After school ended, Zhu Li dawdled and stayed until the very last.

Lu Chi didn’t pay him any attention, packing up his things to go home.

Seeing this, Zhu Li quickly put on a shameless face and stepped forward to help pack, “Teacher.”

“Speak directly if you have something to say.”

Zhu Li grinned sheepishly, “Then I’ll speak directly…”

Lu Chi gave him a cool glance.

Zhu Li immediately restrained his playful expression and asked somewhat hesitantly, “Teacher… how did you persuade my grandfather?”

He really couldn’t suppress his curiosity any longer.

“Really want to know?” Lu Chi lazily glanced at him.

Zhu Li nodded vigorously like a pecking chicken.

“Actually, I only said one sentence.” Lu Chi didn’t hide it from him.

“What sentence?” Zhu Li became even more curious.

“Don’t pull up seedlings to help them grow.” Lu Chi said indifferently.

Old Master Zhu had suddenly gained a grandson with exceptional talent and treasured him like a precious find, losing his usual composure. He only thought about polishing this excellent piece of raw jade thoroughly, but didn’t consider that being too eager for success might completely ruin this piece of raw jade.

Actually, how could Old Master Zhu, who had weathered the ups and downs of officialdom, not understand such a simple principle? It was just that those involved are often confused. Once he thought it through, things naturally fell into place.

Zhu Li was stunned for a moment, then looked at his teacher with bright, shining eyes, “Teacher, you’re truly wonderful.”

“Even so, the Spring and Autumn Annals still need to be copied.”

Zhu Li’s face immediately fell.

What happened to “don’t pull up seedlings to help them grow”?

Lu Chi couldn’t be bothered to pay him any more attention and turned to go home.

The weather was quite nice today, and his body felt more relaxed than it had in recent days. The aftereffects from the wind-heat illness he’d contracted some days ago seemed to have completely subsided. There was only one thing that wasn’t quite satisfactory…

“Teacher, why hasn’t Sister Shi come looking for you recently?” Behind him, Zhu Li bounced along and asked crisply.

Lu Chi’s steps paused slightly, and he gave him a chilly look.

Zhu Li immediately stiffened, sensing something was amiss.

“Five times.” Lu Chi openly sought personal revenge.

Having said that, he walked away leisurely.

What happened to being a model teacher? Zhu Li watched his teacher’s heartless retreating figure with longing eyes, feeling very indignant. After feeling indignant, he simply gave up and thickened his skin to follow along. After all, he just happened to not want to go home and face his mother’s endless nagging. Recently, his mother would tear up whenever she saw him, saying that someone was trying to drive a wedge between their mother-son relationship, which was truly headache-inducing and irritating.

Moreover, a gentleman keeps his word—he hadn’t forgotten that he had promised Sister Shi to test whether the teacher knew martial arts.

Lu Chi naturally couldn’t have failed to notice the little tail following behind him. He glanced back coolly and met the youth’s flattering smile, but didn’t say anything and let him be.

Bringing along a little tail, when they reached the gate of the courtyard in Willow Leaf Lane, Lu Chi saw another earthenware jar placed in the corner by the courtyard gate.

“Eh, what’s this?” Zhu Li, who had been following all the way, curiously stepped forward for a look. He felt this earthenware jar looked somewhat familiar, as if the steward at his own residence had recently acquired a batch of similar jars?

Lu Chi didn’t pay him any attention. He looked around but didn’t find anyone, sighed inwardly, picked up the jar, and entered the courtyard.

Zhu Li quickly put on a shameless face and followed closely behind, examining his teacher’s courtyard while curiously stealing glances at the earthenware jar his teacher was carrying.

Lu Chi carried the jar into the kitchen.

Seeing that his teacher didn’t greet him, Zhu Li began drooling over the heavy fruits on the green jujube tree in the courtyard, while also coveting the strings of crystal-clear grapes hanging from the trellis. He was so hungry.

Seeing that his teacher hadn’t come out for a long time, Zhu Li’s eyes turned slightly. He tied his robe hem around his waist, rubbed his hands together, and like a monkey, scampered up the tree. He picked jujubes and stuffed them into his mouth. The ripe jujubes were crisp and sweet, making his mouth water with each bite. His eyes immediately lit up, and he sat in the tree, rolling up his sleeves to eat to his heart’s content.

When Lu Chi came out, he saw his newly accepted student sitting in the tree like a wild monkey eating fruit. His eye twitched, “Come down.”

Zhu Li was startled unexpectedly, his foot slipped, and he fell head-first. Just when he was terrified and certain he would fall with a bloody head and bruised face, he saw his teacher lightly tap his foot and float over like a banished immortal, then… grabbed hold of his collar.

Heaven and earth suddenly reversed. Zhu Li stood on the ground dizzily, and when he felt his feet firmly planted on solid ground, he was completely dazed. If not for the half-eaten jujube still in his mouth, he would have almost thought he was dreaming.

Heavens, his teacher really knew martial arts! No, no, no, it wasn’t just that he knew martial arts—he was clearly a deeply hidden expert!

Just like those heroes in storybooks who could fly over eaves and walk on walls as if on level ground!

Zhu Li’s eyes immediately became bright and shiny. He crunched through the jujube in his mouth, then swallowed and looked at his teacher with burning eyes, “Teacher…”

Lu Chi glanced at him indifferently. Without waiting for him to speak, he flicked his sleeves and said leisurely, “Keji, don’t betray your teacher’s trust.”

Zhu Li nodded repeatedly, his face flushed with excitement. His teacher was indeed a great hermit hidden in the world! Although he had formally become his teacher’s disciple before, he always felt there was still a layer between him and his teacher. Now, having a little secret that belonged exclusively to their master-disciple relationship, he suddenly felt the distance between him and his teacher had shortened considerably!

Young man, this is just your illusion.

Zhu Li was immersed in the excitement of his teacher being a hidden master when his hungry stomach issued a protesting growl. Half-grown boys were most prone to hunger. Lu Chi looked at this silly youth, frowned slightly, “Come with me.”

Zhu Li responded loudly and followed his teacher into the kitchen with a spring in his step.