Chapter 544 - 203: Speculation 3
That also explained why no one was at the gate—all the servants were off cleaning.
The young servant had only come to check after hearing hushed voices at the entrance, wanting to see if a guest had arrived. When he saw who it was, his face lit up with joy. ’Mr. Zhao, the top scorer, is really here to visit?’
Seeing the servant turn to call for someone, Zhao Jing and the others quickly stopped him. "Hold on, please. We’re just passing by and have urgent business to attend to. Please don’t tell the old master we were here. We’d hate for him to get his hopes up for nothing."
As they left the alley and took a side path toward the Chen family’s home, Chen Wanqing recalled the scene of their hasty retreat and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
Zhao Jing saw her and couldn’t help but laugh as well. But after his laughter faded, he sighed. "I hadn’t planned on visiting the old master, but now it feels wrong not to."
"Then go see him."
"But I’m worried I’ll say the wrong thing if I do, and it will remind him of his own situation, causing him to wallow in self-pity."
"Just have De’an go with you. If things get awkward, he can crack a few jokes and change the subject..."
While they were talking, they arrived at Xinghua Alley.
To get to the Chen family’s home, they had to pass Mr. Yin’s house first.
It just goes to show, sometimes you have to believe in fate, whether you want to or not.
And speak of the devil, just as they reached Mr. Yin’s gate, Mr. Yin himself emerged from within.
Upon seeing Zhao Jing and De’an, Mr. Yin deliberately ignored Chen Wanqing. After all, what had happened at the dog market that day was still rather embarrassing to recall.
’Harassing a woman from a respectable family was one thing, but harassing his own student’s wife? That was just utterly shameless, making him no better than a beast in fine clothes.’
Mr. Yin might have had low standards for himself, but they hadn’t sunk to *that* level.
So, to avoid any awkwardness, he had simply pretended not to see Chen Wanqing whenever they crossed paths since.
Mr. Yin raised an eyebrow, teasing Zhao Jing. "So, you became the top scorer and now you’re here to share the good news with your in-laws? I’m not trying to tell you what to do, Zhao Jing, but how can you show up at your father-in-law’s home empty-handed? Are you just asking to get kicked out?"
Zhao Jing gave a perfunctory cupped-fist salute in greeting.
"My father- and mother-in-law treat me like their own son. Going to their home is like going to my own, so they have every reason to be happy. They’d be thrilled even if I arrived empty-handed. Not like you, Mr. Yin. When you go to *your* in-laws’ home... oh, forgive me, that was inappropriate. Can you even set foot in your in-laws’ home these days?"
Thanks to the "Pearl" incident, Mr. Yin had managed to take revenge on the superior who had been making his life difficult.
However, his methods had been so underhanded and shameless—and he’d failed to keep the matter quiet afterward, allowing the story to spread throughout the Capital City. While Mrs. Yin was easily placated with a few sweet words, her family—the Yue Family—bitterly regretted misjudging his character. They were now being ostracized because of him, and as a result, they refused to even be civil with Mr. Yin.
They wouldn’t even accept the holiday gifts Mr. Yin sent over.
If Mrs. Yin hadn’t been so utterly infatuated with him—as if she’d been fed some bewitching potion—and stubbornly insisted on staying by his side, her family would have already cut him off. They only held back out of consideration for their daughter... but in truth, they desperately wanted to sever all ties!
For Zhao Jing, getting a rise out of people was as easy as breathing.
Mr. Yin, on the other hand, didn’t seem angered by Zhao Jing’s provocations. He simply pointed his folding fan at him from a distance.
"You little brat, don’t think you’re beyond my reach just because you’ve graduated from the academy. You just wait. At the Lu Ming Banquet, I’ll see to it that you’re drunk under the table."
The beautiful woman nestled at Mr. Yin’s side laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, stop it now. You’re his teacher; how can you be seen bickering with a student? Let’s go, it’s already lunchtime and I’m getting hungry."
With the beauty providing an exit, Mr. Yin paid the group no more mind. He wrapped his arm around his companion, flicked open his fan, and sauntered off with a triumphant air.
"The sun’s out, but it’s not warm at all. Fanning his face with a cool breeze... I have to wonder, is Mr. Yin not cold?"
"If you’re that curious, you can call him back and ask."
"Never mind, I’d rather not. Mr. Yin is such a handful. With a mouth like his, you’re the only one who can handle him without losing ground."
Still chatting, the three of them entered the Chen family’s home.
Xu Su Ying was lying on a chaise longue, basking in the sun and looking incredibly relaxed.
She could only afford to rest for a few days now that the Provincial Examination was over. Before the exams, Xie Ming and the female manager had been hounding her in turns. She had been so busy she barely had a moment’s rest, sometimes going a whole day without a proper meal.
When Xu Su Ying saw her son, daughter, and son-in-law had all arrived, she quickly sat up. She glanced at the sun, then asked, "What are you three doing here? Looking to mooch a meal? If you wanted to eat here, you should have said something earlier. It’s so late now, we can’t make any of the more elaborate dishes."