Chapter 9.2

Indeed, Fan Yuan’s prediction was pretty good. When his condition had stabilised better, Lord Ning went over to Xu-shi‘s place at night. He wasn’t clear on the specifics of the situation, but his confinement was lifted the next day.

In fact, regardless of whether his confinement was lifted or not, it did not have much of an effect on Fan Yuan. That round of beating from the wooden stick had hurt to the deepest depths of his heart. Not to mention even leaving the courtyard, it was hard enough for him to get out of bed. Fortunately, this cheap old father still had a little conscience, endlessly supplying precious medicinal herbs, if not, it wasn’t surprising if he took his last breath just like that.

By his side, Xu-shi nagged, “That bitch Ning Xirong is born under such a lucky star! Who knows what kind of dirty tricks she used to actually catch the eye of the Third Prince. Today, she was invited to go to the Princess Royal’s estate to appreciate the flowers. If she gains the recognition of the nobles, it will be even more difficult to find fault with her. In this world, the good never receive good retribution, but the evil live better than anyone else!”

“Old Master kept saying that he wanted to make it up to you, but I do not see him reprimanding Ning Xirong with even a sentence. You have been bedridden for half a month and he has not even come to visit you. It can be seen that he does not put you in his heart. It is all my fault, I did not give you a healthy body. Everyone looks down on you, even your father does not take you seriously……”

Fan Yuan patted her hand and comforted patiently, “If Mother was not here, there would be no me, what fault is there to speak of. Father greatly loves Ning Xirong. It is nothing more than due to the fact that she has won over the Third Prince. Even if I were not a sick child, the current situation would not have changed. Mother does not have to assume the blame onto yourself. ”

Xu-shi‘s eyes reddened, “That round of beatings from the stick have injured your internal organs. In the future, I’m afraid…… Tell me how I can be willing to let this slide.”

Fan Yuan said, “There is no need to feel anxious over this. You are unwilling to let this slide, but do you think that Ning Xirong is willing? She is certain that I harmed Ning Siyuan, so she has made up her mind to not let me go. Simply wait for her to err. Dealing with problems in a calm demeanour is the best strategy.”

Xu-shi knew that her son had matured a great deal after that matter, so he would look at things more thoroughly. Although she was still miserable in her heart, she nodded in agreement and held up the ginseng soup by her side and fed it to him, spoonful by spoonful.

Though Fan Yuan remained indifferent on the surface, he was strategising in his heart. Ning Xirong had the whole world’s luck, while he had to rely on the ginseng soups and panaceas to hang onto his life. Just a simple cold could easily end his life. If he came into direct conflict with her, he would only suffer losses. Thus, it was better for him to take good care of his body first.

*******************

In the blink of an eye, over a month had passed. Fan Yuan’s surface injuries had gradually healed, but the issue was that his internal body had received too much damage. Even if his body was properly recuperated, it was uncertain whether he would be able to live to adulthood.

In order to make him happy, Xu-shi planted various types of rare flowers and plants in the yard, immediately visible as soon as he opened the window.

Originally, Fan Yuan did not enjoy these fragile playthings, but seeing that Xu-shi did all this, he could only pretend that he liked them very much, so he would water the plants and prune their branches and leaves every day. Things could be considered to be quite leisurely.

There was still no news from Xiao Wu, and the same went for Yan Rui. The problem now was that he didn’t know who Yan Rui had become, and Yan Rui didn’t know where he had gone. If that person was not able to find him in this world and he’d just left like this, what would that man do?

Feeling annoyed, he carelessly cut off the flower stem of a stalk of chinese chrysanthemum. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the broken flower in his hand. Suddenly, an idea flashed up in his mind.

k2014;k2014;Was this incident really an accident?

Xiao Wu’s condition had always been very stable and its level had also been steadily improving. The possibility of system failure when entering a world in the middle plane was extremely small. So, who was the one who messed with it?

He half-squatted on the ground, holding the cut chrysanthemum in his hand. His face didn’t really hold any expression, but it could make others feel his uneasiness clearly.

Originally, Tong Zhengxuan was just passing by Ning estate, but somehow, he thought of the boy in Fukang Courtyard. He could not help but come over to have a look, and that was when he happened to get a panoramic view of this scene.

The side of the boy’s pale face made him feel like his heart had been stabbed. Before he could step forward, a white figure beside him had already rushed ahead. He had no time to stop it, and the thin and weak boy had already been pinned onto the ground by a gigantic dog.

The two maids were so frightened by this big dog that they screamed repeatedly. They only cared about running for their lives, how could they care about whether their master lived or not. Tong Zhengxuan hurriedly rushed to help the boy up. Seeing that Fan Yuan’s face was pale, he could tell that the injury on his back had yet to recover. Without realising, he directed a kick towards that big white hound.

Fan Yuan quickly stopped him and glanced at that Samoyed who still carried a constant silly smile on its face, it was funny and it put one in a good mood. He turned his face over and said calmly, “What is Cousin Tong doing? Dogs have a natural love to play. Besides, it does not know that I’m hurt, so spare it.”

Tong Zhengxuan’s gaze met with Fan Yuan’s clear and bright eyes, and unlike the previous acquiescence he had before, he let out an ‘Alright’ without knowing.

Fan Yuan squatted down and teased the silly dog with the chrysanthemum he had cut off. Tong Zhengxuan squatted beside him and watched him play with the dog, and then he asked without intending it, “Are your injuries better?”

Fan Yuan was stunned. This cold faced cousin was actually being “kind-hearted”. At the beginning when the original host was slandered by Ning Xirong, he stood by with cold eyes. When the original host was seriously ill in bed, he did not make half a movement either. Only when the person was able to get out of bed and walk around, he came to show concern. Wasn’t that too late?

Thinking that this person was going to be deeply in love with the female lead in the future, this man had to have a hostile relationship with him, so he lost interest in socialising. Thus, he got straight to the point, “If Cousin Tong wishes to question me on the reason behind why I hurt Siyuan, I am afraid that I still cannot answer it.”

Tong Zhengxuan did not expect that his words would be so sharp. He frowned before explaining, “I simply care about you. As for that matter, we need Yuan’er to wake up before making a judgment.”

Fan Yuan gave a low chuckle and nodded, “Yes, the truth will come to light when he wakes up.”

Inexplicably, Tong Zhengxuan felt uncomfortable. Fan Yuan’s words were truly sarcastic. He had already been punished and nearly lost his life in the dungeon. If he really was innocent, how abominable would they look in his eyes.

Thinking of this, he could not help but feel annoyed and perplexed. He saw the youth cup his hands together to hold up a handful of water, cheerfully helping the dog drink. After collecting his thoughts, he explained, “This dog is a tribute from a foreign country. His majesty has bestowed it upon my aunt, and my aunt then passed it over to me. If you like, I can let it accompany and play with you for a few days.”

Tong Zhengxuan’s aunt was the Emperor’s favoured concubine. It was not surprising at all that she would have such a dog. In the original story, this dog was used by Tong Zhengxuan to gain the favour of the female lead, but now the receiver was changed to himself, so he could not help but feel surprised.

After thinking about it, he declined, “There is no need. It is so lively. I have not recovered from my illness, there is no way for me to play with it. I am afraid that it will be too bored.”

Tong Zhengxuan secretly blamed himself for his carelessness. This dog was too big and it liked to play with people. How could it be suitable for such a thin and frail boy like Siqi?! Hence, he said, “That is also fine. I will find a clever and obedient little dog for you next time.”

Fan Yuan simply assumed that he was being polite, so he casually gave him a reply in agreement and continued to feed the dog water.

*******************

After his surface injuries were more or less healed, Fan Yuan finally walked out of his courtyard. The first thing he did was to visit his “Father” whom he had never met before.

Laozi had beaten his son to death. This father was also hard-handed one with a black heart, but who knew if this second grade official of the current dynasty could truly sleep peacefully at night? Did that weak but kind-hearted child ever go to him to complain tearfully about the injustice he faced?

When he entered Ning Zhe’s study, that person’s head did not lift at all as he carried on writing his missive. He said coldly and indifferently, “Your injuries have just healed, but you are not properly staying in your room to recuperate. What did you come finding me for?”

Fan Yuan walked over the chair by the side and sat down, staring at him quietly without uttering a word. Ning Zhe didn’t hear his reply for a long time, causing him to look up at Fan Yuan discontentedly. At this look, he was tremendously surprised. The young man in front of him carried a refreshing, elegant bearing and he was as gentle as jade. He almost couldn’t recognize that this was his second son.

Ever since the boy was punished with 30 beatings from the stick that day, Ning Siqi’s resentful gaze before he fell unconscious had been imprinted in Ning Zhe’s mind, resulting in him deliberately avoiding the child. He had not seen him for nearly two months. He never would have thought that the child would have changed so much, it was almost as if he had cast off his old self to take on a form anew.

Fan Yuan saw that the man was finally willing to look at him, so the corners of his mouth pulled up to reveal a harmless smile, “Father toils over state affairs daily, it is of utmost importance to take care of the body.”

Ning Zhe looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. After a moment, he sighed deeply, speaking in a grave and earnest manner, “Qi’er, do you still blame Father? In fact, that matter was……”

Fan Yuan shook his head, appearing to be respectful and honest, “What words are these, Father? I naturally know of Father’s pains. If Sister Xirong did not force you that day, how would Father be willing to punish me. Moreover, the herbs sent to Fukang Courtyard every day are like flowing water. Without Father’s care, I am afraid I would not have lived to this day. Your child has so much gratitude for Father that cannot be expressed, why would there be blame?”

“……” The entire stomach of sophistry that Ning Zhe had prepared were all swallowed back. His forehead twitched, “You- you- of course it is best that you are able to understand.”

Fan Yuan said with a smile, “In fact, your child came to find Father as there is a presumptuous request.”

Ning Zhe said, “Speak.”

Fan Yuan solemnly said, “Your child wishes to take the imperial examination.”

Ning Zhe pondered for a moment before he shook his head, “You should know your own body. Let us not talk about whether you can pass the examination for the time being. Even if you do get lucky and pass it, it would just be a brief moment of bloom just as the broad-leaved epiphyllum. Why don’t you take advantage of when your body is still alright to enjoy a few years of happiness, lest you have any regrets when the time comes.”

Fan Yuan sneered coldly in his heart, was this to remind him that he was a sick child and couldn’t live past a few more years? Truly a biological father, saying such cruel words to a 14-year-old child. Even though he was not the original host, his heart had also turned cold.

Ning Xirong’s evaluation of Ning Zhe was that he was mercenary and had little affection for his family. It turned out that this was really true.

This man only cared about the reputation of the Ning Family and his own power and position. His sons and daughters were just the gambling chips for his use. He would value whoever was useful. As a useless son, he was naturally left with his share of being abandoned. The reason why the man spent money for him to cling onto his life was simply because he did not want to bear the crime of killing his son.

He said, “What Father says is very true. Your child used to think the same before — since my days ahead are numbered, it would be better to wait for death in peace.”

Seeing Ning Zhe nod with approval, he suddenly changed the subject and spoke impassionedly, “But the last time your child’s life hung on a thread due to the wooden stick, I suddenly regretted it. Since I am going to pass sooner or later and would have gone without accomplishing anything, I might as well do something important to let the world remember me. This way, I would not have come to this world in vain. To speak the truth, your child has had a long-cherished wish ever since I was a child, that is, to be the number one scholar and to make Father and Mother proud of me. When I pass in the future, I can be held accountable to our great line of ancestors. I hope that Father can fulfill this wish, and will not let your child die with everlasting regret. ”

When he mentioned the incident from before, Ning Zhe already felt guilty. And then he said what, “die with everlasting regret”, “great line of ancestors”?! He was shocked to the point that he was trembling as he struck the table angrily, “What nonsense are you spouting! What does it have to do with our ancestors! Good, good, if you want to take the exam, then take it, but do not enter my Jinghong Courtyard ever again! If you have any needs in the future, you can find the housekeeper or your di mother. Do not come to me to add more troubles.”

Fan Yuan had gotten exactly what he had came for, so he immediately lifted his hands up in a fist and said, “Many thanks to Father for granting this wish.” With that, he forthrightly exited the study.