With this prelude, the atmosphere of the subsequent family banquet became somewhat oppressive.

Everyone observed the habit of “no speaking while eating or sleeping,” bowing their heads to eat.

The younger generation all felt as if they were sitting on pins and needles. Cheng Xu simply stood up, saying he needed to go to the privy.

Cheng Shu’s expression looked rather unpleasant.

Cheng Chi merely glanced at him indifferently and called Huai Shan in, instructing him: “You accompany the eldest young master to the privy. The privy near Listening to Rain Pavilion is somewhat shaded and damp—watch out for moss on the ground.”

Cheng Xu quickly said: “No need, no need. I can go by myself.”

Cheng Chi said nothing.

Huai Shan stood by with lowered brows and obedient eyes, presenting an appearance that said no matter what you say, if Fourth Master tells me to follow you, then I must follow you.

Cheng Xu was exasperated and glared fiercely at Huai Shan.

Cheng Wen found this amusing and said: “Jiashan, you’re not a child anymore. Your Fourth Uncle is only thinking of your welfare. Go quickly and return quickly. Today’s final dish is a first-grade hot pot—didn’t you used to love this dish the most? Be careful or everyone will have finished the soup by the time you get back.” Then to Cheng Chi he said: “Cousin Chi, our Nuo’er will be having his betrothal ceremony in a few days. Does the family have any other arrangements at that time? If there are no other arrangements, I’d like to have the two chefs from the kitchen prepare two tables of food for me. For Nuo’er’s betrothal, one matchmaker is Master Liu from the Mei household—he’s now the father-in-law of the heir apparent of Duke Liangguo. The other is Instructor Lin. Both have longstanding ties with our family and are considered prominent figures in Jinling City. We mustn’t slight these two matchmakers.”

According to propriety, on the day of betrothal, one should invite the matchmakers and the person of complete fortune to dine at home.

Cheng Chi smiled and said: “You just set the date. Whatever arrangements the family has, Nuo’er’s betrothal feast takes priority.”

Hearing this, Cheng Wen was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.

Watching Cheng Wen’s manner, Cheng Lu couldn’t help but frown. He couldn’t restrain himself from saying: “That Master Liu was invited as matchmaker by Cousin Wen, wasn’t he?”

Master Liu’s reputation in Jinling had already become notorious because of the affair involving his daughter-in-law, the third young lady of the Sun family.

Cheng Wen and Master Liu were “kindred spirits” and could be called good friends. Although he felt Master Liu had been too ostentatious in this matter, thinking that Miss Liu of the Liu family was betrothed to Zhu Pengju and could at least be considered among the top elite in Jinling City, he took no offense at Cheng Lu’s words. Instead, he said with pride: “We’ve always been in close contact. Naturally, for Nuo’er’s marriage, we must invite him to be the matchmaker. He’s very pleased about it too!”

The corners of Cheng Lu’s mouth twitched slightly. Just as he was about to speak, his son Cheng Zheng suddenly stood up and said: “Father, I also need to go to the privy.”

He really had no way to deal with this old man of his!

Everyone else was keeping silent, yet he had to stand out.

If there was going to be loss of face, it would be all of Jiuru Lane losing face. The first and second branches weren’t saying anything—why was the third branch sticking its neck out?

Cheng Zheng shot a look at his family’s young servant attending nearby, signaling him to keep a close eye on his father and not let him cause any trouble. Then he grabbed Cheng Xu, who had been standing there, and exited Listening to Rain Pavilion.

Cheng Xu couldn’t struggle in front of everyone. As soon as they left Listening to Rain Pavilion, he shook off Cheng Zheng’s arm and said: “Why did you drag me out? I don’t want people constantly treating me like a five or six-year-old child who needs someone attending him just to use the privy.” After speaking, he looked with dissatisfaction at Huai Shan, who had followed them out of Listening to Rain Pavilion.

Huai Shan remained with lowered brows and obedient eyes, as if he hadn’t heard anything, silent as a statue.

Cheng Zheng just laughed and said: “All right, all right! Since you don’t want others constantly treating you like a five or six-year-old child, then don’t do things that only five or six-year-old children would do! Is confronting Cousin Chi like that the behavior of an adult?”

Hearing this, Cheng Xu’s gaze flickered slightly. He said to Cheng Zheng in a low voice: “Actually, I don’t want to go to the privy. I just couldn’t stand the atmosphere in Listening to Rain Pavilion, so I came out for a walk. Having someone following me is such a hassle!”

Cheng Zheng hadn’t expected Cheng Xu to suddenly share his inner thoughts with him.

He thought for a moment and smiled: “I don’t really need to use the privy either. You saw just now—my father has a straightforward temper. He says whatever he thinks. If I hadn’t used this excuse, who knows what other offensive things my father might have said.”

Cheng Xu had noticed this too.

He let out a sigh with a feigned look of helplessness and said: “Fine, let’s sit outside for a while before going back in!”

Cheng Zheng nodded: “All right! I have no objection.”

The two found a secluded stone to sit on.

Cheng Zheng asked Cheng Xu about the autumn examinations: “Is that *Collection of Model Essays* really published by Minister Shen, Shen Minzhi?”

“How could that be possible?” Cheng Xu said rather carelessly. “If that *Collection of Model Essays* was truly published by Minister Shen, why would Second Great-Uncle not say a word after obtaining it? This is clearly false information spread by those book shops to boost sales. Please tactfully remind Uncle Lu, Cousin Zheng, to avoid being deceived.”

Cheng Zheng looked deeply at Cheng Xu.

Everyone at the clan school said Cheng Xu was lofty and proud, disdaining to engage in scheming and intrigue, but now it seemed that might not be entirely accurate.

At least just now, he had said nothing yet misled Cheng Yi of the second branch. And by having Cheng Zheng spread this information, he had given Cheng Yi a slap in the face and established his own authority—quite skillful indeed.

Cheng Xu was unconcerned.

Since the first and second branches had irreconcilable conflicts, why should he care about the second branch’s dignity?

He was deliberately slapping the second branch in the face!

Seeing that his objective had been achieved, Cheng Xu smiled and said: “This time I really do need to use the privy.”

What did it matter whether it was true or false?

Weren’t all things in this world a mix of truth and falsehood?

Cheng Zheng made a gesture of invitation and said: “Cousin Xu, please go ahead!”

However, Cheng Xu quietly pointed to Huai Shan standing not far away and said in a low voice: “I wonder if Cousin Zheng could help me draw him away. Being watched by him like this is really uncomfortable.”

Cheng Zheng didn’t want to take the blame for helping Cheng Xu. He smiled and said: “How would I draw him away?”

Cheng Xu whispered in his ear for a while.

Cheng Zheng nodded with a slight smile.

The two headed toward the privy.

Huai Shan followed at a moderate distance and stopped by the bamboo grove outside the privy, watching them enter with conversation and laughter.

After a while, Cheng Zheng’s voice rang out from the privy: “I had originally planned to take the autumn examinations today as well, but I didn’t feel confident. Master Zhang at the clan school also felt I should study for another two years before sitting for them. Cousin Xu is better—good at studying and with guidance from Uncle Jing and Second Great-Uncle. You’ll surely have your name on the honor roll this autumn examination. When the time comes, you must let me see your examination essays…”

Everything seemed normal.

Huai Shan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Behind the privy, Cheng Xu gazed at the quiet bamboo grove and couldn’t help but reveal a pleased smile.

Since Grandmother was in poor spirits, as her grandson, he should go see her.

This scheming and calculating banquet—better not to attend it!

Surely Fourth Uncle wouldn’t blame him for this if he found out.

He slipped out of the bamboo grove in a flash, turned a corner, and took the Four Seasons Brocade path.

Just as he was about to exit through the Auspicious Gate into the inner courtyard, someone suddenly appeared at the Auspicious Gate as if strolling casually.

“Eldest Young Master Xu, where are you going? The family banquet at Listening to Rain Pavilion hasn’t ended yet. Leaving like this would be quite improper!”

Cheng Xu couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

It was actually Huai Shan.

How had he discovered so quickly that Cheng Xu had disappeared?

What happened to Cheng Zheng at the privy?

Where had Huai Shan appeared from?

Cheng Xu sneered coldly: “Huai Shan, you’re ultimately just an attendant at Fourth Uncle’s side. Where I go is none of your concern?”

Huai Shan said nothing. In the blink of an eye, he had closed in on Cheng Xu. Extending his hand to grasp Cheng Xu’s belt, Cheng Xu was immediately propelled forward by an invisible force, quickly exiting the Four Seasons Brocade path.

Cheng Xu’s eyes widened.

He knew that the several men around Fourth Uncle were all quite skilled, especially the Qin brothers. Da Su’s martial arts had been learned from Qin Ziping.

But this Huai Shan seemed even more formidable than the powerfully built Qin Zi’an.

He wanted to loudly rebuke Huai Shan.

But he couldn’t open his mouth.

He wanted to stop walking.

But he couldn’t control his legs.

Cheng Xu couldn’t help but curse Huai Shan thoroughly in his mind.

Not that Huai Shan could hear him anyway. He maintained his lifeless expression throughout, continuously “pushing” Cheng Xu all the way to the entrance of Listening to Rain Pavilion, where the people there noticed Cheng Xu. Only then did Huai Shan release him and silently retreat to the corner where the servants and attendants stood.

Cheng Xu straightened his collar and looked up to see Cheng Zheng smiling awkwardly at him.

Since he himself had suffered this setback, Cheng Zheng probably hadn’t fared much better.

Cheng Xu smiled reassuringly at Cheng Zheng, then turned to look at Cheng Chi.

Cheng Chi’s expression was calm and serene. He neither spoke with the talkative Cheng Wen beside him nor acknowledged Cheng Lu who was trying to talk to him. He simply sat there quietly eating, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him, as if eating was his only concern.

Inexplicably, Cheng Xu suddenly felt somewhat deflated.

Fourth Uncle was always so composed and unruffled!

As long as Fourth Uncle was paying attention, no matter what he did, he probably couldn’t escape Fourth Uncle’s grasp!

Just like when he was little—every time he skipped classes, it was Fourth Uncle who found him.

But how did Fourth Uncle know he was going to see Shaojin?

Could he, like Mother, also feel that marrying a young lady from the Min family was more important for the Cheng family’s future prospects?

But if a person pinned his prospects on another family, on a woman, could he still be said to have prospects?

Cheng Xu was deeply troubled.

After returning to his seat, Cheng Zheng leaned over and apologized quietly: “I kept talking to myself there for quite a while as you said, calculating that you should have gotten far away before coming out. By then Huai Shan was already gone. I had a vague feeling he might have gone to find you. I looked around for you both but couldn’t find you, and worried the elders in the hall might become suspicious, so I came back first.”

Cheng Xu believed him.

No matter how Fourth Uncle disciplined him, in front of people from the other branches, he would still preserve his dignity.

After all, he was the eldest legitimate grandson of the first branch, the future clan head.

“Thank you, Cousin Zheng.” He sincerely thanked Cheng Zheng. “Huai Shan didn’t give you any trouble, did he?”

“No!” Cheng Zheng described what had happened after they separated, whispering with Cheng Xu.

Cheng Nuo watched with great envy.

No matter when or where Cousin Xu appeared, everyone liked him so much. There was always someone eager to talk with him, to curry favor and flatter him.

If only one day he could be like Cousin Xu.

He thought about this, then nudged Cheng Yi sitting beside him with his elbow and whispered: “Has there been any progress with your marriage prospects?”

Marriages were arranged by parents through matchmakers.

Most people usually only learned which family’s daughter they were marrying just before the betrothal.

However, the Cheng family was quite lenient regarding their children’s marriages. They would usually tell them in advance whom they would marry. They were even more progressive with the young ladies—before the betrothal, they would let the girls view the prospects themselves.