Chapter 25 You Actually Got Married—How Could You Betray My Brother?

The two, seized by their lifeline, instantly fell silent. They had no choice—Stoic truly dared to crush them without hesitation.

Pang Yunchen glared at Shen Zhao and Xie Yuheng, his eyes nearly splitting with rage.
“You two have gone too far!”

Chu Mu, fearing Shen Zhao might be in danger, was about to step forward when a voice called from behind.
“Miss Shen, there’s no need to worry.”
Then, addressing Pang Yunchen, who had not yet seen him, he called:
“Yunchen, mind your manners.”

The moment Pang Yunchen heard Pang Yunjin’s voice, his heart finally relaxed. Overjoyed, he thought his guess had been right—following these two really had led him to his elder brother.
“Brother, I finally found you!”

Still too enraptured to recover from his delight, he followed the sound and looked over, only to be dumbfounded.
This man, face mottled with bruises and splotches—was this truly his elder brother?
Who had beaten his brother so ruthlessly?

Pang Yunchen’s words made Pang Yunjin a little uncomfortable; his face reddened slightly.
He had been too reckless and made Yunchen and their family worry.

Shen Zhao released her grip on the two with a casual flick of her hand.
At this moment, Chu Mu walked over as well.
He grabbed Shen Zhao’s hand and, with the embroidered handkerchief he held, began to wipe her fingers as if she had just touched not two people, but two piles of filth.

This gesture left Xie Yuheng and Pang Yunchen both dumbfounded.
What was with Lady Chu’s expression—did she think they were dirty?

Shen Zhao, however, let Chu Mu wipe her hands, thinking: when did this blockhead develop such a fastidious streak?
So protective of his own body that even touching others required immediate cleansing.

Pang Yunjin, meanwhile, felt a sting in his eyes from Chu Mu’s actions.
Why, Miss Shen, must you humble yourself so to please another?
Do you truly care so deeply for General Chu?

Lowering her voice so only Chu Mu could hear, Shen Zhao whispered:
“We haven’t finished business yet. The Pang family has come to claim their own. You should go and, by invoking the favor of saving his life, persuade Pang Yunjin to release Tian Ci.”
After a moment’s thought, she added in a softer tone,
“Perhaps you could try to entice Pang Yunjin a little. If he could be used by us, our odds against the Crown Prince’s faction would be much greater.”

By now, Pang Yunchen had strode over to stand before Pang Yunjin.
“Brother, who did this to you?”
He shot a hostile glance at Xie Yuheng.

Xie Yuheng, utterly confused, retorted, “Why are you looking at me? Your brother was beaten by someone else, not me. For all you know, he might have even enjoyed it.”

“You—” Pang Yunchen glared at Xie Yuheng, cursing him inwardly.
Who could possibly enjoy being beaten? Wasn’t this just rubbing salt in the wound?

Xie Yuheng turned away, refusing to meet Pang Yunchen’s gaze, and instead looked toward Brother Chu.

Pang Yunjin’s gaze, however, never left Chu Mu.
The others only saw General Chu whispering in Lady Chu’s ear, but could not hear what was said.
It was plain to see, though, that Lady Chu’s expression grew uglier by the moment, her face darkening until she seemed on the verge of exploding.

“What are you saying?” Unable to bear it any longer, Chu Mu released Shen Zhao’s hand and stared at her, red-eyed.
She actually wanted him to use her body, her name, to seduce Pang Yunjin.
Did she herself harbor such thoughts?
If their bodies had not been switched, would she have gone to seduce him today?

Shen Zhao was exasperated—why did this blockhead have to speak so loudly? Was he afraid others wouldn’t know they were plotting something?
She shot him a withering glare, feeling more wronged than he ever could.

“All right, forget I said anything. Go handle the business at hand,” she urged, pressing Chu Mu to secure Shen Tianci’s release.

Grudgingly, Chu Mu walked toward Pang Yunjin, his face sour as if he were owed a fortune.
The moment Chu Mu approached, a faint ache stirred in Pang Yunjin’s heart.

A cry of surprise rang out behind them:
“It’s you! You actually married? How could you betray my brother like this?”
Pang Yunchen pointed at Shen Zhao, visibly agitated.

He had just been thrashed by Xie Yuheng and then distracted by his brother, so he hadn’t properly seen Lady Chu’s face until now. Seeing Shen Zhao clearly, he could not keep his composure.

How could he?
His brother’s study was filled with portraits of Lady Chu.
Even the ones at the bottom of the trunk were all her likeness.
He’d once accidentally ruined one, and his brother nearly disowned him for it.

He knew how much the woman in those paintings meant to his brother. If not for her, his brother would have long since fallen into despair or even perished.
He knew his brother had searched tirelessly for the woman in the paintings, and that she had once saved his life.
He had even sworn to find this woman for his brother.
But now that she was before him, he almost wished his brother had never found Lady Chu.
He understood his brother’s feelings—how could his brother possibly endure this?

Chu Mu’s already dark face grew even darker.
His Ah Zhao had merely saved Pang Yunjin’s life—why couldn’t she marry him? Why was it a betrayal?
The Pang family truly was infuriating.

“Yunchen, do not be rude to Miss Shen,” Pang Yunjin interjected.
Pang Yunchen muttered under his breath, “She’s the one who wronged you.”

Chu Mu, hearing this, thought—why hadn’t Xie Yuheng just beaten him to death earlier and spared everyone the trouble?
The very man he’d scorned moments ago, he now found rather agreeable.

Ignoring Pang Yunchen’s angry glare, Chu Mu turned coolly to Pang Yunjin.
With a commanding tone, he ordered, “Send someone to the Prefecture Office and release Shen Tianci at once.”

Shen Zhao could hardly bear to watch; why couldn’t he at least be a little tactful? Did he have to be so blunt?

“Very well. I shall send someone immediately to the Prefecture Office to release Shen Tianci,” Pang Yunjin replied.
Whatever Miss Shen asked of him, he would do.

Turning to Pang Yunchen, Pang Yunjin said,
“Yunchen, please go yourself and ask Magistrate Fang to release the young officer detained yesterday.”

Pang Yunchen retorted stubbornly,
“Brother, why do you always listen to her? She’s the one who’s wronged you.”

Chu Mu could take no more.
“How did I wrong him? I merely saved your brother’s life, nothing more. You make it sound as if there’s some illicit affair between us. Besides, I’m only asking for the release as repayment for saving his life—after this, there will be no more debts between us.”

He was so furious he could hardly see straight.

Why did Pang Yunchen even have a mouth?

He shot Pang Yunchen a withering look, then barked sternly at Shen Zhao from afar,
“Husband, are you not coming back with me to the manor?”

Another second here and he feared he might lose control.

Then, turning to Xie Yuheng and the Pang brothers, he said,
“Forgive my lack of hospitality, gentlemen. Please, do not come to my manor again unless necessary—you are not welcome.”

With that, he strode toward the house, pausing only to call to Shen Zhao, who had yet to catch up,
“Come home!”

Xie Yuheng cast a sympathetic glance at Brother Chu, sighing once more,
“What kind of creature has Brother Chu married? Not only ugly and unreasonable, but with a vile temper, bossing him around at every turn. What wife would dare act so?”

Though Lady Chu was not ugly, his mother had always taught him that one must look beyond appearances to the heart—no matter how lovely the face, a vicious heart is ugliness itself.

Pang Yunchen also felt doubts stirring within.
Lady Chu was so different from the woman his brother had described.
Could his brother truly have remembered his savior correctly?
Could someone like her really have saved anyone? He found himself unable to believe it.

Only Pang Yunjin was filled with aching tenderness.
He saw clearly the love in Miss Shen’s eyes whenever she looked at General Chu.
Yet the way General Chu looked at Miss Shen was no different from how he looked at anyone else.
That Miss Shen had become so irritable was, perhaps, understandable.

Hesitating for a moment, Shen Zhao moved to catch up, passing by Xie Yuheng and overhearing his self-pitying sigh.

Why did her hands itch so?
Why was Xie Yuheng’s mouth so foul?

Unaware of Shen Zhao’s thoughts, Xie Yuheng looked at her with pity.
“Brother Chu, you have my sympathies, saddled with such an ungrateful wife.”

To say she was ungrateful to her face! And call her ill-tempered!
Even if she knew those words were meant for the soul now inhabiting Chu Mu,
that “ugly” word—surely that was meant for her!
Did he not know what matters most to a woman?

Shen Zhao gave Xie Yuheng a chilling smile.