The next day, Lin Yan arrived bearing lavish gifts, leaving Beigong Du utterly convinced he had come to offer a bribe—or perhaps to propose marriage?
Puzzled, Beigong Du sat in the seat of honor, his gaze sweeping back and forth over Lin Yan without pause. The look made Lin Yan’s skin crawl; that unreadable stare truly had him sitting on pins and needles.
“Marquis Dingguo, I came today to…” Before he could finish, Beigong Du cut him off at once. “I understand why you’ve come. I’ve also seen these generous gifts. However, Yin’er is my treasure. I cannot hand her over to you so easily, even if her reputation is in tatters.”
Huh? What on earth was he talking about? What did he mean, Yin’er is my treasure, I cannot hand her over to you so easily, even if her reputation is in tatters?
Lin Yan was full of questions. After weighing his words again and again, he finally said, “Well… I came to thank Miss Xiao.”
“Oh, you came to… hm? You brought all these things to thank Yin’er?” Beigong Du was stunned, murmuring, “You’re not here to propose marriage?”
This time, it was Lin Yan’s turn to be dumbfounded. He… when had he ever said he wanted to marry Miss Xiao? Besides, he honestly believed he was not worthy of her at all.
“No. At the teahouse, Miss Xiao’s words were like enlightenment poured over my head, like a sharp blow striking me awake. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Miss Xiao has given Lin a second life. Even my father asked me to convey his gratitude to her.”
Lin Yan had completely shed his former dissolute, hooligan ways. From head to toe, he radiated a vigorous spirit, as though he were riding a carriage racing sharply upward.
Beigong Du blinked. So it turned out his own granddaughter had done a good deed? The man had come to praise her?
“Young Master Lin need not be so grateful to me. If you did not already harbor such thoughts deep down, then no matter what I said, it would have been useless. Because you are not beyond saving, I was willing to give you that wake-up blow.”
At some point, Xiao Qianyin had appeared before the two of them. She casually found a seat and sat down, answering with a faint smile.
“Even so, I must thank Miss Xiao for that wake-up blow. Otherwise, how could Lin have awakened from those muddled, wasted days?”
“Very well. I’ll accept these gifts. Consider them your payment to me. May I ask what plans Young Master Lin has now?”
Suddenly, Lin Yan rose to his feet and dropped to his knees before her with a swish, catching both of them completely off guard. “I hope Miss Xiao will accept Lin as her disciple.”
Huh? This time, Xiao Qianyin was thoroughly dumbfounded. Accept him as her disciple? Hey! Was there something wrong with this man’s head? Or had yesterday’s brainwashing been too effective, to the point that he actually wanted to become her disciple?
“Young Master Lin, what do you mean by this? No matter how you look at it, Yin’er hardly has the ability to be your master, does she?”
“No. I have witnessed Miss Xiao’s strength. To become her disciple would be Lin’s honor.”
“Ahem.” She coughed lightly and said, “If Young Master Lin wishes to study, why not choose Lushan Academy? It is the most famous academy among the four kingdoms. Princes, noble scions, and young geniuses from every nation all study there. Would that not be more helpful in your efforts to strive and improve?”