Chapter 631

Chapter 638: Deadlock (Part 2)

"Father!" Jin Geer's eyes lit up.

"What are you doing here?" Lord Xu pretended not to know. "It's pouring—what if you fall ill? Come inside at once!" Jin Geer bounced over and took his father's hand, but then his expression darkened. In a low voice, he said, "I... I won’t go in! Mother said unless I apologize to Master Pang, she refuses to see me!" With that, he shook off Lord Xu’s hand and declared loudly, "I won’t go! I’m already confined—why must I apologize to Master Pang? I won’t!"

Lord Xu was already aware of the matter. Though he didn’t wholly approve of Eleven Miss’s method, she had already made her stance clear. If he contradicted her now, whose authority should the child follow?

Still, Jin Geer’s resolute attitude surprised him.

A gust of wind sent the rain slanting, drenching the hems of their robes.

"Explain this matter to me in full," Lord Xu said as he moved toward the shelter of the eaves.

"Mother wants me to apologize to Master Pang," Jin Geer complained to his father, his steps unconsciously following him. "...But I won’t go!" He pressed his lips together stubbornly, though he now stood under the eaves.

"Your mother is not wrong," Lord Xu said casually, using his sleeve to wipe the rain from his son’s face. "If you erred, should you not make amends? Listen to your father—go and apologize to your mother! She must be deeply distressed by your behavior." He only mentioned Jin Geer’s defiance toward his mother, not insisting he apologize to Master Pang alongside her.

Jin Geer’s heart lifted with joy.

So Father also thought he didn’t need to apologize to Master Pang!

Feeling a flicker of triumph, he exclaimed, "Yes!" and happily took Lord Xu’s hand again.

Lord Xu fondly ruffled his son’s hair.

His hand was warm and steady, making Jin Geer feel safe. He couldn’t help but look up and smile at his father.

Seeing his son’s bright, sunny expression return, Lord Xu also smiled—more gently and cheerfully than usual. The door groaned open, breaking the tender spell.

The father and son simultaneously looked up to see Lady Eleven standing at the door with a cold expression.

"Lord Xu is back!" She didn’t even glance at Young Master Jin and instructed the maid, "It’s raining so heavily... bring warm water for Lord Xu to freshen up!" Since Lord Xu had stepped in to help the sixth young master, his lady would naturally defer to him. If the lady let it go, Young Master Jin would have a way out, and the matter would quietly resolve itself.

The maid responded with a crisp "Yes," her voice bright with cheer.

Lord Xu thought the same.

Smiling, he took Young Master Jin’s hand and led him into the hall.

"Lord Xu, wait a moment." Lady Eleven’s voice was neither loud nor soft, even carrying a hint of chill. "I just asked Young Master Jin to accompany me to apologize to Master Pang..." She stood right at the doorway, calmly stating her decision to Lord Xu.

Lord Xu made a show of listening attentively while subtly giving the small, chubby hand in his grasp a gentle squeeze.

Young Master Jin immediately understood.

"Mother!" He looked up at Lady Eleven, his large phoenix eyes clear as water—Lady Eleven could almost see her own reflection in them. "I’ll listen to you. I won’t make you angry again." Just moments ago, he had been lashing out at Zhuxiang, yet Lord Xu’s few words had made him realize his mistake... Or perhaps, because the speaker was different, the effect was different?

Lady Eleven felt slightly caught off guard, but seeing Young Master Jin admit his fault, a faint smile still touched the corners of her eyes. "Good, come with me to apologize to Master Pang!" Young Master Jin’s smile stiffened.

He tilted his head toward Lord Xu, his eyes faintly hopeful.

Lord Xu gave a light cough and said measuredly, "The rain is so heavy..."

The meaning was plain enough!

Lady Eleven seethed.

No wonder Young Master Jin had changed his attitude so quickly—it was because he had Lord Xu’s support.

“My Lord, do you mean that the rain is too heavy, so we should wait until it stops before going? Or do you think there's no need to apologize at all?” She fixed her gaze on Lord Xu, her tone somewhat challenging.

Lord Xu shifted uneasily. He nudged Jin Geer, "Go change your clothes—you're soaked!" The underlying meaning in his father's words was not lost on Jin Geer.

Grinning eagerly, he hastily bowed to his parents and turned to leave.

"Hold it!" Eleven Miss snapped. "Have you understood why I want you to apologize to Master Pang? Since you haven't figured it out at all, you’ll stay here and think about what you did. You can go back to your room only when you've thought it through!"

Jin Geer froze, his proud stance crumbling.

He turned slowly, looking dejectedly at Lord Xu.

Lord Xu blinked in surprise.

In all their years of marriage, this was the first time Eleven Miss had openly opposed his wishes.

He couldn't help but frown slightly and glance around. Only then did he realize that Amber, Zhuxiang, and the others who had been attending to them earlier were nowhere to be seen. The courtyard was eerily quiet, devoid of any voices.

They must’ve slipped away when the argument started!

Lord Xu pondered this and said softly, "Let's discuss this later. First, let Jin Geer go back to change his clothes..." Eleven Miss arched a brow—clearly, he still didn’t get it.

This wasn’t a conversation for little ears. Recalling Jin Geer's earlier excitement, Eleven Miss felt that if she let him leave just like that, he would only grow more reckless in the future.

Weighing both sides, she decided to share her thoughts with Lord Xu.

"My Lord, do you truly believe that because Jin Geer is the young master of the Marquis's household, and since he made a mistake out of childishness—having been scolded and punished—there's no need to apologize to just a martial arts teacher?" Through Fifth Madam's attitude and his handling of Jin Geer, Eleven Miss felt she fully understood Lord Xu's perspective. "But have you carefully considered why I insist on him apologizing?"

Lord Xu hesitated, caught off guard.

Eleven Miss was always so forgiving, and he had thought the same about this matter. Could there be some misunderstanding?

His face hardened.

"At first, I just wanted to teach Jin Geer how to face his mistakes. But gradually, I realized this isn't just about whether or not to apologize anymore." As someone who’d lived twice, no one understood the rigid hierarchy of society better than Eleven Miss. She wasn’t trying to defy society’s rules, nor did she want her child to stand out and be isolated by society. She recounted Jin Geer's behavior to Lord Xu. "...When Jin Geer was born, his older siblings were already grown. You happened to be at home without official duties, and Mother was at the age of doting on grandchildren. He’d been coddled his whole life, hearing only kind words and seeing only pleasant things. But because of this, his temper has grown worse. He’s just six, and already, even I, his mother, can't say anything he doesn't like without him refusing to listen. What will happen when he grows older and it's others speaking to him? I made him stay outside as punishment, yet he stood there stubbornly, unmoved even in wind and rain!"

Eleven Miss’s words tumbled out, her emotions gradually calming.

"Marquis, at home, Jin Geer is the young master of the Xu household. But outside, he is the son of the Yongping Marquis. At home, if he makes a mistake, we as parents, considering him the youngest son who doesn’t bear the responsibilities of the eldest, can forgive minor missteps. His siblings, seeing him as family, might also overlook things. We might even feel extra heartache when he’s punished. But outside? Why would strangers excuse him? Why should they tolerate him, or feel sorry for him?" Here, she softly called out, "Marquis," with a meaningful tone. "Jin Geer is too stubborn. Remember—every inch of land under heaven belongs to the emperor; within the borders, all are the king’s subjects."

Before Eleven Miss had even finished speaking, Lord Xu’s face darkened.

In his eyes, his son was clever, lively, open-hearted, and generous. A little mischief or defiance was just a sign of his spirited and independent nature.

But now...

His gaze fell upon his son.

His dripping hair, his drenched clothes—all reminded him of his son’s obstinacy.

Eleven Miss was right.

Jin Geer’s temperament was too unyielding.

Even if he felt that being punished and still having to apologize to Master Pang was unfair, this was his mother’s word. Yet he refused to yield even slightly, even standing his ground against her... Even a prince couldn’t act entirely as he pleased, let alone the son of a mere marquis.

Sometimes, excessive rigidity leads to vulnerability; extreme strength invites disgrace!

Though Jin Geer didn’t fully understand his mother’s lengthy speech, he could tell she was very angry this time. His father’s silence told him he was in deep trouble.

He couldn't help but call out pleadingly, "Dad," his gaze toward Lord Xu already filled with desperation.

Lord Xu was not an indecisive man.

With a quiet sigh, he made his decision: "Jin Geer, do as your mother says and apologize to Master Pang!"

Things took a sudden turn, leaving Jin Geer staring at his father, stunned.

A commotion at the door broke the heavy silence between them.

All three instinctively turned toward the sound.

Yu Ban held an umbrella while Madam Du supported the elder madam as they entered.

"What is going on here?" The elder madam's brows furrowed sharply as she fixed Eleven Miss with a piercing gaze. "Wasn't Jin Geer supposed to be grounded? With such heavy rain, why are you all standing outside instead of staying inside? And Jin Geer—why is he drenched without anyone attending to him? What if he falls ill from this?" She then turned to Madam Du beside her and ordered, "Hurry and take the Sixth Young Master back to his room! How careless can you be!"

"Grandmother!"

Jin Geer jumped up, his face lit up with joy.

Madam Du quickly responded with a "Yes," not daring to use the covered corridor but instead rushing over directly through the rain.