Chapter 71: Against My Conscience

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Yu Youyao stole a glance at her cousin. Seeing that he was looking at her, she panicked and turned her head away. Clenching her pink and white fists, she said loudly, “Cousin, I’ll definitely practice my calligraphy well and strive to master it.”

Zhou Linghuai wanted to know how ugly the young lady’s handwriting was. His lips curled up slightly as he chuckled. “Mentor praised my cousin on the spot. I’m sure not only did she learn well, but she also wrote a good article. I just want to see how outstanding her article is.”

Yu Youyao was stunned when she heard her cousin praise her. How could she care if her handwriting looked good or not? She quickly asked Xia Tao to get her writing and handed it to her cousin. “Cousin, look.”

Zhou Linghuai took a look at the thick stack of notes, and the corners of his mouth seemed to curl up slightly. Instantly, he trembled slightly, and his mind was filled with confusion. He tilted his head to look at the messy words and was stunned for a moment.

She was a little lacking in words, but he really thought very highly of her.

He looked up at Yu Youyao and organized his thoughts. However, he was afraid that he would say too much and make the little girl feel uncomfortable. After careful consideration, he hesitated. Then, he thought about it and wanted to give a tactful comment.

However, the little girl’s eyes widened as she looked at him hopefully. The words that were about to come out of his mouth seemed to be stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t spit them out.

Yu Youyao had no idea what her cousin was thinking. She looked at him anxiously and asked, “Cousin, how did I write? Was it really bad?”

Zhou Linghuai took a deep breath and said with difficulty, “Not bad.”

Then, he lowered her head and began to flip through the transcript page by page.

However, he did not notice the excited smile on Yu Youyao’s face when she heard him say “not bad”.

Her cousin did not mind that her handwriting was not good at all.

Chang An, who was standing behind Zhou Linghuai, naturally saw Yu Youyao’s words and almost choked on his saliva.

Even his handwriting when he was five years old was better than Eldest Miss Yu’s. It was really difficult for Young Master. In order to save Eldest Miss Yu’s face, he had gone against his conscience and lied through his teeth.

Not long after, Zhou Linghuai finished reading her writing. When he looked up, he met Yu Youyao’s eager gaze. Zhou Linghuai’s expression paused for a moment. “The article was indeed written well, but…”

Zhou Linghuai pointed out the mistakes in the article one by one and explained the parts that he didn’t understand enough. He was knowledgeable and cited the classics. He was proficient in the three theories of the Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist religions and his words were easy to understand.

Every time, Yu Youyao would be enlightened, and she would feel unknowingly inspired.

About ten minutes later, Zhou Linghuai stopped and asked, “Do you understand?”

Yu Youyao nodded. “Understood.”

Seeing that her expression was clear and her eyes were clear, it was obvious that she really understood. Zhou Linghuai chuckled. “If there’s anything you don’t understand in the future, feel free to ask me.”

Initially, he was worried that the little girl was lazy and did not like to study. She had not gone to school for more than a month and could not keep up with her progress. She would definitely be reprimanded by her teacher, so he was a little worried. After school, he came back specially to take a look.

However, the young lady was quick-witted and understood everything immediately.

Yu Youyao nodded repeatedly and said in admiration, “Cousin, you’re really impressive. You’re as impressive as Ms. Ye.”

In her heart, she felt that her cousin was more knowledgeable than Ms. Ye. However, this world had many restrictions on women, and there were also many restrictions on the books that women could read.

At this moment, Nanny Xu came over. “It’s time for lunch.”

Yu Youyao tugged at her cousin’s sleeve. “Cousin, don’t go back to The Green House. Stay for lunch with me. Nanny Xu’s cooking is excellent. You have to try it.”

Zhou Linghuai wanted to decline, but his gaze landed on the little girl’s slender fingers. She gently pinched his sleeve and he nodded in agreement.

Yu Youyao was very happy. She quickly instructed the maidservant to place lunch in the side room of the hall, and she and Zhou Linghuai went to the side room to eat.

There were a few more dishes on the table than usual, and they were all light dishes that her cousin usually liked. Nanny Xu must have known that her cousin was here and instructed the kitchen to prepare more.

Yu Youyao picked up a piece of winter bamboo shoot and placed it on the plate in front of her cousin. “The winter bamboo shoot was dug out last winter. It’s fresh and refreshing. Try it, Cousin.”

A smile appeared in Zhou Linghuai’s eyes. He picked up the Longjing prawn that he had eaten earlier and gave it to Yu Youyao. “Cousin, eat this too.”

With that, he picked up the winter bamboo shoots from the plate and put them back into his mouth.

The winter bamboo shoot in his mouth seemed to be more delicious than usual.

Yu Youyao also picked up some prawns and ate happily. She liked seafood. Every time she returned to the Quanzhou Prefecture to give gifts, most of them were rare seafood.

The lunch ended with the siblings exchanging pleasantries and greetings.

After the meal, Xia Tao brought over some medicinal tea that could help with digestion and nourish the stomach. The two of them drank it and did not waste any time starting the lessons that Yu Youyao had missed in the past.

One taught while the other learned.

Yu Youyao was intelligent. It turned out that after her cousin’s explanation, her obscure lessons had become easy to understand. She learnt them at a pace not slower than when Nanny Xu taught her pharmacology.

Seeing that it was about time, Zhou Linghuai decided to go to the West Mansion to study. “Studying isn’t something that can be done in a day. Cousin, you’re talented and smart, so you’ll understand everything immediately. You’re already learning much faster than most people. Remember to strike a balance between work and rest. Don’t be too hasty.”

Not only did the young lady have a lot of work to do, but she also had to learn a lot of things from Nanny Xu. A balance between work and rest was especially important. Otherwise, her body would be exhausted.

“Cousin, don’t worry.” Yu Youyao nodded. She felt a little guilty when she saw that her cousin’s dark eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and there was a hint of fatigue on his face. His pale face seemed to look even worse than before.

Earlier, she had been so focused on studying with her cousin that she had forgotten that his health wasn’t very good. It was already very tiring for him to study every day, yet he still had to spend time teaching her. Today, he hadn’t even taken a break in the afternoon. It seemed like his body was a little exhausted.

Zhou Linghuai nodded and was about to leave.

“Cousin, wait a minute.” Yu Youyao quickly called out to her cousin. Without waiting for Zhou Linghuai to ask, she picked up her dress and ran into the inner room.

Zhou Linghuai rubbed his slightly swollen temples and waited.

Chang An said worriedly, “Young Master, you haven’t rested for the entire afternoon. Are you feeling a little unwell? Why don’t you apply for leave from Master and let Uncle Sun take a look at you before you go to school tomorrow? Everyone in the residence knows that Young Master’s health isn’t good. Moreover, Young Master has learned all the lessons that Master has taught in the past. Even if you miss half a day of classes, it won’t be a problem.”

Zhou Linghuai shook his head and said nothing.