As for what Wang Youfu had said, Madam Yang naturally didn't dare to say much in response. Thus, she stopped questioning her elder son and shifted her focus, saying, "Since Qingchen will be returning from below, I should start preparing some of his favorite dishes so they'll be ready when he gets back."

Wang Youfu offered no further objection to Madam Yang’s sentiment. After all, he strongly agreed with her intentions. They had no idea what sort of life their son endured while away, but they could certainly dictate the kind of life he experienced when he was home. For this reason, every time Wang Qingchen returned, Wang Youfu and Madam Yang spared no expense when it came to his meals.

Meanwhile, Wang Qingchen was completely unaware of the decisions being made concerning him at home. At that moment, he and Zhao Cheng had just finished supper and were making their way back toward the residence.

Upon arriving at the house, neither of them expected Li Yuntai to be paying a visit.

Since Li Yuntai’s home wasn't far from this place, he quickly learned from a neighbor who was helping out there about the return of residents to this particular house.

After hearing the news, Li Yuntai reasoned that it likely wasn't Wang Qingchen’s parents who had arrived. If they had come together, the entourage would surely have been considerable, attracting far more notice. In that case, their neighbor would certainly have mentioned the number of people and the amount of luggage, among other details. However, the report only mentioned two young men arriving. Therefore, Li Yuntai suspected it might be Wang Qingchen and his companion, prompting him to come check.

When Li Yuntai inquired upon arrival, it was confirmed: Wang Qingchen had indeed returned, and he had brought someone else along. Li Yuntai immediately suspected the companion was Zhao Cheng. What he hadn't anticipated, however, was that his visit would result in missing them; Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng were currently out. Furthermore, the servants in the residence had no idea when the two might return.

Li Yuntai decided it was best to wait for them. It was getting late, and they should be back eventually. The servant promptly ushered Li Yuntai into the main hall and served him tea. Fortunately, Li Yuntai did not have to wait long before Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng walked in. He quickly rose to greet them. "You two are finally back! I was just wondering when you’d return; I didn't expect it to be so soon. I’m glad I didn't wait in vain. Oh, and Zhao Cheng, why didn't you come to my house after returning? I had a place all prepared for you, just waiting for your arrival! I didn't expect you to stay at Qingchen’s place."

Zhao Cheng felt a flush of embarrassment upon hearing Li Yuntai mention the dedicated accommodations he had arranged. "My apologies, I truly didn't know. I assumed your household must be extremely busy right now, so I didn't want to impose. Fortunately, Qingchen invited me to stay here."

"Even when busy, I still have time to entertain you. You should have felt free to come over without hesitation," Li Yuntai declared magnanimously.

A smile touched Zhao Cheng’s lips at that. "Agreed. Next time I visit, I will certainly stay at your house."

"That would be wonderful! Then you absolutely must remember to stay with us the next time you come," Li Yuntai chuckled.

Afterward, Li Yuntai spent some time discussing the various details concerning his recent wedding before taking his leave.

The very next morning, Wang Qingchen resolved that he needed to make a trip back to Wangjia Village. His parents must surely know by now that he had returned, and given Madam Yang’s temperament, she might well come to check on him herself if he didn't visit. Therefore, Wang Qingchen felt he absolutely had to go back.

Wang Qingchen had been trying to figure out how to tell Zhao Cheng about his need to visit Wangjia Village, particularly how to explain that he couldn't bring him along. If Zhao Cheng were to be accidentally seen by his uncle, the consequences could be quite dreadful. However, before Wang Qingchen could even voice his thoughts, he heard Zhao Cheng speak first.

"Qingchen, I recall your family lives in Wangjia Village. Now that you’re back, are you planning to go see your parents there? Also, don't just focus on me. Hurry and go see them; your parents must miss you," Zhao Cheng said.

Hearing Zhao Cheng’s words, Wang Qingchen shook his head. "It’s fine, really. I was just back not too long ago! Don't worry about that; I’m sure my parents would approve of me staying here for a while."

Zhao Cheng, however, shook his head. "You don't need to stay here keeping me company. You should hurry back! Honestly, it’s not easy for you to come back this time, and you should take the opportunity to reunite properly with your family. So, don’t spend all your time worrying about me."

Listening to Zhao Cheng, Wang Qingchen thought that if he didn't have to worry about Wang Youliang causing trouble, he would have dragged Zhao Cheng straight to his home instead of staying in the town. But...

Still, Wang Qingchen posed a question: "How about this? Come back to Wangjia Village with me! My parents can meet you then."

Zhao Cheng shook his head after hearing this. "Perhaps not this time. I’ll stay here; you should go back."

Zhao Cheng’s refusal stemmed from his thought that when Wang Qingchen returned, he would naturally want to spend time reuniting with his family. If he tagged along, the Wang family might feel constrained while they tried to talk amongst themselves, and he himself would inevitably feel somewhat awkward. Thus, it was better not to go; he would stay in town and perhaps catch up on some reading.

Seeing that Zhao Cheng was firm in his decision, Wang Qingchen did not press the matter further. He left alone for Wangjia Village, though he knew he wouldn't stay for too long; it wouldn't do to truly abandon Zhao Cheng alone in town. He would certainly return later.

After Wang Qingchen departed the residence, Zhao Cheng took out a book to read. Yesterday, he had thoroughly gone over the events that transpired when he and his mother were previously staying there—the happy moments and the unhappy ones. He had committed them all to memory, constantly reminding himself that he must study diligently and strive harder, so that his mother would never have to endure the kind of life she had before. All of this depended on success in the imperial examinations; therefore, his current focus was squarely on the upcoming Huishi (Metropolitan Examination).

With that thought, Zhao Cheng redirected his concentration back to the book in his hands—this one had been highly recommended by the Headmaster! (To be continued)