The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

“I see.”

Chu Jinzhou, who had been hoping for Chu Jinnian to stay at home for a few more days, felt a slight dimming in his vibrant eyes, but he quickly regained his usual calmness.

“Brother, your journey will undoubtedly be arduous. If you were to depart in the evening tomorrow, you might have to push on hard, which could be quite exhausting. Why not set off tomorrow morning instead?”

That way, the journey wouldn’t be rushed and exhausting because of time constraints, and he wouldn’t have to worry constantly.

As for keeping him company, Chu Jinzhou felt that an extra half-day wouldn’t make much difference. Maybe when he grew up, he would be able to work with his brother and they could spend time together, taking care of each other.

After all, Mr. Fan was also there.

Upon hearing this, Chu Jinnian couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows in surprise.

“I don’t quite understand, are you urging for me to leave early because you’re worried about me exhausting myself on the journey or are you afraid that my presence will hinder you from enjoying outings with Mr. Fan?”

“Brother!”

Chu Jinzhou stomped his foot, “Such good intentions to worry about you, yet you make it seem so complicated. Perhaps I should just adopt a ‘hear no evil, see no evil’ attitude towards you in the future?”

“Indeed, what the eldest brother said is truly hurtful.”

Fan Wenxuan also echoed, regaining some dignity for his timid self from the night before.

Chu Jinnian glanced at Fan Wenxuan and then gently patted Chu Jinzhou’s head, laughing, “It’s my misunderstanding. I know your concern for me. If that’s the case, then I’ll follow your suggestion.”

“I’ll reach Shouchun earlier, handle the matters there sooner, and see if I can free up some time so I can take you to the mountains for a couple of days.”

“I heard the spring in Cuiwei Mountain is clear, sweet, and very famous. Additionally, the scenery is exquisite, definitely worth a visit. In about a month, the weather will start to get hot. It would be an excellent opportunity to take refuge from the heat in the mountains.”

“That’s a good idea.” Fan Wenxuan’s eyes brightened.

This scholar of his, besides indulging in food and drink, farming, has a well-known hobby—mountain-climbing and sightseeing.

The idea of going to Cuiwei Mountain raised by Chu Jinnian was in complete accord with Fan Wenxuan’s preference.

Chu Jinzhou, who had been staying at Qingzhuyuan for some time and hardly went out, was also enthusiastic about this proposal and excitedly nodded his head, “Okay, deal.”

“Deal.” Chu Jinnian placed a thin slice of ham onto Chu Jinzhou’s plate.

This Jinhua ham was fragrant and delicious, further complemented by the fresh scent of the celery and the rich, robust flavor of dried tofu. It tasted exceptionally good.

“Eldest Master, please allow me to be blunt. Arc you planning this trip to the mountains to please the Third Young Master, or to please me?”

After dinner, having assigned Chu Jinzhou his homework, Fan Wenxuan found a moment of leisure and went to Chu Jinnian’s study, casually taking a seat across from him.

In the wide-mouthed celadon vase next to them, a few green lotus leaves and several lotus buds were arranged.

The lotus buds were about to bloom, their petals glistening with dewdrops, which made them look very attractive.

Fan Wenxuan stretched out his hand to play with the petals, and quirked the corner of his mouth, “The lotus rises out of the mud yet remains unstained, much like the Eldest Master himself, incomprehensible and unpredictable.”

With that, Fan Wenxuan turned to Chu Jinnian with a smile.

Chu Jinnian put down the brush in his hand and also looked towards Fan Wenxuan.

Chu Jinnian’s gaze was as cold as a sword, chilling to the bone, which straightened up Fan Wenxuan involuntarily.

“The Eldest Master, always like this, is probably not too beneficial…”

“Since you know my character, there’s no need to ask these meaningless questions.”

Chu Jinnian added, “Mr. Fan’s situation in the capital city has not been fully resolved yet. If we were to talk about pleasing someone, you should be the one trying to please me.”

Touched upon his sore spot, Fan Wenxuan subconsciously touched his nose.

What Chu Jinnian said was correct. If the situation were reversed, he should be the one trying to please Chu Jinnian.

He had a carefree nature and usually carried a lofty air, which drew the disdain of many nobles and officials. As a result, no one was willing to help him when he got into trouble.

Only Chu Jinnian was willing to go to the trouble of handling the matter. In exchange, Fan Wenxuan agreed to come to Qingzhuyuan to tutor Chu Jinzhou.

This incident had caused a lot of annoyance for Fan Wenxuan, so naturally, he agreed readily and set off the next day.

So, Chu Jinnian did him a great favor, and there was no reason for him to deliberately please Chu Jinnian.

In conclusion, the act of pleasing was just to make Chu Jinzhou happy. If he were joyful, Chu Jinzhou would be ecstatic, and then Chu Jinnian would be willing to make the effort.

Indeed, as the madly affectionate elder brother, Chu Jinnian truly lived up to that title.

“Ahem, let’s not talk about this matter for now…”

Fan Wenxuan lightly coughed twice and changed the topic, “Actually, about the Eldest Master’s upcoming trip to Shouchun, the Eldest Master must be very careful.”

“Oh?” Chu Jinnian raised his eyebrows lightly, “I would like to hear Mr. Fan’s insights.”

“Well, it’s not so much an insight but a piece of information. Years ago, I had many students, one of whom was Xia Xiujie, the son of the former Magistrate of Shouguang.”

“Xia Xiujie and I had a very close relationship and we used to confide in each other. He once told me that when his father died while in office, there were some suspicious circumstances, and he suspected it to be a case of clandestine assassination. However, due to the hot weather back then, the body couldn’t be transported back and had to be cremated on the spot. Only the ashes were sent back home. Without any evidence, they had no way to investigate further and had to let the matter rest..”