Chapter 122
"Did you come to Yuanzhou to take the prefectural exam?" Master Wu asked.
"Yes," Fang Zichen said after a moment's thought. "Do you know me?"
Master Wu glanced at him. "I saw you once before in Fu'an Town."
Master Wu advised him, "Since you are here for the exam, behave yourself. Don't cause trouble, otherwise if someone reports you, you might be stuck at this level for life."
Fang Zichen frowned slightly. "Is it that serious?"
Master Wu retorted irritably, "What do you think?"
"It probably isn't that bad, right?" Fang Zichen was uncertain. "I didn't beat anyone up too severely! And, couldn't they make an exception for a genius like me?"
Master Wu: "...You are quite confident, young friend!"
Fang Zichen was very honest: "Confidence comes from ability. I have the ability, so naturally I am confident."
Gu Daji had known Fang Zichen for more than a day or two, so he didn't react much to these words. Master Wu choked for a moment, then felt like laughing again.
This kid is arrogant enough.
But remembering how he had educated his son on the street and what he had said, Master Wu felt relieved.
After all, he was the one who had provided the guarantee. Master Wu asked, "Since you say you are a genius, are you confident about this prefectural exam?"
Fang Zichen: "Yes! Are you also here to take the prefectural exam?"
Gu Daji: "..."
Gu Daji was just about to give Fang Zichen a hint when he heard Master Wu say, "Yes!"
Fang Zichen was impressed. "With your old arms and legs, it must not be easy."
Master Wu gave a dry laugh: "...You can say that again!"
Fang Zichen said, "It's fine. One is never too old to learn. I won't laugh at you."
While the two were talking, the puppy in the basket, having slept all afternoon, was now hungry. It whimpered, sniffing around everywhere. The cloth covering the basket bulged out on the left, then on the right.
Master Wu was startled. "What is that?"
"Ah! It's the little dog I just bought." Fang Zichen pulled the basket to his chest and lifted the cloth. The pitch-black, chubby little puppy was exposed to everyone's view.
Fang Zichen seemed to be fishing for praise as he said, "What do you think, cute, right?"
Gu Daji, at just seventeen, still had a youthful, playful spirit. He had been too intimidated by Master Wu's presence to even breathe loudly, but now his courage returned. "It's so cute~"
"Of course," Fang Zichen said. "You can pet it a couple of times, but don't pet it so much it loses weight, alright?"
Gu Daji: "...Brother Fang, you're so stingy."
Master Wu, who had been quite startled earlier, was about to leave when Fang Zichen kindly reminded him, "Getting so startled over a small matter won't do. One must be unmoved by honor or disgrace, remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses in front of them. I know someone named Fan Jin, also quite old, though not as old as you. He had a similar mindset, not very stable. As a result, on the day he passed the provincial exam, he couldn't believe the exciting news and went mad, and was only finally slapped awake by a butcher. You should take it easy. Don't work hard for most of your life, finally pass the exams and are about to become an official, only to go crazy."
Master Wu: "..."
In the evening, as night approached, Fang Zichen returned carrying a large bundle of things.
Li Yisheng helped him carry it to his room. "I say, your exam is tomorrow, and you still wandered around so late today. If you get tired, how will you take the exam tomorrow?"
"It's fine, I'll be better after a night's sleep." Fang Zichen said indifferently.
Li Yisheng asked, "Have you had dinner?"
Fang Zichen poured a cup of water and gulped it down. "Yes."
"Then you should rest quickly! You need to get up early tomorrow." Li Yisheng instructed, "My cousin is also taking the exam tomorrow. You can go together by carriage."
After washing up, Fang Zichen lay on the bed. Though exhausted, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
The bed was large, with carved posts at the four corners. He occupied only a small space by himself.
He had slept like this for over ten years before and never felt anything was wrong. Now, after just a few months, he had grown accustomed to it.
Accustomed to Zhao Ger lying on the inner side of the bed, accustomed to his son lying on his chest before sleep, saying softly, trying to curry favor for a story, "Father, Guaizai loves you." Habit is a terrible thing.
Previously, sleeping while holding Zhao Ger and his son felt right. Now that they weren't here, nothing felt comfortable, and his heart felt empty.
He missed Zhao Ger and his son.
He tossed and turned, and when he finally managed to fall asleep, he had dreams in the night.
They were chaotic, disjointed. One moment he dreamed he was still in the carriage, feeling terribly uncomfortable.
The next moment he dreamed he was wandering aimlessly through a forest in his pajamas. The moon was bright and the stars sparse, the branches thick and the leaves lush. Moonlight fell sparsely on the ground. He saw Zhao Ger, his clothes in tatters, staggering along ahead. He tried to call out to him, but after calling several times, Zhao Ger didn't respond, didn't even look back. He sprinted to catch up. The scene flipped, and he saw Zhao Ger lying on the ground with a man on top of him.
The man's face was blurred, but judging by his figure, he should be tall and somewhat slender.
He was burying his face in Zhao Ger's neck, kissing him repeatedly. Zhao Ger's ink-black hair was loose, his face youthful, probably from when he was fifteen or sixteen. His cheeks were deeply sunken, thin and dark. Fang Zichen actually found him somewhat unfamiliar.
Zhao Ger was so nervous his eyes were shut tight. When his hand was held, fingers interlaced, he trembled with a mixture of shyness and panic.
That person untied Zhao Ger's patched, ragged clothes. Just as the buttons were undone, Zhao Ger suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed the other's hand. The man paused, seemingly somewhat startled. He braced his hands on either side of Zhao Ger, leaned down, and said something to him. Zhao Ger actually gave up struggling and resisting, and slowly released his hand.
Fang Zichen was wide-eyed with fury. A vicious rage surged from his limbs and bones towards his brain. The mountain forest was quiet and still, his roaring voice reverberating through the woods.
"Zhao Ger... Zhao Ger..."
Getting no response, his angry roars gradually softened into tones of hurt and pleading.
"Zhao Ger... You can't do this to me, you can't, you can't betray me... You can't... I beg you..."
The furious roar suddenly stopped.
The man on top of Zhao Ger suddenly looked up towards Fang Zichen. His face was still blurred, but his eyes began to become clear.
Very familiar, it was...
Fang Zichen suddenly went completely still.
He stumbled backward without thinking and, in his panic, tumbled down a slope. By the time he scrambled to his feet, the scene had shifted once more.
It was a brick-and-tile house, the door tightly shut, the light somewhat dim. Fang Zichen tried to open the door, but it was solid and sturdy, impossible to break open no matter how he slammed into it. From behind came a sound, like the low, pained moan of a young creature in dire straits, struggling at death's door.
"Father... Daddy..."
Fang Zichen whirled around and saw Guaizai, who had somehow appeared in the room. His left eye was swollen black and blue from a blow, unable to open. The handprint on his right cheek had turned black and purple.
His little mouth was pale and cracked, his clothes were torn and ragged, and he wore only one shoe.
One of his legs seemed to have been broken, dangling limply, dragging on the ground.
He was crawling towards the door. It was clear he was in pain and hungry, without any strength. He would crawl a little, then lie flat, his face pressed against the dirty, cold ground, panting heavily. He stretched his hand towards the door, using all the little strength he had left, calling out intermittently, gasping his last breaths, he repeated over and over in a small voice, pleading: "Father... Guaizai, Guaizai hurts."
"...Father, Dad, Daddy, where, where are you, save... save Guaizai..."
"Guaizai hurts so much... Guaizai... wants to go home... Guaizai, wants to go home..."
His heart stopped. Fang Zichen's pupils contracted. Each desperate cry felt like a blade flaying his spirit. His breath came in ragged gasps, his eyes red, he rushed forward but was jolted awake by a loud banging on the door.
"Young Master Fang, are you awake?" a servant shouted. "My young master asks you to get up. The academy exam is today, you mustn't be late."
Fang Zichen held his forehead, his ears ringing, his heart pounding.
"Awake, I'll be out shortly."
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