Chapter 440: Apology
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Qi Haoran pulled Mu Yangling aside and said, âAlthough weâre married, we canât be distant from Zijin.â
Mu Yangling said speechlessly, âDonât you feel uneasy taking advantage of him?â
Qi Haoran asked blankly, âWhy should I feel uneasy?â
Mu Yangling stared at him for a while and realized that he was really confused. She asked curiously, âIf Zijin marries in the future, what if his wife has something to say about it?â
âYouâre underestimating Zijin too much. Heâs not someone who can be controlled by a woman.â
âBut you still canât let him be estranged from his wife because of this. Since Zijin treats you so well, you have to be considerate of him too.â
Qi Haoran said nonchalantly, âIf he suggests it, we wonât take advantage of him anymore. As long as he doesnât mention it, well continue to take advantage of him.â b
Mu Yangling instantly doubted her judgment. Could it be that she had actually chosen a scumbag?
She sized Qi Haoran up and didnât realize that he had such potential. Wasnât he screwing over his pal too much?
Seeing that she was silent, Qi Haoran thought that she was insisting, so he said seriously, âAh Ling, you wonât go wrong listening to me. If you take the initiative to not take advantage of him, it will sadden him.â
Mu Yanglingâs mouth fell open. âIâm saddening him by doing this?â âArenât you making us feel distant? Itâs just some advantages. Iâve taken advantage of him even more. Besides,â Qi Haoran said in an almost inaudible voice, in the future, all this money will be invested in the West Camp. Well still be the ones taking advantage.â
Rather than quietly taking advantage of Zijin like that, it would be better to take advantage of him openly. At least in the end, everyone would know that they owed Zijin, and it would be easier for Zijin to claim credit when they were awarded for their contributions in the future.
Mu Yangling opened her mouth wide, then closed it again. In the end, she nodded and said, âAlright, I was short-sighted and narrow-minded.â
Qi Haoran raised his head proudly and said smugly, âEven without what happened after that, I can take advantage of him whenever I want.â When the two of them came out, Fan Zijin still looked sulky. Seeing this, Mu Yangling apologized. She deeply reflected on her dirty thoughts and apologized for tainting his and Qi Haoranâs pure brotherhood. She swore that she would never stop Qi Haoran from taking advantage of him in the future.
Only then did Fan Zijinâs expression look better. Fan Zijin reluctantly forgave Mu Yangling, but behind her back, he still said angrily, âAm I that petty?â Qi Haoran bent down and shook his head repeatedly. âNo, Cousin is the most generous.â
âShe simply wanted to sow discord. She couldnât stand to see that we brothers are close.â
Qi Haoran hurriedly shook his head and said, âAh Ling isnât such a person. She just feels embarrassed because she keeps taking advantage of you.â Fan Zijin pursed his lips in disdain. âHavenât you taken advantage of me enough? When have I ever minded?â
âThatâs right. I scolded her just now. She definitely wonât dare to mention this matter again in the future,â Qi Haoran said indignantly.
Fan Zijm looked at him suspiciously. âYou scolded her? Really?â
âOf course itâs true. Since sheâs already sincerely admitted her mistake, Cousin, please forgive her.â
Only then did Fan Zijin notice how Qi Haoran addressed him. He pursed his lips in disdain and sat on the chair with a cup of tea. âKeep bragging. Can you bear to scold her? How about this? If you can scold her in front of me, Iâll agree to forgive her.â
Qi Haoran was stunned. Then, he jumped up and said, âHow could you do this?â Fan Zijin pursed his lips and said calmly, âI knew you were coaxing me. I wonât forgive her if you donât scold her.â
Qi Haoran immediately said, âIâll go back and scold her again. If I scold her outside, wonât she lose face?â
âItâs alright. I donât mind her crying,â Fan Zijin said.
âBut I mind.â
Seeing that Qi Haoranâs face had turned red from holding it in, the frustration in Fan Zijinâs heart after being provoked by his stepbrother for so many days finally dissipated. Indeed, as long as he wasnât happy, he could bully Qi Haoran. Fan Zijin waved his hand generously and said, âAlright, go do what you have to do. Get Ah Ling to come over every three days for an inspection and check the accounts every ten days. After the i5th, Iâll go to the academy and start to study in seclusion.â
Fan Zijin sneered and said, âDoes he really think he can ride on my head just because I havenât been in Linâan Prefecture for a few years?â
Qi Haoran immediately asked, âDid Fan Zixiao bully you again? Iâll help you teach him a lesson.â
Fan Zijin waved his hand and said, âCan he bully me? But itâs really annoying to have him constantly jump around me. I can take the opportunity to move out to study at the academy.â
If it was in the past, even if Fan Zijin was disgusted, he would still insist on staying in the Fan Manor. If he wasnât at ease, he didnât want the others to live comfortably either. However, on the trip back, his eldest cousinâs ambitions would constantly appear in his mind. Why did he have to be calculate with those people when his world was so vast?
Why should he waste time on those people?
Therefore, Fan Zijin decided to move out this time so that he could live more comfortably and focus more energy and time on his own matters.
Fan Zijin asked in a low voice, âDidnât Eldest Cousin give you a mission? You canât just focus on playing.â
Qi Haoran promised, âDonât worry, Iâve already started on it. If I donât go around and play, I really wonât be able to go about tackling it.â
That was true. Qi Haoran had just returned and there were still many people watching him. It was a little difficult for him to do anything now, so he could only play around.
The two of them discussed some things before parting ways.
Mu Yangling had already flipped through half of the account book. When she saw the two of them come out, she closed the booklet and was a little embarrassed when facing Fan Zijin. Fan Zijin waved his hand indifferently and said, âIâll leave the business in Jiangnan to you next year.â
âA year? Isnât it enough until the end of the Fall Quarter Examinations?â
Fan Zijin looked at her in disdain. âAfter the Fall Quarter Examinations is the Spring Quarter Examinations. Do you think I have time to manage these things? If youâre going to manage these things, you naturally have to manage them until the end of the Spring Quarter Examinations next year.â
Mu Yangling couldnât help but ask, âAre you so confident that youâll definitely pass the Spring Quarter Examinations next year?â
Fan Zijin couldnât even be bothered to reply.
Mu Yangling was about to be defeated by their arrogance. The two cousins were surprisingly similar in this aspect.
Fan Zijin said, âConsidering two yearsâ Spring Quarter Examinations will be held together, Linâan Prefecture will probably be very lively this year and next Didnât you want to buy land? You can look for it now. You might be able to find a good deal. If you want to buy more, you can look again after the Spring Quarter Examinations. There might be a surprise.â
âWhy before and after the Spring Quarter Examinations?â
Fan Zijin revealed a mouthful of white teeth and said, âThatâs because before and after the Spring Quarter Examinations, many students need money to buy connections. There are always students from Linâan who donât have enough money and need to sell their land to raise money.â
Mu Yangling was stunned. Then, she nodded thoughtfully and asked, âWill anyone sell test questions?â
Fan Zijin rolled his eyes and looked at Qi Haoran. Qi Haoran hurriedly explained, âAh Ling, this is cheating. Once it appears, corpses will be everywhere. Donât talk nonsense. Those students just pay and use their connections to find out who the main examiner is. Then, they will spend a lot of money to buy his previous essays and theories to read..â1