Chapter 137: Honeyed Words, Daggered Heart

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“Uncle,” Lei Qing chuckled. Lian Zhan silently rested against the back of Zhen Jimu’s neck as he said calmly with a smile, “Uncle is too charming. I’m afraid I’d lose my self-control and offend her, so I’d better step back a bit. This matter between me and Jimu is a thing between two brothers. We will solve it ourselves without troubling the elders of the family.”

Hearing her called “Uncle” and “elder” over and over again made Madame Zhen increasingly displeased inside. However, she also found this kid increasingly difficult to deal with. He used her desire to avoid making a scene, hit while the iron was hot, and kept trying to get close to her.

“Alright then. Your Tianlan Lei Family is a well-known old-established family with deep roots. You surely wouldn’t make things difficult for Jimu, right?” Perhaps because her children were right in front of her, she reined in her coquettish demeanor and sat down nearby with grace. “You two talk slowly. Speak nicely. Don’t ruin the harmony between brothers.”

“Yes, Big Brother,” Zhen Jimu also became smarter. Seeing his most revered mother arrive, he felt somewhat reassured. He knew his mother would never let anything happen to him. But his life was still in Lei Qing’s hands, so he just went along with his mother’s words. “We are brothers. What words can’t we say nicely? Why do you have to point a sword at my neck?”

“Jimu, it’s not that I want to target you specifically, but you really didn’t give me, Lei Qing, a way to live this time,” Lei Qing sighed.

“How could that be?” Zhen Jimu said in shock. “I have always respected you, Big Brother. How could I not give you a way to live? Please, Big Brother, speak plainly.”

Lei Qing looked around. Besides the Zhen family members, there were at least dozens of people present. Including those hiding in the dark upstairs watching the show, the number was huge. He spoke loudly, “Since it’s like this, let everyone judge. I, Lei Qing, was originally from the Tianlan Lei Family. Because I offended someone, I had no choice but to come to the Free Alliance to develop. Now, my career has just started. I established the Black Flag Regiment to guard Yehe Town in the northwest for the Iron Cavalry Regiment. By rights, I have no grudge or entanglement with the Zhen Family. And I, Young Master Zhen, admired each other. We admired each other’s boldness and talent, and our relationship was like that of brothers. But why? Why do I have to point a sword at this brother of mine?”

“Because of a woman?” Someone bold said deliberately in a soft voice.

Those who hadn’t seen the initial scene really thought the two were good brothers and good buddies.

“Maybe, but I always respected Jimu’s character. Although he is a bit of a playboy, he is enthusiastic and straightforward, loyal to his friends, and willing to go through fire and water for them,” Lei Qing sighed. “But I never thought that it was this brother of mine who secretly tripped me up in my career. He warned businessmen related to the Zhen Family that they absolutely could not do business with me, Lei Qing, otherwise they should expect misfortune.”

Many businessmen who hadn’t talked to Lei Qing seemed to realize something. They remembered the warnings from a while ago. It was true. Actually, everyone was somewhat disgusted by the Zhen Family’s strong suppression. This was like when the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold. However, the Zhen Family was too powerful, so everyone only dared to be angry but not speak. Besides, the Zhen Family didn’t put this matter on the table to discuss; they only warned them privately.

“What? There is such a thing?” Madame Zhen raised her elegant eyebrows and said angrily, “Jimu, how could you hide something like this from me? Not only will this damage the reputation of our Zhen Family, but Lei Jiu is also your brother and buddy. How do I usually teach you to conduct yourself? To be a person, you must be loyal, and absolutely cannot strike at your friends from behind.”

Hearing this, Lei Qing almost died of laughter inside. If there was any woman in the world who was best at striking from behind, it was none other than you, Madame Zhen.

“Mom, it’s a mistake. I absolutely didn’t do such a thing.” Zhen Jimu felt very bitter upon hearing this. He really never did things from behind. Because there was no need for it. Zhen Jimu, to take down someone, always liked to attack openly with swords and spears.

Madame Zhen’s delicate body trembled with anger. “Then, according to you, Lei Jiu wronged you? I wronged you? Lei Jiu came all the way from thousands of miles away to Northern Yan City just to wrong you?” In her heart, she was also very angry. She was angry that her son was so unwilling to strive for success. But as for this Lei Jiu, the more she looked at him, the more she liked him. She liked him so much she could barely wait to have him on her bed as her personal possession.

Of course, daring to kidnap her son, this humiliation, Madame Zhen would ruthlessly return to Lei Qing double or triple. She had plenty of ways to make a man with very tough bones submit.

“Mom, I really didn’t do it.” Zhen Jimu looked like a bitter melon after being wronged. “You know what kind of person I am? I am always a man of my word.”

“You call yourself a man? You make me so angry. If you were half as excellent as your brother Lei Qing, this mother of mine would die with no regrets.” This was what Madame Zhen said from her heart.

She was indeed twisted in character, greedy for lust and pleasure. But even the badst and most evil people must have someone irreplaceable in their hearts. Her son and daughter were her lifeblood.

Especially her son, she placed all her hopes on him. Perhaps she was a successful politician and a successful manager. But she was definitely a failed mother.

“Mom, could it be that…” Zhen Jimu thought hard, and then had a flash of inspiration. “Did Huan’er do it? Yes, yes, it must be Huan’er doing it. She and Li Baobao are best friends. It must be because she was unwilling after Baobao was kidnapped by my Big Brother Lei, and she wanted to take revenge for her. Huan’er, you quickly say, did you do it?” He called him Big Brother Lei all the time, as if he really took himself as Lei Qing’s little brother.

Zhen Huan’er was just trying to retreat secretly. When she saw her mother and Big Brother staring at her, she had no choice but to stubbornly say, “That’s right, I did it. This notorious pirate dared to kidnap Baobao. I couldn’t stand it and wanted to vent for her.”

“What? Huan’er, how could you do this? You, you are too much.” Li Baobao was also greatly surprised. She finally understood why Lei Qing appeared here. In the end, it was all for her matter. She didn’t expect Zhen Huan’er to hide such a thing from her. Didn’t this harm Lei Qing? Pushing him into such a dangerous spot.

For a moment, Li Baobao also felt some resentment towards Zhen Huan’er in her heart.

“Baobao, how could you say that about me? I was just venting for you,” Zhen Huan’er stamped her foot in anger.

“Oh, I hadn’t seen Baobao was here either?” Madame Zhen seemed to just have seen Li Baobao. Smiling like a kind uncle, she greeted, “You came to play with Huan’er? Is your father well recently?”

Li Baobao seemed quite afraid of Madame Zhen. She hurriedly replied, “Madame Zhen, my father is doing quite well recently. Thank you for your concern. He also asked me to say hello to you.”

Madame Zhen deliberately chatted with Li Baobao about family matters to try to ease the tense atmosphere in the scene. Although she was eager to save her son, she was also afraid of exciting Lei Qing too much and him suddenly killing someone.

If her son’s life wasn’t still in the hands of this kid surnamed Lei, she would have long ordered people to chop this kid surnamed Lei into pieces, er, tie him up, and send him to her bed to be abused properly.

“Huan’er, you are being too unreasonable.” Madame Zhen frowned her elegant eyebrows and said angrily with authority. “How could you do such a thing? Lei Qing is your Big Brother’s brother.” She was now firmly insisting that Lei Qing and Zhen Jimu had a deep relationship, and it was just an internal conflict between brothers.

On one hand, it was to reduce negative influence in the future. On the other hand, it put a shackle on Lei Qing. Misunderstandings between brothers are normal. But if the conflict was resolved and you still refused to release him, what did Lei Qing mean? If she couldn’t see through this and started shouting to fight and kill Lei Qing, stiffening the atmosphere, she wouldn’t have been able to reach today’s achievements step by step.

“Mother, I…”

When Zhen Huan’er wanted to say something, she was immediately interrupted by Madame Zhen. “Don’t say anything. Anyway, this thing you did was wrong.”

Madame Zhen turned and smiled sweetly at Lei Qing. “Little Nine, this matter is my daughter’s fault. Uncle apologizes on her behalf. I think we should let this matter go. From now on, the Zhen Family will definitely not target you anymore. You can do business however you want. How about this? Aren’t you guarding the northwest? This Uncle has no other support to give, so I will provide you with five hundred high-quality warhorses. It’s also a small apology to you.”

She looked enthusiastic and straightforward, with not even a bit of a venomous woman’s appearance. But Lei Qing knew that the more people who hid knives behind smiles, the more dangerous they were.

Just like flowers, the more beautiful they are, the more thorns they have, and the more poisonous.

Lei Qing could guarantee that if he agreed now and released Zhen Jimu, he would indeed receive five hundred high-quality warhorses to fulfill her promise. But at the same time, Madame Zhen would try every means to eliminate him.

“Since Uncle has said so, then Little Nine has no objections,” Lei Qing said calmly. “Everyone heard it. My Uncle, Madame Zhen, expressed that she would no longer issue orders prohibiting business with me, Lei Qing. Since the matter between me and Jimu is just a misunderstanding, of course, I won’t make things difficult for him.”

Madame Zhen secretly rejoiced, thinking to herself that young people are just young people. They fall for simple tricks easily. Lei Qing, Lei Qing, after you release my son, I will definitely torture you to death to relieve this hatred in my heart. But on her face, she smiled even more kindly and benevolently. “That’s right. Between two brothers, what misunderstanding can’t be resolved? Now, can you release Jimu?”

“Of course I can. However, Jimu just told me. He felt that he had too much of a ‘soft’ aura and wanted to go northwest to experience the vicissitudes of the vast yellow earth,” Lei Qing chuckled. “Although I advised him to stay home and serve his old mother, he insisted on tempering himself.”

Old, old mother? Madame Zhen gritted her teeth in hatred.

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