Chapter 48: Lifting Your Skirt

"Hmm?"

Gu Changqing's eyes flickered slightly.

He abruptly turned his head and stared straight at Cheng An...

A moment later.

He snapped back to his senses, smiling bitterly inwardly, 'Though this child is young, his methods are truly ruthless! He hasn't even settled in yet, and he's already eyeing the Dong family?'

As for Cheng An's objective regarding the Dong family,

Those who understood, understood!

Gu Changqing initially felt reluctant.

Yet a moment later, he smiled and said, "Very well, just go ahead and do as you please, this old man gives you my full support! Also... stop calling me 'Master Gu' from now on, it sounds too distant!"

"Then what should I call you?"

Cheng An stared at him suspiciously.

You old geezer!

Have you truly made up your mind to force yourself into becoming my father?

"Just call me Uncle!"

Disregarding the look in Cheng An's eyes, Gu Changqing put on a stern expression and said, "I am older than your father by a few years anyway, does calling me 'Uncle' wrong you in any way?"

"How could that be..."

Cheng An could not help but offer a bitter smile.

Then he respectfully called out, "Uncle Gu."

"Hahaha!"

Gu Changqing burst into hearty laughter.

He patted Cheng An's shoulder and instructed, "Since you're not busy, hurry back to the academy! Making money is fine, but one's future prospects are far more important... As for matters at the shop, leave them to me."

"Then I'll have to trouble Uncle Gu."

As it happened, Cheng An had no desire to linger either.

Just judging by the look in Gu Changqing's eyes...

If he didn't leave right now, he was afraid he would be tied up and forced into marriage as a son-in-law.

...

"You little scoundrel!"

Cheng An had just arrived at the academy.

Before he even stepped through the door, he heard a crisp voice.

The Gu sisters were getting off a donkey cart, while a servant followed behind carrying their luggage.

Were they planning to stay here permanently?

Cheng An was momentarily dazed, then forced an awkward smile.

"You've..."

"You've arrived."

"Mm."

Gu Xiaorou's pretty face flushed slightly, her eyes carrying a trace of lingering resentment.

This made the situation even more awkward.

Cheng An stood at the entrance with a sheepish smile.

"Do you need any help?"

"Don't even bother!"

Gu Xiaoyue rolled her eyes.

She teased him in a dainty yet sarcastic tone, "You're a young scholar now, how could we dare to trouble you? If word gets out, outsiders will surely say the daughters of the Gu family have no shame."

Damn it!

Cheng An felt utterly stifled.

Yet after all, she was a young woman, and he had rejected her marriage proposal right to her face; wasn't it only natural for her to give him a tongue-lashing?

"Miss Gu."

Cheng An stood up straight with a serious expression.

Then he respectfully bowed to Gu Xiaorou and apologized sincerely, "Yesterday's matter was truly beyond my control. Please forgive me for any offense I may have caused!"

"You..."

"Young Master Cheng need not be so formal, please rise quickly!"

Gu Xiaorou took two steps back in surprise and said, "You are a licentiate now! A man of letters, how can you bow so deeply to a woman? If people see this, it will become a laughingstock!"

"Sis, what's wrong with a scholar doing that?"

Gu Xiaoyue said with displeasure, "He made our family lose such a huge amount of face, isn't it only right for him to apologize? Besides, hasn't our family treated him well enough?"

In terms of goodwill and sentiment, the Gu family had indeed treated Cheng An more than fairly!

Take that pulley wheel from the very beginning, for instance...

Even though everyone knew its function, its monetary value was entirely determined by whoever assessed it. If the Gu family had chosen to give him not a single copper coin, he would have had no recourse whatsoever.

...

The arrival of the Gu sisters, moreover,

brought quite a bit of gossip to the academy!

After class ended,

a few of the children gathered together.

Dong Hui glanced sideways at the departing Gu sisters and sneered, "Has the master gone senile in his old age? How dare he let females into the study hall? What does he take us for?"

"Exactly!"

"Since when is there any principle of women attending school?"

"Studying alongside women, it would be utterly disgraceful if word got out!"

The other children also wore faces full of displeasure.

Under the feudal system, the superiority of men over women was the tradition!

Although the Gu sisters had come here before, they had at least maintained the pretext of "visiting relatives," so even if people had private reservations, it was difficult to voice open opposition.

But now, two women were openly entering and leaving the classroom.

Wasn't this a direct slap to their faces?

"Why shouldn't women be allowed to study?"

Gu Xiaoyue, who had just stepped outside, turned back and returned.

She said in a sweet yet sharp voice, "Aren't your mothers and grandmothers women? Weren't you born of women? Is there any law in the imperial court stating that women cannot study?"

"You..."

The children were left with flushed, red faces from being cornered.

"What about you?"

Gu Xiaoyue fired on all cylinders, speaking coldly, "You don't read books very well, but you sure have plenty of trouble-making ideas! Have you memorized the essays the master taught? Where is your shame?"

The children were scolded into complete speechlessness, and then scurried out of the classroom like beaten dogs.

Cheng An almost burst out laughing.

It had to be Gu Xiaoyue!

This little girl was used to being pampered and arrogant, especially that sharp tongue of hers that could make one's head spin. This bunch of troublemakers was going to suffer from now on!

"You little scoundrel, what are you laughing at?"

"Huh?"

Cheng An hastily wiped the smile off his face.

He looked innocent and said, "Was I laughing?"

"You were!"

"And quite loudly, too."

Gu Xiaoyue strode over, looked him up and down, and scolded, "You little scoundrel! Father must have truly lost his mind, otherwise how could he have taken a fancy to you?"

"Hey! Let me tell you—"

Cheng An leaped to his feet.

Damn it!

There's no end to this, is there?

"Well?"

Gu Xiaoyue was completely unintimidated.

She raised her chin and said, "Don't think you're all that impressive just because you passed the licentiate examination. There are plenty of capable people under the sun, and you don't even make the ranking!"

"..."

Cheng An remained silent.

His eyes locked onto the tightly bound skirt Gu Xiaoyue was wearing.

Gu Xiaoyue blushed instinctively and hurriedly took two steps back.

She complained, "You—what are you looking at?"

"It's torn."

"What?"

"I said your skirt is torn."

Cheng An pointed at her with a mischievous, raspy grin.

Ah!

Gu Xiaoyue let out a shrill scream and frantically gathered her skirt together.

"You little scoundrel..."

She was just about to hurl insults.

When she heard Cheng An chuckle, "It's red, I saw it."

Gu Xiaoyue stamped her feet in mortification.

"You, you shameless wretch!"

"Clearly you were the one who carelessly tore your clothing, what does that have to do with me? Shall we call someone over to judge and see who is right and who is wrong?"

Cheng An made a motion as if to walk outside.

"No..."

"You are not allowed to go!"

Gu Xiaoyue hurriedly grabbed his sleeve, her pretty face filled with panic.

Suppressing a smile, Cheng An said coldly, "But you just scolded me."

"A—apologies!"

"Is a mere apology going to settle it?"

"Then what do you want?"

Gu Xiaoyue ground her teeth in frustration.

"I didn't see clearly just now."

Making a show of giving her a cheeky, teasing look, Cheng An chuckled, "If you lift it up for your big brother to see again, I guarantee I won't talk nonsense, otherwise—"

"You shameless beast!"

Gu Xiaoyue lashed out with a slap in her anger.

Cheng An dodged with a tilt of his head and said indifferently, "Fine, if you don't want to, then forget it! However, if one day I accidentally let it slip..."

"Don't!"

Seeing that Cheng An was about to leave,

Gu Xiaoyue was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes.

"I—I'll lift it."

"Hmph, that's more like it!"

Cheng An triumphantly raised an eyebrow with a feigned air of smugness.

Thinking to himself, *Could I really not keep you in line?*

Blushing furiously with embarrassment, Gu Xiaoyue kept her eyes tightly shut, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, before slowly gripping the hem of her skirt and giving it a difficult, hesitant tug...

"Is, is this enough?"

"I can't see clearly, a little higher!"

Cheng An had already walked to the door, letting out a laugh without looking back.

"Cheng An!"

"Don't, don't push me too far!"

Sob, sob, sob~~~

The little girl could no longer hold it in, covering her face and bursting into tears.

After a long while.

The sobs gradually subsided, and Gu Xiaoyue cautiously parted her fingers to peek through the gap, but the classroom was completely empty, with no trace of Cheng An to be found.

She let out a sigh of relief first.

Then she cast a mortified and exasperated glare outside.

"Pfft! Little scoundrel!"