"I think he isnât bad at heart. If I casually give him a couple of pointers, maybe the Imperial Court could gain a talented individual," Yang Ruxin chuckled. "Otherwise, wouldnât it be a pity if someone so talented, so high-intelligence, fell into darkness?"
"High intelligence? Darkness?" Du Manâs little face scrunched up.
"By high intelligence, I mean very smart people, like Gu Qingheng, whoâs considered super high intelligence... As for darkness, thatâs easy to understand, right? It means someoneâs turned dark... Of course, Iâm not talking about their skin but rather their thoughts and inner heart becoming dark..."
Du Man and Du Juan nodded to show they understood.
"What kind of behavior do people whoâve turned dark usually show? Typically, they get stuck in rigid thinking, become extreme, look at everyone with disdain, and feel like the whole world owes them something... People like this canât stand anyone doing well. If someone does well, they want to destroy them. They might even think about taking revenge on society... Tsk tsk, I canât even imagine how terrifying itâd be if someone as smart as Guan Qingshu decided to do bad things..."
"No way, right?" Du Manâs face was full of hesitation.
"Hard to say... Either way, giving him a couple of pointers doesnât cost me anything. If I can help him fully snap out of it, Iâd be doing a good deed. Of course, if he still canât figure things out, I can just beat him up every time we meet. Maybe that way, I could stop him from falling into darkness..."
"Makes sense. Next time Iâll handle it. I havenât beat up a Scholar yet..."
"Alright, Iâll leave you the chance..."
The words floated over from ahead. Guan Qingshu didnât know what he felt, but ultimately, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle and squeezed his eyes shut. Although heâd tried hard to immerse himself in books these past days and tried to restrain his thoughts whenever he saw her, that knot in his heart remained. It wasnât deadly, but every time it was touched, it sent a piercing ache through him.
At this moment, he suddenly opened his eyes wide. Though the ache was still there, a sense of clarity washed over him. He truly shouldnât be caught up in the past anymore. If he did, he might no longer recognize himself. So be it then. They would each work hard, and in the future... maybe, if they met again, heâd have the right to wish her well.
Having been delayed in the county for a bit, by the time Yang Ruxin arrived at Lianhua Town, the sun had already set. She didnât stop in the town and directly urged her horse into a gallop, racing back to the village.
The more she left, the more often she returned, the deeper her feelings toward this small village grew. Right now, even though it was only a fifteen-minute journey, she had an almost overwhelming urge to grow wings and fly back.
"Big Sisterâs back..." In the distance, a group of little kids shouted as they rushed toward her. Leading them was Xiaofeng, followed by Sini and a bunch of other little rascals.
"Xiaofeng." Yang Ruxin pulled her reins short before she even reached them, jumped off her horse, and immediately grabbed the little guy who had clearly grown half a head taller since sheâd left. She gave him a big smacking kiss. "I missed you so much, Big Sister missed you to death..."
Xiaofengâs little face instantly turned bright red. He was a man, and men and women werenât supposed to touch each other, but he couldnât bear to push Big Sister away.
Seeing Xiaofengâs adorably conflicted expression, Yang Ruxin felt her heart melting. So, she leaned down and gave him two more kisses.
"Big Sister, me too..." From behind, Sini, Erya, Zhou Ying, Du Qing, and Little Yeziâall younger onesâcame running over. Life was better now; theyâd gained weight, grown taller, and become soft and pink, making them irresistibly lovable.