At the break of dawn the next day, all the high-ranking members of the Chu Family gathered at the Emperor Garden. They deployed as many as two hundred elite personnel to clear out the entire villa complex, expelling unrelated people, all to prepare for Chu Renxiong's funeral and memorial service today.
At seven in the morning, according to local customs and timing, Chu Renxiong's body was to be taken to the crematorium for cremation, and then the ashes would be brought back for the official funeral and memorial service in the afternoon.
Zhu Ge Yuheng, Tang Tianpeng, Wan Guoquan, and Yuan Kuolong, the four major figures, personally carried the coffin, lifting Chu Renxiong, who lay in the ice coffin, out and into the hearse, transporting him away.
No matter how glorious a person's life was, they cannot avoid such a journey after death.
Many people who had dealings with Chu Renxiong during his lifetime, including company shareholders, managers, subordinates, etc., couldn't help but shed tears at this scene, sobbing uncontrollably.
As the former chairman of the group, Chu Renxiong always placed loyalty above all else. He had high prestige and an excellent reputation both in the large company and among his private circle of friends. Now that he was gone like this, everyone was genuinely saddened and distressed.
Some key company figures, whom Chu Renxiong had personally promoted, were crying their hearts out, pounding their chests and beating the ground, escorting Chu Renxiong on his final journey with the hearse.
Among everyone, the one who cried the hardest was Su Dieche.
According to the customs of Binhai, she did not wear mourning clothes, only carrying white flowers.
This was because, although she was Chu Renxiong's woman during his life, she was not officially married or recognized, and naturally couldn't attend in the capacity and rituals of a wife, at best just a close female companion.
When the ice coffin was carried away, Su Dieche cried with such heart-wrenching sorrow that she almost fainted.
This was what Chu Yan asked her to do.
If not, even if her acting was good and she could squeeze out tears, she would never be in such deep grief.
Chu Yan also cried, but he just walked at the front of the crowd, silently shedding tears, his whole person solemn and grim.
Zhu Ge Yuheng and the others carried the ice coffin under the hearse, placed it in the back compartment, then Zhu Ge Yuheng turned back to Chu Yan and said, "Xiao Yan, you don't need to go to the crematorium. Once the ceremony is complete, we will escort Big Brother's ashes back. People will certainly start arriving soon. We can't leave this place; the afternoon funeral and ceremony must be held on time."
Zhu Ge Yuheng, although not crying, had red eyes and a slightly hoarse voice.
"Uncle Zhuge, don't worry. You just take care of sending our foster father on his last journey; leave this place to me." Chu Yan nodded gravely.
Zhu Ge Yuheng said nothing more, getting into the hearse with Tang Tianpeng and the others, closing the door, and leaving.
Chu Yan took a deep breath. Without Zhu Ge Yuheng here, although he still had to appear sad to everyone else, at least he didn't have to act so exhaustively.
"All of you, listen. Keep an eye on the mourning hall and the entire neighborhood. If any mourners come, welcome them in, let them wait in the reception room. Don't move around arbitrarily; maintain the solemnity of the mourning hall." Chu Yan turned and addressed the elite personnel standing solemnly around the villa.
Though he said this, Chu Yan knew that the guests wouldn't arrive so early. After all, the funeral and memorial service start in the afternoon, so it's already good if people come by noon.
"Yes!" All those elite personnel responded in unison.
Now, the nearly 800-square-meter villa had been transformed into a mourning hall. Several large rooms were specifically reserved as reception rooms, and personnel were specifically selected for hosting, but all elite personnel and bodyguards were strictly ordered only to stay on the first floor, not allowed to go to the second or third floors.
"Aunt Su, don't be too sad, let me help you upstairs to rest." In front of everyone's eyes, Chu Yan, putting on an act, came to the teary-eyed Su Dieche and supported her as he spoke.
"Okay, thank you, Xiao Yan." Su Dieche appeared to be weak from crying, her delicate body swaying as she spoke.
Chu Yan sighed and then supported Su Dieche into the mourning hall, going upstairs along the stairs.
Their behavior seemed perfectly normal; nothing unusual was noticed by anyone.
However, amidst the crowd, another figure, standing at a distance, couldn't help but frown while watching Chu Yan and Su Dieche's intimate demeanor.
Zhuge Yi!
On such an occasion today, as the only son of Zhu Ge Yuheng, it was impossible for Zhuge Yi not to attend. His status was far less esteemed than the likes of Zhu Ge Yuheng, so he wasn't qualified to carry the coffin, nor did he have the authority to issue orders like Chu Yan, the newly ascended Crown Prince. He could only stand at a distance, quietly grieving.
From childhood to adulthood, the two people he revered most in his heart were his father and Chu Renxiong!
Because of the life-and-death bond between Chu Renxiong and Zhu Ge Yuheng, Chu Renxiong had always treated Zhuge Yi as his own son, teaching and guiding him. Now, Chu Renxiong's mysterious death brought genuine sorrow to Zhuge Yi.
Right now, seeing Chu Yan supporting Su Dieche upstairs, he sharply sensed something was off!
But he didn't say anything and walked into the mourning hall, quietly following them upstairs.
Since his status among the young generation in the Chu Family was second only to Chu Yan's, being the well-known second young master, nobody dared to question or stop him.
Zhuge Yi stealthily went upstairs unnoticed.
When he reached near Chu Renxiong's bedroom on the second floor, he overheard a conversation between Su Dieche and Chu Yan from inside.
"It's all your fault; my eyes hurt so much. Why did you make me put on chili water!"
Su Dieche's tone had a hint of resentment, as if she was wiping something from her eyes, but it sounded just like a lovesick girl being coquettish.
Zhuge Yi was stunned on the spot!
"If you didn't apply the chili water, how could you have acted so convincingly?" Then came Chu Yan's voice, chuckling as he reassured her.
"I don't care. I put in so much effort acting; you have to compensate me!" Su Dieche spoke again, in a coquettish tone, her voice turning very seductive.
"Definitely."
Then, Zhuge Yi heard the sounds of them undressing inside, accompanied by constant flirtatious teasing and laughter.
Afterwards, the two of them fell onto the bed, Chu Yan panting heavily, and although Su Dieche tried hard to suppress her moans, faint sighs still made their way outside.
The entire room seemed to be vibrating!
At this moment, they finally fulfilled their desire, indulging wildly in Chu Renxiong's room, on his bed!
But outside, Zhuge Yi's face turned ashen, his fists clenched tightly!
Chu Yan was having an affair with Su Dieche!!!
Their actions had been hidden from everyone in the Chu Family, and they didn't even wait for Chu Renxiong's cremation to be completed, engaging in a clandestine affair on his bed!
In an instant, Zhuge Yi felt an urge to push the door open, rushing in to catch them red-handed!
But he paused when he thought about it!
If he really burst in and exposed this, although Chu Yan and Su Dieche would be cornered in the room, disgraced, it would also instantly destroy the hard-earned prestige the entire Chu Family had built up!
Outsiders wouldn't focus on what Su Dieche and Chu Yan were like; they would be laughing at the Chu Family as a whole and might even mock the deceased Chu Renxiong for being such a fool, cuckolded by his adopted son!
Such outcomes couldn't simply be handled by just uncovering a pair of adulterers.
So Zhuge Yi pondered again and again and resisted acting rashly, lowering his raised hand.
He turned around, fuming, heading downstairs, resolving to wait until the funeral concluded before finding an appropriate opportunity to tell his father about this, letting his father deal with this adulterous couple!