Luo Zhao thought to himself, “By the Three Purities, today the disciple didn’t kill this brat, nor was he killed by this brat. It’s been quite a perfect day!”
The next day, Xia Xian Ning was again brought to the Luo household to formally learn basic skills. He discovered that the teacher seemed to have given that annoying senior brother some medicine that slightly improved his neurotic condition.
At least he wasn’t seeking revenge or provoking without reason like yesterday – though after class, he still persistently pulled him to play house with other children, which was still quite irritating.
The Luo family was wealthy, and the young master played his games with particular attention to detail. When they played, the small bowls used for pretend eating were clean, brought over by the auntie helper, containing a small cake and a snow fruit.
Xia Xianning stared blankly at the two fruits in his bowl.
Luo Yingbai guiltily stuffed two small cakes into his mouth, chewing and swallowing, then leaned over to Xia Xianning and said, “Honey, why aren’t you eating? Hurry up and eat.”
“…Honey,” Xia Xianning said stiffly, “Why are the ones in my bowl different from theirs?”
Luo Yingbai said, “They’re the same, one cake and one fruit. Look, this is the cake, and that is the fruit.”
The “cake” and “fruit” looked exactly the same.
Xia Xianning wanted to say, “Are you treating me like an idiot?” But remembering Luo Yingbai’s previous two “kindnesses,” he sat silently and ate both fruits under the other’s expectant gaze.
Luo Yingbai watched him eat, thinking, how good, truly stupid.
Of course, as a senior disciple, he wasn’t harming him. Eating more fruits as a child would make him stronger when he grew up.
After more than two years, Xia Xianning’s personality became slightly more lively, and he had grown taller than when he was at home. Old Master Xia was quite happy and would send Xia Xianning over even when Luo Zhao was not at home.
One day, when all the adults at the Xia family were out, Xia Xianning arrived and was greeted by the auntie who opened the door. When asked where the young master was, she said Luo Yingbai was playing upstairs, cheerfully welcoming Xia Xianning to go in.
