Qiao Chu

The lamplight flickered, causing the words "To Be Opened by Father" on the envelope on the desk to sway along.

A Zhao's handwriting had improved significantly compared to before.

Chu Ling gently traced the characters with his fingers before looking up at the young man A Jiu who had returned after leaving earlier.

Deputy General Zhong had been asked to leave again by Chu Ling, leaving only the two of them alone in the room once more.

"Did A Zhao tell you she wanted to return?" Chu Ling asked.

A Jiu frowned. "Does she even need to say it? She went through so much trouble, deceiving so many people to play along with her act, all for the sake of coming back here."

Is that so? Wasn't it because she caused trouble in the capital? This young man probably didn't know about A Zhao's fight.

Matters concerning a young lady's reputation were surely not discussed in detail with these Couriers by Deputy General Zhong or the Crown Prince of Zhongshan.

Chu Ling remained silent.

"So, you're not letting her return?" A Jiu pressed.

Chu Ling nodded. "Yes."

A Jiu let out an "oh," shrugged, and said, "It's your business as father and daughter. You decide. I'll take my leave."

He had only asked out of curiosity. Now that he knew the answer, it was enough. With that, he turned to leave.

Chu Ling watched him, his fingers lightly tapping on the desk—once, twice, thrice—

The young man abruptly turned back.

"Why won't you let your daughter return?" he asked with a displeased expression, then feigned understanding with a smirk. "Is it because she's too annoying?"

"My daughter is not annoying," Chu Ling retorted firmly, shaking his head.

Parents always think their children are perfect, A Jiu thought with a curl of his lips. He should leave now—he really should. It was just that his curiosity was too strong!

"I'm ill," Chu Ling suddenly said, looking at A Jiu. "Seriously ill."

A Jiu stiffened, his gaze fixed on Chu Ling. This general in his forties was burly, with bright eyes and a ruddy complexion—

"You can't tell. I'm hiding it," Chu Ling said with a faint smile. "No one knows."

As he spoke, he waved the letter from the young master of the Xie family.

"If he knew, Young Master Xie probably wouldn't have written to befriend me."

No one knew, so why was Chu Ling telling him so bluntly now?

Was this trust?

Young A Jiu never rejoiced in trust. Trust in this world often came at the cost of one's life.

It seemed he wouldn't be leaving tonight.

Served him right. Who told him to ask so many questions and bring about his own doom?

A Jiu smiled self-deprecatingly but showed no trace of fear or panic.

"So, when I can no longer hide it, this place will become very chaotic. For her safety, I sent my daughter away. She returned to the capital and lives at home. Since my family has no connection to military power, she can live peacefully," Chu Ling continued, looking at A Jiu. "I can't tell her these things. I have to act as a stern, heartless father. When everything here settles, she will understand."

A Jiu looked at Chu Ling, let out an "oh," and couldn't help adding, "But I think Miss Chu already understands now."

Chu Ling asked, "What did she say to you?"

"She didn't say anything to me," A Jiu replied with a frown.

That was the truth. The girl had only deceived him before. After her identity was exposed, she didn't speak to him anymore. She just sat before him, silently shedding tears.

After a moment of silence, A Jiu said, "She knows you're ill, and she knows why you won't let her return. She understands your intentions."

Chu Ling looked at the young man's face, fell silent for a moment, and then smiled gently. "Good. If she understands, then I am at ease."

A Jiu let out a derisive laugh.Chu Ling looked at the youth and asked with a smile, "What? Do you think I'm wrong?"

"I don't think you're wrong," A Jiu replied, a trace of mockery at the corner of his lips. "I just think people are inherently selfish. The idea of selfless parental love is nothing but a lie."

Chu Ling chuckled, "So you do think I'm wrong. What do you mean by that?"

"General Chu, you claim you're doing everything for Miss Chu's sake—hiding your illness from her, forbidding her return at all costs, keeping her away from danger here." A Jiu said. "All of this is supposedly for her benefit, to ensure she lives a stable life."

Chu Ling nodded, "Yes, I believe any parent would make such arrangements for their child."

A Jiu's phoenix eyes filled with laughter, "Indeed, every parent would. They want their children to have stable, prosperous lives—to achieve great deeds, rise to prominence, wear gold and silver, feast on delicacies, and be the envy of all—"

Hmm, Chu Ling observed the youth. Whether every parent would do so was uncertain, but he was sure this young man's parents had done the same.

"But," the laughter faded from A Jiu's eyes, "that's merely the parents' own perception. They convince themselves it's for their children's good, convinced that's what a good life should be. And they're not truly doing it for their children—they're doing it for themselves."

Chu Ling watched him without speaking.

A Jiu stared back, enunciating each word clearly, "For your own peace of mind. For your own self-satisfaction."

"You don't care at all what your children truly want in their hearts. You don't care how much heartache they'll endure facing all this in the future."

"When they wear gold and silver, with every bite they eat, they'll think—this was bought with their parents' sacrifice. What they wear isn't jewelry, but their parents' bloodstained clothes. What they eat isn't food, but their parents' flesh."

"Day and night, they'll be trapped in pain, regret, and self-blame. This is what you parents consider a good life."

"You've made your sacrifices, you've cleared your consciences. What does it matter if your children suffer, grieve, or ache inside? As long as they have stable lives, good food and drink, and material wealth—that's enough. They shouldn't be ungrateful and spurn their parents' good intentions."

In the brightly lit room, the youth's hoarse voice echoed, his face full of scorn.

"You parents can do whatever you want because you're the parents—you call the shots. But please, stop claiming it's for your children's good life."

"That's not truly for your children's good life. That's only for your own good life."

Chu Ling looked at him, the gentle smile fading from his face, his eyes growing profound.

The mockery vanished from A Jiu's eyes, replaced by vexation. Why had he spoken such nonsense, and to a stranger at that?

No one spoke, and the room fell into an eerie silence.

"Alright," Chu Ling nodded, breaking the quiet. "I understand. It's getting late, and you still have a journey ahead. You should head back now."

Without a word, A Jiu turned and strode out, pulling the door open and marching through without a sideways glance, brushing past Deputy General Zhong standing outside as he hurried away.

This time, Deputy General Zhong didn't immediately enter. Instead, he stared at the youth's retreating figure.

Sure enough, just as he was about to step through the main gate, he turned back.

Deputy General Zhong rolled his eyes, ignoring the youth as he passed by and entered the room.

"What else did A Zhao tell you—" Chu Ling began.

"I already said she didn't tell me anything!" A Jiu snapped, cutting him off angrily.Chu Ling smiled and said nothing more, gesturing for him to speak.

A Jiu looked at him. "You're telling me such an important matter and just letting me go like this?" He lifted his head arrogantly. "Let me say it again—your daughter has nothing to do with me. Her life or death is none of my concern, and my life or death means nothing to her either."

So, was Chu Ling misunderstanding that A Zhao was deeply in love with him, and sparing him only to avoid breaking her heart? Chu Ling laughed heartily.

"Young man," he said, tapping the letter on the table. "Didn't you just say it yourself? You're only here to deliver the letter. Once it's delivered, your task is over. Everything else is not your responsibility. Since it's not your task, what does it matter if you know?"

A Jiu glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to leave.

"One more thing," Chu Ling said from behind. "If someone truly poses a threat to me, even if my daughter were deeply in love with him, I wouldn't let him go. A man who would harm me would inevitably harm my daughter. For my daughter's sake, I would definitely eliminate him."

A Jiu waved his hand. "I wish your daughter luck in avoiding such a man." With that, he strode away.

This time, he walked out the main gate, vanishing into the night without returning.

Chu Ling withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyes to the letter on the table.

"What a pity," he murmured. "If there really were such a man, I probably wouldn't live long enough to eliminate him."