Chapter 96

The insect was a bit confused, not knowing why this person was acting this way. They seemed to be strangers, and he couldn’t understand why this person was being so kind to him upon their first meeting.

Yu Qing, who had just received the copy of the slave contract, clearly felt something was off and questioned, "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Zhou Xinyuan replied, "If you can't handle it, let someone from the Zhong family take care of it. It's just about giving her freedom; it won't cost you much."

Yu Qing wasn't asking about this. He had no intention of keeping the insect, and he didn't care whether she was free or not. The problem was that he didn't understand what this young master uncle was up to with this sudden whim.

However, some things were not appropriate to ask in front of the insect. He hesitated for a moment and then simply said, "Hmm," to indicate that he understood.

Zhou Xinyuan then said to the insect, "How about it, calling me 'Master' now wouldn't be too much, right?"

The insect was trembling, at a loss, and didn't know how to respond. She kept glancing at Yu Qing's expression.

This was easy to handle. Zhou Xinyuan smiled slightly and turned to Yu Qing, "She doesn't know. Come, teach her how to perform the apprenticeship ceremony, something simple will do."

Yu Qing, caught between laughter and tears, said, "Are you serious?"

Zhou Xinyuan frowned, "Why are you so fussy?"

Fine, Yu Qing helplessly instructed, "Insect, since this person is being kind, you won't lose anything. It's better than being a servant to Xu Bo for life. At least this gives you a way out. Just bow three times, offer a cup of tea, and call him 'Master.'"

The insect didn't dare to presume too much. Under Yu Qing's repeated nods and Zhou Xinyuan's encouraging gaze, she finally knelt before Zhou Xinyuan, nervously bowed three times, and when she looked up, she saw that Yu Qing had already handed her a cup of tea, gesturing for her to offer it to Zhou Xinyuan.

The insect naturally followed the instructions, holding the tea with both hands and timidly said, "Master, please have your tea!"

Zhou Xinyuan glanced at the table and saw that it was the same tea the insect had prepared earlier, which he had refused to drink. He turned to look at Yu Qing, who had his arms crossed and was looking at the ceiling.

His Adam's apple moved, and Zhou Xinyuan reached out to take the tea, sipping it as if it were poison, then handed the teacup back, "You can stand up now."

The insect quickly took the teacup and stood up, obediently placing it back on the table.

Smack! Zhou Xinyuan suddenly slapped Yu Qing's buttocks, making Yu Qing jump and shout, "What are you doing?"

Zhou Xinyuan pointed at the insect, "From today, she is your junior. You can't bully her anymore."

The insect lowered her head, her large eyes flickering with uncertainty.

"Junior, junior!" Yu Qing almost shouted, grabbing someone's ear. Calling a man a junior, did he want to disgust him?

Zhou Xinyuan opened his fan and waved it, "Fine, junior it is. Whatever makes you happy. I can't stay here long, I'm leaving now."

Yu Qing immediately said, "Master, where are you staying? Give me an address so I can contact you if needed."

Zhou Xinyuan didn't say where he was staying. He reached into his robe and took out a small bell, no bigger than a bean, from his waistband. He handed it to Yu Qing, "You know how to use it. I'll be in the capital for a few more days, and within the city limits, you can contact me anytime."

Yu Qing's face lit up when he took the bell. He recognized it as a replica of the bells on the Linglong Tower, a small bell he hadn't seen for many years. He remembered seeing his great master uncle use it when he was a child. Now, seeing this item, he was sure that his young master uncle's listening range had reached a new level.

He removed the cotton from inside the bell and shook it, hearing a clear and pleasant "ding ling" sound. The sound wasn't loud, but it was very resonant.

"You need to get things done quickly. She is currently a servant of 'Asheng.' It's better to help her get rid of her slave status now. If you delay, you'll be seen as a heartless 'Asheng.'" Zhou Xinyuan left with a meaningful warning, tapping the insect's shoulder with his fan, "Insect, aren't you going to see your master off? Don't worry about his face; he will be your senior from now on."

The insect nodded obediently but didn't dare to take the cheap offer. She just followed him out.

Yu Qing also understood the deeper meaning in his young master uncle's words. The owner of the insect's slave status was the real Asheng. Some things he could do now, he might not be able to do later. He immediately put the bell away and followed them out. After parting ways, he quickly found Li the steward, who was discussing matters with the household managers.

"Son-in-law." The managers all bowed.

The title made Yu Qing's teeth hurt, but he had to endure it for now. He called Li the steward aside to talk.

Understanding his purpose, Li the steward was surprised, "Looking for Mr. Ming?"

Yu Qing: "Yes, I must thank him in person. Please help me find him, Uncle Li."

Li the steward waved his hand, "No, Mr. Ming has already left. The Zhong family also wanted to thank him, but the Liu family, where Mr. Ming taught, said that he submitted his resignation yesterday and left the capital, saying he was going back to his hometown to serve his mother and planned to take the imperial examination again in three years."

"Left?" Yu Qing was shocked, "When did he leave?"

Li the steward: "Yesterday evening."

Yu Qing: "Where is his home?"

Li the steward: "He is from Zhaozhou."

"Zhaozhou..." Yu Qing thought about the direction to Zhaozhou and asked, "Did he leave on horseback or in a carriage?"

Li the steward hesitated, "Are you planning to chase after him?"

Yu Qing: "No, just asking. I want to calculate when he will arrive home to be at ease."

"You are a man who values old friendships." Li the steward nodded and stroked his beard, approvingly. After a moment's thought, he said, "The Liu family didn't say how he left, but given his physical condition, he probably can't withstand the jolts of a horse ride. Walking is unlikely, and he can afford a carriage, so he probably left by carriage."

Yu Qing felt more confident and handed over the copy of the insect's slave contract, "Uncle Li, please help me cancel the slave status. Find someone who can handle this and come with me."

Li the steward took it and was surprised, "It just fell under your name today, and you want to cancel it today?"

Yu Qing: "It was given to me by that Xu today."

"Since it was a kind gesture..."

"Uncle Li, I actually wanted her. The insect took care of me on the way to the capital, and I promised to help her get rid of her slave status once we arrived."

"Oh, so she has done you a favor. This is easy to handle, I'll arrange it right away."

Yu Qing let him arrange it and was about to return to the East Courtyard when Li the steward stopped him, "Son-in-law, there's something I want to ask."

Yu Qing: "What is it?"

Li the steward: "Was the guest in the East Courtyard surnamed Bai?"

Surnamed Bai? Yu Qing was taken aback. He didn't know if his young master uncle used his real name in the world, so he didn't want to reveal anything and vaguely said, "Why do you ask?"

Li the steward: "Is his name Bai Cangshui?"

Bai Cangshui? Yu Qing tried to ask, "How do you know?"

That's it, Li the steward immediately felt a headache, "How did you come to know such a person, and when did you meet him?"

Yu Qing was puzzled, "I met him on the way to the capital. Is there a problem with that?"

Li the steward seemed relieved, "It's good that you just met. Really, son-in-law, it's best to keep your distance from such people and not get too close, or it will damage your reputation."

Yu Qing was skeptical, "It can't be that bad, can it? From the way you talk, do you know him? Is he some kind of heinous criminal?"

Li the steward: "Not exactly a heinous criminal, and I don't know him personally, but Du Fei has seen him. In Yanzhou, there is a female tycoon named Zhao Hongshang, and Bai Cangshui is her kept man, in other words, a man who lives off her. Given your current status, how can you associate with such people? After you passed the imperial examination, he came to visit, and his intentions are probably not pure."

Kept man? Yu Qing was shocked but then found it amusing. With his young master uncle's abilities, would he need to live off someone else? The names were different, so it might be a case of mistaken identity. He didn't want to reveal his young master uncle's true identity, so he just said, "Alright, I'll keep that in mind."

After that, he asked Li the steward to arrange for someone to wait for him at the gate and returned to the East Courtyard.

When he got back, he found that the insect had already returned and was tidying up the tea set on the table.

Seeing him return, the insect immediately stood up and bowed, looking very restrained. She had stopped crying but didn't have the "junior" awareness.

Their relationship seemed to have become more distant than before, and the scene of her happily running over to call him "Master Asheng" was no longer there.

Yu Qing casually waved his hand, not interrupting her work, and went straight to his study. He closed the door and took out the small bell, shaking it in his hand.

After shaking it for a while, he finally heard a low voice, his young master uncle's voice, "That's not for you to play with."

Yu Qing immediately said to the air, "Master, I found out where Mr. Ming went. He seems to have returned home... I'll tell you the direction and time Li the steward mentioned. He left yesterday evening, so by now, the carriage shouldn't have gone too far."

His young master uncle's voice, "Then why are you hesitating? Go after him."

Yu Qing: "Master, I can't do that. The Zhong family treats me like a treasure now, and wherever I go, at least two guards follow me. Also, if Asheng's enemies are paying attention, they might already know about me. It wouldn't be convenient for me to run around outside the city!"

There was silence for a moment before his young master uncle's voice came again, "I understand. I'll take care of it. Also, I'll say this again, don't bully my disciple!"

Yu Qing was speechless. It was as if it were real. The Linglong Temple had always been very selective and strict about taking disciples. When did it become so casual? But thinking it was just a nominal disciple, he didn't want to argue, "Alright, I understand. By the way, Master, what name do you use in the world?"

The voice replied, "It's none of your business. Take care of your own affairs."

The voice disappeared, and despite Yu Qing calling out several times, there was no response. He left the study and met the insect, who had just finished washing the tea set and was bringing it back. He deliberately stepped forward and blocked her path.

The insect bowed humbly, "Master."

Yu Qing, with a stern face, said, "You can't take that lightly, you're my junior now."

The insect blushed in embarrassment, not understanding the relationship between these two people, and quickly shook her head, "I will follow Master's instructions."

Yu Qing: "Who will do the odd jobs from now on?"