Chapter 72 Cultivation

Chapter 72: Guidance

When school let out, Cheng Feng didn't sleep in. He was already used to waking up early.

At first light he got up to wash and dress. Once he was ready, he went to the living room first, planning to clean, thinking he'd go to the dining hall for breakfast after finishing.

When he returned from breakfast, many maids were already busy at work in the living room.

Cheng Feng found a kind-looking, pretty maid and asked quietly what he should do. The maid thought for a moment and pointed to the staircase. "Just wipe down the stair railings."

Cheng Feng nodded quickly. He didn't want to give anyone cause to call him lazy, so he worked especially diligently. A few maids nearby noticed him and couldn't help but gather, whispering among themselves.

"This new tutor is really handsome. I wonder if he has a girlfriend?"

"If you want to ask, you go ask. I'm not going. We'd get in trouble if caught, and our wages could be docked. I don't want that."

The girls egged each other on for a while, but in the end, no one dared to step forward and strike up a conversation. If Butler Zhang caught them fooling around during work hours, they could have their pay deducted, or worse, be fired.

Cheng Feng finished wiping the railings quickly and had no other tasks left.

The maids on the eldest young master's side all rushed to grab work, afraid that once the chores were done, they'd have to leave. Everyone wanted to get noticed in front of the eldest young master a few more times, hoping he would remember them.

After all, the eldest young master was exceptionally good-looking and came from a prominent family. If he took a liking to someone, wouldn't that be like a sparrow flying onto a branch and turning into a phoenix?

Though this thought might be naive, who didn't harbor a bit of wishful thinking? They just didn't dare to be too obvious about it, relying on the method of snatching up work to get noticed more.

With no work left to do, Cheng Feng returned to his room. He carefully checked the essay he had written the night before, took a photo, and sent it to the Chinese class representative.

Then he took out a math test paper and quietly started working on the problems.

Before he knew it, it was 10 a.m., and he had finished two test papers.

Cheng Feng got up to go to the bathroom. Just as he pushed the door open and came out, he bumped into Shang Xu, who was dressed in casual clothes, leisurely walking downstairs.

His hair was slightly disheveled, likely from having just gotten up, and he had only casually smoothed it a couple of times.

As soon as Cheng Feng saw the eldest young master, the image from last night—Shang Xu naked—popped into his head unbidden.

The tips of his ears instantly turned faintly pink. He felt somewhat awkward; he really hadn't meant to peek.

While Shang Xu was having breakfast, Cheng Feng stood dutifully nearby, waiting.

Suddenly, Shang Xu looked up at him and spoke evenly, "Finished your homework?"

Cheng Feng quickly nodded. "Yes, I finished it at school. Only the Chinese assignment was done last night. These test papers were all done ahead of time."

Shang Xu didn't ask further. After finishing his meal, he simply told Cheng Feng to stay and wait nearby, not assigning him any cleaning tasks.

Not long after, Cheng Feng saw Butler Liu walking over carrying a large stack of things. As he got closer, Cheng Feng could see clearly—they weren't books at all, but test papers for various subjects.

Cheng Feng wondered, what was Butler Liu doing with so many test papers?

Before he could think much more, Shang Xu had already pulled out an English test paper and handed it to him, telling him to do it right then and there.

Cheng Feng was taken aback. His performance in the recent mock exam for English had been average, similar to the first time, barely passing.

Without hesitation, he took the pen, went to the dining table, sat down, and started writing the test. As for the listening section, Butler Liu played the recording last. After finishing, Cheng Feng handed the test paper to Shang Xu.

Shang Xu took the paper and carefully graded it, assigning a score.

This time, he didn't pass.

Cheng Feng's head instantly drooped. He didn't even dare to look at Shang Xu.

"Come here," Shang Xu's voice sounded.

Cheng Feng pressed his lips together, his heart sinking. He thought he was inevitably in for a scolding and had already braced himself.

But to his surprise, Shang Xu only had him sit beside him and went through the test paper question by question, patiently explaining. He even translated unfamiliar words and sentences in the questions, instructing Cheng Feng to take good notes.

Finally, Shang Xu also told him he could listen to more English songs to develop a feel for the language. He then took out a small booklet of English stories for him. The booklet was written entirely in English, with detailed translations attached. The stories inside were novel, interesting, and closely related to daily life.

Cheng Feng was stunned.

The eldest young master was personally teaching him? The young master, the third young master, and the second young lady probably never received such treatment, right? Of course, this was just his guess. How would he know about the matters between the eldest young master and the others?

Shang Xu seemed to see through his thoughts and spoke calmly, "You want to ask why I'm teaching you but not Shang Shaohao and the others, right?"

Cheng Feng glanced at him, then quickly lowered his head, pursing his lips, unwilling to say more. He thought, *Can he read my mind?*

He understood the principle that talking too much invites trouble. He wouldn't casually interject about things he didn't understand, lest he say the wrong thing. Moreover, since the eldest young master asked, he would surely explain the reason himself.

"I've taught all of them," Shang Xu's voice was very calm. "It's just that Shao Hao is afraid of me and unwilling to listen to my lessons. As for Nan Zhou and Zi Xuan, they have dedicated private tutors, so there's no need for me to bother."

Cheng Feng softly responded, "Oh, I see," momentarily unsure of what else to say.

He knew his silence like this would inevitably make the atmosphere somewhat awkward. But every time he spoke with the eldest young master, he felt like a student called upon by the teacher to answer a question. Even though he had everything clearly thought out in his mind, once he got nervous, he forgot it all and couldn't squeeze out a single word for the longest time.

Later, Shang Xu had him do another math test paper. After grading it, he patiently explained the ways to solve the problems to him.

Cheng Feng discovered that Shang Xu's methods were simpler and easier to understand than the school teachers'.

He gradually relaxed from his initial nervousness and restraint. A thought even arose in his mind: *If only the eldest young master could be his teacher.*

That single morning, he learned more than he usually did in a whole week. His notebook was filled to the brim.

Butler Liu told him that this was the eldest young master mentoring him, that he thought highly of him, and that Cheng Feng must not let the eldest young master down. He must work hard and do his best.

Cheng Feng knew. He gave a firm nod, promising that he would definitely study hard.