Chapter 107: I Regret Bringing Zhilin Back

Zhilin looked up at the Gu family, his eyes empty and lifeless, which shocked Gu Jing.

“Zhilin, talk to Mom,” Gu Jing said anxiously, gripping Zhilin’s shoulder.

Patriarch Gu walked over, frowned, and was also shocked when he saw the emptiness in Zhilin’s eyes.

“What’s wrong, Zhilin? Talk to your grandfather.”

Zhilin turned to face Patriarch and stared at him for a while before speaking coldly, “I have no grandfather.”

Patriarch Gu’s face immediately changed. “Zhilin, what are you saying? How can you say you have no grandfather? I am your grandfather, aren’t I?”

Zhang Qin reached out to hold Zhilin and looked at his son with a heart full of concern. “Father-in-law, Zhilin has been back for only two months. During these two months, he has been learning so much every day. He has already learned everything he should learn in the next five years. Do you realize he’s just five years old? Do you understand that your way of teaching him is too much for him to handle? Now Zhilin has returned to this state. Are you happy now?”

“Zhang Qin…”

“I don’t deny that you are a great imperial tutor and senior teacher, but did you teach the Crown Prince in the same way?”

Patriarch Gu looked at Zhang Qin with a furrowed brow and said, “I’m doing this for Zhilin’s own good. I just want him to become stronger as quickly as possible. Only by surpassing Su Yu and becoming the youngest successful candidate in the imperial examination can he qualify to inherit everything from me.”

Gu Jing stared at her father in disbelief. “Father, what are you saying? When you were teaching Zhilin, you didn’t say such things.”

“Zhilin has extraordinary talent. There’s no one else in the entire family who can match him,” Patriarch Gu said, looking at Zhang Zhilin.

He did love his grandson, and he hadn’t thought about this problem before, especially when the child seemed fine.

Gu Jing trembled as she looked at Patriarch Gu. “Your purpose in coming to see Zhilin with us is not solely out of concern for him, nor is it because you care so much about Zhilin. Your goal is to check if Zhilin is really better. Am I right?”

Patriarch Gu didn’t utter a word, but his silence confirmed Gu Jing’s suspicion.

“Father, Zhilin is your own grandson, your own blood.”

“It’s precisely because Zhilin is my blood that I’m raising him this way. If he weren’t my blood, I wouldn’t give him a second thought.”

Gu Jing couldn’t believe her father’s words and looked at him with anger in her eyes. “Father, your actions are truly outrageous.”

“Enough, let’s continue. If the child is fine, there’s no need for further discussion.”

Patriarch Gu’s previous love for Zhilin was now overshadowed by his cruelty.

“I’d like to see who dares,” Gu Jing said coldly to the people around her.

“Gu Jing, are you defying me?” Patriarch Gu hadn’t expected Gu Jing to react this way.

“Zhilin is my only son. Do you think I will allow you to destroy my son? Father, I truly regret bringing Zhilin back with you. If we hadn’t come back, Zhilin would still be happily playing with Xiao Bao.” She knew that Zhilin’s candies had been disposed of, and only the little dinosaur was left, which she had hidden to prevent it from being destroyed.

Gu Jing looked at Patriarch Gu with cold determination in her eyes. Her son had finally begun to recover, and now her father had reduced him to this state. It was truly absurd.

When Zhilin heard the name “Xiao Bao,” a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes. Watching from the shadows, Yuan Feng stepped forward. Upon seeing him, Gu Jing looked at him with suspicion. “Who are you?”

She hadn’t even noticed that someone was hiding in the corner. Yuan Feng explained, “I’m here to deliver a letter from our young master to Mr. Zhang. Our young master is Xiao Bao.”

“Xiao Bao? Who is your young master?” Gu Jing asked, perplexed.

“Xiao Bao.”

When Zhang Zhilin heard that it was a letter from Xiao Bao, he eagerly reached for it. After reading the letter, a smile finally graced Zhilin’s face.

Zhang Qing and her husband immediately understood that only by keeping their son with Xiao Bao could he truly recover. Xiao Bao was his salvation.

“Zhilin, Mommy will take you back home. We won’t return to the capital city,” Zhang Qing said. The Zhang family had an insidious mother-in-law, while the Gu family treated their son as a mere tool. Everything they had faced together was a harsh blow to Gu Jing.

Patriarch Gu certainly wouldn’t let them leave so easily. “Gu Jing, if you leave today, you’re no longer my daughter.”

Gu Jing hesitated for a moment, then left with Xiao Bao and Zhang Qing.

“Are you really not regretting it?” Zhang Qing asked as they left the Gu family’s gate.

“Zhilin is my life. He knows it well, he’s doing this to take my life,” Gu Jing said tearfully.

If Patriarch Gu were to raise a child in the usual way, she wouldn’t say a word. However, his intentions were far from conventional. He aimed to surpass Su Yu before the age of fourteen or even earlier, an almost impossible feat.

Su Yu began reading at the age of two, started composing poetry at three, and his talents only grew from there. At ten, he became a child prodigy, followed by attaining the rank of scholar at twelve and passing the imperial examination at fourteen. Whether it was as a child prodigy, scholar, or passing the imperial examination, he consistently secured the first position, achieving an unprecedented three consecutive victories.

This was an unbreakable legend in the capital city. Moreover, Su Yu dedicated most of his time to his business ventures, treating the imperial examination as a casual affair. How could anyone compare to him?

“Father’s actions are somewhat excessive.”

“He wants Xiao Zhi to surpass Su Yu and become an even more exceptional child prodigy. However, it’s practically impossible. After achieving child prodigy status, Su Yu focused on his business, hardly attending the academy in the four years following. Yet, he still managed to achieve three consecutive victories. How much must Xiao Zhi sacrifice to surpass him?”

Zhang Qing nodded in agreement, “You’re right. Ten years ago, it was indeed Su Yu’s era, and even now, his business acumen is truly astounding. It’s no wonder the Su family is willing to entrust all their important and profitable industries to him. If it were me, I’d do the same.”

“You’re absolutely right. Let’s go back and prepare, then head home. We won’t return here anymore. Our home is there, and there’s no longer any attachment for us here. It’s ironic and sad.”

With one hand holding Xiao Zhi and the other arm around his wife’s shoulder, Zhang Qing smiled and said, “Don’t worry. You still have me and Xiao Zhi. We even recognized Xiao He as our little sister, didn’t we? We still have family, right?”

With a smile, Gu Jing nodded, “You’re right. I have all of you, Xiao He, and I have family. I’m not alone.”