bigabreads Chapter 56 The Enchanting Moments Before the Apprenticeship: Sister-in-law: Second Brother, let'
Chapter 56 The Enchanting Moments Before the Apprenticeship: Sister-in-law: Second Brother, let'
At dawn, the tolling of the bell at Guigu Academy sent shivers down people's spines.
The room numbered T was dimly lit and dimly lit.
Qin Mo stood in front of the bronze mirror, his arms slightly outstretched, letting Su Wan busy herself in front of him.
Today he wore a dark blue long robe with cloud patterns, the collar was high and buttoned up tightly, exuding a cold and aloof air of asceticism.
"Second Brother, bow your head." Su Wan stood on tiptoe, her fingers pinching the topmost button.
Qin Mo obediently bowed.
At that moment, their breaths mingled. Su Wan's fingers inadvertently brushed against his prominent Adam's apple.
"Gulp." That sexy Adam's apple slid violently under Su Wan's fingertips.
Qin Mo lowered his eyes, and in those narrow phoenix eyes, there was no sign of any sacred texts; all he could see was that smooth, white neck before him.
"Sister-in-law," he suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse as if it contained grit, "this collar is too tight. It's making me...want..."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Su Wan's cheeks flushed red as she glared at him reproachfully. "This is a formal apprenticeship ceremony; it must be performed with solemnity. Take back all your 'bad intentions'!"
Qin Mo chuckled softly, his slender fingers hooking the pair of gold-rimmed glasses, which he slowly and deliberately placed on the bridge of his nose. The moment the lenses were on, his air of a refined scoundrel was instantly amplified.
"Okay, I'll listen to you, sister-in-law." He lightly brushed his fingertips across Su Wan's cheek: "Hide your bad intentions. When no one's around... then show them to you, sister-in-law."
……
Minglun Hall, main hall.
The atmosphere was oppressive and suffocating. The position that originally belonged to Qin Mo as the "first disciple" was now occupied by the money-grubbing Young Master Zhang.
The headmaster, Guiguzi, sat on the high hall, his eyes darting around, because the Zhang family had sent half a mountain of gold the night before.
"Qin Mo..." The headmaster coughed lightly, "After discussion within the academy, it was decided that although Young Master Zhang's knowledge is still limited, he is extremely sincere. Therefore, the position of senior brother will be given to him."
"You are now the second disciple. Come, offer your senior brother a cup of tea; this will complete the formality."
Serving tea? Serving tea to an incompetent fool?
The students whispered amongst themselves. Young Master Zhang, with his legs crossed and his fat bulging, wore a smug grin: "What? Junior Brother Qin, aren't you going to hurry up? Being able to serve me tea is a blessing you've accumulated over several lifetimes!"
Qin Mo stood rooted to the spot, expressionless, his eyes behind his glasses as cold as a stagnant pool. He was enduring. For that piece of paper—the title of official rank.
In this humiliating silence, a very light footstep broke the frozen air.
Su Wan didn't hide in the corner. In front of everyone, she walked step by step behind Qin Mo, tiptoed slightly, and almost pressed herself against his back. This intimacy in front of everyone was the greatest support she could give Qin Mo.
"Second Brother." She leaned close to his ear, her warm, moist breath seeping into his ear canal, carrying a captivating ambition:
"We won't worship a master who loses face like that."
"Our family is rich, we own land, and we have connections."
"Instead of being a junior disciple to an incompetent fool... you should be the grandmaster yourself, second brother."
boom--!
That phrase, "become the founder," was like a spark falling into a powder keg! Qin Mo's pupils constricted sharply. His sister-in-law's words had drastically changed his perspective, transforming it from "studying" to "dominating"!
[Beep! "Ambition Awakening" detected!]
Target: Qin Mo (Second Brother). Status: Open-minded + Drawn to his sister-in-law's domineering aura!
[Heartbeat Value: +1000! Unlock Achievement: "Wanxiang Academy Architectural Blueprints"!]
Qin Mo laughed. That laugh carried a chilling arrogance and a sinister air.
"Serve tea?" He elegantly picked up the cup of tea with his slender fingers. Young Master Zhang proudly reached out to take it.
"Splash—!" Qin Mo flipped his wrist. Not a drop of the scalding tea was left, all of it spilled at Young Master Zhang's feet!
"You! What are you doing?!" Young Master Zhang jumped up in surprise.
Qin Mo slowly took out a handkerchief (Su Wan's), gently wiped his fingers, and pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, the lenses flashing coldly:
"Headmaster, this tea is too cloudy." "I'm afraid that drinking it will...taint my heart."
He grabbed Su Wan's wrist, their fingers intertwined, his gaze sweeping over the entire room: "Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together." "I will not accept this master." "Ghost Valley may be vast, but it cannot contain the rebellious spirit of Qin Mo!"
After saying that, he grabbed Su Wan and turned to leave!
"You! You dare to leave? You'll never be able to establish yourself in the literary world again!" came the headmaster's roar from behind.
Qin Mo didn't stop, leaving only a light, casual remark: "Establish a foothold? I don't need your help." "See you next time... everyone, welcome to my academy."
Qin Mo emphasized the last few words heavily; if his sister-in-law hadn't reminded him, he would never have thought of this path.
……
At the entrance of the academy.
Qin Mo and Su Wan had just stepped out the door when they were stunned by the scene before them.
The old, broken cart was gone from the entrance. The eldest brother, Qin Lie, stood like a demon, blocking the road. The third brother, Qin Meng, glared at the academy guards with a fierce expression, carrying a carrying pole. The fourth brother, Qin Yue, fanned himself with a sly smile. The twins and the seventh brother stood in a line, each holding various "tools."
This isn't picking someone up; this is clearly a wedding robbery (just kidding) attempt to sabotage the event!
"Second Brother! I knew this shabby academy couldn't hold us!" The third brother shouted as he saw the two emerge, his booming voice making the gate of the academy vibrate. "Let's go home! I've had my eye on these pedantic scholars for a long time!"
"Get in the car." Qin Lie sheathed his knife, his gaze sweeping over Qin Mo and Su Wan's tightly clasped hands. His eyes were deep. "Get in the car, squeeze in."
On the return journey in the carriage.
This was a widened carriage (just bought by the fourth son), but even with seven grown men and Su Wan crammed in, it still felt incredibly crowded.
This very crowding has become the most natural "battleground".
Su Wan was squeezed in the very middle. To her left was Qin Mo, and to her right was the fourth brother, Qin Yue. Driving in front were Qin Lie and the third brother, and behind them were three younger children.
"Second Brother, shouldn't you let go of my hand?" Qin Yue shook his tattered fan, his peach blossom eyes slightly narrowed, staring at Qin Mo's hand, which was still gripping Su Wan's, with a forced smile: "We're already out of the academy, haven't you finished acting out this 'deeply affectionate couple' act?"
Qin Mo pushed up his glasses, but instead of loosening his grip, he took advantage of the cover of his sleeve to lightly tickle Su Wan's palm. "Fourth brother, you're mistaken." His voice was gentle, yet it carried a hint of a sleazy, irritating charm: "The road is uneven, and my sister-in-law is delicate and frail. I'm just... protecting her."
"Protecting her?" The fifth brother poked his head out from behind. "Second brother, is that protecting her? You're practically clinging to her! I want to protect her too!"
"Shut up." Qin Mo glanced at the fifth brother indifferently, then turned his head slightly and leaned against Su Wan using the momentum of the carriage's bumpy ride.
In that instant, his lips almost brushed against Su Wan's earlobe.
Right under the noses of all his brothers, in this crowded and noisy carriage, he pulled a fast one.
"Sister-in-law." He breathed into her ear in a voice only Su Wan could hear, his breath hot and wet: "That 'Grandmaster' you just called out... it made my bones melt."
Su Wan trembled, her face instantly turning bright red.
How dare he do that in front of so many of his brothers?!
Qin Mo's hand slid up her wrist from under his sleeve, gently pinching her fingertips, a hint of suggestion and reward in his voice: "Since you've ignited my passion..."
"After we go back, you'll have to manage the money for building the academy; you'll have to manage the people who will be there for the academy..."
"Even I, the future headmaster... I, your sister-in-law, have to take care of everything."
"Second Brother! What are you doing?!" The eldest brother, Qin Lie, who had been observing through the rearview mirror (which didn't actually exist, but rather he turned around), suddenly shouted in a deep voice.
His hawk-like eyes were fixed on Qin Mo's head, which was pressed against Su Wan's ear: "Sit still. Don't press down on Jiao Jiao."
Qin Mo paused, slowly sat up straight, adjusted his glasses, and said with an upright and gentlemanly expression, "Brother, you misunderstand. I was discussing with my sister-in-law... an important matter of choosing a location back home."
"Location selection?" Qin Lie sneered, cracking his whip on the horse's rump, causing the carriage to lurch forward: "What's there to select! We'll just clear that forest behind the mountain when we get back!"
"If we're going to build one, let's build the biggest one! Let those snobbish bastards see just how powerful the Qin family really is!"
Inside the carriage, Su Wan covered her burning ears and looked at the men who, despite their bickering and sabotage, all had the same burning passion in their eyes.
She smiled. This was the Qin family. A pack of wolves who, even when abandoned by the world, could rebuild an empire from the ruins.
"Okay!" Su Wan grabbed Qin Mo's hand in return, then pulled the hand of the jealous fourth brother beside her, and shouted loudly, "Let's go home! Let's build our own... Wanxiang Academy!"