Hu Zhongtian’s words were heartless, but Luo Qingtong seemed to catch something from them.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, looked at Hu Zhongtian, and suddenly said, "Is it because of the object the Bai Family wants?"

With Yu Sihuang beside her, Luo Qingtong wasn’t afraid of the Second Elder’s people eavesdropping on their conversation.

Upon hearing Luo Qingtong’s words, Hu Zhongtian suddenly froze, then erupted into a heart-wrenching cough.

He stared at Luo Qingtong, his expression shocked to the extreme.

"How... how do you know?"

His gaze shifted between Luo Qingtong and Chu Lingfeng, unsure if Luo Qingtong’s closeness to Chu Lingfeng held any ulterior motives.

The latter’s nature was simple and foolish, making it not impossible to be manipulated.

Seeing his gaze, Luo Qingtong smiled lightly.

She tapped the folded fan in her hand, then leisurely said, "Naturally, it’s because..."

The corners of her lips lifted slightly, "I killed Bai Jintang and learned it from him."

As she spoke, she looked at Hu Zhongtian and said, "You don’t need to worry about me harming you. If it weren’t for Lady Yan’s request, I’d have no interest in your Hu Family."

If it weren’t for Lady Yan’s request, Luo Qingtong had plenty of ways to obtain that object from the Hu Family.

"That’s right, we belong to the master," Chu Lingfeng nodded seriously at this point.

Unaware of the impact his words had on Hu Zhongtian.

"Cough, cough... master..." Hu Zhongtian’s heart twisted with bitterness.

His grandson, Hu Zhongtian’s grandson, had actually recognized a mere youth as his master.

The life he and his mother lived outside must have been incredibly harsh.

Thinking of this, Hu Zhongtian felt an urge to weep.

It’s all his fault!

His fault for not protecting his daughter and grandson earlier!

Hu Zhongtian’s heart was bitter, as he looked at Chu Lingfeng, then at Luo Qingtong, and nodded, "Alright, let’s talk inside."

Since the other party had killed Bai Jintang, they were certainly enemies of the Bai Family.

Being his grandson’s master, Hu Zhongtian naturally had nothing to hide from her.

He had originally intended to keep this matter hidden, so that Chu Lingfeng and Lady Yan wouldn’t get involved and unable to extricate themselves.

But now that Luo Qingtong had killed Bai Jintang and knew about this issue, there was no room for maneuvering.

Since the other party had provoked the Bai Family, Lady Yan and Chu Lingfeng wouldn’t be able to avoid involvement.

Hu Zhongtian, with faltering steps, led Luo Qingtong and the others towards the main hall of the mansion.

The group took their seats in the main hall.

Hu Zhongtian coughed for a while, then with a pale face, said to Luo Qingtong, "That object, after all, belongs to Lady Yan..."

As he spoke, he looked at Chu Lingfeng, his voice hoarse, "It was your father, the man who took Lady Yan’s body... who sent it."

The object was sent to the Hu Family shortly after Lady Yan left the Barbaric City.

At first, Hu Zhongtian and the others didn’t know who sent it until they found a letter hidden inside.

In the letter, that man explained that he had been gravely injured before, then inexplicably ambushed, which led him to forcibly take Lady Yan, causing a great mistake.

The object was sent as compensation to the Hu Family.

It was only then that Hu Zhongtian and the others discovered that Lady Yan had been defiled before marriage, and it was involuntary.

Moreover, she was likely framed by someone else.

But since that man never appeared, and Lady Yan had disappeared...

They didn’t know who had framed Lady Yan back then.