Chapter 101
Yang Mutao swirled his teacup, calming his breath, and said: "What is he jealous of you for?"
Fang Zichen shrugged: "Isn't it obvious? He's jealous that I'm more handsome than him!"
Yang Mutao: "......"
Fang Zichen stroked his still hairless, smooth chin. The more he talked, the more he felt this was exactly the case. Otherwise, why would Hao Desheng target him the moment he saw him, since he had never offended Hao Desheng before? He wasn't some great wrongdoer, he had neither failed Hao Desheng nor owed him any silver.
He stated with certainty: "Right, that's it, definitely. Case closed! Damn, I got beaten so unjustly."
Yang Mingyi: "......" You got beaten?
Fang Zichen had been sitting on top of Hao Desheng. When Hao Desheng threw punches at him, he dodged left and right, slippery as an eel. Hao Desheng's fists never once touched him from start to finish.
Fang Zichen continued: "Is it my fault I have a face that could cause chaos in a nation and bring doom to its people?"
Yang Mutao: "......"
He truly couldn't listen any longer and sternly scolded him for a few sentences.
The fat master chef knocked on the door and personally brought in a plate of pastries. As he left, he very tactfully said to Yang Mutao that Fang Zichen was still young, his temper was fiery, and his nature was inevitably a bit impulsive. Scolding him a little to make the point was enough, he shouldn't get angry.
Fang Zichen glanced at the fat master chef, thinking that he was very loyal.
Yang Mutao just felt that the two of them were singing from the same hymn sheet. This Fang Zichen really knew how to win people's hearts. Now, everyone at Zuixiao Restaurant, from Shopkeeper Yang at the top, to the madam washing vegetables in the back, down to the sweeping clerk in the Zuixiao Restaurant, all had 'a connection' with him.
However, he looked promising. With earnest effort, Yang Mutao wanted to advise him not to be so impulsive when encountering matters in the future, to think about the consequences of everything.
Fang Zichen stood straight as a ramrod, like a military posture, chest out, both hands pressed tightly against the sides of his legs, as if listening humbly to the reprimand.
Seeing this, Yang Mutao was feeling pleased, when he saw Fang Zichen reach out, take a piece of pastry, and without any courtesy, start eating it right in front of him.
"My stomach is a bit hungry!" Fang Zichen said: "I was too busy fighting at noon and didn't have time to eat. Now I feel a bit weak in all four limbs, a bit dizzy in the head, and my eyes are a bit blurry. I'll eat two pieces of pastry to replenish some energy. You keep talking, I'm listening!"
"......" Yang Mutao felt a blockage in his heart.
During his reprimand, Fang Zichen wasn't feeling panicked, ashamed, or reflecting promptly. He actually had the mood to eat pastries?
And, were these pastries even for him to eat!
Yang Mutao asked: "What did I just say?"
Fang Zichen: "......"
Don't ask.
If you ask, I don't know.
Yang Mutao had spent a shichen (2 hours) earnestly admonishing him. It was the first time Fang Zichen was being scolded, and he listened with some interest for a few sentences, but after a few sentences, he couldn't listen anymore.
His left ear was directly connected to his right ear, a straight line between the two. Yang Mutao's words entered the left ear one second and exited the right ear the next, completely bypassing his brain.
The fat master chef said he was bringing pastries for Yang Mutao, but this Osmanthus Sugar Steamed Chestnut Powder Cake was Fang Zichen's favorite. Knowing he had been busy fighting at noon and hadn't eaten, the fat master chef specifically brought in a plate of Osmanthus Sugar Steamed Chestnut Powder Cake.
Fang Zichen's whole mind was on the pastries, how could he still remember what Yang Mutao had said.
Anyway, what he said was just those things. Fang Zichen understood the principles, there was really no need to hear them again.
Yang Mutao looked at him holding the pastry, putting on an obedient act and grinning cheekily at him, and felt a complex emotion.
He had always wanted a son. To achieve this, he spent a vast fortune to marry eighteen concubines and labored day and night without rest. In the end, however, he only managed to have a single ger.
He had once lamented his lack of a son, but now, witnessing Fang Zichen's defiance—his refusal to listen to reason and his infuriating habit of ignoring lectures while happily eating—Yang Mutao felt that perhaps it was for the best that he never had one.
If he had one son like Fang Zichen, he was afraid he might die young.
Yang Mutao pointed at the door. Out of sight, out of mind: "Get out of here."
"Alright~" Fang Zichen had just bitten halfway through the piece of pastry in his hand. He stuffed it into his mouth, freed his hands to grab two more pieces of pastry, and swiftly rolled out.
Yang Mutao: "......"
Yang Mingyi originally only studied with Fang Zichen for half a shichen each day. After finishing, he would return to the residence. Recently, however, he was staying at Zuixiao Restaurant later and later, unwilling to go back until the sky was dark.
Yang Mutao wasn't worried about any improper relationship developing between them—after all, they were just a young man and a ger alone together. When Fang Zichen looked at his son, his gaze was clear and devoid of any flirtatious intent. His real concern was that his only child, by spending so much time with Fang Zichen, would start to emulate the scoundrel's unruly character.
"Don't learn from him in the future," he said.
Yang Mingyi lowered his eyes and faintly grunted in agreement.
Hao Desheng had lost face in public. Their whole group wore Anhe Academy's uniform, which, though already tattered and torn, was recognized by the common people even if turned to ash, as Fu'an Town only had Anhe Academy as the most famous, aside from a few individual Xiucai's private schools.
The news of Anhe Academy students eating a meal without paying spread through the entire town almost the moment Hao Desheng left.
The academy's century-old reputation was 'destroyed in an instant'. Upon investigation, knowing it was students from Master Ji's class who caused the trouble, the dean criticized Master Ji.
Master Ji summoned Hao Desheng to inquire and, learning the details, felt intense hatred towards Fang Zichen.
He sent a visiting card and personally met with Yang Mutao, implicitly suggesting he make Fang Zichen publicly 'apologize' to them.
Making Fang Zichen apologize? Yang Mutao thought about it and felt it was impossible. Master Ji had some reputation in town, but that bit of reputation wasn't much in Yang Mutao's eyes.
"This... I'm afraid it might not be very feasible," he declined euphemistically.
Master Ji's face darkened. He snorted: "Is Boss Yang planning to shield him then?"
"Shielding can't be considered, right?" Yang Mutao laughed once: "His nature is stubborn, I'm afraid he won't listen to me."
He felt if he said this to Fang Zichen, Fang Zichen would probably knock him down with one punch.
"He works in your restaurant, how can he not listen to you?" Master Ji heavily set down his teacup. The unfinished tea inside splashed out: "Boss Yang is not planning to give me face?"
Yang Mutao drank his tea by himself, not speaking. The implied meaning was already quite clear.
His father-in-law was the dean of Qingwen Academy. Although Master Ji was angry that he wasn't given face, he didn't dare do anything more.
He didn't dare be angry with Yang Mutao, so he could only vent this anger on Fang Zichen.
He specifically went to Zuixiao Restaurant to find Fang Zichen, but the day he went, Fang Zichen happened to be resting. He didn't see him.
Lao Wang, unaware of the situation, even spoke to him, asking him to vouch for Fang Zichen, which infuriated him.
"What should I do then?" Fang Zichen sat to one side, slightly troubled. Even the pastries didn't taste as good.
Lao Wang thought about it and came up with an idea for him.
"You can go find Boss Yang. He should be able to help you."
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