Upon reaching the flower hall, Master Tang sat upright in his grand master’s chair.

The scholars all knelt down, thanking Master Tang for his kindness in sheltering them.

Lu Shi did not kneel. He stood there straight and stiff.

He thought to himself that he wasn’t eating and drinking for free—he was tending the Tang family’s horses. Why should he kneel?

“This old master’s life-saving grace, Lu Shi has always kept in his heart. Unable to repay such great kindness and virtue, I can only study diligently.”

Lu Shi bowed deeply.

Master Tang smiled without saying much and invited them to be seated.

An Eight Immortals table with eight positions.

Master Tang sat facing north in the host position. The remaining seven positions were just right for the seven scholars.

Lu Shi walked toward the nearest seat. Before he could sit down, the scholar who had sat there first gave him an apologetic smile.

“My apologies, Brother Lu. This seat is taken.”

Lu Shi paused. Another scholar had already taken that seat.

With this delay, when Lu Shi tried to find another seat, he discovered that the entire Eight Immortals table had only one position left—beside Master Tang, also facing north.

Sit shoulder to shoulder with Master Tang?

Lu Shi’s brow furrowed slightly.

At this moment, the flower hall was extremely quiet. Everyone’s eyes were on Lu Shi. He could even detect ill intentions and schadenfreude in some of those gazes.

Lu Shi sat down beside Master Tang with complete composure.

No embarrassment, no timidity.

When Lu Shi was just past three years old, he had witnessed the most embarrassing scene in this world. Compared to that, eating a New Year’s Eve dinner was nothing.

Master Tang’s lips pressed together in a smile.

What was he smiling at?

That bit of inferiority in Lu Shi’s heart began acting up. He gritted his teeth and asked back,

“What, I shouldn’t sit here?”

“You should!”

Master Tang didn’t look at him again. He raised his cup and addressed everyone:

“I toast you all. I hope you study well and in the future govern the nation, bring peace to the realm, and stabilize all under heaven.”

“Thank you, Teacher.”

“Thank you, Master.”

The scholars glared at Lu Shi in alarm, thinking: Is this person an idiot?

One of them angrily rebuked, “Everyone else calls him Teacher, yet you call him Master? Lu Shi, have you never learned about respecting teachers and valuing education?”

Lu Shi was silent for a moment, then raised his eyes coldly:

“The master has taken us in, but hasn’t said he’s accepted us as disciples. You call him Teacher—have you asked if the master agreed?”

Master Tang still smiled, as if he were a man without temper.

“Today is New Year’s Eve. It doesn’t matter what you call me. My daughter is still waiting for me, so I won’t stay with you. Everyone eat and drink well.”

Master Tang stood up, nodded slightly to everyone, then walked out of the flower hall with his hands behind his back.

“Lu Shi, look—you’ve angered the teacher into leaving.”

“Only you make yourself special, not even willing to kneel.”

“The teacher even saved your life—you’re ungrateful like a wolf.”

“All those years reading the sages’ books for nothing.”

“Finally had a chance to see the teacher, and you ruined it.”

“A gentleman should be dignified and magnanimous.”

Lu Shi looked at these six faces and helped himself to the food.

After eating, he set down his chopsticks and walked out without looking back.

At the second gate, someone blocked his path.

“Young Master Lu, my master requests your presence.”

“For what?”

“To invite you to another meal.”

“Please tell your master I’m already full.”

“Is Young Master Lu afraid?”

Me, a barefoot man, afraid of someone in shoes?

Lu Shi sneered coldly. “Lead the way.”

That person led him to the study.

In the study, there was no meal—only Master Tang standing there in black robes.

Master Tang turned to look at him, his eyes like black obsidian. “Lu Shi, why do you take the examinations?”

“To become an official.”

“Why become an official?”

“To gain people’s respect.”

“Only for that?”

“Yes.”

Master Tang walked before him and smiled faintly. “Are you willing to become my disciple?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Lu Shi’s throat caught. He asked in return, “Why do you want to take me as a disciple?”

“Because your bones are hard.”

“…”

“Also because you sat beside me.”

“…”

Master Tang looked at him quietly.

“The year my daughter was born, I began helping poor scholars. For twelve full years, every New Year’s Eve, no one dared sit beside me. You are the first.”

“…”

“You refused to kneel to me because you don’t want to curry favor, and you don’t consider yourself lowly.”

Lu Shi felt all the blood in his body rush to his head.

“Your temperament truly makes you excellent material for becoming a censor.”

Master Tang’s words carried some depth. “In this world, the weather won’t always be favorable. There will be storms and sudden rains. Those without hard bones, those without courage, cannot hold up that umbrella.”

Lu Shi sneered coldly. “Master Tang, why should I hold up that umbrella?”

“To shelter people from wind and rain.”

The corners of Lu Shi’s lips twitched. He thought to himself that he took examinations to become an official so that one day he could return to the Lu family and hold his head high, making everyone kneel and fear him—not to shelter people from storms.

“Master Tang overestimates me. I have no compassionate heart.”

“Is that so?”

Tang Qiling’s smile deepened. “Without a compassionate heart, why did you save San Pang? Wouldn’t it have been better to let him fall to his death?”

Lu Shi was speechless.

“Master, the young miss has sent someone to urge you, asking when you’ll be finished?”

Tang Jin urged quietly from outside. Master Tang suddenly took a step back.

“Everyone has their own aspirations. Since Young Master Lu is unwilling, I won’t force you.”

Lu Shi’s hand in his sleeve suddenly clenched tightly.

It was like someone offering him candy, and just because he said “I don’t like candy,” that person withdrew their hand.

That contrary bone in his heart came out again.

He suddenly asked very unwillingly, “Didn’t Master Tang say you’d invite me to a meal?”

Tang Qiling looked at him deeply. “Someone, tell Lin Bi to add another pair of chopsticks.”

“Yes!”

Seeing him agree, Lu Shi suddenly felt guilty and reflexively said immediately:

“Master Tang needn’t take it seriously. I was just…”

“A man’s word is his bond.”

Tang Qiling dropped this line and swept out with his sleeves.

Lu Shi hesitated for a moment before following hesitantly.

He hated his current self—like a child throwing an unreasonable tantrum over candy he couldn’t have.

…

Entering the courtyard, a girl came out to greet them.

“Father, my poor father—how can you eat even New Year’s Eve dinner with outsiders?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Tang Qiling smiled and scolded, “Father will introduce someone to you.”

“No need for introductions.”

The girl turned her head and winked at Lu Shi.

“In this residence, those who dare sit beside my father—I’m the first, you’re the second. I’m called Tang Zhiwei, you’re called Lu Shi.”

“Mischievous.”

Tang Qiling rubbed the girl’s head. “You should address him as…”

“Should address him as Lu the Audacious.”

A glimmer of light flashed in the girl’s eyes, subtle and restrained.

“You actually dared to save San Pang first, then come save me—if not Lu the Audacious, what else?”

Lu Shi: “…”

“But I still must thank you for saving me.”

The girl looked at him. “From now on we’re even. You don’t owe me anything, Lu the Audacious.”