Chapter Sixteen: You Are Blocking My Way

The voice did not come from Pan Qingyun.

It came from Mei Changyu, who stood beside Pan Qingyun.

When Mei Changyu spoke, Master Jiang was still completely baffled—

Having taught Chen Xiaofu for three years, he knew exactly what kind of person the boy was.

He could never have imagined Chen Xiaofu would say something like this!

From the ages of nine to twelve, Chen Xiaofu had spoken fewer than thirty sentences to him voluntarily.

Even when he did speak, his expression was fearful, his eyes evasive, and his head always bowed.

His speech was also far from fluent.

But now,

Chen Xiaofu had not only grown taller, his spirit and vigor were incomparable to before.

When he spoke these words, his complexion was calm, his manner measured, showing sufficient respect for his teacher and revealing his true intention—

He said he wanted to visit the library to read books… Could it be that Chen Linyuan really had taught him to read?

No, that can’t be!

If he had truly learned to read, why would he have attempted to jump from a building?

Master Jiang’s mind struggled to keep up, just then Chen Xiaofu’s voice came again.

Chen Xiaofu looked at Mei Changyu and smiled slightly: “I am Chen Xiaofu. You all carry on with your business; I’m going to the library to look at some books.”

After saying this, he turned and took two steps, but Mei Changyu burst out laughing:

“Chen Xiaofu, you’re illiterate and yet you want to go to the library to read?”

“Do you even understand those books?”

“Can you comprehend what’s written in them?”

“If you can understand the Three Character Classic, that’s already quite something. But going to the library… don’t soil the books there!”

Mei Changyu’s words were dripping with mockery, and a heavy silence fell over the scene.

The students of Lin’an Academy knew Chen Xiaofu could barely recognize a few characters and that he was the illegitimate son of the Kaiyang Divine General.

They perhaps looked down on him and occasionally mocked him in private, but no one dared to openly insult him like this.

Their gazes shifted to Mei Changyu, wondering who this youth was.

Not fearing the Kaiyang Divine General’s household meant he must have some serious backing.

So how would Chen Xiaofu respond?

They looked again at Chen Xiaofu nearby and saw him stop, slowly turning around.

He looked at Mei Changyu. “It seems you have some objections to me going to the library to read?”

Mei Changyu stepped forward, raising an eyebrow: “If you can’t understand, why pretend?”

“In the imperial capital, I heard you only know about thirty characters, less than a five-year-old child.”

“You can’t even recognize book titles, so how could you understand their contents?”

“You’re quite handsome, but alas…”

“There’s a saying in the imperial capital for you: a horse’s dung is smooth on the outside but filled with chaff inside!”

“What a pity for such a fine appearance. You’d better go fight crickets; reading… is not something a worthless fool like you should do!”

Amid the astonished gazes of all the students, Mei Changyu folded his arms, leaned forward, drawing closer to Chen Xiaofu’s handsome face.

He grinned wickedly:

“By the way, I heard you tried to jump from a building two months ago… Could it be you plan to throw yourself from the library here at the academy?”

“Listen… a worthless wretch like you should just die, but don’t drag down this thousand-year-old Lin’an Academy with you!”

Even a fool could hear the deep insult in those words!

The students widened their eyes, thinking this unfamiliar youth must harbor a deep grudge against Chen Xiaofu.

He dared to insult the illegitimate son of the Kaiyang Divine General’s household in front of so many people… Could he have been sent by the General’s wife?

That must be it!

Certainly!

Although Chen Xiaofu was illegitimate, he was raised entirely by the old madam of the Huaxi Villa.

Now that he had grown, he posed a threat to the inheritance of the Divine General’s estate.

When Mei Changyu said these words, not only did Master Jiang’s brow furrow, but even the smile faded from the face of Xu Zizhou, the senior scholar from Qi State, and the other students behind him.

Master Jiang knew Chen Xiaofu was inarticulate and that he might not know how to respond to such verbal assaults from the youth called Mei Changyu.

Xu Zizhou liked Chen Xiaofu very much and was about to speak up to defend him, but unexpectedly, Chen Xiaofu spoke first.

He was not angry at Mei Changyu’s insults.

He still looked at Mei Changyu calmly and lightly, a faint smile on his face, though his words were sharper:

“Do you know what animal I hate most?”

“Flies!”

“I don’t know you, and I just want to go to the library to look at books, but you buzz around like a fly, annoying me nonstop.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Trying to make yourself known?”

“Look at yourself—you look like a mangy dog. No, you look worse than a mangy dog!”

“I am above dealing with dogs. Let’s say I went out today without checking the almanac and got bitten by a dog—should I bite back?”

Mei Changyu’s face darkened: “You…!”

Chen Xiaofu’s expression suddenly grew serious; his eyes sharpened, and Mei Changyu instantly felt a chilling coldness.

“What ‘you’! You’re just a mad dog. Shut up for me!”

Chen Xiaofu stepped forward, and Mei Changyu instinctively took a step back.

Chen Xiaofu leaned in, closing the distance between them, his voice low but firm:

“Seeing your face gave me an idea for a couplet to give you. Go ponder its meaning.”

“Listen carefully!”

“The first line is: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.”

“The second line is: Filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, faith, propriety, righteousness, integrity.”

“Use your dog brain to think it over. Farewell!”

Chen Xiaofu turned and walked away again.

Everyone heard his commanding words and the couplet, and the looks the Lin’an Academy students gave Chen Xiaofu shifted—less disdain, more respect.

They hadn’t truly interacted with Chen Xiaofu before, but at this moment, they glimpsed his verbal sharpness.

A scholar need not wield a sword to wound the heart.

Chen Xiaofu, barely knowing thirty characters, was hardly a scholar, yet his words truly cut to the core.

By the way, what exactly did that couplet mean?

Many pondered the hidden meaning, but Mei Changyu had no time to consider.

He had come to Lin’an with Pan Qingyun to humiliate Chen Xiaofu, to make him painfully aware that he was unworthy of An Xiaowei.

He had thought he would have to wait for days in Lin’an City, but unexpectedly met Chen Xiaofu at the academy today—an opportunity he would not miss.

So he hurried forward a few steps to block Chen Xiaofu’s path.

Before he could speak, Chen Xiaofu’s brow furrowed deeply.

His patience was gone:

“You’re blocking my way.”

“I am a reasonable man. If you are not reasonable, then I understand some fighting skills.”

“I’ll count to three. If you don’t move, don’t blame me for showing you some color.”