Chapter 4

After changing the medicine, Jiang Chu Ting remembered to take out Xiao Jiu’s apprenticeship gift to have a look.

He knew that the young man wasn’t sincerely becoming his disciple and wouldn’t have prepared any thoughtful gift. But when he took out the thickly folded paper from the envelope and unfolded it, he found it was just a plain white sheet, not even a single ink dot on it. He couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle softly.

As his fingers smoothed out the white paper, for some reason, his thoughts drifted, and he suddenly thought of that child, Lin Zhi. His temperament was nothing like his father’s.

Jiang Chu Ting propped his elbow on the wooden table, resting his head as he slowly sank into contemplation.

He wondered if Lin Zhi had gone home.

He was really just thinking, not expecting to fall asleep like that, and he dreamed again.

The dream was still related to Yun Zi Que.

He was only wearing underpants, his upper body bare, and he rushed to the door, holding the door frame as he vomited. Lin Xi on the bed covered her body with a quilt, her shoulders exposed, her long hair disheveled, her eyes red, crying uncontrollably, sobbing, “Zi Que, Zi Que, do you really find me so disgusting? I’m a woman, how can you humiliate me like this?”

Yun Zi Que was choking and coughing, his throat dry and hoarse from vomiting, his eyes bloodshot. He sneered coldly, turning back with a somewhat terrifying expression as he stared at her, “Humiliate you? You knew I didn’t like you, yet you drugged me. Isn’t it you who brought this humiliation upon yourself?! Do you even know what shame is?” His hatred was so intense that his teeth were chattering, “Lin Xi, just thinking about last night with you… I feel like every part of me is oozing filthy, stinking water! I wish I could just die right now!”

Lin Xi’s body trembled, she shook her head vigorously, tears falling in large drops, “Even if, even if you don’t like me, I’m a woman, and it’s my reputation that’s ruined. You can’t treat me like this, you can’t…”

Yun Zi Que laughed in anger, “So righteous! Lin Xi, do you know why I’ve hated everything about the Lin family since I was a child? It’s because you use being a woman as a shield to do despicable things that go against ethics! Your mother did it, and so do you! Everyone in the Lin family is abnormal, just a bunch of lunatics!”

“What are you saying…” Lin Xi looked at him with tearful eyes, wiping her tears with her hand, choking, “If you think of me like that, there’s nothing I can do. Zi Que, I’ve liked you since I was a child, and I won’t let you be with that person. Anyway, since you’ve taken me, you must stay in the Lin family, marry me, and not go anywhere. Otherwise, my mother won’t let him go.”

“Hopeless, hopeless.” Yun Zi Que ignored her, his face pale, staggering a few steps before slowly sitting on the ground. A determined light suddenly shone in his dark eyes, and he muttered, “One day, one day, I’ll perish together with you all…”

It took Jiang Chu Ting a long time to painfully pull himself out of this depressing dream.

His cheeks were already wet, and his chest felt like it was blocked by a huge stone, making it hard to breathe.

Jiang Chu Ting clutched his chest, his eyelashes wet and trembling, painfully whispering that name, “Zi Que, Zi Que, Zi Que…”

When Zi Que was with him, he was cheerful and loved to laugh, though occasionally melancholic, he had never been so oppressed, pained, and on the verge of collapse, as if he was constantly being tormented in a frying pan.

He doubted again, was this really just a dream? Did he have a child with Lin Xi because he was drugged? What exactly did Zi Que experience in the Lin family back then?

Jiang Chu Ting’s silent tears dripped onto the white paper in front of him, soaking a large area.

“Is this how you treat my apprenticeship gift?” A young voice sounded at the door.

Jiang Chu Ting didn’t respond, quickly wiping away his tears, and looked up at the person walking in.

Xiao Jiu must have already soaked in the medicinal spring, looking much better in spirit and complexion, his lips back to their normal red. He was about the same height as Lin Zhi, dressed in fine clothes, his appearance dazzling and proud, exuding an indescribable nobility.

Xiao Jiu sat down opposite Jiang Chu Ting, his bright black eyes examining his tear-stained face, asking, “Crying so sadly, who is Zi Que?”

Jiang Chu Ting had already composed himself, replying indifferently, “None of your business.”

“You’re my master, and as your disciple, how can it not concern me?” Xiao Jiu argued, staring at him as he continued, “Who is Zi Que? You messed up my apprenticeship gift because of him. You must think my gift wasn’t sincere enough, right? Master, don’t despise me, I’ll be sad.” He called him master so smoothly, his tone affectionate, speaking as if he was whining to an elder. It was completely different from the fierce demeanor he had in the Jiying Hall before.

“No, you’re overthinking it.” When Mo Lin became his disciple, he kowtowed three times, and when Wei Jia came to become his disciple, he even gave two plates of pastries. Jiang Chu Ting had no intention of accepting Xiao Jiu as a disciple, so he didn’t care what gift he gave. He lowered his eyes, refolded the white paper, put it back in the envelope, stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and tucked it into a book.

Xiao Jiu noticed his actions, his eyes flickering, resting his chin in his hand as he watched him, “Master, what I gave you isn’t just ordinary white paper, it’s a promise for you to fill in. Because I really couldn’t think of anything that would match you. In the future, whatever you want, just write it on this paper, and as long as I can do it, I’ll fulfill it for you. How about that? This kind of treatment is unique to you in the whole world.”

Jiang Chu Ting didn’t know why he was suddenly pretending to be obedient, nor would he easily believe his words, but he knew that with such a capricious personality, he had to go along with him. He smiled slightly and said, “Very precious, I’ll keep it well.”

Xiao Jiu’s eyes curved, and he smiled brightly.

The next day, Wei Jia, for once, focused on practicing calligraphy at the desk, while Jiang Chu Ting read a book beside him, supervising him.

Xiao Jiu, with nothing to do since he didn’t need to soak in the medicinal spring, came over as well. Seeing Wei Jia’s writing, he immediately showed a look of disdain, full of contempt, and unceremoniously commented, “Not only is your writing ugly, but you also made so many mistakes. Are you stupid?”

“Where did I make mistakes? How am I stupid?” Wei Jia, being slow-witted, didn’t realize that this person was best not to provoke. He used his arm to cover his writing, putting on a show, glaring at him, “How dare you speak to your senior brother like that?”

Xiao Jiu seemed to have heard a joke, laughed twice, and with a slight drawl, said, “Senior brother? If I call you senior brother, would you dare to respond?”

Wei Jia actually dared.

Jiang Chu Ting knew this foolish disciple well. When he was about to retort again, Jiang Chu Ting tapped his head with the book, sternly saying, “No noise, focus on your writing.”

Wei Jia shrank his neck, rubbed his head, and stopped paying attention to Xiao Jiu. Xiao Jiu rolled his eyes but didn’t continue the topic.

After Wei Jia struggled to write two more sheets, he couldn’t sit still anymore. Jiang Chu Ting asked him to write a few more words, but he threw himself into Jiang Chu Ting’s arms, wrapping his arms around his slender waist, whining, “No, no, my hand hurts from writing, and I’m hungry, Master.”

Xiao Jiu watched this scene for a moment with his beautiful eyes, then casually took a sip of tea.

Wei Jia’s laziness was innate and hard to correct. Jiang Chu Ting didn’t force him, gave him a plate of snacks, and let him go play. He cheered and ran off.

Xiao Jiu glanced at Wei Jia’s departing figure, not hiding his dislike, snorting coldly, “Such a stupid disciple should just die cleanly.”

He said this so naturally, without thinking. Jiang Chu Ting’s heart skipped a beat, he looked up at him, frowning, his eyes full of disapproval, saying, “Xiao Jiu, don’t say that again. Wei Jia just doesn’t like studying, but his nature isn’t bad.”

This was the first time Jiang Chu Ting called him that.

Xiao Jiu propped his face with one hand, lightly tapping the wooden table with the other, smiling with curved eyes, “I was just joking. Got it, got it, I’ll heed Master’s teachings.”

At this moment, there was a commotion by the stairs. Jiang Chu Ting looked up and saw Mo Lin, pale-faced, being helped back by two subordinates. He must have gone to the Discipline Hall to receive punishment.

When Mo Lin came in, his eyes swept over him intentionally or unintentionally.

Jiang Chu Ting met his gaze, his expression unchanged, not saying a word, his eyes only lingering for a moment before retracting.

Xiao Jiu observed the interaction between the two, finding it very interesting, silently curling his lips.

Mo Lin was sent back to his room. Even with the best medicine, it would take at least half a month before he could get out of bed. Two days passed quickly, and Jiang Chu Ting hadn’t gone to see him.

That night, Jiang Chu Ting heard some strange noises from Xiao Jiu’s side, thinking he might have suddenly had a poison attack, he decided to get up and check.

But he found that Xiao Jiu had made a mistake while practicing martial arts, spat blood, and was already half-unconscious.

Mo Lin happened to be brought over, ready to help him regulate his breath. Jiang Chu Ting saw that Mo Lin was already sweating profusely from walking this short distance, the veins on his forehead bulging, clearly unable to take care of himself. If he let him help Xiao Jiu, it would definitely be dangerous. He held back and said calmly, “I’ll do it.”

He stepped forward to support Xiao Jiu, channeling his energy with both palms against his back. Jiang Chu Ting slightly frowned, realizing that Xiao Jiu’s internal energy was unusually chaotic. This wasn’t the first time this child had such a problem today.

Jiang Chu Ting didn’t expect that by helping this time, he would shoulder a heavy responsibility.

—He had to accompany Xiao Jiu to soak in the medicinal spring.

As it turned out, just as he suspected, besides being poisoned, Xiao Jiu also had issues with his martial arts practice, requiring someone with profound internal energy to help him regulate his breath. Previously, it was Mo Lin who did this, but since Mo Lin was injured, he wanted to pass this task to him.

After Mo Lin was injured, Jiang Chu Ting hadn’t visited him. Mo Lin couldn’t get out of bed, so if he had something to discuss, he could only send someone to invite him. Fortunately, they managed to invite him over. Mo Lin said, “After soaking in the medicinal spring, the effect of regulating breath will be better, so I want you to accompany him.” A master is a master after all, much better than him, he had to admit.

Jiang Chu Ting placed one hand behind his back, after a brief thought, he said to Mo Lin, who was lying sideways on the bed, “You should send your subordinates, you’d feel more at ease.” Previously, he had helped out of necessity, with Mo Lin and those subordinates watching. Now, Mo Lin actually trusted him, an outsider, to watch over Xiao Jiu.

In Mo Lin’s mind, he was still an unashamed pervert, wasn’t he afraid he might have designs on Xiao Jiu?

He found Mo Lin’s trust in him somewhat inexplicable.