Chapter 14 Uncle's Protection
Halfway through the class, it was Lan Xichen's turn to teach. He spoke about the etiquette of aristocratic families and the friendship of alliances. His tone was gentle, but every word was insightful, and even Lan Jingyi, who was extremely restless, listened with extraordinary attention.
The academy was utterly silent, with only Lan Xichen's clear voice echoing. Si Zhui sat in the front row, his head bent down, taking notes, when he caught a glimpse of some unusual movement in the corner behind him, among the Nie disciples.
He raised his eyes calmly and saw Nie Huaisang's new apprentice, Nie Wuwei, huddled behind a table, a ball of paper in his hand, which he secretly slipped to three outer disciples nearby. The three took the paper and, hiding behind their books, tore it open, grinning slyly, clearly passing around some joke.
Nie Wuwei was the youngest, with a temperament as lively as a little monkey. Taking advantage of Nie Huaisang's doting on him, he always liked to do little tricks during his lessons. Seeing that the paper ball was being passed smoothly, he even winked at his companions, not noticing Sizhui's gaze.
Si Zhui frowned. Disruptions were a taboo during Lan Xichen's class; if caught, they would inevitably be punished. He coughed softly and tried to signal Nie Wuwei to calm down with his eyes, but the boy was so engrossed in his studies that he didn't notice.
Before long, Nie Wuwei couldn't hold back his laughter and burst out laughing. Although he immediately covered his mouth, he had already startled Lan Xichen, who was sitting at the podium.
“What’s the commotion?” Lan Xichen’s gaze swept gently across the room, finally landing on the seats of the Nie family disciples.
Nie Wuwei's face turned pale with fear. He quickly lowered his head and frantically stuffed the paper ball in his sleeve. The three disciples beside him hunched their necks, not daring to breathe.
The classroom instantly fell silent, all eyes focused on the corner. Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling were also worried for them—while the Immortal Supervisor was gentle, he was extremely strict with rules, and disrupting class was no small matter.
Lan Xichen slowly walked down from the podium and stopped in front of Nie Wuwei's desk. "Nephew Nie, could you please let me see what you have in your hand?"
Nie Wuwei bit his lip, his eyes suddenly reddened, but he clutched his sleeve tightly, refusing to let go. The disciples behind him were trembling with fear, and one of the younger ones was almost in tears.
"Uncle Immortal Governor..." Nie Wuwei cried in a soft and thin voice, "I, we didn't mean it... We just saw a joke..."
"Are you trying to laugh?" Lan Xichen's tone remained gentle, but with a hint of seriousness. "When you're learning, you should be focused. How can you be distracted by joking?"
At this moment, Si Zhui suddenly stood up and said, "Uncle Xiandu, there may be a misunderstanding."
Everyone was stunned. They didn't expect him to speak. Lan Xichen also looked at him: "What does Sizhui want to say?"
Si Zhui bowed and said, "Junior Brother Nie and the others weren't making any noise just now. I showed them a funny talisman pattern a few days ago, and they probably remembered it and couldn't help laughing." He paused, then added, "It's my fault for bringing jokes into class. I beg Uncle Immortal Supervisor to punish me."
Nie Wuwei was stunned. He hadn't expected Sizhui to take the blame for them. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but Sizhui stopped him with a look.
Lan Xichen looked at Sizhui, a flicker of understanding in his eyes, and then he smiled gently, "I see. Sizhui, since you know that talisman patterns shouldn't be circulated in class, remember this next time."
"Yes, disciple will remember this." Si Zhui bowed in response.
“Nephew Nie,” Lan Xichen turned to Nie Wuwei, his tone much softer. “This opportunity to study is rare, so we must cherish it. Let’s stop today, and don’t make the same mistake again next time.”
"Thank you, Uncle Immortal Governor!" Nie Wuwei bowed quickly, his voice choked with fear. The three disciples also breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Sizhui with gratitude.
Lan Xichen returned to the podium and continued teaching. The atmosphere in the classroom gradually returned to normal. However, Nie Wuwei didn't dare to make any more movements, even carefully picking up a dropped pen.
During the break, Nie Wuwei and three of his companions found Si Zhui, his face full of guilt.
"Brother Lan, I'm sorry for causing you to be criticized by the Immortal Supervisor..." Nie Wuwei lowered his head, his small hands tugging at the corner of his clothes, "That paper ball was actually a ghost face I drew, not a talisman pattern..."
"I know." Si Zhui smiled. "Next time, don't mess around in class. Although Uncle Xiandu is gentle, he hates students who are not paying attention the most."
"Yeah! Never again!" Nie Wuwei nodded vigorously, suddenly took out a piece of candy from his pocket and stuffed it into Sizhui's hand, "This is for you, thank you for helping us."
Sizhui looked at the candy in his hand. It was a piece of maltose wrapped in red paper, still carrying a childish sweet fragrance. He accepted it with a smile: "Go ahead and prepare for the next class."
Watching Nie Wuwei and the others running away, Lan Jingyi came over and said, "Si Zhui, you're too soft-hearted, aren't you? They clearly made their own mistakes, why are you taking the blame for them?"
Jin Ling also said, "That's right. If Uncle Immortal Governor finds out that you're lying, he'll punish you too."
Si Zhui shook his head. "They didn't do it on purpose. They're just young and ignorant. Besides, Uncle Xiandu might have noticed. He was just giving them a way out." He peeled the maltose candy and took a bite. The sweetness melted on his tongue. "It's just a small matter. There's no need to punish them."
Lan Jingyi curled his lips: "You are the only one who is kind-hearted. If it were me, I wouldn't care."
Sizhui smiled and said nothing more. He recalled how, as a child, he too was prone to making small mistakes. His father would smile and make amends for them. Although his father would punish him, he would always teach him a lesson afterward. Perhaps this was why he couldn't bear to see others punished for trivial matters—much like the sweetness of malt sugar, which brings back many warm memories.
In the afternoon, Si Zhui went to deliver the sorted files to Lan Xichen. As soon as he reached the door of the study, he heard conversation coming from inside.
“…That child is quite considerate and knows how to help others out.” It was Lan Xichen’s voice.
"Brother, have you figured it out?" This was Lan Wangji's voice.
"Hmm, there's a ghost face painted on the corner of the paper sticking out from Nie Wuwei's sleeve." Lan Xichen chuckled. "Si Zhui's personality has inherited Wei Ying's gentleness, but also your calmness. It's rare."
Si Zhui stood at the door, feeling warm inside. He knocked gently, "Uncle Immortal Governor, I have brought the files."
"Come in."
When he entered the study, Lan Xichen was looking at him and smiling, "Sizhui, I'm sorry for putting you through this this morning."
Si Zhui bowed and said, "It's not a grievance to let my junior brothers know their mistakes."
Lan Xichen nodded, his eyes gentle. "You've done well. Following the rules is a duty, and being kind is a kindness. Being able to find a balance between the two is a rare virtue." He paused, handing Sizhui a copy of the "Aristocratic Family Tree." "Take this and read it. It will help you feel more at ease when interacting with the children of various aristocratic families in the future."
"Thank you, Uncle Immortal Governor." Si Zhui took the scroll and suddenly understood in his heart that true growth is not only about abiding by one's own rules, but also about being understanding and understanding the mistakes of others - just like the moonlight in the vast clouds, which is as cold as frost and as gentle as water.
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