Following the sound, he saw a middle-aged woman squatting in front of Cao Hai on the sofa facing away from the door, applying an ice pack to his face.
The icing seemed almost finished. The woman put away the ice pack with a face full of resentment.
She was the housekeeper of the Cao Family Manor, an old servant at Cao Chuanzhi’s side—Hong Sanguai.
[This old dog.]
A cold glint flashed through Cao Chuan’s eyes. He immediately led Song Keran over in quick strides.
“Housekeeper Hong, speaking ill of your young master behind his back—don’t you think that’s a bit inappropriate?”
As they approached, the middle-aged woman quickly stood up at the sound. When she realized it was Cao Chuan himself, a hint of disdain flickered in her eyes, and her expression relaxed noticeably. “Young Master, I was just speaking fairly.”
“No matter what, Young Master Hai is your own brother, your beloved kin. As his elder brother, how could you be so harsh on him?”
“Isn’t this no different from fratricide?”
“Speaking fairly?” The coldness in Cao Chuan’s eyes deepened.
He had studied the original novel thoroughly, and now with a 20% memory enhancement, he was extremely clear about every important character’s role in the original.
This so-called Housekeeper Hong Sanguai, talking about fairness, was in fact clearly siding with Cao Hai.
This old dog, although she was a long-serving aide of Cao Chuanzhi and housekeeper of the Cao Family Manor, had no sense of duty as a housekeeper. Instead, she was a two-faced opportunist through and through.
Years ago, seeing that Cao Chuan had fallen out of favor while Cao Hai was doted on—especially with Cao Hai’s aunt, Lin Wanrong, being a close confidante of Cao Chuanzhi—she had thrown her lot in with Cao Hai, helping him suppress Cao Chuan more than once.
Even that traitor Li Shunzhi, who had once been at Cao Chuan’s side, was placed there by her during the recruitment of bodyguards, just to please Cao Hai and Lin Wanrong’s faction.
Cao Chuan loathed her to the core.
Now she was gossiping behind his back and daring to lecture him in front of Song Keran. This wasn’t just old resentment—it added new hatred on top of it.
“Housekeeper Hong, it seems you’ve forgotten your place.”
A surge of anger rose in Cao Chuan’s chest, and he stared directly at Hong Sanguai.
But Hong Sanguai met his gaze without fear.
Sitting arrogantly on the sofa, Cao Hai turned and sneered, “Housekeeper Hong is the Cao Family’s housekeeper, an elder who’s served my father since the beginning. What’s wrong with her speaking a fair word?” This story is hosted at novelping . com.
“An elder at Father’s side?” Cao Chuan also sneered.
“Yes!” Hong Sanguai immediately took over, straightening her back and staring coldly at Cao Chuan. “When Chairman Cao and Director Lin are away, I can practically represent the will of the entire household. Now that the eldest young master has done something wrong, I’m obligated to step in and uphold justice.”
“Uphold justice? Good.” Cao Chuan’s sneer deepened, and he beckoned at her with a crooked finger.
“Then come over here and explain to me—how exactly do you intend to uphold justice?”
Clearly misunderstanding Cao Chuan’s intent, Hong Sanguai actually walked over confidently.
As she walked, she started scolding, “As the elder brother, it’s fine to correct your younger brother’s mistakes, but to treat Young Master Hai so violently is simply too much—”
But before she could finish, a crisp smack rang out.
Cao Chuan had already swung a fierce slap across her face.
Her head snapped sharply to the side, her whole body staggering back a step.
“You’re just a servile dog, yet you actually believe that a few flattering words from the underlings make you someone important?”
Cao Chuan’s gaze was icy.
“I am the young master of the Cao Family!”
“When did a mere servant gain the right to criticize, meddle, and point fingers at the young master?”
Hong Sanguai was completely stunned by this sudden and brutal retaliation. Covering her face, she stood there, speechless for a long moment.
Cao Hai, on the other hand, was so shocked by the scene that he jumped up from the sofa, horror on his face.
Even Song Keran, who had followed behind Cao Chuan, gasped in disbelief and quickly covered her mouth in shock.
A moment later, it was Cao Hai who recovered first, glaring at Cao Chuan with a dark expression. “She… she’s the housekeeper of the Cao Family. Apart from Father and Aunt Lin, she’s the third most important person in this household!”
“How… how dare you?”
Only then did Hong Sanguai seem to snap back to her senses, her eyes burning with resentment as she shouted, “Yes, I am the housekeeper of the Cao Family!”
“And you actually dared to lay hands on me?!” The source of this chapter is g.com.
“So what if I did?” Cao Chuan stared coldly at her. “What, you think you can do something about it?”
At those words, Hong Sanguai’s momentum visibly faltered.
It was true—Cao Chuan was the eldest young master of the Cao Family, half a master of this household.
She, Hong Sanguai, though she had served the family for years, was still just a servant in the end.
As a servant, what could she really do to a young master?
Left with no alternative, she tried to play her trump card. “I’ve served your father, Chairman Cao, for so many years. Treating me like this—are you giving him no face at all?”
“Aren’t you afraid he’ll punish you when he finds out?”
“Punish me?” Cao Chuan laughed like he had just heard the funniest joke.
“You’re just one of the more prominent dogs at my father’s side. I, on the other hand, am his flesh and blood.”
“What makes you think he would turn against his own son for the sake of a servant?”
“Do you really believe that your position in his heart ranks above that of me and my brother?”
That burst of laughter cracked like thunder, waking Hong Sanguai and everyone else in the room.
Indeed.
No matter how long she had served by Cao Chuanzhi’s side, she was still an outsider—and not even an irreplaceable one.
But Cao Chuan, no matter how out of favor, was still Cao Chuanzhi’s biological son.
If she went to report this to Cao Chuanzhi, chances were Cao Chuan wouldn’t face any real punishment. In fact, Cao Chuanzhi might first question her for not knowing her place.
In that case, regardless of what happened to Cao Chuan, Hong Sanguai’s days in this manor would certainly be over.
Thinking of this, Hong Sanguai didn’t dare say another word, her face turning deathly pale.
Behind her, by the sofa, Cao Hai—who had just jumped to his feet in shock—suddenly seemed to lose all strength again and slumped back down with an ashen face.