HNYWEF -Chapter 179 Family

The house had barely fallen quiet when noise came from outside.

Not footsteps—voices. Loud arguing carried over from the courtyard gate, muffled by the walls but unmistakably heated.

A woman’s voice rang out, sharp and anxious:

“This is my home! I’m returning to my own house—why won’t you let me in?!”

Zhou Xiong’s brow twitched.

The old man and old woman both looked up toward the doorway at the same time.

The younger brother-in-law’s expression changed immediately. He recognized the voice.

He turned and hurried outside.

Zhou Xiong stood and followed him.

The old couple exchanged a glance before slowly getting to their feet as well.

Zhou Yi and Li Lizhi trailed behind.

The courtyard was already in an uproar.

Two guards stood at the gate, one on each side, hands resting on their sword hilts, blocking the entrance completely.

Outside stood a young woman. Beside her was a five- or six-year-old boy clutching the corner of her clothes, peeking timidly inside.

The woman’s face was flushed red, her voice rising higher and higher.

“My parents-in-law live here, and I can’t enter? Who are you people? What gives you the right to stop me?!”

The younger brother-in-law hurried to the gate and said to the guards,

“This is my wife. And my son.”

The guards did not move.

They looked at him, then at Li Lizhi walking out behind him.

They were the princess’s guards. They only obeyed the princess.

The woman saw her husband and raised her voice even more.

“Say something already! Who are these people? Why are they blocking our door?!”

The child saw his father and tried to run inside, but a guard stopped him. Frightened, he shrank back immediately, lips trembling, eyes reddening.

Standing in the back, Zhou Yi watched the scene unfold, and his face slowly turned red.

He watched the guards block his aunt and little cousin outside the gate.

Watched his little cousin shrink back in fear.

Watched his uncle frozen awkwardly at the doorway, unable to advance or retreat.

Watched his grandparents shuffle out from the house, bewildered.

Suddenly, he didn’t even know where he should stand.

He glanced at his father.

Zhou Xiong stood in the middle of the courtyard, expressionless.

Then Zhou Yi looked at Li Lizhi.

She was standing beside him, also watching the people at the gate.

She froze for a moment, then quickly walked over and gestured to the guards.

“Stand down.”

The two guards released their sword hilts and stepped aside, opening the entrance.

The woman outside the gate froze.

Those guards… obeyed this young lady.

She looked again at the people standing in the courtyard.

The middle-aged man dressed in fine silk robes.

The poised young woman with extraordinary bearing.

And the young man standing behind them, traces of tears still lingering on his face.

Suddenly, she stopped shouting.

Standing at the entrance, she looked from one person to another as the anger slowly faded from her face, replaced by something harder to describe.

Not fear.

More like the confusion of: Important guests have come to the house—people from a powerful family—and I somehow knew nothing about it.

She looked at her husband, voice lowering.

“Th-this is…?”

The younger brother-in-law walked over, took the bundle from her hands, then bent down and picked up the child.

The boy wrapped his arms around his father’s neck and buried his face against his shoulder, refusing to lift his head.

Patting the child’s back gently, the younger brother-in-law turned toward the people in the courtyard.

He glanced at his father, then at Zhou Xiong, and finally his gaze settled on Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi’s face reddened even further.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but had no idea what to say.

He looked at Zhou Xiong. Zhou Xiong still wasn’t looking at him.

In the end, he looked toward Li Lizhi instead.

Li Lizhi had already turned around and nodded to the captain of the guards.

“All of you withdraw outside the courtyard. Without my permission, no one comes in.”

The captain cupped his fists and led the guards out.

The woman stood at the gate watching them leave before finally walking in slowly.

She stepped beside her husband and took the child back from his arms, but her eyes continued darting around the courtyard at the unfamiliar people.

Lowering her voice, she asked her husband,

“Who exactly are they?”

The younger brother-in-law glanced at her.

“My brother-in-law.”

The woman froze.

“Brother-in-law?”

She looked at Zhou Xiong again.

Zhou Xiong stood there and nodded to her.

The woman became even more stunned.

She had been married into the family for years. All she knew was that her husband had an older sister who had married away long ago and never returned.

She had assumed contact had long since been cut off.

And now this brother-in-law had suddenly appeared, dressed in luxurious silk, bringing guards with him, along with a young woman who carried herself with unmistakable nobility.

Looking at Li Lizhi, she couldn’t help but ask,

“Then this young lady is…?”

Li Lizhi stepped forward and smiled gently at her.

“Auntie, I’m Zhou Yi’s wife. You can just call me Lizhi.”

The woman stared at Li Lizhi, then at Zhou Yi, then back at Li Lizhi.

She nodded and asked no more questions, but the question kept spinning in her mind.

Who exactly is this girl?

Why do those guards obey her?

She didn’t dare ask aloud.

She set the child down. The moment his feet touched the ground, he ran behind her, hiding there while peeking out cautiously at the strangers in the courtyard.

No one spoke.

A breeze swept over the courtyard wall, making the cluster of roses sway gently.

At last, the old man spoke. His voice was quiet, weary, but also carrying a hint of relief.

“Everyone, come inside. Why are you all standing around in the courtyard?”

He turned and walked toward the house first.

After taking two steps, Li Lizhi suddenly muttered softly,

“Father, next time at least warn me beforehand.”

Zhou Xiong sounded equally helpless. Without turning around, he replied,

“I didn’t know about this either…”

The three of them walked into the house one after another.