Chapter 140: Foolish

Chapter 140: Stupid

“It was your granddaughter who begged me to come, flattering me and pleading with me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come at all.”

What a statement.

That was incredible!

Every guest who heard those words stared wide-eyed at the young man, their feelings tangled and complicated. Those too far away to hear clearly soon learned what had happened from the others, and the looks they directed at Chu Fei were filled with even greater awe.

To dare say something like that at Old Master Fu’s birthday banquet was plainly to show the Fu family no respect whatsoever and slap them directly in the face.

Only those standing nearby understood that when the young man had first appeared, his attitude had been fairly polite. It was Old Master Fu’s words that had forced him to this point.

Even so, Chu Fei’s arrogance and overbearing attitude still drew countless sidelong glances.

Yet no one spoke. Every person seated in the inner hall at this moment was a genuine giant from one field or another—the true uppermost echelon of the East Sea. Most of them knew about the feud between the Chu and Fu families. Almost the instant Chu Fei had said, “I am Chu Fei,” they had guessed his identity.

He was not only a member of the Chu family; he was also the descendant of that man—Chu Zangtian.

At that moment, the name of the man who had risen like a comet and illuminated the entire East Sea once again echoed through everyone’s mind.

Chu Zangtian—a man who could truly be called taboo.

He had come from nothing more than a second- or third-rate family, yet he had single-handedly suppressed every top young heir in the entire East Sea, leaving them unable to raise their heads. His existence and radiance had overshadowed an entire era. Countless heirs from powerful families had even willingly followed behind him as underlings and lackeys...

His rise had lasted only five or six years before he vanished without a trace, as if he had never existed. Yet anyone of a certain age would never forget those wild, dazzling years. They had been the most brilliant era in the East Sea, made glorious by one man—and desolate for that very same reason.

Even now, aside from a very small number of people, no one knew why Chu Zangtian, at the height of his brilliance, had chosen to disappear as though he had never existed. Those few who knew the truth, however, refused to speak of it. Thus, the name Chu Zangtian had become taboo throughout the East Sea. Few knew the details; they only vaguely understood that his disappearance seemed to have something to do with a woman...

And now, the descendant of that almost mythical man had appeared once more in the East Sea. Not only had he shown up at Old Master Fu’s complicated birthday banquet, he had directly set himself against the entire Fu family.

Was this a signal that the man was about to return?

More than one person involuntarily wondered the same thing. Then, with sound judgment, they chose to stand by and watch without getting involved. Even more people knew that they had no right to participate in such a confrontation.

This was a clash between figures at the very summit of the East Sea. Although the person standing before them was merely an unfamiliar young man who had never shown his face before, everyone naturally regarded him as a signal that the tabooed man was about to return.

Under such circumstances, no one dared to intervene. To do so would be to invite disaster. Watching coldly from the sidelines was the wisest choice.

Thus, although many people at the scene were shocked and watching intently—and guests from the side halls kept hurrying over to observe from a distance—not a single person stepped forward. Even those with close ties to the Fu family did the same.

They simply did not dare.

Old Master Fu’s expression grew increasingly gloomy. His eyes remained fixed on Chu Fei, as though trying to determine where the young man’s confidence came from.

Could that man truly have returned?

But soon, disappointment set in.

Though Chu Fei’s expression was arrogant and unyielding, it was also utterly calm. Not even the most powerful psychological expert in the world could have detected the slightest ripple in him.

He was far too composed.

“Good. Good!”

After a long silence, Old Master Fu uttered the word twice.

“People from the Chu family have always had guts.”

The corners of Chu Fei’s lips curved slightly as he spoke. He continued to meet Old Master Fu’s gaze without the slightest sign of weakness.

If it had been any ordinary man, he would certainly have been unable to withstand the pressure by now. After all, Old Master Fu was the former head of one of the Six Great Families. The dignity and aura of authority in his very bones were enough to leave any young talent in the East Sea gasping for breath.

But Chu Fei was an exception.

Aside from his extraordinary mental fortitude, it was also because he had never regarded the Fu family as anything special.

In the eyes of outsiders, the Fu family was one of the Six Great Families of the East Sea—lofty and transcendent. But in Chu Fei’s eyes, it was merely a family, and a newly risen one at that, dependent on the fading prestige of an old master to establish itself.

Nothing more.

“That’s well said! The Chu family really does have guts! Ha! Damn right!”

A hearty laugh suddenly rang out. Xiao Feilong, who had chosen to remain silent ever since Chu Fei appeared, abruptly spoke. He looked at Chu Fei with excitement and approval, then turned toward the three members of the Chu family standing in the square—Chu Zangxuan and his wife and child—making no effort to conceal his disdain and anger.

“Chu Zangxuan, do you see that? Now that is a true son of the Chu family!”

Chu Zangxuan remained silent.

From the moment he had first seen Chu Fei, he had watched the young man with a complicated expression, never uttering a word. No one knew what he was thinking.

Even after hearing Xiao Feilong’s insult, he maintained his silence, merely gazing at the young man standing beside Fu Ziqing in the inner hall.

Chu Fei also glanced back outside. His eyes fell upon the three members of the Chu family, but he quickly looked away.

This was not the time to acknowledge them as family. Besides, he had no connection with the Chu family at all.

“Old Master Fu, I came here simply to wish you a happy birthday. I’ve already offered my congratulations. If I’m not welcome, then I’ll leave.”

Just as everyone assumed Chu Fei would continue acting even more arrogantly and imperiously, he suddenly turned to Old Master Fu with a smile. His smile was bright, but those with sharper eyes noticed that he had changed the way he addressed the old man. He no longer called him “Grandpa Fu,” but “Old Master Fu.”

With a single form of address, he had drawn a clear line between them.

A flicker of surprise crossed Old Master Fu’s eyes. He had not expected Chu Fei to change his attitude so abruptly after being so brazen moments earlier. For a moment, he did not know how to respond.

He was not the only one shocked. Xiao Feilong, Ling Tianhu, and the others all stared at Chu Fei in confusion, unable to understand what he intended to do.

They did not know that Chu Fei had his own considerations.

No matter how ungrateful or cold-blooded the Fu family might be, it was still Fu Ziqing’s family—and Fu Ziqing was his fiancée. Strictly speaking, the Fu family was not an outside party.

But hundreds of people were watching, representing a third of the entire upper class of the East Sea. Making too much of a spectacle might embarrass the Fu family, but it would also be like slapping himself in the face. In the eyes of outsiders, he and the Fu family were already one family.

There were undoubtedly many people thinking that way. Who knew how many had specifically come to watch the drama unfold? Chu Fei did not want to become a toy for their amusement.

Therefore, he chose to make a temporary show of yielding—not entirely for Fu Ziqing’s sake, but for his own as well.

His earlier words had already made his position clear. His grievances with the Fu family could be settled privately, behind closed doors. There was no reason to let all these people watch.

Old Master Fu saw this in Chu Fei’s eyes as well. He sighed inwardly and was just about to wave for Chu Fei and Fu Ziqing to leave when a discordant voice suddenly rang out from the inner hall.

“You’ve made such a mess of Grandpa Fu’s birthday banquet, and now you think you can just leave? What do you take this place for?”

Lin Cong stepped forward two paces. His eyes were fixed on Chu Fei, and he made no effort to conceal the fury in his heart.

“You come whenever you please and leave whenever you please. What do you think this place is? Have you ever shown the Fu family any respect? Do you really think the Fu family can be insulted at will?”

He spoke with righteous indignation, pressing the attack at every turn.

Chu Fei frowned.

Old Master Fu, seated at the head, also frowned slightly as he looked at Lin Cong. He had already understood Chu Fei’s intentions and was preparing to send him and Fu Ziqing away, so that no one would have more of a spectacle to enjoy.

Lin Cong’s words had interrupted him.

Worse, the moment Lin Cong opened his mouth, he had spoken from the Fu family’s position, questioning Chu Fei as though he were one of them. This displeased Old Master Fu greatly.

Lin Cong was not a member of the Fu family. What did he mean by speaking in its name?

Old Master Fu knew that this might easily cause a misunderstanding. Combined with the fact that Old Master Lin had personally proposed the marriage on behalf of his grandson—and that Lin Cong had even knelt and kowtowed before him—it was enough to make anyone with the slightest intelligence assume that Old Master Fu had approved of the match, perhaps even accepted Lin Cong as his granddaughter’s future husband.

But the truth was entirely different.

Unfortunately, Old Master Fu had no way to explain it. He could only cast Lin Cong a cold glance.

Lin Cong did not even look at him. His eyes remained locked on Chu Fei, burning with rage, his posture suggesting that if he could not endure this humiliation any longer, he would immediately beat the young man senseless.

Such behavior was rare in people’s usual impression of him. Lin Cong was generally known for his wisdom and refined manners. He was even nicknamed “Old Demon Lin,” despite his young age, because of the maturity that seemed so out of keeping with it.

Yet at this moment, he behaved like an impetuous young man.

Ordinarily, such a display should have disappointed people. But the opposite happened. Even the older generation felt that Lin Cong’s behavior was the most natural response.

The Lin family was in the middle of proposing marriage, and then another man had appeared with his arm around the woman they intended to marry. Any normal man would have been furious—enraged to the point of madness.

If a man could still remain perfectly elegant and rational under such circumstances, it would only prove that he did not care about the woman at all. People would see him as cold and inhuman, someone to fear and avoid.

To outsiders, Lin Cong’s performance perfectly suited his status and age.

This was what a true man was supposed to be.

To rage for the sake of the woman he loved.

Not everyone was capable of it. Lin Cong had done it. He had won the admiration of countless men and stirred the hearts of countless women.

But in Old Master Fu’s eyes, the matter was entirely different.

Everything the Lin family had done today had exceeded his expectations, including the earlier proposal accompanied by kowtowing. He had not prepared for it at all; in effect, the Lin family had forced him into his present position.

And now it was happening again.

Old Master Fu was not the only one displeased. Even Old Master Lin, who had always thought highly of his grandson, stared at him in stunned disbelief.

Lin Cong’s sudden interruption had also taken him by surprise. And unlike the outsiders, who thought Lin Cong’s behavior made him look like a true man, Old Master Lin had only one word to describe his grandson’s actions:

Stupid.