Currently, the general affairs of the household are managed by the Third Master, while the internal affairs are overseen by the Third Madam. However, the Eldest Master is, apart from the Old Master, the highest-ranking official in the entire household—he is already a prefect of a county. Therefore, even though the Eldest Madam only manages her own small domain and a few children, her position in the family is unshakable. Even her personal confidante, wherever she goes, commands respect from others.

But this is Hè Míng Pavilion, not just any place—this is the Old Master’s private study and bedroom!

Although she hesitated inwardly, in the end, thinking of Chad Sullivan's humble and lowly origins, and that he bore no blood of the Yue family, Mrs. Foster still straightened her back.

She took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and stepped over the threshold. She saw Chad Sullivan actually sitting atop the first bookshelf on the left, one leg dangling and swinging, holding a thick book in his hands, seemingly engrossed in reading.

Noticing that Chad Sullivan acted as if no one else was present and didn’t even glance at her as she entered, Mrs. Foster immediately became angry. She raised her head and called out, “Was it Ninth Young Master who just said there are too few books in Hè Míng Pavilion?”

Only then did Chad Sullivan lift his gaze from the book and glance at Mrs. Foster's face. He then, disinterested, propped his chin with one hand and looked straight past her to ask Ethan Reed, “Ethan Reed, since when can just any stray cat or dog barge into Grandpa’s Hè Míng Pavilion?”

At these words, not only did Ethan Reed's expression change, even Emily Reed was so furious she nearly exploded. She rushed forward, grabbed her mother’s sleeve, and cried, “Mother, did you hear that? He clearly saw you, yet he pretends not to!”

Mrs. Foster was equally furious, but she still had some composure. She pulled Emily Reed behind her and raised her head, saying, “I am here on behalf of the Eldest Madam…”

Before she could finish, Chad Sullivan said with great interest, “Oh, you’re with Eldest Aunt? So there’s such a rule in the family—that people by Eldest Aunt’s side can meddle in Grandpa’s Hè Míng Pavilion?”

Only then did Mrs. Foster realize that, though young, Chad Sullivan was cunning. Every word he’d just spoken was meant to use the Old Master’s authority to suppress her. Realizing she had underestimated this bastard child, she put away her earlier contempt.

“Ninth Young Master, don’t keep using the Old Master to intimidate people. You are a junior in this household. Since the Old Master isn’t here during the day, if something happens in Hè Míng Pavilion, it’s only right for the Eldest Madam to inquire.”

Seeing that Chad Sullivan indeed fell silent, she thought she had finally suppressed his arrogance. She immediately straightened up and said, “You spend the most time in this study, Ninth Young Master. According to Emily Reed, no one knows how many books you go through each day. Even if a book or two is missing, who’s to say it wasn’t just dog-eared and ruined, so Emily Reed and Ethan Reed took it out while tidying up?”

“Besides, Ninth Young Master, could it be you simply forgot and took the books from Hè Míng Pavilion back to Qingfen Hall? For such trivial matters, you’ve made a fuss and thrown the whole household into chaos!”

At this point, Mrs. Foster felt her words were reasonable and airtight, blocking all of Chad Sullivan’s retorts. She was feeling quite pleased with herself, when suddenly she heard a few crisp claps. Looking up, she saw Chad Sullivan clapping his hands, looking down at her from above.

“Anything with writing in Hè Míng Pavilion is managed by Uncle Ethan. Emily Reed and Ethan Reed can’t read; they just dust and clean the room. Even if I really ruined or tore up a book, it’s not their place to deal with it. As for your claim that I took books back to Qingfen Hall, when Grandpa returns, I’ll ask him to have Uncle Ethan search my place. After all, I haven’t left the house, and the books can’t grow legs and run away.”

Chad Sullivan looked with great interest at the increasingly ashen-faced Mrs. Foster, propping his cheek and saying, “And yet, with so many books missing from Hè Míng Pavilion, you call this a trivial matter?”

Mrs. Foster finally felt her back growing hot, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead without her realizing it. This was her first time dealing with Chad Sullivan head-on, and only now did she realize she had miscalculated.

Forcing herself to remain calm, she swallowed and managed to say, though her words were more bark than bite, “Fine, since Ninth Young Master says so, I’ll go report to the Eldest Madam!”

Emily Reed never imagined that her mother, who had come in so aggressively, would be so easily defeated by just a few words from Chad Sullivan. Seeing Mrs. Foster storm out of Hè Míng Pavilion, she was suddenly seized by deep panic, and after a moment’s daze, she turned and ran after her. With the mother and daughter gone, Ethan Reed, left standing in the room, was suddenly at a loss, almost on the verge of tears.

“Grandpa should be back soon, right?”

Hearing Chad Sullivan mutter this, Ethan Reed hurriedly glanced outside. Realizing it was already past the hour of Shen, her heart gradually sank. If the Old Master didn’t return, Mrs. Foster might still be able to use the Eldest Madam’s influence to come up with some countermeasures. But with the Old Master possibly returning at any moment, how many more cards could Mrs. Foster play?

At that moment, she saw Chad Sullivan place the book he was holding onto the shelf below his feet, then nimbly climb down the stairs.

Once his feet touched the ground, Chad Sullivan dusted off his hands, then smiled at Ethan Reed and said, “Ethan Reed, the chores here in Hè Míng Pavilion must be pretty easy, wouldn’t you say?”