6 I Thank You

Luo Hong's plan to harass the lady owner ended up in ruins.

He was prepared to become a bully and be hated by the people, yet his attempt to harass her just turned into a case of him punishing the b*stard of a scholar. He became a hero, and his little heart could not handle the shock.

When he heard his guards leading the crowd to cheer and clap for him, the applause sounded like slaps in his face for screwing up.

Luo Hong's heart was bleeding. He knew without even looking that the rating for this Antagonist Act would fall below zero, and he might even end up with a negative rating. He might not even get the third prize, let alone the special prize.

In the end, he did not linger at the soybean pudding stall for long. Luo Hong swung his sleeves and put his hands behind his back as he puckered his thin lips and left.

When the guard with the scar on his face noticed that Luo Hong was not moved by the cheers and applause, his respect for his young lord increased even further.

"As expected of the young lord! He isn't moved by fame and reputation unlike those who help for the sake of boosting their reputation!" The guard took a deep breath as he admired his young lord.

A while later, the other guard gave him a signal.

The two guards then helped Yao Jing tidy up the place before bringing her away.

Back at the Luo Residence's courtyard, Butler Chen was having tea in the middle of the lush, green garden. The air was filled with the fragrance of tea.

Jiangling Commandery was an ideal place for growing tea leaves. There were several tea farms in the commandery that produced quality tea leaves that would be delivered to the Xia Palace every year as an offering.

Butler Chen took a sip of the freshly made tea. The bitterness spread on the tip of his tongue and slowly filled his mouth as if he was tasting life itself.

After his sip, Luo Hong came back from outside.

When Butler Chen saw him, he invited with a smile, "My lord, a cup of tea?"

Luo Hong was not in the mood for tea, so he shook his head and went straight to the study. He locked the door after he shut it.

Butler Chen frowned because he knew that Luo Hong was in a foul mood.

A while later, the two guards who had followed Luo Hong out came back in a hurry.

Butler Chen did not say anything. He leaned back in the chair with the white porcelain teacup in his hand. The cup was filled with fragrant tea, and he moved the lid away slightly for another sip.

The tense atmosphere and his stern expression made the two guards anxious to the point that they sweated nervously. They were once followers of Butler Chen, so they knew the man's temper very well.

"Tell me everything that happened after the young lord left the house, and I mean every single thing. Not a single detail is to be left out. Speak," Butler Chen commanded after taking another sip of tea.

The two guards looked at each other without knowing where to start.

Butler Chen looked pointedly at the guard with the scar on his face. "Zhao Donghan, speak."

"Yes, sir." The scarred guard quickly told Butler Chen about what happened, including Luo Hong telling them to act like bad guys and harass the lady owner.

"Huh?!" Butler Chen frowned. He slammed the cup of tea on the table.

Zhao Donghan was frightened by Butler Chen's reaction, so he added, "We thought the young lord was a shameless hypocrite, but he actually used it as a cover to punish the evildoer. The young lord's harassment was just an excuse for us to stop the scholar from harassing the lady owner."

Butler Chen seemed to relax a lot more after Zhao Donghan's explanation.

"Then, why is the young lord so moody?" he asked.

Zhao Donghan thought for a while and quickly came up with an answer, "On top of that, the young lord spent two silver taels to buy the entire stall and that lady owner because he wanted to protect her in case the scholar came back for revenge."

"The scholar said he's related to the county magistrate, so the young lord must be worried that the magistrate will come after the Luo Residence, hence his foul mood."

Butler Chen giggled and heaved a breath of relief after Zhao Donghan explained the entire situation. He picked up his cup of tea and started sipping it again.

"That's it? That's nothing!"

…

"There must be something wrong with this world. I planned to harass a woman in broad daylight…" Luo Hong sighed as soon as he returned to the study.

He had once thought being an antagonist was easy but not it seemed like he overestimated this world.

He sat at his desk and looked outside the window, sizing up the setting sun and its reddish glory as it painted everything before him red.

Luo Hong deeply sighed. He might have started out wrong, but he was able to pinpoint the problem.

There was nothing wrong with his intention of doing bad things, and his plan had been perfect. The only problem was that b*stard scholar, Jia Sidao. Why would he even have been at the soybean pudding stall to harass the owner at that particular timing?

"I guess this is what they say about being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Luo Hong shook his head and blamed everything on that scholar.

"Those b*stard scholars are all garbage," he cursed. As he looked at the piece of paper with the word 'harassment' written on it, he felt like he was the one being harassed and toyed with.

Whenever he thought about losing the special prize, he got all agitated. He crumpled the piece of paper, propped his elbows on the desk, and scratched his head frustratingly. 

Knock, knock, knock.

Knocks came from the door followed by Butler Chen entering the room. Butler Chen sighed when he saw Luo Hong scratching his head at the desk.

As a kind child suffocated by reality and the pressure within, Luo Hong must have shouldered all the responsibility.

"My young lord, Zhao Donghan told me what happened."

Luo Hong stared at Butler Chen. 'Zhao Donghan? That guard with the scar on his face who fills every blank with his endless imagination?!'

"You did nothing wrong in this little incident. Punishing evildoers is what you should do even if it puts you in a difficult situation. Just follow your heart and all will be well. You have inherited your father's kindness and I'm happy for you. Your father was known for his kindness in Anping County back then. What you did brings no shame to your father's title," Butler Chen sounded relieved as he consoled Luo Hong.

"As for what will happen with that scholar, my young lord, you don't have to worry. If the magistrate really comes after us, the Luo Residence isn't a weak target that they can bully. I'm here with you, so you can take it easy and not pressure yourself too much."

'Stop praising me…' Luo Hong puckered his lips. He kept blinking as if those words of praise were like salt to his wound.

Before he could say anything else, Butler Chen turned around and left after praising him. His green figure disappeared into the setting sun.

A while after Butler Chen left, Zhao Donghan, the scarred guard came into the study.

Luo Hong looked at the guard with a complicated gaze, "What is it?"

Zhao Donghan giggled and tapped his chest, "My young lord, Butler Chen told me to take charge of your safety. I'll ensure your safety with my best effort, you will be able to punish the evildoers without worries from now on!"

Luo Hong's face twitched and his jaw almost fell on the table.

"I guess I must THANK YOU now…" Zhao Donghan bashfully scratched his head and giggled. "My lord, you don't have to be courteous with me. It's my duty to protect you."

"My lord, what about the lady owner?" Zhao Donghan asked.

Luo Hong finally remembered that he had bought that timid woman and the soybean pudding stall. He leaned in the chair and rubbed the center of his brows before he said, "Bring her to me."

Zhao Donghan nodded and left the study.

A moment later, he brought a petite but voluptuous figure into the study.