That's why, apart from his family and the servants, he dared not show his true feelings or act willfully to anyone else.
He was aloof and unwilling to get involved in those scheming, hypocritical, and troublesome matters.
But he knew that when he grew up, he would be at the center of these "troubles".
Therefore, he prematurely suppressed his own thoughts and built a protective cocoon for himself. He needed nothing but obedience.
It wasn't until his family wanted to use his connection with Fizexi that they sent him to the countryside.
He deliberately pretended to be a cold and taciturn person.
On the first day I arrived in the countryside, I took the wrong path and didn't watch my step, so I fell into a swamp and got covered in mud.
Perhaps because he had restrained his temper for too long, he didn't get angry. Instead, he got up expressionlessly. Before he even got up, a hearty laugh was heard: "Hahahaha."
He looked up and saw a girl standing not far away, covered in mud just like him, smiling as brightly as the sun. Or rather, it was because the dappled sunlight from the trees fell on her.
Drape her in a light gold veil, making her appear warm and inviting.
He heard:
"I knew there must be other people who fell in like me."
"I'm not stupid! It's clearly the fault of that place!"
The two boys standing beside her, one seemed unwilling to listen to her excuses, and the other scratched his head: "Zun Du, fake Du?"
"It was clearly the place that caused me to trip that was wrong, it was bad, so how can you blame it on my bad luck? Right?"
The girl walked towards him and reached out her hand: "Can you still get up?"
He hesitated, wondering whether to take her hand. In this unfamiliar place, with strangers, should he refrain from acting rashly? Should he be wary of her character, wondering if she had any ulterior motives?
He has so much to think about.
But the carefree other person didn't seem to think too much about it.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, forcing him to run with her.
"Hurry up, hurry up, the mud will be harder to wash off once it dries."
"Brother, help me with his luggage!"
The two hardworking older brothers said, "Okay."
He was pulled along by her, running alongside her. The wind they created lifted his hair and cleared the dirt from his blurry vision, revealing the petite figure before him radiating a light as brilliant as the sun.
She seemed never to be troubled or discouraged.
The wind blew away his worries.
He was troubled by falling into the swamp and was taken to a new world with fresh air and soft grass under his feet.
Feeling so comfortable in the breeze that I wanted to squint, I slowly opened my eyes and saw a meadow behind the grove of trees, where lush grass swayed gently in the wind, drifting towards freedom.
He never imagined that behind the humid, stuffy, and soft-footed grove of trees lay a dry meadow.
She took him home.
He stood awkwardly in the courtyard, unsure of what to do.
She brought over two basins of water, raised them above her head, and poured them all down.
All the soil was swept away by the water flow.
Her face was clean and bright.
Ye Qi smiled and looked at him: "That's much faster. Is there any clothing in your suitcase?"
He looked at the basin of water at his feet and hesitated.
Until a long time later.
Perhaps he was too old-fashioned and too tired to struggle anymore.
It was still the suppressed part of him that wanted to rebel while the Wen family was away.
Or perhaps it was the phrase "There must be clothes in your suitcase" that gave him a way out.
He grabbed the basin of water and poured it all over his head.
The refreshing cool water poured down from above, washing away the oppressive heat of summer, the sweat from the sun, and the mud that was about to solidify.
It also washed away my fear of being willful.
The suppressed willful behavior is quietly torn open.
He still doesn't understand why Ye Qi dared to bring a stranger like himself home.
But he was grateful for the basin of water that summer, which allowed Wen Mingzhi to live a different life.
*
Seemingly sensing his gaze, Ye Qi turned around and smiled at him: "I'm very strong, don't worry."
Just like Ye Qi, who trusted him to be a good person and brought him home.
At this moment, he believed that Ye Qi would not lose, and he smiled gently: "Yes."
Seeing her youngest son's sincere smile, Madam Wen seemed to understand something.
She probably understood—
Why did Jiang Yihuan, who was usually aloof and distant, fall for Ye Qi?
She also understood why her second son, who had never been interested in women, had accepted Ye Qi in such a short time.
Just like before, she felt relieved of all her dissatisfaction because of the girl's unexpected bow.
After Ye Qi and Wen Ciyu entered the arena.
Ye Qi said to Wen Ciyu, "Don't hold back."
Wen Ciyu, who wanted to show mercy: "..."
Ye Qi said coldly, "This is a friendly sparring match I proposed. Please respect me and don't hold back."
Wen Ciyu paused: "..."
Yes.
He forgot that this sparring match was no longer his mother's request, but rather his opponent's, Ye Qi's.
To go easy on an opponent who challenges you to a duel is the greatest form of disrespect.
Wen Ciyu was no longer worried. His expression softened, and he said seriously, "I understand. I'll stop here. Please give me more guidance."
He added, "I let you go first not because I'm being lenient or looking down on you, but because I need to know your true strength."
Ye Qi, having understood, nodded to show that she comprehended.
She took a deep breath and composed herself.
She calmed herself, her eyes suddenly turning cold and sharp. She adjusted her stance and, at the moment when everyone held their breath, suddenly flew low and launched herself forward, delivering a punch that proved her strength straight to Wen Ciyu's chest.
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