Shangguan Fei had never been to the South City. He was not interested in that place at all. Its lanes were messy and narrow, and the crowds were boorish. One looked at it was enough. He'd rather stay at Stone Castle. Staying at North City gave him a feeling of abandonment.
The rivalry with his sister left him exceedingly embarrassed. If he were to win, people might say that since the Ninth Young Master a boy, it was natural for him to win. If he were to lose though, people might start to question his masculinity or make some other humiliating remark.
In short, no one respected him. In the eyes of his father, mother, brothers, sisters, and even the servants; there was only the Tenth Young Master.