Chapter 588 - 325: Cousin!? (Part 2)
Chapter 588: Chapter 325: Cousin!? (Part 2)
"Junior fears there is another impolite request I must make."
"Oh? Let’s hear it."
"Could you ask everyone to leave?"
Chu Qing raised his gaze.
Liu Zhaonian couldn’t help but glance at Liu Qingyan, only to see Liu Qingyan raise an eyebrow as well:
"Why are you being so secretive?"
"This matter is of great importance."
Chu Qing said earnestly:
"It involves the lives and fortunes of many people, and I cannot afford to be careless.
"Please forgive me."
Liu Qingyan thought for a moment, then nodded to Liu Zhaonian.
Liu Zhaonian found it a bit amusing and waved his hand, and the surrounding servants quickly exited.
Chu Qing gave Su Ningzhen a look:
"You leave as well."
Without a word, Su Ningzhen bowed to Liu Zhaonian and then withdrew from the Five Tones Hall.
Liu Zhaonian was surprised; Su Ningzhen, who was never lacking in her pride and self-regard, had been addressed with such bluntness by Chu Qing. On any other day, she would have responded with defiance, but now she obeyed so readily?
At this point, Chu Qing’s gaze fell on Liu Qingyan.
Liu Qingyan almost laughed in frustration:
"Do I have to leave too?"
"Fine."
Chu Qing sighed:
"You can stay... in any case, I probably can’t hide it from you either."
With that said, he stood up and took a letter from his pocket.
The letter was crumpled and worn, its preservation uncertain, with nothing written on the cover to reveal its details.
Liu Qingyan knew the secret of Chu Qing’s identity must be hidden within this letter. She wanted to step forward to take it, but saw Chu Qing flick his wrist, and the letter flew straight toward Liu Zhaonian.
Liu Zhaonian’s eyes narrowed slightly as he raised his hand, catching the letter in his palm, and couldn’t help but praise:
"What skill."
Liu Qingyan rolled her eyes, thinking to herself that it wasn’t just good martial arts... Having witnessed Chu Qing enter Star Split Mansion as if it were uninhabited, she had a vague sense of how remarkable Chu Qing’s martial arts truly were.
At such a young age, to have such martial arts abilities, Liu Qingyan could think of no other words than "the prodigy of our era" to describe Chu Qing.
But her main concern at the moment wasn’t Chu Qing’s martial arts; it was the mysterious letter Chu Qing had delivered.
She stood right next to Liu Zhaonian, watching as he first inspected the letter in front of everyone to ensure nothing was amiss before tearing open the wax seal and unfolding the letter paper.
Liu Qingyan only caught a glimpse of the six large characters on the opening line, "To my brother, Zhaonian."
Then she noticed Liu Zhaonian’s breathing become rapid, and he abruptly stood up and turned away from her to read it alone.
Liu Qingyan was anxious, pulling her hair in frustration. What kind of mystery was written in this letter?
Why did her father act as if he was mesmerized after reading it?
But her height was insufficient; even on tiptoe, she couldn’t see the contents of the letter and could only pout in frustration.
Then she looked at Chu Qing and the others, feeling puzzled, only to see Chu Qing at that moment fiddling with his face.
She then watched in shock as Chu Qing peeled off what seemed to be a layer of skin from his face.
"Oh my gosh!"
Liu Qingyan blurted out.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t control herself; the shock was too much to bear.
She had always known that Wu Qianhuan and Gentle used disguises because those two would always slip and reveal themselves when they spoke.
But she never expected that not only Wu Qianhuan and Gentle were in disguise but also Chu Qing had one.
After so long traveling together, she hadn’t detected the slightest clue!
It was downright absurd!
And seeing Chu Qing’s real face beneath the disguise left her dumbfounded.
His face was handsome and sturdy, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, but his skin was fair, almost like a woman’s, which made his overall appearance even more striking.
"You’re actually this good-looking?"
Liu Qingyan widened her eyes:
"Can I pinch your face?"
"No!"
Wu Qianhuan quickly refused on behalf of Chu Qing:
"Even I haven’t pinched him."
Liu Qingyan looked resigned, feeling quite wistful.
Turning back, she saw Liu Zhaonian looking at Chu Qing with a complex expression, the previous estrangement was gone.
In its place were warmth and excitement.
He looked at Chu Qing closely, particularly studying his face, and after a while, sighed:
"You’ve grown... I remember when you were first born, just a tiny pink bundle.
"Now you’re tall and distinguished."
"You’ve met me?"
Chu Qing was surprised. He thought no one from the Liu Family had ever been to Celestial Dance City.
But Liu Zhaonian’s words implied that he had seen Chu Qing when he was born.
"Yes, I did."
Liu Zhaonian slowly stepped down from the high seat, walking toward Chu Qing:
"But it’s been nearly twenty years... Back then, your grandfather was gravely ill, at death’s door, and his dying wish was to see your mother.
"However, South Ridge and Lingbei were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, and the letter couldn’t arrive in time, as life didn’t wait.
"I had no choice but to rush personally to South Ridge, heading to Celestial Dance City.
"I had no idea that your mother had just given birth to you...
"At that time, I didn’t want to force it, especially since she’d just endured the pain of childbirth. How could she travel?
"But your mother, upon hearing that her father was at death’s door, set everything aside and gritted her teeth to come back with me to Lingbei...
"Yet even then, we were still a step too late.
"This became the greatest regret of our lives, my sister and I."
Chu Qing stood frozen, having never met his mother.
He had asked Chu Yunfei and was told that his mother had succumbed to a dreadful disease shortly after his birth.
But hearing Liu Zhaonian’s words now, could it be that his mother hadn’t died, but rather... returned to Celestial Sound Mansion?
Meanwhile, Liu Qingyan, who had been fidgeting incessantly, nearly dropped her jaw upon hearing Liu Zhaonian’s story.
Wu Qianhuan nudged her:
"Close your mouth."
Liu Qingyan finally realized, hurriedly closing her jaw.
But her head was still buzzing.
Her father’s sister was her aunt.
Her aunt’s son was the mysterious Han San standing before her...
In other words, this fellow was her cousin!
The one who with a smile neither too bold nor too weak, subdued powerful opponents like Han Qiuyuan and Han Qiuzhe, was her cousin?
The one who boldly entered Star Split City, treating Star Split Mansion like a deserted place, was her cousin too?
The one who wielded a sword to dispatch the White Tiger Seven Stars as if slicing melons, was still her cousin?
The prodigy she’d regarded as the wonder of their time was actually her blood relative?!
The more Liu Qingyan thought, the more incredible it seemed, and the more she looked at Chu Qing, the more she wanted to pinch his face... She didn’t know why she just felt an urge to do so!
Chu Qing seemed to come to his senses at this point and clasped his hands in a salute:
"Nephew Chu Qing greets Uncle."
A nephew meeting his uncle must offer a formal salute.
Liu Zhaonian stepped forward to stop him:
"Good child... no need for such formalities.
"You, how have you been all these years?
"How did Chu Yunfei treat you three brothers?"
"I..."
Chu Qing’s lips moved. He didn’t mention his early departure from home, just nodded:
"All is well; thank you, Uncle, for your concern.
"But, my mother... is she still alive?"
If it weren’t for Liu Zhaonian’s words, Chu Qing wouldn’t have dared to ask such a question.
Even now, having asked, he felt anxious, uncertain of the answer he would receive.
Seeing the expression on his face, Liu Zhaonian nodded:
"She is."
Chu Qing’s face showed a complex mix of emotions:
"Then why hasn’t she returned?"
By now, the memories of two lives had long intertwined, and Chu Qing could feel all his emotions deeply.
Knowing his mother was alive, yet hadn’t returned for twenty years, it was hard not to feel some resentment.
"This matter is long and complicated..."
Liu Zhaonian sighed:
"It’s not that your mother doesn’t want to return, but rather that she cannot."