Chapter 4: No Mercy in Trapping You!

Seeing that familiar face, Chu Xianmin nearly jumped out of her chair in shock!

It really was Chu Liuyue who had returned!

How was this possible?

The strength of Song Lian and the other two was by no means weak; dealing with a mere Chu Liuyue should have been a piece of cake.

Everything had been arranged flawlessly, yet now Chu Liuyue actually...

"Yue'er!"

Seeing his daughter return, Chu Ning immediately rushed over in a panic

"Yue'er, how are you?"

Seeing the worry in Chu Ning's eyes, Chu Liuyue felt a warmth in her heart.

She could feel that Chu Ning truly loved and protected her as his daughter; even though she was a "useless trash," this fatherly love for his child was not lacking in the slightest.

It was just a pity that the real Chu Liuyue was already dead.

Chu Liuyue patted the back of Chu Ning's hand and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Father, Yue'er is fine."

Hearing her say this, Chu Ning was initially somewhat skeptical, but seeing that she indeed appeared to be uninjured from head to toe, the stone in his heart finally settled.

Somehow, looking at the smile on his daughter's face, he felt inexplicably that Yue'er seemed a little different.

The old Yue'er was always weak and timid, but now, within those dark, bright eyes, there seemed to be starlight—brilliant and dazzling!

"Sister! You're finally back! Minmin was so worried about you!"

Chu Liuyue looked up to see Chu Xianmin looking at her with a face full of "joy," appearing extremely happy.

Worried?

Chu Liuyue sneered inwardly. Chu Xianmin was likely only truly worried now that she saw her return!

"Oh? So Third Sister was worried about me? But just now outside, I seemed to hear Third Sister accusing me of stealing your pocket money?"

Chu Liuyue spoke unhurriedly.

Cold sweat instantly broke out on Chu Xianmin's back.

What was going on with this Chu Liuyue!

Not only had she not died outside, but she also seemed to have changed! She actually dared to ask such a question in public!

"Sister, you misunderstood. I only felt that it was getting late and you hadn't returned, so I felt uneasy and came to ask the Great Elder a few questions..."

As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears again.

"After all... Sister doesn't have a shred of Origin Power. If you were bullied while out... your sister would truly die of self-reproach!"

This was a deliberate sarcasm, mocking her for being a useless trash who couldn't cultivate!

If it were the old Chu Liuyue, she might have actually believed that Chu Xianmin was worried about her, but the current Chu Liuyue had a completely different soul; how could she be deceived by such low-level tactics?

Chu Xianmin was currently the most talented among the younger generation of the Chu family. Saying these words would only make people feel even more that Chu Liuyue was useless, and that even going out was a hassle!

Sure enough, a look of disgust immediately appeared in the Great Elder's eyes as he rebuked

"Returning so late today, who knows what you were doing outside! If you can't even handle such a small matter, don't bother going out in the future, lest you bring shame to our Chu family! Waste!"

Chu Ning's expression turned cold. He stepped forward, shielding Chu Liuyue behind him, his fists clenched tight as he forced himself to endure

"Great Elder, Yue'er is still a child. Isn't it a bit too much for you to speak like that?"

Although he was not what he used to be, he could not allow others to humiliate his daughter like this!

Looking at the tall figure blocking the way in front of her, Chu Liuyue was momentarily stunned, and a hint of bitterness welled up in her eyes.

In her past life, she was born as the Heavenly Mandate Imperial Princess, with a noble status and formidable strength. Whenever something happened, she always had to shoulder it herself. This feeling of being protected was far too foreign to her, and far too precious.

This time, no matter what, she would do her utmost to protect everyone who truly loved her!

"Father."

Chu Liuyue gently pulled him and took a step forward.

Chu Ning looked at her, thinking she would be as cowardly as she had been countless times before, but what he saw instead were a pair of calm eyes.

Her thin frame straightened its back, her chin tilted slightly upward, and an indescribable aura inexplicably emanated from her entire being.

"Rest assured, Great Elder. Not a single item that needed to be purchased is missing, and they have already been delivered to the warehouse. If you don't believe me, you are welcome to check. As for why I returned so late today... doesn't Third Sister know best?"

"Sister! What nonsense are you talking about!?"

Hearing this, Chu Xianmin immediately panicked, and her tone became much sharper.

Could Chu Liuyue have already guessed that Song Lian and the other two were sent by her?!

Chu Liuyue gave her a half-smile and asked with feigned surprise

"Did Third Sister not give me silver to go and help you buy things?"

Chu Xianmin was instantly choked up!

There was no such thing at all!

But—she had just told the Great Elder and Chu Ning exactly that!

She had originally intended to take the opportunity to frame Chu Liuyue, but she hadn't expected Chu Liuyue to actually go along with it!

Chu Liuyue reached out her hand, and a pomegranate-patterned jade pendant lay quietly in her palm.

"Third Sister, because the money you gave me wasn't quite enough, I have used your other Moon-Flower Pomegranate jade pendant as a collateral and left it at the Treasure Pavilion. I only need to send the remaining money tomorrow."

That jade pendant was part of Chu Xianmin's mother's dowry. Because it was exquisitely crafted and could nourish the body, it was extremely precious; there was no second pair in the entire Imperial Capital. Chu Xianmin liked that pendant very much and wore it frequently.

Precisely because of this, everyone could confirm that it was indeed Chu Xianmin's item!

Hearing this, the Great Elder looked at Chu Xianmin with suspicion.

"Minmin, is what she says true?"

She usually cherished this jade pendant immensely; if she hadn't given it up voluntarily, it would indeed be difficult for others to obtain it.

If she had bought something else, it might have been one thing, but the Treasure Pavilion was the most luxurious place in the entire Imperial Capital! Everything inside was a top-tier treasure, each worth an exorbitant amount!

Although the Chu family was a prominent clan in the Imperial Capital, they had gradually declined in recent years, and often were not as prosperous as they appeared on the surface.

Even as the Great Elder of the Chu family, he could not squander money recklessly in a place like the Treasure Pavilion.

Chu Xianmin gritted her teeth secretly.

That was originally something she had intentionally brought out to make everyone believe that Chu Liuyue had stolen something and fled, but she hadn't expected...

"It... it is that I took a liking to an item in the Treasure Pavilion, but I have been busy with my cultivation lately and had no time to go out, so I asked Sister to help..."

In this situation, she had to admit it whether she wanted to or not!

Although the items in the Treasure Pavilion were expensive, she could afford one or two.

Once she had investigated the situation regarding Song Lian and the other two, it wouldn't be too late to deal with Chu Liuyue!

Hearing her mention cultivation, the Great Elder's expression softened considerably, and he said warmly

"What is there to worry about? You are the most outstanding talent of our Chu family. If you want something, just say the word!"

Chu Xianmin gave a sweet smile

"Thank you for your kindness, Great Elder!"

Chu Liuyue sneered inwardly.

Thinking she could just gloss over it like that? Not so easy.

She couldn't completely oppose Chu Xianmin for the time being, but she would never allow herself to suffer in silence!

"In that case, does the Great Elder intend to pay the remaining amount for Third Sister from the public accounts?"

Chu Liuyue asked as if out of curiosity.

The Great Elder and Chu Xianmin were both stunned, and then both hesitated.

The Chu family had strict rules; everyone's monthly allowance was distributed according to their rank. If they truly used public funds for Chu Xianmin, others would inevitably feel dissatisfied.

"This is Minmin's own matter, so let Minmin take responsibility herself!"

Chu Xianmin naturally could not ruin her reputation of many years, so she immediately took responsibility for the matter.

Although the items in the Treasure Pavilion were expensive, she was usually highly favored and had saved a significant amount of silver; spending a few thousand taels on one or two items was not a major problem.

As she spoke, she looked at Chu Liuyue with a smile, putting on an air of generous, gentle nobility

"Sister, I can just go pick up the treasure tomorrow, right?"

Chu Liuyue nodded, a flash of cunning appearing in her eyes.

"Yes. The one thousand taels you gave me earlier have all been given to the Treasure Pavilion. Tomorrow, as long as Third Sister pays the remaining 199,000 taels, it will be fine."

Chu Xianmin thought she had misheard and screamed instinctively

"What!?"

(End of Chapter)