The Trick to Teasing a Noble Family's Son - Chapter 34.2

Striding over, Xie Zichen took the book from her hands, knelt at the side table, and said, “You copy. I’ll teach.”

Both Wei Lan and Huan Heng stared at him blankly. Xie Zichen raised his head toward the still-dazed Huan Heng, frowning.

“Why are you still sitting there? Must you have others lose sleep doing your work before you’re satisfied?”

Huan Heng instantly understood the implication. He had indeed often made Wei Lan stay up late to copy texts for him in the past. Feeling sheepish, he quickly knelt across from Xie Zichen.

Wei Lan cupped her hands in thanks with a smile.

“Since Brother Xie insists, I’ll accept your kindness.”

Xie Zichen lowered his eyes, opened to the first page of The Spring and Autumn Annals, and uttered a quiet, “Mm.”

Then he looked up at the somewhat nervous Huan Heng.

“Read it once,” he said.

Huang Heng: “……”

The moment they began, he was given a show of dominance: this was humiliation!

Still, since the other party had come to tutor him, he endured it. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the book and began to read, stammering through the text.

As he read aloud, Xie Zichen circled words in the book. Once he finished, Xie Zichen patiently taught him character by character, explaining the meaning of each sentence while making him memorise.

By mealtime, Xie Tong, Ranmo, and Huan Heng’s servant Shan Jin arrived with food boxes. Wei Lan put down her brush, surprised.

“When did they get the message?”

“I had someone inform them,” Xie Zichen replied, watching the three servants lay out the dishes on the desk, kneel before it, and pick up their chopsticks. The other two carried their own bowls.

Huan Heng leaned closer to Wei Lan and whispered:

“I asked around. They say you like him.”

“Hm?” Wei Lan turned, raising her brows. Even Huan Heng managed to dig out such a thing? His informant must be rather skilled.

“I asked Ranmo,” Huan Heng immediately added.

Wei Lan: “……”

Traitor!

“Your taste is decent,” Huan Heng stuffed a mouthful of rice, sighed, and said, “But I don’t know why, I just feel sour. Sometimes I can’t help but think, why wasn’t I born a cut-sleeve? If I were one, things would be easier.”

“I’m not one either.”

After silently listening all this while, Xie Zichen finally spoke in a low tone.

Huan Heng choked on his rice, covering his mouth with a handkerchief and coughing violently.

Wei Lan quickly raised a hand and gently patted his back. Only after a long while did Huan Heng recover. He jumped up, pointed at Xie Zichen, and shouted, “Can you not scare people like that?!”

“I was only telling the truth.” Xie Zichen lifted his head, his expression calm. “He is still alone. I only see him as a brother. If you do become a cut-sleeve, then quickly marry him. I’d have no problem with you being my sisterc-in-law.”

“Utter nonsense!” Huan Heng’s face turned red as he roared, “You’re the cut-sleeve!”

“He doesn’t like you,” Xie Zichen swiftly looked at Wei Lan.

Wei Lan could not help but laugh.

“Then by that reasoning, Brother Xie also despises me?”

“Yes.” Xie Zichen nodded without hesitation. “I despise you for being a cut-sleeve.”

“You actually despise Ah Lan!” Huan Heng slammed the desk furiously. “Let’s fight!”

“Finish memorising Spring and Autumn Annals first,” Xie Zichen said leisurely. “I might have time to fight you after that.”

Huan Heng: “……”
Why does my heart hurt so much…

Xie Zichen still would not let him off, adding coldly, “Young Master Huan, do you intend to always drag down the Wei Shizi? Let others laugh that Wei Shizi’s best friend is an illiterate?”

Illiterate, illiterate, illiterate…
The word began to echo endlessly in Huan Heng’s head.

Slowly, he sat back down. He felt as though he had just suffered the greatest blow of his life.

Xie Zichen was right. How could an illiterate be worthy of being brother to someone as perfect as Ah Lan?

He had to work hard!

Huan Heng’s eyes suddenly lit up. After shovelling down the rest of his meal, he rushed to the desk, picked up a brush, and declared with great resolve, “Ah Lan, you needn’t help me anymore! I’ll copy the texts myself and study hard. Ah Lan, I will never allow anyone to laugh at you because of me!”

Wei Lan, seeing his bright, determined eyes, felt helpless.

Xie Zichen set down his bowl, took a handkerchief from Xie Tong to wipe his mouth, and said slowly, “I’ve already taught him the pronunciations and clarified the meanings. Brother Lan, he can do it.”

“One hundred copies…” Wei Lan felt sorry, seeing Huan Heng struggling with every word, looking like a dog’s scratch, “He likely won’t sleep tonight.”

“Men are meant to stand tall and establish their families and careers. They are not fragile maidens. One sleepless night, what does it matter?” Xie Zichen said, thinking of all the times Huan Heng had used idioms incorrectly and even wrote dirty words to curse him.

More importantly, Xie Zichen did not want to be colleagues in the future with the same illiterate Huan Heng who had once misused idioms and even scrawled vulgarities to curse him. If there was a chance to reform him, why not?

Wei Lan thought for a moment. This was not Great Liang. If it had been, such a naive boy would surely have been protected for life. But in Great Chu, he had to establish himself. She could not spoil him too much. With a sigh, she followed Xie Zichen out.

On the way back, Xie Zichen remained silent for a while before finally saying, “Brother Lan, I think I want to set up a screen between our beds.”

“Hm?” Wei Lan turned her head, unsurprised. Xie Zichen had been pondering this all morning.

“My sleeping posture is unruly,” he said slowly. “To avoid disturbing Brother Lan, it’s better to have a screen.”

“Alright.” Wei Lan nodded. It was no big deal to her. If Xie Zichen wanted one, let him have it.

That very night, Xie Zichen had Xie Tong move a screen between the beds.

Ranmo was extremely excited, whispering, “Shizi, I didn’t expect Young Master Xie to be so sensible…”

Wei Lan only smiled and said nothing.

Yet that very night, she regretted it.

For in her deep sleep, Xie Zichen turned over, kicked, and toppled the screen. It fell straight onto Wei Lan’s face.

“Ah!!” Wei Lan’s scream of pain rang through the residence.

Everyone nearby was startled awake. Wang Xi and Lin Che rushed over at once. Wang Xi kicked the door open, only to see the broken screen on the floor, Wei Lan sitting by the bed covered in blood, and Xie Zichen kneeling, speaking solemnly, “This is my fault. I will take full responsibility. From today onwards, I shall sleep on the floor!”

The onlookers were stunned. Only after a long pause did Wang Xi cautiously ask, “Brother Xie, you… what did you do to Ah Lan?!”

Wei Lan, with blood streaking her face, forced a smile and rasped, “It’s nothing…”

That bloody smile made everyone shudder.

Lin Che quickly stepped forward, “Ah Lan, if you’ve been wronged, speak it out! We’ll stand up for you!”

“Truly, it’s nothing.” Wei Lan shook her head, speaking to them all, “My servant has already gone to fetch the imperial physician. Sorry to disturb your rest. Please, return for now.”

Hearing this, and remembering class awaited tomorrow, everyone eventually dispersed.

When only the two of them remained, Wei Lan sighed. Looking at the kneeling Xie Zichen, she said, “Brother Zichen, I really am fine. Get up… in the future, just hang a curtain. Forget about a screen.”

Xie Zichen nodded, eyes filled with remorse.

Wei Lan let out a long breath. She had always been forgiving towards men. A split forehead was no real injury.

Yet, for some reason, she felt a trace of relief.

Thank goodness I didn’t marry Xie Zichen as husband… otherwise, one day he’d accidentally kill me in bed.