Chapter 14: The Chu Family’s Wild Delusions

“How could this be… Chu Li actually doesn’t recognize me anymore… how could this happen…”

Outside the Martial Academy gates, Chu Ruyan stood at the roadside, utterly at a loss and filled with confusion.

Before coming here, she had imagined what it would be like to see him again. In her mind, as long as she invited Chu Li to return to the Chu family, he would surely accept.

After all, that was how Chu Li had always been.

No matter what scoldings he endured, he would simply smile and move on, never taking it to heart.

But this time, things were clearly different.

Chu Li had left without a word, not even willing to speak to her at all.

Looking at it this way, it wasn’t just talk when he said he had left the Chu family—he truly meant it!

Realizing this, Chu Ruyan grew more and more anxious. Just then, a voice came from beside her.

“Second Sister, didn’t I tell you? That ungrateful wretch.”

“You came all the way here to find him, and he actually dared to say he doesn’t know you—he really doesn’t know what’s good for him!”

It was the Chu family’s third daughter, Chu Xiao’er, who spoke as she walked over, looking at the Martial Academy’s gates with scorn in her eyes.

“Hmph, looks like Chu Li at least knows his place. He knows he’s not worthy of entering the Shengwu Academy, so he’s just staying here in this Martial Academy instead.”

“Xiao’er, how can you say that? He’s still your brother!”

“Brother? Heh, Chu Ming is his brother too, isn’t he? And didn’t he try to kill Chu Ming more than once?”

Chu Xiao’er’s face showed disdain as she spoke, and hearing this, Chu Ruyan froze, momentarily unable to answer.

The Chu family had become what it was today not without reason. The biggest reason why the three sisters had grown distant from Chu Li was precisely because he had once supposedly tried to kill Chu Ming under the guise of sparring.

Of course, the three sisters were often busy and away from home, so they had not seen it with their own eyes—but it didn’t seem like a lie.

Because the one who confirmed this story was none other than their father, the head of the Chu family, Chu Lingtian!

As fellow Chu family members, it didn’t make sense that Chu Lingtian would slander his own biological son just to favor an adopted one—so the three accepted his account.

And bit by bit, Chu Li’s image in their hearts had turned sinister and scheming, consumed by jealousy.

Even now, Chu Xiao’er still thought this way.

“Chu Li even tried to kill Chu Ming—shows just what a vile character he is, nothing but scum!”

“For someone like that, why bother worrying about family ties?”

“But… was that really true? Could there have been some misunderstanding?”

Lowering her head, Chu Ruyan frowned deeply. Thinking back to Chu Li as a child, she just couldn’t believe he would do such a thing.

That was a boy who hadn’t even wanted to step on an ant when he was little—could he really have committed something so malicious?

“Second Sister, what’s wrong with you? Why are you speaking up for him?”

Hearing this, Chu Xiao’er grew displeased, her brows knitting together as she said:

“If he didn’t do it, then what are you saying? That Chu Ming lied? Or that Father lied?”

“No, I… I didn’t mean it like that.”

Faced with such a question, Chu Ruyan shook her head softly. Seeing this, Chu Xiao’er snorted, turned away, and walked off.

“I think you’ve just been bewitched by Chu Li, to even come all the way here looking for him. Truly unreasonable.”

As she spoke, Chu Xiao’er mounted her horse and rode back toward the Chu family estate. Seeing this, Chu Ruyan could only sigh and head home first as well.

When the two of them returned, word of Chu Li’s attitude toward Chu Ruyan had already reached the ears of the others in the Chu family.

“Bang!”

“Hmph! Very good, Chu Li… how dare you say you don’t know Ruyan, making her look foolish at the Martial Academy!”

Slamming the table, the family head Chu Lingtian was furious beyond words.

At the side, Chu Ming, hearing all this, couldn’t help feeling secretly delighted.

Great! Chu Li has truly left. This family will be mine now!

Although inwardly excited, after a moment’s thought, Chu Ming quickly changed his expression to one of pitiful guilt and said:

“I’m sorry, Father… it’s all because of me. I must have made Brother Chu Li angry…”

“No, A’Ming, this has nothing to do with you!”

“Yes, it’s Chu Li who’s at fault.”

Hearing Chu Ming say this, Chu Wanling and Chu Xiao’er hurried to comfort him. But Chu Ruyan hesitated, then after thinking for a moment, stepped forward to ask:

“Chu Ming, before… you said Chu Li tried to kill you—was that really true? Could there have been some misunderstanding?”

“Hmm?”

Suddenly hearing this question, Chu Ming’s expression froze, and he started to stammer awkwardly.

Just then, Chu Wanling interjected.

“Ruyan, what are you saying?”

Eldest sister Chu Wanling asked coldly, feeling that ever since Chu Ruyan had visited Chu Li’s place, she had been acting more and more strangely these past two days.

Originally, Chu Ruyan had been half a teacher to Chu Ming, yet these days she neither came to teach him poetry and classics nor checked on his injuries, instead running around searching for that Chu Li?

Didn’t she realize that Chu Ming was about to enter Shengwu Academy? What if he failed to achieve a good ranking then?

Seeing that eldest sister Chu Wanling seemed a little angry, Chu Xiao’er hurried over and pulled on Chu Ruyan’s arm, her face full of displeasure.

“Second sister, what are you talking about? How could Chu Ming possibly lie?”

“That’s right, Sister Ruyan, I didn’t lie. It was Chu Li who harbored ill intent,”

Following Chu Xiao’er’s words, Chu Ming quickly nodded. Hearing this, Chu Lingtian’s anger grew even stronger.

“Ruyan, what nonsense are you speaking? How could you suspect your own brother!?”

“No, I didn’t mean it that way.”

Seeing her father speak, Chu Ruyan could only shake her head in denial, but then she persisted,

“I just think… Chu Li doesn’t seem like the type to try to harm his family. Maybe there’s some misunderstanding here.”

“Hmph! I saw it with my own eyes—what misunderstanding could there be? Are you saying even you don’t believe my words?”

“No, Father, that’s not what I meant…”

“Enough!” Chu Lingtian roared angrily. “I think you’ve become obsessed chasing after Chu Li! This matter is not to be brought up again!”

“I… understand.”

Under Chu Lingtian’s forceful suppression, Chu Ruyan could only sigh and fall silent—but in her heart, a seed of doubt had been planted.

Chu Li now refused to even acknowledge his own family, had completely left the Chu household; clearly, he had been deeply hurt and was utterly disappointed in the family.

Would someone like that truly have attacked Chu Ming?

Chu Ruyan’s heart was filled with doubt. But at this moment, no one in the Chu family cared whether Chu Li was innocent or even alive—they all turned their attention elsewhere.

“In a few days, Ming’er will enter Shengwu Academy. As a member of our Chu family, he must take first place. Do you all have any ideas?”

Chu Lingtian asked this as he looked toward Chu Wanling and the others. Chu Xiao’er immediately replied,

“I’ve already investigated this. Among this year’s new students entering Shengwu Academy, the Nangong family’s Nangong Shi currently holds first place. If Ming wants to be first, he’ll have to surpass her.”

“The Nangong family? That little girl has always been at odds with our Chu family, hasn’t she?” Chu Lingtian frowned.

“Isn’t that because of Chu Li? Clearly, the marriage alliance between the two families should have been a good thing, but it was all ruined because the eldest daughter of the Nangong family absolutely refused to marry him!” Chu Xiao’er complained. “Otherwise, with just a word from us, Ming could have easily taken first place.”

Listening to Chu Xiao’er’s words, Chu Ruyan felt somewhat uncomfortable, but she couldn’t say why.

Yet unexpectedly, it was then that Chu Wanling spoke up.

“If that’s the case, how about having Chu Ming replace Chu Li in the marriage alliance with the Nangong family?”

“They would surely like Ming.”