I just wrote a love poem, how did that make me so powerful?

Xiao Wanjin remained expressionless: "I do know Miss Su, but she didn't send me. I am indeed from the Xiao family."

Upon hearing this, Song Yao visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping slightly: "That's good, that's good."

Xiao Wanjin narrowed his eyes: "What? Miss Su appreciates Xu Qing, shouldn't that be a good thing?"

Song Yao twisted her hands in front of her, lowered her head, and remained silent for a while before speaking: "It's...it's a good thing. I was worried for nothing before."

Seeing her hesitant expression, Xiao Wanjin roughly understood seven or eight parts of the situation.

This girl wasn't worried about Su Man being bad; she was clearly afraid that Su Man was too good.

A scholar, and a wealthy, powerful, young, and beautiful top scholar who owns a restaurant...

Who wouldn't have doubts in their heart?

He smiled slightly, asked no further questions, and after sitting for a while longer, got up to take his leave.

Stepping out of the courtyard and turning into the alley, Xiao Liu approached and asked, "Master, are you sure it's Xu Qing's gang's young master? You always don't act until you see the evidence, so you came today without much proof."

"With Mingyuan's brain, he bathed rabbits in boiling water when he was a child, and now he drinks ink. How could he possibly write a poem that would catch the eye of a courtesan?"

Xiao Wanjin snorted coldly, his tone not showing any disdain, but rather a hint of helplessness as a father.

"You've investigated as well; among the people you've been in contact with recently, Xu Qing is the only exception. But I'm not sure yet today."

He took two steps, then stopped: "When you get back, find that kid Mingyuan for me. I want to give him a good talking to."

Xiao Liu bowed and agreed.

……

……

the other side.

Xiao Mingyuan squatted under an old locust tree at the entrance of the alley. The sun was not high yet, but he had been squatting there for the time it takes to drink two cups of tea.

His two fat legs were numb from squatting, so he changed his position, leaned against the tree trunk to stand up, and kept looking towards the other end of the alley.

"Young master, please find a place to sit for a while."

"Why sit? That way I'll show my sincerity." Xiao Mingyuan waved his hand.

"Young Master, you've really changed..."

Xu Qing's figure finally appeared at the alley entrance.

He carried a book bag and walked at a leisurely pace. When he saw Xiao Mingyuan squatting under the tree, he frowned.

"What are you doing out so early in the morning? This doesn't fit your spoiled brat persona. Shouldn't you be sleeping until the sun is high in the sky?"

Xiao Mingyuan threw down the straw in his hand, took a few steps forward, grabbed Xu Qing's sleeve, and lowered his voice.

"My dear brother, my dear brother. I couldn't sleep a wink last night."

"Um?"

"I don't know what happened. I used to snore as soon as I lay down, falling asleep the moment my head hit the pillow. But ever since I wrote those poems..."

Especially after reciting "The Song of the Pipa" for Gu Zhiyi, I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I kept thinking, "What if someone finds out someday?"

As Xiao Mingyuan spoke, his face grew increasingly worried.

"I've never felt this way before. Now it's like I'm being praised to the heavens. I love the feeling of being surrounded by people praising me. The more I like it, the more afraid I am of being exposed."

Xu Qing stopped and turned to look at him: "That's very simple."

"What?"

Xu Qing lowered his voice, tinged with coldness: "Just kill me. That way, no one in the world will know."

Xiao Mingyuan was so frightened that he stumbled back two and a half steps, his face trembling slightly.

"What did you say! You can't joke like that! What will I do without you!"

Xu Qing couldn't help but laugh when she saw his terrified expression. She patted him on the shoulder and said, "Just kidding, look how scared you are."

Xiao Mingyuan finally recovered, clutching his chest and panting, "Ancestor... please don't scare me like that again."

Xu Qing stopped laughing and said seriously, "Seriously though, if you really like this feeling, there's only one way."

"What road?"

"I told you before," Xu Qing said, looking at him. "Study hard and stay with me."

Xiao Mingyuan stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then nodded emphatically: "Alright! Let's get started. I've never felt so motivated as I do today."

……

……

The two returned to the Xiao family home, to Xiao Mingyuan's small courtyard.

Xiao Mingyuan's courtyard was spacious, and his study was fully equipped with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and there were even a few half-new books.

Xu Qing glanced at the bookshelf...

It was all stuff like "picture-based literacy" and "simplified version of the Three Character Classic," so Xiao Wanjin probably gave up on the idea of ​​having him read the proper Four Books and Five Classics.

"Before we begin, let's do one thing first." Xu Qing spread out a piece of paper and picked up a pen.

"What's the matter?" Xiao Mingyuan asked suspiciously.

"First, find your strengths and build your confidence. It's not that you can't learn, it's that your method is wrong."

Xiao Mingyuan was touched: "Wow, that's great! I don't know what to say, you've helped me so much. You're even better to me than my own father. Come here, give me a hug..."

Xu Qing pushed his bulky body away: "Don't get so sentimental. I'm just trying to make money off you. After all, I only get paid if your grades improve."

Xiao Mingyuan curled his lip: "I don't care, you're just good to me. There are plenty of men who want to make money off me, but I haven't seen them find anything good about me..."

Xu Qing spread out a sheet of paper and copied the manuscripts of the previous poems again, categorizing them neatly.

"This confidence can begin with memorizing poems."

Aren't you afraid of being exposed? Don't worry about that yet. Memorize these poems line by line. Once you've memorized them, you won't be afraid of anything anyone asks.

Xiao Mingyuan sat down at the table with a pained expression: "Memorize...memorize?"

"Do as I say first, memorize it, and then we'll talk about other things."

Xu Qing stood up, walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and casually recited a line: "The scholar who passed the imperial examination in the past has gone away, leaving only the Scholar's Tower behind."

He turned to the side, gazing into the distance: "When you recite this line, just think about what that building looks like, don't overthink it."

Xiao Mingyuan stood by the window, mimicking his posture. His chubby body was ramrod straight, and his chin was held too high, making him look like a fat goose trying to stretch its neck.

He opened his mouth and tried to read it aloud, but his tone was dry and lacked any charm.

But my fingers involuntarily tapped on the windowsill.

Xu Qing sat in the back, watching his chubby back, and asked, "How was it? Did you feel anything?"

Xiao Mingyuan turned around: "What did you feel? I felt like I sounded awful reciting it."

"No." Xu Qing stood up, walked up to him, and looked him up and down.

That's not what I meant.