Chapter 345

The sudden hardship encountered filled Xu Mo with vigilance. His clear pupils were covered with indifference, as if there was no emotion at all.

Jiang Chengfeng couldn't help but feel creeped out as he made eye contact with him.

Fortunately, Jiang Sheng's shout of "Big Brother is awake" broke the oppressive atmosphere. The chubby little girl threw herself over, smashing all coldness and heaviness.

It was like an iceberg meeting lava, and like spring rain falling on the heart. Xu Mo's softness was visibly restored, and his eyes showed a smile. "How did you guys get here?"

"Still saying that, you didn't come home for half a day. If we didn't come out to find you, you would have been eaten up!" Jiang Sheng mimicked the appearance of monsters in comic books, baring her teeth and claws. "Luckily there’s Fifth Brother and Brother Jiang to help."

"Eldest Young Master, and me too." Jiang San stuck his head in from outside.

"And me, and me too." Jiang Si was unwilling to fall behind.

The originally calm Chang Yan opened his eyes and pretended to kick them both out. "Watch the road."

Everyone laughed. Xu Mo also laughed. As he laughed, he remembered what had happened today, and his face turned cold again.

"Big Brother, you have to tell us what happened in the end," Chang Yan's voice sounded in a timely manner.

In fact, things were not complicated.

Going back in time to when Xu Mo was fighting a business war with the Liao family at Jiuzhen Store, he met two friends at the Imperial College.

At first, they only discussed some literary allusions. Later, they gradually urged him to go out drinking and having fun, and even used "armchair generals" instead of "actual combat" as an argument.

Xu Mo thought it was funny, and refused them with words, but gradually distanced himself from them. He didn't expect them to become more explicit, and actually invited him to experience the joys between men and women.

At this point, the two people's purpose was basically obvious. They wanted to drag Xu Mo down so that he would lose interest in studying. It was self-evident who had arranged this.

Xu Mo was very disappointed and scolded them severely.

It wasn't because their purpose was sordid, but because they were civilian students who could study at the Imperial College. Yet they were bought by a mere five taels of silver and forgot their conscience and studies.

After that, the two were much less troublesome.

Until yesterday. Xu Mo, the elegant scholar, had just walked out of the Imperial College and was stopped by the two classmates working together.

One bowed with his hands and apologized, "We were wrong before, I hope Brother Xu won't hold a grudge, can we talk about ancient times again?"

One slightly bowed, "To express our apologies, we specially spent a lot of money to invite an enlightener for Brother Xu."

Whether to hold a grudge or not, what was an enlightener?

Xu Mo was a little confused. Then he saw the two men flash to the side, revealing the charming girl behind them.

The girl was not very old, nor was she dressed particularly revealing. It was just that her actions were hard to resist. Not only did she wink at him, she bluntly said, "You bookworms, if enlightenment is enlightenment, why must you always talk about flowers, snow and the moon? Without some knowledge, we girls from Baihua Brothel can’t get into your eyes.”

She slowly approached him, the scent of powder rushing over with her soft and sweet voice. "What does the young master like to talk about? I know a little about everything--is it the Four Books and Five Classics? Or is it just Analects and Great Learning? "

Xu Mo didn’t dare answer her. He stood stiffly, unable to speak.

Since gaining consciousness, apart from Auntie, he had only hugged little Jiang Sheng. He had never been in close contact with other women.

Let alone a charming and ulterior one.

"Mr. Xu... Mr. Xu has to go home. Please let me pass, Miss," he said as calmly as possible. "Do not block Mr. Xu's path."

"You bookworm!" Eyebrows pouted coquettishly. "How am I blocking your way? I'm taking you to a happier place. Why don't you try it, I guarantee you’ll yearn for my company and find it hard to forget."

Her voice seemed to be deliberately trained, with a hint of enchanting charm. Especially her breathy tone, which was extremely enticing.

Xu Mo closed his eyes.

The Buddhist scriptures said that with unified mind and spirit, one can resist all false thoughts.

Especially with the scenes of his parents' suicide and the huge change flashing through his mind over and over again. Thinking of his younger siblings waiting for him at home, Xu Mo opened his eyes and took two cold steps back, then turned and walked away with his sleeves swung back.

"Young Master!" Eyebrows called out in disbelief as she chased after him. "Brother Xu!" The two classmates also scolded him. "How can you be so cold-hearted?"

Xu Mo paid them no heed and strode forward until he reached the small courtyard in the second hall, before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

The fabricated indifference melted away, and a faint blush appeared on his delicate face, lingering until late at night before it slowly faded.

So their elegant Eldest Brother was teased by a brothel girl?

Coming to this conclusion, the expressions of his younger siblings were very reluctant.

Chang Yan was even more hesitant to speak.

"I know what you want to ask, why didn't I tell you." Xu Mo's face turned slightly red again. "Because the Fang family didn't dare hurt me, their methods were...too shameless." It would also be extremely devastating for those without self-control. But it didn't shake him one bit.

Too many things had happened at the Imperial College.

Making friends, discovering their ugly side, avoiding the powerful and privileged, or even being slightly bullied. Xu Mo had lightly resolved all the things that could be resolved.

He couldn’t possibly inform his siblings in detail about every incident, then gather manpower in preparation.

It was just that this time, the Fang family's methods were somewhat unexpected—using shameful things to confuse the enemy, then launching a sneak attack when they were unprepared.

"After all, I underestimated the enemy," Xu Mo said dejectedly.

He didn't even have time to feel guilty, because the Fang family’s first blow didn’t work. They would only become more and more eager, even if they didn’t use other methods, just finding some brothel girls to continue entangling Xu Mo would be enough to embarrass him.

It was the end of August now. The provincial examination would take place in February next year, a full six months away.

He couldn’t be vigilant all day and sleepless all night during that half year.

Xu Mo frowned. Even retaliation had to be postponed. He just wanted to study in peace.

This exam was the most critical exam in his life, and the turning point in his life.

Success was mandatory, failure forbidden.

"Don't worry too much, big brother. Let Jiang San and Jiang Si be your book boys," Chang Yan sighed. "What the Fang family bullies is that you have no one around you."

With their martial arts, they could attack and defend perfectly.

Xu Mo pursed his lips without speaking, seeming to be weighing the feasibility.

Jiang Sheng and Wen Zhiyun, who couldn't offer any suggestions, could only watch eagerly with their eyes.

In this tense and quiet atmosphere, Jiang Chengfeng, who had been ignored for a long time, cleared his throat. "The martial arts skills of these two brothers are extremely good."

Jiang San and Jiang Si outside proudly raised their necks, like geese at the village entrance.

"But..." His tone took a turn. "No matter how good their martial arts, it’s useless when really facing officials."

The geese's necks drooped.

Chang Yan knocked the back of his left hand with his right. This meant he was also thinking. "The Fang family dared to use such despicable brothel girl tricks. It's not impossible for them to find officials to make things difficult for Eldest Brother."

Especially in this city that respects power. Even if Xu Mo could cope with it, he still couldn’t avoid being humiliated and suffer a bit.

After all, his identity as a poor student was too ordinary.

The Fang family dared to bully him, his classmates dared to plot against him, and even brothel girls dared to cling to him.