trouble with you. Tell me, Pang Yunche, what are you doing at the Jingzhaoyin office?”

Pang Yunche didn’t have time to banter with Xie Yuheng.

“Out of my way, I have urgent business.”

With that, he pushed Xie Yuheng aside.

This rascal—once he found his elder brother, he’d make sure Xie Yuheng paid for this.

Xie Yuheng had already swallowed enough indignities in prison. Being shoved by Pang Yunche made him feel inexplicably better.

He couldn’t take it out on Brother Chu or Shen Tianci. But Pang Yunche? Why not?

“Pang Yunche, you dare ambush me? Take this, from your master!”

He swung a fist the size of a sandbag straight at Pang Yunche’s face.

Pang Yunche shouted, “Xie Yuheng, who’s ambushing whom here!” and dodged aside.

Shen Zhao stood at the gate of the yamen, watching Xie Yuheng chasing after Pang Yunche, who was howling as he ran.

How satisfying, she thought.

She herself would never dare to beat Pang Yunche like that. Only someone as reckless as Xie Yuheng, who swaggered through the capital with impunity, could do as he pleased.

“Xie Yuheng, get out of my way!” Pang Yunche was anxious to the point of desperation, but Xie Yuheng was especially troublesome today.

“Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re the Duke Zhen’s son! My elder brother is missing—if you delay me in finding him, I won’t let you off! The Pang and Xie families will be enemies!”

The moment Shen Zhao heard Pang Yunjin was missing, something clicked in her mind. She hurried forward to intervene, “Yuheng, don’t get caught up in this, come with me!”

If her guess was right, Pang Yunjin should be at the Great General’s residence now.

Wasn’t this a perfect chance to rescue Tianci?

Xie Yuheng answered quickly, “All right.”

Pang Yunche, hearing this, stopped dodging.

Who knew Xie Yuheng would play dirty?

With a thud, his fist landed on Pang Yunche’s face. He grinned provocatively. “Pang Yunche, we’ll fight again tomorrow! You lost today! Ha!”

Shen Zhao, watching Xie Yuheng’s smug, petty triumph, could only pinch the bridge of her nose in exasperation. She mounted her horse. “Yuheng, hurry up!” she urged.

Watching the two ride off, Pang Yunche’s forehead throbbed with veins of anger.

“Xie Yuheng, you just wait!”

Fang Shuren, who had arrived late, wiped cold sweat from his brow. What kind of wind was blowing today, to bring both of the capital’s little tyrants to his door?

“Second Young Master…”

Pang Yunche grabbed the newly arrived Fang Shuren.

“Lord Fang, did my elder brother come today?”

Fang Shuren, already aching from Pang Yunche’s grip, dared not protest. He’d hidden inside earlier, witnessing Xie Yuheng chasing Pang Yunche. Though Pang Yunche kept dodging, that last punch had really landed. His face was starting to swell.

“N-no, the eldest young master didn’t come to the office today.”

Pang Yunche’s expression darkened further, his bruised face looking truly menacing.

“Who did my brother have you imprison yesterday?”

Fang Shuren was sweating profusely. “It was a young officer from the capital’s army. Xie Yuheng and General Chu came about this just now.”

“Why did they come?”

“They wanted me to release the young officer, but since the eldest young master ordered his detention, I didn’t dare…”

“Hmph. Wise of you.”

Pang Yunche released Fang Shuren and mounted his horse, chasing after Shen Zhao and Xie Yuheng.

His instincts told him they must know where his brother had gone.

Fang Shuren wiped his brow again. Being an official in the capital was truly suffocating.

When Shen Zhao and Xie Yuheng arrived at the Great General’s residence, they had barely stepped into the front courtyard when they heard the steward pleading.

“Madam, please… I beg you, stop hitting him!”

Shen Zhao was startled. Chu Mu hitting the house steward? That wasn’t right—this steward had retired from the army and had followed Chu Mu since he was a junior officer.

“Brother Chu, your wife is fierce!” Xie Yuheng teased.

He hadn’t forgotten how, for stating a simple fact, both Brother Chu and Shen Tianci had ganged up on him.

Shen Zhao shot Xie Yuheng a look. She understood his little grudge. He’d been humiliated in prison, and now he was dragging her into it. Such pointless resentment—a petty man indeed.

At that moment, a gentle yet resolute voice echoed from the hall.

“Miss Shen, my answer remains unchanged: in this life, I will marry no one but you. Even if you beat me to death today, I would gladly accept it.”

Shen Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. What dangerous words! Why insist on marrying her? She’d never said she would marry him.

To say this in front of Chu Mu—no wonder he was getting beaten, and, in her view, he deserved worse if he still had the strength to shout.

A furious roar followed. “Then today I’ll grant your wish and beat you to death!”

Shen Zhao immediately ran toward the front hall. Though she thought Pang Yunjin deserved a beating, he couldn’t just be killed! If he really died, whose fault would it be?

Xie Yuheng ran after her.

“Brother Chu, your wife is beating Pang Yunjin… she’s going to kill him!”

No reminder was needed—she’d heard it herself.

“Stop!” Shen Zhao shouted, just as she saw Chu Mu about to strike the man in the wheelchair.

The man had his back to her.

Shen Zhao hurried over and, without looking at Pang Yunjin, grabbed the wheelchair and yanked it back, handing it off to the arriving Xie Yuheng.

“Watch him, Yuheng.”

Yuheng!

A-Zhao had called Xie Yuheng by his given name!

Chu Mu’s eyes widened in an instant.

How could she address another man so intimately?

Xie Yuheng took the wheelchair and pushed it behind the steward.

The general’s wife’s gaze was terrifying—he feared she’d hurt Brother Chu.

He reached out to put a hand on Shen Zhao’s shoulder, but before he could, a sharp slap rang out.

Xie Yuheng stared in shock at his now-red, swollen hand, looking incredulously at Chu Mu.

Why had she hit him? Was she addicted to hitting people? Was everyone fair game?

Shameless woman!

Chu Mu gave Shen Zhao and Xie Yuheng an exasperated look.

“Keep your hands to yourself. Behave, or I’ll break those filthy hands of yours.”

“Filthy? Me?” Xie Yuheng pointed to his own nose.

Mother, your son is being bullied—how aggrieved I am… She called me filthy! I’m the cleanest of all! And that look in her eyes—she’s watching me like I’m a thief. Is there no justice left? Does she think I’d compete with her for Brother Chu? I have no such inclinations!

Pang Yunjin fared no better than Xie Yuheng. Shen Zhao’s look at General Chu was clearly filled with concern—that was the last thing he wanted to see. The flame in his heart was instantly extinguished.

If Shen Zhao didn’t care for Chu Mu, he might have ignored everything and pursued her. But clearly, that wasn’t the case. Today, he’d overstepped.

Chu Mu glared at the thoroughly wronged Xie Yuheng.

Xie Yuheng was on the verge of tears. What had he done to deserve this? Madam Chu, must you single me out?

Chu Mu pulled Shen Zhao over, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Come with me—I have important questions for you.”