Chapter 54: You're Asking for It!

Chu Li, accompanied by Qiu Yi, walked into the front hall at a leisurely pace, drawing a barrage of gazes filled with probing curiosity and undisguised disdain.

Chu Jiaojiao glared viciously at Chu Li, her expression twisted with hatred. The wound on her forehead began to throb with a dull ache, making her wish she could tear the woman before her to pieces.

The butler stood huddled in a corner, clutching his bruised and battered face, yet he could not escape the eyes of the crowd, who stared at Chu Li in sheer disbelief.

How had this useless, fostered step-daughter suddenly grown so formidable? It was as if she had turned into a completely different person.

A pin-drop silence fell over the hall, with no one daring to speak first.

Chu Li's arrival forced them to realize that this adopted daughter, who had vanished for three years only to return out of the blue, was no longer the cowardly and incompetent creature she used to be. She was not someone to be trifled with.

Cui Shi caught sight of Chu Li's true appearance, and his gaze was instantly captivated. He stood up without hesitation to welcome her.

"Lady Chu, please forgive my abrupt intrusion. I sincerely hope this has not caused you any trouble."

Chu Li smiled faintly, sweeping a look of profound contempt across everyone assembled in the front hall.

"How could the Young Master Cui's visit to the Chu residence possibly be an intrusion? Look at how enthusiastic these people are. Some of them even dressed up in their finest attire, which clearly shows how highly they regard Young Master Cui."

Her cold, indifferent gaze brushed past Chu Jiaojiao, and the corners of her lips curled into an enigmatic smile.

Sensing the biting sarcasm in her words, the members of the Chu family instantly changed color.

Unable to maintain his composure, Chu Zhonghe wore a look of mounting anger and snapped,

"Chu Meng, watch your manners!" He turned his head toward Cui Shi, immediately reverting to a fawning expression.

"Please do not take offense, Young Master Cui. My eldest daughter has spent the past three years mingling outside and has only just returned. We have not yet had the opportunity to properly instruct her."

Hearing this, Chu Li raised an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh.

"Eldest daughter? What kind of joke is the head of the Chu family telling?"

Chu Zhonghe found the mocking expression on this rebellious daughter's face exceptionally grating, yet a prick of guilty conscience left him utterly speechless.

Glancing coldly at the crowd, Chu Li turned to Cui Shi and said,

"Young Master Cui, you came to deliver the items, didn't you? Let us leave and pay no mind to these people."

Cui Shi could easily perceive the abysmal relationship between Lady Chu and the rest of the Chu family. Though he had long suspected it, seeing the harsh reality made his heart sink.

The thought of a young girl enduring cold glares and surviving in such a ruthless family evoked a profound wave of pity within him.

Without even offering a parting word of courtesy to the head of the Chu family, Cui Shi followed closely behind Chu Li as she walked out of the front hall.

Seething with hidden fury at this slight, Chu Zhonghe grabbed the teacup beside him and hurled it to the ground with all his might.

"Incredible! This rebellious wretch is completely out of hand!"

He had assumed that even if Chu Meng harbored grievances, she would at least remember her upbringing and help the Chu family prosper, acting as a bridge between him and the Cui clan. Who would have thought this ungrateful wolf would be so utterly uncooperative?

Madam Sun seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire.

"My lord, she is nothing but an uncultivated ingrate. The Chu family has never treated her poorly, and she has never gone without a meal all these years—look how plump and fair she was raised! Not only is she devoid of gratitude, but she even deliberately misled Young Master Cui into thinking we mistreated her."

"In my opinion, the Chu family can no longer keep her, nor can we teach her any better. We should marry her off to the Fang family as soon as possible and let her husband's family properly discipline her."

A dark and shifting expression crossed Chu Zhonghe's face, and he remained silent.

The second and third branches exchanged glances, each harboring their own secret calculations.

Suddenly remembering something, Chu Yunhe chimed in, "Head of the family, we need to settle the matter of those betrothal gifts. It looked to me like they were heading outside the estate."

Reminded by the second master of the Chu family, Chu Zhonghe suddenly recalled that the street full of betrothal gifts was still waiting outside. If Chu Meng accepted them privately, by all rights, those gifts would belong to the Chu family, and as the head of the household, he had the absolute right to dispose of them.

Leaving Madam Sun behind, Chu Zhonghe hurried out in a rush, and the rest of the family quickly quickened their pace to follow. If so many betrothal gifts entered the Chu family's storehouse, every single one of them would get a share.

They might have failed to secure Cui Shi as a son-in-law, but such a massive pile of betrothal gifts was still a fortune.

Since they couldn't win the man, securing the wealth would do just as well.

Seeing everyone leave, Chu Jiaojiao panicked.

"Mother, what should we do? If that wretched girl really accepts Young Master Cui's betrothal gifts, what will happen to me?"

How could a lowly wretch like her ever deserve happiness or make such a brilliant match? She was nothing more than an orphaned stray of unknown origin; she was utterly unworthy of Young Master Cui.

Madam Sun was growing anxious as well. Logic dictated that the Cui clan would never allow Cui Shi to act so recklessly, and this marriage proposal itself reeked of suspicion.

Yet she also knew that the vile girl possessed a striking appearance and an inexplicable aura. Though not overtly seductive, she possessed a strange and captivating allure.

Even Madam Sun had to admit that this cheap wench was far more adept at stealing men's souls than her own two daughters.

What if Cui Shi was simply shallow and had fallen purely for Chu Meng's face?

"Rest assured, Mother will not let that wretched girl succeed. If it truly comes to that, we will simply expose the fact that she has already lost her purity. I refuse to believe any man would be willing to marry a soiled woman."

"What about the Fang family, then?"

Although Fang Shihuai was a womanizer, he cared deeply about his reputation. Should the match with the Fang family also fall through, her father would undoubtedly force her to marry him anyway for the sake of family interests.

A fierce and ruthless expression settled over Madam Sun's face. "We have no other choice. I will never allow that wretched girl to ride roughshod over us."

***

Chu Li and Cui Shi soon arrived at the entrance of the Chu residence. The curious onlookers had not dispersed, and the moment they saw Chu Li emerge, gasps of astonishment rose from the crowd.

"How can this be? Young Master Cui's chosen bride is actually the adopted daughter of the Chu family!"

"Ha! Given Young Master Cui's status, he ignored the legitimate young lady of the Chu family and chose an adopted daughter instead. This is going to be a fascinating show."

Chu Li remained unimpressed when she saw the cargo boxes lining the entire street, knowing that the list had included bulky winter-protection supplies that naturally took up a lot of space.

However, upon overhearing the fragmentary murmurs of the townsfolk, a sudden realization dawned on her. That infuriating family had gathered in full force because they genuinely believed Cui Shi had come to deliver betrothal gifts.

A wave of amusement washed over Chu Li, instantly followed by a chilling surge of intent.

The people of the Chu family never acted without the promise of profit; she needed to draw a clear line between them as quickly as possible.

"Lady Chu, I have gathered everything on the list you provided. The talisman paper and cinnabar you requested are right here."

Cui Shi took a medium-sized wooden box from a servant and handed it directly to Chu Li.

Chu Li gestured for Qiu Yi to take it. Just as Qiu Yi extended her hands, Chu Zhonghe strode forward with long strides, reaching out aggressively to snatch the box away.

"You rebellious wretch, matters of marriage must be decided by the command of parents and the words of matchmakers. How dare you make such arrangements in private?"

Before the words had faded, his hands had already seized the locked wooden box. He weighed it in his palm; it felt light. His eyes instantly lit up—if it wasn't filled with gold ingots, it had to be bank notes!

Chu Li had not expected Chu Zhonghe to sink to such a shameless degree that he would resort to outright robbery. She was utterly astounded.

The surrounding onlookers widened their eyes in shock, mentally exclaiming at the sheer audacity.

Recovering from her surprise, Chu Li felt no trace of panic. She simply stood watching Chu Zhonghe with an air of cold amusement.

True to form, Chu Zhonghe suddenly realized how unseemly his eagerness appeared. But since he had already stolen it, there was no way he would return it.

Suppressing a prick of guilt, he instantly plastered on an air of righteous indignation.

"As your father, would I possibly pocket your betrothal gifts? I am merely keeping them safe for you temporarily. A young woman like you knows nothing of managing money, and handing it over to your father is the best possible course of action."

"Ha~" Chu Li was almost laughing out of sheer anger.

"Head of the Chu family, which of your eyes saw these as betrothal gifts? Hands off, give me my things back right now!"