Chapter 504 - Head-on Confrontation (2)
Chapter 504: Head-on Confrontation (2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As they recalled the past Mu Tingfeng and Zhao Youlin’s wedding that happened in the beginning, they actually found it very absurd.
While the Zhao family’s status was prominent in Shalnork, their status was nothing in the eyes of the Mu family.
Even though Zhao Youlin was the official eldest lady of the Zhao family, her father did not care for her while her mother, who adored her, had passed away when she was young. Therefore, her title was all in vain.
In fact, the scandal of Zhao Youlin drugging Mu Tingfeng in order to conceive his child was a rather frequent occurrence among the great families.
Zhao Youlin’s action had triggered the Mu family’s taboo, or at least, Mu Tingfeng’s minefield.
With the Mu family’s influential power in Shalnork and Zelford, the previous Zhao Youlin was considered fortunate in the way that the Mu family did not hold her accountable for the incident, much less give in to her so readily by asking Mu Tingfeng to compromise and marry her.
Initially, Zhao Youlin had thought that the Mu family had given in to her all because of Joy. However, she soon found that the Mu family did not care about Joy at all. Therefore, she had to overturn her speculation.
‘If not for Joy, could it be due to the previous Zhao Youlin?’ After Zhao Youlin learned that the former master Mu was the one who had made their previous marriage possible, Zhao Youlin could not stop thinking this way.
However, judging from the former master’s attitude toward her today, and after he heard about the supernatural talk from her, the former master’s first reaction was to ask if Mu Tingfeng had learned about this issue as well as his parents.
The former master had never once mentioned the previous Zhao Youlin. He did not once mention how the previous Zhao Youlin behaved and whether she was still alive or dead. It was clear that the former master did not have any special feelings for the previous Zhao Youlin. If that was the case… what is it for?
The former master Mu looked like he had never expected Zhao Youlin would raise this question all of a sudden. There was an abrupt change in his expression. However, soon, the former master resumed his coldness and said in a low voice, “Why are you asking this?”
The former master’s change of expression happened in the blink of an eye. However, Zhao Youlin had been paying close attention to him and managed to capture that instant change of expression easily. In her heart, she thought that there was indeed something fishy about him!
However, Zhao Youlin kept her cool on the surface and answered coolly, “Even though I am occupying the previous Zhao Youlin’s body, my train of thought is different from her. As your future granddaughter-in-law, I believe there is a need for me to understand my future husband and his ex-wife’s past. Is this too much to ask for?”
The former master fell silent for a long time. Just when Zhao Youlin thought that he would never tell her anything, the former master replied to her, “Zhao Youlin’s grandmother was a doctor.”
“A doctor?”
The former master nodded. “Back then, Feng’s grandmother and I had an accident. I was heavily wounded, and Zhao Youlin’s grandmother had saved my life.”
Zhao Youlin was stunned. She had long expected that there had to be some connection between the previous Zhao Youlin and the former master Mu. However, wasn’t this something that would only happen in a cliche setting?
Zhao Youlin subconsciously turned her head around and stared at Mu Tingfeng, only to find him looking calm. However, his flickering eyes showed that he was equally caught by surprise.
Perhaps, this was also Mu Tingfeng’s first time hearing the story.
“If that’s the case, the reason you allowed Tingfeng to marry the previous Zhao Youlin was all because you wanted to repay her grandmother’s kindness for saving your life?”
The former master Mu paused before he nodded quietly.
He had inadvertently learned about this incident. Back then, when Mu Tingfeng had been set up by the previous Zhao Youlin, the Mu family naturally got very angry the moment they received the news.
Sometime later, the former master had instructed his subordinates and swore to the gods that he must gain a clear understanding of the background of the person who had dared to mess with them. Little did he know that the result of the investigation had led him to the incident that had happened in the past.
Everyone knew that the former master of the Mu family was instrumental in all that the Mu family had achieved today. However, there were always unimaginably dangerous and heartbreaking moments behind their success.
At that time, the former master had just taken over the Mu family. They had not yet laid down their foundations. There were many enemies who had wanted to drag him down and make him a fool. This was especially so from the several deadly enemies from the division of his family.
There was once when they were on a vacation, the former master had let his guard down, and this had given an opportunity for certain people. In the end, the former master was heavily injured in order to protect his wife. He was at his wits’ end and thus, he barged into a small area where Zhao Youlin’s grandmother was staying and was saved by her.
By the time the former master was out of danger, he took his wife and dealt with several of the deadly culprits. Just when he was about to repay Zhao Youlin’s grandmother for saving his life, he never thought that she had already moved out with her family and was nowhere to be found.
The former master was shocked the moment he learned that the eldest lady of the Zhao family was the granddaughter of his savior. After the initial shock, the former master had made a 180-degree turn in the way he treated the incident.
The former master believed kindness begot kindness. Moreover, the fact that Zhao Youlin’s grandmother saving him had been something so important that he could not possibly overlooked it. Just when he had the thought to discreetly teach the woman who had dared to drug his grandson a lesson, he immediately changed his strategy, and had instead thought of ways to help her to get out of her current trouble in order to repay her grandmother’s kindness.
However, before the former master had decided ways to face the previous Zhao Youlin, without knowing how she had received the news, she had actually taken the initiative to come to him and ask for a reward.
As a result, the former master’s impression of the previous Zhao Youlin plummeted severely. In the end, the reason for him to allow Mu Tingfeng to marry her was none other than the conditions that she had proposed. She had stated that she wanted to be married to Mu Tingfeng. After their marriage, Mu Tingfeng could not divorce her unilaterally without her consent.
Although the former master was rather disgusted by the previous Zhao Youlin’s actions, he agreed with her.
In fact, after the previous Zhao Youlin was married to Mu Tingfeng, the former master still had expectations for her. Unfortunately, the previous Zhao Youlin failed to seize the opportunity. In the end, the former master finally changed his mind about her.
After Zhao Youlin received the former master’s affirmative reply, she smiled. The way she looked at the former master was thought-provoking, and she blurted out teasingly, “I originally thought that a strict and calm elder like you should be more responsible than most people. However, now, it looks like…”
Zhao Youlin narrowed her eyes and snorted, “It’s okay that you didn’t return your own favors but you even dragged Tingfeng down. Grandpa Mu, don’t you think this is too much? Mu Tingfeng is your grandson, however, he is also an independent entity. He does not have the responsibility or obligation to pay for your past favors!”
Zhao Youlin’s clearly enunciated words echoed inside the entire study room. This had not only shocked the former master Mu but also caught Mu Tingfeng, who was standing in front of Zhao Youlin, by surprise.
Mu Tingfeng knew the former master’s temperament well. Therefore, he stood before Zhao Youlin and had reflexively shielded her.
When the former master Mu saw this, he could not help but raise one of his eyebrows. He looked past Mu Tingfeng and met Zhao Youlin’s gaze. He said in a calm tone, “After so many years, you are the first one who dared to speak to me this way.”
Zhao Youlin smirked and refuted him indifferently, “The honor is mine..”