Chapter 9: Then we shall see

Chapter 9: Then Let’s Wait and See~

“I hear that the son of the mistress has achieved success in his studies and is quite scholarly. It’s just that his luck was a bit poor; he missed the metropolitan examination twice in a row. Otherwise, even if he weren’t the top scholar, he should have at least been the runner-up or the third-place finisher.”

“If Old Master Zhang is smart and bold enough, he should properly tell a story to the people of the capital.”

“Tell them about how, back then, Master Zhang’s legal wife and his mistress gave birth one after the other. That mistress, blinded by vanity and greed for wealth, harbored evil intentions and took a desperate gamble to swap the child born to Madam Zhang with her own…”

Song Lan’s gaze swept past the spot where Old Master Zhang was hiding, as if unintentionally, the corners of her lips curving slightly.

She believed that in a few hours, the Zhang family would acknowledge the true young master who had been swapped.

As for Zhang Chi—a man who wanted to break off an engagement but didn't formally visit to state his intentions, instead resorting to despicable means to frame his fiancée for losing her chastity at the Spring Banquet, slandering her reputation, and provoking the Grand Princess into charging him with the crime of harming royalty—he was naturally the “illegitimate” fake young master of unknown origin!

The Zhang family had always been the type to never act without profit.

“What kind of nonsense are you spouting!”

Zhang Chi was so anxious his face turned pale and his eyes bloodshot. His gaze drifted involuntarily toward the place where Old Master Zhang was hiding, terrified that his grandfather would believe the words of this poisonous woman and truly treat him as a discarded pawn.

Originally, his grandfather had intended for that wild seed to die in his place!

“My Zhang family is a century-old noble house with upright family traditions! How could we ever commit such an act of passing off a concubine’s son as the legitimate heir!”

“It’s simply absurd!”

“The greatest joke under heaven!”

Zhang Chi appeared to be refuting Song Lan, but in reality, he was speaking for Old Master Zhang to hear, desperate to dispel the thoughts that had been planted in the old man’s mind.

He did not doubt for a second that Song Lan’s words had already caused his grandfather to weigh other options.

“In that case, I shall wait and see how much fatherly affection Master Zhang has for you.”

Song Lan smiled slightly, not mentioning Old Master Zhang, but speaking only of Zhang Chi’s own father.

After all, Old Master Zhang had more than one son.

And Zhang Chi was not his only precious grandson.

If this one couldn't be counted on, there was always another.

But Master Zhang was different.

On the surface, he only had two sons who had survived to adulthood, yet both were more useless than the other.

Seeing that the second and third branches both had sons who were decent at their studies and could support the family, Old Master Zhang’s focus was shifting more and more. No one was more anxious than he was!

In the end, he, the head of the Zhang family, was merely a figurehead in name only.

Old Master Zhang held all the power, and looking at him, he was radiant and full of vigor; he could easily live another twenty or thirty years.

What if one day, he decided to bypass his son and hand the power over to a more promising grandson?

That boy from the second branch was already receiving personal instruction from the old man.

“You poisonous woman! You…”

*Slap!*

A crisp, sharp sound of a slap echoed through the air.

Zhang Chi clutched his face, staring at Song Lan with eyes full of terror, as if he had seen a ghost. A chill rose from the soles of his feet, so frightened that he couldn't even bring himself to cry out in pain.

She, she, she…

How did she hit his face from so far away?

Was she a ghost?

“I didn’t like the sound of you barking just now. Understand?”

Song Lan tilted her head, her beautiful almond eyes as cold as frost, making anyone who met her gaze feel a bone-chilling cold that turned their legs to jelly, forcing them to collapse to the ground.

“U-understood!”

Zhang Chi’s voice trembled, as if he had seen something terrifying. He was deeply shaken and filled with dread.

“I-I’m sorry, I spoke wrongly. I apologize to you.”

His mouth was more honest than his body, and he knelt down with practiced ease.

*Hmph!*

Song Lan let out a silent, cold sneer, her gaze flicking toward where Old Master Zhang was hiding.

He was, after all, a grandson raised by his side. No matter how cold-hearted or profit-driven one was, it was inevitable that some feelings would remain.

Where there are feelings, there is reluctance.

But looking at such spineless, useless mud that couldn't be propped up, were those feelings still of any use?

She was very much looking forward to it!

Song Lan’s lips curved, her mood quite good, and she turned and walked away without a hint of hesitation.