Chapter 221: Chapter 221

Steward Yu inwardly cried out, fearing the worst had come to pass!

At this point, even though Gu Chengyu had figured out the steward’s intentions, he had no other choice. Since the question was asked, he certainly had to step forward and pay his respects. He wasn’t aware of the events of the past, but it undoubtedly had something to do with this woman.

"Student Gu Chengyu greets Madam!" Gu Chengyu felt that being timid would only attract more attention, so he might as well step out with confidence.

"You’re so young yet managed to become the top student in the prefecture; you truly are a rare talent!" The Yu Family woman was somewhat curious seeing such a young child.

By the light of the lantern, she looked at Gu Chengyu’s face, feeling more familiar as she looked. Because Gu Chengyu had his head lowered, she could only see his eyes and brows, which seemed familiar from somewhere.

"You, lift your head!" Suddenly, she thought of something and her voice rose sharply.

Indeed, such eyes she rarely saw—those seductive, upward slanting peach blossom eyes seemed to carry a unique charm when looking at others. It was such a pair of eyes that had bewitched the lord to the point where he still blamed her after all these years.

Could this be why he made this child the top student in the prefecture? Who is this child? Does he have any relation to that woman? Her heart was boiling like hot lava, ready to erupt.

She trembled as she clutched her handkerchief, resisting the urge to let her fury explode. Why had he entangled with the lord?

Gu Chengyu knew immediately upon hearing her that she recognized him, confirming his suspicions that Prefect Jiang and his mother certainly had some past.

"Madam?" Mrs. Xi, standing by the Yu Family woman, quickly pulled her aside. As her confidante, having served her since before marriage, she knew the past well.

Although she understood the Yu Family woman’s feelings, she couldn’t let her lose composure. This child might not even be that person’s offspring! She grasped the Yu Family woman’s trembling hands, feeling that this was a misguided obsession, not worth it for that woman.

The Yu Family woman took a deep breath to calm down, shaking her handkerchief as she walked toward the lake, leaving with eyes filled with hatred that made Gu Chengyu frown slightly.

Gu Chengyu, with sharp eyesight, noticed the recent events, but the candidates behind didn’t see them. They all thought the prefect’s wife was simply curious about the top student, somewhat envious. If she thought Gu Chengyu had potential and suggested a daughter of her family to him, wouldn’t Gu Chengyu soar to great heights? Having Lord Prefect as a father-in-law, what kind of support could he not rely on?

Gu Chengyu didn’t know this was what the candidates thought. If he did, he’d surely laugh at them for reading too many romantic tales. The prefect’s wife didn’t want him as a son-in-law; she’d rather kill him!

The Yu Family woman walked to the lakeside clutching Mrs. Xi’s hand, and Mrs. Xi endured the pain quietly, sure that her hand would bruise tomorrow.

"Go investigate the background of the top student in the prefecture. He must be that vile woman’s son. Is it possible for someone to look so much alike and yet be unrelated?" The reason she turned to leave was that she didn’t want to explode on the spot; over the past two years, she’s learned to control her temper gradually.

Looking at the woman being dragged up from the lake, she snorted coldly, the corners of her mouth arching upwards. This little wretch still wanted to seduce the lord? Overestimating herself! That vile woman back then just had a stroke of luck; otherwise, how could she have had the chance to bear that half-breed?

The group finally left the government office, with Gu Chengyu and Ye Zhiqiu walking on the road back to the inn, as Gu Chengyu pondered.

It was clear the prefect’s wife still held a grudge against his mother. Seeing how narrow-minded she was, she might take actions against their family. His was just an ordinary farming family, how could they contend with the prefect’s wife? Clearly, he needed to investigate this prefect’s wife’s background thoroughly and prepare himself.

If she sent people against him, he wouldn’t worry; he had plenty of means at his disposal. Whether it was schemes or plots, he was ready for them. But if she targeted his parents, and he wasn’t home, wouldn’t he be powerless?

Then there was the matter of the shop he wanted to handle personally, but as circumstances stood now, it might not be wise for him to come forward. Food businesses could easily be framed, and if the Yu Family woman wanted to strike at him, starting from his shop would be a breeze. The shop should temporarily be managed by Manager Niu; he was short on people!

Returning home, he’d have to ask his mother about the past, to get a clear picture of what really happened. Knowing oneself and knowing the other side is the key to invincibility!

Alas! He did feel some sympathy for such women, whose husbands’ hearts were clearly not with them, yet they had to be virtuous wives and good mothers. Wanting to be the gentle kind, they had to bring in concubines for their husbands, staying cooped up within the inner quarters, revolving around men and children. How could their minds not twist? He could understand, but if it was against him, he could only retaliate!

"Chengyu! It seemed to me the prefect’s wife was somewhat hostile towards you?" Ye Zhiqiu, walking beside Gu Chengyu, thought it over and decided to ask him.

"You noticed? Maybe!" At that time, Ye Zhiqiu was standing not far from Gu Chengyu. Given Ye Zhiqiu’s sensitive nature, it wasn’t surprising he noticed.

Ye Zhiqiu saw that Gu Chengyu obviously didn’t want to elaborate, so he refrained from asking further.

He recalled the tone of Yu Family woman’s last words, which seemed somewhat off, especially since she left without a word after seeing Gu Chengyu’s face. Did the prefect’s wife recognize Gu Chengyu? Or did he resemble someone in particular? But the person Gu Chengyu resembled most was his mother, no?

He should still say one last thing, "Be careful, then; the prefect’s wife seemed quite hostile towards you. Who knows if she’ll do something unfavorable?"

Hearing this, Gu Chengyu felt touched, "I know! I’ll be cautious!"

As they spoke, they arrived at the inn. Manager Niu saw them and immediately wore a broad smile, "The young masters have returned? I’ll have Er Ma Zi bring up some hot water!"

Gu Chengyu expressed thanks, then inquired about Gu Wanhua, "Has Hua returned yet?"

"Young Master Wan Hua hasn’t returned yet!" Manager Niu was a bit puzzled; yesterday, he returned by this time, but today, he hadn’t seen him since he went out in the morning.

"Not back yet?" Gu Chengyu was somewhat anxious. Hopefully, this perfectly healthy person hadn’t gone missing! How would he explain to Uncle Gu? So worrisome!

"Huh? Wan Hua isn’t back yet? He’s been quite busy these past two days, and I haven’t seen much of him. I wonder what he’s been up to, still not back? Chengyu! Let’s go find him!"

"Let’s check Senior Brother Huang’s inn. They’ve been together frequently these past days, maybe they went somewhere together! You must be tired; go rest! I’ll check!" Gu Chengyu didn’t want to trouble Ye Zhiqiu further, especially since it was already the initial hour of 7 PM.