Chapter 67 Fool, Your Own Brother Has Come Delivering Himself

Of course, it was the crucial evidence to prove you are not your mother's biological son.

Shen Zhao observed Chu Mu’s shock with some sympathy. How could this blockhead not be stunned? Yu Zihuan and he were nearly carved from the same mold.

Even if he were blind, he couldn’t help but notice something was amiss.

Chu Mu bore no resemblance to the rest of the Chu family.

He was even less like the old madam; there was simply no similarity to speak of.

The eldest and second sons of the Chu family took after the old madam, while Chu Mu at least shared their healthy bronze complexion, if not their features.

Chu Mu had once told her that he was said to resemble his father, not his mother.

But now, it seemed he looked like no one at all—he wasn’t the old Chu family’s blood at all.

If Chu Mu had been a little older, she might have suspected that Yu Zihuan was Chu Mu’s illegitimate son.

An illegitimate child?

Could it be that Chu Mu himself was the illegitimate one?

But that made no sense; since when was an illegitimate child older than the legitimate wife’s sons?

Yu Zihuan was aware of the shock his appearance brought to the Chu family, and he could understand Madam Chu’s astonished gaze.

He, too, was puzzled as to why he and General Chu looked so much alike. If someone told him there was nothing between the two, he would never believe it.

He bowed toward Chu Mu and said, “Greetings, Madam Chu. I am Yu Zihuan.”

The name Yu Zihuan left Chu Mu stunned where he stood.

Yu Zihuan, the sole surviving son of the Yu family.

He was Yu Zihuan!

Chu Miao’s betrothed!

This youth who looked almost exactly like him was Yu Zihuan!

“You… you are Yu Zihuan!” Chu Mu’s words were half question, half murmured disbelief.

Yu Zihuan, perplexed, replied, “I am indeed Yu Zihuan.”

Boom!

Suddenly, everything seemed to make sense. Chu Mu’s gaze flicked rapidly between A Zhao and Yu Zihuan.

Yu Zihuan looked so much like him.

So much so that the two of them appeared to be real brothers.

He looked nothing like his elder brothers, and among the entire Chu family, only his father shared any similarity with him.

He had never doubted his own parentage, but his mother’s recent behavior—

And his eldest brother’s hesitant words—had sown seeds of doubt about his origins.

He began to suspect the Yu family as well.

He’d only thought he had some deep connection to the Yu family.

But now, seeing Yu Zihuan in person, it couldn’t be as simple as that.

His brother had once said their mother owed her position as madam of the general’s estate to a favor.

But whose favor?

Was he truly the Chu family’s son?

Or, perhaps more accurately, was he actually a son of the Yu family?

If all his suspicions proved true, then he could even guess who had administered the infertility drug to both A Zhao and himself.

Chu Mu’s reaction left Yu Zihuan at a loss—was the lady of the house truly so shocked?

Her gaze lingered between him and General Chu, mostly settling on him, her expression shifting from astonishment to a heavy, brooding severity.

And from her tone, he sensed something odd. He was merely Chu Miao’s fiancé, after all. The lady’s astonishment at his arrival rivaled even that of the chief madam and her companions.

“Madam, do you not think that Zihuan and I look remarkably alike, almost like twins? Especially our eyes and brows—we are practically carved from the same wood. If you put me, my two brothers, and Zihuan together, anyone would say Zihuan and I are the ones truly related. Madam, look closely—don’t we seem like true brothers?”

Shen Zhao deliberately stood shoulder to shoulder with Yu Zihuan. “Look carefully, blockhead—this is your true blood relative.”

Even if Shen Zhao hadn’t made it so obvious, Chu Mu already doubted his connection to Yu Zihuan.

“Yes, my husband is right. Anyone who saw the four of you together would say you and Yu Zihuan are real brothers.”

Hearing Chu Mu’s thoughtful words, Shen Zhao considered—well, he’s not entirely stupid. There’s hope for him yet; at least he knows to doubt.

“Madam, please arrange a place for Zihuan to stay in the estate. He has come all the way from Jinzhou to the capital just to return the engagement contract to our family.

The child is honest. Fearing the Chu family would think he was trying to ingratiate himself, he lingered at the gate for ages. If I hadn’t happened upon him, he would have left the contract with the porter and gone. Just look at him—what a hard journey he must have had. His shoes are worn through.”

Now that the blockhead was suspicious, why not add fuel to the fire, give the Chus something to think about?

Once more, Chu Mu’s gaze landed on Yu Zihuan.

The boy was thin, his plain robe washed so many times it had frayed, hanging loosely from his shoulders.

He wore no ornament, and carried only a threadbare cloth bundle on his back.

Just as A Zhao said, Yu Zihuan had clearly suffered much on the road.

His shoes had holes exposing his toes, the soles worn to nothing.

From Jinzhou to the capital was nearly a month’s journey; the eldest brother’s family had money to travel by carriage.

But Yu Zihuan… the Yu family had only him left… and he possessed almost nothing.

It was clear how much hardship he’d endured just to return the marriage contract.

Almost without thinking, Chu Mu asked, “Zihuan, how did you make your way to the capital?”

Yu Zihuan quietly replied, “I came with a group of escorts traveling from Jinzhou to the capital.”

Shen Zhao hurried to express her concern, “That must have been a hard journey, Zihuan. Did you hire an escort, or just follow the group?”

She asked knowingly; how could Yu Zihuan afford to hire guards? She wanted Chu Mu to see the boy’s hardships.

“I traveled with the group, and the guards were all good people. Along the way, they helped me often.”

Chu Mu looked again at Yu Zihuan’s shoes.

He knew those who traveled as escorts—eating and sleeping on the road, rushing to make time, journeying under the stars to evade bandits was common.

Yu Zihuan was but a scholar—how could he keep pace with them?

It was clear the hardships he faced over the month-long journey, to arrive in the capital on the same day as his elder brother and sister-in-law.

He’d seen his brother and sister-in-law earlier in their mother’s chambers—both looked energetic, showing no sign of travel fatigue.

The contrast with Yu Zihuan could not have been sharper.

But how could the experiences be the same? One group rode in comfort, staying in inns along the way, while the other followed an escort group, traveling day and night in constant vigilance, sleeping rough as a matter of course.

Unconsciously, Chu Mu’s perspective shifted.

The Yu family now had only this fifteen- or sixteen-year-old youth.

How had he survived all these years in Jinzhou?

Clearly, neither Chu Miao nor his sister-in-law agreed to the marriage with the Yu family; his elder brother…

Suddenly, Chu Mu’s eyes widened. His elder brother!

He and Yu Zihuan looked so much alike. Perhaps his sister-in-law and Chu Miao didn’t realize it, but his brother must have known.

His brother had insisted on marrying Chu Miao to Yu Zihuan, to repay the Yu family’s kindness to the Chu family.

Boom!

How had he forgotten the most crucial point? When his brother defied the old madam, he’d said—

The Chu and Yu families had arranged a marriage long ago, if not for… if not for what?

Just how early was this betrothal made, and when had it been decided?