Chapter Seven, The Licentious Gao Residence

Observing Gao Huaiyuan's respectful yet distant demeanor towards him, Gao Jian felt that continuing the conversation was pointless. Over a decade of indifference had created a vast chasm between him and this son. Bridging it would certainly not be an overnight task. It seems that if he truly wishes to understand what this child is thinking, it will have to wait for another time

Gao Huaiyuan discerned Gao Jian's intentions from his eyes, understanding that Gao Jian wished to compensate for his shortcomings with material possessions. As for the depth of his familial affection, who could say? For the soul of Huang Tao, which dominated this body, he was inherently a stubborn individual. At this moment, Gao Jian's words, in his view, did not reflect paternal love; rather, they resembled a form of pity or charity. Although he currently possessed nothing, he did not wish to receive anything from Gao Jian at this time.

He nodded and said, "In that case, you may return. There are still some vacant rooms in the West Garden. If you wish, feel free to move over with Liu'er!"

Gao Jian watched Gao Huaiyuan's departing figure, feeling suddenly confused. This foolish boy had unexpectedly become someone who understood things. He did not know whether this was a good or bad thing for the Gao family. How should he face this situation? Gao Jian was also at a loss.

A maid was carefully picking up the broken porcelain pieces from the ground while softly advising, "Why should the Fourth Lady stoop to the level of a fool? No matter how formidable he may seem, he was once a fool, and merely a child at that. In the future, the lady will have plenty of opportunities to deal with him. Getting angry now will only harm your health, which is not worth it! I kindly ask the lady to calm down!"

Thank you for your kindness, Father. I do not feel that I need anything at the moment. If I must say something, it is that Liu'er is my savior. I only wish that in the future, Liu'er will no longer be subjected to the humiliation of others as she was before. If possible, I would like to request that you allow me to live a somewhat freer life, to go out and see the world beyond the Gao residence. That would be enough to satisfy me.

Gao Huailiang, with a playful grin, reached out his hand to Li's chest, gently kneading it as he laughed, "I thought it was something serious! Isn't it just because of that foolish boy? Why are you getting angry over this? It's just a fool who has just regained a bit of consciousness. I'll find an opportunity to help you vent your anger later. At worst, we can come up with a way to send this fellow back to his hometown, so you won't have to see him and feel troubled!"

The maid, with her fair complexion and a hint of red, quickly cast a glance at him, then tidied up the broken porcelain pieces and left the room

Gao Huaiyuan let out a cold laugh in his heart and replied with his head lowered, "Thank you, Father, for your kind intentions. I have already grown accustomed to my current residence; it is quite peaceful there. I would prefer to continue living in my original place. I take my leave now." After saying this, Gao Huaiyuan bowed to Gao Jian and then turned around, leaving the hall without looking back, heading towards his dilapidated courtyard in the back.

Liu Er's eyes involuntarily became moist again, and Gao Huaiyuan felt a pang in his heart as he reached out to gently wipe away the tears at the corner of Liu Er's eyes

After listening to the maid's consolation, Li sat on the bed, suppressing her sobs. She angrily tore at a silk handkerchief in her hand and huffed, "What do you know? Today, I was utterly humiliated, being mocked by a fool. How am I supposed to live in this Gao family from now on? Zhang and the others are all watching me make a fool of myself. If I can't deal with this foolish boy, then I might as well forget about holding my head high in this Gao residence in the future"

When he returned to the courtyard, Liu Er greeted him with a joyful expression and deeply bowed, saying: "Liu Er thanks the young master for supporting her!"

Moreover, Gao Huaiyuan was well aware that he had already made enemies at the Gao residence and that he was likely to become a target for many. The man before him was his only support, and even for the sake of self-preservation, he needed to maintain a good relationship with this elder for the time being. Thus, he fabricated a story and replied: "This child is also unclear about what exactly happened; he only remembers the past as if it were a foggy haze, with everything being muddled. Suddenly, he felt a strong shock, and then began to understand much more clearly, as if a skylight had opened in his heart, gradually no longer being as confused as before! The reason this child can stand here and speak with his father today is probably thanks to Liu'er. If it weren't for her careful care over these past few days, I might have already left this world!"

Hearing Gao Huaiyuan mention Liu'er again, Gao Jian couldn't help but blush. As for that little girl, he himself had not spared her from beatings and scoldings. Whenever Gao Huaiyuan got into trouble, he would vent his anger on Liu'er. After Gao Huaiyuan was struck by lightning, he had even kicked Liu'er a few times. Unexpectedly, it was precisely this little girl who saved his son. Gao Jian felt a sense of guilt towards Liu'er as well.

Li was playfully touched by Gao Huailiang, and her expression gradually softened. She began to breathe a little heavier, her body leaning softly against Gao Huailiang, her eyes revealing a hint of allure. Then, she suddenly pressed down on the hand that Gao Huailiang had slipped into her collar, and coquettishly said to him: "You said this yourself; if you can't take revenge for me, just see if I let you touch me again in the future! And that little vixen next to the foolish boy, you must deal with her as well. Otherwise, don't come looking for me in the future!"

Gao Huailiang, with a mischievous grin, embraced Li Shi and fell onto the bed, reaching to tear at the ribbon around her waist. Leaning over her, he whispered softly, "Don't worry! Others may not touch that foolish boy, but can I not? Come, let me take care of you..."

While speaking, a voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Is the young lady still angry about that fool's matter?"

Li originally came from a brothel and possessed a certain degree of beauty. A few years ago, she was taken into Gao Jian's household as a concubine. However, Gao Jian found himself unable to satisfy her desires, as he cherished her but, due to health issues over the past two years, could go without intimate relations for ten days to half a month. Accustomed to the comings and goings of lovers, how could Li endure such loneliness? Thus, she became involved with Gao Jian's son, leading to an illicit and chaotic relationship.

Li's face darkened as he forcefully opened the hand that lightly pressed against his chest, yet he did not break free from the embrace. With a cold snort, he said, "Don't touch me! I'm already annoyed. Today, it wasn't even your mother who first took the lead to provoke me; otherwise, how could I have endured such humiliation?"

Thank you, Father, for your support. This is already enough for me, and I have no other requests for the time being. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave now! Gao Huaiyuan expressed his gratitude to Gao Jian with a bow.

In his view, Gao Huaiyuan was once a foolish young man, completely unaware of material needs, which is why he could not make any demands. However, once he learns more about the world, he will naturally begin to seek material things for himself. Thus, he nodded and made an effort to display a kind smile as he said to Gao Huaiyuan: "If this is all you require, then I can fulfill it. Liu'er has indeed shown you kindness, and your ability to express gratitude indicates that you are a person who knows right from wrong, which is very good! Rest assured, I will impose restrictions on the people in the residence to ensure that neither you nor Liu'er will suffer any more grievances. If you wish to go out for a stroll, that is also fine; there are many things in this world that you have yet to see, so it would be good for you to go out and take a look! I will arrange for someone to accompany you. Besides that, do you have any other requests?"

Gao Huailiang is undoubtedly a scoundrel, a typical young dandy. His academic performance is mediocre, yet he has developed a habit of flirting since childhood. Upon seeing the young and beautiful Li, he has long been drooling with desire. Coincidentally, Li is also lonely and restless, so he took the opportunity to engage in that kind of disgraceful affair with her, actually putting a green hat on his own father. However, their actions were relatively discreet, and with the maid Lan'er providing cover for them, they have managed to avoid detection until now.

It was indeed Gao Huailiang, the eldest son of the Gao family. Gao Huailiang, with a flirtatious demeanor, reached out to touch the rosy face of the maid, then brought his fingers to his nose to sniff, teasingly saying: "Lan'er, you smell delightful today! Hehe!"

Gao Huaiyuan strode through the Gao residence, where the people regarded him with strange looks. Some maids and servants whispered among themselves, while a few household attendants actively displayed flattering smiles towards him. Gao Huaiyuan chose to ignore them and walked proudly towards the dilapidated courtyard where he resided

Then a young man dressed in a scholarly robe stepped into the Li family's room. The maid quickly approached and greeted him, saying: "I have seen the young master. The lady is indeed still angry about this! You should hurry and persuade her!"

Soon, the room was filled with the sounds of heavy breathing and the collision of bodies. Outside the door, the young Lan's face flushed slightly; she was naturally aware of such matters. Moreover, she had already been taken by that lecherous young master and was familiar with the sensations involved. Consequently, a certain part of her body began to feel damp. However, at that moment, she did not dare to be careless and quickly looked around nervously, fearing that someone might burst in.

Observing Gao Huaiyuan's calm demeanor, Gao Jian felt that this young man had become even more enigmatic after his transformation, making it difficult for him to see through him. If it were someone like He Tusheng, he would surely be overjoyed at the prospect of receiving what he had promised. However, Gao Huaiyuan had not made any requests, which left Gao Jian perplexed. Nevertheless, Gao Jian ultimately found a suitable reason to explain Gao Huaiyuan's behavior.

Gao Huailiang glanced outside the door, then with a playful grin, he approached Li Shi, wrapping his arm around her slender waist. He laughed and said, "That old fellow is busy with matters at the yamen and has gone out. I came to check on the young mistress; who could possibly say anything?" As he spoke, his other hand stealthily reached up to Li Shi's bosom and gave it a squeeze.

Gao Huaiyuan quickly helped Liu'er up and, looking at her emaciated face, gently said: "I have said that no one will ever bully you again; I will definitely keep my word!"

A sound of porcelain shattering echoed from the east courtyard, followed by the wailing of a woman. A woman cried out, "Damn fool, how could I possibly fall into his hands today? I will never let him go!"

Li saw Gao Huailiang running to her residence at that moment, so she cast him a glance, her face filled with grievance, and said: "Why did you come over now? If your father finds out about our situation, he might just beat us to death!"

After pondering for a moment, he feigned generosity and said: "Very well! This may indeed be your fortune! It is likely that a lightning strike on some day has brought you back to life. Since that is the case, I also realize that I did not care for you enough in the past. Now, whatever you need, just say the word. As long as it is within my capabilities, I will do my utmost to make it up to you!"

Gao Huaiyuan looked at the hypocritical smile on Gao Jian's face and couldn't help but feel a wave of nausea. He felt no sense of closeness towards this hypocritical father; he only wanted to leave this detestable place as soon as possible, never wanting to see Gao Jian or anyone else in the household, except for Liu'er, again.