Li Yisheng turned around to leave, but Xie Xiaoyu, who had been watching the courtyard gate, caught him immediately.
"Brother Sheng." Xie Xiaoyu ran over, his face unable to contain his delight: "Brother Sheng, where did you go? Why have you been gone so long? Have you had your evening meal?"
He stood too close, his tone too familiar, with only two steps between them. Li Yisheng took a step back: "I was seeing my brother off."
His reply was brief and to the point, with no desire to continue the conversation, his attitude very clear. Xie Xiaoyu acted as if he didn't notice: "Oh, I see! Will you be busy later? If not—"
Li Yisheng interrupted him: "Busy."
The invitation, welling up in his throat, was choked back, and the courage he had mustered dissipated completely.
Xie Xiaoyu immediately fell silent. He pressed his lips together, standing there in a daze, not knowing what to do.
Second Aunt Li approached, her forehead creased in disapproval: "Xiao Sheng, what kind of attitude is that? Yu Ger is going to become part of our Li family in the future. You need to respect him. You say you went to see your 'brother' off? How many days have you even known him to be calling him brother? That person is of dubious character, have you even looked into his background?"
Xie Xiaoyu abruptly looked up, instinctively turning his gaze towards Li Yisheng. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but when he met Li Yisheng's indifferent and cold eyes, he lowered his head again.
"What do you mean, 'of dubious character'?" Li Yisheng's eyes were bloodshot: "Watch your language."
Li Yixing had been carried out of the examination hall. The soldier said he fainted because he hadn't finished his exam paper and due to nervousness.
Second Aunt Li didn't believe it. She had the servants help Li Yixing home and called for a physician. The physician felt his pulse and said he was fine, merely having fainted from excessively intense emotions, the violent swings between hope and despair proving too much for him to withstand.
It matched what the soldier said.
Second Aunt Li tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.
Before coming this time, she had confidently promised her close friend that her son would definitely pass this time.
She hadn't said this without reason or simply boasted.
Li Yixing had devoted over a decade to rigorous study, building a solid and stable foundation. His teacher had advised him to wait patiently, which was why he had postponed taking the exam for so many years—his goal was to achieve three consecutive first-place victories.
In the county-level examination, Li Yixing fulfilled everyone's expectations by achieving first place, just as his teacher had predicted.
Because of this, Second Aunt Li had dared to make such "bold claims."
But when Li Yixing woke up this morning and personally told her that he was destined to have no hope in this prefectural exam, Second Aunt Li completely broke down. She had wept and wailed for most of the day, having only just calmed down. Seeing Li Yisheng and hearing him mention Fang Zichen, she suddenly remembered that young man from the previous day—the one who had walked out of the examination hall entirely unharmed, his face radiating absolute confidence.
The more self-satisfied and confident Fang Zichen seemed, the more jealous Second Aunt Li became.
Her son was so outstanding, diligently studying even the night before the exam, not daring to slack off in the slightest. Yet, despite this, he was carried out of the examination hall. That good-for-nothing did nothing but enjoy himself—what right did he have to emerge completely unscathed?
"What's the big deal if I say a couple of things about him?" Second Aunt Li said angrily: "Besides, I am your elder. Is this how your mother taught you to speak to your elders?"
She repeatedly crossed Li Yisheng's bottom line, her words thorny and stinging, as if this was just how family should be.
They understood each other, were more familiar with each other than anyone else, and therefore, also knew exactly where to strike to hurt the most.
Xie Xiaoyu's sudden appearance had caught him completely off guard, leaving him utterly unprepared.
He had spent two years avoiding this moment, yet it now seemed entirely futile.
The most agonizing aspect of his emotional turmoil was the futile hope that persistently lingered. During the deepest hours of night, he often lost himself in fantasies within the endless darkness—if Li Yixing and Xie Xiaoyu were not yet married, he still had an opportunity. He should return, he thought, return and win Xie Xiaoyu back.
Yet he also feared his sincere affections would remain unreciprocated. Had Li Yixing alone been fond of Xie Xiaoyu, he could have still fought for him, but... Xie Xiaoyu was willing. Xie Xiaoyu returned Li Yixing's feelings. What could he possibly do about that?
The night faded, dawn broke, and as sunlight spilled into the room, he abruptly sobered from his thoughts.
Over a decade of feelings seemed to have taken deep root, embedded in his bones and blood. No one could navigate emotions with perfect ease. Because they carried genuine feelings in their hearts, even the slightest misstep left them utterly wounded. Second Aunt Li reminded him again and again of the relationship between Xie Xiaoyu and Li Yixing. This was no different from stabbing him with a knife.
"After all, he's dull and inarticulate, with no upbringing whatsoever. No wonder he's twenty-one and still can't find a wife," Second Aunt Li said disdainfully. "Think about how many girls your mother has arranged for you. So many, and not a single one took a liking to you. Whose problem is that? Someone like you, still daring to compete with my Yixing for someone? You're truly daydreaming."
Li Yisheng's pupils contracted, and he stood stunned.
What did she mean by that? Did she know? He instinctively looked at Xie Xiaoyu. Xie Xiaoyu frowned: "Auntie, how can you speak like that? Apologize to Brother Sheng immediately."
"Yu Ger, you—"
Normally, if she said such things, Li Yisheng would let it go in one ear and out the other, and could still tolerate it. But now, in front of Xie Xiaoyu, having his secret, shameful feelings exposed so mercilessly, Li Yisheng felt his face burning, as if his dignity had been thrown to the ground and trampled upon. His eyes were wide with fury, his whole body trembling. Pointing at Second Aunt Li, he could no longer control himself, roaring vehemently: "Get out! Get out of my house! Get out..."
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