Chapter 75

Lan Yingde lowered his head to brush off the mud on his knees. When he looked up again, his expression was serious. "When I first learned about you and Yueming, I asked her, 'Don't you want to go back to Kunming? Don't you want to study abroad?' She asked me, 'Can't I take you with me?'"

Hearing this, Yun Kai raised his head in surprise. He had always thought Yue Ming would run away without looking back if given the chance, but he hadn't expected her to take him with her even if she wanted to. His heart was filled with disbelief, bitterness, and sweetness, a chaotic mess, and he was at a loss.

Lan Yingde continued, "My second request is that if Yueming wants to leave Yunxiang one day, you can't stop her. If you really love someone, you can't lock her up with love, but you have to put her in the vast world." He looked straight at Yunkai, without any emotion in his eyes, as if he just wanted to say what he wanted to say and didn't care at all what Yunkai's answer was.

Aristocratic young men like Yun Kai, who had seen the world, were often somewhat arrogant, appearing obedient to their families but seeking every opportunity to oppose their closest relatives. Because of Yue Ming, he was somewhat wary of Lan Yingde, and was more willing to listen to him.

He had his own plans in mind, but he still went straight to Lan Yingde without hesitation: "I agree to everything."

Lan Yingde curled his lips slightly: "Then I believe the Second Young Master. But..." He changed the subject: "Yueming is really young. I won't stop you from dating, but things like engagement have to wait until she's older. You're young and impulsive, acting on your feelings without considering the consequences. The elders have to give you some leeway."

Yun Kai felt that Lan Yingde was getting a little too far, but he had no capital to bargain with Lan Yingde now, so he could only suppress his unhappiness and unwillingness and nodded in agreement.

After Lan Yingde achieved his goal and helped Yunkai with the injection and applied the medicine, he left with satisfaction. He lay on the bed and pounded the bed board: "Ceding land and paying compensation, losing sovereignty and humiliating the country!"

Yueming was very nervous all the way home, afraid that Lan Yingde would scold her. But Lan Yingde remained calm throughout the journey, gently asking her what she had eaten and done at home in the past two days. He never mentioned her going to the Tusi Mansion that night to give Yunkai an injection.

Changsheng, knowing what happened last night, rode glumly alongside the carriage. Ever since Yunkai had been sending gifts home to Yueming daily, he'd known something was going on between them. As a senior brother, he felt mixed emotions, knowing the child he'd watched grow up was being pursued by another man. He resented the Tusi's pigpen for letting the second young master Han out and stealing the family's cabbage, and he also resented his master for forcing Yueming to accept the position of chancellor.

Just like what Junior Sister had said, what's so special about Yunxiang? No riding, no candles at night, and no running water, so you can't even install a flush toilet. Master thought Yunxiang was a paradise, but he thought Yunxiang was a barren land, completely disconnected from modern civilization. No movies, no department stores, no parks. What fun would Junior Sister have if she married here? He saw that Junior Sister had no interest in those things.

What did the Second Young Master Han have? Aside from his aristocratic status and his attractive, pretty face, he couldn't see why Yueming liked him. Could it be that he'd made a mistake sending Yueming to a girls' school, with all girls and few opportunities to meet boys, and that when she met someone like the Second Young Master Han, she'd lost her mind?

After all, what made him most uncomfortable was that there was no longer a righteous yet soft voice calling out at his door at night: "Brother, I'm hungry, please cook me a bowl of noodles."

The next day, after breakfast, Yueming carefully asked Lan Yingde if he could go to the Tusi Mansion.

Lan Yingde readily agreed and reminded her: "Don't go to see the patient empty-handed."

Yueming slung over her small bag and said cheerfully, "Well, the small melons that Ai Ye bought this morning are sweet and fresh. I'll take some to Han Yunkai."

Seeing Yueming leading Ai Ye out, Changsheng asked worriedly: "Master, are you so relieved?"

Lan Yingde put his hands behind his back and smiled: "Instead of letting her stay at home and cause trouble for us all day, it would be better to let her play the game of doctor taking care of patients."

Lan Yingde did not forbid Yueming from going to the Tusi Mansion, so Yueming went there openly every day.

The wound on Yunkai's waist could not heal in a day or two, and he could not go out, so he pulled Yueming to read books with him and taught her English and Siamese.

Yueming didn't notice it at first, but then she began to appreciate it. This wasn't just a casual thing; the workload was much heavier than before. Before, she'd study when she wanted to, and read a novel when she didn't. She'd just ask him when she came across a word or sentence structure she didn't understand.

Now it was no longer possible. Yun Kai was obviously more serious and solemn than before, and he even started to test her. If she couldn't answer or answered poorly, he would start to teach her a lesson.

He threw the book on the table and said with a sullen face, "You couldn't even memorize such a simple passage after three days of memorizing it. Where did you put all your energy? You always only get Cs on exams in school, right? A C, you're a deadbeat. I'm afraid you really got nothing."

Yueming hadn't been ridiculed like this for a long time. She was so ashamed that she stomped her feet and ran out of the study crying. She squatted under a banana tree in the corner and cried loudly.

After crying for a while and seeing Yun Kai not coming to comfort her, she became even sadder.

She sobbed, wiping her tears with her sleeve, and vowed to herself that she wouldn't come tomorrow. The heroes in those romantic novels were so kind to the heroines, gentle and patient, pampering them like princesses. But what about her? She thought she'd found a romantic love, but she'd only found a fake father who was even more controlling than her own father.

The more I thought about it, the sadder I felt. Yueming's howling drowned out the chirping of cicadas in the trees in the afternoon.

A folding fan reached in, parting the obstructing branches. Yunkai looked at Yueming, who was crouching under the tree, her chin resting on her knees, crying heartily, and said helplessly, "I didn't say anything to you! Why are you crying like this?"

Seeing Yunkai chasing after her, Yueming stopped crying and sobbed softly, accusing her, "You called me stupid?"

Yun Kai laughed in his heart. Isn't it obvious that you're stupid? But he denied it seriously: "Nonsense, how did I say you're stupid? I said you're not paying attention."

Yueming closed his eyes and shouted, "You said it, you just said it."

Yun Kai squatted down in front of her, unlike the sullen Bao Gong look he had in the study. He supported her shoulders with one hand and wiped the tears from her face with the other, saying good-naturedly, "Okay, it's all my fault! But you can't blame me. Your father gave me a death order to teach you well. I can't explain to your father if you become like this, right?"

Yueming pursed her lips pitifully and complained, "You can't force me to learn too much! I have to learn so much all at once, I can't keep up! Can't you just teach me the same way? I don't want to learn in the first place, and if you force me like this, I'll hate studying even more."

Yun Kai looked at her pouting lips and frowned, thinking for a moment. As if he had made a great decision, he asked Yue Ming, "You really don't want to learn?"

Yueming shook her head like a rattle: "No, no, I don't want to."

Yun Kaizhuan nodded in embarrassment: "I don't want you to work so hard, but your father..." The fan slammed into his palm. He gritted his teeth and said to Yueming: "If you don't want to learn, then don't learn. I will take the blame if your father blames you."

Yueming stared at him blankly with tears in her eyes: "What if my dad gets angry and hits you?"

Yun Kai shrugged nonchalantly, "Let him hit you if he wants. Studying is important, but your mood is important too. You're so disciplined at home, and you can't relax here. I'm afraid you'll be terribly depressed."

Although she knew Lan Yingde wouldn't hit him, Yueming was still so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. She rushed over and hugged Yunkai's neck, desperately promising: "I will study hard, and I won't let my father hit you."

Yun Kai patted her back and whispered softly in her ear, "You have to know that as long as you want to do something, whether it's right or wrong, I will help you. Because I love you!"

His eyes looked at the shadow cast on the ground by the sunlight through the branches, and he sneered in his heart when he thought of the two things Lan Yingde asked him to promise.

Lan Yingde really took advantage of his youth, thinking he couldn't see through his delaying tactics. Since I promised you that Yueming could leave if she wanted, I can only find a way to make her inseparable from me!