Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Xu Mu's heart raced, feeling as if it had lodged in his throat, yet he dared not make a move. He watched as Aunty Qing slightly parted her red lips to speak.
"It shouldn't be this way, but your esteemed young master has certainly indulged quite a bit. He requires at least three ladies each day, and I must insist on those who charge no less than five taels. Over the course of seven days, considering we are old acquaintances, let’s settle on five taels, which totals to one hundred and five taels."
"Though your young master is swift in his actions, everything must be accounted for. The tips are also recorded. I won't go into detail; after settling the accounts, Lord Su can review them himself. In total, it amounts to two hundred fifty-seven taels. Let’s just round it down to two hundred fifty taels for your young master."
As she mentioned his quick actions, Aunty Qing couldn't help but glance at Xu Mu, who stood nearby with clammy palms. A smirk tugged at her lips but was quickly suppressed.
Xu Mu's face flushed with embarrassment, and he remained silent, harboring a deep resentment towards Aunty Qing. It was one thing to mention his visits to such places in front of so many people, but to imply he was lacking in that regard was intolerable. How could a man be said to be inadequate?
At that moment, Xu Mu felt a burning discomfort on his face, while Su Che observed the scene with great interest. Seeing this, he settled down, ready to enjoy some fruit while watching how Xu Mu would handle the situation. Suddenly, a loud "smack" echoed as Su Father slammed his palm on the table, his face turning crimson as he trembled with rage while pointing at Su Che, unable to articulate his anger.
Aunty Qing feigned surprise and proceeded to stoke the flames further. "Oh? This young master is quite handsome! Though he seems unfamiliar, it wouldn’t hurt for young master Xu to bring him along next time. I can arrange for a twenty percent discount for him."
With that, she shot a flirtatious glance at Su Che, who turned away with a blush creeping onto his cheeks.
Aunty Qing appeared to be around thirty years old but was well-preserved and strikingly beautiful; her every move was captivating. In both past and present lives, Su Che had no interest in anyone besides Xu Mu. Although Xu Mu was indeed as Aunty Qing described—quick in his actions—Su Che had never felt anything unusual due to his sensitivity and lack of experience with others. He believed that being content with Xu Mu for a lifetime was enough. However, Aunty Qing's remarks made him feel somewhat embarrassed.
Her words naturally served to vindicate Su Che; yet it seemed she felt the need to add more fuel to the fire. "Though the name on the account bears the surname Su, it is young master Xu who is responsible for the charges. If Lord Su has any doubts, he may send someone to Fragrant Pavilion for verification. Of course, I mean no offense; how you manage your family name is your own affair—I only wish to settle the payment."
With that said, she raised her delicate hand slightly and yawned with her eyes half-closed.
Lord Su could no longer bear it; he turned away and waved his hand dismissively for someone to fetch silver for Aunty Qing. After confirming the amount was correct, he stood up to leave.
Once Aunty Qing had departed, Su Father remained seething in silence for quite some time, pointing at Xu Mu and sighing repeatedly. Words lingered on his lips but were swallowed back down; nothing seemed adequate to express his fury.
Aunty Qing's remarks had made him wish he could sink into the ground. He had initially thought that Su Che was out gallivanting since he had previously been quite reckless with money. Although he hadn’t seen him frequent such places, it wasn’t entirely impossible either.
The bill bore the name of Su Che, and Xu Mu had always been cautious, frugal in his clothing and food, and was known for being sensible. He initially thought the restaurant bill was an accident, but he didn't expect there would be another bill waiting for him.
Seeing this, Xu Mu realized that it was too late to say anything now; he could only admit his mistake and seek forgiveness from Su Father. After all, everything he had now was given to him by Su Father. With the Scientific Examination approaching, as long as he hadn't achieved the top rank, he would have to rely on the Su Family. At this moment, he absolutely could not fall out with them, though he silently took note of it.
Xu Mu dropped to his knees with a thud. Su Che raised an eyebrow at this sight; though he didn't say anything, he thought to himself, "This kneeling is more decisive than during that other incident."
"It's all my fault, a thousand mistakes are mine alone. I have let everyone down; I was momentarily bewitched and deceived by others, committing a grave error that brought shame to the Su Family—truly deserving of death."
"I know that nothing I say can change the situation now. I beg you to punish me; I will not utter a single word of dissent. I only ask for a chance to correct my mistakes and become a better person. In the future, when I succeed, I will repay my parents' kindness."
"I am deeply ashamed to face you both; I should die to atone for my sins. But thinking of my sick mother at home... I... I know I've made a mistake. Please do not inform Mother; I'm afraid for her..."
"I am worthless! I deserve to die a thousand deaths! I'm such a fool..."
As Xu Mu berated himself, he slapped his own face repeatedly, each strike crisp and clear, until his face became swollen and red.
Su Mother watched with genuine concern but dared not intervene given Su Father's angry demeanor. Su Che remained silent as well.
It was merely a self-punishment tactic; he had known this all along. It might not work on him, but it was effective on his soft-hearted parents.
"You! You! You! What can I say to you?" Su Father pointed at Xu Mu but could only manage that one sentence after a long pause. Xu Mu continued slapping himself until blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth.
Though Su Che felt pity for his father, he couldn't stop him; it was better this way than facing the consequences of Xu Mu's actions later on.
Seeing that the timing was right, Su Che finally spoke up.
"Cousin, what are you saying? From the moment you arrived, my parents treated you even better than me. They have never deprived you of anything. Knowing your mother is gravely ill, they never once mentioned the costs of her treatment over these years. They said from the beginning that you need not live under our family's name; it was you who insisted on calling them father and mother."
"Previously, Uncle and Aunt made mistakes and called themselves your parents; now you're bringing up Cousin again? My parents haven't even opened their mouths to punish you. I thought you were aware of your mistakes when you started hitting yourself like this. But how can you treat my parents this way? If people hear this, they will think my family has wronged you."
Xu Mu looked at Su Che in shock, unable to believe that Su Che would say such things to him. Normally, wouldn't he have stood up for him by now? His cheeks were already numb from self-inflicted blows, yet Su Che continued to add fuel to the fire.
Xu Mu had intended to stop but found himself hitting harder instead; his swollen mouth made it difficult for him to articulate his apologies clearly.
Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Su Mother stepped forward to intervene. She had wanted to persuade Su Father earlier but hesitated after hearing Su Che's words.
In her heart, she thought that after all, he was someone else's son—one they couldn't hit or scold without care—and they had treated him with caution everywhere. Yet they still hadn't managed to teach him properly; besides, what Su Che said did make sense.
On ordinary days, Xu Mu would only call them Uncle and Aunt, as they had permitted. However, now that he had acknowledged them as his parents, it was inevitable that Aunt felt a twinge of disappointment in her heart.
Comment 0 Comment Count