“Huh?” The Marquis of Beiding didn’t quite register it at first.
Once it finally clicked, he stared at Qu Zijin in utter shock, privately wondering if this Grand Tutor was mentally stable.
As for the person in question, Qu Zijin’s “Master,” Jin Lanyue… she felt incredibly guilty.
By now, her tiny brain had managed to figure things out. She vaguely realized that the only reason she had learned the *Three Character Classic* so easily was because of the “Mastery of Early Education Knowledge (Literature Edition)” that the strange voice had rewarded her with when she completed her very first mission.
She felt the lingering guilt of a cheater, yet she couldn’t confess anything regarding the strange voice.
Moreover, she had never expected that the Grand Tutor would truly accept his defeat and chase after her, calling her his master.
“…Um, Grand Tutor, are you feeling alright?” the Marquis of Beiding asked hesitantly.
Qu Zijin paused, turned to him, and bowed again. “Does Grand-Master have any instructions?”
The Marquis of Beiding flinched, clutching Jin Lanyue as he warily took two steps backward.
Sensing that his reaction was a bit too obvious, he gave two awkward chuckles. “Do you need me to summon a royal physician for you, Grand Tutor?”
*The Marquis of Beiding: I think you have some mental issues, young man.*
Qu Zijin also realized he had been misunderstood. After a moment of thought, he said earnestly, “It must be that Master has not yet explained the situation to you, Grand-Master. Please allow me to explain…”
He recounted the entire sequence of events exactly as they had happened.
“What?!” The Marquis of Beiding looked at the little daughter in his arms in sheer disbelief.
“Indeed,” Qu Zijin nodded solemnly. “I believe Master is a heavenly genius rarely seen in a century. If she is only taught by me, I fear this bright pearl will be obscured by dust. The reason I chased after you just now was also in the hope that Master could study under renowned scholars and great masters, so as not to insult such natural talent.”
After his brief shock, the Marquis of Beiding recovered quickly and accepted the news remarkably well. He burst into hearty laughter and praised, “Aiya, I knew my Yue’er was a genius, hahahahaha! This father will go invite great scholars for you right away—we’ll invite the absolute best! When the time comes, after you finish palace school, we’ll have the great scholars come to our estate to teach you. Rituals, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and arithmetic—we’ll get a separate teacher for each and every one!”
No child is born loving school, especially when it involves consecutive first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh periods.
Jin Lanyue was no exception.
She abruptly lifted her small head. “I don’t want to!”
“Master, since you possess such natural talent, you should be all the more diligent in your bitter studies, striving constantly for self-improvement!” Qu Zijin advised earnestly.
Jin Lanyue looked at him with an immense sense of grievance.
She felt like she finally knew why the Grand Tutor didn’t have any friends.
Over there, Qu Zijin was still droning on with quotes like, *”The young who do not know the value of early study will regret the delay when hair turns white”* and *”If one does not work hard in youth, one will grieve in vain in old age”*…
Over here, the Marquis of Beiding was nodding repeatedly, his gaze toward Qu Zijin shifting from “this lunatic” to “a true kindred spirit.”
Although Jin Lanyue shared the exact same sentiment as the princess—having no idea what the Grand Tutor was blabbering about—her tiny brain twirled through a few thoughts and sensed that things were going south.
If this went on, it felt like… it felt like she would have an endless stream of classes all day long.
Her eyes grew wide and round.
*No way, that’s way too terrifying!*
*What to do, what to do…*
*Got it!*
Having a sudden stroke of genius, she looked at Qu Zijin. “Yue’er wants Grand Tutor to teach me! Grand Tutor is the most, most, most awesome!”
Qu Zijin stopped his lecturing. He looked at Jin Lanyue in surprise, only to meet her sparkling gaze, her innocent big eyes filled with immense anticipation.
“Ah, our Yue’er really likes the Grand Tutor!” the Marquis of Beiding teased with a smile. “You only want the Grand Tutor to teach you, and no one else?”
“Mm-hm!” Jin Lanyue nodded her head vigorously, reaching out her small hands toward Qu Zijin. “Only Grand Tutor!”
Qu Zijin froze.
“Grand Tutor, huggy!” Jin Lanyue smiled at him.
“Alright, a hug from the Grand Tutor.” The Marquis of Beiding smiled and handed her over to Qu Zijin.
Dazed, Qu Zijin took Jin Lanyue from the Marquis of Beiding’s arms.
The child was soft and carried a sweet baby fragrance. Her soft, chubby little hands clutched his collar as she lifted her plump, round little face, looking up at him expectantly.
She was so tiny and barely weighed anything, resting so obediently in his embrace.
Looking at her, Qu Zijin felt his heart turn completely soft.
He pursed his lips and gave a solemn promise: “If Master does not disdain me, I will certainly impart everything I know… No, I shall return and study bitterly day and night, and I will absolutely never let Master fall half a step behind anyone else!”
“Thank you, Grand Tutor!” Jin Lanyue’s eyes curved into sweet crescents as she thanked him happily.
Standing to the side, the Marquis of Beiding found the scene quite amusing.
These two were truly something…
You call me Master, I call you Grand Tutor. Each to their own; the generational hierarchy was a complete mess, but neither was going to mind the other.
“Alright, Yue’er, it’s time for us to go home. Let’s not disturb the Grand Tutor any longer.” The Marquis of Beiding took Jin Lanyue back from Qu Zijin’s arms.
After nodding to Qu Zijin, he turned and walked outside.
Jin Lanyue rested against her daddy’s back, her eyes curved like little crescent moons as she waved her hand at him. “Goodbye, Grand Tutor!”
Qu Zijin lifted his hand somewhat awkwardly, mimicking her as he gave a small wave. “…Goodbye.”
He stood in front of Wenhua Hall, watching them until their figures completely disappeared from sight.
The carriage wheels rolled smoothly, swaying Jin Lanyue gently as she sat inside.
“Daddy, Yue’er has a question,” she spoke up suddenly.
The Marquis of Beiding was still immersed in the joy of “my daughter is a genius.” Hearing this, he looked at her with a beaming smile. “What is it, Yue’er?”
“It’s just, if there is a teacher who taught Yue’er a lot of things, but… Yue’er thinks the way it talks is a teeny bit scary, what should I do?” Jin Lanyue propped her chin in her hands, trying to project the weathered aura of an adult, but she failed.
The Marquis of Beiding assumed she was talking about Qu Zijin.
After all, when that man pulled a stern face, let alone a child like Yue’er, even he found it a bit intimidating.
Thus, he smiled and guided her patiently: “Then is this teacher helping you?”
“Yes, indeed,” Jin Lanyue nodded. “It asks Yue’er to help people, teaches Yue’er knowledge, and gives Yue’er things.”
“Then he is very good to Yue’er. This teacher might just not know how to express himself properly, but he means well,” the Marquis of Beiding patted her head. “Of course, if he ever bullies Yue’er or makes Yue’er feel uncomfortable, you must tell Daddy and Mommy, okay?”
“Okay~~” Jin Lanyue understood, her fighting spirit instantly restored.
Although the strange voice in her head was indeed very strange, it really had been helping her all along!
From now on, it would be her Auntie Teacher!
Hm… Jin Lanyue thought hard.
*What was Auntie Teacher’s name again?*
*It sounded like… Xi Tong? Xi Tong?*
Whatever, she would just call it Auntie System from now on!
Jin Lanyue picked two characters randomly and settled on the decision just like that.
“We’ve arrived at the Marquis estate.” The carriage came to a halt, and the Marquis of Beiding carried Jin Lanyue down. “Yue’er, your second brother is still holding a kite, waiting for you to come back and fly it together.”
At the mention of this, Jin Lanyue instantly perked up, saying happily, “Yay! Yue’er wants to fly kites with Second Brother too!”
Entering the courtyard, Jin Lanyue saw her second brother from a distance, sprinting toward her with a kite in his hands. “Little Sister, Little Sister!”
She also trotted over with “thud, thud, thud” steps. The two siblings held hands and ran off to fly the kite.
The Marquis of Beiding glanced at them with a smile, instructed the servants to look after them carefully, and headed back to his study first.
In the garden, Jin Lanyue sat on a small stool with her hands resting obediently on her knees. Her second brother was proudly showing off the kite in his hands. “Look, Little Sister, I picked a new one. Isn’t it pretty?”
Jin Lanyue clapped. “So pwetty, so pwetty~”
The second brother puffed out his chest proudly and held the kite out to her. “For you!”
Just as her chubby little hand brushed against the kite, the voice echoed in her mind—
【Mission Triggered.】
【You have returned to the Marquis Beiding estate—the place that was once your home, but ultimately drove you out without a shred of mercy.】
【That person took your place, and everything you once owned became hers. Every trace of your existence was erased.】
【The brothers who once doted on you now hurl vicious words at you. Looking at the kite your second brother has thrown in front of you—the very token that carries the laughter and joy of your childhood—you are overcome by boundless desolation and resentment.】
【You must tear this kite into shreds, just as you wish to tear him and your current predicament to pieces.】
【Mission: Tear the kite to shreds right in front of Second Brother’s face.】
【Reward: Mastery of Early Education Knowledge (Arithmetic Edition).】