NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11
“Grandpa, did you encounter any danger along the way?” Chu Muxi guided Shen Wu to a seat on the sofa. Lu Junzhi had thoughtfully arranged for their privacy, so he felt comfortable discussing matters.
Presumably, Lu Junzhi wasn’t the type to place monitoring equipment here.
“It’s alright. I encountered Xiao Lu’s ship not far from Central Star. Later, you called me, and he was about to return, so I came back with him.” When Shen Wu mentioned Lu Junzhi, he spoke with gratitude. “With Xiao Lu around, those pirate groups got scared by the news and didn’t dare to approach at all.”
Seeing the elderly man standing healthy and well in front of him, a heavy burden lifted from Chu Muxi’s heart.
“Grandpa, it’s such a relief to see you safe.” Chu Muxi embraced the old man’s arm and patted it.
Shen Wu’s tone softened as he said, “Why do you still act like a child? Grandpa is delighted to see you so full of energy.”
“It’s because of my past ignorance. I’ll never make you angry again, Grandpa.” Unlike his pretense in front of Chu Tianhao, everything he said to Shen Wu came from the heart.
Shen Wu looked taken aback, grasped Chu Muxi’s hand, and asked earnestly, “Xiao Xi, tell me the truth, did Chu Tianhao and the others mistreat you?” Before Chu Muxi could respond, he remembered something else. “And why did you transfer to the performance department? Don’t think I’m unaware; that place is just for idling.”
Since his daughter’s passing, Shen Wu had some other relatives, but the Shen family’s legacy could only pass to Chu Muxi.
He was well aware of Chu Tianhao’s petty intentions, but as long as Xiao Xi was there, Chu Tianhao should not dare to touch a single cent of the Shen family’s assets.
“Haha.” Chu Muxi chuckled. “My dear stepmother used Chu Tianhao’s name to visit the school principal and claimed that I was unruly, performed poorly in school, and even got into fights, injuring others. Coincidentally, another school director’s son was involved. I thought it over and decided that instead of allowing them to expel me, I should take the initiative.”
Per He Hui’s agreement with the school director, Chu Muxi would receive a significant demerit. Not to mention moving to the performance department, he might face demotion or even hindered graduation.
Chu Muxi took the initiative to request a transfer, resolving the issue.
“Recently, I’ve been showing great respect to Chu Tianhao in front of him, and he’s been showing me fatherly kindness and filial piety. So, when he heard about this, he warned He Hui not to interfere with my studies.”
This was precisely the issue in his previous life. He had been ignorant, unsure of how to please Chu Tianhao, who believed he’d do just fine without him and subsequently ignored him, leaving He Hui and the others to torment him.
“Such extreme bullying!” Shen Wu was furious, “Who is that woman? How dare she do this to you.”
Chu Muxi quickly consoled Shen Wu, “Grandpa, please don’t be upset. Look, I’m doing well now. Don’t worry; I’ve seen the true colors of those people, and they’ll never harm me again.” A hint of resentment flashed in Chu Muxi’s eyes.
Shen Wu fell silent for a moment and asked, “Xiao Xi, do you know anything else?”
When Chu Muxi’s mother jumped off the building, Chu Tianhao placed all the blame on Shen Wu. He claimed it was because of Shen Wu’s treatment of Shen Lan, asserting that Shen Wu had manipulated her into stealing confidential documents from Chu Tianhao’s company.
Furthermore, Chu Tianhao alleged that Shen Wu had consistently exacerbated the relationship between the couple, aiming to make Chu Tianhao not only work for the Shen Group for the rest of his life but also ensuring that the industry he had built would eventually be absorbed by the Shen Group.
Chu Tianhao even fabricated a diary supposedly written by Shen Lan, which meticulously detailed these events.
Upon seeing this diary, Chu Muxi was immediately convinced of Chu Tianhao’s lies and believed that Shen Wu was responsible for all the tragedies in his life.
“That diary is a forgery. It’s my fault for being deceived by him.” Chu Muxi said bitterly, clenching his fists.
Shen Wu was momentarily stunned, then furiously struck the coffee table. “So that’s how it is! What a cunning trickster Chu Tianhao is! He’s willing to go to any lengths to drive a wedge between us,. he exclaimed.
“But that’s not all. He had been plotting these things even before marrying my mother.”
Shen Wu spoke with evident pain, saying, “I was truly blind; why did I ever agree to your mother’s marriage to him?”
Chu Muxi consoled the old man, saying, “It’s not your fault, Grandpa. He’s exceptionally skilled at deception.”
Given Chu Tianhao’s scheming nature, it was likely that he had planned these actions well in advance. After all, he had managed to deceive both Shen Lan and He Hui for ten years before He Hui finally exposed his true colors. It was clear that Chu Tianhao was deeply manipulative.
If Chu Muxi hadn’t been reborn, he might have fallen for his schemes once again.
Considering Shen Wu’s age and the emotional strain of traveling across the stars and discussing these matters at length, he appeared visibly tired.
Chu Muxi suggested that he rest for a while, saying, “Grandpa, should we return?”
Shen Wu waved his hand, saying, “Lu Junzhi mentioned earlier that no one has resided here, it’s been prepared for us. I stayed in the guest room here last night.”
“Then you should rest in the guest room for a while. Once you’re refreshed, we can discuss things in detail.” Chu Muxi advised.
After some reflection, Shen Wu realized he was impatient to take action against Chu Tianhao and said, “Alright, I’ll take a short nap. In the meantime, you can speak with Lu Junzhi. You, young people have a lot in common. Please thank him for me; he has gone through a lot on my behalf this time.” Shen Wu exchanged a few words and headed upstairs.
Since it was someone else’s house, Chu Muxi didn’t want to wander around and decided to explore the yard.
This marked his first visit to Central Island, both in his previous life and in this one. Prior to this, he had only seen the place in various news reports.
Given that it was the domain of the royal family and the powerful elite, ordinary individuals like him would never set foot on Central Island during his lifetime without a formal invitation.
The greenery here grew naturally, in stark contrast to the meticulously cultivated plants in the city. The color of the blooming flowers, the intensity of their fragrance, the timing of their blooming and withering – all were carefully controlled.
After observing for a while, it seemed like he was looking at a static painting that changed from one scene to another every day.
Taking a deep breath, the faint scent of grass and flowers invigorated his senses.
As he heard the steady footsteps behind him, Chu Muxi turned to find Lu Junzhi standing a short distance away, gazing at him with his characteristic calm and distant expression.
“Uh…hello,” Chu Muxi greeted with a shy smile.
Lu Junzhi’s typically composed demeanor was unexpectedly disrupted by this smile.
The young man before him was undeniably good-looking.