A Jiu entered Captain Zhu's quarters and immediately saw him standing at the door to greet him.
"Yan Lai—Young Master," he said, his expression contorted as if caught between deference and bureaucratic arrogance.
A military manual flew from behind and struck Captain Zhu squarely on the back of the head.
"Why be polite with him?" a voice scolded from behind. "I've told you before—don't treat him as a person."
Captain Zhu flushed crimson, torn between humiliation and anger yet not daring to lose his temper. It was easy to say, but if you truly didn't treat A Jiu as a person, why did you casually strike and berate me in front of him? It's me who's treated as less than human in his presence!
He glanced at A Jiu standing in the doorway, hoping the boy would act decently and pretend not to have seen anything.
But unfortunately, A Jiu clearly wasn't a decent person either—he stood at the entrance watching the spectacle and burst into uproarious laughter.
Covered in shame, Captain Zhu dared not speak and didn't know what to do. Another curse came from behind: "Get lost! Come back after I'm done talking."
Captain Zhu immediately scurried out, considerately closing the door behind him, never wanting to see these two Xies again.
With the ridiculous Captain Zhu gone, A Jiu saw a fat man seated behind a broad desk, his legs propped on the table. But due to his stout build and short legs, the entire posture looked absurd.
A Jiu laughed heartily again: "My dear nephew, you must be suffering sitting like that."
Xie Xiao couldn't stand being addressed this way by A Jiu. He sprang up like a rubber ball: "You little bastard! What did you call me?"
But the next moment, a gust of wind approached, and the "rubber ball" was slammed back into his chair by a large hand.
A Jiu lifted his long leg to step on the desk, resting an arm on Xie Xiao's shoulder as his phoenix eyes narrowed mockingly. "Why don't you go tell Third Brother Xie what you just called me? Little bastard—we share the same father. Who exactly are you calling a bastard?"
Xie Xiao mentally screamed "you little bastard" but didn't voice it aloud. Still, he showed no fear: "What do you want?"
A Jiu reached out to stroke Xie Xiao's face, the scars on his palm scraping like coarse rope across the plump, fair skin, leaving a red mark.
"I'll do whatever you want me to," he said with a mocking smile.
Xie Xiao understood the implication. When they were children, he'd led servants to bully this boy and whipped him once. The boy had actually snatched the whip and tried to strike back. Fortunately, Third Uncle had arrived in time and ordered Du Qi to seize the whip. The boy stubbornly refused to let go, his palm torn bloody by Du Qi's force—
Later, Third Uncle had Xie Yanlai whipped a dozen times on the back as punishment.
Even now, remembering the boy's frenzied ferocity, Xie Xiao felt a tremor of fear. This lowborn wretch was a rabid dog.
But no matter how rabid, he was still just a dog of the Xie family.
"Third Uncle has arrived in the capital," Xie Xiao straightened up and said through gritted teeth. "He has questions for you."
A Jiu uttered an "oh" and turned to leave.
"You brat!" Xie Xiao jumped up. "You dare disobey even Third Uncle's summons?"
A Jiu looked back: "Since your Third Uncle has questions for me, why are you still here wasting your Ninth Uncle's time? As a nephew, do you dare take responsibility for delaying your elder's affairs?"
Xie Xiao's chubby face contorted again. A Jiu curled his lips in a smirk and swaggered out.
...
...
When A Jiu entered, Xie Yanfang was sitting by a stream, fishing.
The stream meandered between pavilions and towers, small fish swimming merrily in the water, completely uninterested in Xie Yanfang's bait.
Xie Yanfang didn't seem to mind.Outside the pavilions and towers stood many young people, none daring to approach for fear of disturbing Xie Yanfang's fishing. When they saw A Jiu walking over, their expressions varied—some scornful, some sneering, some envious, and others indifferent.
A Jiu ignored them and strode directly toward Xie Yanfang.
"Thir—" Xie Xiao shoved A Jiu aside as he rushed forward, then abruptly halted, lowering his voice for fear of scaring away the fish about to bite. "Uncle."
A Jiu pushed him away and stood by the stream, announcing loudly, "I'm back."
The small fish in the stream that had been cautiously testing the bait immediately darted away in a flurry.
Xie Yanfang looked up at him. "Is the matter settled?"
A Jiu nodded. "It's done."
Xie Yanfang asked casually, "Everything went smoothly? No other issues?"
Other issues—A Jiu replied, "The letter was delivered without a hitch. Nothing happened. The other party didn't ask anything."
Chu Ling had indeed asked nothing; he had only said a few things, all unrelated to the letter.
Xie Xiao, standing nearby, was puzzled. What matter? Wasn't this brat A Jiu punished by Third Uncle and sent off to be a lowly soldier after angering him?
He still remembered the argument vividly—A Jiu had been kicked out by Du Qi, sent flying with a single blow.
It had been utterly satisfying to watch.
How could it now be about handling some task?
Xie Xiao glared fiercely at A Jiu. How could Third Uncle still use this wretched little bastard?
A Jiu raised his phoenix-like eyes slightly, meeting Xie Xiao's gaze with equal hostility.
"Yan Lai," Xie Yanfang sighed with apparent helplessness. "Quarreling is one thing, but no infighting. I know they bully you, and you resent it, but you should also understand that they resent you just as much. After all, by rights, you shouldn't be on equal footing with them—you're even a generation above."
A Jiu's expression remained indifferent. "It's not like I asked to be on equal footing with them."
Xie Yanfang looked at him, a faint smile on his lips. "You're right. You're innocent in this. My father first had a fleeting romance with your mother, which led to your birth. Later, your mother took her own life so you could have a family to rely on. From start to finish, you've been blameless. You didn't choose to be born, nor did you seek to become the Ninth Young Master of the Xie family."
His voice was calm and gentle, his gaze clear, tinged with a hint of pity.
"I understand your resentment and grievances, which is why I allow you to be disrespectful to the family. However—"
With that "however," his voice and eyes turned cold.
"Now that you've entered the Xie family, you bear its mark. Everything you do will reflect on the Xies. You may forsake this status to vent your anger, betraying your mother's sacrifice, but I cannot dishonor my father or the Xie ancestors by neglecting or failing to guide you."
A Jiu's hands, hanging at his sides, clenched briefly before relaxing. "I understand."
Xie Xiao and the others around them exchanged smug looks.
Xie Yanfang turned to them. "You all as well. It's been long enough—you should be used to it by now. If this continues, I won't be lenient with you either."
Xie Xiao and the others hurriedly chimed in, "Third Brother, don't worry." "Third Uncle, you're right." "We'll all listen to you."
Xie Yanfang paid them no mind and smiled gently at A Jiu. "These past days, have you thought it over? Are you willing to marry Miss Liang?"
A Jiu lifted his head. "No."
Xie Xiao and the others began to stir, but Du Qi, standing outside the pavilion, barked, "Quiet! Don't disturb the Young Master's conversation."
Silence fell instantly outside the pavilion.Xie Yanfang only looked at A Jiu: "Yan Lai, you should trust me. The Liang family's status and Miss Liang's appearance will not be unworthy of you."
A Jiu smiled: "I know. This is also for the Xie family's reputation. Those you select are bound to be the finest."
Xie Yanfang's gaze remained clear, not accusatory but curious as he asked: "Then why are you unwilling?" He studied him briefly and added with a laugh, "Could it be that you've already pledged to someone, vowing never to part in life or death?"
Xie Yanfang had meant it in jest, but A Jiu's previously indifferent smile vanished, replaced by a flicker of irritation in his eyes.
"No!" he said coldly.
Just like that woman from the Chu family, Xie Yanfang would say such things the moment romantic entanglements came to mind.
"I'd willingly die for you. Even in death, I'd be yours." The voice of Chu Zhao seemed to echo in his ears, and he could almost see the girl's feigned tears and dramatics.
These deceivers never truly cared about others' lives, yet they always prattled on about life and death.
Xie Yanfang examined A Jiu closely.
"No? Then surely you don't intend to remain unmarried—that won't do." He sighed softly. "In our Xie family, aside from me, none of you can simply follow your whims."
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