14. Twin Pearls (Part 1)

"Beat him to death! Beat him to death..." On a deserted street, a group of children in gorgeous clothes were beating and kicking a thin child in brocade clothes. The children, who were not too young, were the most cruel. They seemed to understand the calculations and disputes of adults, but they used their own direct and rough way to solve the problem.

The child being surrounded was also dressed in gorgeous clothes, but he looked thin and weak, like a lonely puppy. His small face already showed his handsome appearance in the future. Perhaps it was precisely because of his above-average appearance that he was disliked and bullied by more children of the same age.

"He is indeed the son of a vixen, and he has such a nasty look!" A 11 or 12-year-old boy in brocade clothes stood aside and cursed proudly. The boy suddenly widened his eyes and glared at the man who was standing aside and instructing the people to beat his half-brother. Frightened by his fierce eyes, the boy took a step back unconsciously. When he reacted, he was even more angry and said, "Teach him a lesson for me!"

"Someone is coming!" Someone shouted, and the children who were just kicking and punching suddenly scattered. The young man in brocade clothes looked at the child on the ground unwillingly, and then followed him.

The street suddenly became quiet. The child, whose nose and eyes were bruised from being beaten, curled himself up into a small ball, hugged his knees tightly and sobbed softly.

"Don't cry, they're gone." A soft, gentle and kind voice came, and the boy couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. When he raised his head, he saw an extremely beautiful girl in gorgeous clothes standing in front of him.

The girl was only about twelve or thirteen years old. Even though the boy had seen many beautiful girls, he still thought that the girl in front of him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was wearing a light yellow dress with cloud patterns, and the hem and cuffs were decorated with rose-red phoenix-tail lace. She also wore a light pink phoenix-tail patterned scarf. A green gemstone fell on her slender neck. Her hair was casually tied up in a simple bun, with a hibiscus hairpin and another one hanging. When she lowered her head to look at him, the light golden necklace hanging from her swaying hairpin swayed gently, which made the little boy stunned.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Seeing that he didn't say anything, the girl squatted down with some worry.

"No..." The boy shook his head and whispered. Although those people beat him, they didn't dare to really beat him to death, so he was not injured, just very painful, otherwise he would have been beaten to death in these years.

"I'm glad you're not hurt. I'll have someone take you home. Who are those people and why did they hit you?" The girl looked at the boy's dusty face, took out a handkerchief and wiped it carefully for him. Only then did she realize that the child was actually very handsome.

"None of your business!" The boy was stunned, raised his hand and slapped the girl's hand away. Seeing the girl's somewhat surprised look, the boy bit his lip in annoyance but was stubborn and refused to speak, just turned his head away.

The girl was also from a famous family. Although she was young, she had seen a lot. Seeing the child's appearance, she had a rough idea of ​​what was going on. The child was unwilling to go home. I'm afraid she was wronged at home. Those people just now... maybe they were the child's family.

"Okay, then let's not go home yet. What's your name?" The girl pulled the child up and asked with a smile.

"Feng...Feng Zhiyao. You..." The boy hesitated for a moment, but finally did not ask. You cannot ask a girl's name casually. Although Feng Zhiyao is a bastard, he has learned everything he should learn.

"Feng Zhiyao? Are you from the Feng family in the capital? You can just call me Sister Hua." The girl said with a smile. The noble ladies in the capital have their own circles, and when a large group of women get together to have nothing to do, they will inevitably talk about some gossip. The Feng family is also a famous family in the capital, and the girl has naturally heard some of the people and affairs of the Feng family.

"You...you won't look down on me?" Feng Zhiyao looked at the girl in front of him and asked doubtfully.

The girl smiled and asked in confusion, "Look down on you? Why? You are so young, only seven or eight years old, why should I look down on you?"

"I'm a bastard!" Feng Zhiyao gritted his teeth and said, hesitating for a moment before adding fiercely, "I'm not young, I'm already nine years old!"

"Nine years old? He doesn't look like that." The girl said, "It's not your choice whether you are a bastard or not. If you work hard and make progress in the future, others will naturally not look down on you. But if you grow up and learn to be every bit as good as those playboys, I will naturally look down on you."

"You'll be nine soon." Feng Zhiyao said, "Is it because I don't want to learn? It was clearly my aunt who said that a concubine's son doesn't need to learn so much..." The girl smiled at the child in front of her who looked indignant, and suddenly smiled and said, "If you really want to make progress first, I'll take you to a nice place to play."

Feng Zhiyao looked at the girl in front of him suspiciously. The girl touched his head comfortingly and smiled, "Don't be afraid, sister is not a bad person." When the soft jade hand touched his dusty head, Feng Zhiyao felt in his little heart that even if this sister was a bad person, he was willing to go with her. It was much better than going home to face his aunt and two brothers.

"Oh! Miss, what are you doing..." He led Feng Zhiyao to the intersection, where a carriage was parked. In front of the carriage stood several men who looked like guards, a middle-aged woman and several maids. Seeing the two of them, the middle-aged woman hurriedly came up and said with a frown and a little anger. I just saw a group of children beating up a child. Originally, they scared the child away. Who knew that the lady insisted on going over to see the boy herself, and now she brought him back. Looking at the dirty boy in front of her, the woman's brows immediately wrinkled tightly.

"Nurse." The girl called in a low voice. She patted Feng Zhiyao's hand comfortingly and smiled at the nurse: "This child is very obedient. Take him to keep Ah Yao company."

"Oh, my lady." The nurse called out immediately, "Miss, we don't know where this boy came from, how can he accompany...that young master? What if something happens..." Their Hua family is considered to be of noble status in the capital, but compared with the Dingwang Mansion, it is nothing. Not everyone is qualified to be the playmate of the young master of the Dingwang Mansion.

"It's okay, Zhiyao is a good kid." The girl smiled and said, "Get in the car."

"This... has the same name as the second young master?" The nurse was stunned for a moment, and then carefully looked at Feng Zhiyuan and found that the child was very good-looking, just a little thin, otherwise he would not be inferior to the second young master of Ding Wangfu.

"Well, but the child has to be well behaved. Don't anger the nobles and implicate our young lady." The nurse nodded and instructed. She was not a heartless person. It was pitiful that the child was surrounded by a group of children at such a young age. But as the young lady's nurse, she naturally had to pay attention to everything.

On this day, Feng Zhiyao met for the first time a person who would have a great influence on his future life, the second son of the Dingguo Palace, Mo Xiuyao. As a bastard of a merchant family, it can be said that it was a great honor to meet the legitimate son of the high and mighty Dingguo Palace of the Great Chu. But... for Feng Zhiyao, his thought at that time was - I really wanted to kick him to death!

As soon as he entered the majestic gate of Prince Dingguo's Palace, a strong wind hit him in the face. Feng Zhiyao was stunned. After all, he was just a child under nine years old. Even if he found a hidden weapon, he couldn't avoid it. But he didn't expect that the hidden weapon coming towards his face was just his illusion. A stone flew past his scalp. He just felt something flying over his head without any pain.

"Sister Yunxi, why are you here?" On a rockery in front, a 20-year-old boy in white clothes was sitting on it, smiling at the girl in gorgeous clothes, without even looking at Feng Zhiyao. But Feng Zhiyao didn't care, he just noticed one thing. So... her name is Yunxi? Hua Yunxi.

"A Yao, are you being naughty again? I'll tell the eldest master about it later and let him teach you a lesson." Hua Yunxi laughed crisply.

The child on the rockery turned over in the air and landed steadily in front of the two people. The child, who was not even ten years old, was already as good at lightness skills as the top players in the martial arts world. Mo Xiuyao pouted and said, "Sister Hua, you can use my elder brother to suppress me." But who made the second son of the Mo family fearless and obedient to his elder brother who raised him since childhood?

Hua Yunxi covered her lips and laughed secretly, who told you to be afraid of His Royal Highness Prince Ding and the Crown Prince?

"Sister Hua, are you here to see me?" Mo Xiuyao asked with a smile.

Hua Yunxi nodded and smiled: "Yes, I am going out of the city to pray for blessings, and I will also visit the Grand Princess. Last time, the Grand Princess nagged me to bring you with me next time. Let's pack up and go."

Mo Xiuyao cried out suddenly, looking at Hua Yunxi with some resentment. Hua Yunxi raised her eyebrows and smiled, ignoring his pitiful look. Mo Xiuyao could only hum unwillingly in his heart. Every time the eldest princess saw him, she liked to pinch and rub him. This young master is not a dough ball. The second young master Mo's eyes then caught sight of Feng Zhiyuan, who was standing next to him with a gloomy face, and asked: "Who is this boy, stupid?"

Hua Yunxi glared at him helplessly and said, "His name is Feng Zhiyao, and he's a good kid. I'll go talk to the prince and let him learn martial arts with you in the future. You two are of similar age, so it would be nice for you to have a companion."

Mr. Mo rolled his eyes and said, "He looks stupid. Can he keep up with his studies?"

Listening to someone's arrogant tone, Feng Zhiyao silently lowered his head and stared at his fist. Even when he was bullied by his two half brothers every day these years, he never felt that his fist was so strong.

"Hey hey... silly boy, you don't want to beat me. Do you know that even if ten of you are defeated, you can't beat me alone?" The second young master Mo can't be the most arrogant, he can only become more arrogant.

"Mo, Xiu, Yao!" Hua Yunxi shouted unhappily.

Seeing Hua Yunxi's raised hand, Mr. Mo immediately threw away the rat hole and said in a complaining tone: "Sister Hua, I am your brother. Who is this kid? Why are you so nice to him?"

Feng Zhiyao snorted coldly, turned around and walked out with a smile on his face. Hua Yunxi was stunned and quickly grabbed him and said, "Where are you going?"

Feng Zhiyao said coldly: "You don't have to beg him! I don't want to learn martial arts with him! He is just the second son of Prince Ding's Mansion, I don't want him!" Hua Yunxi was angry and amused. She held the child who was about to leave with one hand, and glared at Mo Xiuyao who was making faces at the side, and said with a smile: "A Yao just likes to make trouble, he has no bad intentions."

Feng Zhiyao sneered. He started throwing stones at people as soon as they met and acted like his eyes were on the top of his head. How could he be a good person?

"I'm going back. Thank you for saving me today!" Feng Zhiyao tried hard to thank him like an adult, but his wolfish appearance at this moment was really unconvincing.

He was about to leave, but Mo Xiuyao didn't want to do it. He stopped in front of him with a smile and asked: "What are you going to do? Are you going to get beaten again?" Although he was young, he was very smart. How could he not know what Feng Zhiyao's mess was about? Why did Hua Yunxi bring him to Dingwang Mansion?

"What do you care?" Feng Zhiyao's face suddenly turned red with anger, and he also felt annoyed that his embarrassing situation was seen through.

Mo Xiuyao raised his hand and pulled his cheek, then smiled and said, "Okay, for Sister Hua's sake... you will practice martial arts with me from now on."

"Who wants to follow you..."

"I guarantee that in just three days you can defeat all those who bully you." Seeing Feng Zhiyao was about to refuse, Mo Xiuyao quickly came up to him and whispered.

"......" Feng Zhiyao remained silent. It was not because he had any good feelings towards the annoying guy in front of him, but because it was a very tempting suggestion to beat down those who bullied him.

"What are your conditions?" Feng Zhiyao asked. Of course, there is no such thing as unprovoked help in this world. Except maybe... her?

"Conditions?" Mo Xiuyao seemed to have not expected him to say such a thing. After thinking for a while, he stroked his chin and said in a mature manner: "From now on, if I tell you to go east, you are not allowed to go west; if I tell you to jump into the river, you are not allowed to climb the mountain; if I tell you to chase the cat, you are not allowed to play with the dog? In short...you must listen to me in everything!"

"Mo Xiuyao!"

"Go to hell." The Third Master Feng said coldly. He obeyed him in everything, and he went to die even when he told him to. Did they think he was a fool?

"I hate pretty boys like you the most. Ever since you came, Sister Hua doesn't love me anymore." The second young master Mo looked a little hurt.

Feng Zhiyao rolled his eyes and asked, "Do you think you are so evil?"

"Xiuyao, get along well with Zhiyao. I won't go to visit the Grand Princess today." Hua Yunxi said with a smile. Mo Xiuyao's face lit up immediately, and he raised his hand and held Feng Zhiyao's shoulder with a smile, "The person Sister Hua brought is my good friend and good brother. Sister Hua, don't worry, we will get along well, and I will take good care of my brother Zhiyao."

"He is the same age as you." Hua Yunxi emphasized helplessly.

"Never mind, Feng Zhiyao, right? Come on, I'll take you to the study for class. The teacher will definitely go crazy." Waving at Hua Yunxi, Mo Xiuyao grabbed Feng Zhiyao's collar and ran away.

Being dragged and running wildly, Feng Zhiyao turned back in a daze and saw the beautiful girl still standing behind him and looking at them with a smile. The faint sunlight was shining on her body, as if with a circle of colorful halo.

"Bang!" Feng Zhiyao, who was in a trance, tripped and fell to the ground. Feng Zhiyao's eyebrows jumped: "Mo Xiuyao, your master!"

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

Well~ I see that you guys don’t like tragedy, so I don’t like tragedy~ Actually, the Lun family is not a stepmother, but I think this name...tragedy is really more touching~