Chapter 40 Privacy
The woman breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Shangluo being dragged out of the door. She quickly backed off and said, "Anting hasn't returned from school yet. If you need anything, you can come back later. Today, I... I'm feeling a little unwell. I'm afraid of spreading the illness, so I won't invite you two in."
Qiandeng was about to pull Shangluo away, but the blind young man pointed inside and asked loudly in surprise, "You're lying. Brother Jian is clearly in there. Otherwise, who is that man?"
His shout was not a big deal, as all the neighbors who had been paying attention to this area looked over, and even the idle people on the street gathered over.
Qian Deng was also helpless and said to Shang Luo: "You must have seen it wrong, why don't I see anyone inside?"
Shangluo blinked at her and finally fell silent.
The woman was both embarrassed and anxious, so she slammed the door shut and bolted it.
Qiandeng held down the veil on his face, took Shangluo through the crowd of people with strange expressions, and quickly left this remote alley.
The people behind him were still discussing and speculating about whether there was a man in the Jian family. It was not until Jian Anting appeared in the alley that they stopped spitting and quickly dispersed.
Jian Anting ignored him and knocked on the door. He glanced at the closed back door and asked his mother, "Will Dad be back today? Do you want me to bring him dinner?"
"Well, the food is ready," said Jane's mother, handing him an old lunch box. After a moment's thought, she added, "Just now, a girl wearing a veiled hat and a young man of about thirteen or fourteen came to see you. They said they were your classmates and came to apologize."
Jian Anting frowned slightly and asked, "Shangluo? The girl who came with him... was wearing a veil?"
Mother Jian said somewhat depressedly, "Yes, the girl was dressed in plain clothes and was quite polite, but that young man was really annoying. He pushed the door open without saying anything. Fortunately, he was pulled back by the girl."
Jian Anting was very smart. He glanced at his mother and immediately knew what was going on.
When he thought that the county lady must have discovered the scandal in his family and that was why she hurried away with Shangluo, he felt an indescribable embarrassment and confusion in his heart.
His throat felt bitter and tight, so he picked up the lunch box, turned around and left the house. However, he did not go to the embankment outside the city, but hurried towards Kaihuafang.
He walked hurriedly, almost running, but he didn't know what to say or explain to Princess Lingling even if he caught up with her.
He didn't slow down until he saw the slender figure in plain clothes in front of him, but his mind was in a mess and he could only follow behind blankly, not knowing what to do.
As he got closer to them, he heard Shangluo's dissatisfied voice: "But there really is a man at his house! That's why I followed him to the door before, and he turned around and left after beating me, and didn't even go home. He must have known that his mother was having an affair at home! For a man like him, the county lady still said he was an upright gentleman, how could he be worthy of her!"
The gloomy sky above his head seemed to be pouring down, and Jian Anting felt that all the haze was pressing on his back, making his heart ache and even breathing difficult.
And, at this moment of despair, he heard the county lady sigh softly and say, "Shangluo, you are still young, how can you understand the difficulties of life? Life in this world is not easy for everyone. Your wound is on your back, and his wound is in his heart. Since he hides it in his arms and refuses to show it, why do you have to tear it open and show it to others?"
Shang Luo was dissatisfied and said, "But he is a traitor! You are praising him, County Lady. He... how can he be a gentleman! Humph, I will spread this matter tomorrow and let the entire Imperial College see what kind of person he is. I don't believe he can still compete with me for the top spot with peace of mind!"
Jian Anting clutched the handle of his lunch box tightly, his lower lip bitten until it turned white. He stared at Shangluo's face, which looked even more innocent and vicious because of his ignorance of the world, and felt the burning blood rushing to his forehead.
However, when the burning resentment almost took away his sanity, he heard the voice of Lingling County Master, which was as cold as ice and jade colliding, gradually cooling the burning flames.
"My mother came from a humble background. She often told me that life is always difficult and that everyone's choices have their reasons. Do you know who the man who showed up at his house is, and what impact it will have on his family?"
Although she only caught a glimpse through the crack in the door, Qiandeng had a good memory and recognized that it was the clerk who wanted to help her lift her skirt at the gate of the palace, and later on the embankment, the Sun Lushi who took advantage of his power to whip Jian Anting's father.
The recorder of the Capital Water Conservancy Bureau, a first-class official outside the official ranks, was just an ant-like existence to the county lord living in the royal palace.
But for Gu Jian Taiping, the head of the Water Department who was ranked seventh outside the imperial court, this was his superior whom he depended on for his livelihood, and he was an official who was powerful enough to deprive him of his future and the livelihood of his entire family.
However, she sighed and didn't say any of this to Shangluo. She only said, "If you publicize this matter just to compete for the championship, have you ever considered how he will establish himself in the world in the future, and what will happen to his family in the future?"
Shang Luo stammered, "But...but if I can't win first place in the class, I'll have to leave the palace and leave the county lord. I don't want to lose to him..."
"To evade your own punishment by dragging others into it is a sin, you know that?" Qian Deng said flatly, "You should focus on your studies instead of resorting to trickery in places like this!"
Seeing tears in his eyes, looking at him pitifully, Qian Deng felt a little soft-hearted after scolding him. He patted his little head and sighed, "If it really doesn't work out, ask Cui Shaoqing to help you more, and I'll find a few more teachers for you, okay? You're a child prodigy who entered the Imperial College at the age of thirteen. As long as you study hard, how can you lose to others? But remember to pretend you didn't see what happened to Jian Anting."
"I'm sorry... County Princess, I know I was wrong." Shang Luo's wrinkled face finally softened a little. He hooked his finger with Qian Deng's and swore, "Don't worry, County Princess, I will keep this matter to myself and never reveal a word to anyone!"
"That's good." Qian Deng nodded with satisfaction and took him to sit under a tree. "Let's wait here for the servants to come back. You should take advantage of the time to read."
Jian Anting held the lunch box motionlessly in his hand, standing stiffly in the dark corner of the alley, looking at the figure in the dim light of the sky lit by thousands of lights.
The gloomy sky made her figure sitting in the shade of the tree look even more slender and ethereal.
He only felt a blur in front of his eyes, and the grief and excitement that felt like a blockage in his chest made him unable to recover for a long time.
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