Chapter 54

The atmosphere inside the house remained oppressive. Qin Huairu stood up, picked up the meal that had long since lost its warmth, and hurried toward the kitchen. She set the pot on the stove and lit the fire. As she watched the flames lick the bottom of the pot, her thoughts drifted back to the chaos that had just unfolded. Banggen’s stomach had been growling for a long time, but the scene caused by Yi Zhonghai and the others—the loud denunciations and the aggressive posturing—had scared the boy until his face turned deathly pale. The urge to throw a tantrum had vanished in an instant, leaving him sitting limply on a small stool, shivering from time to time. Meanwhile, in the Back Courtyard, Xushu had already finished his dinner and laid down on his bed. Staring at the rafters above, he replayed the events that had occurred in the courtyard that day, unable to shake his sense of disbelief. Based on his understanding of people like Yi Zhonghai, he knew the man had always been calculating, searching for someone reliable to support him in his old age. Given Jia Dongxu’s personality, ability, and the complex web of relationships in the courtyard, he was indeed the perfect choice.