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After taking a stroll, An Junw.a.n.g regretted it.
It was very cold and the road was so dark. He should have brought some money and warm clothes before leaving home.
Right now, he was penniless and without a carriage, even his trusted bodyguard Wu Yang had been detained by his grandfather.
Wu Yang, who accompanied him to the State of Chen, was seven years his senior. He wasn’t just his dark guard but also his playmate.
He always thought that after going through so many hardships together, Wu Yang was completely loyal to him, but reality dealt him a cruel blow.
Before he knew it, he had been wandering around the capital for several hours, falling several times. The streets were still crowded with pedestrians, but for the first time in his life, he felt disconnected from the bustle around him.
He crossed the bustling streets and arrived at a small courtyard where he had once stayed.
But as he was about to enter, he was stopped by the servant boy inside.
The servant boy said awkwardly, "Junw.a.n.g, this servant just received orders from the Zhuang Family not to allow you to enter."
Great.
Very well.
He couldn"t even stay in his own courtyard.
If he couldn’t stay here, then elsewhere.
An Junw.a.n.g went to three residences under the Zhuang Family"s name in a row, and without exception, he was turned away.
He couldn"t even enter the restaurants and inns he had once frequented as an esteemed guest. First, he lacked money, but that wasn"t the main issue. In the past, even without money, he could still roam freely in the capital, as there were plenty of people willing to pay for him.
The important point was the second one: Grand Preceptor Zhuang had someone deliver messages to be sent to these establishments he had visited.
How did Grand Preceptor Zhuang know about his past activities like the back of his hand?
It was all thanks to Wu Yang.
After being rejected countless times, An Junw.a.n.g looked at the serene sky and laughed so hard his shoulders shook.
His grandfather was right; without the ident.i.ty of the Zhuang Family"s legitimate grandson, he was nothing.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang probably wanted to use this method to force him back. An Junw.a.n.g had always been a sensible and obedient child, having endured hardships and suffering, but he had never faced them alone.
He had Wu Yang by his side, as well as many other experts, and he had Empress Dowager Zhuang and Grand Preceptor Zhuang behind him, along with the entire Zhuang family.
Now, he had nothing.
He couldn"t even find a place to stay.
It was sad and laughable.
But there was one thing he was very grateful for: Gu Jiao had healed his eyes, and he was no longer night-blind. Otherwise, even walking on the streets would be a luxury for him right now.
The biting cold wind felt like knives on his face. At first, he could feel the pain, but gradually, he became numb.
After walking for a while, even his mind went numb. He had no idea where his feet brought him. When he realized where he was, his heart skipped a beat, and he turned around to leave!
But it was too late.
A small mushroom head peeked out from the door crack, "Are you... looking for someone?"
"I..." An Junw.a.n.g opened his mouth.
The courtyard gate was pushed open forcefully by the little bean, and the candlelight from inside shone through. The little bean saw his face clearly and exclaimed, "You"re the big brother who visited our house before! We met in the countryside. Big brother, do you remember me?"
An Junw.a.n.g was speechless.
When Gu Jiao"s family was still in the countryside, he had visited their home more than once in order to meet Empress Dowager Zhuang.
But... How long ago was that? How could this little guy still remember him?
Then, without waiting for An Junw.a.n.g to say he was just pa.s.sing by and did not mean to disturb them, the little bean shouted into the courtyard, "Brother-in-law! There"s a guest!"
An Junw.a.n.g was startled, "I... That..."
Xiao Heng walked over to Little Jing Kong and said, "Are you thinking of sneaking out to play again?"
Little Jing Kong blinked nervously and replied, "No, I"m not!"
With that, he swiftly ran off inside.
Xiao Heng looked at An Junw.a.n.g outside the gate, who was trying hard to remain calm but actually seemed a bit fl.u.s.tered. His gaze spoke volumes.
An Junw.a.n.g felt guilty too.
Although he had not yet reached adulthood according to the customs of the State of Zhao, he was about to have a grand wedding soon, so the coming-of-age ceremony would also be held in advance.
Soon, he would be a real adult, a real man.
Men value their pride, especially in front of rivals and opponents. They must never show weakness.
An Junw.a.n.g decided not to let Xiao Heng see that he was a lost dog right now. He straightened his back and said firmly, "I"m just pa.s.sing by, I’m not here as a guest. I"ll take my leave."
Xiao Heng glanced deeply at him and said, "Come in and have a seat."
An Junw.a.n.g was momentarily stunned.
Were they that familiar with each other?
He was just pa.s.sing by, yet Xiao Liulang actually invited him in?
Fine, he dared to sit inside!
Who was afraid of whom!
An Junw.a.n.g grunted indifferently and followed Xiao Heng into the house, his expression unchanged.
At this time, several young men in the family were running around the yards, and both front and back doors of the main room were open, with no fire lit.
Xiao Heng invited An Junw.a.n.g to sit in a chair by the table and poured him a cup of hot tea.
An Junw.a.n.g had been wandering the streets for the entire afternoon and half the evening, feeling cold and thirsty. He took the tea cup and drank slowly, instantly feeling warmth spread through his stomach.
Sitting opposite him, Xiao Heng asked, "Haven"t had dinner yet?"
"I already ate." An Junw.a.n.g insisted, trying to save face.
Gurgle~
His stomach growled.
An Junw.a.n.g"s face flushed.
Xiao Heng called for Yuya"er and asked her to cook a bowl of noodles in the kitchen.
Yuya"er glanced back at An Junw.a.n.g several times.
An Junw.a.n.g thought to himself, even if I"m handsome, does she have to keep staring like that? Xiao Liulang, your servant doesn"t seem to know her manners...
Grandaunt had gone to Aunt Liu"s house to play leaf cards, and Old Chief went along to attend to her tea and private funds, so both were not at home.
As for Yao shi, she took Gu Xiaobao to watch Grandaunt play leaf cards. Gu Xiaobao was excited when he looked at the cards, and Yao shi didn"t know why.
An Junw.a.n.g sipped his tea and looked around.
"JiaoJiao isn"t here." Xiao Heng pointed out.
Gu Jiao had indeed gone to the medical hall and was not at home.
An Junw.a.n.g drank his tea to cover up his embarra.s.sment.
Yuya"er cooked a bowl of smoked bamboo shoot and preserved meat noodles, accompanied by a small dish of pickled vegetables.
As the legitimate grandson of the Zhuang Family, An Junw.a.n.g usually ate rare delicacies, yet for some reason, he found this to be the most delicious noodles he had ever eaten.
After finishing the bowl of noodles, An Junw.a.n.g felt completely at ease, even his frozen toes had warmed up.
He didn"t leave a drop of soup or a piece of pickled vegetable uneaten.
Having drunk his tea and eaten his noodles, An Junw.a.n.g felt it would be awkward to stay any longer.
Just as he was about to take his leave, Little Jing Kong"s frantic voice came from the room.
Such a sound usually only occurred when Gu Jiao was out, for he was well-behaved whenever Gu Jiao was home.
"Sit for a while, I"ll go take a look." Xiao Heng said as he got up and went to the west room.Raz P."s Thoughts
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