Chapter 439: 446: The Protest Begins

Su Wenyue watched the scene before her with jaw-dropping astonishment, her eyes wide as saucers, her mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg. Han Yu was being too rough, treating a woman like this—even though the woman was particularly noisy and Su Wenyue had long wanted to throw her out herself, she had only thought about it. But Han Yu had taken direct action, showing just how earnest his complaints about Chen Li were; otherwise, he would never lay hands on a woman, an act he despised.

Initially, Su Wenyue was shocked but soon after, she felt that Han Yu’s actions were quite in line with her wishes, solving her troublesome problem without wasting a single word.

The other people in the room were also stunned by Han Yu’s actions, staring blankly, unsure of how to react, yet none of them stepped forward to utter a word of warning.

Only Qi Luo remained calm. As a martial artist, she had noticed Han Yu’s presence upon his arrival, as he had not bothered to conceal his aura. It was just Chen Li’s constant, noisy prattle that filled the air, which is why others had not noticed Han Yu’s approach, but Qi Luo did. Considering the things that woman with God knows what in her head was saying, it wasn’t surprising to see Han Yu react like this. The Master had patiently listened until now, which was already beyond Qi Luo’s expectations.

Chen Li was so engrossed in her own words that she hardly noticed Han Yu’s entry, and it was only when Han Yu was escorting her out by the collar that she finally snapped to reality and began to protest.

“What are you doing, Han Yu?! You discourteous man! Not only do you eavesdrop on our conversation, but you also lay hands on a fragile, delicate woman like myself. What kind of hero does that make you? If you have any real ability, go and kill the enemies on the battlefield, but picking on a weak woman like me—what skill is that? A man who only knows how to handle women, I feel embarrassed on your behalf…”

Han Yu had previously talked about hitting someone, but Chen Li hadn’t taken it seriously, thinking it was just talk; what man would lack the decency to strike a woman, an action she found despicable? She certainly never expected that Han Yu would actually do it before she could react. When she did, her first reaction was to scream loudly, then she proceeded to berate and demand that Han Yu put her down, her voice filling the courtyard.

“Woman, shut your mouth! If you keep on clucking nonsense like this, I swear I’ll knock you out and sell you to the Yihong Building, and you can talk all you want there to the men!” Han Yu finally snapped.

Chen Li took Han Yu’s words seriously, fearing he might actually do it, and quickly shut her mouth, though her face burned with rage, too afraid to speak out. If Han Yu really threw her into a brothel, even if nothing happened, it would ruin her for life. Despite being a modern person with an open mind, the backlash alone could drown her. She wouldn’t believe such threats from anyone else, but Han Yu was a man of his word.

Han Yu was relieved to finally have some quiet beside his ear and thought it served Chen Li right. Treating her harshly to instill fear was the only way to ensure she would not dare to offend in the future. Moreover, Chen Li’s earlier insinuations about persuading Han Yu’s daughter-in-law to divorce him had truly angered Han Yu. Were it not for Liu Xiu’s sake, he wouldn’t let her off lightly, even if he wouldn’t actually sell her to a brothel.

Once Han Yu had taken Chen Li away, Su Wenyue finally regained her composure and turned to look at everyone else in the room.

“Madam, all is well now, our ears can finally have some peace; that woman was truly too noisy,” Shu Lan said when she saw Su Wenyue looking around, with a schadenfreude-laced smile. She had long endured that woman’s irritating presence, and, as a mere servant, she couldn’t openly retaliate against Chen Li. Now the Master had avenged her.

Su Wenyue shook her head at Shu Lan’s words with amusement but couldn’t deny that with Chen Li taken out by Han Yu, the air in the room seemed much fresher, free from the poison of Chen Li’s words.

“Madam, is this really okay? Miss Chen is still a woman after all, won’t people speak ill of the Master for doing this?” Aunt Li expressed her concern, not for what might happen to Chen Li, but worried about the potential impact on Han Yu’s reputation.

Shu Lan rolled her eyes at Aunt Li’s timidity, “So what if people talk? Our Master is mighty. Besides, it’s about a woman with a tarnished reputation; who knows if they are going to speak ill or actually praise him? Could you really tolerate that noisy Chen Li yourself?”

“Yes, Aunt Li, don’t worry. The Master always measures his actions, and since he went through with it, he must have considered the consequences. We, as mere servants, needn’t fret over his affairs, especially over such a trifling matter. It’s not as if it’s some grave incident. You should put your heart at ease,” Qi Luo chimed in with a smile.

Aunt Li felt better after hearing Qi Luo’s words, realizing that indeed, as the Master’s position grew, so did his authority. It was not for them, as lowly servants, to worry over such things.

“It’s just this old servant being meddlesome; who are we to worry about the Master’s affairs?”

“Aunt Li, your concern for the Master comes from a good place, how could I not appreciate your sentiment? But these two girls are correct; the Master is prudent in his actions, and we don’t have to worry for him. Besides, a bit of gossip is not of great concern to me,” Su Wenyue reassured, patting Aunt Li’s hand.

After Han Yu had dragged her all the way to the study room and finally let go, Chen Li was still reeling from the choking sensation of being gripped by her collar, having borne the weight of her body on Han Yu’s grasp.

Collapsing gracelessly to the floor, it took her a long while to regain her bearings, now wary of provoking the cold Han Yu again. This ordeal had convinced her that he was not much different from the King of Hell, exuding an aura that chilled to the bone. Reflecting on her previous attempts to provoke him, she felt a shiver of fear; had it not been for Liu Xiu’s sake, standing here might not have been an option—this man was truly terrifying.

Han Yu left Chen Li slumped on the ground as he sat down to read a book. When he noticed that she had recovered, he put down his book and spoke, “You came to tell me about matters concerning the Marquis Beian Mansion, didn’t you? Tell me everything that happened at the Liu Mansion before I arrived, and I want nothing but the truth. Otherwise, hmph!”