Chapter 46: The new bamboo is taller than the old one, all thanks to the old trunk for support

Seeing that the other party was about to close the door again, Meng Anran pushed the door open and squeezed in.

"Hey! You can't force your way in!" Zhao An was anxious and quickly closed the door and chased after him. "Mr. Zhao said he doesn't want to see you!"

In addition to Zhao An, there were three or four people wearing the same plain clothes who came out to block her way. These were all apprentices of Yatang. Meng Anran was stopped in front of the hall and was not allowed to step into the main house.

It seems that Mr. Zhao has made up his mind not to see her.

The raindrops hit the umbrella, making crackling sounds. Meng Anran looked at the people standing in front of her and bit her lip.

She put away her umbrella and knelt on the steps. The rain instantly soaked her whole body. Her long hair stuck to her cheeks, mixed with tears that she could no longer see clearly.

She raised her voice and shouted inside: "I know I'm wrong, Master, please see me!"

The apprentices looked at each other, not knowing what to do for a moment.

They all knew that Meng Anran and Mr. Zhao had a very strained relationship, and Mr. Zhao had said many times that he would never see Meng Anran again.

But...it was raining so hard, and it was really difficult for them to kneel here with Meng Anran's small body.

Zhao An looked at the delicate person kneeling in the rain and felt a little sorry for her, so he hurried to tell Old Zhao.

"Master, An Ran is kneeling in front of the hall. What if she gets hurt in such heavy rain? Or... why don't you go and see her?"

Zhao Cizhen holds the brush in his hand, and writes with great force, penetrating deeply into the wood. The tip of the brush is sharp and graceful, showing his noble character.

He dipped the tip of his pen in ink and said nonchalantly, "Let her kneel. Do you really think my elegant hall is a place where she can come and go as she pleases? When her legs get numb and her knees hurt from kneeling, she'll naturally leave."

Zhao An pursed his lips tightly, hesitated for a while, and then said, "Master, I think An Ran really has something to ask of you this time. Those who come to you for help are worried about their lives. Please go and see her."

"Humph, I can't even count the number of people who come to me every day seeking medical advice on my ten fingers. I only save those with a sincere heart. I won't help people like her who are sycophantic and forget their principles when they see profit!"

The brush was put down heavily, and the remaining ink on the tip splashed onto the table. Zhao Cizhen's eyes were full of anger. He looked at the words he had just written - the new bamboo is taller than the old bamboo branches, and it relies entirely on the old trunk for support.

Suddenly, half of the anger dissipated, leaving only resentment.

He rolled up the calligraphy and painting and uttered two words in a hoarse voice: "Gone."

The emotions surging in my heart are reluctance, loneliness, and unspeakable disappointment.

Zhao An understood the hall master's feelings. The person who tied the bell must untie it. There was no point in her saying more. She respected the hall master's decision and went out to convey it.

"Go away. The hall master said he doesn't want to see you. There's no point in you kneeling here."

Her whole body was wet and Meng Anran was shivering with cold. Her teeth were chattering, but she still knelt there with her back straight.

No matter how difficult it is today, she must meet with Mr. Zhao and ask him to come out and treat the Qin couple.

"Please tell Mr. Zhao that if he doesn't want to see me, I will kneel here forever."

Zhao An sighed, "Why are you doing this? Back then, you left Yatang for the Lu family's power. The hall master tried to persuade you countless times but failed to get you to turn back. It was you who broke off the master-disciple relationship with your own mouth, breaking the hall master's heart. Now, even if you kneel here until your legs break, the hall master will not see you."

Meng Anran pursed her lips, unable to refute.

She admitted that five years ago she was the one who cruelly severed the master-disciple relationship with Mr. Zhao and resolutely left Yatang. No matter what the reason was, it was undeniable that she had let down Mr. Zhao's good intentions.

It's wrong, it's wrong. No matter how much you say, it's all excuses for Mr. Zhao. The most important thing now is to apologize sincerely and ask for Mr. Zhao's forgiveness.

"Master!" Meng Anran was barely breathing, and she shouted loudly, needing a long time to gather her strength before continuing. "I know I was wrong! Please see me!"

At the second-floor window, Zhao Ci Zheng opened a crack and looked coldly at the girl swaying in the rain, his old eyes red.

That was his first apprentice, and he watched him grow up with his own eyes. Now he was kneeling in front of him in the heavy rain. How could he not feel distressed?

However, this child has been proud since childhood, with a heart as cold as iron, and refuses to bow his head. He also has no idea what human feelings are. When interacting with others, he always measures whether the other person is valuable, and his style of doing things is always comparing how to choose to maximize benefits.

I have never truly felt the kindness of others, and am always wary of their evil.

Five years ago, Lu Heng personally came to arrest her, intending to take her back and forbid her from continuing her medical studies. Zhao Cizheng understood that being born into the Lu family meant she had many limitations. Despite his earnest attempts to persuade her not to submit to the Lu family's arrangements, she left without a trace, threatening to sever their relationship as master and apprentice, returning to her wealthy family to pursue fame and fortune.

Seeing such hurtful words coming from the disciple who was raised as her own granddaughter was like a sharp sword stabbing into Zhao Cizhen's heart.

Perhaps she made the choice after weighing the pros and cons, but among the factors she took into consideration, the genuine relationship between him as a teacher and a disciple had never been one of them.

Now, the arrogant person is willing to put down her status and dignity and kneel down to beg him. Perhaps she has really met someone who can change her and let her cold heart learn to feel the kindness of others.

The driver waited outside for a long time but Meng Anran didn't come out, so he was so anxious that he called his boss immediately.

"Mr. Qin, Miss An Ran has been in the elegant hall for over an hour and hasn't come out yet."

The pen in his hand suddenly fell to the ground. Qin Mu's heart twitched, and he always had an ominous premonition. "Go in and take a look."

"I've already knocked on the door, but the person inside said they don't allow visitors today and won't let me in. I heard Miss An Ran inside, begging for Mr. Zhao's forgiveness, but it seems Mr. Zhao still hasn't seen her. It's raining so hard, is she... still getting wet in the yard?"

Qin Mu took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and said, "If there is any news, please inform me immediately. I will go over now..."

Before he could finish his words, Zhuo Cheng pushed the door open and said, "Mr. Qin, several shareholders of the board of directors have arrived and are waiting for you to come over for the meeting."

Qin Mu gritted his teeth. It had to be at this moment!

…

Meng Anran knelt in front of the hall for more than two hours. The coldness enveloped her whole body. As her consciousness gradually faded, she finally saw a familiar yet blurry figure.

"Master, I know I was wrong." She spoke with a weak voice, but she still did not forget to be polite and kowtowed heavily to Zhao Cizhen.

Hot tears rolled down Zhao Ci Zheng's wrinkled cheeks. Looking at the pale girl in the rain, certain memories overlapped with the scene before her.

It was a sunny day. Seven-year-old Anran knelt before him, respectfully offered him tea and kowtowed, and worshipped him as her teacher.

It was raining heavily today. Seventeen-year-old Meng Anran knelt in front of the hall, kowtowed to him with regret, and begged for his forgiveness.

The thin figure seemed to be about to fall down at the slightest breeze. Zhao Cizheng closed his eyes and sighed deeply, then finally said with relief: "Get up."

Meng Anran's eyes flickered, her nose felt sore that she wanted to cry, "Thank you, Master."

She supported herself on the floor and stood up. Zhao An opened an umbrella and was about to go over to help her, but Meng Anran suddenly staggered, her eyes went white, and she fell in the heavy rain.

Before passing out, I only heard Zhao Ci Zheng's anxious voice.

"This unfortunate child! Quick! Help her to the east wing!"