Chapter 74: The Second Branch's Calculation

On the Second Branch's side, as soon as Jun Jun Zhihao entered the manor gate, he did not return to his own courtyard first; instead, he went straight to Jingzhu Courtyard to pay respects to the Old Lady. He knew the situation in the manor: the one currently managing the household affairs was not Wu Shi, but the Old Lady. Jun Zhengming was still considered filial, and since he had just returned to the manor, he at least had to put on a show.

As Jun Jun Zhihao stepped into Jingzhu Courtyard, he saw a maid brewing medicine in the yard. Walking inside, he found the Old Lady half-reclining on the couch with her eyes closed, resting. Indeed, aside from her difficulty walking, her face was flushed and full of vitality; it seemed the claim that the second daughter's medical skills were extraordinary was truly no lie.

After hearing the commotion, the Old Lady opened her eyes, saw it was Jun Jun Zhihao, and immediately wore a smile on her face.

"Grandson pays his respects to Grandmother," Jun Jun Zhihao said respectfully, bowing.

"Get up quickly. You only returned today; why didn't you go back to your courtyard to rest first before coming here?" the Old Lady asked affectionately.

"Grandson was worried about Grandmother's health, so naturally, I had to come see Grandmother first to feel at ease," Jun Jun Zhihao replied with a smile.

The Old Lady waved her hand. "Having your heart in the right place is enough."

Jun Jun Zhihao accompanied the Old Lady and chatted for quite a while, telling her interesting stories from Mount Kunlun Mountain, which made the Old Lady laugh heartily. Only when the Old Lady began to feel sleepy did he quietly take his leave, preparing to go pay respects to Jun Zhengming next, and only then return to his own courtyard to see his parents and younger sister.

Jun Jun Zhihao was respectful and well-mannered, naturally leaving no room for fault; however, the calculation and shrewdness flashing in his eyes did not escape the Old Lady's notice, so her heart held much less joy.

As soon as Jun Jun Zhihao stepped out of Jingzhu Courtyard, Wang Nainai, who was by the Old Lady's side, whispered softly:

"Old Lady, this Second Young Master's thoughts do not seem pure."

The Old Lady let out a light snort. "I have my own understanding. Send someone to keep a closer watch on his movements." The Nainai agreed.

As soon as Jun Jun Zijin returned to the manor, she took the snacks of melon seeds and peanuts she had packed for the Old Lady and went to Jingzhu Courtyard. Just as she reached the small garden outside the courtyard gate, she ran into Jun Jun Zhihao, who was coming out of Jingzhu Courtyard.

Jun Jun Zijin had no intention of greeting him and walked straight past. Jun Jun Zhihao, however, walked right up to her, polite and refined:

"Second Sister, it has been a long time since we met. I brought back some precious medicinal herbs and wanted to give some to Sister to nourish her body."

Jun Jun Zijin said coldly, "Keep them yourself. I have my own pharmacy." After hearing those words at Bibo Court, how could she possibly have any good feelings for the person before her?

Jun Jun Zhihao was brushed off, but he did not mind on the surface. He smiled slightly and said lightly:

"Very well. If that is the case, Second Sister, if you ever have any need, feel free to come find me anytime."

Having said this, he waved his hand quite dashing. Yet, as he watched Jun Jun Zijin's retreating figure, his eyes grew sinister.

"Hmph, pretending to be so high and mighty," he muttered softly, then turned and left quickly.

Jun Jun Zijin arrived in the Old Lady's room, put down the items packed from Bibo Court, and instructed Wang Nainai to heat them up for the Old Lady to eat in the evening. She then sat by the Old Lady's side, chatting while examining the Old Lady's legs.

The Old Lady held her hand and said:

"Second Daughter, that Jun Jun Zhihao has ulterior motives. You must be careful of him in the future and stay away from him."

Jun Jun Zijin nodded obediently. "Grandmother, this granddaughter understands."

On the Second Branch's side, Jun Zhengyuan received news that his son was returning to the capital today. He did not go to places of wine and flowers today and returned to the manor early. At this moment, the Second Branch was filled with joy; the three of them had been waiting for Jun Jun Zhihao for a long time. Left and right, they waited but saw no sign of Jun Jun Zhihao returning. The servant sent to inquire reported that the Second Young Master had gone to the Old Lady and Jun Zhengming first.

Li Shi felt extremely distressed. Her son had not returned for several years, and now that he was back, he went to the First Branch first, while her own parents were waiting anxiously in the courtyard. Although Jun Zhengyuan understood that his son's gesture was something that had to be done, he could not feel cheerful either; if it were not for the First Branch suppressing them so tightly, it would not be like this. The group's faces darkened, and the joy from just moments ago was instantly ruined.

After seeing Jun Zhengming, Jun Jun Zhihao hurriedly returned to his own courtyard. As soon as he entered the door, Jun Zhengyuan, with a stern face, questioned:

"Why are you only returning now?"

Jun Jun Zhihao hurriedly explained that paying respects to the Old Lady had delayed him. Li Shi, feeling sorry for her son's hard journey, immediately pulled Jun Jun Zhihao to sit down.

Seeing that Jun Jun Zhihao had finally returned, Jun Jun Zhidie let out a "Waaah!" and burst into tears. She did not care whether her brother was tired or thirsty; she pulled him and cried louder and louder, sobbing with snot and tears streaming down, her speech unclear due to the severe pain in her face:

"Brother, you must stand up for me! I don't want to marry the Second Imperial Prince; I want to marry the Crown Prince. That wretch Jun Jun Zijin, with no one backing her, was able to get engaged to the Crown Prince. I want to get engaged to the Crown Prince too! The Crown Prince gave her so many good things; I want them too."

Jun Jun Zhidie raised her head, pointing at her face, which was swollen like a pig's head:

"Brother, look! It is all because of that wretch Jun Jun Zijin that I got beaten. You must take revenge for me."

Jun Jun Zhihao looked at this sister of his; snot was all over him, and he felt extremely disgusted. However, in front of his parents, he could not scold her immediately upon meeting. He tried to pull out his sleeve, which Jun Jun Zhidie was gripping until it was wrinkled, but tried several times without success. Jun Jun Zhihao secretly groaned, truly wanting to look up at the sky; how did he end up with such an annoying sister?

In fact, he was only a little over a year older than Jun Jun Zhidie, yet the burden of the family seemed to be pressing down on him. Jun Jun Zhihao helplessly sighed and coaxed:

"Alright, alright, Sister, stop crying. Brother will definitely find a way for this matter."

Only then did Jun Jun Zhidie slowly stop crying. Li Shi shouted:

"That wretched girl from the First Branch is skilled in seductive tricks, luring the Crown Prince into getting engaged to her. She is even more arrogant now; she can walk around the manor as if she owns the place!"

Jun Zhengming spoke with a heavy face:

"That girl is hard to deal with now. In my opinion, we should start by acting against the bastard son of the First Branch."

Jun Zhengyuan then turned to Jun Jun Zhihao and said:

"Jun Zhihao, since you have returned this time, you should also contribute to the family."

Before Jun Jun Zhihao could reply, Jun Jun Zhidie spoke up first:

"How can that be? Brother, if we let that wretch grow so powerful, what will happen to my Crown Prince brother?" Jun Jun Zhidie, who had just stopped crying, started sobbing again.

Jun Jun Zhihao pondered for a moment, and a plan formed in his mind.

"Father, Mother, Sister, we cannot act rashly. Currently, Jun Jun Zijin is at the height of her favor. If we act rashly, we will gain nothing and might even lose the Old Lady's protection; it would not be worth the cost."

"Brother, then what should we do?" Jun Jun Zhidie sobbed twice and asked anxiously.

A smile curled at the corner of Jun Jun Zhihao's mouth. "Sister, you might as well befriend the Second Imperial Prince first. The Second Imperial Prince is also a dragon among men. Moreover, he has always been at odds with the Crown Prince. We will act according to the situation."

If they hadn't mentioned the Second Imperial Prince, it would have been fine; once he was mentioned, Jun Jun Zhidie became even angrier. She had been betrothed to the Second Imperial Prince for so long, yet he had not sent her a single item, as if he had forgotten her. Because of this, Li Shi had nagged her countless times, especially since the Crown Prince personally delivered so many betrothal gifts to the First Branch. Both were imperial betrothals, yet the Second Branch had not received a single piece of betrothal money. Li Shi nagged endlessly, and Jun Jun Zhidie was on the verge of a breakdown.

Jun Jun Zhidie wiped her tears and said angrily:

"Brother speaks lightly. That Second Imperial Prince doesn't even show his face; how can I befriend him?"

Jun Jun Zhihao comforted her:

"Sister, do not worry. I will arrange it for you. Sister just needs to dress up carefully when the time comes."

Jun Zhengyuan and his wife exchanged a glance and nodded slightly. Jun Jun Zhihao secretly rejoiced inside; as long as he profited from it, he had no time to consider Jun Jun Zhidie's happiness. Besides, regarding the matter of Jun Jun Zhidie and the Second Imperial Prince, he had heard about it; given the situation, marrying the Second Imperial Prince wasn't so bad.