Chu Shenshu

"Eldest brother, I mean it!" Chu Xinian exclaimed. She stood up immediately, then hurriedly walked over to the arrogant man who was about to step out again.

She gripped the man's arm, preventing him from leaving while warning him once again, "Mother said not to bother him anymore. You're strictly forbidden to meet him. I won't hesitate to tell mother if you still want to come to Weixu and make fun of him!"

Chu Xinian knew clearly that giving a warning to the man must be useless, yet she just did so anyway, hoping that the man would understand.

The man, Chu Shenshu, turned his head sideways, glancing at Chu Xinian with a deadly gaze. The words must have sounded ominous to him as if he had just been accused of making a disruption.

However, since the man was good at hiding his displeasure so well, he pulled his arm in front of his body, then replied in a calm tone, "What on earth do you mean? Didn't you hear what I said? I said I just want to greet him. What's wrong with that?"

Chu Xinian snorted softly. "No way. I'm afraid you'll only bring up what you can't."

Hearing Chu Xinian's words, the corners of the man's lips lifted, revealing a cold, good-looking face smirking. "For real? You're overthinking about this, you know. What am I going to bring up to him? About Weixu's illegitimate child? Or ... it's about his illicit relationship with his lover?"

"Eldest brother!" Chu Xinian yelled, "Don't involve the child!"

Chu Xinian became furious at Chu Shenshu's words which seemed to be utter contempt. She objected, but as if she was locked in by the fury that welled up within her, she couldn't help but stare at the man furiously.

In contrast to Chu Shenshu. He even looked leisurely, assuming that the words were the inevitable truth as if his face depicted the words: "there's nothing wrong with the truth", He didn't regret saying it at all.

The man's thin lips parted slightly but nothing came out except a venomous smile that seemed to grow wider. He then left without a word. Followed by a 'bang' sound as the door closed, leaving behind an eerie cold aura.

Chu Xinian didn't prevent him, letting him go as if she had lost the effort to threaten him with words … which were even useless.

The woman's face was sullen. Surely, she didn't accept the words of her eldest brother but she couldn't do anything.

After all, since the last time Chu Shenshu and Chu Weixu met, both of them ended up in a dispute. Chu Xinian was only worried that if Chu Shenshu came to meet Chu Weixu, Chu Weixu would get angry and blame her for allowing that to happen.

However, Chu Xinian's words were merely words that meant nothing to Chu Shenshu. Every decision of her eldest brother was absolute, even their father entrusted everything to be controlled by him.

Even though Chu Shenshu was the eldest son in the Chu Family, he couldn't be on good terms with Chu Weixu nor with Chu Xinian. According to the man, Chu Weixu had tarnished their family name because of his illicit relationship with Ai Zhiyi, plus they both fled to Shanghai, leaving a disgrace on their family.

Chu Xinian could tell how furious Chu Shenshu was because of their younger brother's behavior, disgust was clearly depicted on the man's face impeccably. The woman also knew how Chu Shenshu was displeased with her but she didn't want to hear anyone's opinion.

Chu Xinian was a broad-minded person. She didn't have a problem with the kind of relationship. She thought that as long as the two people involved love each other, then it could be called falling in love where two people could share affection. So, the woman didn't mind her young brother's romantic affair at all. Therefore, Chu Xinian always told Ai Zhiyi to take care of Chu Weixu as her family took care of him. It meant she had given up her younger brother completely.

Not much different from their mother. After Chu Xinian told their mother that Chu Weixu had decided to live in another city with Ai Zhiyi, their mother could let both of them go. After all, Ai Zhiyi was a kind and caring man. He could also be relied on in many things such as taking care of the household. Apart from being Chu Weixu's childhood friend — as a mother — she believed that Ai Zhiyi could be a life partner who could take good care of one of her children. Her sorrow was merely the instinct of a mother accompanying Chu Weixu's departure. Other than that, she was fine for their happiness.

Chu Xinian sighed heavily. She plopped down on the sofa helplessly while massaging her forehead. She imagined how difficult it would be to reconcile the two men who hadn't much different temperaments. Both were stubborn. She was too tired to advise the men in his family.

However, as a woman between her two brothers, she had the instinct to unite both of them where she must keep standing between the storms that were coming from two opposite directions. No one demanded her, only she thought that her family togetherness was more than anything else.

After feeling relax, she opened the menu on her cell phone. Seeing a familiar number, she dialed the number right away.

"Hello?" a woman's graceful voice was heard from a different line, which was none other than her mother, Xi Zijin.

Hearing the voice, Chu Xinian couldn't help but smile. "Mother, how are you?"

"I'm good, just a little tired after accompanying your father on a business visit in Beijing for two days. What about you?"

"As well. My work is done, so I'll take two days off, then return to the family mansion."

On the other side, a woman who was forty-five to fifty years old smiled, a youthful glow on her face. She looked at a family photo on her desk, stroking it gently. There was love and sadness bloomed in her eyes. She asked gently, "Then, how is your brother doing there?"

"Ah, Zhiyi said [1]Xuxu is fine."

Xi Zijin smiled. "He'll be mad if you call him that."

Chu Xinian chuckled. "At least he didn't hear it now."

There was a brief pause in their conversation before the middle-aged woman asked again, "Then, what's the matter?"

"Um, Brother Shenshu came early in the morning at my—"

Before Chu Xinian could finish her words, the woman suddenly exclaimed, "Shenshu is back?!"

Questioning that, Chu Xinian's brows furrowed. She asked in surprise, "Hmm? Didn't you already know that?"

"No, no at all. He didn't even tell me," the woman asked, "When was he back?"

"He said he just arrived last night and will be heading to Beijing this morning."

"That kid ...," Xi Zijin said, unable to hide her excitement, "He should come over here this morning. I can't wait to see him. I will ask him to come to Guangzhou after he finishes his business in Beijing."

Xi Zijin straightened up, and couldn't stop smiling at the news of Chu Shenshu's arrival after he spent three years abroad. Xi Zijin didn't expect that in the end, Chu Shenshu decided to return after Xi Zijin almost gave up trying to persuade him to come back.

It had been a long time since she had felt as happy as she was now after a long period of grief. After she lost one man in her family, she almost lost another one after she reprimanded Chu Shenshu sternly for bothering his little brother. So, she didn't want to lose anyone else in his family anymore.

[1] Xuxu is homophonic of the word of smells good.

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