Chapter 116: Interception

In broad daylight, the dignified stepson of the Zhou Family actually pissed his pants in fright.

The expressions on the faces of the guests present were colorful to the extreme.

First shock, then bewilderment.

Finally, quite a few people desperately lowered their heads, their shoulders shaking violently as they tried their utmost to suppress the laughter about to burst from their throats.

The scene was extremely awkward for a moment.

Standing on the stage, Ye Zhentian had his mouth open, and the polite pleasantries he had just wanted to speak were abruptly choked back by this absurd scene.

His face turned alternately green and pale, finally transforming into ashen.

Feeling the damp warmth coming from her thigh, Liu Yuru froze entirely.

She lowered her head and looked at Lu Qi, who was hugging her thigh and crying like a three-year-old child, as a wave of humiliated fury surged straight to her crown.

Her face tightened, and her fingernails dug deeply into her palms.

"What on earth is going on!" She lowered her voice, every single word sounding as if it were squeezed out from between her teeth.

"A ghost! There's a ghost under the table!" Still terrified out of his wits, Lu Qi pointed in the direction of the main table, his voice filled with fear.

"So scary! Mommy, I'm scared!"

With a gloomy expression, Ye Zhentian immediately barked at the servants beside him, "Go take a look!"

The two servants hurried forward, bent down, and carefully inspected under the main table.

A moment later, they stood up and shook their heads at Ye Zhentian.

"Family Head, there is nothing under the table."

"No! I really saw it! There really is a ghost!" Lu Qi was still crying and making a fuss, his voice growing increasingly miserable.

"Shut up!" Liu Yuru finally reached the limit of her patience, abruptly shaking off his hand and sternly rebuking, "Do you still not think we've embarrassed ourselves enough?!"

How could she possibly have any lingering thoughts of staying here.

Today, the reputation of both her and the entire Zhou Family had been completely thrown away by this good-for-nothing Lu Qi.

Liu Yuru no longer cared about any aristocratic matronly demeanor, grabbing Lu Qi's arm and forcefully dragging him outward, ignoring his crying and fussing.

Zhou Feng's expression was also ugly to the extreme.

He hurried over to Ye Zhentian, squeezing out a smile that was uglier than crying on his face.

"Brother Ye, I am truly sorry for ruining everyone's good mood…"

"Another day I will definitely have Qi'er come over to apologize, but for today we will take our leave first!"

Having said that, he turned his head and gave Zhou Huai a deep look.

Then he hurried to catch up with Liu Yuru and left in a panic.

A meticulously planned engagement banquet ended in such an absurd farce.

After the three members of the Zhou Family left in such a wretched state, the atmosphere in the banquet hall instantly relaxed.

Whispering sounds surged like a tide.

"My god, this trip today was truly not in vain; to actually be able to see such a wonderful grand drama."

"That Lu Qi really is a fool, actually peeing his pants in public."

"This Zhou Feng is also truly unlucky; his biological son became a cripple, and his stepson became a fool. I reckon his status in the Zhou Family is completely hanging by a thread from now on."

Ye Xi didn't care about other people's discussions.

Lifting the hem of her dress, she hurried over to Zhou Huai's side.

Undried tear stains still lingered on her cheeks, but those clear eyes were filled with gratitude.

"Brother Zhou Huai, thank you, thank you for standing up and speaking for me."

Zhou Huai looked at her, a gentle smile revealing itself on his face.

"What are you thanking me for? Could I just watch with open eyes as you marry someone else?"

Ye Xi's small face turned red with a "whoosh".

She lowered her head, toying with the hem of her skirt, and after a moment raised her head again, a trace of curiosity in her eyes.

"Brother Zhou Huai, how did you know… that Lu Qi's Soul was injured?"

"This matter, even I didn't know."

Zhou Huai smiled with deliberate mystery.

"Although I have always stayed in the annex courtyard, I am very well-informed."

"How could this kind of matter possibly be kept from me?"

Ye Xi stared fixedly at Zhou Huai for a long time.

She suddenly said in a low voice, "Brother Zhou Huai, I suddenly feel like you've changed a lot."

"You've become… more and more mysterious, and it seems like you've also become more and more formidable."

"It's just like… you've become a completely different person."

Zhou Huai's heart skipped a beat.

But the smile on his face remained unchanged, and his gaze instead grew profound.

He softly sighed with emotion, "Xi'er, you might not have heard a saying called rebounding from the bottom."

"It means that when a person is driven to a desperate situation and falls to the bottom of the valley, they will begin to struggle frantically and save themselves."

His voice was very soft, yet extremely sincere.

"You know my current predicament,"

"If I didn't change, I probably would have been driven to my death by that Liu Yuru long ago."

"If I didn't change, I wouldn't have the opportunity to appear before you right now."

Zhou Huai looked affectionately into Ye Xi's eyes.

"So… can you accept my changes?"

Ye Xi's eye sockets turned red once more, tear light flickering at the bottom of her eyes.

Without the slightest hesitation, she nodded heavily.

"Of course I can accept it!"

"I only hope that Brother Zhou Huai can become better and better, better and better!"

Zhou Huai reached out his hand and gently stroked her head, his eyes full of pampering affection.

"That settles it then."

"You just need to know that no matter how I change, my affection for you will never change."

Ye Xi's cheeks were so red they were almost dripping with blood.

She lowered her eyelids, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum.

"I… I am too."

"Cough cough!"

A heavy cough inappropriately interrupted the warm atmosphere between the two of them.

Ye Zhentian walked over with a darkened face, watching their intimate posture, the corners of his eyes twitching.

"Someone come, send the Young Miss back to her room to rest!"

Only then did Ye Xi cast a reluctant glance at Zhou Huai, being half-invited and half-supported away by two female servants.

Ye Zhentian then walked onto the stage, announced in just a few brief sentences that tonight's banquet was over, and the guests also began to disperse one by one.

Xiang Yu pushed Zhou Huai, preparing to leave.

"Wait a moment."

Ye Zhentian's voice came from behind.

Zhou Huai turned back.

Ye Zhentian looked at him, his gaze complex.

"With the scene you caused today, the Zhou Family, especially that woman Liu Yuru, will absolutely not let this rest."

"Take care of yourself."

Zhou Huai nodded.

"Many thanks for the reminder, Uncle Ye."

Watching the back of Zhou Huai leaving as pushed by Xiang Yu, Ye Zhentian stood in place, unmoving for a long time.

He couldn't help but sigh with emotion in his heart.

This Zhou Huai's Heart-Nature and methods were absolutely in a tier of their own among the younger generation.

What a pity…

He's a cripple.

…

The off-road vehicle drove steadily on the road returning to the annex courtyard.

The night was deep, and the city's neon lights dragged out long streams of light outside the car window.

Zhou Huai leaned against the front passenger seat, closing his eyes to rest.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

His gaze fell upon the rearview mirror.

Several black headlights, like beast pupils quietly opening in the night, trailed not far nor close behind.

The corners of Zhou Huai's mouth hooked into an ice-cold smile.

Coming looking for trouble so quickly?

It seems my good father truly doesn't intend to leave even a shred of father-son affection.

"Pull over."

Zhou Huai spoke indifferently.

Xiang Yu didn't have any doubts, skillfully turning the steering wheel and slowly parking the car by the roadside.

The few black sedans behind also slowed down accordingly, forming a semi-encircling formation that tightly blocked the off-road vehicle.

The car doors opened.

Five or six stalwart men dressed in black suits and with cold expressions successively got down from the cars.

They walked straight to the front of Zhou Huai's car.

The one leading knocked on the car window.

Xiang Yu lowered the car window, and an icy sense of oppression instantly hit his face.

That person looked expressionlessly at Zhou Huai inside the car, without a trace of emotion in his voice.

"Eldest Young Master, the Master invites you."

"Please cooperate with us and take our car back for a trip."

Zhou Huai sat motionless inside the car.

"Go back and tell Zhou Feng that I am no longer a person of the Zhou Family."

"I will not go back."

Hearing this, a trace of impatience flashed across the face of the leading stalwart man.

"In that case, don't blame us for being impolite."

"The Master has given his orders, today you must go back!"