Chapter 3
Zhong Huo was startled, staring at her for a moment, then her gaze unconsciously shifted to her chest.
Seeing Zhang Meng's somewhat flat chest, she frowned, "Don't bind those things in the future, it's not good for your body."
Zhang Meng had been paying attention to Zhong Huo's gaze, and seeing her eyes linger on her chest, she thought of Jin Yue's words and wished she could sink into the ground.
"Yes, I won't bind them anymore." Zhang Meng nodded hastily.
Zhong Huo said stiffly, "That's good." After saying this, she stood up and turned to leave.
Zhang Meng put both hands on her face and rubbed it.
Although they were all women, why did she feel so embarrassed?
Xu Manor.
The evening breeze was gentle, and the orange lanterns swayed slightly in the wind.
Under the pavilion, Xu Lu Cha had black hair and green clothes, skin as white as snow, bright eyes and white teeth. He held a jade flute to his lips, his slender fingers moving lightly, and melodious flute sounds arose.
Everyone said that the third young master of the Xu family was as beautiful as a flower, with a good background, and many people envied him. But no one knew that Xu Lu Cha was just an existence viewed as a stain.
His father was originally a male courtesan in a brothel, named Gong Mi. The head of the Xu family, Xu Hong, had a relationship with Gong Mi during a drunken incident and became pregnant. Xu Hong deeply loved her husband, but because of this incident, he would no longer forgive her. Xu Hong was remorseful to the extreme, and after giving birth to Xu Lu Cha, she threw him back to Gong Mi, declaring for them to get out of Yun City.
However, Gong Mi was ambitious and did not leave Yun City. He would often bring Xu Lu Cha to the Xu Manor to ask for money. If they didn't give it, he threatened to spread the news of Xu Hong's affair with a male courtesan, ruining Xu Hong's reputation.
This situation continued until Xu Lu Cha was nine years old. Xu Hong finally couldn't bear Gong Mi's endless entanglement and schemed to have him poisoned to death.
As Xu Lu Cha was still born of Xu Hong's ten months of pregnancy, she couldn't bear to leave him uncared for, so she brought him back to the Xu Manor.
However, Xu Hong didn't expect that beneath Xu Lu Cha's dazzling exterior, his body was covered with whip marks, stick bruises, and burn scars.
Even though Xu Hong cast aside her prejudices and carefully raised and cared for him, Xu Lu Cha's gloomy nature could no longer be changed. His personality was like his father's: selfish, ambitious, unscrupulous, and skilled at pretense.
Zi Yi stood to the side, lowering his head to arrange the chessboard.
When the tune ended, Zi Yi raised his head.
"Is the young master thinking of something? It's been a long time since I've heard the young master play the flute."
Xu Lu Cha put away the jade flute and said with a curved lip, "Father has been gone for seven years. Besides leaving me a jade pendant, he left nothing else."
Xu Lu Cha opened his palm, as white as jade, and a jade pendant, green as if dripping, lay quietly on it.
"This is really ironic, that someone like him would personally carve a jade pendant for me."
"Young master..." Zi Yi was originally a servant attending to the master husband. Since Xu Lu Cha was brought back to the Xu Manor, he had been assigned by Xu Hong to serve Xu Lu Cha. He knew about Xu Lu Cha's background.
Xu Lu Cha's eyes were dark, and he said softly, "I was born a dirty existence, just a tool for him to use." He gripped the jade pendant tightly, "Every time I see it, it makes me feel sick."
"Young master, why do you still keep it with you?"
Xu Lu Cha sneered, "Only by keeping it with me can I constantly remind myself that to avoid being despised, I must stop at nothing to climb up." Just like eight years ago, when he didn't apply the ointment that person gave him to his wounds, leaving a body full of scars, he finally gained Xu Hong's pity as he wished.
Zi Yi draped a thin shirt over Xu Lu Cha's shoulders and said softly, "No matter what the young master wants to do, Zi Yi will always support you."
Xu Lu Cha put away the jade pendant, concealing the gloom in his eyes, and asked, "How are those two fools doing?"
Zi Yi replied, "They bothered Official Zhong for several hours, and she finally sent them away. She also punished Miss Qin and Miss Qian to copy the penal code a thousand times."
"The reason they fought was over a man. You know the third young master of the Xu family, Xu Lu Cha, right? His beauty is famous, every smile and frown is charming, so those two rich young ladies are head over heels for him."
Jin Yue said while munching on a watermelon.
Zhang Meng squatted on the ground, washing bowls and chopsticks while listening to the gossip.
"Xu Lu Cha is truly a male beauty who brings disaster," Zhang Meng commented.
She thought, whoever marries Xu Lu Cha in the future will certainly not have an easy time.
"Ma'am!" Jin Yue suddenly called out.
Zhang Meng looked up and saw Zhong Huo standing not far away, looking at her with furrowed brows.