Chapter 424 - Checking Out

The door closed, leaving the two quiet men alone in the room.

"Urgh..." Guan Gao Huan tried to stand up.

He wiped the blood on his lips but grunted again as his broken fingers were hurt by the fleeting touch.

"How did he find out?" Lu Jin asked on the side.

Guan Gao Huan laboriously stood up from his kneeling position, staggered to a chair, and plopped down.

No matter how used he had become to the pain, his body still responded naturally. Just like now, all he wanted to do was to soak in a hot bath.

"The usual way. Xiong De's case spread far and wide. Even up north, the news had already spread there."

"So you summoned him."

Lu Jin fell quiet, looked at his friend who was currently taking care of his wounds, and then spoke again. "Why even bother to use that useless man?"

The useless man Lu Jin was talking about was Xiong De.

"Well, I thought that internal fight is the most effective method against that kind of family."

"…It is, unless there is someone smart enough to figure it out." That was the problem.

"..." Guan Gao Huan halted in wrapping up his bloody body.

He looked at Lu Jin with a raised eyebrow, asking, "You've met her?"

"En."

"Oh."

Guan Gao Huan went back to wrapping the bandage on his broken fingers, appearing to not care that Lu Jin had especially checked out his mission object. However, his golden eyes were deep.

"So… What do you think of her?"

"...Peculiar."

"Hmm?" Guan Gao Huan distractedly looked up again.

Did he hear it wrong? He expected many descriptions, like 'not worthy to take note of' or 'troublesome', but he did not expect the word peculiar. For Lu Jin to say something that was not an insult to someone, it was already a compliment.

"You've heard me."

"That's it?"

"And one more thing. Her butler is strong."

Linfeng's image popped up in Guan Gao Huan's mind.

He frowned. "I know that already."

He did not like Lu Jin complimenting Linfeng.

"Well, there's that. And 'that'."

"Ahh?" 

Gao Huan was confused by Lu Jin's meaning of 'that'.

"I mean, he has a strong influence on the Xiong's heiress. You have to take him out."

"...."

"Do you hear me?" Lu Jin frowned.

That Linfeng was an eyesore.

"He is a variable to your mission. You have to take him out."

"You're telling me to take Linfeng out of Xiong Zhi's side?"

"Yes."

Guan Gao Huan's golden eyes narrowed. 

'Suspicious'

"...Tell me honestly, it is for your brother, right? I've heard rumors that Lu Yin Ze is after the Young Miss Xiong."

"...Of course not. How can Lu Yin Ze enter the picture?"

"Heh, you can fool father about it, but you can't fool me. We practically grew up together. I know all your habits like the back of my hand."

"Why are you interested about my thoughts?" Lu Jin stared darkly at Gao Huan.

Likewise, Guan Gao Huan stared at Lu Jin. He then turned serious.

"I just want to make it clear to you. I don't care about your brother's puppy love. But Xiong Zhi is my prey. I've got her marked. Besides, father already handed her onto my care."

Lu Jin did not speak anymore.

It was his mistake. He talked too much today.

"Anyway, we have to be prepared, since father is cooking something up to mess with the four families again. I'm sure you will have your mission soon," Guan Gao Huan said as he stood up and left the study room with a stagger.

The door closed with a thud.

The room sank into silence, leaving Lu Jin staring back at nothingness.

*** **

It was two days later when Lu Yin Ze received a heads up from his butler that the Tang family will come to visit any time today.

Old Lu had already heard from his people about what happened in the Second Young Miss Tang's banquet. With his and Mistress Tang's power, they suppressed the rumors of the two family joining together.

However, despite doing that, in the eyes of the people in the upper circle who was present at that time, the cat was already out of the bag.

Within the circles in the high society, words were passed on secretly and people speculated. Some figureheads in the domestic economy were already starting to prepare for the worst if ever they have to choose a side. A few ones discreetly tried to feel out the situation between the families.

Thus, there was a sudden boom in guest appointments and meetings.

Due to this, Old Lu became busier in the past two days, causing him backache and leg cramps when night fell.

His black face scared off many of the ones who came as peanut gallery.

When he heard the news that the Tang family personally came to apologize, he harrumphed and let the three women of the Tang family wait for almost an hour in the living room.

He even did not notify Lu Yin Ze that the Tang family was already inside the mansion.

Thus, when Lu Yin Ze finally came home after receiving the news, he was stunned to see the visitors who had said they will come any time later.

'They were already here rather early, eh?'

Just in time, Old Lu decided to meet his guests.

"Yin, you can take a rest first. I will take care of our 'dear visitors'."

"I'm not that tired yet, grandpa. I will accompany you." Besides, they are here because of me, Lu Yin Ze silently added.

He wanted to know what kind of talk the two elders would decide upon regarding his 'compensation'.

Also, he felt distressed that his grandfather had been troubled by the aftermath despite being in an advanced age.

Old Lu nodded and greeted the visitors.

The visitors, Mistress Tang, Tang Xinyang, and Tang Yin, stood up and greeted him as well.

There was no impatience or blame on their faces despite knowing that Old Lu had deliberately made them wait. Because they were the one who was in the wrong, they quietly stomached this little revenge of the Old man. For their strong bodies, it was nothing troublesome at all.

"Old Tang, what made you come here to our humble abode?" Old Lu said without giving much pleasantries.

Mistress Tang's tigress aura was withdrawn. She was docile like a kitten today.

She smiled apologetically. "Old Lu, I know you are upset about what happened two days ago. It was totally our wrong. I came here to personally apologize with my granddaughters for pulling your grandson into this mess."

'Hmph. You only came here to apologize now after two long days? This amazon, did you think we surnamed Lu's are pushovers?'

Old Lu harrumphed again. "Exactly, it was 'two days ago'. It has been so long that I almost forgot this little farce that your Tang family created."

The Tang family went silent. The two young women who had guilty hearts bowed their heads lower.

Old Lu's meaning was clear. It took them two days to come here and apologize. 

Though they had reasons why they came two days late, their faces could not help but heated up with shame.