Giving & Receiving (1)

Qi Qingzheng rode his horse wildly, gradually distancing himself from Jia Xi behind.

His equestrian skills were not as fancy as He Peiyu's, but they were simple and practical. On horseback, amidst the high-speed bumps, he found it easier to remain calm, comfortable, and free. His sister once commented on him like this, "You ride a horse so well because you have a simple mind. Once you learn to control people, you won't enjoy riding horses so much."

His sister's words made sense. Their father was someone who detested riding horses. Perhaps it was because of dealing with people too much, Father preferred solitude. His study was secluded, with thick walls and heavy doors, detached from the world. Even though the entire family lived together in a bustling manner, Father always seemed like he was living alone.

But why did one have to control people? To control people, one had to study their weaknesses. Why did one have to focus on others' weaknesses? Why couldn't one focus on others' strengths and get along well? Every time his sister lectured him like an elder, he would respond with a series of retorts.

And every time he protested vehemently, his sister would sigh deeply, "Azhang, because we're in Changxiang City, and Changxiang City only needs to know how to do things, not why."

Looking back on his few fleeting years, Qi Qingzheng thought that his biggest difference from others was that he always liked to ask why. His life was a series of questions, and when no one gave him a reason, he would pause and not think about what to do or accept what others told him to do.

He played, he made trouble, and others indulged him, tolerated him, spoiled him. Outsiders envied this life of luxury and freedom, living as he pleased. Yet, he alone knew the restlessness he felt in the quiet of the night—how he had stood at that crossroads for too long, watching his peers gradually drift away, while he stubbornly remained, constantly questioned by unfamiliar gazes. He thought he was just a child who refused to grow up, but others thought he was just a dwarf who couldn't grow up.

It had to be said that He Peiyu's appearance brought him not only humiliation but also a hint of gratitude. Before this, his competitiveness and pride had been at war within him for many years, one pulling him forward, the other pulling him back, making him stagnant and exhausted. But now, He Peiyu had coldly and forcefully crushed his pride. Besides fighting, he had no other choice.

Since fighting was inevitable, he felt relaxed now. Every pore of his body thirsted for victory.

Jia Xi certainly couldn't understand why Qi Qingzheng was so inexplicably happy. In Jia Xi's eyes, after Qi Qingzheng caused one big trouble, he immediately caused an even bigger one to compensate. This young master's actions were simply incomprehensible.

After running for quite some time, Jia Xi finally caught up with Qi Qingzheng, expressing his concerns tactfully—

"Young Master, where are we still going?"

"I don't know... back home?"

"What about after we get home? This is no small matter, Young Master! In my opinion, we won't be able to hide it this time. Madam will find out sooner or later. It's better to report to her first."

"No. I have my own plans."

"How about discussing it with Miss first, and then..."

"What's the use of discussing men's matters with women?" This was the first time Qi Qingzheng had used the term "men," feeling quite proud of himself. In addition to emphasizing, he repeated, "Men's matters!"

"Yes, yes, yes, it's definitely men's matters, no doubt! But, Young Master, there is only three days. Shouldn't we think about what to do?"

"What... to... do?" Qi Qingzheng seemed to have developed a keen interest in this term, tilting his head and pondering, "What to do? What to do? What to do? Haha, it's interesting, interesting."

Jia Xi's legs trembled with anger, almost falling off the horse. Damn it, he should have desperately stopped the young master from the beginning. How could he think there was anything special about this? Your behavior is not much different from a woman's in front of General He. Now you're all confident and swaggering. I, a servant, can't stop you, but if Madam gets angry again, my fate will be different from Brother Jiafu's. I might end up beaten to a pulp.

"Well, here's the plan, Jia Xi, I have an idea."

Jia Xi's face lit up with excitement, "Master, please tell me!"

Qi Qingzheng was confident, "So, you enter from the west gate, sneakily, don't let the guards see you, privately tell Ah Fu to help me think of a solution."

Jia Xi opened his mouth but couldn't say anything, inwardly lamenting, "How can you call this a 'plan', Master!?" He stammered for a while, wiping his sweat, "Master, brilliant plan! And then...?"

"And then? I'll climb over the wall from the east side, head straight to my father's study, and ask him for advice."

"And then... what's next?"

"What else? Oh, it's getting late, the training ground was filthy, we'll go back, take a shower, and get a good night's sleep. Recharge our energy and deal with He Peiyu! When that time comes, hahaha... Jia Xi, you better get moving, I'm going to climb over the wall on the east side."

Qi Qingzheng laughed heartily, spurred his horse eastward, and disappeared into the distance.

Jia Xi's legs trembled, almost falling off the horse—damn it, he should have desperately tried to stop the young master early in the morning. How could he think there was anything extraordinary about him? Can sleeping well really defeat He Peiyu? Now things were really messed up. With the young master running his mouth like that, trouble was sure to follow. Whether or not the masters punish him, just thinking of how to explain everything to Brother Afu when he got back was already a problem.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and he gave himself a hard slap.

But anyway, entering the mansion from the west gate was the right choice, and climbing over the wall from the east was also correct. The young master indeed had unique insights into avoiding Madam's surveillance.

Qi Qingzheng laughed heartily, acting according to his predetermined plan.

Today is a good day. Father's carriage is parked outside, indicating that he has just returned home. At this time, Father is either in the study or in the library.

At least one aspect of his plan was correct: the most urgent task was to inform Father of this matter before Mother finds out. There is a world of difference between the two. If Mother knows about this, it's just a child's mistake, and the adults must quickly clean up the mess; if Father knows about this, it's the eldest son of the Qi family making his first appearance in Changxi City. Whether it's success or failure, after this battle, he will become a... man.

Only a man can represent the family. The eldest daughter was like a son, but ultimately not.

When he reached the door of the study, he hesitated.

It wasn't appropriate to disturb them at this time, but Qi Qingzheng had already reached the door.

Outside the study, there was a carriage wrapped in black silk, the carriage specially used by the Prime Ministers Mansion to welcome "black hatters." In Changxiang City, many families sent out spies to record the comings and goings of carriages outside the Prime Ministers Mansion, trying to discern clues from the Prime Ministers family hospitality tendencies and frequency to assess the situation. This was no secret. The upper city was small, and mutual surveillance among the sixteen families was customary.

However, everyone was a person of status, and it wasn't good to act secretly in the middle of the night every time they had a secret conversation. Therefore, the "Black Hatters Carriage" came into being, and openly announced to the world that "I'm chatting privately", it was considered a hidden chip on an open table.

"I've seen Second Young Master!"

"Is my father inside?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I see. I just wanted to know... how long have they been talking? When will they be finished?"

"I have no idea."

"Okay then, go and inform them. Just say I have urgent matters and ask when my father will be available to see me."

"Second Young Master, we're not usually allowed to disturb the master when he's entertaining guests."

"Usually? I've said I have urgent matters, what's wrong? When my sister has urgent matters, do you report them or not?"

"Well..." The guards looked at each other, hesitating for a while. This was a situation they hadn't encountered before. When the young lady had something urgent, it was usually legitimate, but when the Second Young Master had something, it was hard to say. What if it was something shady? If the Master got angry and scolded them when he came out, it would be troublesome. So someone cautiously advised, "Second Young Master, you see, the Master is discussing state affairs... Oh, Chief De is coming over here. How about you give him your orders first?"

As soon as this was said, Qi Qingzheng was shocked and angry again. He took a quick glance and saw He De leading more than twenty people quickly walking west. If he was seen now, it would be equivalent to inviting Mother's wrath. He was filled with anger and didn't want to waste words, so he lifted his clothes and walked in.

One of the guards outside the study reached out to stop him, "Second Young Master, please don't!"

Qi Qingzheng sneered coldly, "What will happen if I disturb him? Will I be killed?"

"Well, um..."

"I'm telling you to step aside!"

The guards outside the study were at a loss for a moment, but they hesitated and made way for him.

He De was a loyal and sensible old servant. He bowed his head as soon as he saw the black carriage, not to mention looking around, he even took a few extra steps to avoid it.

So Qi Qingzheng barged into his father's study, a world he had never set foot in before in his own home.