If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Knowing exactly when her father would leave the office, Xi Lingxian took the medicinal meal she had prepared for him to the study in the front courtyard.

Upon seeing her, Zhao Wu bowed from a distance and quickly stepped forward to take the food box from Tao Zhi's hands.

"Miss, your timing is unfortunate. The Third Young Master is inside. Perhaps you would be troubled to wait a moment?"

"It's alright."

Xi Lingxian didn't seem to care much. She smoothed the tassels of her hair ornament and asked listlessly, "Did Third Brother go to Father to report on his studies?"

Zhao Wu: "I just overheard a couple of sentences. It seems that the Third Young Master also wants to learn martial arts along with the Eldest Young Master."

"..."

Xi Lingxian stared at the study door, her deep eyes gradually hardening with a dark glint.

一门之隔

"Father, my eldest brother is brave and skilled in battle, and I truly admire him. Now my second brother is learning martial arts from him. As a son of the Xi family, I also want to learn some skills to bring glory to our family in the future."

Xi Jian didn't even look up. "The family school has both Chinese and martial arts instructors. Since you have this intention, just study and practice diligently in the future."

Xi Hui lowered his eyes and said, "Father, I admire my elder brother and would like to ask for his guidance."

Xi Jian paused, then looked up. "Is it because your eldest brother has been teaching the second brother martial arts recently, that you've also started to have designs on him?"

Xi Hui did not deny it.

"Have you mentioned it to your older brother?"

"no."

"This isn't a big deal, why don't you just talk to your older brother?"

Xi Hui paused for a moment, then pursed his lips. "My elder brother has been by our father's side since childhood. When I occasionally meet with my brother, I dare not interrupt. My brother is upright and honest, and I am afraid that I will offend him by being clumsy with words."

"This time... it's rare that both my eldest and second brothers are here. I don't necessarily want to learn any amazing kung fu. I just want to be closer to my eldest and second brothers so that I can learn a little bit from my eldest brother in the future and share some of my father's burdens."

Xi Jian gave his son a deep look.

"Ah-Song was disciplined because your eldest brother couldn't stand his frivolous and dissolute attitude. You are much more composed than your second brother, so there's no need for you to be like this."

Xi Hui's eyelashes trembled slightly, "But..."

"If you insist on going, this is a trivial matter; just mention it to your older brother."

Xi Hui cupped his hands in greeting: "Yes, son understands."

"Master, the young lady has come to see you."

A gentle smile suddenly appeared in Xi Jian's eyes. "Quickly let her in. Why didn't you send word sooner? It's been windy these past few days. How could you let the young lady wait outside?"

Zhao Wu pushed open a door on one side and bowed to invite Xi Lingxian inside.

Xi Hui nodded: "Greetings, elder sister."

"Greetings, Third Brother."

"My elder sister and father have something to attend to, so I must take my leave."

Take care.

Xi Jian's expression softened as he drank the soup his daughter had brought him.

"Your daughter is so filial; your brother has been wailing and howling like a banshee these past few days."

"My daughter heard from Zhao Wu that her third brother also wants to go with her second brother and the others?"

Xi Jian laughed loudly, "Father is not senile. It is his own business who your eldest brother wants to teach; if the third brother wants to join in, he can go and talk to the eldest brother himself. I will not overstep my bounds."

Half-brothers are inherently separated by a layer of distance;

If he were to make demands of his eldest son on this matter, it would surely break his son's heart.

Xi Jian would not do such a foolish thing.

He didn't think he was being biased. His three children had lost their mother's care, and if he, as the father, didn't show some favoritism, wouldn't it be like having a stepmother and a stepfather?

At Nuanshan Residence, after hearing her son's words, Madam Yu suddenly stood up.

"What's wrong with you? Trying to emulate Xi Rui?"

"Mother, it won't do Father any harm if I'm closer to my eldest and second brothers. Don't you understand?"

Ms. Yu understood, but she was unwilling to accept it.

She was already inferior to the Han family, so why should her child have to please the Han family's child to gain face in front of their father?

Heaven is unjust! Xi Jian is unjust!

"Don't underestimate him. Xi Rui is much older than you and has been fighting on the battlefield for years. How could you possibly handle him?"

"What if he uses the guise of a teacher to harm you?"

"No, if that were the case, his reputation would be completely ruined."

Yu had nothing to say, so she picked out a stick of Huizhou pine soot ink from her dowry and asked Xi Hui to take it to Xi Rui.

"If you need something from someone, you must never be impolite enough to give them something to criticize."

Xi Yao was indignant. "Mother, this pine soot ink is worth a fortune, and you're giving it away like this..."

Yu's gaze was sharp, and Xi Yao fell silent.

Xi Hui: "Thank you, Mother."

That afternoon, Xi Hui, carrying a gift box, walked around most of the courtyard of the mansion before personally going to Dingfeng Hall.

Upon hearing the purpose of the visit, Xi Rui agreed to Xi Hui's request without hesitation.

Xi Hui's well-thought-out plan suddenly became useless.

"Take this ink back with you. We're brothers, why bother with such formalities?"

Xi Hui insisted on refusing, but Xi Rui declined twice before accepting it without further ado.

The next day at dawn, a slender and delicate figure appeared at the Xi family's martial arts training ground.

Xi Hui studied diligently in secret, but he couldn't practice martial arts in secret. Like Xi Song, he had a weak and thin physique.

With two sandbags tied to his legs, he could barely walk, let alone run.

That evening, the person being carried back by the servant was someone else.

When Yu saw her son's miserable state, she felt that Xi Rui had done it on purpose. He must have known everything and was taking the opportunity to take revenge on her son.

Cai Ling is now an unofficial concubine in Xi Hui's courtyard, and everyone in the courtyard calls her Miss Cai Ling.

After being expelled from Qiluan Pavilion, Xi Hui became Cailing's only hope. She took meticulous care of Xi Hui's daily needs. When she suddenly saw Xi Hui being carried back, Cailing was so frightened that she dropped her teacup.

"Son, stop practicing. Let's focus on our studies. Can't we avoid this hardship?"

Xi Hui drank the cup of tea that Cai Ling brought him in one gulp. He wanted to say that he would persevere and not give up halfway, but his arms ached, his thighs were sore, and he didn't even have the strength to speak.

He hesitated for a moment.

Cai Ling said softly, "Third Master, please stop practicing. Eldest Master's teaching of Second Master was definitely sincere, but it's hard to say about you. What if he secretly tries to harm you?"

"Learning martial arts is no small matter. If you wish to learn, Third Master, you might as well follow the martial arts instructors at the family school. They will certainly not dare to neglect or be perfunctory towards you."

Yu Cailing was able to save her life and even become a concubine thanks to her cleverness and eloquence.

What you just said really touched on Yu's heart.

"That's right, son. Listen to your mother, don't take any risks. I only have one hope left."

Xi Hui gritted his teeth, "If I give up in a day, won't everyone in the mansion know that I'm not even as good as Xi Song?"

"No, I must insist. If Xi Song can do it, why can't I?"

Having no other choice, Madam Yu had to let him be.

Xi Hui gritted his teeth and persevered for two more days, while Xi Rui's brow furrowed more and more.

"Third brother, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."

"Please speak, brother."

"In this world, everything depends on talent. One part talent is better than ten parts diligence. But if I may be frank, your physique and build are not suitable for martial arts. If you force yourself to practice, I'm afraid you will get hurt."

Xi Rui spoke in a caring older brother tone, "Everyone has their strengths. If you're not good at martial arts, you can still study and serve the country in the same way."

Don't force yourself.

Upon hearing these words, Xi Hui, for the first time ever, did not feel ashamed or angry; instead, he genuinely breathed a sigh of relief.

That evening, Xi Lingxian and her two siblings gathered at Qiluan Pavilion.

After hearing Xi Song's words, Xi Lingxian laughed so hard she almost fell over.

Xi Rui: "...Is it really that funny?"

He was telling the truth.

"Brother, if you had been even a little more tactful, neither the Yu family nor Xi Hui would have let it go so easily. Who would have thought you would... Hahahaha, no, this is too funny."

Xi Song grasped the key point and excitedly asked, "Brother, according to you, I'm a natural-born martial arts practitioner?"

Xi Rui gave him a cold glance.

"I'll make do. We're siblings from the same mother, so I'll be a little more patient with you."

"..."