You Stole My Husband, So I Seduced Your Son - Chapter 36

After being silenced by Song Xuwan’s sharp retort a few days earlier and enduring days of bland meals, Zhou Minghai had already begun to feel he might have gone too far. Now, he dared not offend Song Xuwan further, fearing she might withhold his thick winter quilt.

In short, no matter how Song Xuwan scolded him, Zhou Minghai pretended not to hear, keeping his head down and sipping his tea.

After a few more remarks, Song Xuwan grew bored and asked, “Are you being bullied at the Imperial Academy?”

“How could anyone dare bully me? My uncle is the Censor-in-Chief! Every official in the court fears his impeachments. They’re too busy currying favor with me. You know, when Uncle personally escorted me to the academy, all the instructors were exceptionally polite.”

“Good. No one’s bullying you, but don’t you start bullying others either. Otherwise, I’ll tell your uncle to give you a beating.”

“That’s impossible, Mother. You can rest assured.”

After some idle chatter, it was time for dinner. The table held a plate of stir-fried greens, a plate of cold bean sprouts, and a tofu soup. Not only had Zhou Minghai been eating tasteless meals for days, but even Zhou Xinglin’s face darkened.

“Mother, I’ve finally returned home, and you won’t even let me have a proper meal?”

Song Xuwan ignored Zhou Xinglin’s complaint, simply instructing the maids to serve the rice. Left with no other option, Zhou Xinglin turned to Nanny Yun for help.

“Nanny, did you forget to make smoked chicken for me? I’ve been craving your smoked chicken for half a month!”

Nanny Yun looked a little helpless, unsure how to respond. She could only offer a dry laugh. “Young Master, just eat. You’ll get used to it after a few meals.”

The meal was rather dull. Only Zhou Minghai ate with his head down, taking a few perfunctory bites. Seeing that Zhou Xinglin and Ningning couldn’t stomach any more, Song Xuwan finally spoke up. “Yesterday, your maternal grandmother sent over a pair of shoes. Since you’ve finished eating, I’ll take you to try them on for size.”

With that, she led Zhou Xinglin and Ningning away. On the way, Ningning tugged on Zhou Xinglin’s arm and whispered, “Brother, there’s a surprise!”

“What surprise? Is there something special about the shoes?”

When they entered the room, Zhou Xinglin’s stomach rumbled loudly at the sight of the smoked chicken and several other exquisite dishes laid out on the table.

“I knew Nanny wouldn’t let me go hungry.”

After the trio finished their meal, Song Xuwan cautioned them, “Don’t tell your father about this, or he’ll throw a fit.”

“Mm-hmm, we’re all in this together.”

Having sucked the last bit of meat off a chicken bone, Zhou Xinglin finally asked, “Mother, why has Father suddenly gone mad and started demanding frugality?”

Song Xuwan sighed and finally revealed the origins of the Min Rongxue family and their characteristic lifestyle.

“Your father always urged me to learn frugality from Madam Min, and even had your sister learn embroidery from Young Miss Ji.”

Hoping to gain her son’s sympathy, Song Xuwan was stunned when Zhou Xinglin suddenly leaped up, exclaiming in disbelief, “Mother, what are you saying?”

“You mean Ji Moyang, Grand Academician Min’s grandson, is staying at our family’s annex? Ji Moyang? The Ji Moyang from Qingzhu Mountain Academy?”

“Yes, what about it? Is he famous?” Song Xuwan asked, puzzled.

“Of course! Among scholars, who doesn’t know Ji Moyang? He wrote his first formal essay at just twelve years old…”

Seeing Song Xuwan’s blank stare, Zhou Xinglin suddenly realized she didn’t understand what he was saying. He couldn’t help but sigh, “He’s incredibly famous. Even our teacher can’t stop praising him.”

“I’d only heard of Ji Moyang before. I never imagined he was Grand Academician Min’s grandson, and Father was Grand Academician Min’s disciple. Does that mean we’re practically old family friends?”

“He’s staying at our house again. Does this mean we’re practically family now? I can’t wait to visit him at the Annex right away!”

Seeing Zhou Xinglin’s almost manic excitement, Song Xuwan quickly pulled him back, soothingly saying, “He’s settled in comfortably and won’t run off. You have school tomorrow, so you won’t have time to visit the Annex. Besides, he’s busy preparing for his exams and won’t have time for idle chatter.”

“I know that, but I keep hearing about him. It’s just… hearing he’s so close to me suddenly makes me so excited. Mother, you’ve met Ji Moyang, haven’t you? What kind of person is he?”

Zhou Xinglin gazed at Song Xuwan with burning intensity, eager to piece together an image of his idol from her description.

Unfortunately, in Song Xuwan’s eyes, Ji Moyang was no different from a hungry wolf—a hypocritical, sanctimonious fraud.

She lowered her head, concealing the unease on her face. “I’ve never spoken to him. I don’t know him well.”

“Ah!” Zhou Xinglin sighed in disappointment. Then, he suddenly added, “Why am I asking you? I should ask Father. He must have discussed scholarship with Ji Moyang before.”

Still talking, Zhou Xinglin stood up, ready to leave, striking a pose as if about to engage Zhou Minghai in a lengthy conversation.

“Xinglin, stop right there!”

Song Xuwan wasn’t sure why she had called her son back. She just felt uneasy seeing Zhou Xinglin acting as if he were possessed, a feeling she couldn’t quite explain.

“What is it?” Zhou Xinglin asked, stopping in his tracks.

“I was going to ask Father about Ji Moyang’s study habits. Did Mother have anything else to say?”

“Well…” Song Xuwan hesitated, trying to find the right words. She had always been wary of her son growing too close to Ji Moyang.

“As I just told you, your father has been praising Madam Min and Young Miss Ji to the skies these past few days, while finding fault with everything your sister and I do. I’m worried that if you ask him about Ji Moyang, he’ll start comparing you two, which would only make you feel unfairly belittled.”

Zhou Xinglin paused, considering the possibility. He knew his own talents were ordinary and wouldn’t let jealousy get the better of him.

“Father’s just rambling, Mother. Don’t take it to heart. Wear whatever you like. Even if he passes away first, you can still dress in bright colors as a widow. He can always send you a dream from the afterlife to complain then.”

“You rascal!”

Song Xuwan finally felt a moment of tenderness from her son. She wanted to say more, but Zhou Xinglin was already impatiently hurrying away.

“Mother, is there anything else you wish to instruct me on?”

Song Xuwan opened her mouth, unsure how to phrase her thoughts. She sighed, “Pick the meat out of your teeth before your father sees it.”

After Zhou Xinglin left, Nanny Yun asked curiously, “Madam, the Young Master is so dedicated to his studies. You should be happy, yet you seem so worried.”

“I—” Song Xuwan sighed again. “Nanny, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Perhaps I don’t understand, but I do know Young Master Ji is a talented scholar. If our Young Master could receive guidance from him, his studies would surely advance rapidly. That would make me very happy.”

Logically, this seemed reasonable, but Song Xuwan couldn’t shake the feeling that the situation was developing strangely.

The next day, Zhou Xinglin packed his belongings and prepared to return to the Imperial Academy.

At the second gate, he pulled Zhou Jingning aside and said earnestly, “With our elder brother away, I must trouble you to take extra care of the family.”

The small girl, Ningning, seemed to mature instantly, promising, “Don’t worry, Brother. I’ll take good care of Father and Mother. You just focus on your studies.”