DKGWF Chapter 6

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Just as Rong Jiahui and Yu Yixiang were having a falling-out, something was happening on Zhongli Luo’s side as well.

Since this was a clan school, all the students were naturally connected to the Rong family in some way. As the eldest legitimate son of the marquis’ household and the heir to the title, Rong Jiaze was highly esteemed and constantly flattered, surrounded by countless sycophants.

Today, however, everyone was surprised to see this little tyrant arrive with a tall, slender young man who had a refined and scholarly appearance but was so thin he hardly had any flesh on his bones.

After taking their seats, Rong Ping, who was sitting behind Rong Jiaze, couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked, “Who’s that pretty boy with you today? He looks like he’s just asking for a beating.”

Rong Jiaze curled his lips in disdain and said, “Just someone insignificant. Don’t mention him. Just thinking about him puts me in a bad mood.”

And how could he not be in a bad mood? His wonderful sister had actually been bewitched by that guy.

Seeing that Rong Jiaze disliked him, Rong Ping’s eyes gleamed with mischief as he suggested, “If you hate him that much, why not just teach him a lesson?”

Rong Jiaze turned around and shot him a glare. “If I could, I would have already! Do you think I need you to tell me? But my parents and my sister all side with him! If they find out I bullied him, I’d be in trouble no matter who I face.”

Rong Ping winked at him and assured, “Don’t worry, just leave it to me. I’ll take care of everything for you!”

After saying that, he noticed the teacher entering the room and quickly fell silent, opening his book.

Rong Jiaze had originally wanted to tell him not to meddle, but the thought of his sister defending Zhongli Luo made him feel stifled. Hmph, let them do whatever they want. It would be best if they just got rid of him entirely—so he wouldn’t be such an eyesore!

_

Meanwhile, things weren’t exactly peaceful on Zhongli Luo’s side either. A newcomer in the clan school was a rare occurrence, especially someone who neither bore the Rong surname nor had any apparent connection to the family. The students all stared at her as if she were some sort of rare spectacle.

T/N: I'm not sure if I'll just leave her pronoun as she or he, but I'll just stick with the she when its her POV...

Zhongli Luo wasn’t particularly comfortable in such a setting filled with unfamiliar faces. With a stiff expression, she found an empty seat and was just about to sit down when the stool was suddenly pulled away. A classic initiation prank. Fortunately, she had learned some martial arts from her father since childhood, and her stance was stable enough to keep her from falling and embarrassing herself.

Regaining her balance, she turned around and saw a chubby, round-faced boy grinning as he took the stool from someone else’s hands and handed it back to her. "That rascal is always causing trouble. Here, take it back."

She was momentarily stunned before accepting the stool. "Thank you."

The chubby boy patted her on the back. "No need to thank me! From now on, we’re all brothers, aren’t we?"

After successfully sitting down and seeing that they weren’t making any further moves, Zhongli Luo let out a sigh of relief. As long as no one provoked her, she had no intention of provoking anyone either.

However, why did everyone still seem to be looking at her so strangely? Was she imagining things? No matter—she brushed it off and opened her book, focusing on reading.

When lunchtime finally arrived, she had just stepped outside when she was met with a chorus of laughter behind her. Seeing a group of people pointing and whispering about her, she frowned. These Rong family members were truly unreasonable.

Rong Jiaze strolled out lazily, caught sight of her back, and immediately burst into laughter. What a fool! She didn’t even realize someone had secretly stuck a paper turtle onto her clothes.

Still a child at heart, even such a common prank was enough to make him double over with laughter.

Amidst the laughter, Zhongli Luo quickly recognized Rong Jiaze’s voice—the only familiar one among the crowd. She turned around, spotted the face that resembled Rong Jiahui’s, and swiftly walked over to him. "What are you laughing at?"

It was one thing for others to mock her, but for Rong Jiaze to join in felt particularly odd.

Holding his stomach, Rong Jiaze sneered, "You idiot!"

Zhongli Luo pointed at herself. "You mean me?"

"Who else? You idiot!"

By now, Rong Jiaze had just about laughed himself out. Looking at Zhongli Luo’s clueless expression, he suddenly found her a little less annoying than before. Maybe he should do something nice for once?

Just as he was about to tell her about the paper turtle stuck to her back, he suddenly felt his body lift off the ground. Zhongli Luo’s pretty face was now inches away from his, and when he looked down—huh? He was floating a foot above the ground! Though, his neck felt a little tight...

Zhongli Luo had grabbed him by the collar, her expression serious. "You’re the idiot."

With that, she let go, allowing the now-weak-kneed Rong Jiaze to crash onto the ground before turning on her heel and heading off to eat.

Rong Jiaze sat on the ground, feeling the sharp pain radiating from his delicate rear. He was utterly aggrieved. Pushing away the hands that tried to help him up, he let out a loud wail.

He cried so pitifully, as if he were the reincarnation of Meng Jiangnu, ready to cry the entire academy down. His tantrum threw everyone into a panic, and despite their best efforts, no one could console him.

Through his sobs, he continued cursing, "Zhongli, you bastard! You scoundrel! You moron! I’m going to tell my sister! I’ll make her beat you up! Tie you up! Strangle you!"

As he kept shouting, Rong Jiaze's voice nearly gave out. Just then, their teacher arrived after hearing the commotion.

Dongzhi and Xiazhi, who had been standing nearby, panicked when they spotted the teacher from afar. They quickly nudged Rong Jiaze on the back and whispered, “Young Master, Mr. Liang is coming! Mr. Liang!”

What?

Rong Jiaze instantly stopped both his wailing and cursing.

For him, Mr. Liang’s presence was even more authoritative than an imperial decree. His parents only doted on his sister. Since she needed to study, they had hired the most talented female scholar as her private tutor at home—gentle, beautiful, and elegant. Meanwhile, he had to go to school every day, where he was stuck with these old-fashioned, rigid scholars who were as dull as they were strict. And among them, Mr. Liang was the strictest of all. With a ruler in hand, he wielded it like a fearsome weapon, striking terror into the hearts of students who trembled at the mere sight of him.

At the mention of Mr. Liang’s name, Rong Jiaze had no choice but to scramble to his feet and make a quick escape. However, he had cried so hard that even by afternoon classes, he was still sniffling. Secretly, he made a vow—he would be at odds with that Zhongli forever! Hmph!

Meanwhile, at lunchtime, Rong Jiahui finally saw her cousin again. The younger girls naturally sat together, and as Rong Jiahui was a guest, she was seated at the head of the table next to Yu Yixiang.

As soon as Yu Yixiang sat down, Rong Jiahui tugged at her sleeve and whispered an apology in her ear, “Alright, alright, it was my fault. But I really didn’t know! Please don’t be mad at me, okay?”

Yu Yixiang was taken aback. It was the first time she had ever heard Rong Jiahui apologize. She gave her a suspicious glance before turning away to chat with the two younger sisters instead. In truth, she deeply regretted her words. She must have been completely out of her mind to have blurted out such nonsense, practically confessing that she had fallen for someone else’s fiancé. Now, she had no face left to even speak to Rong Jiahui. The fact that she had the courage to sit at the same table for a meal was already impressive enough.

Seeing that Yu Yixiang was ignoring her, Rong Jiahui grew irritated. Ugh, this girl! She had already softened her tone so much, yet Yu Yixiang was still giving her the cold shoulder? Forget it, forget it! They were clearly fated to clash! She wasn’t going to bother with her anymore!

The little disagreements between the young ladies went unnoticed by the adults. The Old Madam, smiling, instructed the head maid to serve her precious granddaughter, Rong Jiahui. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she turned to Yu Shi and asked, “Xiaohe, I heard you have a guest at home?”

Yu Shi replied, “Yes, he is the son of an old friend of Achen’s. Heaven have mercy, the poor child lost both his parents and has no one to turn to. My husband took pity on him and adopted him as a godson. He’s a very well-behaved and sensible boy, just a bit reserved and not very talkative.”

Upon hearing that the boy was orphaned and alone, the Old Madam closed her eyes and softly recited a Buddhist prayer before sighing, “What a pitiful child. It’s only natural for him to be a little withdrawn. Since you’ve taken him in, treat him well. And make sure to keep your servants in line.”

Yu Shi nodded. “I understand, Mother.”

Listening to their grandmother and aunt’s conversation, the three Yu sisters were utterly confused. What orphaned child? What godson? Did they suddenly gain an older brother or a younger one?

Among them, Yu Yixiang sat closest to Rong Jiahui. After some nudging from her younger sisters, she thickened her skin and hesitantly tugged at Rong Jiahui’s sleeve. “Did your family take someone in?”

Rong Jiahui nodded. “Mhm. An older brother.”

Teenage girls were always a little curious about boys. Yu Yimei, peeking out from behind her elder sister, eagerly asked, “Cousin, what does he look like?”

Even little Yu Yilian, a tiny thing, asked softly, “Cousin, I want to know too.”

His looks? Well, he had two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, just like everyone else. But with so many elders present, Rong Jiahui didn’t dare say much. So, she simply leaned in and whispered mysteriously, “Let’s talk in the garden later.”

After finishing their meal, Rong Jiahui was immediately dragged off by her curious cousins to the pavilion in the middle of the river.

The four of them sat in a circle while their maids waited outside. The first to speak was the seven-year-old Yu Yilian, her voice soft and curious, “Big Cousin, is your new brother good-looking? Is he as handsome as my brothers? Or as good-looking as our cousin?”

Rong Jiahui shook her head.

All three sisters gasped in unison. “No?”

“He’s even better-looking than our cousins and brothers,” Rong Jiahui said proudly.

Better-looking than all their brothers? The three girls were stunned.

Judging by the Yu sisters’ features, it was clear their family’s men wouldn’t be lacking in appearance. Besides, noble daughters rarely saw many men. Compared to the ones they had encountered, their own brothers seemed exceptionally handsome. That was why Yu Yixiang had been so smitten when she first laid eyes on the dashing and charming Liu Qianchen.

Now, hearing that Zhongli Luo was even more handsome than their own brothers, their curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

Yu Yimei eagerly asked, “Then how old is this brother? What’s his name? Cousin, I know I shouldn’t pry, but I just don’t want to visit your home one day and not even know how to address him.”

Rong Jiahui chuckled. This little girl sure knew how to phrase things.

With a smile, she replied, “His surname is Zhongli, and his given name is Luo—Luo as in ‘endless streams of people.’ He’ll be fifteen in September.”

At this, Yu Yilian timidly asked, “Cousin, what does ‘endless streams of people’ mean?”

Rong Jiahui patted her head. “You should ask your teacher later.”

Honestly, she wasn’t here to give her little cousin a lesson!

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