Chapter 12

At the agreed teahouse, before Jiang Chu Ting could step inside, a young man in tattered clothes and a dirty face suddenly jumped out from the side and clung to his leg, begging for money.

“Young master, young master, please spare some change, just a little for food, please…”

Jiang Chu Ting looked down and couldn’t help but laugh.

What a coincidence, he had encountered this person before while in disguise. The man was perfectly healthy, not a poor soul who couldn’t afford a meal, but rather a lazy rogue. He was part of a small gang of over a dozen people who roamed the streets, targeting people by clinging to their legs and refusing to let go unless they were given money. If they didn’t get enough, they would resort to stealing, like sewer rats. Jiang Chu Ting had taught them a lesson once, and they had promised not to do it again. He didn’t expect that with a different face, they would come to him again.

However, the appointed time was approaching, and he didn’t want to be delayed. Jiang Chu Ting didn’t plan to argue with him at this moment. Helplessly, with his leg tightly held, he couldn’t move. So, he used the hilt of his sword to press on the man’s acupoint, taking advantage of his temporary weakness to break free and prepare to enter.

But the rogue was determined to extort money, rolling on the ground in pain and screaming, “It hurts, it hurts so much! Ouch, ouch, ouch!” as if Jiang Chu Ting had really done something to him. The commotion attracted the attention of the surrounding people.

Jiang Chu Ting thought for a moment, walked over, bent down slightly, and whispered something to him. The rogue’s eyes widened as if he had seen a god of death, and he stopped screaming, scrambling away in a panic.

With no more spectacle to watch, the onlookers dispersed. Just as Jiang Chu Ting was about to enter the teahouse, he sensed something and looked up to find a pair of inquisitive eyes observing him from a window upstairs.

After going upstairs, Jiang Chu Ting arrived at the agreed window seat, and sure enough, the man who had been watching him was there.

The man, in his thirties, had a proper appearance. When Jiang Chu Ting approached, he nodded slightly as a greeting, his expression rather cold.

Jiang Chu Ting nodded back, noticing his attitude, and calmly walked over to sit opposite him. Although they both knew each other’s names, they still introduced themselves.

After exchanging names, Yao Qian’s first words were, “It seems I was mistaken.”

Jiang Chu Ting smiled at him, not understanding his meaning. Yao Qian scrutinized him and said, “I heard rumors about you, and I believe that things not seen with one’s own eyes should not be easily trusted. That’s why I insisted on meeting you to make my own judgment.”

So, this meeting was to verify and judge him? Jiang Chu Ting’s lips twitched, but he didn’t respond.

Yao Qian’s tone was no longer polite: “Let’s not talk about the rumors for now, but you just had a conflict with a street beggar. Not only did you not pity him and give alms, but you also injured and threatened him. This shows a lack of character. Even with a good appearance, it’s just superficial and hollow.”

He criticized with righteous indignation, but Jiang Chu Ting wasn’t angry. Instead, he smiled and spoke gently, “Things not seen with one’s own eyes can lead to misunderstandings and harm. As a scholar, you should also know that even what you see may not be true.”

Yao Qian frowned, “What do you mean? Are you saying what I saw was fake?”

“That beggar was just a rogue in disguise, a long-time swindler and thief who has harmed many people. This was the second time he crossed my path. I didn’t hurt him; I just pressed his acupoint to escape his entanglement,” Jiang Chu Ting explained calmly, meeting Yao Qian’s skeptical gaze. “He was just making a scene to extort more money. If I had really attacked him, he wouldn’t have run away so quickly. But I don’t blame you for misunderstanding. As a scholar who studies the classics, you have a heart for truth, goodness, and beauty, and it’s normal not to see through such street tricks.”

His tone remained gentle as he explained the situation. Yao Qian felt as if he had been slapped, his face turning slightly red with embarrassment.

“This…” Yao Qian thought back to the details he had seen and realized he had misunderstood. He stood up, bowed, and apologized, “I was presumptuous.”

Jiang Chu Ting’s smile was faint, “No harm done.”

Yao Qian had said that things not seen with one’s own eyes should not be easily trusted, but he still came with a bias against Jiang Chu Ting. So when he saw that scene, he immediately assumed Jiang Chu Ting had a bad character.

However, being willing to admit his mistake was not too bad.

Yao Qian personally poured him tea, and Jiang Chu Ting politely thanked him. Although he didn’t have much of a negative impression of Yao Qian, he also had no desire to get to know him better. He planned to drink some tea, fulfill the social obligation, and then leave.

After Yao Qian sat down again, he started chatting with Jiang Chu Ting. Perhaps feeling a bit guilty about the earlier misunderstanding, Yao Qian was particularly enthusiastic, while Jiang Chu Ting mostly responded with smiles, keeping the atmosphere relatively relaxed.

As they were chatting, a proud-looking young man in luxurious clothes, followed by several subordinates, came up the stairs. The young man headed straight for Jiang Chu Ting’s table. Jiang Chu Ting looked up just in time to see him, feeling a sharp twinge between his brows.

Pei Jing… why did he follow me here?

Pei Jing seemed to pretend not to know him, didn’t greet him, but deliberately passed by his table, giving him a cold glare and a mocking glance at Yao Qian before sitting at a table diagonally to their right.

Jiang Chu Ting looked at him silently for a moment before withdrawing his gaze.

Before he could catch his breath, two more young men came up the stairs.

One of them, wearing purple clothes with arrow sleeves and a handsome face, was chatting with his companion, a bright smile on his face. It was Lin Zhi.

Jiang Chu Ting’s heart skipped a beat. Lin Zhi should be in a neighboring city, half a day’s journey from here. How could he coincidentally appear here?

Pei Jing’s appearance only surprised Jiang Chu Ting, but Lin Zhi’s presence made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. He wished he could find a place to hide and not be discovered by him.

However, the second floor was spacious and sparsely populated, making his idea unrealistic. Lin Zhi glanced around and immediately spotted him.

Jiang Chu Ting noticed that Lin Zhi’s smile froze almost instantly, and his eyes darkened, as if his good mood had vanished. Jiang Chu Ting’s face stiffened, and he quickly avoided his gaze. With a different face, the treatment was indeed vastly different.

Jiang Chu Ting thought Lin Zhi would immediately change places upon seeing him, but for some reason, he didn’t leave. Instead, he and his companion sat at a table diagonally to their left.

Recalling Lin Zhi’s previous words, “Every time I see you, I’ll teach you a lesson,” Jiang Chu Ting had a bad feeling. He silently picked up his teacup and took a sip, feeling a slight tension in his scalp.

Although Yao Qian found the two groups of people who came before and after a bit strange, he only glanced at them. His mind was focused on Jiang Chu Ting, so he didn’t pay much attention and didn’t notice the undercurrents in the air.

Yao Qian smiled and suggested, “Chu Ting, after we finish our tea, let’s go somewhere else for a stroll.” After chatting with Jiang Chu Ting for a while, Yao Qian found him increasingly agreeable and had already started calling him by his name. After all, when he first saw his portrait, he was quite moved, or he wouldn’t have come to meet him.

Feeling the pressure from the gazes in two directions, Jiang Chu Ting smiled faintly, “No, I have matters at home. I’ll leave after finishing this cup of tea.” He wasn’t sure when Lin Zhi would act, so it was better to leave early.

Yao Qian sensed the meaning in his words, paused, and quickly asked, “Are you still upset about earlier? It was indeed my fault, and I apologize again.”

Jiang Chu Ting could clearly feel Lin Zhi’s intense gaze on him, as if he was already considering when to make a move. Distracted, he shook his head and said to Yao Qian, “No, I…”

Yao Qian, worried that he would be directly rejected, hurriedly said, “Chu Ting, I have two elder brothers at home, and I’ve already discussed with my parents that I can adopt a child under my name in the future. If you come with me, you’ll be part of my family and won’t be mistreated. Don’t rush to deny it; we can meet a few more times and get to know each other slowly.”

As he spoke, he even tried to grab Jiang Chu Ting’s hand. Initially, he had just come to meet and chat, and he had been critical and dissatisfied at first. Jiang Chu Ting didn’t expect him to get into the role so quickly, so he withdrew his hand to avoid being touched.

Pei Jing nearly crushed the teacup in his hand, standing up abruptly.

Jiang Chu Ting thought it was best to leave quickly. He took out some silver pieces, placed them on the table to settle the bill, and said to Yao Qian, “Sorry, Young Master Yao, I have to leave now.”

“Chu Ting! Don’t go, I…” Yao Qian stood up to stop him, but before he could finish his sentence, he was suddenly pushed aside, stumbling back and hitting the table.

The one who pushed him was Lin Zhi.

Lin Zhi glanced at him coldly, then looked at Jiang Chu Ting, expressionless, and asked, “Are you sure you want to keep entangling with other men in front of me?”

Lin Zhi’s friend behind him was shocked by his words but only watched from the side without approaching.

Jiang Chu Ting had anticipated Lin Zhi would cause trouble and wasn’t too surprised. His purpose was simply to ruin his reputation further. After Yao Qian steadied himself, he was about to question, but another person rushed over and grabbed Jiang Chu Ting’s arm.

“You’ve got some nerve! Yesterday you were all lovey-dovey with me, calling me your sweetheart, and now you’re here meeting others, not just one! You’re really good at breaking my heart!” Pei Jing was almost exploding with anger, directly bypassing Yao Qian and pointing at Lin Zhi, angrily asking, “Tell me, who is this?!”

Not knowing why he was joining the chaos, Jiang Chu Ting felt a headache coming on. “Xiao Jiu, can you stop messing around?”

Pei Jing sneered, “Am I the one messing around, or are you? With that sweet mouth of yours, you have me wrapped around your finger! I trust you, but what about you? How do you treat me?”

Lin Zhi raised an eyebrow, looking at Jiang Chu Ting’s face with sarcasm, “Impressive, there’s another one. You’re really good at juggling multiple people.”

Although Jiang Chu Ting knew Lin Zhi didn’t have a good impression of him, he didn’t want him to misunderstand further. He explained, “Xiao Jiu is my disciple. He’s just throwing a tantrum and talking nonsense. It’s not what he says.”

“Disciple?” Lin Zhi’s expression was full of mockery, “You don’t even spare your disciple. You’re really something.”

Jiang Chu Ting was speechless. Pei Jing, seeing that Jiang Chu Ting seemed to care about Lin Zhi’s opinion, was full of vigilance and continued to add fuel to the fire, “What tantrum! Didn’t you deceive me?! Your so-called life-and-death matter was just an excuse to meet these people?”

Lin Zhi chuckled, raising his voice slightly, “Don’t underestimate him. There might be more than just us.”

Hearing such words, Jiang Chu Ting felt a pang of pain in his heart, his breath becoming erratic. He shook off Xiao Jiu’s hand and sternly said, “Enough, all of you, stop.”

Pei Jing, with red eyes and a face full of grievance, said, “You did wrong, and now you’re scolding me.”

Jiang Chu Ting’s gaze was icy as he glanced at him. Pei Jing wasn’t afraid, his eyes full of defiance, whispering, “We’ll settle this when we get back.”

Yao Qian was utterly shocked and confused, looking between Lin Zhi and Pei Jing, and finally at Jiang Chu Ting, struggling to catch his breath, “You, you… truly, people can’t be judged by their appearance!” Without waiting for Jiang Chu Ting to say more, he angrily left.

Jiang Chu Ting stood still for a moment, not looking at anyone, and then walked away. Pei Jing gave Lin Zhi a hostile look, feeling a strong sense of animosity towards him. Lin Zhi’s gaze towards him was equally unfriendly.

Pei Jing took a step back, signaling his subordinates to act. But just as they drew their swords, a powerful sword aura forced them back. Jiang Chu Ting had returned, sword in hand, standing protectively in front of Lin Zhi.

Jiang Chu Ting said to Pei Jing, “Xiao Jiu, don’t fight.”

This was an obvious show of favoritism. Pei Jing stared at him coldly for a moment, then suddenly laughed, though his smile was icy and his eyes filled with dark clouds, “Master, you’re so biased, it really makes me sad. Fine, fine, of course, I’ll listen to you. After all, you’re my dear master.”

Lin Zhi felt no gratitude for Jiang Chu Ting’s protective stance in front of him. Instead, he felt extremely uncomfortable. Even with an injured arm, he could easily handle these people. Did he need Jiang Chu Ting to play the hero? Gritting his teeth, he was about to speak harshly, but Jiang Chu Ting had already sheathed his sword and left without looking back. His figure quickly disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

Pei Jing gave Lin Zhi one last cold glance before following him out.