Chapter 638

Chapter 646: Intimacy and Distance (Part 2)

"Ask Fifth Uncle Xu?" Xu Sijie looked troubled. "But if we investigate these past matters behind Father’s back... I doubt Fifth Uncle would help us." In his memory, Fifth Uncle had always been rather cold toward him. He had no certainty Fifth Uncle would agree. However, Fifth Uncle was always amiable toward Fourth Brother. Perhaps if Fourth Brother asked, the response might be different...

As he pondered, Xu Sizhun chuckled, "Of course we can’t ask directly. We need an excuse! Let’s say we happened to hear that Liu Huifang and Liu Kui were father and son, and ask Fifth Uncle to tell us about the past." The more he spoke, the more certain he grew of this approach. "Fifth Uncle loves sharing anecdotes like this. If we press him carefully, we’re bound to uncover something!" With that, he pulled Xu Sijie along toward Fifth Aunt’s quarters. "Just trust me on this!"

Xu Sijie hesitated briefly before following Xu Sizhun.

Xu Lingkuan wasn’t home.

"What do you need him for?" Fifth Aunt had the maids bring them seasonal persimmons and oranges. "He won’t be back until around 5-7 PM."

The two were disappointed.

"We heard Third Uncle is inviting the Deyin Troupe to perform for our new niece’s celebration, so we came to ask Fifth Uncle which plays they’ll perform." After exchanging a few pleasantries with Fifth Aunt, Xu Sizhun stood to leave.

As they passed the back door of the main house, two young maids with unbound hair sat on the steps playing string figures.

"How about we visit Mother for a while?" Xu Sizhun suggested. "We can return to Fifth Aunt’s place in the early evening."

But Xu Sijie felt a strange reluctance, like approaching something deeply personal.

Gazing at the lush green branches stretching over the pink wall, he suddenly pictured Eleven Miss’s smiling eyes and seemed to hear her gentle voice calling, "Jie Geer, slow down..." His eyes grew shadowed with bitterness.

He shook his head softly. "Let’s just wait in our rooms." His shoulders slumped, he walked past the back door.

The two maids quickly stood and greeted, "Fourth Young Master! Fifth Young Master!"

Xu Sijie, so absorbed in his thoughts, didn’t notice.

Xu Sizhun smiled and nodded at them before hurrying after Xu Sijie.

"Honestly, I don’t think you should dwell on this at all." Xu Sizhun had witnessed Xu Sijie’s torment and inner conflict these past days, and his sympathy for his younger brother had deepened. "In the eyes of the world, you are the fifth young master of the Yongping Marquis’s household. If Father doesn’t question it, and Mother doesn’t question it, who else has the right? Whatever others whisper is just malicious gossip..."

"I know," Xu Sijie interrupted, he said despondently. "But I can’t shake this unease... The nicer everyone is to me, the worse I feel..."

Xu Sizhun’s expression abruptly changed. He halted mid-step, standing frozen.

Noticing his absence, Xu Sijie turned back. "What’s wrong—" His voice trailed off as he saw Xu Sizhun’s pale face.

Had something happened? Had his rude interruption angered Fourth Brother? Or had he accidentally said something offensive?

The thought flashed through his mind, but he pushed the thought away immediately.

Fourth Brother wasn’t so petty.

If anything, it was him—ever since doubting his own identity, he’d become overly suspicious...

"Fourth Brother!" He tugged at Xu Sizhun’s sleeve in remorse.

As if struck by lightning, Xu Sizhun shuddered, then grabbed Xu Sijie’s hand and sprinted toward the outer courtyard.

"Fourth Brother!" Xu Sijie was stunned.

"Don’t say anything," Xu Sizhun snapped, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "We need to get back to Tranquil Study now."

His urgency silenced Xu Sijie, who followed him in a hurried dash back.

Ignoring the maids and servant women bowing to them, Xu Sizhun shouted for Wang Shu, whispered something in his ear, then slammed the door shut with a sharp "bang."

"Brother, what’s going on?" Xu Sijie asked in confusion.

"Nothing, nothing!" Xu Sizhun replied, his eyes darting nervously as he recalled his own thoughts. "Let’s just stay in here." He then handed Xu Sijie a book. "Here, read this." But he himself paced the room anxiously, clearly agitated.

Under such circumstances, Xu Sijie couldn’t focus on reading. He asked several times, but Xu Sizhun only told him to wait. Left with no choice, he propped his chin on his hand and watched his brother circle the room.

After about fifteen minutes, Wang Shu knocked on the door.

Xu Sizhun left Xu Sijie behind and hurried out.

Soon, he returned.

Xu Sijie immediately stood up. "Wh-what’s wrong...?" A bad feeling twisted in his gut.

"Fifth Brother," Xu Sizhun’s lips trembled, "if even we could dig this up... back when Father was fighting in the northwest... how could he not have known himself? Father is the Yongping Marquis—who could’ve screwed him over? And after all these years, he never pursued it... It must have been voluntary... They say Fifth Uncle once funded an opera troupe and even learned to sing... Afterward, everyone who knew about the Liu family’s past disappeared..." He had suddenly remembered an incident from his childhood when their grandmother had scolded Fifth Uncle for hiring an opera troupe. The troupe’s lead actress had supposedly been surnamed Liu. He had sent Wang Shu to ask the older servants and confirmed that the actress was indeed Liu Huifang. Xu Sizhun’s voice quivered, his words tumbling out, but Xu Sijie understood.

His face went pale, mirroring Xu Sizhun’s.

The brothers’ gazes simultaneously turned toward where Fifth Aunt lived.

No way.

That’s impossible.

How could he possibly be Fifth Uncle’s son?

No. If he wasn’t Father’s son, then he must have been adopted to please Aunt Tong. How could he be Fifth Uncle’s child?

He thought of that rare softness in Father’s gaze when wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, of Father’s pride when he saw him writing neatly... Then he remembered how that man ignored him during holiday feasts, how coldly he treated him when they crossed paths...

"You must be wrong!" Xu Sijie clutched Xu Sizhun’s arm tightly. "Send Wang Shu to ask again. There must be a mistake! There must be..."

Xu Sizhun said nothing, silently watching him, his eyes full of pity, burning with some inner fire.

Xu Sijie’s eyes turned red. He threw open the door and stumbled outside. "I’ll go ask... I’ll go ask..."

A maid who couldn’t get out of the way was knocked to the ground by Xu Sijie, but his steps only quickened.

Shit!

If he kept this up, the whole house would find out.

What would he say if Father questioned him?

"Fifth Brother!" Xu Sizhun’s face paled. Not wasting a second, he chased after him, shouting to Wang Shu outside the door, "Stop him!" Wang Shu loudly acknowledged and gave chase.

Xu Sizhun didn’t stop either, gasping as he chased them. "Fifth Brother, wait for me!"

The quick-witted Huo Qing saw this and followed as well.

The neatly laid stone bricks underfoot, the solemn black-lacquered pillars with lotus bases, the towering green trees—familiar sights that now seemed alien.

Tears blurred Xu Sijie’s vision.

He had to ask... Fourth Brother must have made a mistake. He needed to ask for himself...

Someone grabbed his arm.

He fought like a wild animal, shaking them off and leaving them behind.

"Fifth Brother!" Wang Shu hadn't expected Xu Sijie to break free from him. He froze for a moment but quickly caught up with the disoriented Xu Sijie, who was running around like a headless chicken. Learning from his mistake, Wang Shu lunged from behind and grabbed Xu Sijie around the waist.

Xu Sijie thrashed like a fish out of water, unable to break free no matter how he twisted and turned.

"Let me go, let me go!" Xu Sijie shouted, his neck flushed and veins bulging in anger. "You're lying to me, you're lying to me..."

Some servant women passing by stood at a distance, pointing and whispering.

Seizing the chance, Xu Sizhun, his lips pale as he gasped for breath, grabbed Xu Sijie's hand. "Do you want the whole household to know? What will Mother do then? Apologize for you or plead with Grandmother?"

Xu Sijie stiffened, stunned into silence.

The fifth young master revered his mother above all.

Xu Sizhun sighed in relief. "Drag him back inside! Don't make us a laughingstock!"

Hu Qing hurried forward to help Wang Shu escort Xu Sijie back to Danbo Pavilion.

Bi Luo stepped out. "What's going on?" she asked nervously.

"Fifth Brother and I had an argument," Xu Sizhun said breathlessly. "Send everyone away. If anyone dares to gossip, have them sold immediately!"

This sternness was unlike his usual gentle self—his tone shocked not only Bi Luo but also the maids who had been watching. Before Bi Luo could even give the order, the courtyard cleared in an instant.

Xu Sizhun shut the door.

"Fifth Brother, don't be like this!" He looked into Xu Sijie's wide, almond-shaped eyes, his heart aching. "Maybe we made a mistake. Fifth Uncle hasn't returned yet. We can ask him when he's back..." He offered hollow comfort.

"Fine, fine, fine!" Xu Sijie managed a smile more pitiful than tears. "You help me find out. You help me find out. It must be a mistake."

He regretted it so much!

Why had he ever gone looking for his birth mother?

He'd rather have been adopted by the Xu family.

That way, he could always be Lord Xu and Eleven Miss's son!

"I'll ask as soon as Fifth Uncle returns!" Xu Sizhun reassured him. "Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this!"

But Xu Sijie suddenly grew afraid.

He thought of the woman who had held him close in pity, made him delicious pastries, listened patiently to his awful flute playing, walked him to the gate to see him off to school, sat with him under the lamp to practice calligraphy, checked his homework, and built him a workshop...

What if Fifth Uncle said "yes"... What would he do then?

Xu Sijie clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms, his heart aching.

"No, no, no." Beads of cold sweat formed on his brow. "Don't ask. Don't ask anyone..." Then he added, "But... help me ask after all..." He rambled incoherently, his conflicted emotions laid bare.

Xu Sizhun thought of their shared memories—attending school together, studying, playing ball games, playing jump rope—and his heart ached.

Wang Shu and Hu Qing slipped away quietly.

Xu Sizhun sat down on a nearby high-backed chair and said softly, "Fifth Brother, don't worry. No matter what, your goodness to me is genuine, and my affection for you is true. And so is Father's, Mother's, Second Brother's, Sixth Brother's..."

"Fourth Brother!" Xu Sijie grabbed Xu Sizhun's hand, tears rolling down his cheeks.