After returning from the casino, Ming Si remained very quiet. The group boarded their respective carriages, preparing to begin the journey back to the capital.
Unlike before, Qiu Yuan, who served as Fu Jing’s personal guard, was assigned to Ming Si’s side to act as his driver and monitor him. Initially, Qiu Yuan watched Ming Si closely. The youth had already run away twice, and Qiu Yuan feared he might stir up more trouble. However, Ming Si was abnormally quiet, a silence that was almost eerie. Sometimes, he would go an entire day without uttering a single word.
Several times, Qiu Yuan grew suspicious and lifted the curtain to check if he was still there, only to meet Ming Si’s dark, steady gaze. Qiu Yuan would then withdraw his hand awkwardly. He worried that Ming Si was suppressing his feelings and asked, “Young Master, you have seemed unhappy since we left the casino. Were you frightened?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Qiu Yuan quickly retracted the thought. This youth was incredibly bold; how could he possibly be scared?
“After the Eldest Young Master heard about the matter between you and Xu Gui, he personally stepped in to arrange that outcome. Ordinarily, the Eldest Young Master disdains using such tactics. Even regarding the Second Young Master in our household, he has never intervened like that.”
This was the first time Ming Si realized this usually stern and cold guard was capable of idle chatter. He interrupted Qiu Yuan. “Give a slap and then offer a date; it is nothing more than killing the chicken to warn the monkey.” He allowed a sharp, mocking smile to show. “What, do you expect me to kowtow and thank him?”
Qiu Yuan was silenced.
The Arrival in Shengjing
The next day, Ming Si received a stack of books and some preserved fruits and snacks delivered by Qiu Yuan. Qiu Yuan spoke in his usual matter-of-fact tone. “The Eldest Young Master says you should read more and let your mind wander less.”
Although he had known for a long time that Qiu Yuan was stationed by his side to monitor him, this was far too blatant. Ming Si was speechless. He gave Qiu Yuan an unfriendly glare before clutching the books and retreating into the carriage.
Ming Si did not understand how Fu Jing managed to blend indifference with meticulous care so seamlessly. He rarely saw Fu Jing afterward. Just as Ming Si began to think he had been forgotten, Qiu Yuan brought an elderly physician to see him that evening.
“The Eldest Young Master heard you were suffering from insomnia, so he asked me to find a physician to check your pulse,” Qiu Yuan said.
The elderly physician prescribed some sedative medicine for Ming Si. However, the medicine was far too potent. Ming Si had dreamless nights, but he found himself drifting off to sleep frequently during the day as well. It was during one of these daytime naps that they arrived. When someone finally came to wake him, Ming Si opened his eyes in the carriage, feeling dazed. Outside the window, the scenery of Shengjing met his eyes.
An attendant roughly his own age looked at him with a curious gaze. The boy wore brown hemp clothes that looked thick enough to provide warmth. This made the thinly dressed Ming Si shiver, belatedly feeling the biting chill of the northern autumn.
“You must be the Young Master? You have had a long and tiring journey.”
Ming Si sat up, realizing they had arrived. “And you are?”
The attendant only smiled without answering. After looking Ming Si up and down for a while, he ran off like the wind. Ming Si lifted the curtain to step out, discovering that his carriage was stopped at a side gate. There was no one around, and Qiu Yuan was nowhere to be found.
The Fu Household
The person who led Ming Si into the Fu household was a man in his fifties named Uncle Guo. He had a hunched back and thinning hair, but he was very kind. He led Ming Si to a modest, secluded courtyard that had been recently cleaned. The roof tiles were a mix of old and new, suggesting recent repairs.
Before leaving, Guo Taihong gave Ming Si an identity medallion. “The Master has left the capital on business and will likely return in half a month. Young Master, you may stay here for the time being. If you need anything, you can find this old servant at Wang Garden.”
Ming Si put his “shell” back on, acting submissively. “Uncle Guo, where is the Eldest Young Master? I have something left with him from the journey and would like to retrieve it.”
Guo Taihong replied, “That is unfortunate. The Eldest Young Master has not returned home. As soon as he entered the capital, he went straight to the Imperial Academy. He went there directly without even resting.”
Ming Si was only concerned about the bracelet his mother had given him. Fu Jing usually seemed so thorough; how could he leave without returning the bracelet first? He gritted his teeth. “Then where does the Eldest Young Master live?”
“The Eldest Young Master lives at Yaozhi Chunxin. It is quite a distance from here. If it is not urgent, you should wait for him to return in a few days.”
Ming Si walked through almost half of the Fu estate before finally finding Fu Jing’s courtyard. However, the young servant guarding the yard, Dong Qing, was arrogant and suspicious. He blocked Ming Si’s view. “And who are you?”
Ming Si offered a pleasing smile and prepared to hand over some silver, but the guard threw it away with a loud clang. “What filthy thing is this!”
“I returned from the south with your master,” Ming Si said, his smile remaining. “He took something of mine and has not yet returned it. I hope you will send someone to inform him.”
“Oh, so you are that…” Dong Qing cut himself off and said impatiently, “Then you can just wait.” The door slammed shut with a loud bang.
Conflict with the Second Branch
When Ming Si returned to his courtyard, he found it in disarray. A child of about eight or nine, wearing a brocade robe and leather boots, was running around kicking flowerpots. Beside him was the attendant from earlier, Le Ling.
The child, Fu Zizhong, was the pampered son of the Second Master. There was friction between the Second Master and the First Master, and because Ming Si was brought in by the First Master, the second branch used him as an outlet for their frustration.
Fu Zizhong looked at Ming Si and whispered a curse. “Little beggar. Southern barbarian.”
A few days later, the child returned and arrogantly demanded that Ming Si kneel so he could ride him like a horse. Le Ling looked embarrassed but did not stop the child. “If you do not go along with the Young Master, his temper will be terrible,” Le Ling whispered.
Ming Si let out a soft laugh, a sense of pride rising in his heart. “Hey! Beggar! What are you laughing at? Kneel down quickly!” Fu Zizhong demanded.
Ming Si brushed off the hand gripping his clothes. “What did you call me? A beggar? If you are living in the same residence as a beggar, what does that make you? You are also a beggar.”
Fu Zizhong froze. “I heard your eldest uncle intends to adopt me,” Ming Si continued. “If that is true, shouldn’t you call me ‘Brother’? If the brother is a beggar, what is the younger brother?”
Le Ling tried to intervene, but Ming Si ignored him and looked at Fu Zizhong. “Beggar.”
Fu Zizhong’s mouth puckered, ready to cry. Ming Si walked over and locked the courtyard gate. Because the courtyard was so secluded, the child’s wailing would not carry far. Le Ling was anxious, glaring at Ming Si. “You made the Young Master cry! You will pay for this!”
Ming Si watched them coldly until his own emotions calmed. Finally, he produced two grasshoppers that were tangled together and held them out to the child. “Young Master, look at what this is.” Fu Zizhong stopped crying.
However, the offense had been made. The next day, Ming Si discovered his meal was spoiled. He took one bite, threw the rest away, and used his medallion to leave the Fu residence.