Chapter 137: The Eldest Young Master’s Woman

"Creak."

The courtyard gate was pushed open. Old Zhao walked in carrying food, only to find Chu Bing standing prettily in the middle of the yard. He paused, then said with a huff, "You’re finally awake. I thought you were going to sleep your life away."

The tone was hardly friendly.

But Chu Bing could not spare a thought for that. She hurried over to him, eyes wide and eager, and asked, "Uncle Zhao, has the Eldest Young Master really left?"

Old Zhao shot her a sideways glare and retorted, "Now you’re in a rush? I thought you didn't even know he was leaving! The Eldest Young Master stood outside your door all morning, unable to bring himself to go, but you—you were like a log, completely unmoved. Honestly..."

Old Zhao didn't even know how to describe his mood at the time.

Chu Bing was so mortified she wanted to hide her face and shrink into the ground.

"Uncle Zhao..." Chu Bing looked at him pitifully. "Where is the Eldest Young Master now? Can I still catch up to him?"

"Are you still dreaming?" Old Zhao rolled his eyes impatiently. "The Eldest Young Master is long gone."

He reached into his robe, pulled out an object wrapped in red cloth, and handed it to her. "The Eldest Young Master told me to give this to you."

Chu Bing froze for a moment before reaching out to take it. She carefully unwrapped the red cloth to reveal a jade hairpin.

The pin was crystal clear, elegant and refined. Just holding it, she could feel its immense value. Chu Bing bit her lip, a surge of complex emotions flooding her heart.

"The Eldest Young Master intended to give this to you last night, but you were in such a rush, doing goodness knows what, that he never found the opportunity. He waited at your door all morning, hoping to see you and hand it to you personally, but who would have thought..."

"Sigh." Old Zhao shook his head, his face full of regret.

In the end, it was a case of being destined to meet but not to stay together.

Chu Bing curled her fingers, gripping the hairpin tightly. She felt a twinge of guilt toward Li Mohan.

Seeing the gloom in Chu Bing's eyes, Old Zhao lost interest. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, the Eldest Young Master ordered me to take good care of you. Just stay in this courtyard obediently for now, and we can talk about everything else when he returns."

With his hands behind his back, he slowly strolled toward his own room, leaving her standing outside alone, her expression conflicted.

*Knock, knock.*

Suddenly, there came a sound at the gate.

Chu Bing blinked, a flicker of hope rising in her eyes. Could it be that Old Zhao was lying, and Li Mohan hadn't left yet?

A brilliant smile bloomed on her face. She rushed to open the gate, only to see Li Haoran standing there, clad in iron armor.

The smile on her face slowly faded, replaced by disappointment. "Oh, it's you."

Li Haoran’s expression shifted, but he quickly put on a smile. "Who did Miss Chu think it was?"

Chu Bing curled her lip, having no desire to speak, and turned to walk back into the courtyard.

Li Haoran followed directly behind her. "Big Brother has already left."

"Mm," Chu Bing replied listlessly. She clutched the hairpin, regretting everything. Why did she have to sleep in this morning? How could she have missed seeing Li Mohan off?

Watching Chu Bing’s back, a dangerous glint flashed in Li Haoran's eyes. He gritted his teeth, but by the time Chu Bing turned around, his expression had returned to normal. He said naturally, "Big Brother has gone off to achieve great things; Miss Chu need not worry about him."

Chu Bing sat at the stone table in the courtyard, chin resting in her hands, looking dazed.

Seeing this, Li Haoran sat down beside her. "Miss Chu, can we begin our training today? I had many thoughts after sparring with you yesterday and would like to discuss them with you..."

He spoke with enthusiasm, but the Chu Bing opposite him showed no reaction at all. If one looked closely, they would see her glass-like eyes clouded with a layer of dust, as if veiled in mist.

She wasn't listening to him at all.

Li Haoran’s heart sank. He had underestimated the importance of Li Mohan to her.

"Ahem." Li Haoran cleared his throat into his fist.

Chu Bing finally snapped out of it. As she looked up, she saw the man in front of her smiling helplessly.

"Ah, I'm sorry." She scratched her head awkwardly. "I was distracted. What did you say?"

"I said, since Big Brother is away, why don't you move to my courtyard for the time being? You can move back when he returns," Li Haoran suggested, a hint of anticipation in his tone.

As for whether she would actually be able to move back once she moved in, that was another matter entirely.

Chu Bing blinked, carefully considering the possibility. She didn't know when Li Mohan would be back, and living alone in this courtyard did seem quite dull. For the sake of her task, it might be better to stay with Li Haoran.

The only thing to consider was how to explain it to everyone.

Seeing that Chu Bing seemed moved, Li Haoran continued, "Don't worry, I will find an excuse to explain it to everyone. It won't cause any misunderstandings about our relationship, and it won't cause Big Brother to misunderstand, either."

His gaze was earnest, as if he were willing to do anything just to get her agreement.

Chu Bing was still hesitating, but Old Zhao, who happened to be stepping out of his room, heard this. He flew into a rage and walked over with a cold sneer.

"Third Young Master, our Eldest Young Master has only just left, and you are already in such a hurry to poach his lady? Isn't that a bit unethical?"

Chu Bing and Li Haoran turned at the same time to see Old Zhao standing behind them with a dark expression. His face, backlit by the sun, looked like that of a vengeful demon.

Chu Bing felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly stood up with a forced laugh, attempting to hook her arm into Old Zhao's. "Uncle Zhao, we were just joking! How could I ever leave the Eldest Young Master?"

If she had any thoughts of moving before, they vanished the moment she saw Old Zhao. If Li Mohan returned and Old Zhao complained to him, wouldn't all the goodwill she had spent so long building be wasted?

Li Haoran’s gaze turned icy. He stood up as well, his movements slow and deliberate, yet carrying an inexplicable air of authority. Old Zhao’s gaze shifted from Chu Bing to him.

"What? Does the Third Young Master find this old servant to be in the way?" Old Zhao stared at him coldly.

Having served in the Li household for so many years alongside Li Mohan, he was afforded a modicum of respect by the masters. Furthermore, with Li Mohan gone, Old Zhao had nothing to fear. The Eldest Young Master loved Chu Bing so much that he would risk his own life to prevent Li Haoran from taking her away!

Li Haoran looked steadily at Old Zhao, his smile icy. "Uncle Zhao, I grew up under your watch; why would I ever disdain you? It's just that with Big Brother away, Miss Hongxiu is living alone in this courtyard and going nowhere. It would be better for her to stay at my place, where I can take good care of her on his behalf."

"Of course, if you are concerned, Uncle Zhao, you are welcome to move there as well."

Li Haoran sounded sincere, but Old Zhao’s expression remained frozen in extreme cold. "That won't be necessary. Our Eldest Young Master's woman does not need the Third Young Master's care."

That phrase—"the Eldest Young Master's woman"—successfully left Chu Bing stunned.