Chapter Nine: A Renowned Scholar's Lecture?

Qingshui City, Fuyuan Residential Complex.

A well-dressed middle-aged man was dragging a woman in her fifties, who wore a look of sheer reluctance as she was pulled out of the complex.

Fortunately, the security guards at the gate seemed familiar with the couple and didn’t intervene in the man’s actions.

“Luo Song! Are you afraid of that boy?” Li Tong shook off the hand gripping her, berating her husband in a loud voice. “If you’re going to cower, I’m not! I’m not afraid of him!”

“Fine! Why don’t you go then? Go and fight him to the bitter end!” Even Luo Song, a man usually known for his composure, lost his temper. How could he not know his own wife’s temperament? If she hadn’t truly been frightened by that boy, he doubted he could have dragged her out in the first place.

“So we’re just letting this go?” Stung by his words, Li Tong’s resolve flickered—she wanted to return, but the memory of what had just happened made her tone soften.

“Let it go? How could I!” Recalling the scene, Luo Song was furious. True, he’d retreated in the end due to his own misgivings, but to lose face in front of a mere teenager—how could he not want to regain his pride?

“This time I acted rashly and didn’t have all the facts,” Luo Song admitted, realizing that his judgment had been clouded by greed. Calculating for his cousin’s inheritance before the ashes were even cold—he’d been too hasty.

But who could resist such temptation?

“When we get back, have those two keep an eye on this place. I want to see who else those siblings can turn to for help.”

His gaze burned as he looked back at Fuyuan Residential Complex—this was where the wealthy lived. And one day, it would be his home as well.

“You mean—” Li Tong finally caught on, but she truly couldn’t imagine anyone who would come to the aid of those two siblings, who seemed to have reached the end of the road.

“That’s enough. Let’s go home and wait. If that boy dares deceive me…”

What happened outside the gates was unknown to Luo Chen, nor did he expect that the couple he’d just driven out would quickly be hatching a new plan.

Yet even if he’d known, he hardly had the energy to care at the moment.

He was busy playing a staring contest with the girl in front of him.

“Is something wrong, Tianyi?” After a few moments of silent confrontation, Luo Chen gave in first—he was, after all, an imposter, with no confidence to hold his ground.

“Hmm? There’s nothing wrong, is there?” Luo Tianyi seemed only then to realize what was going on, tilting her head in confusion as she looked at her brother.

Luo Chen breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she might have seen through him. Her gentle, clear voice sounded softly in his ear.

Could she be… naturally airheaded?

Before he could ponder further, the girl across from him suddenly became serious again.

“Are you really going to sell the apartment, Luo Chen?” With her chopsticks in hand, Luo Tianyi poked at her bowl, her spirits low. Like many teenagers, she called her brother by his name when upset, rather than “Brother.”

“Don’t worry. We’re not selling the apartment.” Luo Chen looked at his little sister, heart aching. The cheerful, food-loving Tianyi from his memories had vanished, replaced in just a few days by a girl burdened with worries beyond her years.

“But, but…” At the prospect of not having to sell their home, Tianyi’s head shot up, her bright eyes sparkling with excitement. Then, as if recalling something, her mood dimmed again.

“I’ll find a way to deal with the debt,” Luo Chen reassured her sincerely, trying to comfort her unease.

“Mm, I’ll do my best too.” Tianyi clenched her small hands on the table, her face brightening.

“Let’s eat first,” Luo Chen said. He wanted to tell her not to worry about working hard, but seeing her so determined, he couldn’t bring himself to say more.

Tianyi, somewhat revived, picked up a bit of vegetable with her chopsticks and chewed thoughtfully. After a few bites, she put her chopsticks down and continued to watch Luo Chen, her delicate features conflicted, as if she wanted to speak but held back.

Naturally, Luo Chen had cooked the meal. During his three years at university, he’d rented an apartment and learned to cook for convenience. As for the taste? At least it was edible—by his standards.

Looking at his sister, who was staring at him instead of eating, Luo Chen sighed. He’d known it wouldn’t be easy to persuade her. After all, to raise 150,000 yuan in just over twenty days was simply impossible for them.

“Trust me. Once you finish eating, I’ll tell you everything,” Luo Chen said after a moment’s thought. If he ignored it, she might do something foolish to help, and if she were deceived, he’d regret it forever.

“Really? You can’t lie to me!” Tianyi’s bright eyes sparkled. Without another word, she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat.

Once his sister was settled, Luo Chen idly took a bite of greens himself. After a couple of chews, his expression turned odd, and he quietly set his chopsticks down.

“It seems my skills have deteriorated,” he muttered. He realized he’d overestimated himself; not having cooked in a long time, his abilities had slipped from barely passable to nearly inedible.

He looked helplessly at the girl in front of him, who was dutifully eating this poisonous fare with a blank face. Gently, he caught her hand as she reached for another bite.

“If it’s bad, just say so. Your brother isn’t that fragile.”

“I just didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” Tianyi replied, sticking out her tongue in embarrassment as she put her chopsticks down. After a moment’s thought, she added, “And you can’t go back on your word about what you just promised.”

Since the food was this bad, Luo Chen didn’t bother eating any more—takeout would have to do later.

Looking at the lethal meal on the table, Luo Chen suddenly thought, If only Yanhe were here.

Startled by this stray thought, he wondered: Who was Yanhe? Did he know someone by that name? There seemed to be a vague image in his mind, but he chided himself—running to a girl for help whenever trouble arose was hardly a solution.

Shaking off these odd musings, Luo Chen led his curious sister into his room and had her sit in his chair.

He opened the website he’d left unfinished earlier; the video had already been uploaded.

They searched for and played the video, sitting side by side. Since it had just been posted, there weren’t many viewers yet, but despite the lack of live comments, the quality of the video alone was enough to make any audience burst into laughter.

The video began. As the narrator spoke, two lines of text slowly appeared on the screen:

A Master Teacher’s Lecture

How to Make Your Child Love Learning

At this, Luo Tianyi glanced curiously at her brother. Luo Chen kept his expression calm and gave her a reassuring look.