"Serves You Right"

"Far away, yet right before your eyes."

Wang Zuimo said with a smile.

Mu Yao's eyes twitched. She finally understood why her good sister had proactively helped her share the workload.

Qin Yuan smiled and was about to say something when a hearty laugh suddenly came from behind him.

"Junior Sister Mu Yao, what a coincidence!"

Qin Yuan turned around and saw a handsome young man with a smile, walking over quickly.

The moment the young man saw Qin Yuan's appearance, his steps faltered, and his smile froze for a moment, but it quickly returned to normal.

"Junior Sister Mu Yao, Junior Sister Zui Mo, and who is this?" the young man asked Mu Yao and Wang Zuimo as he walked up to the three of them.

Mu Yao introduced them politely.

Thus, Qin Yuan learned that the young man's name was Cheng Li, and he was the sixth senior brother.

Upon learning that Qin Yuan was not a noble, Cheng Li's face showed a proper smile again. The wariness in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a subtle sense of condescension and arrogance.

Afterward, he chatted briefly with Mu Yao before making an excuse to leave. As he departed, he glanced at Qin Yuan with a half-smile.

"Huh?" Wang Zuimo exclaimed in surprise.

"Doesn't Senior Brother Cheng Li usually pester people for a while before leaving? Why is he so straightforward this time?"

Mu Yao glanced at Qin Yuan, whose handsome face was as beautiful as an immortal, and smiled faintly.

"Who knows."

The three continued towards the calligraphy practice area.

It was Qin Yuan's first time writing calligraphy. While his characters weren't ugly, they were certainly not good.

Mu Yao and Wang Zuimo were not surprised by this and began to teach him diligently.

Then, it became unstoppable.

Every time Qin Yuan finished writing and received pointers, he would pause and ponder his shortcomings. By the next stroke, he would immediately improve by a small margin, astonishing the two women into silence.

By the end of the day, Qin Yuan's calligraphy was comparable to that of a student who had practiced for three months.

Mu Yao and Wang Zuimo were dumbfounded.

It was dark. Qin Yuan bid farewell to Mu Yao and Wang Zuimo and left the Calligraphy Saint Pavilion.

As soon as he stepped out of the Calligraphy Saint Pavilion, a gentle laugh reached his ears.

"Junior Brother Qin Yuan, could I have a word with you?"

Turning his head, he saw a handsome young man standing at the entrance, seemingly waiting for him on purpose.

"Senior Brother Cheng Li, is something the matter?" Qin Yuan asked.

Cheng Li nodded. "I'd like to give Junior Brother some advice. Are you willing to listen?"

Qin Yuan thought for a moment. He had the time, so he nodded and followed Cheng Li to a secluded spot.

Stopping, Cheng Li turned to face Qin Yuan, his face still wearing a fake, gentle smile.

"Junior Brother Qin Yuan, have you ever heard a saying?"

"What saying?" Qin Yuan asked curiously.

"A person should know their place," Cheng Li said with a smile.

"If you try to take something you don't deserve, you might bring about your own demise."

Without waiting for Qin Yuan's reply, he continued, "I assume you might not know Junior Sister Mu Yao's true identity. She is the daughter of an Imperial Viscount, of noble birth. Only a son of a noble of equal status is worthy of her."

He paused, tilted his head slightly, and said with a half-smile, "For example, me, the son of a Baron."

"..." Qin Yuan was speechless.

What was a Baron? At his annual birthday banquets, only those of Earl rank or higher were qualified to attend.

"So, Junior Brother Qin Yuan," Cheng Li's gaze turned indifferent. "Do you understand?"

"Is this a threat?" Qin Yuan asked.

"It's advice," Cheng Li said unhurriedly. "You have a face that even I envy. Fortunately, you are just a lowly commoner, otherwise, I would truly worry that Junior Sister Mu Yao might be moved. But I must guard against it, hence I came to talk to you personally."

After speaking, he patted Qin Yuan's shoulder with a smile. "I believe you will make the right choice."

He brushed past Qin Yuan, took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket, and vigorously wiped his right hand that had patted Qin Yuan's shoulder, wiping it more than ten times. Then, with a look of disgust, he threw the handkerchief away, letting it fall into a puddle of dirty water.

Turning, he glanced at Cheng Li's receding back, then at the handkerchief in the puddle of dirty water.

Qin Yuan snapped his fingers.

"Young Master." Li Fu leaped out from the shadows.

"He's been detached from the masses for too long," Qin Yuan said lightly.

"Yes."

Li Fu disappeared back into the shadows. Qin Yuan shook his head with amusement and walked towards the courtyard he was renting.

He figured White Butterfly and Red Moon should have finished tidying up by now.

Three days later.

In the calligraphy room, Mu Yao and Wang Zuimo surrounded Qin Yuan, continuing to guide him in calligraphy. They would occasionally exclaim in admiration and giggle.

On the other side, Cheng Li watched this scene with a dark expression, snapping a brush with a crack.

"Damn commoner! It seems you took my words from that night as mere wind. This is your own doing!"

"BANG--!!!!"

Just then, a tremendous noise of a door being smashed open echoed from outside.

Everyone looked up in shock.

The next second, a fierce gust of wind swept through, scattering white paper like snowflakes.

Everyone cried out in alarm.

Only Qin Yuan remained calm and composed. The storm was dispelled by an invisible force, not even disturbing a single strand of his hair.

When the storm subsided, everyone was stunned to discover a middle-aged man in a red robe, exuding an imposing aura, standing at the doorway.

However, this middle-aged man was currently drenched in sweat, his hair and clothes disheveled and covered in dust. He reeked, clearly having not bathed for days.

He panted, scanning the entire calligraphy room, finally landing his gaze on Cheng Li.

"Father, why are you here?" Cheng Li, snapping back to reality, exclaimed in surprise.

"Rebellious son!!!" the middle-aged man roared, rushing forward and slapping Cheng Li away.

Cheng Li spat blood, crashed into the wall, and fell to the ground with a scream.

"Father, what, what are you doing?" Cheng Li asked, his face full of disbelief, clutching his burning, swollen cheek.

"Don't call me father! From this day forward, you are no longer a member of the Cheng Family! From now on, you are completely severed from me and the Cheng Family, with no relation whatsoever. All your funds and connections will be cut off!"

The middle-aged man interrupted sternly, "I will publicly announce that you have been expelled from the Cheng Family! If I ever find you daring to walk the world under the name of a Cheng Family son again, I will personally kill you!"

BOOM--!!!

Cheng Li's mind exploded.

It was as if ten thousand thunderbolts struck his brain, leaving him dizzy and his liver and gallbladder shattered.

I've been expelled from the Cheng Family? Then I'm no longer a noble, just a lowly commoner?

No! No!! I don't want this!

I don't want to be a lowly commoner! I am a noble!

He erupted with astonishing strength, pushing himself up and lunging towards the middle-aged man, tightly hugging his leg and crying out in a desperate plea:

"Father, please don't expel me from the Cheng Family. What did I do wrong? Why are you so heartless? I am your eldest son!!"

The middle-aged man looked at his eldest son's desperate pleas, a flicker of reluctance and struggle flashing in his eyes.

But it quickly turned cold, and he kicked Cheng Li away.

"Idiot! You offended someone you shouldn't have, and you dare ask me why? The entire Cheng Family was almost destroyed because of you!!"

"You are no longer my son!"

After kicking Cheng Li away, the middle-aged man cruelly and heartlessly uttered these words and left.

All that remained were the dumbfounded students of the Calligraphy Saint Pavilion, and Cheng Li, who sat on the ground, his face blank with despair and confusion.

Cheng Li's mind was filled with his father's parting words: "You offended someone you shouldn't have."

Who exactly did I offend? Cheng Li's mind was a complete blank.

Glancing at Cheng Li, who was slumped on the ground, dazed and despairing, Qin Yuan picked up his brush and wrote two large characters on the white paper—

"Serves you right."

[Calligraphy Advancement Stage 1, reward: 1 Evolution Point]

After writing the two characters, a line of information suddenly appeared before his eyes.