TRWSB – Chapter 193 Arriving at Zuo’s House

As soon as Zuo Yunfei’s convoy entered the imperial capital, it drew the attention of countless onlookers.

“Young Master Zuo is back! Young Master Zuo is back!”

“Young Master Zuo is amazing! As soon as he stepped in, Prince Li Ying successfully won the beauty’s heart.”

“Young Master Zuo isn’t young anymore. I wonder when he’ll get married.”

“Where is Young Master Zuo? I came all the way from the neighboring province just to get a glimpse of his elegance. I hope I’m lucky enough to see him.”

“Neighboring province? That’s nothing. I came from several provinces away.”

“…”

Qi Heng glanced at Zuo Yunfei, who had his eyes closed and appeared to be resting, then gave him a kick and said, “We’re almost at your place, right?”

Zuo Yunfei nodded. “I know.”

“Where do you plan on dropping me off?” Qi Heng asked.

“No rush. I’ll drop you off when we get to the Zuo residence,” Zuo Yunfei replied calmly.

Qi Heng stared at him. “You’re not planning to make me stay at your place, are you?”

Zuo Yunfei nodded. “Exactly. If you don’t stay at my place, where else would you go? Your hands aren’t exactly clean. If I let you stay at an inn, I’d be worried they’d suffer losses. I feel better having you stay at my place.”

Qi Heng took a deep breath, his face dark with frustration.

He pulled out a gold card and held it up to Zuo Yunfei. “Do you know what this is?”

“No.”

“This is the highest-level VIP card issued by the Commerce Alliance. With this card, I can mobilize two hundred million gold coins in the Jin Kingdom. I could buy dozens of inns here if I wanted to. I don’t need to steal.” Qi Heng’s voice was agitated.

Zuo Yunfei’s pupils shrank slightly. He stared at Qi Heng with a penetrating gaze that made Qi Heng’s heart skip a beat.

“Did Qi Shaorong give you this card?” Zuo Yunfei asked, displeased.

“That’s right,” Qi Heng answered.

“Why is he so good to you?” Zuo Yunfei asked in confusion.

Qi Heng frowned. “The young master has always been good to me. That’s nothing unusual. With this card, you should trust that I don’t need to steal anymore.”

“Stealing is a hobby. It doesn’t have much to do with how rich you are. No matter what, I’ll only feel safe if you’re under my watch,” Zuo Yunfei replied.

Qi Heng: “Zuo Yunfei, you…”

Zuo Yunfei leaned close to Qi Heng’s ear and whispered, “No matter what you do, I’ll be keeping a close eye on you.”

The carriage stopped in front of the Zuo family estate, where a large group of people had already gathered to welcome them.

“I’m getting out,” Zuo Yunfei said and jumped down from the carriage.

Qi Heng clenched the edge of his robe tightly. Zuo Yunfei knocked on the carriage door and called out loudly, “Come on out already! What are you hiding in there for? Embarrassed?”

Qi Heng scratched his head. Zuo Yunfei’s words echoed in his mind, and it sounded as if he had said: “Come on out! The ugly bride has to meet her in-laws eventually!”

Qi Heng shook his head, trying to shake off the strange thoughts.

He composed his expression and stepped down from the carriage.

The moment he emerged, he could feel the entire Zuo family’s eyes lock onto him.

Being stared at so intently made Qi Heng’s scalp tingle.

“I’ll introduce him. This is Qi Heng, one of the managers under the infamous Miracle Doctor Qi Shaorong at the Allure Cosmetics Shop,” Zuo Yunfei said without putting him down in front of the crowd.

Qi Heng nodded to the Zuo family members and said, “Greetings, everyone. I’m new here and hope for your kind guidance.”

“So it’s a distinguished guest from the Allure Cosmetics Shop! Please, come in!” an elder of the Zuo family said warmly.

Qi Heng nodded gratefully. “Thank you.”

“Someone, go tidy up a guest room on the west side,” another elder ordered the servants.

Zuo Yunfei waved a hand. “No need for that. Qi Heng will stay with me.”

At those words, everyone was stunned and turned to look at Zuo Yunfei.

Then, after a moment of silence, all eyes shifted to Qi Heng.

Feeling the gazes focus on him once again, Qi Heng was at a loss for words.

“There’s no need. I’m fine staying in a guest room,” Qi Heng said.

But Zuo Yunfei grabbed his arm tightly. “The guest rooms are filthy and not fit for someone as noble as you. I wouldn’t feel at ease if you stayed there. It’s better if you stay with me.”

Qi Heng ground his teeth silently. To outsiders, Zuo Yunfei’s words might sound like he was worried about Qi Heng’s safety—but Qi Heng knew full well that Zuo Yunfei didn’t trust him to keep his hands clean.

Zuo Yunfei was gripping his arm so tightly that Qi Heng could hear his bones creak.

“Is there a problem with staying with me?” Zuo Yunfei asked in a half-threatening tone.

Qi Heng forced a smile. “No problem at all. I’m just worried about disturbing you.”

Zuo Yunfei casually released him. “Don’t worry. I don’t mind.”

Wearing pajamas, Qi Heng stood in the courtyard.

Zuo Yunfei’s courtyard was completely quiet, with not a single person in sight.

Apparently, back when Zuo Yunfei had been poisoned, it had been done by someone close to him. Since recovering, he had become cold and distant, refusing to let anyone near. So now, not even a single maid or servant could be found in his courtyard.

“Master Heng.”

Qi Heng turned to look at the woman approaching. “Miss, do you need something?”

“Not really. I just wanted to chat. Is that alright?” Zuo Yunjing asked.

“Of course,” Qi Heng replied, frowning slightly. Seems like everyone in the Zuo family enjoys chatting…

“My brother, Zuo Yunfei, used to have a great temperament. But ever since that incident, he’s become extremely irritable and prone to angry outbursts. He’s even crippled a few servants. Over time, our family members started avoiding him,” Zuo Yunjing said sadly.

Qi Heng nodded. “His temper is… not great.”

Zuo Yunjing smiled. “Even with his bad temper, you’re still willing to be around him. That shows how gentle you must be, Master Heng.”

Qi Heng gave a dry laugh. “Is that so?” He rolled his eyes inwardly. Gentle? Me? I’m just forced into this situation.

“When I saw you step out of his carriage, I was shocked!” Zuo Yunjing said dramatically.

Qi Heng looked puzzled. “Is it really that surprising?”

Zuo Yunjing nodded. “Of course! Yunfei never lets anyone ride in his carriage—not even our family members.”

Zuo Yunfei suddenly appeared, clearly annoyed. “What are you two talking about?”

Qi Heng looked at the exasperated Zuo Yunfei and replied, “Just chatting.”

Zuo Yunfei glared coldly. “Late at night, a man and a woman alone—don’t you know to avoid suspicion?”

Qi Heng: “…”

“Sorry, Miss Zuo, I’m going to sleep,” Qi Heng said as he turned away.

Zuo Yunjing looked at Zuo Yunfei and said, “Brother, Young Master Heng is a distinguished guest. You shouldn’t treat him so poorly.”

“How I treat him is my business. You don’t need to worry about it,” Zuo Yunfei replied irritably.

“Do you like him? When someone likes another person—”

“Shut up! Who would like someone like that? Stay away from him. He has a bad character. Don’t be fooled by that face of his,” Zuo Yunfei snapped, clearly agitated.

Zuo Yunjing: “…”

Zuo Yunfei walked into Qi Heng’s bedroom. Qi Heng looked at him and asked, “What do you want?”

“It’s the middle of the night, and you’re standing outside dressed like that. Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?” Zuo Yunfei said with disdain.

Qi Heng rubbed his forehead and said, “If there’s nothing else, please leave. I want to sleep.”

Zuo Yunfei complained, “You were chatting quite happily with my sister. Why do you suddenly want to sleep when I show up?”

Qi Heng rolled his eyes and said, “That’s easy to answer. I can actually have a decent conversation with other people. With you, I just can’t.”

Zuo Yunfei: “…”

At the Zuo residence.

“Sister Jing,” Jun Lanyue called softly.

Zuo Yunjing looked at the newcomer and said helplessly, “Miss Jun, Yunfei doesn’t want to see you. Please, go back.”

Jun Lanyue’s expression showed her unwillingness. “Sister Jing, I heard Yunfei brought someone back with him?” Ever since Yunfei returned, he’d been distant with everyone. But rumors had it that he was treating this new person unusually well.

Zuo Yunjing nodded. “Yes, he did bring someone back. Seems to be one of Qi Shaorong’s trusted subordinates—he’s not just anyone.”

Jun Lanyue narrowed her eyes and said with dissatisfaction, “What do you mean, ‘not just anyone’? He’s just a dog at Qi Shaorong’s side.”

Zuo Yunjing chuckled. “Even so, you still have to consider the master when you strike the dog. Qi Heng has a close relationship with Qi Shaorong, so he’s not someone to be underestimated.”

“What kind of person changes his surname just to flatter Qi Shaorong? Disgusting,” Jun Lanyue said with contempt.

Zuo Yunjing listened to her complaints and smiled helplessly. Jun Lanyue had pursued Zuo Yunfei for so many years with such effort. But her younger brother had a heart of stone.

“Does Yunfei like him?” Jun Lanyue asked.

Zuo Yunjing shook her head. “I don’t know. He used to be easy to read, but now…” She trailed off, shaking her head again.

Jun Lanyue took a deep breath, pain flashing across her face.

“Miss Jun,” Zuo Yunjing said gently, “Since you gave up on my brother back then, I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do to win him back now.”

Jun Lanyue frowned and said, “Back then, it was my family who forced the engagement to be broken, I—”

Zuo Yunjing furrowed her brow and said, “Bringing up old matters now is pointless.”

She narrowed her eyes. After Zuo Yunfei recovered, the Jun family made several attempts to explain that the annulment had been forced on Jun Lanyue. That she had always loved Yunfei deeply. But both the Zuo and Jun families knew very well—perhaps the Jun family had indeed decided it, but Jun Lanyue herself had likely not objected either.

Jun Lanyue was a proud woman. A woman like her would never have willingly married a useless cripple like Zuo Yunfei back then.

Jun Lanyue clenched her fists. “I just… Is there really no chance between me and Yunfei?”

Zuo Yunjing patted Jun Lanyue on the shoulder and said apologetically, “I’m very sorry.”

Jun Lanyue looked in the direction of Zuo Yunfei’s private courtyard, a flash of deep-seated hatred gleaming in her eyes.