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墨書 Inktalez
Su Father was furious. He had initially thought that Su Che genuinely wanted to learn, but it turned out he had returned to escape a massive debt.
When Su Che had been studying with Xu Mu, he always needed a large amount of money. The Su Family, being in business, was never short on funds, and since Su Che used learning as an excuse each time, Su Father never hesitated to provide support or inquire too deeply.
Now, having seen the bills, he realized that the money Su Che had spent was not for studying at all; it was clearly squandered on indulgence. It wasn't that he cared about the money itself; it was that if Su Che couldn't succeed in his studies, he wouldn't say much—he could always return home and continue in business. But with such behavior, it was hard to believe that even a mountain of gold would last long.
With the bill in hand, Su Father stormed into Su Che's courtyard. Seeing his father's furious expression and the stack of papers in his hand, Su Che immediately understood why his father was so angry. He feigned surprise and asked, "Father, what brings you here today?"
Su Father's face was ashen as he coldly snorted and slammed the bill onto the table. "Hmph! Even if I had no time, I would make time! How else would I know you were behaving like this? I foolishly believed your nonsense and invited those teachers to our home for you to learn, and this is how you repay me?!"
"Those books of sages have gone straight to the dogs! And now you still pretend? What? You can't deceive me alone, so you gather a bunch of people to fool me?!"
Su Che pretended to be confused as he set down his book and dismissed the teachers. "Father, why are you so angry? Have I done something wrong? Please tell me how I've deceived you."
Su Father snorted again and pushed the bill toward him. "Look for yourself! This is all your doing!"
Upon hearing this, Su Che picked up the bill to examine it. After a moment, he set it down with a puzzled expression. "These bills are from recent days, but I haven't gone out at all. We have shared breakfast every day, and even when studying with the teachers in the courtyard, the doors were open. The servants coming and going can attest to that."
"If you don't believe me, you can call the gatekeeper to ask if I've left the house."
Seeing that Su Che didn't seem like he was lying, Su Father questioned the servants and the gatekeeper, discovering that Su Che indeed hadn't gone out. But then where did these bills come from? Surely they weren't fabricated by someone trying to cheat him?
Su Che spoke up again. "Father, why not investigate further? If these debts truly belong to me, I would accept punishment for them. But they are not my debts; someone must be causing trouble. It would be better to get to the bottom of this or report it to the authorities; such people should be caught."
Su Father nodded at this suggestion, realizing there was likely a significant issue at play. In his anger earlier, he had forgotten to clarify things properly. If he had wrongfully accused Su Che, he would feel guilty about it.
But the matter had yet to be clarified, and Su Che's suspicion could not be dismissed. Su Father said, "I will investigate this. If you are truly wronged, you can have whatever you want."
Su Che smiled and nodded, watching Su Father leave. He knew all too well that these bills were the work of Xu Mu. It was nothing more than a lack of money that led to his name being attached to them. In his previous life, he would have found ways to settle Xu Mu's debts.
Now, not only did he want Xu Mu to be broke, but he also wanted him to lose face in front of others, and this was just the beginning.
Soon, Su Father sent someone to investigate the bills, and without exception, they were all debts incurred by Xu Mu. Although the Su Family was not short on money, if Xu Mu's spending had been directed toward something worthwhile, Su Father would not have said anything.
However, dining out every day was somewhat extravagant, especially for someone like Xu Mu.
Xu Mu came from a poor background; his mother was a distant relative of the Su Family. During a chance visit home, Xu Mu's mother had come to their house seeking help while suffering from a serious illness.
Claiming she was gravely ill, Xu Mu was determined to pass the imperial examinations and change his fate. His mother was now sick, and their family’s finances had long been squandered by Xu Mu’s deceased father.
Seeing Xu Mother in such a pitiful state, Su Father and Su Mother agreed to treat Xu Mu as their own child. They brought him into the Su Family with the intention of also bringing Xu Mother to the capital. However, Xu Mother insisted on staying in her hometown, refusing to go along for fear of burdening Xu Mu.
She only asked that the Su Family provide Xu Mu with food, promising that once he achieved success, he would repay their kindness. Su Father had no intention of demanding repayment; he simply thought that since Xu Mu was a child from a poor family—after all, it is said that children from poor families mature quickly.
His experiences were different from those of Su Che. Considering they were of similar ages, bringing Xu Mu back would allow them to study together and perhaps help correct Su Che's careless spending habits.
Previously, Su Che had spent his days wandering around without studying much. After bringing Xu Mu back, he indeed became more restrained. It wasn't until today that Su Father realized he seemed to have never truly understood Xu Mu.
Upon learning the truth, Su Father wore a troubled expression, unsure how to approach a conversation with Xu Mu. After all, he was just a child—not his own—and he feared saying something that might hurt Xu Mu's feelings.
Su Mother learned of this and called for Su Che to counsel Su Father.
"Perhaps Mu'er has some difficulties. Why not call Mu'er back to clarify things? We shouldn't let the child feel neglected. Che'er was once very close to him; they spent every day together. I know Mu'er's character well, and I believe he wouldn't act without reason. After all, he's still young and could be easily influenced by others. Che'er, you know your cousin's nature better than anyone; he wouldn't behave like this."
Su Che smiled silently at his parents' certainty; there was no point in arguing when they were so convinced. If they thought he had been led astray, then so be it.
It was just about having a meal and some drinks. Following his mother's words, Su Father fell silent for a moment before agreeing to call Xu Mu back for clarification.
They sent someone to invite Xu Mu to the Su Family for dinner that afternoon. A smile crept onto Su Che's lips; tonight everyone would be gathered, and it had been a long time since they had all been together. He needed to add some "spice" to the gathering.
In the afternoon, Xu Mu arrived as promised, walking into the main hall with a smile. He first greeted Su Father and Su Mother, then hurried over when he saw Su Che standing nearby.
"A Che, it's been a while! How is your injury? Why didn't you let me know you were leaving? I would have worried sick if you hadn't come home."
After speaking, he smiled at Su Father and Su Mother and stepped forward to take Su Che's hand, but Su Che subtly pulled away. Xu Mu took this as a sign that Su Che was upset with him for not visiting and quickly sat down beside him.
"Come on, A Che, don't be mad at me. I did come by a few days ago, but Xiao Tao said you were resting and didn't want to see anyone. I left because I didn't want to disturb you. When I heard Uncle call for me, I rushed right over as soon as I knew you were better. Please don't stay angry with me, okay?"
In the past, Su Che would have blushed and been easily soothed by Xu Mu's words. However, after experiencing life anew, he found the sentiment insincere and repulsive. As Xu Mu leaned closer, Su Che stood up to create distance between them.
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