Chapter 249 - 125: Feeling Neglected (2)

Words : 1193 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

Chapter 249: Chapter 125: Feeling Neglected (2) Before we knew it, it was mid-October. One noon that day, Sang Yufei, accompanied by Shi Ming, finally arrived at the Shi Mansion, where they received a warm welcome from everyone. As expected, Shi Fenghua took leave from the academy to return home. His master at the academy, upon hearing that this year’s Xie Yuan would be a guest in his household, not only readily granted the leave but also earnestly admonished him to learn diligently from Xie Yuanlang, as such an opportunity would be all benefit and no harm. The fellow students at the academy, upon hearing the news, were all envious and requested him to invite the Xie Yuanlang over for a gathering so they could learn from one another. Shi Fenghua, unable to decline, reluctantly agreed. His classmates were overjoyed and pressed him to set a date, leaving Shi Fenghua with no choice but to yield. All was well in the Shi family, and Shi Fenghua enjoyed a very pleasant conversation with Sang Yufei. The only discordant note came from Ren Zhixian. When Sang Yufei arrived with Shi Ming, Ren Zhixian recognized the servant who had once served him and exclaimed in surprise, "Eh? Isn’t this Shi Ming? When did you start following Brother Sang?" "Master Ren!" Shi Ming greeted him with a bow, a hint of smugness and confidence on his face, standing proudly by Sang Yufei’s side. There was a sense of having vented some frustration. You scorned me, right? But Xie Yuanlang doesn’t despise me, showing just how poor your judgment is! "Third Young Master was in need of someone by his side, and I thought Shi Ming was suitable, so I gave him to Third Young Master. Now, he is Third Young Master’s study attendant," Shi Fengju said with a faint smile. "Shi Ming is very efficient in his duties; I haven’t had the chance to properly thank my brother-in-law yet," Sang Yufei said with a smile as he clasped his hands together in a polite gesture. "You’re too polite, Third Brother!" Shi Fengju said with a smile. Ren Zhixian, disdainful, sneered arrogantly, "Haha, it seems Brother Sang knows how to train people! This lad was so clumsy when he served me, incapable of doing anything right; I had to send him back to Fengju. I never expected Fengju to pass him over to you, and yet, you two seem to get along quite well! Haha, it goes to show, in matters of master and servant, fate really does play a role!" Upon hearing this, Shi Yumei also felt secretly delighted and chided her husband playfully, "Oh, you shouldn’t say such things in front of Sang family’s Second Uncle! It sounds as if he was given someone you didn’t want. After all, he is the Xie Yuan, you are making him lose face!" "Mrs. Ren is joking. Maybe it’s just that different people see different qualities. I genuinely think Shi Ming is not bad at all! I believe in my brother-in-law’s judgement," Sang Yufei said with a smile, nodding towards Shi Fengju. The implication was clear: Ren Zhixian’s judgement, on the other hand, was rather less trustworthy. While Sang Yufei was inwardly puzzled as to why this couple would deliberately make things awkward for him, he was no fool; he was well aware of how Shi Fengju treated him. Shi Fengju also felt annoyance stirring within him, but upon seeing that Sang Yufei was not overly concerned, he quietly let it go, then said with a smile: "This misunderstanding is also due to my lack of foresight. Had my brother-in-law informed me earlier that he was looking for elegance and learning, I would not have sent Shi Ming over. It’s all my fault! Right, you must be tired from the journey, Second Brother. You should rest in the guest room for now!" Mrs. Wang agreed with a smile and added that Shi Fenghua would return in the evening, suggesting that they all have dinner together then. Sang Yufei expressed his gratitude with a bow and took his leave, with Shi Fengju and Sang Wan accompanying him to the guest room. "Second Brother, make yourself at home here in the mansion and don’t feel like a stranger. If there’s anything you need, just let me know, or tell my sister. If you find that inconvenient, simply have Shi Ming convey your request," Shi Fengju said with a laugh, leaving some things unspoken. "My brother-in-law, go ahead with your work; I understand," Sang Yufei replied, smiling knowingly. After seeing Sang Yufei to the guest room, Shi Fengju and Sang Wan returned to Ningyuan. "Miss Wan, my brother-in-law is just like that; please advise Second Brother not to take it to heart when you have a moment in private. Miss Wan, you’re not upset with me, are you?" "Rest assured," Sang Wan replied with a smile, "every family has its own difficulties, and our Sang family’s situation isn’t much better than yours. How could my Second Brother be such a muddle-headed person?" "That’s also true!" Shi Fengju smacked his forehead and laughed: "I almost forgot about that!" The two of them shared a knowing smile. That evening, when Shi Fenghua returned, there was another lively scene, but that need not be mentioned here. Henceforth, during the daytime, Shi Fenghua and Sang Yufei would spend most of their time either in Fenghua’s study or in some pavilion or gazebo in the garden that had been prepared for them, engaging in scholarly discussions, resolving difficult questions, delving into past examination papers, sharing anecdotes and trivia, and occasionally appreciating each other’s paintings and poetry. They got along famously, feeling as if their meeting was serendipitous. However, Ren Zhixian was utterly tactless, inserting himself into their company every day. Even though he was clearly clueless, he insisted on pretending to be knowledgeable, prattling on and on. Once he got hold of the conversation, he would not stop, and after a lengthy spewing of nonsense, the atmosphere would instantly cool because neither Fenghua nor Yufei knew how to respond to him. Initially, not only did Ren Zhixian fail to realize his behavior was inappropriate, but he also felt self-satisfied, believing that his profundity had left the others speechless with admiration. Gradually, however, he began to sense that something was amiss. He noted that neither had ever praised him nor had they ever looked at him with the admiration and deference he desired. Confused at first, Ren Zhixian grew even more unsettled once he realized that they were effectively ignoring him, whether intentionally or otherwise. Feeling his pride deeply wounded, Ren Zhixian willfully stayed away one day, letting Cui Bao inform them that he was indisposed due to a minor cold. He expected they would surely come to visit him, giving him the chance to allude to their mistaken attitude of neglect. To his dismay, Cui Bao returned only with the message, "Third Young Master and Second Uncle said, if that is the case, please do rest well, Master." This infuriated Ren Zhixian, who inwardly cursed them for their ignorance and lack of respect for their senior!

Chapter 249 - 125: Feeling Neglected (2)

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