I Became the Alchemy Master by Picking Up Trash-Chapter 145 - 144: Gossip

The world is just so dramatic, the more two people can’t stand each other, the more they run into each other.

Cui Tianxiao just happened to glance at the entrance casually and met Lin Caier’s gaze, who was peering inside. Both felt a chill down their spines and simultaneously rolled their eyes at each other.

"Damn! How many pounds of powder did that ugly freak pile on today? Her face is as pale as a paper doll. I just don’t get it, how come so many people think she’s good-looking, a bunch of blind simps!"

"Hey, that’s too much!" Ye Qingtian nudged him. The City Lord of Tianyi City is one of Lin Caier’s suitors; if Cui Tianxiao’s words spread, it wouldn’t be good.

Li Xing was busy munching on snacks while looking around the room. "Why hasn’t the Tu Ling Team come?"

Cui Tianxiao replied, "Lin Yin is seriously injured and was sent back to Cold Smoke Castle for treatment after the competition. Song Shurun and the others went with him. I heard Lianzhou issued a death order; for the next two months, the entire Tu Ling Team will undergo special training, probably switching to hell mode."

Qi Ming clicked his tongue, "Tsk tsk, really pitiful."

In just half a month, the new semester would start, and by then, the Tu Ling Team would have both classes and special training, leaving not a moment of rest. Even us Harssas’ laborers felt some sympathy upon hearing this.

Li Xing raised his hand, signaling the servant to continue serving snacks. The servant responsible for this area had long dreaded seeing Li Xing wave him over, never having seen a guest so frequently ask for replenishment!

Though the snacks were delicious, the ladies avoided gaining weight, tasting only one or two pieces before stopping, and the gentlemen didn’t care much for sweets. But Li Xing, left plate right plate, pretty much consumed the entire allocation for that corner himself. If it still wasn’t enough, the servant would have to consult the butler for an emergency restock.

As time passed, the banquet officially started. The golden doors at the end of the hall slowly opened, and Chu Yu, wearing a fine tuxedo, appeared, followed by Chu Ying and Chu Yunyi.

As the hosts showed up, guests stepped forward to greet them. Chu Yunyi, like a shadow, maintained a smile throughout, accompanying his father in socializing.

Though Li Xing had never seen Chu Yu, it wasn’t hard to deduce from their looks that father and son resembled each other quite a bit, except that Chu Yu lost to Chu Yunyi significantly in terms of aura. He seemed a bit feverish, with the corners of his mouth faintly red.

The woman in uniform accompanying the Chu father and son caught Li Xing’s attention.

Li Xing whispered to Cui Tianxiao, "Who’s that uniformed queen?"

Cui Tianxiao replied, "You don’t know her? She’s our future big boss, commander of the First Legion, Chu Ying."

So this is Chu Ying, the extraordinary woman who chased Yang Zhou for over ten years! She looked spirited and quite impressive; Yang Zhou truly doesn’t know how lucky he is.

"In such occasions, shouldn’t the hostess be present? Why isn’t Mrs. Chu here?"

Cui Tianxiao gave Li Xing a look and gestured towards Ye Qingtian. Matters involving the Chu family are not ordinary gossip due to their ties, unlike those about others.

Ye Qingtian, unfazed, seamlessly picked up the topic, "Mrs. Chu is my second aunt. She—she hasn’t been in good health, so she hasn’t appeared in public for over a decade."

Li Xing was puzzled, "Not in good health? What’s the illness?"

For noble marriages aimed at ensuring excellent offspring, the health of both parties is thoroughly vetted. To marry into the Chu family, the foremost family of Qianyuan, Qingtian’s second aunt surely couldn’t have a congenital issue; it must be due to external factors.

The Chu family holds immense power, and Li Xing couldn’t imagine any illness severe enough to keep the lady of the house secluded for so long.

Ye Qingtian sighed:

"Actually, my cousin also has a biological sister, named Chu Yunyou. Seventeen years ago, a group of thugs broke into the Chu household and abducted Yunyou, who was just born. My cousin Yunyou’s fate remains unknown. My aunt went mad with grief for her daughter, and she’s been insane for these seventeen years."

Oh, it’s a mental issue after all.

"Isn’t the Chu family the top noble house of Qianyuan? How could intruders break in so easily?"

"They posed as medical staff there to check the newborn, and no one was on guard."

Qi Ming blinked and asked, "If she was lost, why not hurry to find her? You can’t tell me there’s been no clue all these years?"

Ye Qingtian shook his head, "Back then, this incident blew up; not only the Chu family but also the Ye family, the First Army, and the Elder Council got involved. But it’s like those who abducted my cousin vanished into thin air, leaving no traces at all."

Li Xing kept silent; there’s no perfect crime. If, as Ye Qingtian said, not even a clue remains, then one or more of the involved parties must have lied, covering up the criminals. Why lie, though, she wasn’t interested in knowing.

Li Xing: "Since the child can’t be found, they should at least try to treat Mrs. Chu’s illness, right?"

Ye Qingtian sighed, "They have tried, but nothing has worked."

Cui Tianxiao rolled his eyes, saying, "Now, don’t take this the wrong way, Qingtian! I think someone in the Chu family wouldn’t mind if Aunt Lan stayed in this muddled state."

Ye Qingtian knew whom Cui Tianxiao was implicating, not wanting to dwell further on this, but Qi Ming, ever the instigator, chimed in to let Cui Tianxiao continue: "Who? Do tell!"

Cui Tianxiao beckoned Qi Ming and Li Xing closer mysteriously and whispered:

"Back then, Chu Yu adored Aunt Lan, but she was already engaged; his pursuit was unrequited love, pure and simple. Coincidentally, just a month before Aunt Lan was to marry, the Ye family suffered an attack by the deadly Five Element Locust, devastating thousands of acres of medicinal fields and killing or injuring more than half of the clan. The family was on the verge of being stripped of their noble family status when Chu Yu seized the chance to offer the Ye clan leader a deal—to marry Aunt Lan, and he’d use the Chu family’s power to help Ye clan tide over the crisis. For the family’s interest, the Ye clan leader agreed."

Qi Ming was shocked, "That’s outright exploitation! How despicable Chu Yu is!"

"Absolutely! Aunt Lan cried her eyes out, but for the greater good, she could only sacrifice herself. But in a loveless marriage, every moment is torment; after Chu God was born, Aunt Lan repeatedly petitioned the Elder Council for a divorce, exceeding the mediation limit—it was just a matter of one more instance, and the marriage could be dissolved. And lo and behold, right in the nick of time, the Yunyou incident happened. Think about it—if Aunt Lan weren’t mad, without independent will, would she still be Mrs. Chu now?"

Li Xing felt a lot of emotions after hearing this, every family indeed has its difficulties. Peel back the glamorous exterior of the noble families of Qianyuan Continent, and it’s all a mess inside.

Children growing up in such family environments almost never get to enjoy normal family love—Chu Yunyi is also an ill-fated soul.

The four of them had their heads together, indulging in Chu family gossip, completely oblivious to the group approaching them.

"What are you whispering about that’s so secretive?"

Ye Qingtian was shocked: "C-Cousin!"

Isn’t it awkward when you’re caught discussing someone else’s gossip by the very person involved? Isn’t it embarrassing? Ye Qingtian shot a fierce look at Cui Tianxiao; if it weren’t for his big mouth, none of this would have happened. Who knows if Cousin heard it or not...

Accompanying Chu Yunyi were Jiang Yuesheng, An Qing, Lin Caier, and four members of the Desert Boat Team.

In the arena, everyone competes against each other, but off-field, all are students of the Military Academy Alliance and future comrades, so networking in such occasions is normal.

Everyone sat down. Lin Caier, seeing the stack of dessert plates in front of Li Xing, rolled her eyes disdainfully:

"I’ve been wondering why the special snack supply at this banquet is so limited; I only got one piece and then it’s gone. Turns out someone jumped ahead and gobbled up the whole banquet’s share. Well, coming from the lower town, having never tasted such delicacies, eat as much as you can—after today, you won’t get another chance."

In other girls’ shoes, being snapped at like that would sure make them want to bury themselves, but with Li Xing’s strong mind, Lin Caier’s snide remarks didn’t bother her in the least.

"You have a point, why didn’t I think of that? Thanks for the reminder, Sister Lin! Since I won’t have another chance to come, I should eat more! Hey, somebody there—ten more plates of the signature desserts, please!"

"Pfft—!" Bai Ling covered her mouth; this Li Xing is quite the character.