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Meanwhile, as soon as the banquet dispersed, Zhen rushed to the outer courtyard to find Pei Che. He spent half the night there with Pei Che before returning, sweating profusely, to find Xu Qingyi. “Mother!”
“Been practicing with Master Pei?” Xu Qingyi chuckled.
Zhen nodded, beaming. However, remembering what he was about to say, his expression turned apprehensive.
“Drink some water; tell me slowly,” Xu Qingyi poured him a cup of water.
Zhen felt a pang of guilt. He sensed his mother already knew what he was going to say, but he had to tell her anyway. After drinking half the cup of water, he resolved himself. “I don’t want to go to the academy anymore. I, I want to dedicate myself to martial arts training under Master Pei starting tomorrow.”
Fearing Xu Qingyi’s disapproval, he reasoned eloquently. “I only need to learn to read and write. You can ask my third brother’s tutor to teach me occasionally. That’s perfectly fine, isn’t it? Why should I follow the same rigorous schedule as my elder brother? Don’t you think so?”
His argument wasn’t unreasonable. From Xu Qingyi’s modern perspective, it made perfect sense, but she sighed lightly. “Your father arranged for you to enter the academy. It wasn’t easy to get you in.”
Zhen nodded, but how did his mother know?
Xu Qingyi continued, “Personally, I support you pursuing what you love, but I sometimes question my own judgment. Switching from academics to martial arts is a significant decision. I need to be responsible for your future.”
“No, how could you be wrong? Your decision is excellent!” Zhen, fearing she would refuse, became anxious. “You said it yourself, ‘teach to the student’s strengths.’ Why are you changing your mind?”
“I’m not changing my mind. It’s a big decision, that’s all. I just need to confirm with you.” Xu Qingyi glanced at her agitated second son. Seeing him calm down, she asked, “Are you absolutely sure?”
Zhen nodded without hesitation, speaking frankly. “Going to the academy felt like attending a funeral, but training with Master Pei is invigorating. Even when my legs ache from practicing stances, I don’t mind.”
Xu Qingyi pondered. Zhen had the talent for martial arts; it was the path for him, and there wasn’t a better option. “Alright, tomorrow I’ll send someone to the academy to ask for a few days’ leave for you. Train with Master Pei for a few days. If you regret it…”
Zhen: “I won’t.”
He had made up his mind.
Xu Qingyi didn’t say anything more but decided to arrange the leave of absence first.
The next day, Heng also had school. Xu Qingyi, unusually, woke up early and joined her three sons for breakfast.
Lin, seeing Xu Qingyi at the breakfast table that morning, looked sideways, then noticed his younger brother was also present. He understood.
“Your third brother is officially starting his education today,” Xu Qingyi announced.
“Mm, congratulations,” Lin and Zhen replied.
Zhen, in particular, was elated, having escaped the drudgery of academics. He looked at his younger brother with a sympathetic gaze.
“Third brother, study hard! Don’t disappoint Mother.”
Xu Qingyi gave him a speechless look.
“Lin, your second brother won’t be going to the academy for the next few days. He’s learning martial arts from Master Pei at home,” Xu Qingyi said, placing a meat patty on Lin’s plate.
“I know,” Lin, who disliked meat, seamlessly passed it to Zhen.
Zhen: “Thank—”
Before Lin could finish thanking him, Xu Qingyi took the meat patty back, tore it in half, and gave each of them a piece. “Surely you can eat this much? You’re as thin as a rake!”
Lin’s face darkened. Remembering the comments about his height, he reluctantly ate half of his portion.
Zhen snickered but quickly suppressed his smile upon recalling his own physique. He no longer felt like eating the meat patty and instead grabbed a large steamed bun.
Heng was still groggy. Xu Qingyi occasionally fed him a few bites and playfully pinched his cheeks. “Heng, wake up! You need to go to school soon.”
“Okay…” Heng rubbed his eyes and finally woke up completely.
Noticing his elder brother looking at him, he offered an innocent smile.
Lin averted his gaze, saying nothing. He felt that his younger brother had become too indulgent, increasingly relying on his mother’s affection.
However, he couldn’t be bothered to discipline him. With Xu Qingyi around, it was her responsibility.
After a hearty breakfast, the four of them went their separate ways.
Xu Qingyi took Heng to the study in the outer courtyard where Shen Zhijie was already waiting.
“Good morning, Scholar Shen. I’ll leave Heng in your care,” Xu Qingyi said with a smile. The moment she saw Shen Zhijie, her eyes sparkled. After all, seeing a handsome man first thing in the morning could lift anyone’s spirits.
“Good morning, Young Madam, and good morning, Young Master Heng,” Shen Zhijie replied, equally cheerful.
“Did you sleep well at the residence last night? Was there anything inconvenient?” Xu Qingyi, as the host, naturally inquired out of concern.
Shen Zhijie quickly replied, “You’ve prepared everything so thoughtfully. My mother and I were very comfortable.”
It was far better than Tongluo Alley. Even waking up this morning, he felt like he was still dreaming.
“That’s good,” Xu Qingyi nodded, then turned to Heng. “Heng, Mother has to go now. Be a good boy and study hard with your teacher. I’ll come back for you later.”
Heng clung to her hand reluctantly, his little face pressed against her. “Mother, don’t go…”
Seeing the child acting spoiled, Xu Qingyi’s heart softened, but she looked helpless.
Shen Zhijie: “…”
The Young Master wasn’t very well-behaved.
At four years old, he was perhaps a little too spoiled?
“Be a good boy. Mother can’t stay here and disrupt your studies,” Xu Qingyi said soothingly, as if it were a common occurrence. “Your teacher will be making fun of you.”
Heng looked at Shen Zhijie, then back up at Xu Qingyi. “Okay, Mother, remember to come back for me.”
“Mm, I definitely will,” Xu Qingyi leaned down and kissed her obedient son.
And so, the clingy mother and son had a long, reluctant farewell.
After she left, Heng immediately straightened up, bowed to Shen Zhijie, and apologized. “I was unruly and made the teacher wait.”
Shen Zhijie: “…”
He thought his student’s behavior was quite good.
He had expected to teach etiquette in the first lesson, even preparing a ruler, but hadn’t anticipated such a rapid change in demeanor.
“It’s alright, Young Master Heng. You don’t need to be so formal,” Shen Zhijie smiled.
Heng: “Yes.”
During the subsequent lesson, Heng behaved perfectly.
Shen Zhijie, who had been observing him closely, was impressed. A noble Young Master was indeed different. He had misjudged him earlier, thinking he was a spoiled and unruly child.
It seemed he was simply very attached to his mother, but he still possessed good manners.
Meanwhile, Xu Qingyi assigned someone to discreetly observe Lin at the academy to see who he was interacting with.
The academy had a midday break, allowing students to go outside.
Lin went out during the break and visited a human trafficker, eventually purchasing a fourteen-year-old boy as a servant. The older boy was steady and knew some martial arts, making him suitable for both serving and protection.
Lin: “My name is Xie Lin. From now on, your name will be Abai.”
Abai touched his dark face and twitched his mouth. “Thank you for your… blessing.”
Abai would do.
After walking a short distance with Lin, Abai said casually, “Young Master Lin, someone’s following us.”
“What do they look like?” Lin asked, frowning.
Abai carefully observed and described the person to Lin.
Could it be an enemy?
No wonder he bought a servant who knew martial arts.
The more Lin listened, the more familiar the description became. He realized it was someone from his household. “Don’t worry about it,” he said.
He had a pretty good idea what was going on.
Abai urged, “Someone’s following us, and you’re not concerned?”
“It’s… someone from my family,” Lin said coldly.