The news of Yuan Zhao meeting Gu Qingfeng quickly reached the ears of others, and a look of disgust flashed in Zhou Shiyuan's eyes.

“A woman who sees men outside the marriage every day, Yuan Zhao is truly the most promiscuous and fickle person.”

Zhou Shiyuan has now completely shed his scholarly facade, revealing himself to be utterly insidious.

The imperial examinations are just ten days away, and he's been under a lot of pressure lately. But since beating up Zhou Yujie, he's found a way to relax.

Zhou Yujie was, after all, his son, and he was still young. He could easily cause trouble if he wasn't careful, so he didn't lay a hand on Zhou Yujie and instead focused his attention on the people around him.

In just a few days, one by one, the people who served him were injured.

Although he forbade them to tell anyone, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever; how could these things possibly be kept secret?

Rumors of Zhou Shiyuan's atrocities are now circulating throughout the mansion, and those who serve him all want to move to another place.

Zhou Yujie both feared and loathed Zhou Shiyuan.

That idiot! He ruined a perfectly good game of chess.

Now, he no longer expects Zhou Shiyuan to pass the imperial examinations; only Zhou Shiyuan still dreams of going to high school.

He only regretted that his body was too small, that he couldn't do anything, and could only rely on others.

Zhou Shiyuan is out of the question. It seems that he can only cling to that stupid woman Bai Mianmian's coattails.

Speaking of which, Bai Mianmian does have some tricks up her sleeve. I heard that Zhou's father dotes on her now.

He sent a message to Bai Mianmian saying he wanted to see her. In the past, these servants would not have dared to do so, but now Zhou Shiyuan's tyranny made them all want to rebel. So, while Zhou Shiyuan was in his study, the mother and son finally met.

"Yu Jie".

Bai Mianmian's eyes welled up with tears when she saw her son.

After all, he was her own son, a piece of her own flesh and blood, and Bai Mianmian still loved him very much.

"Yujie, are you feeling better?"

Looking at the little child, Bai Mianmian felt extremely sorry for him.

How could Zhou Shiyuan be so cruel? This was his own son, yet he almost beat the child to death.

Thinking of this, Bai Mianmian couldn't help but start sobbing.

All you do is cry, cry, cry.

Zhou Yujie, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, said:

"Mother, I'm alright now, don't cry."

"Mom, I miss you. Dad has become so scary."

This was Zhou Yujie's real purpose in seeking out Bai Mianmian. Now that Bai Mianmian had influence with Zhou's father, he could find a way to get her to go there for him.

He had thought it through very clearly: Zhou Shiyuan was doomed sooner or later, so he needed to quickly find a powerful patron again.

Zhou's father is a good choice. Although he no longer holds an official position, he still has the nominal title of Marquis, which is better than nothing.

Most importantly, he is intelligent, and Zhou's father, if he had any sense, wouldn't have pushed him away.

Bai Mianmian had also heard the recent rumors circulating in the manor. Thinking of how her son had almost been beaten to death, she gritted her teeth and said:

"Don't worry, Yujie, your mother will think of a way."

"Be careful these next few days, and whatever you do, don't provoke him. Stay far away from him whenever you see him."

"I understand, Mother."

Zhou Yujie obediently agreed.

The two dared not stay together for too long for fear of being discovered by Zhou Shiyuan. After exchanging a few words, Bai Mianmian hurriedly left.

After returning home, she kept wiping away tears, and this was the scene that Zhou's father saw when he went there.

He is indeed very concerned about Bai Mianmian now. On the one hand, he can only be a man when he is with Bai Mianmian and when he is by her side.

On the other hand, Bai Mianmian was gentle and considerate, and had many tricks up her sleeve, making him very comfortable, which he naturally liked.

Therefore, seeing the beautiful woman shed tears, he felt a pang of heartache.

"My darling, what's wrong?"

"It's heartbreaking," said Zhou's father.

"My lord, I'm thinking about Yujie. I saw that child today, and he was almost tortured to death."

Upon hearing this, Zhou's father's expression changed slightly.

He had heard about Zhou Shiyuan's recent affairs, and they were indeed somewhat inappropriate.

Originally, he was not happy because Bai Mianmian was worried about Zhou Yujie, after all, Zhou Yujie's existence constantly reminded him that the woman beside him should be his son's woman.

Seeing that he remained unmoved, Bai Mianmian glanced at him carefully, wiped her eyes, and said:

"My poor Yujie, so clever at such a young age, now it's all over."

Upon hearing this, Zhou's father showed a thoughtful expression.

It's too late for him to make a comeback now. Zhou Shiyuan is practically finished. He still has two illegitimate sons, but they are also mediocre.

Given his physical condition, it's unlikely he can have another child.

Zhou Yujie, whom he personally tested and taught, was indeed much smarter than the average child.

He began to waver.

Bai Mianmian had been observing him closely, and now that she saw him, she knew that things had succeeded.