Chapter 72

A Treacherous Villain

The moon had shifted west. Chen Yue stood outside the window of an empty room, waiting in the shadow of the eaves for a long time before she set her jaw and pulled open the courtyard gate.

The person standing outside stopped her in her tracks.

"Where are you going?" Master Chen leaned on his walking stick, wearing a benign smile. "Young children shouldn't stay up so late. Girls especially."

In the moonlight, his complexion was a frightening white. He was smiling, and yet Chen Yue was afraid.

She stepped back. "Grandfather — I don't know where Second Brother went. He's still sick. I'm worried about him."

Master Chen watched her, as though trying to read something off her face.

After a moment, his tone was mild: "Your second brother is in my care. You don't need to worry."

"So Second Brother is in your courtyard." Chen Yue put on a smile. "Then I feel better."

"Good." Master Chen nodded, satisfied. "Go back to bed."

"Yes, Grandfather." Chen Yue turned without hesitation, though the hand she put on the door handle pressed slightly harder than necessary.

She kept every movement as natural as she could manage, letting nothing show for Grandfather to read.

Then her phone rang. Chen Yue's back went stiff. She turned to find the one taking the call was Grandfather.

"What?" Master Chen's voice sharpened. "Chao Musheng is bringing bodyguards to climb the building in the middle of the night?"

"Grandfather?" Chen Yue turned back immediately. "What's happened?"

She noticed that Master Chen was trembling slightly with contained fury. She moved to support his arm. "Are you all right?"

"That assistant of Xu Chenzhu's wants to climb a building at midnight to enjoy the view." Master Chen's mustache was practically bristling with indignation. "An arrogant little upstart — treating my Chen family home like it's nothing."

Enjoying the view at midnight?

Chao Musheng?

Chen Yue could barely connect that description to the man she'd met. From every angle, Chao Musheng did not resemble a person who behaved unreasonably.

But when she helped Grandfather over to the northern courtyard, there he was — Chao Musheng, with five or six solidly built bodyguards behind him.

"Young Master Chen You had time this afternoon to go on a scenic walk with Kunlun's Secretary Liu, and now I can't even get into a building?" Chao Musheng stood with his arms crossed and his tone sharply ironic. "What — do you look down on me? Or do you think I matter less to our boss than Liu Mingjin does?"

Chen You had never felt as cornered as he did tonight.

He had, in fact, taken Secretary Liu on a scenic walk that afternoon, and had quite deliberately flattered Liu while putting Chao Musheng down — but that had been a private exchange. How had Chao Musheng found out?

What was he supposed to do with two people working out their rivalry at his expense?

And knowing that the friction between Chao Musheng and Liu Mingjin had been engineered by Grandfather using Master Xuan, Chen You found the situation even more exhausting.

Everything had gone according to plan. So why was he the one suffering?

"Mr. Chao — you've misunderstood. This building is old and hasn't been maintained. There's no lighting inside. I'm concerned about your safety." Chen You sighed. "How about we find somewhere else? I'll take you up somewhere with a proper view myself."

"Saying all that — it still comes down to looking down on me." Chao Musheng raised a hand toward one of the bodyguards. "Lights."

The bodyguard switched on an industrial outdoor floodlight. Chen You nearly lost his sight. He threw up a hand against the white blaze. "Mr. Chao!"

Who went for a nighttime stroll with an industrial floodlight? Who did that?

He'd seemed fairly normal the first few days. Tonight he was completely unhinged.

"I've brought my own lighting, so Young Master Chen needn't worry." Chao Musheng tilted his chin. "Go open the door."

Chen You gave a helpless smile. "Of course, Mr. Chao. However, I don't have a key to the building — please give me a moment to contact the steward."

"You're the eldest son of the Chen family and you need to call the steward to open a door in your own home." Chao Musheng clicked his tongue. "Who exactly runs this estate — you, or the steward?"

The smile on Chen You's face froze, then recomposed. "The steward has served Grandfather for many years. He may not share our surname, but in my heart he's no different from family."

On hearing this, Chao Musheng raised an eyebrow.

When it came to winning people over, Chen You had Chen Fang entirely outclassed.

He accepted a handheld electric fan from the bodyguard. "Talking this long has made me hot."

Chen You: "..."

Then go back to your room. Why insist on climbing a building at this hour?

What was worth climbing a neglected building for? It wasn't as if there were treasures inside.

"Mr. Chao." Master Chen watched his grandson being outmaneuvered by Chao Musheng's relentless unreasonableness, and felt compelled to intervene. "What fine occasion brings you the pleasure of a midnight climb?"

"Master Chen." Chao Musheng turned to him with an even broader smile. "I thought I was the only one who couldn't sleep — but here you are as well."

"With all the noise out here, sleeping is difficult." Master Chen looked at the bodyguards carrying various items behind Chao Musheng, genuinely baffled.

Xu Chenzhu was one of the sharpest men in the business world. Why was he allowing his assistant to make such a scene at this hour? Wasn't he worried about the effect on Kunlun's image?

Then again — every guest in this estate wanted to stay on Xu Chenzhu's good side. Even if Chao Musheng turned the place upside down tonight, the others would look the other way.

The same way that, wherever the Chen family went, there was never any shortage of people willing to applaud them.

"Older people don't sleep as well as younger ones, it's true." Chao Musheng looked at Master Chen with every appearance of sympathetic understanding. "The seventy-year-old elder in our home village gets up every night at three in the morning to water his vegetable garden. Your situation is perfectly normal."

Everyone from the Chen family present: "..."

Everyone knew that what Master Chen hated most was being told he was old or that he couldn't keep pace with younger people. That wasn't a comforting remark — it was a blade going directly into his chest. Even Chen You, the grandfather's most favored grandchild, didn't dare open his mouth. He stared down at the tips of his own shoes.

"Mr. Chao is quite right." Master Chen's benevolent smile had become something frightening. "Young people are bold and unrestrained — they act without thinking of consequences. We older folk cannot compare."

"Not to worry — young at heart is what counts. As long as you keep a good attitude, every day is a young person's day." Chao Musheng frowned as if this had just occurred to him. "But why isn't the building open yet?"

"Mr. Chao — the memorial tablets of my late mother and my wife are enshrined inside. There is nothing to see." Master Chen's tone was deliberate. "Please go back."

"I thought you told me last time this was just an ordinary building. Now you're saying there are memorial tablets inside." Chao Musheng looked at him with open skepticism. "You're not lying to me, are you?"

"The building is unremarkable. Why do you insist on going in?" Master Chen deflected without answering. "We treat every guest with respect. I hope you will not put me in a difficult position, Mr. Chao."

"Oh, I understand now." Chao Musheng nodded with apparent sudden clarity. "Master Chen wants to ask Mr. Xu and me to leave Chen Garden. No need to trouble yourself — I'll go back right now and tell my boss."

Chen You's expression collapsed. Had Chao Musheng lost his mind? It was one thing to make a scene, but dragging Mr. Xu into it?

He was a junior assistant. He couldn't speak on Mr. Xu's behalf.

"Wait!" Master Chen's face had gone iron-dark. "Mr. Chao, please don't misunderstand — I have no such intention. It is my honor to have Mr. Xu as our guest."

Xu Chenzhu's presence at Chen Garden had been causing the Chen family's share price to climb for two days. However much he wanted disruption inside Kunlun, he wasn't deluded enough to think the Chen family, as it stood now, could go up against Kunlun.

"Ah." Chao Musheng drew it out. "So you just look down on me personally?"

The warm expression on Master Chen's face had become impossible to maintain. "Mr. Chao is also our honored guest."

"Master Chen truly is a figure who has navigated the business world for decades." Chao Musheng seemed to have been mollified by this, and glanced at Chen You. "Far better judgment than your eldest grandson."

Master Chen looked at Chen You.

So that's why Chao Musheng is acting so irrationally tonight. You provoked him.

Chen You had no recourse. The plan to stoke a rift between Chao Musheng and Secretary Liu had been Grandfather's — he'd only added fuel to an existing fire, following Grandfather's lead. Who could have predicted Chao Musheng would have this much nerve, riding Xu Chenzhu's protection to pull a scene like this?

If he'd known Chao Musheng would behave this recklessly, he'd have locked himself in his room this afternoon and not set foot outside.

"I understand midnight is when spirits walk." Chao Musheng tilted his head back to look at the building. "A woman who raised a son as warm and kind as you, Master Chen — she must have been a wonderful person herself."

The wind passed through. The steward, who had just come hurrying over, gave a sudden involuntary shiver.

"Would burning incense for her now make it easier for her to hear my prayers?" Chao Musheng said this with complete earnestness. "I've been a guest of Chen Garden for two or three days. I ought to pay my respects to the family's elders."

Chen You: "..."

Going to burn incense for someone else's ancestors at this hour? What kind of person does that?

Regret. Real, complete regret.

Two days. Chao Musheng had been standing in front of him the whole time. And Chen You already found himself missing the version of him who was reasonable and gracious.

"Is the steward here?" Chao Musheng smiled pleasantly. "Good — please open the door for me."

The steward arrived looking haggard, and looked helplessly past Chao Musheng toward Master Chen.

His aged bones, running around at this hour — did any of these people understand the concept of respecting their elders?

"Mr. Chao's thoughtfulness is appreciated." Master Chen coughed lightly. "However, the Chen family does not burn incense at midnight. If you truly wish to, perhaps tomorrow morning would be more suitable."

"When I want to offer incense I have to wait until tomorrow, but when Liu Mingjin and the young master wanted tea, it was produced on the spot." Chao Musheng wore his unreasonableness openly on his face. "Fine — wait here. Mr. Xu and I are leaving Chen Garden first thing in the morning."

"That won't be necessary." A figure in dark clothing appeared behind the assembled group.

Everyone turned.

Xu Chenzhu, in formal dress.

His expression was cool — almost bored. "We've been well looked after these last few days. I think it's time we said our goodbyes."

"Mr. Xu." Chao Musheng hadn't anticipated Xu Chenzhu appearing here. He could carry the role of unreasonable troublemaker — the bad reputation didn't bother him; the police investigation would eventually bring everything to light, and there was no shortage of perceptive people in the business world. Once the Chen family was implicated, there would be plenty willing to speak well of him. As for Mr. Xu — he was discreet by nature, and his circumstances were unusual. Being willing to serve as the prestige backing was already a great deal of help. There was no need for him to wade in directly.

Asking a mountain orchid to queue at the supermarket entrance for free eggs — what was the difference?

"Mr. Xu." Chen You looked from Master Chen to Chao Musheng, sensing things going sideways.

Master Chen also moved quickly toward Xu Chenzhu, his face arranged into an eager smile.

But someone moved faster than either of them — a streak toward Xu Chenzhu.

"Mr. Xu." Chao Musheng's surprise lasted only a moment. He ran to stand in front of Xu Chenzhu, and put on his most convincingly unprincipled expression. "They've been deliberately making things difficult for me. They say you hit a dog and you must answer to the owner — they look down on me, so they look down on you."

He finished this and made a point of turning to look back at the Chen family, his expression openly triumphant — the look of someone who had finally found someone to back them up.

Chen You was without words. What a performance. What an audacious, truth-inverting, responsibility-deflecting performance.

Xu Chenzhu watched the unbridled display, and the look in his eyes softened into something like still water in spring.

Zhaozhao's best side was what he usually showed — capable of handling any professional difficulty, the kind of talent that colleagues called a natural, always calibrated, always steady.

His unreasonable side was also, it turned out, remarkably appealing.

"Mr. Xu?" Chao Musheng noticed Xu Chenzhu looking at him with that expression, saying nothing. He reached out and tugged his sleeve. "Mr. Xu — say something."

The role of the loyal-but-treacherous fox-villain currying favor with the powerful — he had it perfectly in hand.

Xu Chenzhu reached over and smoothed down the piece of hair sticking up from the top of Chao Musheng's head. When he looked at Master Chen, his expression was remote.

"Zhaozhao is young. Master Chen — if you have any concerns, you're welcome to raise them with me. Why go to the trouble of making things difficult for him?"

Chen Yue's pupils contracted violently. She looked from Chao Musheng to Xu Chenzhu with the expression of someone watching two superheroes simultaneously reveal their true forms.

This world had finally, irretrievably, gone off the rails.