TFWYH – Chapter 425 Keeping Your Word

Ling Chen didn’t dare say another word. After everyone finished discussing the travel route, he quietly went to find Ling Yu and got straight to the point.

“Big Brother, just tell me — what do I have to do so I can go with you?”

Ling Yu glanced at him sideways. “Simple. Memorize New Words, Shuyi Chentong, and the Dynastic History of the Heavenly Court. I’ll give you three days. I’m leaving after that.”

Ling Chen’s mouth immediately fell wide open.

Are you actually a demon?

Those three books came in multiple volumes! New Words alone had more than ten complete volumes — and he was supposed to memorize all of them?!

“Big Brother…”

“No negotiation.”

Ling Yu was not Tang Wan. Cute pleading didn’t work on him — especially not from another man.

How disgusting!

Ling Chen gritted his teeth. He already knew bargaining with his elder brother was impossible.

“Fine! It’s just New Words, Shuyi Chentong, and the Dynastic History! I’ll go memorize them right now — but you must keep your promise!”

Ling Yu smiled. “Of course.”

(He absolutely would not.)

Three days later, Ling Yu had originally said they would depart after lunch.

Instead, he left early in the morning.

When little Ling Chen came running excitedly to claim his reward, he found nothing but empty rooms.

His elder brother and sister-in-law were gone, the bedding neatly folded.

A letter sat on the desk, addressed to him.

A bad feeling immediately rose in Ling Chen’s heart, but curiosity won out. He opened the letter.

It read:

Since you’ve finished memorizing New Words, Shuyi Chentong, and the Dynastic History, you should properly prepare to take the upcoming Tongsheng Examination instead of tagging along with us. And if you fail… hehe.

Ling Chen: ?

Ling Chen: !

Th-this…

This is outrageous!

He was furious!

Ling Chen burst into loud tears and ran off to Jiang Shi for comfort.

Jiang Shi hugged her pitiful youngest son and sighed, but what she said was:

“You really brought this on yourself. You know you’re not as clever as your big brother — why do you keep provoking him? Do you enjoy suffering?”

“…Are you really my mother?”

Little Ling Chen cried even harder.

—

Ling Yu departed, taking Tang Wan, Ling Yue, and Mu Qingfeng with him.

Along the way, they traveled together with Su Yangyu and Xie Wenjie, who were also heading to take the provincial examination.

As for Su Xi, Ling Yu left him behind in Xiangxi Town to secretly protect Jiang Shi and Ling Chen.

It was Ling Yue’s first time leaving town, and she was unbelievably excited.

“Is Weng City bigger than Xiangxi Town?”

“Are the girls there prettier?”

“Is the Hongyan House business just as good there?”

…

Her questions never stopped.

Ling Yu couldn’t be bothered to respond and simply read his book.

Tang Wan, however, answered seriously and patiently, offering thoughtful explanations to every question.

Ling Yu read quietly while listening to the sisters-in-law chatting, a faint smile lingering on his lips.

One asked endlessly out of curiosity; the other replied earnestly every time.

He suddenly found himself thinking:

If Tang Wan became a mother someday, children would probably adore her.

Whether facing Ling Yue or Ling Chen, she had never shown impatience. No matter how childish or fanciful their questions were, she always answered patiently, treating them like equals.

It was a quality Ling Yu felt he himself lacked.

Just then, their carriage, Treading Snow, came to a stop.

Mu Qingfeng’s voice sounded from outside.

“Brother Ling, there’s a carriage ahead!”

“Hm?”

Tang Wan was the first to lift the curtain and look outside.

At that moment, the curtain of the carriage ahead was also lifted, revealing Yuan Yuan’s breathtakingly beautiful face.

Tang Wan froze for a moment, not yet having time to speak, when an excited voice came from the carriage behind —

Su Yangyu.