Wei Xinglu swallowed hard and said, "You're practically inhuman..." If the children of those hardworking scholar-officials knew about this talent, they'd be green with envy.
Zong Jincheng's face darkened upon hearing this, thinking he was being accused of being possessed by a ghost again. Furious, he started looking around for a stick.
Wei Xinglu quickly jumped onto a stool, clasped his hands together in surrender, and said, "Stop, stop, stop! I’m sorry, brother, I was wrong, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have misunderstood you. You’re amazing, the best in the Capital City!"
Only then did Zong Jincheng stop, crossing his arms and letting out a proud huff.
After apologizing, Wei Xinglu chatted warmly with him. Being naturally sociable and emotionally intelligent, he quickly managed to calm the little devil down.
The little devil even patted his shoulder and said, "Good brother, if you ever can’t figure something out, come to me for help!"
Wei Xinglu’s mouth twitched, but he forced a smile and agreed.
This little rascal had grown stronger, but his personality was still the same—still unmistakably Zong Jincheng.
"Then I’ll head home. I’ll come back to play another day."
"I’ll have Shunzi see you out."
"Alright."
As he was leaving, Wei Xinglu suddenly stopped and turned to look at the plaque above the grand study door. The five characters were still as striking as ever, strange yet unique.
After a moment, he muttered, "So bizarre..."
After the commotion ended, the little devil immersed himself in his studies again, competing fiercely with Zong Wenxiu.
Soon, another half-month passed, and the day of the joint academy exam arrived.
The little devil woke up early, standing on his bed and shouting, "Defeat Qin Ye!"
Shunzi: "..."
He really had an endless supply of energy.
But as a sensible servant, Shunzi smiled and gave him a look of unwavering trust to avoid upsetting the young master.
However, Buyan, who lacked tact, was different. Thinking he was being helpful, he reminded, "Young Master, Qin Ye’s exam paper is different from yours today. You can’t defeat him."
Shunzi: "!!!"
Buyan! Why did you suddenly decide to speak up now?
Who’s going to put out the fire if this house burns down?!
Zong Jincheng’s expression immediately changed.
He glared at Buyan, then at Shunzi.
Shunzi, feeling wronged: "?"
What does this have to do with me? I’m not the head of this household!
Zong Jincheng snorted and said gravely, "I’ll defeat Qin Ye sooner or later, whether it’s next month or the month after. It’ll definitely be this year!"
Shunzi quickly chimed in, "Young Master Zong is the strongest in the Capital City! You’ll definitely succeed!"
After saying this, he kicked Buyan, signaling him to join in.
Buyan not only missed the hint but also glared back at him.
Shunzi: "..." This kid is hopeless.
Zong Jincheng didn’t pay attention. He was lost in his own world, thinking about the students from Hanlin North Academy he was going to defeat today. His fighting spirit burned fiercely, rising straight to the sky.
"Let’s go! Crush Hanlin North Academy!"
"Let’s do it!" Shunzi cheered him on while helping him get ready, smiling all the while.
The atmosphere today was clearly different. The little devil’s high spirits and confidence were infectious, filling the entire hall with energy. Even Zong Wenxiu felt a surge of strength.
He encouraged them, "Jincheng, we’re going to do great on the exam today!"
Zong Jincheng bumped fists with him and said confidently, "Of course!"
As the carriage set off, the two continued to silently review their notes, as if they were heading to an important entrance exam.
Xu Wan didn’t disturb them. Last-minute cramming could be useful, so there was no need to stop them.
After getting out of the carriage, the three walked toward the academy. Since the two boys were well-prepared and had taken many exams before, Xu Wan didn’t offer any further advice and prepared to see them off.
But just a few steps away, they heard a man accompanying his child to the exam nagging, "Lin Yu, look at Zong Jincheng. He’s only been studying for a few months and is already second in your class. And then there’s you, not studying hard, just playing around. If you don’t make the rankings this time, don’t call yourself my son!"
Zong Jincheng suddenly heard his name mentioned in such a proud and complimentary way, and he couldn’t stop grinning. He nudged Zong Wenxiu, signaling him to listen too.
But Zong Wenxiu shook his head and gestured toward the child.
The boy named Lin Yu looked about the same age as the little devil and was likely in the same class. He was being scolded harshly as he was sent to take the exam, but he wasn’t crying. Instead, his face was full of defiance and resentment.
Zong Jincheng initially thought Lin Yu was challenging him and was about to go over and say something. But the boy suddenly stopped in his tracks and exploded.
He shouted at his father, "How can you say I’m not studying hard? Do you know what time I get up to study? Have you ever seen me reading late into the night? All you do is go out drinking and come back dead drunk. Have you ever cared about me? Have you even looked at my exam papers? All you notice is that my ranking dropped, but have you seen how much stronger I’ve become?"
This outburst shocked Zong Jincheng and Zong Wenxiu, as well as the students passing by. Even Xu Wan stopped in her tracks and turned to look.
"Who is this? So brave, daring to talk back to his father."
"Disobedient, disobedient. He’s going to be beaten for sure."
"I doubt he’ll be able to take the exam today."
"I’m afraid he won’t be able to continue his studies after this."
"But don’t you think he has a point?"
"It does seem like he’s right..."
The students whispered among themselves, initially watching for the drama but eventually starting to discuss the issue of parental education, gradually agreeing that the child was right.
Lin’s father, who had never been defied by his child before and felt humiliated in front of so many people, raised his hand menacingly to strike.
But Lin Yu didn’t flinch, standing his ground and speaking with conviction, "Zong Jincheng can rank second because he’s wealthy and influential, with a good mother and the best tutors. What do I have? What have you provided for me? How many times have I told you I’m falling behind and need a private tutor to help me? And what did you say? That I’m incompetent and stupid for not keeping up in class. You only know how to criticize me. Have you ever listened to my pleas? How can you, as a father, be so self-righteous in blaming me?"
Lin Yu’s gaze was both earnest and perplexed, but he still didn’t cry. He felt wronged, but he didn’t think he was the one at fault.
"Well said!" someone in the crowd shouted.
"I feel the same way!"
"Support! Lin Yu, you’re right!"
The students were moved by his words, feeling as if he had spoken directly to their hearts, and they stepped forward to support him.
