“Xie Shi’an, you should leave. There’s no need to come again in the future.”

Yun Chu closed her eyes, unwilling to say anything more.

Xie Shi’an felt as if his heart was being squeezed by a large hand, making it somewhat difficult to breathe.

It also felt like a massive boulder that had been hanging over his heart had finally dropped—he and his mother had finally reached this point.

Although this was something he had anticipated, it was still difficult to accept.

“I admit I’m selfish…” he said with difficulty, “After Mother left the Xie Family, I’ve always felt guilty, so I frequently came to see Mother. Although we’re no longer mother and son, a mother for a day remains a mother for life. I’ve always wanted to properly show my filial piety to Mother…”

“There’s no need.” Yun Chu coldly interrupted him. “I’m going to the Yun Family now. Please do as you wish.”

She descended the steps. The gate of the residence closed, and her carriage slowly disappeared at the entrance of the alley.

Xie Shi’an stood in place with an indecipherable expression on his face, lost in thought for a long while before finally taking his leave.

He went to a shop on the main street that sold brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. This shop had been purchased with the silver Tingyu had given him, and business had been decent since opening a few days ago.

However, when he stepped through the entrance, he was immediately greeted by an inkstone being hurled at him.

He quickly dodged. The inkstone shattered on the ground. He raised his eyes and saw the interior of the shop in complete disarray, with two shop assistants huddled trembling in a corner. The Sixth Prince sat in a chair with his foot propped on the paper display table, his face full of arrogance.

Xie Shi’an’s heart sank.

Back when he studied at the Imperial Academy in the palace, the Sixth Prince had frequently led others in bullying him.

Now that he had fallen to such a state, was the Sixth Prince still not willing to let him go?

“You one-eyed dragon of the Xie Family, what are you staring at?” The Sixth Prince threw another inkstone. “Do you believe that this prince will gouge out your other eye too?”

Xie Shi’an could have dodged this inkstone, but his shoulder was held down by the Sixth Prince’s lackey. Fortunately, the inkstone wasn’t well-aimed and only struck his shoulder. With the thick cotton clothing he wore, it didn’t hurt that much, but the humiliation of being at others’ mercy filled Xie Shi’an with anger as he pressed his lips tightly together.

“This prince has taken a liking to this shop.” The Sixth Prince sneered. “Where is the property deed?”

Xie Shi’an was incredulous, but his expression showed submission: “Sixth Prince is heaven’s favored son. Why must you seize the last means of survival from this commoner, this lowly person? I beg the Sixth Prince to show mercy…”

“Hahaha, did you all hear that? Xie Shi’an is actually begging!” The Sixth Prince laughed heartily. “If you’re going to beg, you should look like you’re begging. Kneel down and lick my shoes clean, and I’ll let you off.”

Xie Shi’an’s face turned deathly pale in that instant.

Before he could think further, the back of his head was pressed down, and his entire face was pressed against the surface of the Sixth Prince’s shoe.

He held onto his last shred of dignity in his heart and refused to open his mouth even unto death.

“Why do I feel like Xie Shi’an looks just like a dog?” The Sixth Prince forcefully patted Xie Shi’an’s head. “From now on, let’s erect a sign at the entrance of this shop that says: Xie Shi’an and dogs are not permitted entry. How about that?”

“Hahaha, brilliant, Sixth Prince!”

“What an excellent idea.”

Various mocking voices exploded in his ears. Then Xie Shi’an felt himself being grabbed, his body searched until the property deed was found, and then he was thrown out of the shop.

He stood on the street, looking at the shop, despair overflowing from his eyes.

He had schemed so much. Tingyu had even lost her life for this. The shop he had obtained with such difficulty had just been seized like this.

He felt hatred.

Extreme hatred.

Why was he born as dust?

Why were some people born as worthless fools yet born into the imperial family?

Why was it so unfair?

Why?!

He walked back to the Xie Family residence in despair.

When he arrived home, Sangjiu came up to him: “Young Master, something terrible has happened. Second Young Master went to your bedroom—I don’t know what he intends to do…”

Xie Shi’an snapped back to his senses and quickly walked to his own courtyard.

He saw his bedroom door tightly shut, with crashing sounds coming from inside.

He kicked the door open with one foot and saw Xie Shiwei rummaging through his bedroom. The bedding and pillows on the bed had all been thrown to the floor.

“What are you doing?”

Xie Shi’an asked angrily.

Xie Shiwei had a nonchalant manner: “I know your shop has made some money. I’m your own younger brother—asking you for some money to use isn’t unreasonable, is it?”

Xie Shi’an raised his hand and slapped him across the face: “This is stealing!”

Caught off guard by the slap, Xie Shiwei was furious, smoke practically coming from the top of his head: “What right do you have to hit me? It’s all because of you that Mother abandoned the Xie Family—it’s all your fault! The Xie Family has become like this—it’s all your fault!”

He had been willing to return to the Xie Family because Mother was there.

But Mother had left, driven away by his own eldest brother. He truly felt so sad…

“Something terrible has happened—there’s a fire!”

Sangjiu shouted from outside.

The two brothers, who had been in the midst of their dispute, froze for a moment, then quickly ran out of the room.

They saw thick black smoke rising from the roof of the courtyard where their father had lived, the fire visibly growing larger before their eyes.

“Put out the fire! Quickly, put out the fire!”

Xie Shi’an shouted, losing his composure for the first time.

That was Father’s study. The Xie Family had begun studying from Grandfather’s father’s generation onward. The study contained books accumulated over several generations, including many rare ancient texts and unique editions.

As a scholar, he knew how precious these books were. Whether to pass them down to the next generation or to sell them when desperate, they were valuable wealth.

How could they be consumed by flames?

He rushed to fight the fire. When he reached the entrance to Xie Jingyu’s study, he saw Xie Shiyun standing there with an eerie smile on his face.

He also saw that Xie Shiyun’s palms were coal-black, clearly having touched burning coals.

His expression immediately darkened: “You set the fire?”

“Elder Brother, don’t you think this fire looks beautiful as it burns?” Xie Shiyun’s smile grew even wider. “It would be even better if the entire Xie Family burned down.”

“You’ve gone mad!”

Xie Shi’an grabbed Xie Shiyun by the throat.

“I… I have gone mad…” Xie Shiyun was not yet five years old, yet his eyes revealed an unusual maturity. “You forced my concubine mother to death. I want the entire family to accompany my concubine mother, cough cough cough…”

“An’er, what are you doing!” Yuan Shi rushed over and rescued Xie Shiyun. “You almost strangled Yun’er to death—have you gone mad?”

“Who exactly has gone mad? Who has gone mad?!” Xie Shi’an looked at the fire burning increasingly out of control and roared in complete breakdown. “I wanted to make the Xie Family stand up again. I wanted to return to the Xie Family of the past. I wanted every member of the Xie Family to live as superior people. Was I wrong? Where exactly did I go wrong!”

He roared, tears streaming down his face unbidden.

“An’er, let’s return to Jizhou—let’s go back!” Yuan Shi also began crying. “It’s too difficult in the capital. Your grandmother can barely hold on anymore…”

Xie Shi’an shook his head violently: “No, we’re not going back. I’d rather die in the capital!”

After saying this, he stumbled out.

Yuan Shi could only wipe away her tears and join Sangjiu and Ganlai in fighting the fire.

Fortunately, there was a lake outside the study that blocked the fire; otherwise, the entire Xie Family residence would have burned down.