Chapter Thirty-Four: Good People Don't Get Good Rewards...

  Li Yu looked at me and smiled: "Don't you believe it?... The heavenly proud daughter, the emperor's most beloved princess doesn't have a mother?" A very beautiful smile, her white teeth were faintly visible between her red lips. But it just made you feel no joy, only a melancholy and apathetic emotion lingering in her eyes.

  "A bit... a bit shocking..." She didn't know what to say, although she was still smiling, but I could see the sincerity from deep within her heart. Fortunately, her voice was very low, and Li Zhi and the guards who had come from the palace to pick up the two of them were chatting in front and hadn't noticed this shocking topic.

  "I only have a stepmother, the one sitting in the Taiji Palace's Lizheng Hall, forever gentle and calm, not too happy, not too sad. But she is not my biological mother, even if she passed away, I wouldn't be able to shed a single tear... The tone was very melancholic and low, I remember, I had a student whose parents were divorced, living with her father and stepmother, once when she was crying bitterly in the school's backyard, I called her to my office for a talk, her expression, her tone, so similar to this."

  My heart aches for her, is it true that "beauty is often short-lived" is more realistic than Darwin's theory of evolution?

  "...and your mother? Didn't she divorce...di...divorce..." almost biting her own tongue, it seems she's still not quite used to saying the word "divorce". Can the emperor's wife get a divorce? If anyone dares to issue a divorce certificate, the emperor will definitely annihilate their entire clan.

  She didn't mind my stutter, staring blankly at a withered tree in front of her: "I've never seen my mother since I was born, her voice, her appearance, whether she would hug me and call out my name, this person doesn't exist in my memory at all... do you think... I have a mother?" Her smile bloomed like a night-blooming flower, tears overflowing from her eyes, eyelashes sparkling with dew, shining faintly in the dim light, like a fleeting shooting star.

  I didn't have time to respond, or maybe I just didn't know how to answer. She lowered her jade neck and continued on her own: "Father can't remember my mother's name, but he can remember the names of his enemies. He can recall the names of those generals who have made great contributions for him, and he can also remember...remember the names of his beloved children, yet he just can't seem to recall the names of those imperial concubines who gave birth to his sons and daughters..."

  Looking at her, I couldn't tell if it was pity or worry, perhaps both, or maybe mixed with other emotions, but at this moment, I opened my mouth not knowing how to comfort her.

  "We're here, Brother Jun. Let's go in first..." Li Zhi's call from up ahead suddenly woke me up.

  "Is that so? ... Hurry back, we're going in..." Li Yu's voice was faint and emotionless as he hung his head low, which wasn't a good sign.

  "Just a minute..." Just as Li Yu was about to enter the palace gate, I finally spoke up. I had to do something...

  "What's up?" Li Yu turned his head to look at me, and Li Zhi also stretched out half of his head, looking very curious.

  "I... I'm saying you don't have to worry too much." Comforting, how comforting, this guy isn't even my student, he's the emperor's daughter.

  "Oh... is that all?" Li Yu's mouth corners were raised in a smile, looking somewhat strange, as if relieved.

  "What I mean is... don't forget to pay off the debt next month..." The words were on the tip of my tongue, but then I realized it didn't sound quite right, this doesn't seem like a comforting thing to say, does it?

  "What did you say?!" Li Yu's eyebrows were raised, her eyes were about to reach the hairline, it seemed that this girl was really furious. She looked around and didn't see any weapons, so she picked up a snowball from the ground and threw it at me: "Fang Jun...you scoundrel!"

  A cool feeling ran from my neck all the way down to my waist, I quickly lowered my head and shook off the snow that had drilled into my collar.

  Li Zhi is not a good thing, he's gloating and shouting "good" at the palace gate. Those damned palace guards are actually watching the joke, their faces twisted, red with anger. Since you're not intervening, don't blame me for losing my temper as a hot-blooded man.

  Li Shu covered her mouth and giggled, her waist as thin as a willow branch twisted with laughter. At that moment, my fighting spirit, ignited by anger, erupted. The hot-blooded Communist Youth League member, the loyal soul of the Red Little Devils who had overthrown feudalism, imperialism, and capitalism - the three great mountains - revived within me. I grabbed a handful of snow and rushed forward two steps. Before anyone could react, I slapped it onto that girl's face with one swift motion. The cold made her shriek as she jumped up and down on the spot. Having succeeded, I turned around and sprinted away like crazy, my feet pounding the ground in rapid succession. Li Shu shouted and screeched at the same time: "Die, Jun! You stinky little brat!... Just you wait, tomorrow's got a surprise for you......"

  Hugging a big tree and panting, looking back, that Li Shu didn't chase after me. Today I finally got my revenge. Li Shu's personality is not bad, she has recovered her fierce River East Lion style, her mood should be better now. I shook off the snowflakes on my collar, the melted snow water was icy cold and made me shiver a bit. That damned crazy old woman, if only I knew earlier, I wouldn't have done this psychological counseling for her...

  After going home with a wounded wind and cough, I was rewarded with a violent slap by my old mother. After mixing for a day's sick leave, Li Shu's revenge plan will definitely fall through tomorrow. Thinking of her expression, it must be very funny. That night, I actually dreamed of Li Shu, hugging my mother and calling her "mother", and woke up with a cold sweat. What a strange thing! This girl can't become a witch, but she actually took revenge in the dream.

  ----

  "Huff... huff..." I was panting, my face flushed with red glow and drenched in sweat, the sweat on my muscles almost forming a small river...

  "Master... don't..." Green Butterfly's small face was flushed, and she was also covered in sweat...

  "What's wrong? Can't you see that I'm in a critical situation?! Hehehe..." I glared at her with anger, my mouth twisted into an evil smile, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. Green Butterfly's face turned even redder, and she trembled with fear, her plump red lips being bitten by her own teeth.

  "It's cold today, if I catch a chill, the mistress will blame me..." Green Butterfly's bright and timid eyes looked at me fearfully, and even the slightest noise would make this little girl look around nervously, as if she was stealing something.

  "What's there to be afraid of? Hehehe... I flexed my tiger-like body, and my bare upper body muscles bulged out, just like Schwarzenegger possessed me."

  "...but what if Madame finds out you're faking an illness..." Green Butterfly's small hand gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, still worried.

  "Alright, alright... I won't practice anymore..." Finally put down the stone lock that weighed over 200 catties after lifting it a few times. The snow beneath him let out a crunching sound as he sank into it slightly. He took the towel handed to him by Qing Die and wiped away his sweat. The feeling of exercising in the early morning was truly refreshing, especially on a cold winter's day. With the sun shining down on him, it felt like drinking a glass of sour plum juice on a summer's day. It was strange, but perhaps the remnants of Fang Zheng's bold personality were still affecting him. In his past life, he was lazier than a cat, but now he had to get up every morning and practice for at least an hour or two, otherwise, he would feel unwell. But this was good too. He looked at his muscles and nodded in satisfaction. His teeth felt great, his appetite was good, and his body felt fantastic. At the very least, he could live 20 to 30 years longer. Those small-time thugs wouldn't be able to take him down even if they tried... Haha!

  Green Butterfly.

  "In..."

  "You think I, the young master, am quite well-built, right? This physique is solid..." He struck a pose, showing off his muscles. Unfortunately, he had never practiced bodybuilding before, so his chest muscles didn't flex and ripple like they should have. It would have been even more perfect if they did... But it was fine until she asked, now Green Butterfly's face turned red like a rose, covering her face as she ran towards the courtyard door: "I'll go check if the young master's chicken soup is done..."

  "Hey, what's with the running? You were staring just a moment ago... Hmmph. Can't understand it, really... Sigh, there are too few people like us around. But I'm quite satisfied with my performance earlier, looks like I've taken another step towards becoming an evil uncle, haha, I even know how to tease this little loli Green Butterfly now, wahahahaha..."

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  P.S: Yeah, parents are here, very happy, body is still good, very excited, everyone accompany their family more... Mid-Autumn Festival comes only once a year.