One Life, One Incarnation, Beautiful Bones

54

Chapter 17.2 - The Moon Shines Upon Home (2)

The night of the birthday banquet, Grandmother was brought to the family manor.

The elderly woman enjoyed watching traditional Chinese opera, and the theatre in the manor, which had previously not been used for a long time, had been opened again.

The lights glimmered and danced.

When they arrived, the seats of the theatre were already filled. In the main hall on the first level, the people were seated three to each table, and thirty or forty tables were spread across the floor. From that location, if one were to raise one's head, several beaded curtains could be seen on the second and third levels, but what lay behind each curtain was indistinct and difficult to clearly discern.

Such a scene seemed like it should have been taken from the antiquated Minguo period[1].

Irrespective of old or young, every person who was present, if he was a man, would without exception be wearing traditional Chinese men's attire, and if she was a woman, would be wearing a cheongsam. On the first floor, the majority of people were those who belonged to a generation or position of lower seniority than Zhousheng Chen, and now, they all, one after another, rose to their feet. Zhousheng Chen would merely smile and nod but did not pause his strides.

To Shi Yi's surprise, she actually spotted Du Feng and two other men sitting in the corner of the main hall.

Zhousheng Chen noticed her abnormal behavior and also glanced in that direction. "They are required to monitor Zhou Wenchuan's movements and not let him out of sight."

Shi Yi hesitated but then still asked, "Du Feng's true identity, did you know about it very early on?"

He nodded. "From when he appeared and met your friend, I had already known."

"Zhou Wenchuan..." She wanted to ask him what he was intending to do about him.

Understanding her unspoken question, he told her concisely, "Prior to any formal charges being laid, I will arrange a place for him to stay, but he cannot leave that place, otherwise no one can guarantee his protection. This, for him and for everyone, is the best outcome."

The two of them had followed the staircase up and were at the second level already.

This particular level was actually mostly people from the older generations. They did halt their steps here, stopping briefly to exchange quiet conversation and greet each of the elders. These elders were all people she had briefly seen on her first arrival at the old manor, but this time was altogether different from the previous time.

The levels below were indeed lively and made the third level appear quiet.

In the openness of that space, besides the girls who were serving tea and water, there were only a handful of people, all of them of the same generation as Zhousheng Chen.

Even for such a grand event, Zhousheng Chen's uncle had not made an appearance.

The Zhou family was quietly handing over all of the family business, and the speed at which the former leader was fading from the people's view was unexpectedly swift.

Shi Yi did not know how, amongst the intricate and complicated relationships, Zhousheng Chen had taken the power and control of the Zhou family from the hands of Uncle, who had held them for so many years... But she surmised that, since he had been born into the world bearing the Zhousheng surname and had made it to thirty years old without experiencing an "accidental death," these were enough to demonstrate that he was qualified to be the successor.

Grandmother had taken her seat behind the beaded curtain well beforehand and was waiting to watch the performance.

Keeping her company beside her was Zhousheng Chen's mother and Tong Jiaren. Amid such a joyous and harmonious atmosphere, one could not tell in the slightest that Tong Jiaren and Zhou Wenchuan did not have anything to do with one another anymore.