Chapter 8 No need to imitate Lin Zhi anymore. Hearing his deep, magnetic voice...
This time, Lin Zhi was brought in openly and legitimately, and only then, following behind Lan Xin, did she have the leisure to look around.
It was a bit hasty to draw conclusions after only a few quick glances last time. In fact, apart from being more spacious, this place is even more elegant than the other courtyards of the Pei residence.
It doesn't quite resemble a man's residence; every flower and tree here is a delicate variety, probably left behind by the late madam...
Lan Xin suddenly stopped, a hint of disdain in her eyes as she looked at Lin Zhi. That look vanished in an instant, and Lin Zhi initially thought she had misread it, but the next moment, Lan Xin reached out and took the food box from her hand.
"Miss, please give the food inside to me. Our young master never accepts food from outsiders."
The words were somewhat subtle. If it was true that she was loyal to her master, then it was true. However, Lan Xin's tone was somewhat condescending, clearly implying that she was the "insider" of Lanxue Pavilion and Lin Zhi was an outsider.
Lin Zhi smiled slightly. She was only a little reserved in front of Pei Lang because of her guilt, but she was not a pushover.
He reached out and pushed Lan Xin's hand away, his tone indifferent: "No need for Miss Lan to trouble herself. Whether my cousin accepts it or not is his decision, and whether I give it to him or not is my business."
“There’s no need for Miss Lan to mediate between us siblings. I’ll give it to my cousin myself, whether it’s lost or not.”
Perhaps it was the first time Lan Xin had encountered someone so "unappreciative," and her face immediately turned ugly, but she still had to maintain a stiff smile.
But as soon as she led the person to a spot not far from the pavilion, Lan Xin completely lost her patience: "Miss, the young master is in the pavilion."
"But there are still distinguished guests present, so you'd better be discerning."
"This servant has other things to attend to."
After saying this, Lan Xin turned around and left Lin Zhi.
Lin Zhi carried the things for a while and was slightly out of breath.
But she was still curious about who this important guest was, even when Pei Lang was injured.
The pavilion in the middle of the lake was neither too big nor too small, but when Lin Zhi walked up, she found that there were only two figures, one big and one small, in the pavilion. With Pei Lang sitting in a wheelchair, it seemed even more empty.
Lin Zhi was filled with curiosity, but before she could even reach the pavilion, she heard Pei Lang speak. He seemed to be angry, and his tone was as cold as striking jade and gold.
"You've made me write like this, and now you can't even recite the Classic of Filial Piety that you used to know?"
"When I visited you at the Marquis's residence that day, I saw you frequently beating and scolding the servants. Is this how I taught you?"
The little boy standing in front of him pouted, looking very aggrieved, but dared not utter a sound of crying. It seemed that Pei Lang had scolded him.
Lin Zhi felt her legs go weak as she listened to his deep, magnetic voice as he suppressed his anger. She had only ever seen Pei Lang's indifference, but she didn't know that he was even more oppressive and suffocating when he got angry.
"...Those in high positions should not be arrogant, nor should they be in danger; they should exercise restraint and moderation, and even when full, they should not overflow."
The young boy recited it fluently with difficulty, and only after Pei Lang nodded slightly did he burst into tears.
"Sir! Ah Heng knows he was wrong! He will never do it again!"
Hearing him call himself Aheng, Lin Zhi finally recognized the child as Lu Heng, the young master of the Lu family. He did indeed resemble Lu Jue somewhat. At seven or eight years old, he hadn't fully grown up yet, and his round, rosy cheeks made him look much more upright than his older brother.
Such a child would likely be influenced by Lu Jue at home and grow up corrupted. No wonder Marquis Lu sent him to Pei Lang for education.
Lin Zhi felt sorry for the child crying so hard, so Pei Lang calmly pulled the child in front of him and softened his tone: "A child who knows their mistake is still a good child."
"Were you angry when the teacher reprimanded you just now?"
Although young, Lu Heng was very sensible. Sobbing, he shook his head and said, "Master did it for my own good. It's my fault. I have failed Master's teachings."
Pei Lang gently pressed his long, slender hand on the top of his head and sighed helplessly: "Good boy, if you can't write well or can't memorize, come to me. But you mustn't lie to me. Your teacher is someone who can help you at any time, outside of family."
These words left the young boy somewhat confused, but Lin Zhi, who was eavesdropping nearby, couldn't help but feel her heart race. No one had ever said such a thing to her before.
Her father died early, and her mother raised her alone with great difficulty. She had to be the most sensible daughter and share the burden with her mother.
Although the Lin family wasn't considered a prestigious one, they were still well-off. However, Lin Zhi was like a hedgehog covered in thorns from a young age. After her father passed away, she was the only one left to protect her mother. She could say the things that her mother couldn't say due to considerations of face.
When she was a child, she would drive away relatives with ill intentions and matchmakers who came to her door. Once, she even bit an old woman's hand.
She knew that her mother was busy reminiscing about her father and doing embroidery to supplement the family income. Those people just wanted to use her young and beautiful mother to do favors, not to give her someone to rely on.
But too much rigidity leads to breakage. Not half a year after Hu Yu passed away, Uncle Lin couldn't wait to get rid of Lin Zhi, that hot-tempered burden, and sold her off for a good price.
Lin Zhi's tears fell onto the back of her hand, oblivious to the fact that the sounds around her had stopped.
Those days were too difficult.
So she restrained herself and dared not show her temper in the Pei family, seeking no merit but only to avoid mistakes.
Why is my cousin crying?
The sudden sound behind her startled Lin Zhi. She hurriedly looked up to stop her tears from flowing. This was something Pei Mingli had taught her.
Pei Lang looked at her slightly red and moist eyes with a hint of confusion, but his expression remained calm: "What are you doing here?"
Lin Zhi gripped the things she was carrying tightly, still thinking about how he had scolded Lu Heng earlier. But when she looked up, she realized that Lu Heng had already left. She was too absorbed in her own emotions to notice anything else.
Lin Zhi bit her lower lip, her feelings somewhat complicated: "I came to check on my cousin's leg. No matter what, this whole thing started because of me, and I can't just sit idly by."
Pei Lang's reaction was lukewarm; he found it boring and tilted his head slightly in impatience, his handsome face furrowing slightly: "Get to the important stuff."
Seeing that the servant was about to push him away, Lin Zhi hurriedly said, "A-Zhi is here to apologize to my cousin."
"This is the homework from last time. I was delayed for a while and couldn't show it to my cousin on time."
Lin Zhi put down the food box and held up the book pages with both hands, presenting them to Pei Lang.
The handsome young man narrowed his dark eyes and stared at her soft, white hand for a long while before looking away.
"No need. Since my cousin finds studying hard, I don't want to make things difficult for you."
"From now on, you don't have to do these tedious lessons anymore, and you don't have to come and show them to me anymore."
"I'm tired today, cousin, please go home."
Pei Lang's voice remained as noble as ever, neither hurried nor angry, yet it made Lin Zhi's heart skip a beat, and she panicked beyond words: "No, it's not..."
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