Chapter 25: Never Harm Others Again

Half an hour later.

Drunk Moon Tower, second floor.

Inside a private room.

Gu Yunfeng, Zhou Qingyu, and Ziling sat around a rosewood table, with Qianqian standing behind Ziling.

Ziling supported her forehead, the corners of her mouth twitching faintly.

Only now did she understand what had happened, why Zhou Qingyu didn't call her "sister," why Tang Shi had instructed Qianqian to act as if they didn't know Zhou Qingyu when they met on the street.

Through her marriage this time, Dongling Marquis and Tang Shi truly realized the difficulties a bandit's identity posed to a marriage proposal.

If it's already challenging for Ziling to marry, let alone Zhou Qingyu being the one who brings her home. Who would be willing to send their daughter into the den of a bandit?

Setting aside Zhou Qingyu's position as the young leader of the Qingyun Mountain Flying Tiger Gang, his appearance was impressive, dignified, and stood out in a crowd.

If he were to return to Dongling Marquis's residence, he would only burden him.

Then, Ziling's peculiar-minded adoptive parents sent a letter to Zhou Qingyu, advising him not to return to Dongling Marquis's residence temporarily, not to acknowledge them if they met on the street, and to act as if they didn't know each other. They would only welcome him back when he gained the favor of Ziling's parents and they were willing to marry their daughter to him.

As for who Ziling's parents were, they didn't care. If he couldn't marry a wife within a year, they would treat him as if their useless son no longer existed.

In addition to marrying a wife, he also needed to make a name for himself. The more outstanding he became, the more Dongling Marquis would be able to hold his head up high.

As soon as the letter was delivered to Zhou Qingyu, everyone felt that Marquis's decision was right, and they firmly followed his instructions. That evening, at the inn, they clearly distinguished their boundaries from Zhou Qingyu.

After entering the capital, all the people and things brought from Qingyun Mountain, even the dog Ziling used to raise, entered Dongling Marquis's residence, while this young master was left to wander the streets...

Life was somewhat desolate.

But what could Zhou Qingyu do? It was his parents' decision, and everyone thought it was right. He couldn't provoke public anger.

He just rode his horse through the streets, looking for a place to settle down. Before he could find one, he happened to run into Ziling.

In the letter, Dongling Marquis was furious because he had extended credit to Ziling for the dowry, and the matter had caused a scene in Duke Zhengu's residence. He didn't mind losing face, but he was afraid that Ziling would be upset. Marquis instructed Zhou Qingyu to carry extra money with him to let people see the extravagance of the young master of the Flying Tiger Gang.

If face was lost, it had to be regained in the same manner.

Zhou Qingyu knew that neither Dongling Marquis's residence nor Ziling had money. Seeing Ziling picking hair accessories at a street stall, he felt guilty as her elder brother.

After he reluctantly walked away, he couldn't help but look back.

The result!

Ziling didn't recognize him!

Since Zhou Qingyu had been instructed by the Eastern Ling Marquis, she wasn't angry and wanted to speak to Ziling alone and give her some silver tickets as well. But Ziling completely ignored him.

Zhou Qingyu was furious.

But his anger was directed at the Eastern Ling Marquis.

And then...

He was punched by Gu Yunfeng.

He found a young lad and asked for a bronze mirror. Zhou Qingyu looked at his bruised and swollen eyes reflected in the mirror. He couldn't even blink, as it hurt every time he did.

His mouth couldn't open either, and his chest and back...

His whole body was in pain.

Zhou Qingyu glanced at Gu Yunfeng and said, "On the way here, I was wondering how I would meet my brother-in-law since I couldn't go back to the Eastern Ling Marquis's mansion. I didn't expect that as soon as we met, my brother-in-law would give me such a generous gift. Thankfully, you couldn't use your strength, otherwise, I would have ruined that eye of yours in your hand."

Gu Yunfeng saw him grimacing in pain and silently looked at Ziling.

Ziling looked embarrassed.

It seemed that Gu Yunfeng couldn't be blamed...

Qianqian shrugged her shoulders and said, "Didn't the Young Master often say that the Marquis would have to turn a blind eye to show his dominance?"

Zhou Qingyu moved his eyes away from the bronze mirror and looked at the maid, saying, "Where were you when I was getting beaten up? If you had come a little later, I would have been carried back to the Eastern Ling Marquis's mansion."

Qianqian scratched her forehead.

Ziling then asked, "I almost forgot, who did you go to meet?"

Qianqian blinked and said, "It was Young Master Song, he still remembered this servant. He even became the top scorer in the imperial examination."

Zhou Qingyu picked up a piece of food and said, "Your lady doesn't even remember me, how could she remember a top scorer?"

However, he didn't remember either.

"I haven't heard that anyone in Qingcheng became the top scorer," Zhou Qingyu asked.

Qianqian tilted her head back and said, "This servant doesn't know where he's from, but he was the first person the miss encountered when she went down the mountain to rob. He's not a weak scholar."

Pfft!

Ziling spewed out her tea.

Gu Yunfeng's eye twitched incessantly.

It was not only because of Qianqian's words but also because Ziling's tea splashed onto his face.

So this was the acquaintance Qianqian mentioned?

"You robbed him, saw that he didn't run away, and still went to find him for a marriage proposal?" Ziling supported her forehead.

This thought process...

Ziling was completely dumbfounded.

She couldn't bear to hear the word "acquaintance" from Qiannian's mouth anymore. It would be better not to let her meet acquaintances easily in the future.

Qiannian looked bewildered and said, "Lord Hou said that meeting someone is fate, and being robbed is a karmic debt from past lives. Those who were robbed owed us money in their previous lives but didn't repay it. Robbing them was destined. In this lifetime, we clear the debt, and in the next lifetime, we become good friends."

Ziling "..."

Gu Yunfeng "..."

Listening carefully, there seemed to be some truth in it.

Ziling felt almost convinced.

She turned her head to look at Gu Yunfeng, who could guess what she wanted to say and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Tell me, how did you rob Song, the top scholar?"

Qiannian narrated the story.

Two years ago, on a sunny day.

Ziling, who had always wanted to go down the mountain to rob, was restrained by the Tang family. After relentless efforts, she finally obtained permission from them. Before going down the mountain, the Tang family reminded her not to rob the elderly and the weak.

Ziling, with Qiannian in ambush in the bamboo forest, waited for a whole morning.

Her stomach growled from hunger, but no one came. Ziling couldn't return empty-handed, as she couldn't let this opportunity slip away after all her hard work.

Today, she had to succeed in the robbery, even if it meant only stealing a couple of copper coins, to save face.

As she grew impatient from the long wait, a man on a donkey cart approached. He had a fair complexion and looked like a scholar.

Ziling lost her patience and decided to rob him. Qiannian thought scholars were weak and the lady had instructed not to rob the elderly and the weak, so scholars shouldn't be robbed.

Ziling believed that scholars could also be strong, as there were people who excelled in both literature and martial arts.

Then Ziling rushed out and stopped the cart.

Her first question was, "Are you elderly, weak, or disabled?"

The man's face darkened, and he replied, "I am not."

Ziling was delighted and said to Qiannian, "He said he is not elderly, weak, or disabled. Let's rob him and go back to the mountain for a meal."

The next moment, Qiannian said, "Rob!"

The cart driver, recognizing them as bandits from Qingyun Mountain, didn't even bother with the donkey cart and ran away.

Ziling and Qiannian tied up the man, took two taels of silver, and left triumphantly.

It was their first time robbing, and due to their inexperience, they didn't release the man after tying him up. They returned to the mountain in high spirits. It wasn't until they remembered that the sun had already set.

Qiannian made someone accompany her to release the man under the cover of darkness and said a few words that almost angered him to death.

Qiannian said, "My lady wanted me to ask your name. You are the first person she has robbed, and she wants to know who she robbed."

The man gritted his teeth and said, "My name is Song Xian."

"Song Xian? I remember," Qianqian turned around and said, "And don't forget about my young lady."

"...You can rest assured, I will never forget," the scholar replied.

"You're really good."

The scholar almost dropped dead on the spot.

After recounting the past, Qianqian said, "He really didn't forget, he recognized this humble servant at a glance."

She had a delighted expression on her face.

Ziling: "..."

Gu Yunfeng: "..."

Zhou Qingyu, after eating and drinking to his heart's content, said, "Being robbed by my younger sister, that's his good fortune. Otherwise, how could he have become the top scholar?"

Ziling: "..."

Gu Yunfeng: "..."

Is there a necessary connection between being robbed and becoming the top scholar?

"Of course, when it comes to good fortune, no one can compare to my brother-in-law. We at Qingyun Mountain have never robbed anyone of their virtue, you're the first," Zhou Qingyu said.

Gu Yunfeng: "..."

Ziling started to feel uneasy and said, "It's getting late, big brother, you should return to the Marquis's mansion."

Causing such a commotion in the street, many people knew that Zhou Qingyu was her big brother, and the Marquis of Dongling's plan had failed before it even began.

Zhou Qingyu stood up, and Gu Yunfeng asked someone to settle the bill.

Zhou Qingyu hooked his arm and they walked out together. With one hand rubbing his throbbing eye corner, Zhou Qingyu asked, "You haven't said a word the whole time. Are you still feeling guilty about punching me earlier, unable to face me?"

Gu Yunfeng: "..."

It was just a punch, was it necessary for him to feel so guilty?

Not saying anything meant they couldn't get along, right?

But shaking his head was definitely not an option, after all, he had punched him. "A little," he said.

Zhou Qingyu laughed, "It's just a punch, no big deal."

Qianqian blinked from behind, when did the young master become so easy to talk to?

She was a bit unused to it.

Just as the thought flashed through her mind, Gu Yunfeng's eye was punched, causing him to gasp in pain.

Qianqian looked ahead and saw Zhou Qingyu patting Gu Yunfeng's shoulder, satisfied, and said, "Alright, you don't have to feel guilty now."

Ziling was confused.

Gu Yunfeng's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot, of course, not as dark as his left eye, which had been punched.

Zhou Qingyu looked at Ziling and said, "You two should go home early and rest well. I'll go ahead."

Watching Zhou Qingyu walk away, Ziling silently glanced at Gu Yunfeng, who was taking deep breaths, and asked, "Do you want me to bring you writing brushes and paper?"

With a dark face, Gu Yunfeng replied, "Don't even think about causing trouble for others again!"

Ziling: "..."

He wouldn't even agree to a leave letter?

Damn it!

Could he be a masochist?