Chapter 12 The Slow-Returning Guest (Part 11) From now on, you will be working at the Song residence...

Looking back, Wei Yuanzhan also realized that he had been bewitched.

Why would he step over there and speak to a Song family daughter for no reason? Without thinking too much, Wei Yuanzhan immediately put down his spoon, lifted his robe, and stepped out of the room.

"Master, you haven't eaten a single bite yet!" Lan Ye's voice chased after him from behind. Wei Yuanzhan raised his hand and said, "I'm not hungry." Then he strode towards the other courtyard.

Knowing that he was going to practice his skills, Lan Ye didn't say anything more, but her eyes darted around him twice.

Just then, Chang Huai walked out from the other side, looked at Wei Yuanzhan's back, raised his eyebrows and said, "So early today?"

"That's right, breakfast is useless too."

Lan Ye shrugged and helplessly stepped into the house to tidy up for him. She had a vague feeling that he was like this because he had returned from the Xu residence yesterday. Perhaps he had quarreled with the eldest daughter again.

Zhi Rou didn't sleep a wink all night after returning home yesterday.

She was filled with regret and anger. She tossed and turned in bed, sometimes frowning, sometimes kicking and rolling around. Finally, she snorted, "I'm not playing with you anymore!"

She secretly decided that she would never speak to Wei Yuanzhan again if she saw him in the future.

The sky was overcast on this winter morning, and a whistling sound came from under the eaves as the wind picked up.

Zhi Rou went to Danyu Garden to say hello for the morning, and then stayed at Lin He's place for half a day. As soon as she stepped into the family school, Song Peiyu's shadow swept up in front of her.

He stood ramrod straight, only his head tilted slightly to the side: "Your eye... did you hit it that day?"

Zhi Rou ignored him and took a detour.

Song Peiyu shifted his feet and blocked his way with his arm: "I haven't settled the score with you for kicking me yet."

"You haven't come these past few days, are you afraid of me?" he said with a smug smile.

Because she hadn't slept well the night before, Zhi Rou was already a little irritable. When she saw his provocation, she slightly raised her head and looked at him with an impatient expression.

Song Peiyu continued, "How about this, you bow your head to me, admit you were wrong, and agree to work as my page without taking any money, then I will forgive you."

The pageboy. He brought it up again.

It wouldn't have been a big deal, but hearing it from his mouth felt like an insult to Zhi Rou. She got angry, her eyebrows furrowing sharply: "Why won't you apologize to me?"

The tone of his voice was like a child pretending to be an adult, treating him with great disdain.

In the past, Zhi Rou was a woman of few words, and everyone in the family school thought she was dull. Today, her confrontation with Song Shi drew the attention of many classmates.

Song Peiyu's face flushed slightly, but after a while, he calmed down and sneered, "Who do you think you are to make me apologize to you, you little bastard?"

Back in Luozhou, Zhi Rou had often gotten into fights because of these kinds of derogatory terms. Every time she heard them, she felt both wronged and angry.

Now that she's at the Song residence, she finally has the right to vent her emotions and proudly declare, "I am my father and mother's daughter!"

Suddenly, a pair of figures stepped across the threshold outside the door; it was Song Qiyu and his sister who walked in.

Zhi Rou was blocking the doorway. Hearing the sound behind her, she stepped aside slightly and looked up, her eyes meeting Song Qiyu's. She paused for a moment.

After a moment, she lowered her brows and said, "Big brother, third sister."

They had clearly heard what was said. Song Hanjin glanced at her with a slight lift of her eyelids.

Song Qiyu remained the same, aloof as a handful of snow, yet a smile played on her lips, whether mocking or something else, she replied with a rare "Fourth Sister."

Without much small talk, he quickly passed her and returned to his desk.

Song Peiyu was still somewhat wary of Song Qiyu, the eldest grandson of the Song family. Seeing that he had agreed to Song Zhirou's request, he suddenly became unsure of her situation in the mansion, so he remained silent, glanced at her, and walked away.

Zhi Rou's gaze followed Song Qiyu's back for a moment, then she pursed her lips sadly.

She could tell that there was no friendliness in that condescending smile, but he never expressed his disgust openly.

After school, Xinghui came through a small door in the corridor and handed a letter to Zhirou. Zhirou couldn't read, but her eyes blinked brightly: "Fourth Miss, what's written inside?"

On the first day after Zhi Rou returned from Qi Yun Garden, in order to thank Mr. Xue Nan for helping her distract Song Pei Yu and for finding her a doctor, she specially wrote a letter and entrusted someone close to the Second Master to send it to Qi Yun Garden.

Zhi Rou, a child who was just over nine years old, did not know many characters. When she opened the letter and read it, she stumbled a little.

I understood the general meaning, and replied, "Sir, you asked how I am. Also... I'll take this back and ask my mother to take a look at it."

He carefully tucked it into his arms and continued walking forward.

After a while, she suddenly asked, "Sister Xinghui, is this the only letter? Are there any other letters?" She was worried about Xiao'e.

Xinghui shook her head, noticing that the corners of her eyes drooped, and wondering what was wrong, she changed the subject, "Fourth Miss, was there anything interesting at Old Madam Xu's birthday banquet yesterday?"

Zhi Rou thought of Wei Yuanzhan and quickly said, "No."

Xing Hui suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly apologized to her. When he glanced at the bruises under her eyes, he sighed inwardly.

The fourth daughter is truly pitiful.

At this moment, inside Cangyuan Hall.

The sound of students reciting their lessons drifted on the breeze. An elderly man in a Taoist robe crossed his arms, his hawk-like eyes slowly scanning the students.

It was midday, and the bright sunlight streamed in through the long window, falling on a pair of delicate yet strong hands. He held a short knife and a piece of lotus wood, patiently whittling away.

The book on the desk was wide open, and several small, already-carved objects sat on it; upon closer inspection, they were all in the shape of weapons.

Before Master Gong even reached him, his voice resounded throughout the hall: "It's truly an injustice for our 'General Wei' to listen to my lecture. Tell me where the battle is urgent, and go there immediately. I dare not delay."

The moment the words were uttered, the owner of those hands stopped moving, sheathed the blade, and held it tightly in his hands.

He then straightened his back and, suppressing his disgust, replied, "This student knows his mistake."

Master Gong gave a low hum, then swept his large hand over all the wooden carvings on his desk, and as always, advised, "Young Master Wei, do not waste your time on such trivial matters."

Wei Yuanzhan, as always, turned a deaf ear; he was truly disgusted with Master Gong.

When school ended, Wei Yuanzhan tossed the books to Lan Ye, stood up, and swaggered out.

Sheng Xingyun had already escaped from Mingde Hall and was waiting for Wei Yuanzhan on the only way out of the academy.

Upon seeing him, she walked over affectionately and hooked her arm around his shoulder: "Hey, are you still going to see Mr. Xue Nan?"

"Go, why wouldn't you go?"

“Mr. Keren said he doesn’t accept apprentices.” Sheng Xingyun glanced at him and, seeing that his face was normal, asked the question that had been nagging at her for a long time.

"Where did you take that girl last time? Do you really know her, or does she belong to Mr. Meng Xuenan?"

Upon hearing him mention Song Zhirou, Wei Yuanzhan's long eyebrows immediately furrowed. Subconsciously, he felt he shouldn't have any connection with her. After a long pause, he said, "I didn't deceive you, sir."

"Oh? Whose daughter is she?"

Wei Yuanzhan gave him a strange look for a moment: "Why are you asking so many questions?"

"Can't I ask?" Sheng Xingyun blinked. His expression made it seem as if he was being hidden from him and he wanted to find out.

Wei Yuanzhan was getting annoyed. His black satin boots slammed on the ancient bluestone slabs. He pushed away the hand on his shoulder and said coldly, "Song residence."

After a moment's reaction, Sheng Xingyun quickened her pace to catch up with him: "Which Song family?"

"How many Song families are there in the capital?" Wei Yuanzhan replied listlessly. Sheng Xingyun scratched his head; he had met all the Song family girls, but none of them were this young.

As he walked, he suddenly remembered something, his eyelids widening as if he had realized something: "She belongs to Song Qiyu..."

His voice was still low, and after a short while, a mocking smile appeared on his face: "Song Qiyu is so protective of his own, I wonder how he treats a half-sister."

Wei Yuanzhan remained silent.

Having suffered at Song Qiyu's hands before, Sheng Xingyun's tone was inevitably displeased when he mentioned him: "Don't you think he..."

“He is my cousin.” Before he could finish speaking, Wei Yuanzhan looked up and interrupted him.

Their eyes met briefly, then Sheng Xingyun shut her mouth and turned towards the corridor.

Sunlight streamed down from the eaves, bathing the boy in a hazy glow. The two walked close together, their sleeves brushing against each other.

Sheng Xingyun turned his head and couldn't help but glance at Wei Yuanzhan. After a moment, he cautiously asked, "Are you angry?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Yuanzhan's brows relaxed, he came back to his senses, glanced at him, and then chuckled: "How could that be?"

"I knew it! How could you be angry with me because of him?"

Sheng Xingyun breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "What were you thinking about just now, so engrossed?"

“I’m thinking, Master Gong.”

Upon hearing this name, Sheng Xingyun's eyebrows furrowed in disgust: "Gong Yan?"

Wei Yuanzhan paused and looked around from the corner of the corridor. After passing through another door, he arrived at Qiumozhai, where the academy's teachers handled official business.

When Wei Yuanzhan returned to his residence, it was already dusk. The lanterns under the gate swayed gently, casting circles of clear yellow shadows.

He jumped off the carriage, played with the wooden carving he had brought back in his palm, and a smug smile appeared on his lips.

As soon as he stepped onto the steps, his pace slowed, his gaze fixed on the dark blue Taoist robe in front of him, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared as the robe drew closer.

A moment later, the owner of the Taoist robe walked up to him, but did not speak to him. He simply glanced at him with his eyes down and passed by him.

Wei Yuanzhan turned around and stared for a moment, then turned to the servant at the door and asked, "Has Father returned?"

The servant said no, and Wei Yuanzhan frowned and stepped over the threshold.

Xu Yueqing disliked his use of knives and guns; even if they were just toys, she found them irritating.

Before entering, Wei Yuanzhan handed the wood carving to Chang Huai, then smiled and bowed to Xu Yueqing.

"You're back." Xu Yueqing looked him over and told a maid to bring him a stool to sit on.

Wei Yuanzhan knew she had something to say, so he composed himself, straightened his back, and sat up respectfully.

Xu Yueqing didn't bother to ask about his misdeeds at the academy, and went straight to the point: "Are you still in contact with that kid from the Sheng family?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Yuanzhan's face clearly showed some dissatisfaction: "Mother, his name is Sheng Xingyun."

Xu Yueqing smiled calmly. She couldn't be bothered to remember the son of a merchant.

“You no longer need to go to Tingsong Academy,” Xu Yueqing said.

Wei Yuanzhan abruptly stood up. The arrogant and haughty young man spoke with an air of superiority about the person he despised: "Why? It's that old scoundrel Gong Yan..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Yueqing lightly cut her off: "It wasn't him."

Hearing his rude words, she, as an elder, should have patiently taught him a lesson, but she didn't even raise an eyebrow and spoke in a gentle tone.

“When you were studying at the family school, you always thought of your grandfather. The Marquis and I were afraid that you would be saddened, so we sent you to Tingsong Academy. Now that I think about it, it was the Marquis and I who went to great lengths to find a better place for you.”

Xu Yueqing smiled slightly and reminded him, "Your uncle's Song family is also a prominent and distinguished family with a long history of scholarship and officialdom. Although they were neglected in previous years, they are now flourishing again. They have more than enough to teach you."

Wei Yuanzhan looked extremely unwell, but dared not act rashly. Just as he was about to speak, Xu Yueqing slammed the teacup down on the table with a loud thud.

"When the Marquis returns, I will discuss this matter with him. From now on, you will go to the Song residence and study with your cousins."

It was an order, and he was not allowed to object.

A note from the author: