Volume Three, Chapter Thirty-Five

Even more useless than her was her own father. Li Chenjing had insisted on going into the study alone to see him, leaving her to squat restlessly outside the door. She had expected a bloody storm when he faced her White Lotus Sect father. After all, the progression of their relationship had completely violated the rules of propriety, and her chastity still carried considerable weight in her father's eyes. Yet the silence inside was terrifying. She waited over four hours, until her legs had gone numb, before the door finally opened.

There were no flushed faces, no □□ hanging in the air. Inside the study was a picture of scholarly harmony, courtesy, and humility. Li Chenjing bowed respectfully to her father and was about to leave, while her father stared at the endgame on the chessboard as though he had witnessed a miracle, having completely forgotten the thick Family Discipline Rod lying beside it. So, over those four hours, these two gentlemen had paid no attention to propriety, shame, or lifelong commitments. Instead, they had become engrossed in their game and even arranged a time to continue.

"What did you do to my father? He even had the rod ready. There's no reason he wouldn't beat you, is there?" She glanced back at her father, who was still clicking his tongue in wonder. She knew he was a chess fanatic. More precisely, he was a fanatic about all the refined pursuits that scholars and gentlemen enjoyed.

"Nothing much. After I went in, I lied and said my wound hurt, so your father told me to sit down while we talked. There was an endgame on the table. I just played a round with him."

"..." Was it really all right to use his wound so brazenly to play the pitiful