Chapter 58 – Young Xu Xiaoyu (Part Two)
From start to finish, Liu Zhi said nothing, as if he hadn’t heard a word of Jiang Pengji and Lady Die’s earlier conversation.
The meal passed in a thick blanket of silence.
Perhaps influenced by Jiang Pengji’s spirit, this body had a much bigger appetite than Liu Lanting remembered, and the cook’s skills were impressive. Even with the incomplete seasonings of this era, it was enough for Jiang Pengji, who was accustomed to the bland energy supplements.
Liu Zhi observed secretly, noting how Jiang Pengji habitually squinted her eyes while eating, much like a well-fed cat.
He mentally took note of her “preferences,” considering he could suggest the cook make more or prepare better dishes in the future.
“Cousin still keeping those wild kids in the back courtyard?”
As Jiang Pengji withdrew, Lady Die followed Liu Zhi into the main courtyard, lazily seating herself by the table where Liu Zhi practiced his writing.
“What wild kids? Where did you learn to say things like that?” Liu Zhi frowned in dissatisfaction, noticing Lady Die’s lazy posture, and a vein on his forehead throbbed, as the headache he hadn’t felt in years resurfaced. “Sit properly. You look like a mess.”
“Heh, at least I didn’t say they were wild or anything,” Lady Die propped her chin up and said before Liu Zhi could get angry. “Lanting knows nothing. Although they’re just half-siblings, they do share some blood ties with her. What if one day she feels she doesn’t have enough brothers and sisters and decides to get closer to those two? If feelings form, can you really stop that?”
Liu Zhi kept his gaze lowered, seemingly indifferent to Lady Die’s words, but she still noticed that the way he held the brush was a bit unstable—a fleeting moment that would have been hard to catch if she weren’t so familiar with his habits.
Liu Zhi lifted his eyelids and replied coldly, “That girl is clever.”
Lady Die finally sat up straight, agreeing, “That’s true. It’s like she’s turned into a different person. Once as docile as a lamb, if it weren’t for the support from the east courtyard, even a servant could boss her around. Now, she seems like a little tiger ready to eat people.”
Liu Zhi fell silent for a moment and then echoed, “A tiger’s cub never raises a dog daughter, just like me.”
Lady Die rolled her eyes at him, quickly undermining his point. “You should say it’s your twelve-years-old self we’re talking about.”
Liu Zhi: “…”
Always ready to dismantle his arguments and dig up his past! Did she think he didn’t see the teasing in her eyes?
Everyone from Hejian County knew how foolish Liu Zhi had been as a child—foolish and mischievous, so much so that even the servants looked down on him when his name was mentioned.
Though he had a good eye for talent, fixating on the Gu family’s legitimate daughter from Langya County when he was just four or five years old—playing the innocent childhood sweethearts card due to their young age.
In terms of status, the two families were a fair match, but that was about it.
Gu Min was well-known for her talent from a young age, skilled in managing a household; by six, she could run things smoothly, no matter how messy they were. Meanwhile, Liu Zhi was just an utter disaster!
To put it harshly, they were like a toad yearning for swan meat!
Liu Zhi shamelessly clung to that little girl; had they been older than seven, there would have been scandalous gossip.
Later, when Gu Min reached the age of arranged marriages, Liu Zhi begged his mother to feel out the situation, only to be harshly slapped by reality.
Forget Liu Zhi, even if it was before the fall of the Great Xia, Gu Min would be fit to be a queen.
Indeed, this much-despised second-generation rich kid, Liu Zhi, only started to get serious about self-improvement after being crushed by the proposal rejection and even went to her family’s door in a rainstorm, waiting all night to plead for a two-year delay in the engagement while suffering from a high fever.
Ah, the classic sweet love story of childhood sweethearts—adorably naive dogged boys and charming girls (/ω╲)
After that, Hejian County lost a mischievous second-generation brat and gained a silent, cold-hearted scholar named Liu Zhi who was desperate to study.
Just then, the Old Steward requested to see him, and Liu Zhi remembered the business at hand, quickly straightening Lady Die in her posture. “Come in.”
The Old Steward naturally came to report on Jiang Pengji’s schedule for the day. Initially, it went well, and Liu Zhi’s expression displayed slight changes, but overall, it remained one of a father’s approval of his child. However, when Jiang Pengji lifted Xu Xiaoyu’s chin with her fan, he fell silent.
“Xu Ke? The one who’s been branded, with tattoos on his face… is that Xu Xiaoyu from Zisang County?” Liu Zhi asked uncertainly.
The Old Steward looked confused; he had only mentioned the kid’s name, not his courtesy name or background. How did the master know?
“Yes, the Second Young Master accepted this person’s contract and even believes he will find a way to escape at midnight…”
Liu Zhi scoffed, “A fickle temperament and born rebellious—how could someone like that be tamed? Since Lanting says he’ll escape, he surely will… The guard at the farm is thin, and under the cover of darkness, if they let their guard down, he might just get away.”
The Old Steward was perplexed by his master’s sudden departure from logic. He hesitated to ask, “Then… what does the master think…”
If Xu Xiaoyu really escaped at night, he would be a runaway slave, and if caught, they could kill him without question!
“At the very least, Lanting spent money to buy him back, so there’s no way I’ll let him simply escape,” Liu Zhi said, testing Jiang Pengji. He had given such a meager budget that if anything extravagant happened, the house servants would end up starving.
At this moment, Liu Zhi suddenly displayed a familiar, unsettling grin that everyone dreadfully recognized. Whenever he schemed against someone or brought them bad luck, he wore this eerie expression—over time, it had instilled them with a fear that could lead to a phobia.
“Send another squad to guard the farm. If he escapes, break one of his legs. A serious injury will keep him in line for a hundred days.”
The Old Steward was astonished; avoiding punishment for a runaway slave?
When had his master become so lenient?
As the Old Steward was about to leave, Liu Zhi suddenly changed his mind, issuing a command that baffled the Old Steward even more. “Forget it; I’ll go see Xu Xiaoyu personally. As for Lanting, just inform him—there’s no need to hide it.”
Lady Die, standing nearby, looked bewildered and frowned, asking, “What’s the background of that Xu Xiaoyu?”
Liu Zhi smiled coldly, “A wolf that can bite and cannot be tamed.”
What a scathing evaluation!
Lady Die lowered her gaze and said, “Cannot be tamed? But it can bite; that’s still better than a dog that only barks and turns its elbow out.”
Her words had undertones, which Liu Zhi understood but chose not to react to.
Lady Die grew impatient after waiting a while, let out a cold huff, and got up, dramatically swishing her sleeves as she left.
With the room silent and empty, Liu Zhi sighed, murmuring to himself, “Ruined by Min’er… her temper is still as fierce as ever…”
