Chapter 40 Lu Cha Is Going to Turn Dark

Zhang Meng applied the ointment to her broken lips, feeling a burning pain. She looked at her lips in the mirror, red and swollen, and couldn’t help but blame Xu Lu Cha in her heart.

Zhong Huo sat to the side with a dark face, coldly looking at her: “You’re probably secretly happy inside. You choose not to blame Xu Lu Cha, doesn’t that mean you have feelings for him?”

Zhang Meng put down the mirror and turned to look at Zhong Huo: “I don’t have feelings for him, I just think it’s pitiful that he’s gone to such lengths and ruined his reputation.”

In a matriarchal society, men care most about their reputation, as it affects whether they can marry a good wife-master. Hadn’t Xu Lu Cha been calculating and maneuvering just to marry a good wife-master and live a better life?

She had always thought Xu Lu Cha was a calm person who knew how to weigh pros and cons. She never imagined that Xu Lu Cha would do something to ruin his reputation for her sake.

Zhong Huo was exasperated and angry. She slammed the table hard: “Zhang Meng! You’re always so soft-hearted towards people, being ambiguous with them. You’re harming them.”

Startled by Zhong Huo’s sudden table slam, Zhang Meng said pitifully: “I’m not being ambiguous with him.” After a pause, she lowered her head dejectedly, “I didn’t expect him to be so persistent.”

She had no money, no power, and wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, at most considered pretty. She didn’t understand what Xu Lu Cha saw in her.

“If you didn’t intend to be ambiguous with him, why don’t you just reject him decisively? If you can’t be heartless towards him, you’ll eventually fall for him,” Zhong Huo said coldly.

After Zhong Huo left, Zhang Meng’s mood remained low. She had never been liked by a man before. She thought being liked by someone would be a happy thing, but she didn’t expect Xu Lu Cha’s affection would make her feel so troubled.

She certainly didn’t dislike him, but she only saw him as a friend. Moreover, she still cared for Yang Qing, so she couldn’t possibly accept him. But if Xu Lu Cha was heartbroken and upset, she wouldn’t feel good either…

Zhang Meng lay powerlessly on the bed, absent-mindedly playing with the sachet Zhong Huo had given her.

She thought, if only Xu Lu Cha didn’t like her.

“Young master, are you alright?”

Ever since Xu Lu Cha was brought back to the Xu residence, he had been silent. If Zi Yi hadn’t seen tears constantly welling up in Xu Lu Cha’s beautiful eyes, he would have thought Xu Lu Cha had turned into a puppet.

Blood still remained on Xu Lu Cha’s thin lips. Zi Yi was about to wipe away the blood stains with a clean handkerchief when Xu Lu Cha, who had been like a puppet, suddenly slapped away the handkerchief in Zi Yi’s hand.

“Young master, Zi Yi just wanted to wipe away the blood stains for you…” Zi Yi was startled by Xu Lu Cha’s action, but still explained his intentions softly. He was now very careful when dealing with Xu Lu Cha, afraid that he might suddenly get angry.

Xu Lu Cha’s fair fingers lightly brushed over his injured lips. After a long while, he finally showed a somewhat bitter smile: “Zi Yi, she has a fiancé now, she’s going to marry someone else.”

Zi Yi comforted him: “Young master, Zi Yi asked other constables, A Yue is not Zhang constable’s fiancé.”

Xu Lu Cha lowered his eyes: “I know he’s not, but I’ve never seen Zhang Meng be so considerate to other men, as if he were her own family. That man must be the one she has always liked, rejecting me for his sake…” His words paused, and as he habitually bit his lower lip, blood quickly welled up.

“Young master!” Seeing him being so careless with himself, Zi Yi was anxious. He wanted to help stop the bleeding with a handkerchief, but was afraid Xu Lu Cha would get angry, so he could only stand there worrying.

Xu Lu Cha raised his red-rimmed beautiful eyes, choked with sobs: “Zi Yi, why doesn’t she like me? Am I not beautiful enough?”

His looks were among the top in Cloud City, even Chen Yue, who had always looked down on him, would admit to his beauty, saying his beauty could bewitch people’s hearts. Why couldn’t Zhang Meng be bewitched by him?

A Yue was just a boy who hadn’t even grown up yet, not as good-looking as him, and with frivolous manners and a glib tongue, annoying people. Why could that despicable A Yue win Zhang Meng’s affection?

Faced with Xu Lu Cha’s questions, Zi Yi didn’t know how to answer. But Xu Lu Cha didn’t seem to need his answer, lowering his head and remaining silent for a long time, no longer speaking.

Later, Chen Yue specially came here to watch the commotion, speaking coldly to Xu Lu Cha, but Xu Lu Cha didn’t fight back, treating him like air, completely unlike his usual sharp-tongued self.

Chen Yue had come specifically to insult Xu Lu Cha, and seeing that Xu Lu Cha didn’t retort as usual, he felt even more pleased, thinking Xu Lu Cha was feeling guilty.

When leaving, Chen Yue’s face, which usually wore a harsh expression, showed a smug smile. He mockingly said: “Now that your reputation is ruined, no woman will want to marry you. When you come of age, I’ll have Xu Hong drive you out of the Xu residence. Then you can learn from your lowly father and sell yourself for a living.” He sneered, “I’d really like to see the day when the talented and beautiful third young master of the Xu family becomes a lowly prostitute, selling his body to please women.”

Zi Yi listened with raging anger, wishing he could throw Chen Yue out, but Xu Lu Cha had no reaction at all, as if completely immersed in his own world, silently shedding tears.

Xu Lu Cha sat in the courtyard for a whole night, neither eating nor drinking. Zi Yi held a lamp and kept him company.

Zi Yi also comforted Xu Lu Cha all night, but Xu Lu Cha had no reaction to his words. It wasn’t until the sky gradually brightened that Xu Lu Cha, who had been immersed in his own world, finally moved and stood up.

“Young master?” Zi Yi, who had been dozing off standing by, quickly stood up too. Seeing Xu Lu Cha stand up and walk towards the depths of the corridor, he hurriedly followed behind, “Young master, where are you going?”

Xu Lu Cha seemed not to have heard his words, walking forward on his own. Zi Yi called him several times, but he didn’t respond. It wasn’t until Zi Yi walked a few quick steps and blocked his way that Xu Lu Cha raised his red-rimmed beautiful eyes to look at Zi Yi.

“Zi Yi, move aside.” His voice was cold, as if mixed with crushed ice.

But Zi Yi refused to move, stubbornly saying: “You have to tell Zi Yi first, where are you going? Your current state really worries me.”

Xu Lu Cha didn’t answer him, pushing Zi Yi aside with one hand and continuing to walk forward.

“Young master! Stop! Since you won’t tell Zi Yi, are you going to find Zhang constable?” Zi Yi hurriedly caught up again, “You can’t go. Right now, all the citizens of Cloud City are watching you. If you go out, Zi Yi fears something might happen to you.”